Behind the veil

Chapter three

Chapter three

The water was colder, once fully through the veil, the five mer looked around, the water around them dark except for the tear in the water.  Ahead of them a shark circles high above them, about the length of all the mers tail fin to head in a line. Nico is the first to see it and he nudges the others softly and points. Angel whispers, “How are we going to get past it? If we move it might come after us.” Rouge smirks, “don’t worry shorty i’ll protect you.” he mocks her, Nico frowns and swims towards the veil. Angel says back to Rouge, “I don’t need you to protect me.” she looks at Nico. “What are you doing?!” she whisper yells to him. “I’m leaving.” the blackette states firmly. The shark looks at Nico and swims quickly towards him, ready to devour him, the boy's dark eyes open wide and he tries to unsheathe his sword but the shark was too fast, it was simply waiting for one of the mer to venture away from the rest. The giant mako sinks its deadly teeth into Nico’s side, tearing through parts of his tail and practically shredding his right arm. The blackette lets out a ear-shattering scream, dripping with pain. The four other mer snap their attention to him, Rouge unsheathing his sword, eyes glowing with unkempt fire. Rouge charges at the shark slicing it’s side, leaving a deep gash that makes the shark drop Nico and turn its attention to the one with the sword. The shark attacks Rouge, aiming for his unprotected side. Just as the shark lunges into an attack Rouge swings his sword, accomplishing the art of slicing the shark’s throat, nearly decapitating it. The shark sinks to the floor, bleeding out, while the mers swim over to the wounded Nico. Rouge picks him up gently, carrying him bridal style, “we need to get him to my aunt.” he says sharply to the others, his dark eyes daring them to  say different. “How far is your aunt?” Angel asks. “Not far.” he answers, heading away from the veil into the dark water, leaving the others no choice but to follow silently. The mers followed for what seemed hours, until they reach a giant rock? “I thought you were leading us to your aunts. Not a giant rock!” Angel says. Coral looks around, staring at the tall kelp forest that they had swam into, great, she thought, now instead of darkness we are swimming towards a giant rock in the middle of a slimy gross kelp maze! She let out a long sigh and glanced at Nico, frowning at the blood staining his scales and staining the water around him and Rouge. “Are we close?” Coral asks, worried for her brother. “We’re here actually.” Rouge answers and knocks on the giant rock. It seemed to change. The rock slowly formed to a strongly woven kelp hut, dark magic items and voodoo objects lining the outer walls. Coral looked unsure, “is this safe?” she questions, almost herself. Angel looks at the hut. “Well if you don’t think it’s safe you can wait here.” Angel says. Kyle frowns at Angel, “we are all going.” he says pointedly towards his sisters. “Okay…” Angel sighs and swims towards the door, the others follow behind her, Rouge still cradling a broken Nico in his arms. Angel opens the door and sees two bright eyes, a neon green peering at her from the darkness. “The light switch is on the left.” Rouge calls out, Angel flips the switch, the room lighting up from the lava globes heating up. The pinkettes eyes dart back to where she saw the eyes only to find a girl, a bit older than Coral, with bright red hair, pure white eyes, and her scales were a toxic green and brown mix. The most shocking part of her wasn’t the strange coloring, but the giant scars running over her face and most of her abdomen. Coral nudges Angel and mumbles, “kracken attack..”. The woman starts to speak, her voice hoarse. “I see that you brought company Rouge,” Rouge swims forward with Nico, “aunt Belladonna, we are in need of your great witchcraft for my… soul mate has been fatally injured. And we also need that thing we talked about last time i was here.” “Of course. Just set the boy on the bed and i’ll take care of him.” Belladonna said as she swam over to her desk, covered with books, potions, and papers. She grabbed two bottles of silverish liquid and something that oddly looked like a shrunken mer head. Then she also scooped up a can of eel teeth and sea silk twine. Rouge gently laid Nico on the flat counter and placed a small kiss to his bloodied forehead. Belladonna swims over to Nico as Rouge backs away. “This will hurt. Terribly.” She says as she starts to stitch his wounds. Nico screamed, an echo of pain bouncing off the cavern walls and haunting the other mers mindsets. The mers cover their ears. Belladonna starts humming an ancient healing spell created by the mages 100 years ago, “Blessed angels come be with me ,heal my spirit mind and body Blessed angels come be with me ,heal my spirit mind and body Blessed Angels of green and gold, heal my heart and heal my soul Blessed Angels of violet and blue ,open my eyes to the vision of truth.” Once the song was finished, Nico lay asleep on the bed. Wounds healed and a small smile etched on his face. The other mer let go of their ears, thankful that they didn’t go deaf. “So now what Aunt?” Rouge asks the bewitched lady. “He will be better by morning. That isn’t the only thing you came to ask is it my dear nephew, is it?” Belladonna asks with fake curiosity. “You know why I really came Aunt.” Rouge growls, “then you are prepared for the sacrifice?” she asks quietly. “What sacrifice?” Angel said after hearing the quiet response. Belladonna smirks at this, “well dear, to get legs you must have a sacrifice.” “aren't giving up our tails enough for you?!” Kyle yells angrily. “No. It is not. It will take a lot more than risking the life in the water, if it is only temporary.” she glares. Kyle frowns, “then.. What?” “The only thing i want is your father's locket. I know it’s in this room.” as Belladonna says this her hand raises and points at Angel. “You will need to give it to me if you all want legs.” Angel reaches and holds the locket around her neck, closing her eye she pulls it from her neck. The snap from the chain echoing off the walls as a single tear runs down her cheek before melting with the water around her. Angel starts to hand it over to Belladonna whom snatches it between her sharp nails and expecting it with