A Merman's Vow(Sequel to A Mermaid's Cry)

Chapter 14-The Mer Who Cried Pirate

Octavia

"You open it," Calder remarks, nudging Clive closer to the still bound black scroll. "No, you open it," Clive chimes back, pushing his twin and commencing the third wrestling match of the day with the sun slowly setting below the waterline.

Adila, Arcus, Zola, and Ares roll their eyes along with me, slurping the dregs of eel soup Dora made for the evening meal. The rest of our group is either resting, tending to the sails, or in Adila's sisters' case, teaching Iris the art of hand to hand combat. With Lucas watching intently of course, his eyes never wavering for a second in case the delicate human gets a far harsher punch than her teachers intended.

"Enough of the bickering," I hiss, passing my empty bowl to Zola and shoving them both away from the makeshift table of crates. "Honestly, how do you two accomplish anything, much less keep your heads attached to your shoulders, with all the fighting you fools do?"

I ignore their glares, so similar to Mother when I let my temper out in an unproductive manner. With careful hands, I unwind the strings of seashells, taking the time to neatly place them to the side, before unrolling the cracked aged scroll out for all to see its unfathomable beauty. Jeweled stones border symbols of stars, suns, and moons. The different hued bits of metal twine and whirl into six groups of written words. Six clues to the treasure Madame Disai told us that we desperately need. Placing a finger underneath the first line, I begin reading the words slow and careful like.

"The first to be found," I utter, momentarily stopping when the writing flares bronze. "Is for a true noble spirit. The second, for a soul pure of heart. The third, for one who treasures others more than themself. The fourth, for a body both patient and swift. The fifth, for a heart filled with unyielding love."

As I speak, the following lines change as well. The second turns silver, the third red as blood, the fourth a deep gray, the fifth shimmering like sea pearls. Once my finger reaches the sixth line, I tense in anticipation, wondering what color it might change. Wondering if the assumption brewing within my mind, is correct. Breathing in, I open my mouth and utter the very last set of clues.

"When all are given to the worthy few," I say, smiling with glee as the words turn golden as the setting sun. "The way to Curse Breaker, is made for you."
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Adila

The next three days and two nights go by like a fever dream. With the schooner so small, and us so many, we have taken to taking shifts in the water. Iris, being a human, is exempt from this, but in return she has been practicing with each of us when not helping my sisters and Lucas with the menial ship chores. However, at night we must make do with the room we have. The Dred twins have taken to constructing hammocks up in the rigging, even now, staring up at them under a clear blue sky, it's a wonder those males have not injured themselves in the process.

I've found a somewhat sheltered spot by the bow, watching everyone either coat themselves in burn cream, chase the dolphins following along our starboard side, and gazing back at the wheel where Arcus lays directing Ares with a steady hand. My muscles ache and my joints feel brittle as sticks, though I had Arcus to use as a pillow the other night, my sisters had found a way to wiggle themselves next to me. Even worse, they are restless sleepers. All night I felt their agonizing reflexive kicks, heard Tristan muttering in his sleep, Zola snoring in competition with Octavia, and Ares growling and snarling like a trapped tiger.

Gulls cry on rock formations, boulders of long cooled lava turned into homes for algae, barnacles, bird nests, oysters, crabs and other life managing to live another day in the treacherous ocean waters. The salt spray kisses my skin, wetting my hair that I have since tied into dozens of neatly arrayed dreads. Unconsciously, I find my fingers traveling over pieces of sea rock, golden coins from forgotten ocean treasure, bits of coral, and dozens upon dozens of shark teeth braiding into the strands. All of it, Arcus's payment in order to appease me, and allow him to hold me from sunset to sunrise.