Song of the Sea

Chapter 12

When I get back to the hotel, Aric is awake. He's sitting in a chair in front of a window, curled up. In his hands is a book.
"What're you reading?" I ask.
He slams the book shut. "Nothing." His face turns pink.
I raise an eyebrow. "If it's nothing, then why can't I see it?"
"Fine." He hands me the book. I rifle through the pages and chuckle.
"You're reading romance? I pegged you for an action and adventure type."
He snatches the book back. "Yeah? I pegged you for a mystery reader. Am I right?"
"A little. I like to read history too. It's very interesting." I plop into a chair next to him. "Did you hear about the party tonight?"
"Yeah. Do you want to go?"
"We can get to know the locals more. I think it's a good idea," I say. "Maybe we'll meet someone who can help us with the meeting that we will have."
"I doubt it. They would only tell people they trust and since they came up with it, we should respect that."
"Yeah, of course. Well, you'll never believe what just happened." I tell him about Mr. Bob and Denarius. I leave out the part about the voice in my head. I've been doing research and still haven't figured out which god it is. Maybe this encounter will help. Aric asks me a couple questions about what happened. He agrees that it is unusual. We talk for a couple of minutes after about things around the island, then lapse into silence. I grab a book and read about magic.
"Are mermaids real?" I ask Aric.
"Yeah. They're a lot nicer than sirens," he says. "You can actually talk to them. Want to meet them?"
"Maybe tomorrow. It's late and the party will be starting soon."
We walk back up to our rooms and split off. I go back to my room and change my clothes. I put on a red dress with black flats. My hair is in a tight bun so it doesn't fall out. Aric comes into my room dressed in a nice collared shirt and trousers. He leads me back downstairs where we run into Cai.
"Are y'all going to the party?" he asks. I nod. "See you there," he says and walks up.
Aric calls a carriage and helps me into it. We make small talk on our way there. I rest my head against his shoulder and he sighs. The raid is the only thing on our minds and is making us extremely tense.
The carriage pulls up to a giant house. The outside has banners and confetti all over it. Several people are milling around. Light pulses inside and the ground rumbles under our feet. We thank the driver as he pulls away. I enter and am immediately swept into the crowd. Musicians are on a stage pounding out a melody. I am absorbed by the energy. The music draws me in and crackles through my body. I feel the beat and start dancing.
I twirl around and feel like I'm flying. The drums pound through the ground into my bones. Dancers swing from the ceiling. They tumble down silks and climb back up, repeating over and over. Lights flash as we stomp our feet. I see Aric and dance over to him. We swing around and around until our heads spin. He pulls me in and lifts me up into a spin. I reach my arms out and feel my heart pounding. I decide that I'm going to dance like tomorrow doesn't exist. He sets me down and pulls me in again. I pull out of his arms. The music flows through my head and thrums in my blood. I throw my arms up above my head and close my eyes and just feel.
A touch on my arm brings me back to the present. I look over and see Cai awash in the red lights. He points towards the front. Another stage has been erected and a young girl dances across it. She holds fans in her hands. They spread out and fall back with the grace of a swan. Red cloth trails behind her as she jumps across the stage. A rope drops from the ceiling and she latches onto it. She wraps it around her foot and climbs. At the top she waves to us. We cheer. Then she drops. The crowd screams. She catches herself and arcs backwards. She swings back and forth. Several hoops appear and she jumps to one. She spins around in various positions before jumping to another. She ends the performance with a giant leap to a chandelier in the middle of the room. The music has died down to a whisper and she twirls down onto the floor. She is immediately surrounded by people.
I make my way to the bar. I order a small drink and take a sip. The liquid is soothing and calms my frizzled nerves. I lean back against the table and sigh. I had never felt like that before. Aric comes up and orders a drink.
"What'd you think?" he asks.
"Let me guess. You planned it."
He winks. "I'll never tell."
"Well, it was very good if you did. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I wanted to do something to surprise you. And it was a success. You didn't suspect a thing."
I smile broadly. "Thank you for this. I haven't felt this type of freedom in a while."
"You're very welcome," he says. He starts to talk again but is cut off by the lights going out. Several people scream. Others rush for the doors. I hear people scream that they're locked. I grab a fork and survey the room. I feel Aric next to me doing the same thing. A blood curdling scream fills the air. A light turns on and points at the middle of the stage. The crowd falls silent. I look up and smother a scream of my own. My father stands there with a knife to a girl's neck. I realize it's Joan. She's pale and shaking. Her eyes dart frantically around before finding mine. Help, she mouths.
"I want my daughter returned to me or this girl dies," my father booms. His voice pierces through me like ice. The crowd murmurs.
"She'll never go with you, you murderer!" someone yells. Other pitch in. I start to walk to the stage when a hand grabs my arm. Aric pulls me back.
"You can't," he whispers.
"I have to. He'll kill her."
"These people are our chance at getting rid of him. They hate him. And they look up to you. If you go up, they'll have nothing to stand behind. He'll immediantly kill them all."
"But she's my friend. And she needs me at the moment." I shrug out of his grip and head to the stage. A hand covers my mouth and an arm encircles my waist. I am dragged back before I can fight back.
"I won't let you," Aric says. I attempt to bite his hand but he seems unfazed.
