by Nikki Dean
She got the point without him having to tell her more directly, much to his relief. While he wasn’t unwilling to be rude upon occasion, he didn’t enjoy such behavior and it was easier for everyone when she left quietly, instead of arguing with him, as she frequently did. He wasn’t sure why he allowed it.
Grabbing the book once more after she left, Sam locked the study door behind him, heading out for the evening.
“What do you know of the other races?” Sam asked Rumsfeld, his oldest and most trusted friend. “I know there are the humans, and the fae, but what else?”
“What else?” Rumsfeld repeated, blinking at him from behind large glasses. They gave him an owlish appearance that Sam was forever amused by, for Rumsfeld himself was anything but bird-like.
A rather large fellow with more muscles than an elderly gentleman should strictly have, Rumsfeld was at once the kindest and most terrifying person that Sam had ever met. His surrogate father of sorts, Rumsfeld had raised Sam after his family was cursed, and taught the frightened young prince how to be a good king, something he never thought he would have to be.
They had grown together, from their initial states of terrified boy and confirmed bachelor to great king and his most trusted advisor. Sure, Rumsfeld had been involved in Evia’s politics before the curse, but raising Sam had brought him squarely into the thick of it, something Sam wasn’t ever sure how Rum truly felt about. He seemed not to mind, having been an advisor before, but Sam didn’t think that he’d had any idea what he was getting into.
Which made two of them.
Now, he was the only one that Sam trusted enough to discuss Celeste with.
“Yes, there have to be more, don’t there? I’ve heard stories of dragons, werewolves, women with bird wings and claws for feet that live in the mountains and even women with fish tails that live in the sea. Giants and dwarves, and golems made entirely of stone. Where do all of the stories come from, if none of them are real?”
Rumsfeld took off his glasses and thoughtfully polished them. “Well, you met a monster just a few days ago, didn’t you? And your future sister-in-law’s sister is mated to a werewolf? I imagine the stories about them came from the same place that most stories do. Survivors.”
Sam gave a little chuckle. “Survivors, you say. Why would anyone need to survive my brother? Sebastian is harmless, and has always been. The only things that need to fear his attentions are a pint of ale and Belle’s wardrobe, if he’s anything at all like he used to be. Even at the tender age of ten, I had heard of his prowess with the fairer sex.”
Rumsfeld laughed along with him for a moment. “Indeed, everyone had heard of his wildness. He’s lucky to have found Belle, who doesn’t seem to mind. But still, from what your father told me of the battle with that fairy, your beastly brother has killed his fair share of victims.”
“All in defense of himself or his loved ones,” Sam retorted. “How is that so wrong?”
Rumsfeld shook his head. “I never said it was wrong, just not to discount his strength. Before Belle came along, I imagine there were quite a few people who would consider themselves to be survivors when it came to dealing with him in the woods. But back to the question at hand, I would think all manner of creatures could be real, even if we don’t know about them yet.”
“Even the women that live under the sea? How, when there is no air to breathe?”
“Why are you assuming they need to? Fish do not breathe air. You said women with fish tails, perhaps they have gills. Or they come to the surface for air, like dolphins.”
Sam didn’t reply for a moment, frustrated because all he could think about was the younger girl speaking. That required air, didn’t it? He was afraid to ask.
“You seem to be thinking on this rather hard. What about these creatures in particular have caught your attention? They may not even be real. If they are, they’ll be in here.” Rumsfeld unfolded his large frame from his chair and went to the small library that adorned one wall of his sitting room. He pulled a book from the shelves and handed it to his king. “That has everything I’ve ever heard of, and several things I haven’t. It’s interesting, to say the least.”
“You’re probably right. I don’t know why, but I can’t get them out of my head. I’m the ruler of a coastal kingdom, what if there is an entire race of people in our ocean that I’ve never even considered?” They are real. I’ve met two of them, and they were spectacular. He knew better than to say the last bit aloud. Memories of Celeste’s sharp teeth bared at him nearly made him shiver, while the change that came over the younger girl’s features made him wonder what Celeste would eventually look like if she had stayed above water.
Maybe this book will tell me. There has to be something in here about them. His palms itched to open the leather-bound cover, but he held himself in check. It wouldn’t do to seem too eager.
“Well, if they are down there, I daresay they’re not really in your kingdom, then. No man can control the sea or any of her inhabitants. But if they are real, perhaps you can find one and ask her what’s happening to our ships,” Rumsfeld’s words called Sam’s attention back to him, instead of his thoughts of Celeste.
“Our ships? What do you mean? No one has mentioned any problems to me.”
“Of course not, that’s not your job.” Rumsfeld caught Sam’s glare and sighed. “I was going to tell you next week, if it continued. Several merchant ships never made it into port, and now one of the naval ships has gone missing as well.”
“Missing? As in, taken? Or got blown off course, perhaps?” He didn’t want to offer up the last option, which would be a tragedy. Shipwrecks rarely produced survivors in their waters.
Rumsfeld shrugged. “No way to tell. They’re just gone. No sign of them in any of our allied ports, or along any of the beaches. The goods haven’t surfaced in any of the marketplaces either, so I doubt they were taken by pirates.”
