A Daughter's Love

Chapter Three.

Seven years later.                                                                                                      

Vannes – 1758.                                                                                                            

Evangeline.

I poured the bucket of hot water into the tub, then mixed it in with the much colder one, making sure that it wasn’t too hot or too cold as I ran my fingers through the substance. Seven years had gone by in the blink of an eye. Ryker had just recently turned seven which meant that the twins were still six at the time. Malia had dirty blond, bouncing curls that she always wore up since she hated the restriction. She preferred a bun or a tight braid rather than pigtails that made her look ‘too girly’ as she would say with a pout on her lips and her arms firmly crossed. She always got into trouble and usually came home covered in dirt from head to toe. She was loud, reckless and feisty. Her fire burnt brighter than any I had ever seen before, always announcing her presence and never afraid of anything. Malik was her complete opposite, he had silver hair and much paler skin. He liked his hair short and spent more time reading books or drawing things he saw around the house than he did playing outside. He needed to wear big round glasses that looked too big on his small face and spoke with much more intelligence compared to both Malia and Ryker. He was often quiet and kept to himself, hiding behind his younger sister while growing up. Ryker would often force him to go play outside which as a concerned mother did put me at ease to some extent. He couldn’t just spend all day inside, he was a child and children needed to play. Ryker was much bigger and taller than both Malia and Malik, he had fiery hair that was always a mess and freckles littered his cheeks, his eyes were brown and much like Malia, he was always dirty. The two got along better than he and Malik did. I sighed when I stood, gazing down at the bath water when the sound of a familiar giggle reached my ears followed by Caleb’s voice. I gazed out of the window in the bathroom that overlooked the ocean and saw Malia running away from her father on the beach. She shrieked and tried to outrun him but he managed to catch her, scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Her plain cotton dress was long and her hair was tightly braided to her scalp as she struck her father’s back with her tiny, clenched fists. Caleb chuckled and said something to her that made her cheeks puff up and caused her to stop struggling against him. She looked so much like him from the dark skin to the single golden eye and the brownish gold hair. The sun was setting over the sea and my gaze trailed down to look at her dirty feet, shaking my head when I turned away in search of Malik. He was in the room that had previously been the nursery, sat on top of his bed with a book in his lap. There were three single beds, all the exact same, covered in creamy white sheets. The walls were made of ordinary wood and the nightstands were riddled with things the children declared precious to them. A dresser was pushed up against the wall beside the door along with a cupboard within which their clothes hung, most having been made by Amelie but none of it was to be considered extravagant. There were no silks, to satins or lace, just simple, inexpensive cotton “It’s time for a bath” I declared, standing in the doorway with my hands on my hips. Malik didn’t bother glancing up from his book. He had been the first to learn to read, having been much easier for me to teach since he was smarter than the others. They all had their own strong points and I was sure that both Ryker and Malia would soon follow just at a slower pace that was comfortable for them “Just five more minutes, I’m almost at the-.” he pleaded in a whining tone. His night stand was decorated with a clock, a pencil, some scrap papers that he would scribble his drawings on and a second book he had borrowed from the library to start reading once the one he was busy with would be finished “Malik” I sternly said to which he quickly snapped the book shut and leaped off the bed, scurrying past me, in the direction of the bathroom. I stared after him, hard eyes softening as I shook my head, heading toward the dresser in search of some clean clothes for him to sleep in. The cotton fabric was rough against their skin but after having washed them a few times, they grew softer, more comfortable to wear. I dodged a muddy Ryker in the hallway who was running around, laughing as Rebecca chased after him “You better come back here!” Rebecca screeched, a wet cloth in hand with her apron tied around her waste from having been busy baking for the shop. Ryder cackled madly and ignored her, heading for his parent’s bedroom. Joe was scurrying about the floor after Ryker, claws cluttering against the wood, his black pelt was covered in dried mud much like the boy. I breathed a laugh, using my shoulder to push the bathroom door open, watching as Rebecca disappeared into her bedroom before I turned and kicked the door shut behind me. Malik was seated in the tub, scrubbing at his arms, torso and legs as quickly but as thoroughly as he could to finish and get back to his book. I placed his clothes aside and tugged the skirts of my dress up to kneel behind the tub, reaching out to cup some of the water in my hands and trickle it over his head “Mom!” Malik complained, rubbing at his eyes while squeezing them tightly shut. His glasses had been neatly placed on the basket beside the tub in which he would discard his filthy clothing unlike his sister who would leave hers scattered across the floor for me to pick up later “It’s just water” I argued, reaching for the oils that sat on the side of the tub, pouring