I stared at him, open-mouthed at the sheer balls of the guy as he herded both Hayden and Seth into the ship.
“This is so exciting!” Astrid chirruped as she bounded over to me. “That guy is gorgeous. I saw you dancing with him at the wedding and was wondering who he was. What’s with the cameraman? Is he famous? Is he your boyfriend?”
I guess Astrid watched about as much TV as I did.
I rolled my eyes at her. Making sure the boys had gone and were out of earshot.
“No, he is most definitely not my boyfriend although my mother set us up before she got sick. He’s an idiot with an ego the size of Trifork, but he knows his stuff...at least I think he does. Put it this way, he’s the only chance we have.”
“At least, we have a lead,” she said, linking her arm in mine. “I’m sorry to hear about the queen...queen mother. How are you feeling? You must be pretty frazzled.”
I took a deep breath. Frazzled was one word for it.
“I want to say I feel sad and depressed because I know I should, but I think we are passing over Havfrue and you know what that means. I feel like a butterfly taking flight for the first time. My heart is beating ninety to nothing, and I can’t stop smiling. This bonding is maddening.”
Astrid looked over my shoulder and frowned. “Erica, look. The shore is almost out of sight. We passed over Havfrue ages ago. Whatever is going on with you has nothing to do with Ari.”
I turned back to see for myself. She was right. Havfrue was miles behind.
On Film
“I’m really sorry that we invaded your honeymoon.”
“I’m sorry that you have to sleep in here,” replied Astrid as she showed me to one of the private quarters. It was small with a set of bunk beds and a small wardrobe for clothes. “Hayden and I have the Captain’s quarters, and the captain is in the first officer’s quarters which leaves only these small rooms for the higher officers and the dorms for the lower ones. There’s not much in the way of privacy I’m afraid.”
I looked around the room that would be my home for the next few days. At least, it had a porthole which meant I could watch the world go by in peace. “I love it! Just don’t put Josh and Seth near me. They can have one of the dorms on the other side of the ship.”
Astrid sat on the lower bunk as I pulled my clothes from my bag and began to hang them up.
“Is he really all that bad?” she asked. “I mean, he’s pretty gorgeous.”
“Looks aren’t everything. Moron is not a strong enough word for him. He’s the worst. Stupid, but thinks he’s smart. That’s a dangerous combination in my books.”
Astrid lay back, placing her head on her hands on top of the pillow. “You think he’s dangerous? I kinda like that in a man.”
“Pffft!” I laughed out loud, taking a seat on the end of the bed by her feet. “I didn’t say he was dangerous. I’m sure he’s pretty harmless, but I’m worried that this whole trip will turn out to be a complete waste of time. I’m worried that someone will die while I’m away chasing myths and legends with some lunatic, and I’ll have missed the chance to say goodbye. Everyone speaks highly of him, but I know how television works. Things are not always what they seem. He’s probably some dunderheaded pretty boy who fronts the show, and the real brains of the operation is sitting in a leather office chair drinking cocktails somewhere.”
I heard a sniff. Turning to look at Astrid, I found her crying. Tears streamed down her face making her skin appear blotchy and her eyes red. I scrambled in my bag for a handkerchief, and when I found it, I passed it to her.
“Sorry, I’m just emotional. You won’t miss your chance to say goodbye. Your mom will be fine.”
Astrid and my mother hadn’t gotten off to the best start but they’d bonded over the wedding planning. I’d not realized how much my mother being sick had affected her.
I should have been crying too. The people I cared about the most in the world were gravely ill, and yet, my insides felt like I was on a thrill ride. Having passed over Havfrue and therefore Ari, my heart rate should have subsided, but I could still feel it pounding away in my chest. For a second I wondered if I were ill too, but then I remembered that no one else had complained of a pounding heart or the immense feeling of true love.
I stood up and helped Astrid to her feet. She silently hugged me, and I was grateful for her friendship. Not many people would let their best friend come on their honeymoon with them, let alone a complete stranger and a cameraman. Astrid was one in a million. I had a feeling Hayden wasn’t quite so accepting, but he’d come around. He had told me he was a fan of Josh’s TV show after all.
Dinner that evening was an interesting affair. The food was good, thanks to us having a highly trained kitchen staff onboard, but the atmosphere was frosty at best. While Astrid and I had been sorting bunks and gossiping, it seemed that Hayden and Josh had had some serious disagreement when the captain had pointed out that the islands that Josh spoke about didn’t exist. Apparently, Josh’s comeback had been that just because they weren’t on any map, didn’t mean they didn’t exist.
Astrid chatted with Josh about his TV show while I ended up talking to Hayden. Seth had elected to eat in his bunk, and beyond him popping up here and there with his camera, I’d barely spoken to the guy.
