River of Shadows

by Karina Halle

  I reach for it again, but hesitate.

  “It’s not poisonous!” A girl’s voice rings out across the room.

  “Shit!” I yelp, nearly spilling the coffee. I whip around, searching for the source. Just how many people are hiding in this room?

  “At least, I don’t think it’s poisonous,” the girl adds. “You could give me some and I’ll try it out for you. I haven’t had honeycake in a long time.”

  With shaking hands I put the coffee down and walk across the middle of the room, looking around. “Where are you? Who are you?”

  “I’m in the tank,” the voice says.

  “In the what?” The tank? Does she mean the bathtub? I start towards it.

  “The fish tank,” the woman clarifies sullenly. A splash follows.

  The fuck? How could anyone be in the fish tank?

  I walk over to it behind the velvet chaise lounge chair. Like earlier, it doesn’t look like much since there’s not a lot of light. I can see there’s water in it now, some rocks, some aquatic plants that may or may not be real. It’s quite large, actually, but definitely not big enough for a person.

  Then I see a flash of white and suddenly there’s a little mermaid pressed up against the glass, banging her tiny fists on it for a moment before popping her head out of the water.

  “Here I am,” she says with big aqua eyes.

  I bite back a scream.

  Okay. Okay. I know I’ve already seen mermaids, and seen a lot weirder, more fantastical things than that, but this little mermaid in the fish tank might just take the cake.

  Again, I have so many questions.

  “Why are you in a fish tank?” I ask when I’ve composed myself.

  “Death put me here.”

  “Why are you…so small?”

  “Death put a spell on me.”

  “Why are you able to talk?”

  “I’m the opposite of the fairy tale.”

  It’s hard to think when I’m staring at her. She’s about the size of a Barbie-doll, with a shimmering white tail that flashes different colors when she moves. Her breasts are bare—no seashells here—her hair long and white. Her face is perfect, small nose, huge aqua-blue eyes that seem to sparkle, heart-shaped mouth. I suppose the other mermaids could have looked like her too, I was just in a near drowning incident at the time and hadn’t been paying too much attention to their beauty.

  “The fairy tale,” she repeats, giving me a look of impatience as she hangs her arms over the edge of the tank, her tail whooshing behind her. “You know the one. There’s a mermaid, she wants legs, she trades her voice to the sea witch in exchange for them. Well for me, I was finally given a voice, after Death decided to keep me as his pet. Granted, I had a voice before, he just couldn’t understand what I was saying.”

  Suddenly Vellamo’s wish pops into my brain. “You’re the mermaid I’m supposed to free!”

  “I hope so,” she says, batting her thick lashes at me, water droplets falling off them and onto the floor. “There could be others. I hope not.”

  I come closer to her to get a better look. It’s so fucking cool. I mean, a little unnerving and even creepy if I’m being honest, because adult humans aren’t supposed to be a foot tall, so she really does seem like a doll come to life. She also has this beauty that I think is supposed to ensnare and entrap people, but so far my track record with the mermaids has been good, so I have to assume she doesn’t mean me any harm. Besides, she’s in a prison just like I am.

  “Okay, so how do I free you?” I ask her, looking around the room. “So far I can’t even free myself. Does that window open? If I chuck you out of it, will you land in the sesa?”

  The mermaid’s brow goes up. “No one is chucking anyone out of a window. Was it Vellamo that you spoke with?”

  I nod. “She said one of her own was taken here to be a pet. She never said anything about you being this small though.”

  She looks annoyed. I don’t blame her. “Death has always been fascinated with us, and dare I say, we with him. Or any Gods or mortals or shamans, any men with two legs. Women too, don’t get me wrong, but the men are our game. But we’re also a game to Death. He’s all about games, you see.” That I know already. “He brought me here, promising me a new life. He kept me in the underground waterways, deep beneath the castle. There are tunnels under there, and the sea goes in and in, all the way to the Caves of Vipunen. Of course, no one would dare go that far back.”

