Blue Water (A Little Mermaid Reverse Fairytale Book 2)

by J. A. Armitage

  “Do something!” she yelled to a rattled-looking Josh.

  “I’m trying!” he replied through gritted teeth, but it was apparent that Clement was not going to let him.

  “You might be a famous TV star, but that does not mean you know about magic!” Clement yelled, pulling the large iron ring toward him. “This has great power and is not to be used by people who do not know what they are doing.”

  “I know it has great power, you idiot,” retorted Josh. “Why do you think I brought it here? For a fun light show? I brought it to take the spell off the queen. And for your information, I’m from Schnee. You know, the place where everyone is magic? I know exactly what I’m doing.”

  Both men glared at each other, but it was Anthony who pulled them apart. He tried to take the ring from them, but it burned the tip of his fingers, so it was Clement that ended up with the artifact.

  “Gentlemen, please!” I rubbed my temples, trying to decide what to do next. I had my mother who was now perfectly well beyond her obvious distress in gaining her tail back, the people of Havfrue who were still sick to my knowledge and the very real threat of the Sirens coming to get their magic ring back.

  I glanced around at everyone. They all stood silently looking at me. Perhaps I’d sounded a tad forceful when I’d last spoken. I decided to go through each problem one by one.

  “Mother, you were literally on death's door. I know you don’t want a tail, but as you can see, there is magic out there. Once I’ve taken the ring to Havfrue and saved the people there, I’m sure Josh can whip up a spell to get you your legs back. Until then, try to relax. I promise I won’t let the press get a hold of this. Lucy can look after you.”

  I turned to Clement next. “Clement, thank you so much for your help. Without you, our mother would surely have perished. I will make sure you are handsomely rewarded. Perhaps Anthony can deal with that?”

  I glanced towards my brother who nodded his head.

  “Finally, Josh. You seem to be the only one who can use the ring. Can you come with Ari and me to Havfrue? There are still a lot of people who need our help.”

  Josh stood forward, his grin huger than ever. “It would be a pleasure. I’ll go and find Seth and meet you down by the rocks!”

  I wasn’t exactly happy about Josh inviting Seth along to film everything, but I didn’t want to hang around to argue. Josh took the ring from Clement’s unwilling hand and left with it.

  I went through the mental list once again. I thought I had everything covered. It was with a light heart, I walked down to the rocks to meet Ari. Things hadn’t turned out exactly as I had expected, but all in all, I’d accomplished everything I’d set out to do. My mother was well...sort of, and I’d soon be able to help all the other people affected by the sea witch. My only real concern was the sirens, but I had John in charge of defense, and I trusted he’d do a good job.

  Ari was waiting for me, just as he had said he would be. The top half of his body was out of the water, as he rested his chest on folded arms, his tail splashing lazily behind him. I leaned down to kiss him, but there was a flash nearby that stopped me. Turning, I saw hundreds of people on boats. As the majority of them had cameras, it was easy to guess that they were the media.

  “Come under. They can’t follow us there.” Ari held his hand out to me.

  It would have been so easy for me to take it. To slip into the water and escape the media attention, but I’d promised I’d meet Josh here. Without him, we wouldn’t be able to save the people of Havfrue.

  “Josh saved my mother. He now knows the magic to do it. I told him to meet me here.”

  Ari looked surprised. “He survived the storm?”

  I nodded. “It’s a long story. We can’t leave without him.”

  I searched the rocks and the promenade for signs of him and Seth. It was hard to spot anyone in the huge crowds that lined the seafront and, in the distance, the beach. The sea itself was just as crowded. As well as the boats owned or borrowed by the media, I could see some of The Trifork Navy ships that had finally come back to port. John must have sent them back out to keep guard against the sirens.

  “What are the media out for?”

  I shook my head. It could be one of a hundred reasons. They were sneaky and always seemed to be one step ahead. “They probably saw the naval ships and decided to be nosy.”

  My toe tapped impatiently upon the rock as we waited for Josh. There was no point going without him as he was the only one who knew how to break the spell. A full ten minutes later, I saw him running along the public promenade, the ring in his hand and Seth following along behind with his camera on his shoulder. Behind him, a group of people chased the pair of them. All had cameras and were snapping away. I guessed that the people in the media didn’t really know what was going on, but with a queen, a merman, a celebrity adventurer, and the Trifork Navy involved, they knew there was a story there. I only hoped they wouldn’t find out about my mother. I didn’t care so much if it the rest of it became public knowledge, but she would be devastated if anyone saw her with a tail.

  The palace guards stopped him at the gate that separated the public promenade from the palace’s private one. He pointed to me as I waved my arms to signal that it was ok for him to be let in. The people from the newspapers and TV stations carried on filming and snapping their pictures as Josh and Seth navigated the rocks toward us.

  “I can’t come with you!” Seth wheezed as he reached us just behind Josh. “The camera isn’t waterproof.”

