by Maggie Joan
“How does this work exactly?” I said, my mouth running dry.
“We will enter the water at a slow walk which will enable the horses to change for the environment. As they breathe in and out under water, it will create an oxygen bubble around us. Fairies can actually breathe under water, but I don’t want you to feel left out,” he said, chuckling.
I breathed a sigh of relief. I’d imagined having to drown before I could breathe under water and all sorts. This was so much more preferable.
Step by step, we entered the water. I’d expected a shallow descent, like a swimming pool with a shallow end and a deep end, but no, it was just a straight sheer drop from land to a bottomless ocean.
I braced myself for freezing cold water but found myself more than surprised when warm, almost bordering on hot, water engulfed me. The dogs didn’t stir at all, something else I didn’t expect. The horses legs, which I’d predicted would move frantically actually carried on at the same slow walk we’d done on land.
Looking across at Izar, I could see four gills in the curve where his neck met his shoulder. They opened and closed just like any other fish. When I saw this with my own eyes, I decided to ignore any expectations of anything I’d previously had about this world. I couldn’t prepare myself for things I couldn’t even imagine if I tried.
When we were fully submerged, I fought against the urge to hold my breath but the fact I couldn’t feel water against my skin anymore told me that the oxygen bubble had already been formed. Tentatively, I drew a deep breath and grinned. Me and the dress were still soaked but maybe with the heat from the water, it would dry us out by the time we reached the next land, which I had to give thought to may not be land.
Curious about this sea world, I took the opportunity to gaze around, wondering what sorts of peculiar creatures lived in the waters. I ignored the niggle in my mind that said I may regret wondering such a thing and kept looking for fish.
Out of the corner of my right eye, I caught movement and turned to look at what it was. A dark mass swam straight for us at a tremendous speed. Within seconds, I saw it wasn’t just one singular thing, it was a shoal of fish, all swirling around each other but still somehow moving forwards.
As I continued staring, and they came closer, I gasped when I realised they weren’t fish at all, they were mermaids, and mermen, all playfully circling each other. There must have been two hundred or more of them. All were topless, the males sporting long black hair, the females a mix of blonde and red. Some had green lower ends, others had blue, red, purple, and even a few yellow. They carried small tridents, like miniature versions of Poseidon, and seemed to take no notice of us whatsoever as they careered across the front of us, disappearing as quickly as they’d appeared.
A ball of excitement unfurled inside me as my daydreaming side screamed, They’re real! Mermaids exist! But then quickly calmed down when I realised no one back home would believe me and even if I had a way to take a picture, I’d only be called a fake anyway.
Calico glanced over at me and grinned. He was obviously reading my thoughts, which I found rather intrusive but also kind of comforting because at least if I happened to be freaking out or panicking, he’d know and could do something to help.
The horses continued their slow march forwards, the amount of water in front of us fading into an opaque abyss. I dared to look down, my head spinning as the depths below stared back at me like an unknown entity. Was it like Earth where the deeper you dived, the weirder the life forms? This world had such an endless capacity for potential of what may or may not exist, it hurt my mind thinking about it.
Movement below caught my eye. A red glow started to overtake the shadowy unknown beneath me. I squinted, trying to get a better view. The red glow began to pulse, like a heartbeat rhythm, and seemed to be heading straight up towards us. Neither the horses or the dogs seemed worried and Calico seemed more interested in watching me with a lopsided grin on his face. Fighting against my need to panic, I continued watching it with cautious curiosity.
When it reached several feet below us, whatever it was turned on its side to reveal the fact that it was a spider encased in what I can only liken as jelly—it was a jellyfish but a spider. Each of its eight legs glowed red, completely overpowering its pink body in the middle. It then turned again, effectively laying on its back, to reveal a bright blue beak sticking out from its body. Two white glowing eyes sat either side of the beak, fixated on us.