some into my palms so that I could start massaging it into his hair and skelp. He huffed, throwing his hands down into the liquid, causing it to jump into the air at the force of impact but what happened next caused the air to leave my lungs, my entire body growing stiff at the sight of the droplets frozen in the air, hovering in front of Malik’s sapphire eyes, eyes that began to glow vibrantly, filled with wonder and awe when he raised his hand to poke one of the droplets, causing it to fall back into the water. My throat went dry, my gaze frightened and confused when he began laughing, throwing more water into the air, causing those splatters to become frozen as well “Look mom!” he called in between his fits of laughter “Look at what I can do” I was staring but my thoughts had taken me far away from Vannes, to Scotland where I stood on the rocky beach, slender, pale fingers reaching out to tenderly touch the many droplets that I had frozen shortly after having been merged with Neptune. The moonlight illuminated my milky flesh and the drops reflected its light like glittering diamonds. The image changed to the night when I had given myself to Neptune, his gentle touches, loving kisses and passionate whispers all so fresh in my mind’s eye that I had to shake my head to banish them. Why would I remember after having spent years never thinking of that night? Why would my mind take me back when I had been running for so long? I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head before opening them again. It can’t be. I was merely seeing things that weren’t really there, it was because of the depression, because of the grief, it had to be but when I raised my head to look at my son, he was standing in the tub, the water reaching his protruding hipbones. A curtain of droplets sat between us, splatters of frozen liquid hovering before my very eyes. How could I deny what was right in front of me? My wet hand shot up to clamp itself over my mouth, my body slumping down, the colour draining from my features as my eyes widened at the sight of his glowing ones. He was happy, smiling and observing the droplets but I was in a state of shock. The realization was right there, the proof that he wasn’t Caleb’s son, he was Neptune’s. But Malia looked so much like Caleb? Had I given birth to two children from different fathers at the same time? I didn’t have time to think it through, hurrying to my feet and reaching for Malik’s hands, forcing him to look at me, to see the raw fear and concern in my eyes, causing his to dim and the droplets to fall back into the water, splattering across the floor in some places, wetting my simple blue cotton sundress. Strands of my ivory hair had come undone from its bun and dangled before my crazed eyes “Malik, Malik look at me” I hurriedly said, letting go of his hands to caress both sides of his face, holding on tight enough that he knew I was serious but it wasn’t enough to hurt him “You can never do that ever again” at this his eyebrows furrowed up and his eyes began to tear, sensing that I was being firm and since he was the most sensitive between the two, I knew that he would start crying soon. His bottom lip trembled “It’s very dangerous and whoever sees it will be put in danger” his small form stiffened and his eyes widened, tears evident in their depths when he looked up at me in fear. His head began to shake from side to side and his fists reached to grip the fabrics of my dress “B-But you saw it-.” he informed, fearing for my life as his mother. I gave a sad smile and brushed his wet hair out of his face more as a form of comfort then to rid him of the annoyance that was his hair “I’ll be fine. I promise but-.” I never lied to my children but I had no choice, if Rebecca or Caleb saw him using his abilities, they too would know that Neptune was indeed his real father and not the former Captain. I couldn’t let that happen, not yet, not when Malik himself didn’t even know “Your sister, Ryker, they may not be if they-.” I didn’t need to finish my words before Malik burst into tears, the droplets streaming down the side of his face, mixing with those that already dripped from his wet hair. Being a son of the see was an honour, it was a blessing and something to be proud of yet there I was telling him to hide his connection with the water. It made me sick to think of what I was doing but his safety, his welfare was my main concern. If Neptune or anyone else knew, Malik would be taken away from me and I wasn’t going to lose anyone else “I-I’m s-sorry!” he got out rubbing at his eyes with his palms when I let go to stand upright, gazing down onto him with guilt and self-hatred in their depths “I promise, I’ll never do it again” he continued, sniffling and looking down at the floor, refusing to look at me due to the shame that he felt. I wanted to protest, to tell him to hold his head high with pride because he was the son of the sea god but I couldn’t not even when I felt joy for knowing that a piece of Neptune was right there, in front of me. My hands balled at my sides, knuckles turning white as I gritted my teeth. Malik was all I had left of our love, a product of that night and I would cling to him as if my life depended on it, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill anyone who would come between me and my son even if that someone happened to be Caleb.  