The Sorceress' Apprentice

Chapter Eight: The Floating Palace

So we're all on holiday. Were? A place named Marroway Cove. Cedrica was desperate to go. I thought it was because we'd finally get Sophus' amulet since there are limited places to go on a floating palace on the water but that's not why we're here. Apparently, there is a magical comb that she thinks will help her take over the kingdom. The comb controls the water to do whatever she wants. I only agreed to this trip because Cedrica begged me to come. So that's why I'm here. We had just arrived.

"The prince may be on vacation, but there's no rest for the wicked, Art. Not when there's a kingdom to take over," Cedrica came away from the tower window, "And we won't even need Prince Sophus' amulet to do it."

"Do remind me how," I said bored.

"Because I found another way. The mermaid comb of Merroway Cove. According to legend, the mermaids that live at the bottom of this cove have a magical comb that can harness the power of the ocean. Like this."

Cedrica made some water appear and made a whirlpool with it, soaking Artemis and Amy. When is the lecture over?

"Ooh, if I can get my hands on that comb, the entire kingdom will bow at my feet," Cedrica said smirking
She finally looked at me, "What's that look for?"

"Yeah, if you can't get Sophus' amulet, what's the chances you'll get this comb? And why am I even here? You don't need me for this," I said.

"Of course, I do. Because I have a plan for you."

"Can't wait for it to go up in flames."

"Oh, stop being so moody. This plan will work. Wait and see."

I'm only moody because this is the one place I didn't want to be. Because, embarrassingly enough, I can't swim! And my mom was lost at sea so I don't really like being near the water. Not that I'm telling Cedrica this. She doesn't need to know. So, we took a lifeboat and some sorcery books and sailed away from the floating palace. We went to a cave nearby and Cedrica looked in her books for a spell for the four of us. She explained that she was going to transform us into sea creatures so we can go underwater.

Oh, that's reassuring. She said the spell which then threw us unto the water! I panicked as I transformed into something else. Once the spell finished, I was officially a sea creature. I was a mermaid. But something wasn't right. My hands were webbed with claws, I had gills on the sides of my torso, fins on the side of my tail, a stinger on the end of my tail, my skin was now grey, and my teeth were sharper. I'm not a mermaid. I'm a siren!

Why am I a siren? I know it's not a big deal but that was an old nickname I had. Mom called me her Siren because she claimed I was beautiful and I had a voice worthy of a siren. I didn't believe her but I let her call me it anyway. But this form will have its disadvantages. For example, if I go on land, I will turn human but I won't be dressed. I've read enough about sirens to know about this problem. And I don't want Cedrica to see that. Speaking of, Cedrica was a sea octopus that looked like Ursula!

And Artemis and Amy were octopi. At least we'll blend in now. Or so Cedrica thought. Doesn't really matter. Let's just get this comb and get this over with. As we swam around, we found the comb and someone else. Sophus. Something tells me that the amulet gave him the ability to turn into a merman. So, after some watching and following, the mermaid princess was soon alone. Cedrica grabbed her before she could swim away.

She tried to take the comb from her when it electrocuted her and the mermaid swam away. I swam after her. It honestly wasn't that hard to catch her. Sirens are really fast swimmers. So I caught her and Cedrica caught up. Cedrica took her and we hid from Sophus who was chasing us. So, time to find a spell to take away the protection charm off the comb and take over the kingdom. Cedrica did give the mermaid the chance to just hand it over but that wasn't happening.

So we took her to the boat where Cedrica locked her in a cage and started to look for the spell. I tried a few times to convince her to just hand over the comb but she wouldn't hand it over. Cedrica tried a spell to take the charm off but it didn't work. After way too long, she tried another spell. Didn't work.

"Look, I'm bored. I'll let you do this on your own," I said.

"But I need you," Cedrica said.

"You're doing perfectly fine on your own. I don't even want to be here. So tell me the spell to undo this and I'll meet you at the palace."

Cedrica gave in and I went back to the palace after getting the spell. I snuck back onto the boast and used the spell on Amy and myself. We're now back to normal. So I went back to Cedrica's workshop and stayed there. I've been through too many painful memories today. But that's when things went really bad. A storm started and it started rocking the palace badly. But we then saw a mermaid fix it all and everything went back to normal.

Even Cedrica who came back after her plan went wrong. Again. We stayed out of the way from everyone else for a while. But I didn't leave from sitting at Cedrica's window. I was looking out at the horizon. Something I haven't done in years. I'd wait at the docks for mom to come back, singing a song she taught me. The Song of the Sea. Once I thought Cedrica left, I decided to sing it. Maybe mom will hear me wherever she is.

'Viento a viento va. El sueño del mar. Gira sin parar. Viento a viento va. Durmiendo al sol. Un giño de luz se perdió. Tu cuerpo se hace vientre, estatua transparente. En la arena oscura esperarás.'

'Viento a viento va bailando el mar esta sola voz se quebró. Pájaros de sal ciegos de llorar, vuelven a volar.'

'Viento a viento va. Este pequeño temblor que jamás grito. A la luz, a ardor, a la lluvia. A la paz, al aire, al final. Y así este viento va girando y así este viento va se fue. Y así este niño va llorando. Llorando.'

I looked at the moon.

"Maddie?"

I looked at Cedrica who almost looked concerned.

"Please don't tell me you heard all that," I said.

"I did. I know the translation to that song. Are you feeling alright?" Cedrica asked sitting with me.

I sighed, "no. I'm not. The reason why I didn't want to come on this trip was because of being surrounded by nothing but ocean. My mother was a sailor. She was lost at sea years ago before Sophus and I came to the castle. Just being near the sea reminds me of her and I'd rather not remember. She was the last person who gave me any feeling that I was important or that I was loved. Now the feeling's gone. And she gave me a nickname I'll never forget. It was what you turned me into."

"A siren."

I nodded, "I couldn't stay because I just want to forget the past but it's difficult."

"And this trip has made it worse for you, hasn't it?"

I nodded again and stayed quiet. Cedrica held my hand and I looked at her again. She gave me a reassuring smile. And offered a hug that I gladly accepted. I think I needed that hug. Because it made me feel a lot better.