“Do you think this guy is a phony?” Hayden leaned toward me and whispered. I looked over at Josh. He was deep in conversation with Astrid who seemed delighted to be chatting with him. Her face was animated, and every so often she’d give a small peal of laughter at one of his stories. I screwed my face up. I wanted to be able to tell Hayden that I thought Josh was a genius, but Hayden knew me too well for me to let a lie slide by him.
“I have no idea if this will pan out,” I replied honestly. “You know the guy better than I do. Don’t you watch his TV show?”
“Yeah, but I only know him as the celebrity. I don’t know the real him.” He let out a breath between clenched teeth, and I could see that he was getting mad. “He’s known as a womanizer. Did you know that?”
“Stop it!” I hissed under my breath. “You have no need to be jealous if that’s what this is. Astrid loves you. Please don’t be an idiot or I’ll think the sea witch has put a spell on you again.”
As I said it, I realized that it wasn’t just the merfolk that had been plagued by the sea witch. Only a few months ago, she’d made Hayden believe he was in love with me. He’d acted like a dolt back then too.
“How are you feeling?” I asked him. He looked at me with a confused expression on his face at the sudden change of subject.
“Fine...why?”
I leaned even further in. I really didn’t want Astrid to hear what I was about to say and panic. “Everyone that the sea witch put a spell on has become sick. She put a spell on you too. I’d completely forgotten about it until now.”
Hayden shook his head. “I’m honestly fine apart from the fact that my new wife is currently on my honeymoon with a jumped-up pretty boy, and I’m stuck talking to you.”
“Thanks!” I replied, my voice dripping in sarcasm.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” He placed his hand on my shoulder and gave me a smile. “You know I love you. You are my best friend...I just...”
I stood up, picking up my plate of half-eaten food.
“Josh,” I called across the table. “It’s a lovely evening. Care to join me on deck?”
I gave Hayden a wink as Josh followed my lead. When I looked back, Hayden mouthed a silent thank you.
Outside, it was actually pretty blustery which made eating more difficult than I imagined. It didn’t help that neither of us had thought to bring cutlery with us.
“How am I supposed to eat this?” asked Josh, looking down at his plate.
I shrugged my shoulders. “You are an adventurer; I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Here, can you hold this? I’ll be right back.” I passed my plate to him and slipped back inside. Instead of heading to the dining hall, I turned to the
galley. The ship’s cook was very happy to fulfill my request that a bottle of the finest champagne be brought to the dining room along with a bucket of ice. The request for candles was denied for safety reasons as the ship was made out of wood, but I figured the champagne would placate Hayden a little.
When I got back on deck, I found Josh eating his steak with his hand. My plate had been placed on the floor. I picked it up and followed his lead.
The sun was beginning to set, and the sea had taken on an orange-pinkish hue. The silence was only cut by the sound of gentle, lapping of the waves below us and the flapping of the sails. This is what I’d waited my entire life for and despite the dire situation back home, I felt incredibly happy. I felt the same as when Ari was near me, but he was so many miles back now. Maybe it was my childhood dream being realized that made me feel the way I did.
“It feels entirely inappropriate,” I pointed out, forgetting that Josh didn’t know my situation with Ari.
“You and me being together...alone?” He made a step toward me.
“Hold it, Buster!” I held my hand out to stop him coming even closer to me. “I wasn’t talking about that. I was talking about how happy I feel despite everyone being sick. I should feel so much worse than I do.”
Josh nodded his head thoughtfully and gazed out into the never-ending distance. “It’s the ocean. It can do that to a person. Being away from people is my happy place. It doesn’t have to be the ocean. I’m just as happy at the top of a mountain or the middle of a jungle. Anywhere where people are scarce or better yet, not there at all.”
I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t think that’s why I was happy. I liked being surrounded by people most of the time. It was the adventure I craved. The ability to be free and to see new things.
I couldn’t really understand what was going on inside me. The further away I was from Ari, the worse I should feel, but it was like he was right next to me. Maybe we weren’t bonded after all. The whole concept was ridiculous anyway.
“Do you know anything about bonding?” I asked. The guy seemed to know about everything else.
“Bonding? As in two people coming together?” He licked his lips and took a step forward once again, causing me to take a step back.
“You are particularly vile, you know that?”
He held his hands up. “Sorry. Bonding? Like the magic kind?”
I thought for a moment. When Ari had described it to me, he had talked about magic.
“Yes. Specifically in relation to merpeople.”
Josh’s eyes lit up. It was clear that magic was his favorite subject. “Magical bonding only happens within certain species. Humans think it happens to them, but they call it love at first sight or soul mates. It’s all a load of phooey. I’ve found my soul mate plenty of times only to find out that she was ordinary.”
I lifted my lip and nose at the thought of him with all those girls. I had no idea why I’d asked him. The dude obviously had no idea about love.
“Never mind.” I turned to go back inside. It was early, but I’d rather be alone in my bunk than hang around with this creep.
“Hey, wait! Are you talking specifically about bonding between merpeople? Because that totally is a thing. At least, I read that it was. Are you bonded to someone?”
