A Mermaid's Cry

Chapter 53-A Favor for a Human

"So, what was it like Rinthy?" Octavia teases, messing with the ends of my hair, using my lap to cushion her head. "Tell me, give me all the forbidden details." I chuckle with mirth at her questions, relaxing against the plush pillows on the bed, as the sun trickles through the lace curtains into my room.

The warm golden rays shining on Adila, Octavia, and I still in our soft cotton nightgowns, our bodies sprawled across the bed. Reveling in the quiet of the early morning, while gossiping back and forth about my late night visitor. "I think you already know Tavi," I tease back, swiftly dropping a small pillow on her face, and scurrying off the bed as she spouts muttered curses while clambering to her feet on the cloud like sheets. "Didn't you and Zola already have your fun?"

I jump to the left, narrowly avoiding the pillow thrown in my direction. "Don't you dare remind me of that reckless, irresponsible, arrogant, and idiotic Mer ever again," Octavia threatens, another pillow fisted in her grip as she stalks towards the edge of the bed. "Him and I are finished, and if that guileless gutless guppy tells the Elders about us, I will beat him to a bloody-."

Adila, takes her chance and backhands her with the pillow, causing Octavia to fall backwards and flop onto the bed. After that, there was no stopping Octavia from retaliating, dragging us into an all out war of thrown pillows, shrieks, laughter, and flying feathers. We chase each other around the room, leaping over knocked over footstools, and scaling up and off the bed to keep from being smacked with the cloud like pillows. But just as we reach the highest part of our fun, a flurry of knocks sound at the door, accompanied by a set of bickering feminine voices echoing from outside.

I drop the pillow in my grip and leap of the bed, wincing slightly from the lingering soreness from my late night actives. Which Ares, hopefully sticking to his word, should be coming back at some point, with some mangoes to apologize for having to leave me abruptly after helping me wash away the last dregs of our coupling. Adjusting the nightdress to fall modestly on my frame, I open the door to find Iris and Rose outside my door.

"What brings you two here?" I ask, puzzled at why these humans would want to come up to see three shrieking Mer in the early hours of the morning. "Aren't you supposed to be occupied with finishing the final touches on that ball you were talking with Madame Hughes over dinner?"

"Yes, we are," Rose sighs, her slim fingers playing with the lace edging on the sleeve of her bright yellow dress. "But we still have no one to perform the Dance of the Stars, and it must be done by dancers who are graceful, athletic, and perfect to a fault. The dancers we hired have all fallen sick, and even then they can't compare to those trained in the prestigious dancing academies on the mainland."

"So, what does that have to do with us?" Adila cuts in, striding up next to me and leaning on the opened door. "Unless you think we know of dancers who could put the images of sirens on temple walls to shame, we probably can't help you."

"Oh, but I think you can," Rose adds, smiling with a certain joy that reminds me of a child discovering the taste of sweet coconut water. "You see the lad Lucas told us how on your island everyone knows different and extraordinary ways to dance. I actually showed him pictures of what the Dance of the Stars is, and he said all three of you and your gentlemen friends could do that in your sleep. That is was no different than the dance performed by couples in your community, when they officially start courting one another, except I can't remember what Lucas called it. "

"That would be, Voto de los Amantes, The Lovers Vow," Octavia says, coming up between Adila and I with a curious look in her icy blue gaze. "But why would he tell you two that? It is after all a sacred event to our people, and only done by Mer who are serious about wedding each other."

"Perhaps it is for the same reason Ares went to fetch Corintha her favorite snack?" Adila remarks, tapping her forefinger against her lips. "It seems that Lucas has started to take an interest in someone for the first time, and would give away our secrets to please the source of such attraction."

All at once, our heads turn to Iris, her cheeks flushing pink as island roses, and her fingers swiftly wrapping around a familiar small white shell, nestled against the green cloth of her bodice. "He was just being nice, I think," Iris says, cowering slightly as her older sister levels a questioning glance upon the younger girl. "But then he took off with your other three companions, to find some fruit for later or something like that."

"Oh no," I sigh, placing a hand against my forehead at the mere thought of my brother and cousin in prime reach of Ares. "Ares's status as the pod's next leader can only do so much. I have to go after them, who knows what Lucas will do if he finds out about me and Ares."

I start to head down the hall, but Rose stops me with a gentle grip on my shoulders. "They will be fine," she croons, tender sympathy wrapping around her voice like delicate silk. "Besides, you still haven't given me your answer. So, will you all do it? Will you dance at the ball tonight for our guests? And don't worry, it's a masked ball so no one will know who anyone is."

"Well," I begin, turning my head towards my friends, finding curiosity and mischief flickering across their faces. "I guess we could, but only one dance, I don't know if Captain Odessa would be pleased to see me amongst the guests."

Iris and Rose giggle with laughter, and begin tugging me down the hall with Octavia and Adila in tow. "He can't object to all of you being there, especially if I said that you would be protecting me and my sister," Iris chirps, all traces of fright from yesterday seemingly gone from her eyes. "It will be absolutely thrilling, everyone will show up in grand gowns and costumes. There will be music and ladies who can sing like nightingales, delicious sweets, punch, and lots of Rose's suitors to scare away."

My friends and I laugh at the young girl's chatter, while her sister huffs as she takes us down the stairs and into a room that would put our island's dressmaking hut to shame.