My heart softened and I knelt in front of him, holding my pinkie out for him to take with his “Pinkie promise?” I questioned in a gentle tone, signalling that everything was going to be alright. He nodded and reached to wrap his much smaller pinkie around mine “Pinkie pro-promise” he agreed and I gave a small smile, letting go to sit on my knees beside the tub, brushing out the crinkles of my dress skirt as I did so. He ran the back of his hands across his eyes rimmed in swollen red flesh, cheeks stained with tears and nose still runny “Then everything will be alright” I reassured him, reaching for the cloth that he had abandoned in the water then wrung it out in order to dab at his stained cheeks. This got him to stop crying but the sadness and fear in his eyes remained, a fear that he would live with for the next eleven years until he would turn eighteen “Let’s get you all cleaned up” I whispered to which he nodded, sitting back down in the water so that I could continue washing his hair, cooing words of comfort. Once he turned eighteen, I would tell him who he really was, would let Neptune know that he had a son baring his blood and his power. Malik was the half-brother of Nereida who was my grandmother from centuries ago, the first of our bloodline. I finished washing Malik then dried him and helped him dress, only to bed down, scooping him into my arms with his legs wrapped around my waist and his arms tightly constricting my neck. He rubbed at his tired eyes while I carried him out of the bathroom and down the hall. Rebecca had managed to catch Ryker and was dragging him toward the tub, while Malia sat on Caleb’s shoulders below. I moved past them, consumed by my own thoughts and disappeared into the nursery where I gently laid Malik down on his bed, setting the book he had been reading aside along with his glasses which I placed on the nightstand. I then sat down beside him, running a hand through his damp hair and tracing the lines of his face. I could see Neptune in him, could see the same exact features that I had overlooked for so many years. He as the spitting image of his father from the pale skin and blue eyes down to his inherited abilities and godly blood. He was tired, having grown exhausted after crying like most children did so I leaned down to place a tender kiss to his forehead “Dream sweet dreams on dragons and kings” I whispered into his ear, his eyes already closed and breathing starting to even out. My gaze stayed locked on him, his flesh illuminated by the light of the moon that poured in through the window. I let out a strong gust of air through my nose and looked to that very moon which hovered over the ocean’s water, its image reflected as if the liquid was a mirror. Without giving it much thought, I began to sing “If this is to end in fire then we should all burn together, watch the flames climb high into the night. Calling out father, oh stand by and we will watch the flames burn over and on the mountain side-.” the old folk song slipped past my lips like second nature. Malia crept up the stairs and moved closer to the doorway of their bedroom, stopping to peer curiously at me yet I didn’t notice while she marvelled at the sight of her mother haloed by the moonlight and was entranced by the sound of my voice. The children always stared in awe whenever I would sing but ever since they had grown big enough to speak, there was really no need for me to sing anymore. It was rare for me to use my voice, the voice of a mermaid that could capture the hearts of any so when I did sing, they would engrave it into their memory to hold forever within themselves like a precious gem. I had spent the next few years researching child birth and consummation through the use of Doctor Dubois’s book that he kept in his office, wanting to know whether it was possible for a single woman to birth a set of twins, each from a different father. The phenomena were known as superfecundation when a woman becomes impregnated by two separate men within a short period of time during which she sleeps with them, causing two eggs to become fertilized. They are then referred to as twin despite the differences in their genetic information and appearances. I never denied Malik his origin, never told him that it was wrong to manipulate his water but rather that it was wrong to do so in front of others. The first time that I took him to a deserted shore, he managed to harden the water enough for me to walk upon. He was almost eight and I carried the basket of things we had bought at the market place since it was the only time that I could teach him away from the eyes of others. We would make our purchases then return to the beach for some time until it would get too late “I can’t do it” Malik wined, falling to his knees in the sand, hands clawing at the grains while his child eyes filled with tears and his shoulders shook. The waves crashed, moving past him, soaking his trousers, hands and lower limbs in its substance. It was the very water what was made to give him strength “Malik-.” I began, abandoning my basket to move toward him, kicking aside my own shoes to step into the shallow water. It felt as though Neptune himself was touching my flesh, as if it was his breath that swept across its surface and through my hair “Who are you?” I questioned, eyes locked onto the horizon while Malik gazed downward, his head hung in both shame and defeat. Perhaps lying to him was wrong. Perhaps letting him grow up without ever knowing his father was a sin greater than any other and I bared the weight of it, every single day that I would lie and pretend, that I would smile in the face of the man that I loved, telling him that Malik was indeed his son when I knew he wasn’t “I-I’m Malik Camp-bell, son of Caleb and Evangeline Campbell” he weakly replied instead of shouting it with pride like he was meant to. I glanced down onto him, his trembling arms so frail and weak, his eyes so dull and void of their vibrant aqua shade. Growing up, he was more human than god. His glasses blurred with the tears that he shed “Precisely, you are my son” I declared and Malik turned his head to look up at me, frustrated tears spilling from the corners of his eyes. The boy had a small heart, a heart that cared for everyone and because of