I sucked in a deep breath and froze. Quickly looking at Calico, he pointed above us. I glanced above me to see a small group of seashells and snail shells all floating along the surface of the ocean. When a pair of tiny arms protruded from one of the shells, I realised they weren’t empty and living things were inside them.
Wondering what those little critters looked like, I soon had a chance to see when the jelly-spider let out a horrendous shriek, to the point I thought my ears would bleed. I clamped my hands over my ears and cringed, waiting for the painful noise to stop.
One by one, the tiny creatures in the shells ejected themselves from the safety of their homes. They were pale, almost see through, and reminded me of salamanders, but they lacked back legs, only having the front pair of arms. Darting through the water, they seemed dazed and confused as they tried their hardest to swim away from the noise.
The jelly-spider suddenly burst from the depths like a bullet from a gun, reaching the poor things as fast as I could blink. Within seconds, they’d all been eaten and the empty shells continued bobbing along the surface like nothing had happened.
As fast as it had shot to the surface, the jelly-spider dove back down to the depths, its red glow vanishing like a demon into Hell. I glanced over at Calico, my mouth wide open in disbelief. He did nothing but grin back at me.
I wondered if my gran had been on an adventure like this and seen the wide variety of life over here. Had she been over here only once or more than once? These were questions I’d most likely never know the answer to. A twinge of sadness hit my heart as the tragic reality of life back home reminded me that I shouldn’t really be enjoying myself and all the wonders this world had to offer. Bigger things were at stake here.
All of a sudden, the horses came to an abrupt halt, treading water like they were performing a perfect piaffe. Panicking now, I stared at Calico, my eyes wide with growing fear. He pointed at me and then pointed up. I frowned. He then pinched his clothes and pointed at me again. The dress. I nodded. He then pointed up and then forwards. I presumed he meant we were due to surface soon but my dress prevented it which meant only one thing.
Just as he predicted, Isidora must be waiting for us.
Chapter 13
My heart pounded so hard I could hear my pulse in my ears. I looked to Calico for reassurance but he seemed to be struggling with his own thoughts as he stared into the distance. Was this it? Did we have no choice but to give in to the fact we would be in Isidora’s clutches one way or another?
We stayed there for what felt like forever but more likely only a few minutes. A dark mass approached us from the left, gliding through the water at speed. I realised after a few seconds it was the mermaids and mermen. I expected them to swim back past us but when they stopped next to Calico, I held my breath, hoping for a miracle.
A merman swam out of the group and approached Calico, his yellow tail glittering like a gem with each move he made. He moved his trident through the water, spinning it around and around and then stuck the prongs into the water, ending inches from Calico’s face. I startled and let out a small scream, thinking he was attacking Calico but when the handsome fairy didn’t flinch, I dug my fingers into the dog’s fur and hoped for the best.
The merman floated inches away from Calico and his pink lips were moving, like he was talking. I realised then that he’d entered Calico’s oxygen bubble in order to speak to him. He nodded a few times, glanced over at me quickly, then beckoned Calico to follow him.
Calico looked at me and gave me a reassuring smile
. Were they helping us? How? The merman poised his trident out in front of him and slowly swam forwards, I presumed carefully exiting Calico’s oxygen bubble.
The group swarmed around us like bees on honey. Again, the dogs and the horses seemed calm and Calico stuck his thumb up in an ‘ok’ sign so I tried to calm my shallow breathing. With the merfolk all around us, I could see nothing but them, which after seeing the freaky jelly-spider, probably wasn’t the worst thing in the world.
It was a fascinating world here in the ocean, but I longed to be on solid ground and to see the bright blue skies above me once again. The horses barely moved now the merfolk seemed to be pushing us along to wherever they were helping us to. I felt like one of those empty shells being swept along with the current.
I lost myself in my thoughts, wondering what Macie was up to back home, what time it was and if she’d had to cover for me yet. How could I even begin to describe to her everything I’d seen here? I wished I’d brought a Go-Pro with me so I could film it and show her everything first-hand. I wondered how Tristan was doing and if Dad had thought of any other options as of yet.
