Sprite (Annabelle's Story Part One) (13 page)

I woke up repeatedly with thoughts that I’d oversleep and let everyone down.

I’d felt this way in the past, like before the SATs. I convinced myself that my alarm would be faulty or that I’d somehow sleep through its blaring noise. So, I woke up every hour, on the hour, to make sure I wasn’t late.

This morning, darkness lingered the last time I glanced toward my window. Decided to get up, I didn’t want to chance anything.

This led to an overwhelming desire to reach out to my family. I wasn’t surprised that I quickly found a pen and paper in my dressing table drawer; the merfolk lived much like humans.

At first, my pen hovered above the paper. What words could express these changes in my life? But as soon as my pen hit the paper, it all came pouring out.

Mom and Dad,

Where do I start? This is all pretty crazy, right? Who knew that I wasn’t completely human? I guess I have Dad’s ancestors to thank for that one…

I leave today for this mission to help the sprites. Hopefully you know what I’m talking about and that Clemente explained everything to you.

If not, all you really need to know is that I’m trying to help others. This is a value you’ve both instilled in me since I was a little girl. It wouldn’t feel right walking away from people in need. Maybe this is why I’ve always wanted to become a doctor.

Please don’t worry about me. I’ve been working hard to prepare. Just think of this as another one of my adventures.

I love you both. Always remember that. Lindsey, too. Please tell her that for me.

I’ll be home soon—I promise!

Love,

Your Bellerina

P.S. Tell Blake I miss him and I’m thinking about him!

As I dropped my pen, I had no desire to reread what I wrote. It felt inadequate… and always would. Instead, I folded the paper and pushed off from my chair. I was facing away from my desk before I even heard the muted sound of the pen settle against the wood.

What now?

I scanned the room from my bed over to the wardrobe, noticing that an outfit hung from its door, and also thinking that it was kind of creepy that someone had been in my room while I slept.

It was the same color as the bodysuit I wore the first day, the chameleon-like one, but this one looked different—almost heavier.

I crossed my room to grab it. Instantly, I saw why. It was the same material, but thin plates of armor had been sewn inside. Still, the bodysuit wasn’t bulky at all and still just as flexible.

In my old bodysuit, I felt badass. After slipping into my new one, I sincerely felt like a superhero off to save the world.

I couldn’t believe the girl who stared back in the mirror was me. Not only a week ago I was a normal high schooler. Now, here I was, off to help the Tritons regain control of the evil sprites.

It still seemed crazy to me. I reached inside my bodysuit, pulling out Adrian’s mom’s pendant. My hand held it against my chest as I studied myself, hopeful that it’d calm me.

It did, but still I couldn’t move. Instead I hovered in front of the mirror. Leaving the room would make this all real; a reality I wasn’t prepared to face.

With my hand covering the olive tree leaf around my neck I said a quick prayer.

It was a three-parter:

I said a prayer to keep us safe.

I said a prayer to let us succeed.

And I said a prayer that I’d be able to see my family again soon.

After a deep breath, I forced myself to leave the room.

The others waited for me in the foyer.

“Good morning, Annabelle,” YaYa said. “We were about to wake you, but we thought it best to let you sleep as long as possible.”

“It’s okay. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Well that is only natural, you have a big day ahead of you.”

“Yeah,” I said, locking eyes with Adrian. Just looking at him helped to calm my nerves.

He also had a type of armor on. It reminded me of one of those shark suits made out of chain mail. It covered his arms and torso snugly. An emblem caught my eye in the middle of his chest.

It depicted a narrow staff with snakes wrapped around it. At the top two wings jutted out to either side. I’d seen it before used as a medical symbol. It was called a caduceus. What I hadn’t known was that the Greeks revered it as a symbol of good luck. In particular, it provided protection from sickness and injury to those who wore it.

It better work.

I turned to look at the rest of my entourage. Clemente, Shamus, and another girl waited to leave in a semi-circle.

It took a solid two seconds to realize Natasha was the girl. We looked nearly identical.

