by A R Hall
Her shock turned to anger, and then changed into something that didn’t even have a name. Something dark and furious formed deep in Tamsin’s core and became as much a part of her as the land. Her soul splintered and she had never felt such pain. Never having experience anything like it, she did not know how to cure her pain. She only knew that it burned. It changed and twisted her into something she didn’t want to be.
She didn’t let Bjorn see her then. She became as the wind instead, her pain causing the sky to turn dark and thunderous. A terrible storm crashed down on the woods breaking up the pair and sending them running for shelter.
Tamsin waited, watching as the storm died down, to see what Bjorn would do. Perhaps he would look for her and be sorry for what he had done.
He was standing on the lakeside, calling out to her when she finally showed herself.
“Where have you been, my love?” he said easily, a warm smile on his face.
Tamsin flinched. Love? He did not know anything of love. He was a liar. A traitor.
“Around.” All around. She was the air, she was the land. “Bjorn, have you told your father that you will be staying with me when it turns cold?”
“I said I would stay.”
“You did. You promised. You said that you loved me. What did your father say?” Was it all lies? Was any of it true?
“I will ask my father today. But he is the head of the clan and I must follow his orders. If he says I must return home I cannot refuse. I will still return to you when it warms.”
“You lied to me.” Tamsin’s voice was cold.
“No, of course not. I want to be with you. Only you.”
That was the worst lie of all. She had seen what he had done, and she knew in her heart that Bjorn was the sort of man who bedded any woman he wanted whenever he had the inclination. There had been many before her, and would be many after.
“Of course,” she said shortly, “you must do as you’re told. You are not old enough to make decisions on your own.”
“That’s not true!”
“I must stay here, I do not have a choice. I will see you when you return.”
Bjorn reached for her and she allowed him to pull her into his arms. But his embrace brought her no comfort.
“You’ll see, everything will be well.”
His words were hollow in Tamsin’s ears. She left him and stood on the lake overlooking the water as the wind rippled the surface. The shining surface of the lake reflected her pain back to her. The desire to make Bjorn feel the way she did pounded in her chest. Never in her existence had she wanted another living being to suffer, but Bjorn had taken that from her. She wanted him to hurt and call out in agony. Her soul, the core of her being, was no longer whole and she could no longer find the pieces of herself that were innocent. Bjorn had taken them from her and used them without a care.
She first approached his father and told him of his son’s betrayal. The man laughed in her face as tears as real as the lake water streamed down her cheeks. He told her it was their way. Everyone was free to choose who to love and who they shared their bodies with. It mattered not that his son’s actions had broken her heart and all she knew was agony.
Tamsin couldn’t understand their lack of empathy towards her. Then she realized they had no concept of that emotion. They were a hard people who thought only of their own needs. They took what they wanted because they could, with no thought of the disaster they left in their wake.
They needed to be taught a lesson. A lesson only she could teach them.
She listened with deaf ears as Bjorn continued to tell her how much he loved her, and that physical release was nothing compared to the connection they shared. She told him that she understood their ways. She lied so convincingly. The same way he did.
The day came when Bjorn told her they had collected more stones than they could carry and his father had ordered him to sail home with the clan.
He would be leaving her behind.
Tamsin let the broken parts of her soul be her guide and then spoke her next words as smoothly as the unmarred surface of the lake.
“I do not wish you to cross the sea without a blessing. I would give you a safe passage home so that you may return to me swiftly.”
“We would gladly accept your gift. We will return, love. I promise. The riches in this land are too abundant to ignore. Next time, we will bring even more men. We will set up a village here to bring the stones to the surface.”
His eyes shone with a greed that broke her heart even further. Yes, he must be taught a lesson. But even more importantly, she had to protect her land from his kind. Protect herself.
Tamsin returned to their fire that night and put on a full display of magic and might. She hovered high above the group, her body casting a glow over them all. She promised that she would bless their voyage home to ensure their prosperity and a swift return. They need only build a replica of the ship that had brought them to her land. She would bless the ship and them to ensure their safe return.
The clan, wanting to continue to take from the land, split their efforts between pulling up even more stones from the lake to bury in the woods, and felling trees to make the ship Tamsin required. They worked on the boat, their efforts rewarded by the speed in which they created the much smaller replica. They kept their details as exact as they could, believing Tamsin’s words that the closer it was in appearance to their ship, the more potent her blessing would be. They decorated the ship with mythical creatures from the lore they learned in their homeland. Selkies, people who could become seals, were carved into the sides. Mermaids, the half-human, half-fish creatures that swam under the seas and lured men to their deaths, were added next. The final touch was a serpent on the prow. It looked like the fiercest of dragons with its wicked mouth open and tongue flaming in warning. It was dangerous and strong, much like the explorers themselves.