  I heaved a sigh of relief. I had planned to tell them both that Seth couldn’t come anyway. My grandfather was extremely shy when it came to the media. He was happy to wave at them above the water, but he was fiercely protective of Havfrue and would never allow anyone from the media down there. I was just about to say such a thing when Josh shouted, “Nonsense,” and pushed poor Seth in, camera and all. Instead of the big splash I expected, he floated on the top of the water in a large bubble. I don’t know who was more surprised, him or me! Josh leapt out, right through the skin of the bubble to join Seth and before I could object, the bubble sank below the surface.

  “I guess that explains how Josh survived underwater for so long,” pointed out Ari. Without taking my shoes off, I dived into the water. Ari grabbed hold of my hand so I could breathe, and the four of us made the journey to Havfrue.

  The surface of the water was dark thanks to the many boats above us. I asked Ari to pull us deeper so they couldn’t film us. My grandfather was going to be livid when he saw Seth and his camera. I didn’t want to add to it by letting the media follow us too.

  As we swam up to the huge underwater city, I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen.

  What if we are too late?

  Ari knew what I meant. My mother had been so close to death when we came back, and my grandfather was a much older man.

  Ari stopped a passerby and spoke to her. He used the strange underwater language I didn’t understand, but once he’d spoken, he translated for my benefit. He spoke to me the way he always did underwater, from his mind to mine.

  I asked her how the king is.

  The mermaid, an older woman with deep purple hair that was greying at the temples, replied. I didn’t need Ari to translate for me to know it was bad news. The mermaid shook as she spoke and had an expression of great sorrow on her face.

  However, when Ari did speak to me, the news was not as bad as I feared.

  “The king is still alive. He is very sick as are a number of people from Havfrue.”

  My heart leapt with this information. As long as he was alive, Josh could save him. Ari took off in the direction of the palace at full speed, pulling me along with him. Behind us, I could see Josh and Seth speeding along in their bubble propelled by magic. Josh was full of excitement, gazing around him at this underwater city, but Seth looked like he was just about to throw up. The poor guy wasn’t enjoying the ride one bit although I noticed he still managed to keep his camera s
teady.

  The underwater city felt like home in a way that Trifork never really had. The huge irregular buildings, alive with various water plants that swayed in the gentle current and the thousands of tiny fish that darted in and out of the windows enveloped me in a sense of calmness, and brought a joy to my heart. We still had to save my grandfather, but we were so close. I could see the towering palace up ahead, with the top of the strange spire only twenty feet or so below the water’s surface. As we swam up the main “road” toward the palace, I noticed something I’d not seen before. Dark shapes behind the palace dotted the landscape or seascape in this case.

  No one else had noticed them, but as I watched, they moved. They were getting bigger. At first, I thought they might be some kind of school of fish, but as they came closer, and as their shapes became more defined, it was with terror that I realized what they were.

  I’d been so diligent asking John to bring the army to guard Trifork from the sirens that it hadn’t occurred to me that they would come to Havfrue first.

  And yet they had. Judging by the numbers, Acania had brought her entire tribe, and they didn’t look happy. They held makeshift weapons crafted from parts of sunken boats and judging by the expressions on their faces, they weren’t afraid to use them.

  Havfrue

  Ari had seen them now. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. I could feel it in the way his hand gripped mine just that little bit tighter. We stayed still, the four of us as the sirens swam past the palace.

  Acania was at the front. When she saw us, she halted. The few merfolk that had been out and about darted into their homes or into the first window they saw.

  She swam right up to me. “I did not expect to find you here. I’m surprised you are not safely back at home in your own palace on land where I’m guessing you have many people assigned to guard you.”

  I could hear her. Not in my mind, I could actually hear her voice under the water. I couldn’t answer her. As soon as I opened my mouth to speak, saltwater flooded into it causing anything I tried to say sound like the strangled gargle it was. Ari had to answer her for me although it was clear it was me she was addressing.

  “Her grandfather is sick. We already told you that. We are here to take your friend’s spell away from him as well as all the others that she infected.”

  Acania stared right at me with her one good eye, and I held her gaze. “Ursula was no friend of mine,” she said. “And I already told you that. I do not wish to fight you, but you stole something from me. You stole something very important indeed.” Her eyes flicked over to the bubble beside us. The bubble that held Josh, Seth, and the large iron ring right at the center.

  We’ll give it back once we’ve saved my grandfather and the others. Then you can go home. No one has to get hurt. I said it in my mind to Ari, hoping he could tell her, but somehow she already knew. Maybe telepathy was one of her abilities.

