Song of the Sea

Chapter 7

That night, we host the feast. Roasted lamb with pickled asparagus, along with native fruits found along the island is the entree. We also have grilled sausage with olives and grapes. For dessert, we have almond buns and vanilla and hazelnut trifle. It's the best meal I've had since my mother died. I look around while I'm eating and notice everyone laughing. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, and my friends are having a great time. A band plays outside, and after we eat, we go dancing.
I run upstairs to go get into my new dress before the dancing starts. I tug it on and feel a pair of eyes watching me. I glance in the mirror and see a raven. My father's raven. I stick out my tongue at it and shoo it away. I take a deep breath and head down to the patio.
Music is already playing as I make my way down the stairs in the lobby, and everyone turns to look at me. I smile so wide my face hurts. My dress is made of deep blue silk and hugs my body before exploding in a poofy skirt that reaches my knees. The bodice is a darker shade and is encrusted with crystals on the sides. There are tiny sparkles embedded in the skirt, so when it catches the light, it looks like there are a million small stars in it. Dark velvet gloves reach my elbows, and a tiara rests on my carefully curled hair.
As I walk down the stairs, I seek out a few familiar faces. The ladies who gave me the dress are here, at my own personal invitation. I see Cai staring slack-jawed at me, the girl on his arm giving me the dirtiest look one can imagine. Out of the corner of my eyes, I see Aric emerge from the shadows. He is wearing a suit that is the as red as blood, and on his head is a crown. His eyes flicker as he looks up at me. He walks slowly to me as I reach the bottom, and takes my hand. His eyes never leave mine as he kisses it, then places it on his arm. We walk out on the patio, and the music grows louder. We begin dancing, others falling in around us. As we twirl, I try to think of what to say. But he beats me to it.
"Cairo looks very jealous of me right now, dear." I narrow my eyes as he pulls me closer. "He can't take his eyes off you."
"Just like you, then?" I ask.
"Well, you do look absolutely ravishing in that dress." He spins me around. "I had the ladies give it to you. It goes quite well with my outfit, doesn't it?"
"You don't talk to me the whole time we've been here, and now I'm just supposed to act like we're friends?" I hiss. "Besides, where's your girlfriend? Maria?
"Isn't that what we are?" He winks. "Or do you want to be... more than friends? And is that jealousy I detect?"
I pull back. "Look, Aric, I think you're a good person. I really do. It's just, you ignored me the whole time! You didn't bother to talk to me at all. Not once! And you had plenty of opportunities! Now you want to come running back to me. Well, guess what? I won't accept you!" He looks at me fully in the face.
"You're cute when you get mad," he says.
"I need a break." I storm off to get a cup of punch. I take a look around at the patio. Lights are hanging from above and lanterns light the way for any couples sneaking off. The dancers form a big circle, with girls on the inside and boys on the outside. The music changes to something more daunting, something erotic, something sensual. The girls start off by dancing a couple of beats, then the boys dance. I watch a couple of rounds before heading off down one of the paths.
I come to a gazebo on the sand near the ocean. I check to make sure there are no couples around before sitting down on one of the benches. I close my eyes and listen to the waves. I breathe into the rhythm. My nerves calm. Footsteps crunching on the sand make me open my eyes. I sigh when I realize who it is.
"Didn't I tell you I needed a break?"
Aric comes and sits beside me. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm sorry for ignoring you, and I'm sorry for acting that way when we were dancing." I snort but stay quiet. "The real reason that I was ignoring you and not around was because of my people. They found me, and they want to know what I'm doing. I told them what was happening right now, and they said if I don't get back on my mission, they will exploit my weakness. I do not want that to happen. They gave me a month to complete it, which is more than enough time, but I don't know if I want to go back. I don't know if I want to finish my mission. They said if I don't finish my mission, they will find my skin for me and take it. So I will be a human forever." He looks at me.
"And what of Maria?" I ask.
He sighs. "Look, I know it's... weird, but we're not together. She's also a Selkie, and yes, we've... been together before, but it's not like that anymore. She just kissed me when she found me because she needed to say goodbye. She has a boyfriend now and I've been helping her with that. She's going to propose to him."
"Aric, I'm sorry I doubted your intentions. I was wrong." I lay a hand on his arm. "I vow I will help you find your skin and complete your mission, whatever it is. I swear it on my life. You have to get back to your people. You told me you hated being a human because we are so limited. So we need to help you."
"That's the thing, Mira. Maybe being a human isn't such a bad thing. Maybe it's a good thing." He looks at me solemnly. I feel a stir in my heart, that giddy feeling I get when I'm around him. And at that moment, all I want to do is feel him, to touch him, to taste his lips on mine. I want him.
"Maybe-" My voice comes out in a croak. I cough. "Maybe you can finish your mission, and then tell your people you want to stay human for a bit. What made you change your mind?"
