Beyond the Sea (39 page)

“No.” Edward sighed. “I had no idea.”

“Are you mad?” Melia faced him. “Mad that she lied to you? To us?”

“I don’t know,” Edward admitted. “I don’t really think of it as a lie. I don’t tell her when the stocks are down or when a business deal doesn’t go my way. And I don’t consider that lying. It’s more like I don’t share it with her because she doesn’t need to know. I don’t want her to have to shoulder the burden of it. I think she thought she was doing the same.”

“Maybe.” Melia wrapped her arms around herself. Her mother and Edward had flown home as soon as they could.

“All you have to do is stay out of the water for a while,” Edward told her as if it was as easy as avoiding carbs for a month. “It won’t be fun, but you can make it. It will be worth it in the end, won’t it?”

“I suppose,” Melia said. Not being able to go in the ocean was horrifying. The ocean to a merrow was essential. Physically, Melia didn’t need it to survive. Mentally…she couldn’t think about it. After a while the call would get so strong she would feel like she was under the spell again.

“And you have Peter. You seem to have grown very close to him.”

“Yes.” Melia was unable to keep the happiness out of her voice. “Thanks for coming, you guys didn’t have to.”

“Melia, we might not be related, but you are my daughter. I was just as worried as your mother.”

Melia forced a smile and hugged Edward goodnight, stating she was exhausted. She went back to her room where Peter and Jamie were hiding Nerina.

“How did it go?” Jamie asked.

“I feel so bad for lying,” Melia sighed, sinking onto her bed. Gwen jumped into her lap, instantly purring when Melia stroked her fur. “But they can’t know. My mom will
not
go with it. And the guilt will drive her crazy.”

“Maybe you should tell her,” Peter urged. He didn’t want Melia to follow through with the plan. It terrified him to think of her going into the dark water.

“Peter,” Melia whispered. “I have to do this.”

“Can’t you wait until morning?”

“No. Vaianu said he’d be back today. The sun is almost set. I’m sure he’ll be here once it gets dark.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. The dark. It’s hard to see. He could sneak up on you…” he couldn’t finish his sentence.

“I can see in the dark just as well as in the light,” Melia informed him.

“You can?”

She nodded. “I guess I didn’t tell you.”

“You have night vision?”

“Yes. Nerina too. Anything that lives in the ocean does.”

“That is pretty freaking cool, Melia.” Peter grinned, then shook his head. “Still. I don’t want you alone.”

“I’ll come back. I promise.”

Nerina asked, “How is your mom? I wish I could see her.”

“You can when it’s over,” Melia promised. “But she can’t know the truth. She can’t handle it.”

“When it’s over,” Nerina repeated. “I can’t wait.”

“Me neither,” Melia agreed.

Peter turned to Jamie and whispered, “What do you think they’re saying?”

“I have no idea,” she whispered back. “I hope they’re not talking about us, though,” she tried to joke.

“Peter,” Melia began. “You should go before your parents—” she cut off, jumped up and went to the window. Her stomach churned nervously as she peered over the dark water.

“What is it?” Nerina asked, her hands trembling.

“He’s here,” Melia spoke in Mermish. The petrified look she gave let Peter and Jamie know what she said. Nerina wrapped her arms around Melia.

“Maybe this isn’t a good idea.”

Melia returned the hug. “Nerina, it’ll be ok.”

“Promise?”

“No.”

Nerina shook her head. “Yes. You’re supposed to say yes.”

“I don’t want to lie.”

“Ok,” Peter cleared his throat. “English, please.”

Melia backed out of the hug, flying instead into Peter’s arms. She kissed him. “I love you. No matter, what, ok?” Before he could object, she moved on to Jamie. “You are the best friend anyone could have. I love you, Jamie. Thank you for everything.”

“Stop it, Melia,” Jamie said angrily. “Stop acting like this is goodbye.”

“What if it is?”

Jamie grabbed Melia’s wrist. “Then I’m not letting you go.”

“Me neither,” Peter said, taking Melia’s other hand. “I can’t lose you.”

“Guys,” Melia said softly. “You can’t keep me safe forever.”