“So what, then? They just sailed out and never came back?”
“Looks that way.”
“But that’s impossible. They had to go somewhere. How many ships are we talking about, and what were they carrying?”
“Four, so far. Not counting our naval ship. The register says they left port with general trade goods - herbs, cloth, spices, that sort of thing. They were mostly owned by different merchants, except two that were owned by a man named ‘Oliver Hammond’. He’s sent correspondence asking that we look into it, but hasn’t come up himself.”
Sam nodded gravely. Losing one ship would hurt a merchant’s business badly, losing two could be disastrous. This Oliver would come soon, or send someone in his stead, Sam was sure of it. They needed answers before that happened.
“Is there any way to find our naval ship?”
Rumsfeld shook his head. “Aside from the usual method of sending more out after her? No. We either wait until she comes back, or we get word that she sank. It couldn’t have just disappeared, my boy. The ocean is deep, especially around here, but something always floats back up. There are safety precautions on our ships for just such occasions, so even if there weren’t any survivors, there are other indicators built in. Buoys, floats and such that detach when a ship goes under. As long as those aren’t found, we know she’s still afloat.”
Interesting. I wonder what happens to the shipwrecks, now that I think about it. I’ll have to ask Celeste or the other girl if I ever see them again. A chill crept down his spine as he recalled Celeste shooting through the water with her spear in hand, the blood of those monstrous whales trailing behind her. Are they the reason we never find survivors?
Chapter 4
Celeste
The orcas circled Celeste as she watched, dipping and diving as they swam leisurely past. Several had been excited to see her, wiggling their fins and nodding their large heads at her, while the youngest opened his mouth and sang a greeting.
Celeste sighed in frustration.
She usually enjoyed spending time with the large predators, but today had l
ittle patience for their antics. On edge, Celeste knew that this was the same pod that had attacked Lahni, but now they showed no signs of aggression or violence of any sort. Even the ones that Celeste had wounded with her spear displayed no fear or malcontent at all, unlike previous instances in which she had been forced to protect herself. Usually, the whales held a grudge, or at least avoided her for several days after an altercation.
But not today. It was almost as if they didn’t remember the encounter at all.
She hummed a low song to them, sending calming ripples through the water. They sang back to her as usual and several came forward to brush against her, rolling in the water so that their large, white bellies were presented. She grasped the fins of the closest one and allowed him to pull her through the water, belly to belly as he twirled them into the deep. They played together a little longer, drifting apart, then back together, while the other orcas swam around them, completely unconcerned.
Happy.
What would have caused them to attack Lahni? They know who she is, and that she’s under both my protection and her father’s. Why would they suddenly turn on her? She said it was almost as though they were hunting her. Did she do something that would have caused the sudden change? I can’t imagine what it would have been, since she’s the most tender-hearted little thing I’ve ever met. She wouldn’t have hurt them, even if she could.
Too distracted by her thoughts to play anymore, Celeste released her companion and floated free of the pod. He sang a little tune of displeasure, echoed by the rest of his family as she swam above them, determined to observe their behavior without their knowledge. She hummed the calming notes once more and added a farewell, then watched them go.
It’s amazing how Voice works. I can’t understand them like I would Lahni, or even her human, but they can understand everything I want to tell them. Even when they don’t agree. She sighed as her original fear was confirmed.
Someone else was controlling them that night, and forced them to attack Lahni and her human. Whoever it was must be powerful, to have caused the orcas to behave so terribly, then forget the entire thing. I’ll have to tell King Tidus.
The pod headed out toward open water, undoubtedly going to hunt. Celeste followed, trailing behind them as she thought about who would be able to manipulate the large predators, and why they would bother. No siren would have told the whales to hurt Lahni, even if they could. I haven’t met anyone that could manipulate such a large pod, aside from King Tidus. Lahni should be able to do it one day, but at the rate that her Voice is developing, she may not ever reach her full potential. She needs to practice more, and for that, she needs to get out of the castle. Which her short-sighted father is completely against. It had been a long time since Celeste had thought of him as her own father, and she was certain that he thought of her as his offspring even less. It was rare for a male to have sired as few children as their father, since mermen were so rare that they were required to marry at least three wives in an attempt to breed more male babes. However, it didn’t always work out.
Annoyed for entirely different reasons now, Celeste had to hurry to keep the orca pod in sight. They had accelerated, most likely because they had found a school of fish, and dinner was waiting. Still, she didn’t want them to know she was there in the hopes that perhaps they could lead her to something, anything, that would help tell her why they had been so aggressive several weeks ago.
She followed them for the rest of the afternoon, slipping through seaweed and around rocks on the ocean’s floor, drifting along unnoticed while they played, hunted and generally lazed about. It was frustrating.
Why aren’t they acting any different? They should have realized that I’m following them, but none of them have given the slightest indication. Or perhaps they just don’t care.
She turned to go and caught a glimpse of a bright blue tail flashing behind an outcropping of coral. Celeste shook her head. Lahni.
She was in so much trouble.
