Again In Neverland

Chapter 43: Lily-of-the-Valley

"He's the Lily of the Valley, and the Bright Morning Star." -Unknown

LIL'S POV:

Once the mermaids agreed to a trade, I was surprised at the weight that I felt like had been lifted from my shoulders. The war was over. We defeated the pirates, again, and this time we would be sure to dispose of them properly. We found the missing mermaid, who Peter discovered was named Nix, and now we were trading her for Alina.

Well, it's not as if the mermaids really had any reason to trade but I guess they were thankful that we found Nix.

While talking to the mermaids, Peter found out that the mermaid we helped rescue was named Nix. The three mermaids in the water were her actual sisters. The mermaids all referred to each other as 'sisters', but these four were related by blood. The one with blonde hair was named Ocarina, the one with green hair was named Coralia, and the mermaid with red hair whom I had a very intense encounter with was named Lorelei.

Apparently, Nix and Lorelei had been singing on these very rocks when Smee and his hooligans snuck up behind them and dragged her away from the water. And since a mermaid grows legs when out of the water, Nix couldn't fight back. Lorelei was helpless in getting her sister back because the pirates had dragged Nix so far from the sea that her skills were useless.

Ocarina told Peter that they were absolutely miserable helping Smee, and worried sick about their sister. Lorelei felt it the worst, since she had been the one with Nix when she was stolen.

Peter struck up a nice deal with the mermaid clan. In return for finding and returning Nix, they would give us Alina. Plus, Peter told them they could have their way with the remaining pirates, and even I could see the ravenous looks in their eyes at the mention of fresh food.

Elliot Rootith and Avani Star cautiously helped Nix to slide back into the chilly water. Almost immediately, her pale skin retained it's deep glow, and her sunken cheeks grew plump. The most satisfying part was seeing the glee on her face as her tail returned. I noticed that it matched her eyes; a silver color that reflected the moonlight even through the water.

She dove under the water and breached like a dolphin, quickly diving deep again. When she resurfaced in front of us, her long hair clung to the sides of her face. I could see how revitalizing the ocean was for her. Her three sisters hugged her tightly, each pressing their foreheads to hers and shutting their eyes. I felt a warmth in my heart, seeing this private family reunion. It almost distracted me from the tingling sensation travelling from my stomach to my toes... almost.

Nix and her sisters spoke briefly in their language, exchanging clicks and ticks, and then they broke apart. Coralia dove under the water, her green tail splashing droplets on my face, and disappeared. Nix turned to us. Peter stood beside me, and the Piccaninny siblings on my other side.

Nix put her hands on the rock and looked up at us. Her mouth opened, and it seemed as if she was trying to form a sound or something.
She struggled with it at first, the words coming out only as a whisper, but she found her confidence.

In a heavy accent that I could only describe as sounding 'water logged', Nix said, "Thank you."

I felt Peter put his hand on the small of my back, and I tried not to wince. It was sore for some reason.
As I ignored it, Coralia resurfaced, holding something in her hand above the water. I squinted, trying to figure out what it was, when I recognized that it was a jar. A dirty thing, sides smudged with salt, with a dim light glowing inside.

It hit me.

"Alina!" I jumped forward, nearly into the water, as I reached for the jar.

I carefully took the old jar from Coralia's bony hand and cradled it to my chest.