  All this speak of underground caverns and waterways and I’m picturing The Phantom of the Opera. Without knowing exactly what Death’s face looks like, my imagination wants to run away on me.

  “But it wasn’t long before I wanted to be out in the open sea, under the moon and stars at night, but he said I was his and that I had to stay. And so he put bars over the entrances to the underground cavern, so I couldn’t swim out. I was trapped. All I had for company were the occasional fish who dared to swim that far under Shadow’s End.”

  “So what happened?” I ask, as if we’re just two girls talking about a date gone wrong over drinks.

  “He would visit me of course, we would have our fun. Death is very fond of the water…” she gets an almost wistful look on her face when she says that. “But he tired of always having to travel down to the subterranean levels. He especially hates having to go past the crypt.”

  “I’m sorry, there’s a crypt and Death of all people has a problem with it?”

  She smirks. “The crypt is a church. For the Sect of the Undead. It’s a relic, from the old days. He’s not allowed to demolish it. He had to build the castle around it.” While I mull that over, she goes on. “Anyway, one day he took me upstairs and put me in his bathtub, and I could only last a few days before it was killing me. I can be out of water, as you see I’m breathing air, but I mainly breath underwater through my gills. I can only be out of water for a couple of hours. Three at the most. Then my lungs start to cave in. Very nasty, very painful. There was just enough water in his bathtub for me to float.”

  The poor thing. “What an asshole.”

  She giggles, then covers her hand with her mouth. “I shouldn’t laugh. But yes. He is. He had good intentions, I guess, because after that he disappeared into the Library of the Veils for a while and when he came out, dripped some purple wax on me and I shrank. Then he gave me a voice, and I’m sure immediately regretted it. Put me in the tank to keep him company.”

  “So why are you in my room?”

  Her face falls. “He lost interest in me. Seems I’m not of much use when I’m this small. I should have tried to be his companion, should have pretended to love him, dote on him, do anything for him, but I was too angry. He didn’t want me killed, and he didn’t want me freed either, so he kept me in the tank and put me in here. I’m lucky that Lovia likes me and remembers I exist, otherwise I’d never get anything to eat and my tank would never get cleaned.” She then perks up. “So, while we’re on the subject of food, if you’re not going to eat that honeycake…”

  Chapter 12

  The Game

  I go across the room to the honeycake and grab the plate, along with my cup of coffee, mouthing holy shit to myself because I’ve had a strange day already and it’s just getting stranger. I’m Death’s prisoner, I have my own personal servant who is possibly a monster under that veil (and definitely a murderer), and I have a doll-sized mermaid in my fish tank.

  I walk back to her. She’s waiting somewhat impatiently, tapping her hands on the side of the tank, her tail swishing back and forth. I wish I could light some candles in here because I bet her scales would reflect a rainbow of colors.

  “So do I scatter it in the tank like fish food?” I ask.

  “Very funny,” she says.

  I hand her the bun and she takes hold of it with deceptively strong arms, tearing into it. I don’t know if her lower jaw unhinges from her skull or what happens but suddenly she’s tearing into it like a piranha and in seconds it’s all gone, only a few crumbs fl
oating to the floor.

  “Don’t worry, the bonemice will get those,” she says, wiping her mouth with the back of her forearm.

  I don’t even want to ask what a bonemouse is.

  “Thank you,” she then says after she swallows. “I can’t remember the last time I’ve eaten. Lovia should have been to see me by now with some grouse or salmon, anything left over from dinner. I guess with you here, the castle is up in arms. Out of whack.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  She lifts a shoulder in a dainty shrug. “If you haven’t noticed, we aren’t used to having mortals in our presence. First your father, now you.”

  At the mention of my father my heart pangs. “Did you know my father?”

  She nods. “But not well. I only met him a couple of times, when Death showed me off.”

  My face scrunches up. “You mean Death was showing my father around the castle?”

  “That was my understanding. He was in the same situation as you, in a way. A prisoner, unable to leave Shadow’s End, but he had coffee in the mornings and roast dinners and was able to roam the halls and rooms, everywhere except the crypt and the library. And Death’s bedroom, of course.”