Before I knew it, we were being slowed to a gentle stop. The merman who’d spoken with Calico before pointed his trident ahead of us, nodded his head at Calico, and then took his group back into the ocean, leaving us just as bare and vulnerable as before.
Izar moved forwards, his ears pricked and a spring in his step. Kaisa quickly followed suit, her eagerness almost making her vibrate. It dawned on me then that something was happening that I didn’t quite understand. We must have only moved a few metres before a small runway appeared in front us, only just big enough to fit a single horse on. The dusky pink bricks immediately made me think of the Queen’s Court.
The narrow pathway angled upwards, leading me to think we were going to be on dry land very soon. Calico took the lead, Izar’s powerful hindquarters pushing him up the steep runway. Kaisa kept close to him, matching him step by step.
A few paces up and we then turned a sharp left. The path kept going up but I could see the surface of the water literally six or seven strides in front of us. Calico pushed Izar forwards, breaking out onto dry land and normal land. I urged Kaisa forwards, desperate to be back in some kind of normality.
When she broke the surface and my oxygen bubble dissolved, I gasped for breath like I’d not had any for hours.
Calico laughed. “You really are quite amusing.”
I narrowed my eyes at him but ignored his comment. “Where are we?”
A broad smile creased his face. “The Queen’s Court. There is a direct water supply to it but the passageways are only known to the Queens themselves.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Won’t you get in trouble?”
“I think this is a much preferable option than facing Isidora. We have the advantage now and she can’t claim the credit for finding the dress.”
I looked around me, the low hanging ceiling of the tunnel making me feel somewhat claustrophobic but at the same time, the old-fashioned bricks enveloped in a moment of history and magic.
“Where will this bring us out?” I asked, curious.
“I have no idea,” Calico replied, pushing Izar forwards. “Guess we’ll soon find out.”
***
We rode through a rabbit warren of twists and turns, the bottom of the path constantly coated in an inch or so of water. I could deal with that, just not being fully submerged again. I wondered, if this was the water supply, why the tunnel wasn’t filled to the brim with water but trying to rationalise things in this world had become exhausting.
The dim light of the tunnels had adjusted my eyes to near darkness so when we made a right turn and brightness stared us straight in the face, I had to shield my eyes to let them adjust.
“Here we go,” Calico said.
Kaisa moved forwards as I blinked heavily to try and take in the daylight.
Izar’s hooves echoed around a stone room. Kaisa’s quickly followed combined with several sharp gasps.
“What is the meaning of this?” said a female voice in a sharp authoritative tone.
My eyes now working, I struggled not to gasp myself when I realised we were in the middle of the Queen’s Court. The tunnel had taken us right into the heart of the dusky pink castle I’d been focused on from the moment I arrived in this world.
“Is that a human?” said another voice, her tone utterly disgusted.
“The dress!” shouted another.
“The colours of her, oh my!” said a fourth.
I lost track of comments and questions after that as eight petite fairy women all swarmed around Calico demanding answers. Sitting on Kaisa, the mixed chatter of angry and excited voices faded into the background as I took in the room around me.
Circular and the roof as high as the turret which peaked into a sharp point, every noise in here seemed to be exaggerated a thousand times over. A shallow stream of water from the tunnel we’d come out of trickled through the centre of the room, its path dictated by a foot wide and a foot deep trench. It split off into eight different directions, each new path leading straight to the foot of one of the eight different coloured flags that hung around the large room.
Each of the flags must have been thirty feet or more in length and hung from gleaming silver poles about halfway up the wall. Orange, red, blue, yellow, green, purple, pink, and gold—each of them had their own symbol embroidered onto it in thick white thread.