Our height was already similar. Now, she wore the same exact bodysuit as me sans the flippers. Being a mermaid and all, she obviously didn’t need them.

I also noticed that her normally dark hair was dyed a lighter shade to match my own.

It was kind of freaky how much we looked alike with our identical outfits, matching hair, and pale skin. I knew that part of our plan was to allow the Trackers to think Natasha was me, tricking them, but I hadn’t realized we’d look this closely alike.

Oddly enough, it was soothing and I felt a kinship with Natasha through our sameness. It also gave me more confidence that our plan would work.

On the other hand, it sent yet another wave of jitters into my stomach that Natasha would get hurt. I’d never forgive myself if the Trackers attacked her instead of me.

“Is everyone ready to go?” YaYa said, interrupting my thoughts.

Natasha and Adrian both gave a quick nod while a single click and bark sound slipped from Clemente and Shamus.

“May Tykhe—as the spirit of fortune, chance, providence, and fate—watch over you all,” YaYa proclaimed.

Immediately, Clemente and Shamus made their way toward the open drawbridge door.

But before Natasha could leave, YaYa stopped her.

“Dear child,” she said as her eyes turned more serious. “I know you believe you must prove your family’s name, but go into this mission knowing you have already done so. Be safe.”

Next, she turned to me.

“Annabelle, you are the chosen one. My hope is that you will come to accept that. Remember your affinities and use them wisely.”

I held out my folded letter. “Will you make sure my parents get this?”

“Of course I will. Be safe, Annabelle.”

Finally, she turned to Adrian. Giving them privacy, Natasha and I swam toward the door. Once outside, I couldn’t help but look back at the two of them. YaYa stood with Adrian’s hands grasped in her own.

I couldn’t hear her words, but her lips moved rapidly.

I was reminded again of how difficult this situation must’ve been as both the Queen and as a grandmother.

It was an odd thing to see YaYa express emotion, but as Adrian turned to leave, her bottom lip trembled. It lasted only a moment before she bit down to steady it.

And then we were off.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

With his hand on the trapdoor, Adrian gave the final direction. “Okay, Clemente, you go first. Then Shamus and Natasha will follow.”

The two nixies immediately moved into position next to the door before Adrian continued, “We aren’t sure if the Trackers know our location, but if they do, we don’t want to chance an ambush right as we leave Tritonis.”

I hadn’t thought about this—the face that we could be in danger even before nearing the sunken chest.

Adrian looked over at the guards who nodded with approval. They held a type of gun with swords also flung over their shoulders in preparation for any Trackers that tried to breach the entrance to Tritonis.

Clemente disappeared through the trapdoor immediately after it opened, the darkness of the ocean swallowing him.

A few moments later, a clicking sound announced for Shamus and Natasha to go.

After another few seconds, we recognized Shamus’ bark.

Now it was our turn. My heart pounded in my chest. I spared another quick glance over at the guards who bowed at Adrian and me.

Instantly, panic and fear froze my body as my eyes strained to adjust to the darker water.

Being back in the ocean was unsettling. Actually, terrifying better described it.

Living in Tritonis had spoiled me. The corals provided light throughout the entire day. It made it possible to see in all directions, and far too.

At the bottom of the ocean, I was reminded how my bubble of light allotted thirty yards or so of clarity before the blackness took over. Not knowing what lurked beyond my eyesight left me lightheaded.

It made more sense now why the merfolk of Tritonis feared leaving their city. The darkness made it difficult to protect themselves from Trackers and other sea monsters.

I remained motionless in the water, the current carrying me slightly. Adrian stretched his arm out to stop me from going any further. “We need to wait until they’re in position around us.”

“Are we all taking the jet stream?”

“We are. The encantado and selkie generally prefer to avoid it. They can swim fast enough on their own, but this is a special circumstance.”

Nodding, I waited for our signal.

“Okay, they’re ready,” he said after a quick clicking sound.