  While I’m relieved to know my father wasn’t treated nearly as poorly as I had imagined, I have to point out, “Except I’m not allowed to roam anywhere. I heard Raila lock me in.”

  The mermaid nods again. “I know. For now, you’re trapped in here, under lock and key. But if you play your cards right, you’ll have full rein of the castle in no time. And then, when the time is right, the both of us can escape. So what say you? Will you get me out of here if I tell you how to make this situation work for you?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well let’s get my needs down first, because they’re the easiest to fulfill. When the moon is full, you must take me to the Stargaze Tower. It’s at the very south of the building, has a telescope and star maps and everything. You can’t miss it. You’ll watch through the telescope for Kuutar to appear, and she’ll make sure I have safe passage to the sea. In other words, you can finally chuck me out of a window. The water is right below.”

  “Kuutar!” I exclaim softly. “Vellamo mentioned her. I thought it was a place.”

  She shakes her head. “Kuutar is the Goddess of the Moon. Anyone from the sea worships her, as she controls the tides. And because we rarely get the sun here, we bask in her light when we can.”

  “What if it’s cloudy?” I ask. “It’s always cloudy. Because of Death.”

  “His moods make it cloudy, but there are exceptions. When he’s asleep, it clears. It’s why so much of Tuonela worships the stars and astronomy. It’s a celebration. When he’s happy it clears too, but that rarely happens. More often than not it snows or rains or is this never-ending mist. Drives you bonkers.”

  “Like living in San Francisco.”

  She frowns. “I guess?”

  “Speaking of bonkers,” I say. “Where did you pick that word up?”

  “Lovia,” she says proudly. “When I was gifted the chance to speak, not all the translations went through properly. Lovia taught me the rest. But she also spends a lot of time in the mortal world, so she’s picked up on a lot of your slang through the ages. I wouldn’t know if what I’m saying is right or not.”

  “It’s all good,” I tell her. “What is your name anyway? I’m Hanna.”

  I smile and hold out my fingertip, wondering if this is weird or cheesy or offensive to mermaids.

  But she just laughs and grabs hold of the tip of my finger, shaking it. “I’m Bell. It’s not my real name, that name doesn’t translate. But Death named me Bell. Well, actually it was Tinkerbell, but Lovia made him change it.”

  You’ve got to be kidding me. What is his obsession with Peter Pan?

  “Anyway,” Bell says, “I really appreciate you doing me this favor. Once Kuutar gets me to the sea and guides me home, I’ll be reunited with Vellamo and my sisters again.”

  “But you’ll be small.”

  “I’m sure it will have its advantages. After all, the giant pikes are giant, no matter if you’re my size or if you’re full-grown. But the sisters will take care of me.” A serious look comes across her face. “But while that takes care of me, it doesn’t help you much, does it? You want to know how to get out of here, don’t you? Back to your homeland? The Upper World?”

  I nod eagerly. “Yes. Yes, more than anything. Please.”

  If I could escape from here, I could be reunited with my father, who will be cured of his cancer. I’ll have a do-over for everything. I can bring him back home with me to LA, or we could move somewhere else in Finland and I could get a new job, it doesn’t matter anymore. Wherever he will be, I will be there too. I’m never letting go of our second chance.

  “Then take it from me,” she says gravely. “Because I’ve been in your shoes. Whatever Death wants, you do it and you do it with a smile on your face.” My face must immediately fall because she cocks her head. “I mean it. Be as charming and seductive and willing as possible. You want Death to want you, not just physically—I’m sure that’s a given there—but emotionally. That’s the key. That’s what I didn’t have the strength or the foresight to do, but I think you could do it. You seem strong enough.”

  I slowly blink, my stomach sinking. “But you…originally you were into him, were you not?”

  She laughs dryly, the sound echoing off the glass of the tank. “I was. I’m a mermaid. And he is the king. The ruler of the land. There is something…undeniably sexy about that.”