“Yes I can,” Peter insisted. “I’ll lock you in my closet and feed you at least once a day.” He smiled weakly. He pulled Melia close, not intending on letting her go.

“Peter, please.” Melia looked into his beautiful blue eyes. Peter’s heart raced. His forehead was wrinkled with worry and he looked as close to tears as Melia had ever seen him. Jamie and Nerina were already crying. “I won’t go in the water,” she compromised. “Ok? I’ll make him come onto land.”

“Promise?” Jamie asked.

“Yes,” Melia said and meant it. “But I have to go now. He’s waiting.”

Nerina’s face hardened. “I’m coming with.”

“Me too,” Jamie agreed, and then gasped in shock. She looked at Nerina. “I-I don’t know what you said, but I felt it.”

“Felt what?” Peter asked, feeling left out.

“We’re going with,” Jamie flatly said, still shaken by mentally hearing Nerina.

“Fine,” Melia agreed, knowing there was no point in arguing. “But you’re staying behind the fence.”

“Good enough,” Peter remarked. Melia went downstairs first. Her parents were in their room. Melia could hear the TV. She dashed down the stairs, signaling her friends to follow. Peter, Jamie and Nerina crouched down behind a fern. They weren’t completely concealed, but it kept them from obvious sight. Melia slowly walked down the hill to the shore.

“Vaianu!” she called. “Come here if you want to talk to me. Come here!” she shouted.

“I wish I knew what she was saying,” Peter whispered to Jamie.

“Me too.” She knelt down, out of sight. Peter followed suit. They waited until a shadow emerged from the water. It definitely wasn’t a merrow. She blinked, thinking her eyes were playing a trick on her. Perplexed, she turned to Peter to make sure he was seeing the same thing.

Looking like a science project gone wrong, the thing walked like a man. Something protruded from his head, arms and legs. It took a minute for Jamie to figure out they were fins. It jogged—unsteadily—to Melia and embraced her. Peter stiffened. Vaianu disgusted him. His head was shaped more like a shark. He had gills along his neck. His eyes were beady, dark and evil. Peter flicked his eyes to Nerina, trying to read her stoic expression.

“Melia,” Vaianu boomed. “I trust you know about the arrangement.”

“Yes,” Melia told him, taking a step back. “I do.”

“Then you know you are mine.”

“I do not belong to you,” she said strongly.

“Melia, of course not,” Vaianu spoke softly.

“Drop the pretense,” Melia spat.

“What?”

“Drop it, Vaianu. Your tricks aren’t going to work on me. I know everything.”

Vaianu stiffened. “H-how?”

“That doesn’t matter. You’re not going to get away with this. I’m going to get Actassi. Your plan will never work.”

Vaianu laughed. “Actassi. He’s dead.”

Melia’s heart fell. “What?”

“He’s been dead, pearl. It’s been overdue. Killing him was too easy. He’d grown soft in his old age. Too trusting. It almost wasn’t fun, it was so easy. My plan that you say will never work, it’s already in motion.”

“No! You’re lying!”

“Oh, how I wish I was. The tide’s changed quite a bit since you’ve been out of the ocean.” He laughed at his pun. “But that’s what happens in war. Merrows die.”

“War?” Melia’s heart hammered in her ears. Her hands shook. Physical feelings seemed to melt away. She couldn’t feel the sand under her feet or the cool, salty breeze on her skin.

“Yes, war. It was your father’s idea.”

Melia took another step back. “That doesn’t make it mine,” she said, her voice shaky. Things were worse than she could have imagined. Vaianu’s dark eyes danced in the fading light.

“Maybe not,” Vaianu agreed, moving closer to Melia. “But you’re in this whether you like it or not.”

“No! I refuse to be with you, ever!”

“I figured you say that. How many more do you want me to kill?”

“What? Why are you asking me?”

“It’s a simple question. How many more Oceanids and merrows do I have to kill until I gain control? None, if you come with me.”

Melia took a ragged breath and inched away. This wasn’t happening, this wasn’t real. Vaianu’s words held no truth. “No,” she repeated. “I’m not. I’m not going with you.”