I sensed that whatever I told him would end up on TV, so I elected to go with a lie. “No. I just heard about it and was curious.”
“Bonding is when two people...in this case, two merpeople are destined to be together. Their love for each other is so strong that it can never be broken. It is love in its most pure base form. It is beauty and truth combined. It is heady and dangerous and beautiful all in one.”
He took a step toward me, and this time, I stayed where I was, mesmerized by his speech. I felt my breath catch in my throat as he placed his hand on my cheek, and I found myself looking deeply into those light eyes.
“Those who are bonded will either live a glorious life together or a life of torment if they are forced apart. It is both a blessing and a curse, and for those of us that are purely human, we will never be able to understand the piercing pain nor the uneclipsed high of being bonded. It is said that it is a torture beyond any other and a bliss to which nothing in the nine kingdoms can compare.”
He bridged the gap between us, putting his lips upon mine as we leaned against the railing of the ship. I closed my eyes, falling into the kiss, but then, a pain shot through my heart as though an arrow had pierced my skin and traveled right through my ribcage.
I screamed as the searing pain took over, overwhelming my senses. I felt Josh rubbing my back as I bent double in agony. My chest was on fire, and then...and then, it wasn’t.
Less than a minute after it had started, the pain ebbed away. I pulled myself up straight and stared down at my chest, looking for a gaping wound or any other clue as to what had just happened to me.
Everything looked normal. I sucked in a deep breath, trying to fight the shock. The pain had vanished, but I knew the memory of it would last a long time.
“Are you alright?” Josh asked concern in his voice.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “I think I was stung by a bee, that’s all. I should probably go and lie down.” I turned to leave him feeling completely confused. Everything had been normal before Josh kissed me and almost as soon as his lips touched mine, it felt as though my insides were exploding. I ran back along the deck. Before I reached the door, I saw the telltale light of a video camera. The whole episode had been captured on film.
The Map
My breathing came thick and fast as I lay on the top bunk of my cabin. The ship swayed lightly from side to side making me feel more nauseous than I already did.
My heart had settled down, back to the state it was in before Josh kissed me. It felt like Ari was close, which made me feel even worse about the whole thing.
I closed my eyes and tried to work out what had happened. I’d been fine until Josh had kissed me. It wasn’t like he’d forced himself onto me. I was a willing participant, but that didn’t mean I really wanted to do it. Or had I? He was a good-looking guy; there was no doubt about it, but he was also an annoying, egotistical rat. I imagined he had a girl in every port. I could see what girls saw in him, but he wasn’t my type at all. I don’t even know why I’d let him kiss me. I wasn’t attracted to him. My only reasonable conclusion was that it was a heat of the moment thing. He’d been talking about blissful love, and I was a willing captive to his words. Of course, I was. Since Ari, I’d been lonely, fulfilling my duties as the future queen and dealing with crap from all sides. Not only did I have one kingdom to deal with, I was looking after two.
“No wonder I slipped up,” I whispered to myself.
Still, it didn’t explain what the pain was. It was gone completely, but for the minute I’d been feeling it, it was the most intense agony I’d ever had to bear.
Hayden had told me that Josh was from Schnee. Of all the magic in all of the nine kingdoms, Schnee was the most powerful. I’d have sent some of my guards there to find help for my mother and grandfather had it not been for the fact it was well over a thousand miles away from my palace in Trifork.
The king and queen never accepted any invitation from us, and although I couldn’t call them enemies of Trifork, they were hardly allies either. The people from Schnee tended to keep themselves to themselves.
If the people of Schnee were so powerful, why was it that Josh held no magic of his own? He’d said himself he was powerless without magical artifacts. It only cemented my theory that the man was a liar. Everyone in Schnee was magic, so it stood to reason Josh was too.
It still didn’t answer the question as to why, if he wanted to kiss me, he’d immediately strike me down with pain. Feeling like your insides are trying to escape to the outside is hardly the most romantic feeling in the world.
It took me hours to fall asleep, and it was a gentle knock at my door that awoke me the next morning.
“Erica, Are you
ok? Breakfast is served in the dining hall.”
Bleary-eyed, I dragged myself out of bed and opened the door to find Astrid standing there looking perky as usual. I pulled her into my room, making sure there was no one lurking in the corridor, and shut the cabin door behind her.
“What’s the matter?” She looked at me in alarm.
I told her what had happened last night and also mentioned that I was still feeling Ari’s presence even though he was now hundreds of miles behind us.
She sat me on the lower bunk and looked at me with something akin to pity on her face.
“I wonder if the pain was just a reaction to you moving on. Subconsciously, you still feel as though you are with Ari. I don’t know much about bonding, but I imagine it’s pretty hard to get over something like that. You probably feel him near you because you don’t really want to let him go.”
Blue Water (A Little Mermaid Reverse Fairytale Book 2) Page 10