A Mermaid's Heart

Chapter Twenty.

Each step made it harder for me to remember his face, the memories at first vivid in my mind but they grew hazier the further away I ventured. I closed my eyes, my feet digging into the sand with the memory of Caleb and I laying in each other’s arms at Bakewell, his naked figure with his back turned to me as he stepped into the tub, the black markings covering every inch of his flesh, so intricate and detailed. I remembered wanting to trace their lines, to feel his marked skin beneath my fingertips. I opened my eyes just a c***k to step up onto a series of rocks, jagged from the clams and coral that stuck to them, often cutting through the soles of my feet. My eyes closed again, an image of Caleb’s face, the drunken face of a lost and wounded man so perfectly reconstructed as it had looked that night off the shore of Port Knott. I could smell the alcohol on him, I could feel the tangles in his hair, the roughness of his beard. My gaze fell to the rocks when I climbed down from them, a school of fish catching my attention through the wall of water to my right. Among them were a few clownfish, swimming close to pinkish, orange plant life. The winds grew stronger, causing the depths of the ocean to swirl and my hair to blind my vision, replacing the white sand with a fading image of a man cradling me in his arms on the floor of the Captain’s quarters, his back pressed up against the dresser. I could see myself so clearly, curled in on myself, clinging to a man whom I was struggling to make out. I reached a coral reef, looking up at the towering structure before I began to scale it, my hands gripping the jagged edges to haul myself up higher. I ignored the cuts and scraped, my mind drifting to something that I knew I had to remember, something very important to me. A man was sat on the railing of a ship, the lamp lights illuminating his golden eyes or were they blue? Was his hair long or short? His skin tan or pale? I squeezed my own eyes shut tightly and shook my head to clear it of the fuzzy image. I climbed higher until I was stood on top of the reef, a shark circling the waters to my left as red and white crabs scurried near my feet to put some distance between them and I. My head turned to take in the path ahead of me, a trail up, over and along the reef for some time “Caleb” I whispered the name since I couldn’t remember the face anymore, trying to cling to the only thing I had left of him. I kept moving, eyes half closed, desperate to think of a memory, one where I could see him again. My foot slipped and I fell against the coral, my arms moving to block my fall, the sharp edges cutting my legs and thighs. I gritted my teeth to suppress the agonizing grunt that wanted to escape “Caleb” I breathed, my hands reaching up to grab hold of the coral and drag myself back onto my feet. Why was I repeating that name? What meaning did it have? I staggered on, scaling a new layer of the reef until I was stood on top of it, my mind a blur, nothing but a mess of forgotten images “Caleb?” I questioned, not even sure if that was the name I had been repeating. I grabbed onto the sides of my head, attempting to will the name to surface again but no matter how hard I wanted to remember, I couldn’t. I was frustrated, annoyed at myself for not being able to remember something to blatantly obvious. My arms dropped to my sides when I continued on, each step slower than the last “Ca-Ca?” I wanted to scream, to crumble into myself but instead I stood there, my head between my forearms, my knees weak and legs