such intensity it  could melt a glacier. Angel swims out of the hut, tears in her eyes. “Take anything else! Give that back!” Kyle shouts angrily while swimming towards the Witch. Belladonna says a incantation that freezes his movement toward her. “Why would I do that boy. There is no other thing of personal value to the King.” she smirks, running a nail slowly across his jawline, “the king is dead.” he growls. “Who says i didn’t know that. How did that awful King die again?” Belladonna says smirking knowing the truth. “B-beheading by the Queen..” he mumbles. Belladonna laughs, “That isn’t what happened to your precious father.” Kyle looks at Belladonna, confusion written all over his features. “Oh aren’t you a curious boy.” she says looking into his eyes. “Your father was having an affair. Your mother found out. They didn’t kill him. He was kept in the jail cell where i broke him out. That was because he was having an affair with…” before she could say another word a merman came dashing into the hut. Kyle’s jaw drops and Coral starts sobbing. “Oh. I didn’t think you would be back so soon King Cornelius.” Belladonna says with a smile plastered on her face. “What the actual fuck is going on here?” Kyle demands. “Watch your tone son. Hasn’t your mother taught you anything of manners.” The King’s voice roars around the hut. Kyle growls in the back of his throat, “she taught me everything she could considering you weren’t there to!” he yells at the older man. “Did you really think the worthless of a Queen was your mother Kyle?” Belladonna laughs. “Well i guess that’s  what I get when your father wanted you to have a better life.” she sighs.” Kyle looks between the two mer, “uhm, what?” he mumbles. “You are my son. My only child. I gave you up so you could have a better life than being here and learn the magic you were suppose to.” Belladonna says looking at him, “so uhm.. Do I call you mom.. Or...?” he looks up at her, still confused. “If you feel it is necessary to call me that then you can, but I do not deserve it for leaving you to live a different life than with me.” She says in response. Kyle swims forward and hugs the witch tightly, “okay.. Mom.” he giggles quietly. “Oh my precious boy.” She hugs back. Coral and Angel tackle Cornelius in hugs while the witch and her son reunite. Cornelius smiles and hugs his daughters while telling them he’s sorry. “It’s okay Dad. At least you are okay.” Angel says to him, Coral slaps him. Hard. “Why didn’t you take us?!” she demands. “I couldn’t. Where i was going was too dangerous for you and your siblings. Your mother would also kill you. She would think you aided my escape.” Cornelius said.  “Oh.” is all she says in response. Belladonna lets go of Kyle. “We must start the sacrifice. It will be done by the time your friend is up.” Belladonna says with a smile. Rouge swims towards his aunt, a grave expression on his face, “Nico will be okay right?” he asks softly. “He will be fine nephew.” Belladonna says. Rouge nods once and goes back to Nico’s side. Belladonna swims off with the locket to her desk and starts to do some enchantments. Coral looks over Kyles shoulder, “uhm.. Bro? We are twins so does that mean…” she looks confused. Belladonna looks over at them. “I did have another child…. But i was told she died after she was born. Kyle was the only child that lived out of the two….” she said at the verge of tears. “That isn’t possible if i’m his twin though?” Coral counters. “That would mean your father lied to me about the baby dying. Sent you away from me along with your brother. He wouldn’t lie to me! He wouldn’t!” Belladonna says. The twins look at the old king, their gaze hard. “Why did you lie?” they say in usion. “I didn’t. Coral when you were born… you weren’t breathing. I tried everything I could. I told your mother and she cried. I went outside to bury you in the castle graveyard but once i got there… you were breathing. I couldn’t go back to tell her so I left you at the castle with your brother.”. “Why would you take us to the castle if we weren’t true royal kin?” Kyle questions. “I thought when they found you both at the castle doors you would work as servants, not be apart of the family.” Cornelius says. The twins frown and nod in usion, “okay.. So now what?” they ask, at the same time again. “You all can get some rest. You have to go to land tomorrow. There are rooms beyond where your friend lays. Or you can sleep out here while i work.” Belladonna says smiling. Rouge falls asleep next to Nico while the other three mer go into the spare room and sleep. That night only Angel heard the witch and king talking, quiet whispers in the dark water. Angel swims quietly towards the voices, hiding behind the wall separating the two rooms. “It is far too dangerous on land for those children Bell! How dare you send our children to their deaths!” Cornelius whisper shouts, trying not to wake the mer. “It will save them! You know who is after them don’t you! He won’t find them on land! He wouldn’t dare step foot because of what happened! Plus the other child, the one with pink hair isn’t my child to worry about! She’s yours!” Belladonna whisper shouts back to Cornelius, exasperation in her voice. Then she adds in a softer tone, “i just got my kids back.. Think about it. Would i really be up for losing them again? Forever?” “You are going to lose them if you sent them up there. There is no way they can handle it, for what lies for them would get one of them or all of them killed!” Cornelius whispers.  “We have no choice, their destiny is laid out for them. We just have to play our part.” Belladonna cries out softly. Cornelius sighs and nods in agreement and looks over to where Angel is, seeing a bit of her pink locks floating into the hall. “I think someone heard us Bell.” Belladonna whirls around, “come out girl. We know you are there.” she says in a demanding tone, leaving no question about it. Angel comes out from her hiding spot and swims to  where she was, “Sorry for listening to the conversation.. I had trouble sleeping.” she says, slightly frightened. “How much did you hear Angel? Cornelius asked curiously. “Not a lot… but how dangerous is it on land?” Angel asked still frightened, “land will be safer for you child. Go sleep now.” the sea witch says to Angel calmly. Angel swims back to the room and falls asleep.