FAIRYTALES FOR A HUMAN (Lesbian)

Part 18 DRYAD

I can't stay still and keep on pacing an old, dreary room inside the lighthouse. Floorboards are creaking plaintively. Time flies, but my company doesn't rush to come. They should've been back ages ago! Where are they? It was stupid to lose my nerve and leave Doris with two problematic humans. I do hope he doesn't cause a scene again and embarrass the mermaid.

I peer out the stained window: the road that runs down is lonely. The rhythmic sound of waves only irritates me.

What am I doing here? I must be at home. Of course, Ash will cover me, but elders' favorite won't miss a chance to read me a lecture on how we should follow the rules or try to get all information from me. I'm not a little fawn anymore, but Ash can't understand that he has not become my patriarchal patron and protector after Willow's death. I desperately don't want to owe him anything. And not only Ash: everybody in my clan looks at me as if I will never be able to be happy, will never be able to heal my heart. Just even to think about it makes me powerless and dependent.

I cautiously perch on a three-legged stool looking at dancing specks of a dusty room. Been ages since we'd visited the place. Ages... He's grown up so fast! It seems that only several summers have passed. And now he's a big man who's taller than I. Just one more moment and Sylvester will lie in his deathbed weak and wrinkled. I lower my head out of sadness. Poor Doris! I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. The images of old, feckless Marina and Sylvester make me close my eyes tightly and shake my head to dash away their ashy, pigmented faces that are haunting my thoughts.

We really need to get in touch with siblings. Having known that I saved him, ginger starts asking too many questions about me and my kins. It might jeopardize the lives of my people, and it's definitely not a moment to repeat the mistakes of the past! None of the dryads deserve my sister's fate.

Vera must know at least one oblivion spell to make Sylvester forget about me and the dryad's society. There's no point in asking a witcher, no doubt. Pfff, I won't even talk to him: all that Alex wants is to get me into bed. And Doris... let Doris deal with her human girl as she wants. I angrily shake finger at empty space. No, no, no. Humans are not my problems.

***

My patience has run out, and, getting a rough estimate of where they could be now, I jump out of the palm tree and stand tall on the sandy beach. It's so white that gives an impression of a dead snowy ground. I squirm looking at the ocean that is monotonously licking the shore.

After every jumping I'm always confused a little: my real creature senses are refusing me. One second, I'm a part of a tree, next moment I'm Juni again. That's why it seems that I'm absolutely alone on the shore, but it takes me maybe two winks of my eyes to feel that the mermaid is twenty elbows away from me.

She's sitting on a flat bolder that is being disgustingly tongued by the waves. Again, and again, and again. Some bad feelings make me giddy. I can't see her expression and what she's looking at, for her black human coils are covering the most part of her face. Doris doesn't even bother to brush them away.

I come silently closer. I know that she feels my aura too. I hesitate. I part my lips just the moment Doris liberates her countenance.

"Your eyes!" I gasp in fear. "What have you done to her?!" In dismay and despair, I stare at the ruthless ocean surface. "You promise not to do it again! I know he deserved it then, but your girl... a coin... Doris!" I almost scream, rocking her shoulders.

"She's alive," the mermaid answers listlessly.

"Bbut your eyes?! Bblack again..." I stammer treacherously.

"I know," she doesn't move; her hands are taking a tight grip on her knees. "That was an accident. I never expected it from myself again. It's the first time from before."