trembling. How could I forget? “Ca-Cane?” no that wasn’t it. I breathed in heavily, my heart racing as I fought the effect that Neptune had on my mind, being capable of so easily letting me forget what was so important to me “Cayden? Casey? Canon? Calum?” none of them stood out as my eyes desperately searched the coral at my feet, mind racing with names that started with ‘Ca’ or was it just a ‘C’? Was it even a ‘C’ to begin with? “Don’t fight it” I knew that voice, having heard it countless times before in my dreams. My arms slowly lowered themselves to my sides, my shoulders straightening when I turned my attention to the man stood before me, his lower half clad in a pair of navy trousers while his pale, tone chest was left bare, a small octopus having wrapped itself around his left shoulder with his sapphire eyes glowing as brightly as my mismatched ones. When he spoke, I could see fangs resting beneath his lips that were surrounded by a thick, black beard. His hair was swept to one side, cut short and the color of ebony. My eyes followed him as he neared me, descending a portion of the reef to meet me on the same level, his bare feet seeming unaffected by the sharp edges and his presence allowing all traces of what I was trying to remember to fade away completely “Just give in to it-.” he instructed, his voice gentle as if trying to coax me into doing what he desired. My eyes searched his features, his perfectly straight nose, his flawless, untainted flesh and unpierced ears. He was so different from-from. What was I trying to compare him to? Who was I trying to compare him to? “Give into me” he whispered, his hands moving to caress my cheeks. His touch was a relief, an escape from the tension that I had been feeling, it was like my skin burned for him and he was the water that could soothe its flames. I was like a puppet in his presence, easily manipulated by his words, his actions, his touch. I was mindless like putty in his hands, just begging for him to mold me into the shapes that he desired “Give yourself to me-.” he breathed, his breath tasting of sea salt and the damp morning air on the shoreline. His lips hovered just inches over mine, my hand moving to grip one of his. I could feel our heartbeats like a constant pulse erupting into the world around us, into the waters where whales and dolphins, sharks, sea turtles and stingrays danced in the company of their ruler, the god of their domain “Choose me” that single words, the word ‘choose’ snapped me out of the trance when I turned my head to place a kiss to his palm. I had used that word before, had used it when speaking to the one person I had so desperately been trying to remember ‘I will always choose you’ my own voice echoed through the back of my mind as my eyes stared into the wall of water where sirens and nymphs could be seen watching us, unable to pass the barrier ‘Finish this, for us’ his voice repeated, dancing through the crevasses of my skull, so familiar, so loving and pleasant. His face came to my mind, the face of a man stood on a beach in front of me with his hands holding me like the god was. I could see his long brown strands dangling into his eyes, his tattoos that peeked out from the collar of his red coat, his golden eyes burning as brightly as my love for him “Caleb” I whispered, finally having found the name I had been searching for, the name of the man whom I was so deeply in love with, the name that would tear me from Neptune’s grasp. The god looked at me with furrowed brows when I pulled away and repeated the name, louder this time “Caleb”