"Nobody is willing to give her up? Very well," my father says from the stage. He presses his knife deeper into Joan's throat. Beads of blood appear. She tries to jerk away, but he grabs her hair. "One last chance before she dies."
"No," Aric breathes. He tightens his arms around me. Tears slide down my cheeks as I realize I'm about to watch my friend die. My father presses deeper. Joan whimpers. My father starts to drag his knife on her neck.
"Stop," says a voice from the crowd. Cai pushes through. "I won't let you go through with this. You have caused enough harm."
"So you will give her up?" My father drops his knife to his side.
"No. Instead, we will fight!" He climbs up on the stage and draws a sword. Quick as lightning, my father swipes his knife across her throat. I hear a strangled gasp as a bright red smile appears. My father steps back and lets her drop. Time freezes. The thud echoes through the air. My vision blurs as I try to take in what just happened. I thrash against Aric until he lets me go. I rush up to her. I land in a puddle of warm liquid. Blood. My father smiles down at us.
"You will pay," I growl. He just chuckles and vanishes in a puff of smoke.
I gather Joan in my arms. Her eyes are glassy. Blood gushes from the slit and all over my hands. Her marriage ring gleans on her finger. I pull it off and shove it in my pocket. Tears drip onto her face. I hunch over her body and scream. Scream at the sky, at the gods, at Fate. At my father. At everything that has ever happened. Scream until I can't anymore. Until my throat hurts and my eyes can't cry anymore. My heart feels like it's broken in two. I claw at my chest, trying to ease the pain. Someone tries to pull me away and I hiss. They withdraw. I sit with Joan for a while, until I can't feel anymore.
"Please cover her," I say. My voice trembles. Someone drapes a tablecloth over her. I stand up and stumble out of the building. Blood stains my hands and clothes.
When I get back to the hotel, I go immediantly to my bed. I collapse and cry. She never deserved this. She was nothing but kind to me, always trying to make me seem the best version of myself. Just a few days ago, she came to my room. She pleaded with me to help her, but I just shrugged her off. If I had listened to her, she would still be here.
It was her time, says a voice in my head.
"Shut up!" I scream. "Just shut up! It's probably your fault she's dead, too! Yours and everyone else's! But especially me. I'm most at fault." My voice breaks and I crumple inside myself again. Dry, heaving breaths escape me. Someone knocks at my door. I quiet and wait for them to leave. I lay back and sniffle. My father will pay.
I make my way through the streets. The markets are overflowing with scents and color. The midday sun beats down on me. I keep my head up. A black veil covers my face. A basket of lotus flowers hangs from my arm. People bow as I walk past in acknowledgment. I make my way to a deserted beach. The sand shifts beneath my feet. Several seashells dot the beach. I walk into the water and toss some flowers in. After a few moments, a face of a man appears in the waves. He has tanned skin and his blue hair floats round him.
"You called?" he rumbles. A school of fish swims under him.
"Yes. I would like for you to take care of a body for me," I say. He growls. I do not flinch.
"Do you know who I am, girl?" he asks. I lift my veil.
"Yes, Lord Neptune. The question is, do you know who I am? I am the girl who has lost her friend. Who lost a father. Who has almost been killed but always survived because of the people who sacrifice themselves for me. I am the girl who's hellfire is going to be released soon, and you do not want to be on the wrong side of it. So let me ask you again. Will you take care of a body for me?"
"You are a danger to the world. You do not know what you wake up. But yes, for your sake, I will take the body. Tell me where it is," Neptune says. I tell him. He blows a gust of wind and I feel it spiral into the air. Somewhere, I know she is safe.
"Thank you. This will not be forgotten," I say and walk away. I feel as if a great weight has been lifted off my chest. I wander back to the market. I stop and order some food. People walk by, still going on with their life. They do not know of the beautiful soul who has just left the world.
Later, I go to a shop to buy a necklace. It's a small blue stone set in an iron casing. I buy it and place it around my neck. I look in the mirror. My face is gaunt and pale. Dark circles hang under my eyes. I cradle the necklace. A spot of blue against my dark dress. I smile and feel a little better.
The next few days are a blur. Sometimes I go out with Aric and we explore the island. One day, he took me to see some pools in a cave. Some mermaids were playing there and we talked to them for a bit. Other days, I prepared myself for the raid. I bought some weapons and Aric trains me to use them. By the time the raid rolls around, I am able to hold my own long enough to take out a man in a couple of moves. We see the crew of the Savage Rose a couple of times, but never interact. I decide to take Aric out to see the shops that I had discovered. We go out to a couple of shops and buy presents for each other. Slowly, I feel my heart piecing itself back together. But with every piece that comes back, my anger burns brighter. I remember a poem I read while I was in school.
"What doesn't kill you
Will make you stronger
Her hands are covered in blood
Her crown breaks in half
Her eyes cry
But within
Her heart molds
Into something
Something harder
Something worse
And she rises
And you see Hell in her eyes."

The night before the raid, Aric spends the night in my room. I haven't seen Cai since the night that Joan died. I hope he's come to terms with everything that happened. What started as two best friends on a fun adventure has turned into something that is drowning everyone in its path. I think back to what Aric said. That the Ocean can swallow sailors and ships with no hindrances. That is what this is like. Aric starts singing to me and I am lulled to sleep