  “You have done nothing but lie to me!” She swam right up to me now, her face twisted in anger. It was difficult not to show revulsion at her mangled face and the eye that hung from the socket in the most grotesque fashion. “You stole the ring, you told me that you’d make a video which I’m sure you never intended to make, and unless I’m very much mistaken, aren’t those naval ships up there on the surface. Naval ships and boats full of photographers. One lot to kill us, and the other to film it...the killing of the ugly sirens who dared invade your kingdom. You planned it all, didn’t you? Not only would you wipe us out, you’d become a hero in the process and still get to keep the ring for yourself.”

  It's not like that, I protested. The photographers up there have nothing to do with me. I only want to save my family and my friends from Ursula’s spell.

  There was a swish of water in front of my face, and she was gone. When the water cleared a second later, I saw her standing in front of the bubble. Josh held onto the ring tightly as Seth cowered behind him, his camera still rolling, pointing directly at Acania.

  She held out her hand, and the ring began to glow red in a similar way to how it had done in the infirmary at the palace. I could see Josh struggling to hold onto it, and as he let go, the ring flew towards Acania at the same time the bubble popped.

  They can’t breathe!

  Ari raced over to them with me in tow. He grabbed Josh but had no hands left to get Seth as well, so I had to grab him. Unfortunately, the magic Ari possessed that allowed whoever he held hands with to breathe worked for me, but not through me. Seth was drowning.

  Hold on! Ari said and swam so quickly to the surface that we actually flew into the air before splashing back down.

  “I’ll have to leave you here,” he said as we bobbed around on the surface. “I’ll come back when I’ve dealt with the sirens.”

  Before I had a chance to stop him, he’d already dived back under the water.

  I took a deep breath, and tried to follow. Without his help, I knew I wouldn’t get far, but I needed to see what was going on. A hundred feet below me, the merfolk had seen the sirens and those that dared were coming out of their houses to fight. As I watched, the merfolk banded together to form a wall, but although there were many more of them than the sirens, it wasn’t a fair fight. The sirens had both magic and weapons.

  My lungs began to strain with lack of air, so I had to swim back to the surface.

  “What’s happening?” Josh asked.

  I told him that they were set to fight. He nodded his head and then at the top of his voice, yelled to the nearest boat.

  As soon as Seth saw what he was doing, he too began to yell and wave his hands.

  “No!” I tried to stop them, but it was already too late. A number of the private boats filled with people from the media were already on their way, as was one of my ships.

  “What did you do that for?” I hissed, in a panicked state.

  “Your ships have cannons and guns. They will be able to kill the sirens with no problem and rescue us to boot. Are you capturing this Seth?”

  Seth held up his camera which was waterlogged. “Nope.”

  Ignoring Seth, I shouted at Josh. “If they point their cannons downwards, they’ll destroy Havfrue and everyone in it. This is Ari’s home. My grandfather lives down there as do my aunts. If the Trifork Navy gets involved, they’ll wipe out Havfrue completely.”

  “Oh...I didn’t think of that.”

  Anger coursed through me, but it had nowhere to go. Josh hadn’t done it on purpose, he was just an idiot. All I could do was wait for the ship and tell them to retreat. The smaller boats got to us first, and it was with glee that they filmed us and took photos before helping us on board. So much for keeping all of this low key.

  I ignored the men on the boat, who were beyond excited to have their queen aboard and kept trying to ask me questions. All I could think of was Ari and what was happening directly below us. I bent over the side, trying to get a good view of everything that was happening below, but I couldn’t see a thing, just the rippling of the surface water. If you didn’t already know about Havfrue, you’d never know it was there. It was only when the boat began to sway from side to side that I noticed the huge naval ship getting close. The smaller boats were fine bobbing about above Havfrue, but the bulk of the naval ship went deep into the water. It was already too late as I realized that the base of the ship would hit the spire of my grandfather’s palace. I didn’t see it, but I heard the crash as the ship hit.

  I had never felt so utterly hopeless as I did right then. There was nothing I could do to help, and if anything, my being up here was making matters worse. I couldn’t even begin to imagine the scene below me, the war between the sirens and the merfolk, and the decimation of my grandfather’s palace. I tried to work out just how much of the spire the boat would have hit. With any luck, just the top would have been shattered, leaving the main part of the building intact. No one lived in that grand room. It was my grandfather’s throne room. As he was already ill, I doubted he’d be in there, but the not knowing
was driving me crazy.

  “Sail alongside the ship!” I commanded the one person that didn’t have a camera pointing at me. He gave me a quick salute and moved the little boat up next to the ship. A rope ladder was dropped over the side, and when I looked up, I saw Captain Howell peering down at me. I’d not recognized it, but this was the ship we’d all traveled on before.

  As I climbed the ladder, I still had no idea what I could do to help those below, but with Captain Howell’s help, maybe I could drive the media boats away. Things were bad enough without it all being filmed so that everyone in Trifork could watch it on their TV. Captain Howell held her hand out and helped me onto the ship.

  “Your Highness, you can’t stay on here long. We hit a submerged rock and are taking on water. I’ve put out a distress call.”