He shrugged. “Fine. Their blood is on your hands then.”

“Even if I did marry you, they wouldn’t follow you.”

“Oh, little pearl, you are wrong.” He leaned forward. “Merrows need a leader. You would be perfect. They would object at first, yes, I’ve planned for that. We’ve planned for that, I should say, for many years. Your father, my father, all the others…for centuries the ocean worked this way. It will again.”

“No!” Melia shouted. Horror flooded her veins. She wanted to get away. The male violence in Vaianu’s eyes terrified her. She turned to run. Vaianu grabbed her shoulder, knocking her down. Melia screamed, frantically fighting him off. He smacked her hard across the face, grabbed her ankles and dragged her towards the water.

He only made it a few feet when Peter knocked him down. “Run!” he shouted to Melia, his fist making contact with Vaianu’s face. Melia, who knew that adaros’ strength was greater than humans’, struggled up to help Peter.

Vaianu rammed his head into Peter’s chest, knocking the wind out of him. He shoved Melia back into the sand and hoisted Peter up, prepared to drown him. Melia was back on her feet in seconds. She filled her hands with sand, jumped on Vaianu’s back and pressed the sand into his gills.

Sputtering, Vaianu lost his grip on Peter. As soon as he was able, Peter punched Vaianu again, grabbed Melia’s hand and pulled her to safety. Nerina and Jamie were waiting by the gate. Jamie slammed it shut once Peter and Melia made it through, fear racing through her body. The four of them ran inside, Melia leading the way into the basement.

She collapsed into Peter’s arms as soon as they were safely tucked away inside the theater room. He held her tight, still breathing heavily from the fight.

“Are you hurt?” he asked her.

“No.” Her hands shook. She didn’t let go of Peter.

“Is it true?” Nerina asked.

“Yes,” Melia answered in English, nodding so Nerina would understand. “Actassi is dead.”

Melia, Peter, Nerina, and Jamie sat, speechless. Jamie felt disconnected from her body. Nerina started to weep. Peter clung onto Melia, terror causing him to take quick, shallow breaths. Tears stung Melia’s eyes, but now wasn’t the time to cry.
 

“Ok,” she said, taking a deep breath. She felt like she was going to throw up. The room spun. “Ok,” she repeated. Her voice echoed in her ears and her vision went fuzzy. Her knees weakened and she slumped against Peter. He caught her with ease, scooping her up and carrying her to a large armchair.

“Melia,” he uttered, concern heavy in his voice.

“I’m ok,” she told him. “I’m just…just…I don’t know what to do.”

“We’ll figure it out,” he soothed. “I won’t let him hurt you.” Peter clutched her, feeling like he was lying. He had no idea what was going on, let alone what to do. “Can you tell us what happened?”

“Vaianu said he started a war. He killed Actassi. He said that he will keep killing merrows and Oceanids, and I’m sure others, until he can coerce them into being under his rule.” She closed her eyes. “And he said that if I agree, I can stop the deaths.”

“How?” Jamie asked, feeling that it didn’t make sense.

“He said that the Oceanids and merrows would listen to me because they like having a leader. And it’s true.” She opened her eyes to look at Jamie. “Merrows need someone to follow.”

“That can’t be true, Melia,” Jamie insisted. “Don’t believe his lies. He would say anything to get you to be his.”

Something scratched at the door; everyone jumped and Nerina screamed. Wolfy yipped and Peter nervously laughed. Jamie let him in, feeling a bit safer with the big dog with them.

“Can they get inside?” she asked.

“Yes, I guess so,” Melia answered. “But they can’t stay out of the water for long. Being on land is like when you hold your breath underwater. Well, sort of.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Jamie said, meaning her house. “It’s too close to the water.”

“I can’t leave my mom and Edward.”

“Then I’ll stay,” Peter told them.

“Your parents, Peter,” Melia reminded him. “I bet they are already mad you’re not home.”

“Screw them! This is more important.”

Melia nodded. She closed her eyes, thinking. “Jamie,” she said suddenly. “You should do the spell again.”