He toes the wooden board. "The thing that changed my mind is, um..." He clears his throat and stands. "The thing that changed my mind is you, Mirabel."
I gape at him. He must be joking like he always does. But when I look into his eyes, all I see is the truth.
"So. I made you want to stay human. Careful, Aric. You're making me think you care."
He chuckles. "Yes. It's you, Mira. It will always be you. You want to know why?" He crouches in front of me and takes my hand. He places it against his chest. His chest is a solid wall of muscle, and I feel his heart pounding. "Because you are here. I love you. I love you, Mira. From the first time I saw you when you saved me, to now, I have loved you. And I will keep on loving you. Even if you don't feel the same way, I will always be with you."
I draw my hand back. "I don't know what to say to that." His face falls. "I don't know what to do, or think."
"What are you thinking?" he asks.
"I'm thinking that I feel something for you, something I've never experienced," I say slowly. "I'm thinking you make me feel all sorts of things, and I always feel like I'm on an adventure with you. Which, of course, I am. When I'm with you, all I think about is you. All my worries go away. But I still don't know what to do."
"Well, what do you want to do?" he asks. I turn around. The moon is full tonight, and it shines on his face, revealing every emotion written on it. I walk over to him and cradle his face in my hands. My eyes sweep across his face, and I feel every trembling breath he takes on my skin. And at that moment, that instant, that fraction in time, I know what I want to do.
"I want to do... this." I press my lips against his and feel his shoulders relax. His arms wrap around me pulling me closer. I run my fingers through his hair, marveling at how soft it is.
He pulls away. He glances down, and I try to see what he is doing. Is he laughing, or crying? Did I do something wrong? He looks up, and he's laughing.
"Mira, you taste like punch." I laugh, and he pulls me in again.
Our lips barely touch before a coughing sound comes from behind me. We break apart, and I spin around. Cairo stands there, glaring behind me.
"Am I interrupting something?" he asks curtly.
Aric steps around me. "As a matter of fact, you are." He walks up to Cai and spits on the sand. "Get out of here."
Cai sneers at him. "I knew I didn't trust you. And now look! You've got Mira under your spell. Come on, Mira." He looks at me. "I thought you knew better than this."
"What do you want, Cai?" I ask. I slide in front Aric and push him behind me.
"Your presence is needed at the dance. There's a problem." Cai's eyes flick to Aric before finding mine. "It's your father."
My vision blurs and I feel dizzy. My father? What does he want? I blink, and my sight clears. I lift my chin.
"Then let's not keep him waiting." I march out of the gazebo without a backward glance at either boy.
When I step onto the patio, a hush settles over the crowd. They are all standing in rows, with an aisle down the middle. My father stands at the end. He faces me, with his silver eyes cutting through me like stone. I walk towards him, feeling like I'm walking to my doom. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Cai and Aric slip into the rows. I keep my head high as I walk down, making sure not to falter, to appear weak. But inside, my stomach is in knots. Is this it? Is this how it ends? After everything, is this the final step? I reach my father. He bows, and I curtsy in return.
"Mirabel. Walk with me, please." He takes my hand and places it on his arm. We walk onto a little pathway that leads into the dark. He leads me in silence for a little while before he talks.
"I am so very disappointed in you. You ran out on your first festival, you saved one of those hideous sea creatures, you tried to make it look like I didn't know where you were going, and now that I've caught you, you walk straight to me. Honestly, child, haven't I taught you better?" He stops and faces me. "I know you think you're going to win tomorrow, but you won't. You don't know the arsenal I have. You don't know my power. You don't know anything." As he speaks, my vision goes red. The words become muddled in my head before I can't stand it anymore.
"That's enough!" I yell. The only surprise he shows is a slow blink. "I am tired of you always telling me what to do! I was miserable at home, and you knew it! Yet, you kept pushing and pushing me. Everyone saw me crumbling, but you didn't care! Now that I am gone, I feel better. Free. I've met new people, people I care about! And they care about me!"
"Like that selkie? He doesn't care about you, girl. He's just using you to get what he wants. Do you know what he wants? To kill all of us. That's his mission." He laughs. "I bet he didn't tell you that."
"No. I won't let you influence me anymore. This is my life, and I won't let you ruin it." I straighten my back and fix him with a glare. "I will win tomorrow. You'll see."
"Oh, darling. I won't ruin your life. You're doing that just fine right now. And when this is all over, you'll realize that. You'll come running back to me just like the good little girl you are." My father stares down at me, and I feel like a small insect, about to be stepped on. My eyes burn. "Good luck tomorrow. You'll need it."
I turn around and run back to the patio. A few tears slide down my cheeks as I sprint through the trees. I burst into the pavilion, and everyone stares at me. Everything is a blur, and I can't hear anything. I make out Aric's face, and I reach for him. He pushes through the crowd to get to me. The last thing I see is the moon shining around his head, like a halo. His face is pinched in concern, and he catches me right before I collapse. Then nothing.