When they were finished, Tamsin smiled down upon the people saying, “Board the boat with all of your people and row it to the middle of the lake. You will know when my magic has passed over you and the blessing will be complete.”
The men and women of the clan boarded the boat and followed Tamsin’s instructions. They waited in the middle of the lake, surrounded on all sides by water. As they waited for her magic she saw Bjorn staring back her, his eyes showing none of the love she was once so certain he had for her. He looked eager and smug, as though he was taking something from her without knowing. He was so transparent; Tamsin wished she could have seen past his falsehoods sooner.
Floating above the water until she was over the ship, she gathered her magic, pulling from the land around her. She let all the new feelings she had experienced since meeting Bjorn give her magic even more power. Love, betrayal, darkness... and pain. She let it build inside her until she was writhing with it.
Then she spoke.
“A love so true, the earth rejoiced…”
The way she’d felt under Bjorn’s loving touch.
“A betrayal so cruel, the stars cried…”
The thunderstorm she had unleashed to wash away the hurt after he betrayed her.
“Those that chose to ignore my pain,
Will forever be bound to the earth they tried to steal.”
Never would they take from her land, from her again.
“My heart is deaf to their cries of pain.
Your souls will twist in the mud below just as the fish dig for food.”
Let them live with the precious stones they adore so much… for eternity.
“You will suffer as I have under each full moon.
Until such time that you find your true love.”
True love. She doubted it was possible for these cruel people. But let them try.
As her words were cast down on them, the ship burst into flames. The fire licked at those onboard, the magical blue flames did not burn them, but enveloped them, their skin changing color to match the fire. They shouted in fear, pushing against each other to esca
pe, but they were unable to jump from the ship. There was no way out. Tamsin’s magic kept them locked to the deck beneath their feet.
As they cried out, their legs melted together in a shimmering swirl, replaced not by flesh but that of scales like a fish. Tamsin watched the clan on the deck, their tails slapping desperately against the wood as they wailed and cursed her from below.
The ship sank with the final echoes of those on board calling for help, begging for mercy. And Tamsin felt no remorse. They deserved her hatred. They held objects in higher regard than people. They hurt others without shame and their desires were warped by their greed.
But not anymore.
Fish didn’t feel, they didn’t manipulate. They were simple creatures, feeding and surviving. The people on the ship would have no more reason to want material things now that they were like the fish in the lake. There would be no more reason to hurt innocent beings as they’d done her.
From above she saw a flash of light that seemed to come from the heavens. Glancing up, she saw the streak of magic coming from high in the clouds. Tamsin jerked back just in time, avoiding the bolt of energy that narrowly missed her.
She could hear the sounds of those above her, the old gods that had come before, reverberating through the skies. It was a sound only something bigger than her could have made. They cast down a blessing over her curse, their magic coating over the top of hers, sinking in between her spell, and making cracks in her curse.
She could sense what the gods had given the clan. Those below the water would be protected from danger. As the prow of the sinking ship touched the water, the serpent came to life, its long body moving to encircle the boat. The creature’s sharp fangs and long tail would protect those on the ship for their many lifetimes beneath the lake.
The old gods promised the people would sleep under the dark water and only awake when they could find their true loves. They gave the clan a chance at freedom. A chance they didn’t deserve. She didn’t understand why the gods felt these humans should not be punished. Didn’t they see how she had been treated? How they had used and disrespected the land?
The magic of the old gods was strong, much stronger than hers. But there was no breaking her curse once it was cast, and no matter how the old gods tried to help, the explorers from the north would never forget what it felt like to cross Tamsin. The old gods provided a way out of her curse, but not before they all suffered. As they deserved to.
It was done. And Tamsin didn’t hate the gods for this interference. She hoped, faintly, that one day she would feel sympathy for others again. Perhaps she would learn to trust again. But for now, her soul was appeased with the revenge she had taken on the clan bound beneath the water. Her land was safe from their greed, and her heart was safe from hurt and betrayal.
Once the ship was completely submerged, Tamsin made her way to the surrounding lakes. There, she found more of the explorers, others from Bjorn’s clan that had spread out to search for more treasure. They were all taking from the lakes without giving back. Raiding, hurting.
They also needed to be taught a lesson.
Over time, she repeated her curse on all those that sought to steal the hearts of the lakes. The old gods continued to intervene, but did nothing to stop her from cursing the humans. So she took her vengeance and protected what was hers.
The moons would come and go, the years would pass and the creatures that now lived in the lakes of her land would know great suffering and loneliness. The way the lake had mirrored her pain on the night of her betrayal, was reflected now in the cursed clan. They had been fractured and twisted into something not quite right. They would ache for more but never find it. They would love without being loved in return. It was her present and their future.
Someday, many moons from now, Tamsin knew that she might regret what she had done. She might even be able to forgive Bjorn and those that were with him. But until that day came she would make sure that the people of the lake knew unending days of sorrow and pain, with no love in their hearts. Only then could she feel complete again.