that he was even stronger than his sister who often challenged Ryker to a sword fight with sticks or came home covered in scrapes and bruises “You bare my name therefor you can do anything you desire” he was eight, too young to be talked to in such a way but he needed it if he was going to grow up to be Neptune’s son. The blood in his veins vibrated with a legacy, a powerful set of footprints he had to follow in “You can split the seas with your own hands, you can cause the earth to tremble with the power of your waves if only you will it-.” Malik gaped up at me with wide eyes, the tears having dried but their tracks still stained his cheeks. It had grown colder in Vannes and on that day I wore a long grey gown with a black coat, my hair hanging in loose curls down my shoulder and back “Now, let me walk upon the water, your water” I met his gaze, my own beginning to glow brightly from my skin’s contact with the liquid, pupils narrowing into two slits while my fangs began elongating and my claws extended. Silver scales littered my cheeks and face as my ears began to web, pointing upward like those of an elf. The dreary grey light of that winter day lightly touched my scales, causing them to shift from silver to violet and back to silver. Malik, who like his sister and Ryker had never been told of what I was gaped in awe, his eyes sparkling with a newfound confidence, a reason to believe that because he was my son, he could do anything he set his mind to. He nodded and reached out his fingertips, though trembling they cut through the water, gentle and kind like a child was to be. The water froze like it had before and he slumped his shoulders, the glimmer of hope that had once brightened his eyes, gone with the thought of only ever being able to force it to freeze as if stuck in time “Mom, I’m sorry” always apologizing, always feeling guilty. I ignored him and stepped forward, my bare feet moving onto the water that he froze to stand upon it before him as proof of what he had done. My feet continued to carry me, further away from the shore until I could see the waves lapping at my feet from where he had failed to further freeze the liquid. I gazed down then turned to look back at him some ten feet away “You are a son of the sea, you are my son” I announced, reminding him of exactly who he was without mentioning the sea god. Malik sat on his knees, his gaze beginning to glow as his father’s did, vibrantly, brightly, the sapphire colour a perfect duplicate “Never forget that, never” it was his first lesson, a lesson I hoped he would carry with him for as long as he lived, always believing that he could accomplish anything because he was my son, a lesson taught to show that I had faith in him, beyond the capabilities of anyone else. It was on that day that his lessons began and by the time he had turned ten, Malik could move the water to his liking, he could solidify it then return it to its liquid state only to sculpt a grand sword from it and harden it to be able to pierce through anything if it so pleased. I watched and taught, a proud mother that could witness her son blossoming before her very eyes but just like Malik, Malia too was powerful. I had observed one of her fights with Ryker, the way she swung her dull tipped weapon, the way she moved and danced was unlike any I had ever witnessed before. She would dodge effortlessly then continue to inflict blow after blow of calculated attacks that would either sever tendons, tear through arteries or shatter bone if it had been a real sword she was using. Her ears were much more sensitive and her eyes took in more than what they were meant to, able to see the faintest of details, hear the slightest of bristles among the grass. She could smell a flower from miles away simply because her father, as a former thief, had taught her how. Malia’s strength and skill accompanied by Malik’s abilities to manipulate water made them among the strongest mortals I had ever seen even at the tender age of ten. It frightened me just what they would one day be capable of. Together they could bring a nation to its knees. Despite the sheer power they both demonstrated, I still coddled them like children, reading to them at night in mine and Caleb’s bed then sang them to sleep, holding them close and whispering promises of the future. They were not only my children, my son and daughter, they were my strength, my reason to live and breathe, they were why my heart kept beating as abruptly and as powerfully as it did. I never mourned again, never dared feel such emotions when the lights of both the sun and moon shone on either side of me. Malik was the calm and cool waters, he was the pale orb in the night sky, the stars that twinkled so vibrantly whereas Malia was the brilliant, blazing fire of the blinding sun, so reckless and scorching, so fearless. They were complete opposites yet they were so alike as well. They both had my blood, both had the passions of love blossoming within them. Their views on that single emotion were the same, unconditional, sacrificial and it was something I had passed down to them. They were both curious, both had a need for adventure and thrill, they merely executed it in different ways. Malik would escape to his books that told of worlds beyond ours where wars were raged and mighty heroes travelled far to defeat the enemy while Malia ventured outside, getting lost in her imaginative world of adventure where she would face one of her fantasy king’s knights in battle for a golden cup or flees. Malik was like the air that I continued to breathe within my lungs and Malia was the heart that forced blood to travel through my veins. Without them I would stop existing, I would die and return to the fields which Pandora roamed, fields among which I would one day walk. I just didn’t expect it to be so soon.