Celeste quickly decided to pretend she hadn’t noticed, hoping instead that Lahni would think she was still unaware of her little sister’s presence. She veered away from the orca pod, already frustrated that she hadn’t been able to learn anything at all by following them. They were feeding and playing, doing what orcas do in the middle of the afternoon. Several of the older ones dozed, and there was nothing at all to indicate why they had attacked. They certainly weren’t behaving aggressively toward Celeste or Lahni now, and Celeste was positive that the whales realized they were there. She had the brief thought that they were possibly wondering as much about what the sirens were doing as Celeste was wondering about their actions. Whatever had happened to cause the violence would remain a mystery for another day.
In the meantime, Celeste had a sneaky little sister to deal with.
She took off, propelling herself toward an underwater chasm that split the side of a rock outcropping as though she had a purpose for going there, counting on Lahni’s curious nature to bring her along. A quick glance back confirmed that the younger mermaid was indeed following her, her brows drawn together as she tried to decide between hurrying to keep up or going slower to avoid detection.
Celeste disappeared into the chasm and doubled back, swimming up to hide among the rocks at an angle that would allow her to watch as Lahni tried to follow quickly, yet stealthily, darting from one hiding spot to the next in hopes that her target didn’t realize she was there.
Silly child.
The last vestiges of sunlight filtered through the water, stronger here, as they’d ended up very close to the surface. It reflected against the blue hues of Lahni’s scales, creating almost a rainbow of color as she moved against the dull rocks.
“Anyone could see her from miles away,” Celeste muttered to herself. “It’s almost as though she wants me to catch her.”
Celeste scoffed, then looked down to see that she wasn’t hiding much better. Her red scales nearly glowed in the waning light, lit up like fire from above. All it would take was one quick glance and Lahni would surely find her.
“Dammit.” Coiling her tail up, Celeste hid among the rocks, trying to blend in. It wasn’t working.
Now thoroughly annoyed, she made a snap decision to venture even closer to the surface, knowing that it would be the last thing Lahni would expect.
But how to block her from seeing me if she happens to look up… Celeste knew that her bright scales would be a dead giveaway if Lahni looked up, and given the girl’s fascination with the world beyond the ocean’s depths, Celeste would honestly be surprised if she didn’t already have one eye on the surface, just waiting for the opportunity to slip away.
Why she was following Celeste instead of sunning herself on some beach with the human was honestly a mystery.
Humans. Why is my little sister so fascinated with such weak, fragile creatures? True, they are a menace on land, but here, under the sea? They perish in mere minutes. A quick glance down at Lahni revealed that she was nearly directly under her, hidden in a small alcove, only discernible due to the cloud of fish that were darting in and out of her hiding place, gobbling up the treats she kept for them in the pouch on her belt. Perhaps she sees her human the same way she views the tiny reef fish, inconsequential, yet amusing to watch. She needs to realize that humans aren’t as harmless as she assumes.
A hasty plan formulated itself in her mind. She also needs to learn that she can’t go to the surface whenever she likes, especially alone. I am certain that she will go up if she thinks she’s lost me, and that I wouldn’t know. But if I go first, I can catch her red-handed.
She grabbed a piece of board that had been caught nearby from some shipwreck or other, pleased to find it more than wide enough for her purposes. It was wedged in tightly, and Celeste had to pull hard, coiling her hardy tail fin around another rock to give her some leverage. It was considerably lighter than she would have thought when it finally popped free, although she doubted a human would agree.
The
rocky area was positively littered with them, and it wouldn’t seem strange if there was just one more piece drifting along in the current. Trying to quell her anxiety about going so close to the surface, Celeste allowed the board’s natural buoyancy to carry her up. She gave little thought for the fact that it was even carrying her up, instead of sinking like so many other pieces. Either it was from a fairly recent shipwreck and had not been fully penetrated by the salty ocean water, or it was enchanted in some way to keep it afloat.
Little good such a charm did, considering that she found the board below the surface. But still, humans had been known to do far sillier things before.
The board gained speed, rising faster and faster the closer they got to the surface. Celeste couldn’t help but grin, trying to stifle her sudden laugh at the unexpected ride. They breached the surface, exploding from the water with a splash and a jolt when they slapped back down. Up here, far away from Lahni’s sensitive ears, Celeste was free to laugh as adrenaline coursed through her. There was something about being dragged along for the ride, unable to control it as she would have with the orcas, that was intoxicating. I may have to do that again. I wonder what makes it rise faster and faster the closer it gets to the surface? Some enchantment that makes the board crave open air, or just the lack of pressure the higher it goes? It’s something to discover.
Celeste rolled over onto her back, careful to keep her tail coiled up on the board, unseen from below. She was counting on Lahni to have noticed the board at some point, and to come investigate it. Which is when Celeste would catch her and drag her back to Morwen, willing or not.
Gorgeous shades of orange and red shot through the evening sky, eventually fading to pinkish-blue and then the deep purple of night. Celeste’s sensitive eyes, honed by years of swimming in the deepest, darkest water to perceive even the slightest glimmer of sunlight, were transfixed on the beauty before her. She pushed her hair back from her face to look, really look, at the sky above her beloved waves for the first time.