Chapter 1
Latham sat up hastily. The cold air blowing from the vent cooling his overheated body. He had been startled awake by the reoccuring dreams of the past nine years. Those nightmares clung to him like his damp shirt and were unlike the sweat that currently dripped from him. According to the local counseling group for veterans, it was common. That didn’t make it any less aggravating. He looked at the clock on the wall to see it was nearly four in the morning.
“No point in sleeping now,” he spoke to himself and stood from the black leather couch in his office. He peeled off his damp shirt and grabbed another one from his gym bag in the corner.
He could hear the music blaring before he opened the door. The rare sound of weights banging against the ground made him grit his teeth. The boys knew to be easy with the plates. They were sturdy but it didn’t mean they were indestructible. His gym was his home now. Sure, he had his childhood home that his parents sometimes lived in, but they had retired and decided to travel most of the year. They only came home for the holidays, which would be soon enough with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner.
Latham had recently finished his Air Force career to come back home and spend more time with his parents. He’d only been home a little over a year, and they made plans to travel. He didn’t blame them. His father had been cursed to the lake, and although his mother broke that curse, they still worked hard every day for nearly thirty years. It wasn’t until about five years ago when his father suggested Latham open up the gym in Aurora Falls. His father was a silent partner that lessened the financial burden. Fenn, his father, was a huge believer in saving. It was something he wanted Latham to do so he didn’t have to work every day of his life.
The stones provided the most income for the community, but his father had always told him it wasn’t fair to take advantage of that now that he had found his true love. The money brought in from the stones should be used to help those that were still waiting. Most of the merpeople were smart about investments and setting themselves up for when the day came that they wouldn’t have to return to the lake. His father especially wanted to make sure his brother would have a great start once he found his mate and no longer needed to return to the lake.
Operation Fit had been just what their lake-bordering town needed. It was enough to live, as well as give back both locally and to national organizations that helped vets. He didn’t know it at the time, but it was something he needed. He needed to feel needed and that he had a purpose in life.
Latham approached the boys as they spotted one another on the bench press. “Jaxxen. Kristopher.” They nodded. “I don’t know what you boys were doing before this, but be careful with the plates.”
Kristopher scoffed, shaking his blonde hair that was held back by a ponytail. “Boys? We were friends with your father.”
“Yeah yeah. Be careful with my equipment. Just because you’re viking strong doesn’t mean you need to prove it.” Latham chuckled and walked to the free weight area to stretch and warm up.
The boys of Club Scales were usually the only ones in the gym this time of morning. He’d only been there a couple of times, but it was enough to see why both the locals and tourists loved the place. Theme nights and great bartenders always made for a great time. The town was quiet at nearly four in the morning otherwise. The brothers had a bond he’d imagined his father and uncle had. That was before the curse. It tore people’s lives and relationships apart in ways that he couldn’t imagine.
He hadn’t even told his father about his uncle but thought it would be a nice surprise when they got back from New Zealand next week. They’d be coming home in time for Thanksgiving, and he’d already invited Ivar and Makenna. Ivar was quiet, like his father. Makenna had opened up a little more since working part time at the gym with him. She still did EMT, but he assumed she just liked to stay busy.
Latham mostly kept to himself. It was how he preferred th
ings. There were a few clients he trained in the gym, but that was just enough to help the time pass. He didn’t like to go around town and socialize more than the occasional burger from Burgers AF or drink from The Saucy Wench. He’d always felt like an outsider even though he grew up with a few other kids that had had a cursed parent. He grew up in a loving home but received mixed signals from his parents. They both pushed him to be something when he grew up and told him to turn to the water because it could be good luck in finding his true self and true love.
He spent the first several years of his childhood swimming with the other merpeople like his father. He enjoyed it until he saw the sad faces they tried to hide. Latham realized that though they weren’t alone, they were lonely in the water waiting for someone who may or may not come. He avoided the water after that and devoted time to school before joining the Air Force right after high school. He wanted to be up in the sky as far from water as possible and served nine years before deciding to come home. He missed the rush of flying.
It was a slower Friday at Operation Fit. The locals that frequented the gym came in at their usual times. He and Makenna worked with a few of them. By the time late afternoon rolled around, he drew the short straw. Makenna and Kate somehow convinced him to do the cleaning. Latham only put on the act of hating to clean for them. He imagined Makenna knew it. The detailed cleaning had been engraved in him from serving. It was also what he did at night when he couldn’t sleep and the gym was empty. He didn’t mind wiping down the equipment and keeping everything looking pristine. There was also a little paperwork that needed to get done that afternoon. Latham figured they’d want their paychecks first, though. He knew he needed to get that done before the end of staffed closing hours. He also knew what day of the month it was and wanted to be out of the way.