As we swam, I hovered close to Adrian. Any sound caused my head to snap in its direction. I was glad it wasn’t a lengthy trip to the jet stream. My nerves were out of control.

After about thirty minutes or so of swimming, Adrian stopped me again. “Hold on, Clemente is about to slip into the jet stream.”

I couldn’t see Clemente outside of my light bubble, but I now recognized his “voice.”

“All right, let’s go,” Adrian instructed.

We quickly swam to the jet stream and rolled inside. Exhaling, the brighter hue of light brought me some relief.

Not even a second later, Natasha and Shamus appeared as well.

“We’ve got a few hours in here,” Adrian continued. “Try to relax a bit. The four of us will keep an eye on things. And, Annabelle, let’s try to keep your hands inside the stream this time.”

He added that last part as an attempt to soothe me. Instead, I held my arms tight against my body, afraid to move. My first experience inside the jet stream was a not so distant memory.

I tried to let my mind go blank, but I couldn’t. I kept thinking about this crazy mission and what it meant for the merpeople of Tritonis. Recalling the kindness I received there, it strengthened my determination to help them.

The theater replayed in my head, one scene after another. My mind lingered on how New Year’s Day was a time of melancholy for the sprites. The poor sprites who feared leaving their homes.

Then there were the humans as mere playthings for the Trackers. The thought left me sick and again forced my family into the forefront of my mind.

That was how the next couple hours progressed—my mind constantly jumped between my family, Blake, what lay ahead, the sprites, and everything I’d learned thus far.

When it was time to roll out of the jet stream, I was thankful for the escape from my own head. At this point in time, I didn’t care if leaving the jet stream brought me closer to danger. I yearned for a distraction from my thoughts.

Our exit took the same approach as our entrance. Clemente went first, then Adrian and me, and finally Natasha and Shamus.

We immediately fell into the same semi-circle formation with Adrian and me at the core.

The water looked different than outside of Tritonis. It displayed an array of colors from the rainbow instead of the more muted appearance of the northern Africa waters. As a result of the shallower water, it was brighter here too, which I liked. All in all, I saw an amplified distance.

My distraction came in the various types of fish sprinkled throughout the clear water. As we swam, a few captured my attention and I quickly picked out my favorite. This particular fish displayed shades of blue, red, yellow, and even hints of purple arranged in a tie-dye sort of way.

As I reached out to touch it, Adrian’s voice filled the silence. “It’s fitting that the chest would be near Portugal, off the coast of Graciosa Island.”

I broke my gaze from the fish, pulling back my hand. “Why’s that?”

“In Portuguese, it means ‘enchanting.’ I suppose it’s an appropriate location for a chest that can only be opened at the hand of someone who’s well, enchanted.”

Ugh.

“Great, so now I’m supposed to be enchanted too?”

Laughing, he responded, “No, but I think your affinities are.”

I’d just leave it at that. Time to change the subject.

“How much further do you think we have?”

“A little while more. We’ll take it slower once we get closer to the caves.”

“Caves? I don’t remember hearing about them during our strategy meeting.”

“The Elders sort of glossed over that since Clemente is leading the way. He has journeyed to the mouth of the cave before.”

I didn’t like being out of the loop, especially when I had a rather large role in this whole process. Slightly annoyed, I followed closely to Adrian as my eyes tried to take in as much of the scenery as possible.

“All right, we should start to slow,” Adrian commented, pulling me behind a large rock formation. “See up ahead, the orange coral?”

“Yeah?” I said, craning my neck and squinting.

“Well, if you push it aside, there’s a cave somewhere beneath it. Shamus and Natasha will approach it first to see if it draws any Trackers out.”

“What?! We’re using Natasha as bait here too? I thought that was only at the chest?”

Apparently, a lot had been discussed without me about this “simple” plan. I wasn’t happy about this new turn in events and
slightly annoyed
elevated to
extremely annoyed
, furious even.

“We need to keep you safe, Annabelle. Natasha knows what she’s getting herself into.”