At the opposite side of the room to where I stood, a perfect orange flame danced on top of a mixed colour candle about a foot high. Situated around the candle were eight chairs, each one seeming to be made of some sort of material I’d never seen before. It looked wooden but seemed soft like fabric. Each chair had been coloured in each of the royal colours.
My wonderment at the scene in front of me soon ended when someone clamped their hand around my ankle, making me shriek in surprise. Looking down, I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Calico’s hand on me, his back against Kaisa’s side as he talked to the confused crowd of Queens.
“Get her down. Now,” said the one dressed in pink.
Each of the Queens wore floor length dresses, purely the colour of their lineage but their dresses seemed to shimmer with different shades of their sole colour. Crowns sat on their heads, a large gemstone in the middle of each, again, relevant to their family colour.
“I’d rather leave her on the horse in all honesty,” Calico replied. “She’s safe up there.”
The pink Queen snorted in disgust. “What do you think we’re going to do to her exactly?”
“My son is right,” said the blue Queen, stepping to Calico’s side. “Until we unanimously agree on the next move, the girl stays on the horse.”
“Why?” said Pink. “So you can get her out of here at speed? And where is she likely to go?”
“No,” said Blue. “It’s for her benefit so she feels safe.”
I took a sweeping glance at them all. They were all beautiful, all with striking features particular to them. I remembered Tristan telling me that Calico’s family were known for their startling blue eyes. The yellow Queen had beautiful long blonde hair, it looked so soft and silky and the colour of pure sunshine. The pink Queen boasted plump rose-pink lips, the green Queen’s eyes were a deep emerald green, glistening in her own colour like Calico’s family did with blue.
“I agree with Amode,” said the red Queen, moving to Calico’s mother’s side. Her hair rivalled that of the yellow Queen, just in all the autumn colours of reds and browns you could imagine.
“There’s something new,” the pink Queen sneered. “The two families whose offspring are betrothed, agree with each other.”
“Stop it, Blodwin,” said the yellow Queen, narrowing her eyes at the pink Queen. “You’re always so hostile and the only one who ever holds out on votes. You’re always the odd one out.”
“Because someone needs to have an independent mind and not follow the rest, Nyra,” Blodwin replied.
“Stop this squabbling,” said the gold Queen, stepping in between Blodwin and Nyra. Her skin, glowing like she’d bathed in bronzer, seemed to be her family marker. “It’s extremely unpleasant and isn’t nice for our guest.”
“Jessamine is right,” said the orange one, touching the gold Queen’s shoulder. “I think we should all sit down and discuss this, calmly, and sensibly.” The orange Queen stood head and shoulders above the rest. I presumed her family marker happened to be height.
The purple Queen, who to this point had done nothing but keep quiet and observe, stepped forwards. She possessed more curves than the other Queens and a way of moving which although discreet and elegant, immediately commanded attention.
“We shall sit and deliberate,” said Purple. “Until the matter is of total agreement amongst all of us. Come.”
She beckoned the others to follow her to the chairs which they did so quietly and calmly and without further bickering. The way she seemed to diffuse the situation and shut it down made me wonder if she had some special talent for influencing people.
“What do we do now?” I whispered to Calico.
“Wait for them to reach a decision.”
“About what?”
“Whether to help you or not,” he said, not taking his eyes off the Queens.
The Queens all sat down in their respective coloured chairs. Immediately, they began talking in hushed voices. They were all very animated as they spoke, their hands and arms waving around or fingers being pointed in various directions.
I sat on Kaisa, watching them, trying to lip read but to no avail. As my heart beat faster and faster awaiting the fate that was being decided for me, I busied myself plaiting sections of Kaisa’s mane. By the time I’d made six small plaits that reached halfway up her neck, Calico tapped my leg.
“They’re done,” he whispered.
I looked up to see the Queens approaching me, poker faces on every single one. I instantly thought the worst. They weren’t going to help me and they were going to let my gran die without giving her peace, despite the fact I’d found their special dress.