  I make a face, which makes her laugh again. “I take it you haven’t seen him without his mask on,” she says.

  “Mask?” I repeat, leaning in. “He’s wearing a mask? I thought he was just a skull.”

  “It’s a mask,” she says. “He has many of them. He wears them outside the castle to instill respect and fear in anyone in Tuonela, but especially the City of Death. After all, he has a reputation to uphold. He wants the newly dead to fear him so that they behave. He also wants the Stragglers to fear him too, but that’s another story.”

  “What are the Stragglers? I keep hearing them mentioned.”

  “They’re the original dead. When Death was brought in to rule the land, and lift it out of Kaaos, the dead had the choice to either join the new afterlife in the City of Death, or stay behind. A lot stayed behind, fearing their lives in the City would be worse. Some of them may have been right. Maybe a lot of them, because Inmost is a horrific place, and most of them deserved to be in that place for all the things they’d done. So in other words, the worst of the worst opted to stay behind in Tuonela. Some say they’re plotting an uprising against Death, some say that they’re under control of Louhi.”

  “Who is Louhi?”

  She gives me an incredulous look.

  “I’m sorry,” I explain. “I literally know nothing.”

  “Louhi,” she says softly, as if she’s afraid of being overheard. “Is the Goddess of Death. Or the ex-Goddess of Death.”

  “Death’s wife?”

  “Ex-wife. They separated long ago. She ran off to the Star Swamps with Ilmarinen, a shaman, and built a new home there. No one has seen her in years. Even Lovia doesn’t see her and I don’t think Tuonen, her brother, does either. Some say she’s also a witch, but she’s always been part demon, and that part is the one you’ll know her by.”

  Again, so many questions, but I know I have to let some go for now.

  As if reading my mind, Bell licks her lips and says, “I don’t think Death realizes I’m still alive and still here, so I would appreciate it if you don’t mention me. When Raila is here, don’t talk to me. Or look at me. Or mention me. Just pretend I don’t exist. Otherwise I’m afraid he’ll take me away, or worse.” She shudders, perhaps picturing herself being eaten as fish food.

  “I can do that,” I tell her. “I don’t want you taken away. So, I can’t trust Raila?”

  She makes a so-so motion with her h
ands. “You can trust her in that she won’t hurt you and she won’t purposely go and tell anything to Death. But he is her master so under oath, she may blab. On the other hand, there are rumors that one of the Deadmaidens is part of the uprising. It might be her. Might not be. Best to just keep your mouth shut when it comes to important matters.”

  I look away at the room, at my prison for the next while. Perhaps forever. It’s not awful. But you know, I’d rather not be here forever.

  “What does Death want from me?” I ask after a few moments pass.

  “I can’t say for sure,” Bell muses, “but I think he gets lonely.”

  I give her a steady look, brow raised. “Lonely? Death gets lonely? How could he lonely, when he’s got a constant influx of people to deal with?”

  “Everyone dies. Everyone goes to the City of Death. But he doesn’t live there, he lives here. He’s forever their ruler, their overlord. He can’t befriend them. He has to make do with what he has here. I think that’s what his problem is. He just has a funny way of dealing with it. Sometimes a cruel way of dealing with it.” She sighs, her attention to the window, lost to her thoughts.

  Finally she looks back to me. “But in the end, if you want your freedom, you have to make him love you, and if you can’t make him do that, at least make him want you around. I know it seems counterproductive, but if you do, he’ll give you all the freedom in the world. And I know there’s some prophecy about Death falling in love again. Maybe you could play into that?”

  I scoff, shaking my head. “No. First of all, I’m not that good of an actress.”

  “Not even if your life depends on it?”

  My mouth opens and closes again. When she puts it that way… “Second of all, he’s Death. I don’t think Death can fall in love.”

  “Why not? There’s no curse that says he can’t. He probably loved Louhi at some time before she went full-on evil.”

  “Well then, they should have been a match made in heaven.”