Caleb.

Sometime had passed since Evangeline had disappeared into the waters, leaving me alone with the sea nymph and the witch, my hand constantly resting on the hilt of my sword, ready to use it when instructed to. The nymph had remained behind, her eyes locked on the ocean, never once looking away as if she could still see the ivory haired woman despite me not being able to see her anymore. She had ventured too far for human eyes to follow “I once harbored such adoration for another-.” the witch randomly spoke up from beside me yet she too was starring ahead, not bothering to look at me when she spoke. It was like we were back in Neptune’s temple, breaking the jewels one by one again. She was referring to my love for Evangeline, for Mary “But all love comes at a price and for me that price was his life” there was no sadness when she spoke those words, no remorse as if she could picture him dying before her, instead she seemed like a statue unmoving, unaffected by past thoughts, memories or emotions as if so much time had passed since then that it was nothing but a distant dream “I wonder, would you still love her when your love could ultimately mean her death?” she questioned, turning her head to look up at me, her raven locks dancing in the harsh winds that only grew harsher with each passing second. Her empty, void eyes stared straight into my soul, into the depths of my being, of everything that made me human. I tore my eyes from her and laid them to rest on the parted sea when I spoke, not having to think long about which words to use “We will always fight for our love, even in death” my tone wasn’t that of a pirate Captain, the accent long since abandoned but instead I stood there as a half-blood nobleman, the last of the Campbell line. The woman studied me, her eyes narrowing slightly before she hummed and returned her sights to the sea “Then I pray that your love will be strong enough to withstand the obstacles that lay ahead” I turned to ask her what she meant, to question what exactly those ‘obstacles’ were that she was referring to and why there would be any more struggles after Neptune would be entrapped but she interrupted me, taking a step toward the water, her eyes swirling like milk “She is with him now-.” my entire body stiffened at the thought of her so close to him that he could touch her if he pleased, that he could hurt her if he so wished. My teeth grit, the prior question regarding her statement fading completely only to be replaced by anger, malice. The nymph turned her head to look at the witch as if silently telling her that the time had come “Draw your sword” the woman dressed in black instructed after having nodded her head in response to the sea deity. I did as I was told, unsheathing the blade and listening to the sound of metal scraping against metal that came along with the motion until the weapon was clutched in my hand, hanging loosely at my side “Raise it, like it is a spear you are about to throw” the witch took my hand in hers once I had gripped the hilt differently and raised my arm up as if I was about to throw the sword. She toyed with my elbow, my wrist, positioning them so that I would strike target. The nymph knelt into the sand, her webbed fingers digging into the grains with her back to us, her glowing eyes locked onto something off in the distance “On my word, throw it as hard as you possibly can, I will help guide it” I watched the woman who hovered so close that I could smell the incents she had burned before that, the oils she used to mix her potions with. I could even smell the pages of old spell books and melting candle wax. My head nodded once, slowly before I looked to the sea, the image of Evangeline on the beach with black sand so tangled in the form of Neptune, the way she looked at him like he was the only thing that mattered. I could only imagine how many times he had kissed her, had touched her when only I could touch her. My nostrils flared and my elbow was tilted down so that I was staring up at the greying skies where thunder rumbled lowly “A little more-.” she muttered to herself while adjusting my aim. She was my eyes and I was her weapon, trust was needed if we were to rid the world of the sea god “Right…there” she uttered then stepped away from me to cross her hands in her lap, formally, elegantly like a noblewoman would. Seconds felt like hours stuck in that same position until she finally spoke the word I had been waiting for, raising her hand to gently press the tip of her index finger to the hilt of my sword before I could fling it “Now” the word was so calm, so collected, not like we were about to murder a god. I watched the sword flying through the air, engulfed in jolts of lightning that made the throw that much stronger, carrying it into a high arch. It was a small speck by the time it bent and began its descent onto the ocean below. The nymph rose to her feet, the anticipation rolling from her pale flesh as the woman beside me raised her chin in triumph, already basking in victory despite the knowledge of what she had done. It a god could be trapped by a mere witch, a man, a nymph and a mermaid surely the other gods would seek to ensure that it cannot happen again but there were only one set of jewels, only one Campbell, it would be impossible for others to copy our feat but it could spark the start of a war none the less. I looked to the witch, hoping that she knew what she was doing, hoped that she knew what outcomes her actions could have but above all, I prayed that Evangeline would be alright.

Evangeline.

I backed away from Neptune at the memory of Caleb, my feet feeling out the coral as not to cut them even more and cautiously moving as if a panther was stood before me, ready to pounce on its prey at any given moment. My foot slipped and I fell to my hands and knees, nearly having fallen from the side of the reef, my eyes searching the depths below where jagged rocks and boulders awaited. There was a sound that resembled the sky breaking, a loud bang that caught my attention and drew my eyes to a sword that was plummeting toward us, toward Neptune “No” I breathed, pulling myself onto my feet and rushing toward Neptune but staggered to a stop when the sword struck him in the center of his chest, drawing him to his knees, the octopus pealing itself from its host that had blood dripping down from the wound that he stared at. My hand moved to cover my mouth, eyes wide with horror at what was ultimately my doing, everything coming back to me, from Aurella, to the plot, to Caleb and my having to entrap Neptune for the sake of my love but there was a part of me that cared for the man stationed on his knees before me. Tears escaped the corners of my eyes, my hand falling from my mouth to grip my stomach at the feel of it churning in response to the amount of blood that pooled around his knees, trailing toward me. I stumbled forward, going to him, my hands reaching to touch him, to comfort him in his time of agony when even more blood escaped the corners of his lips, trickling down his chin and neck. I was about to crumble to my knees, wanting to turn back time, to push him aside and allow for the sword to pierce my heart instead but nothing I could do could stop what was happening “No, please no” I sobbed, about to wrap my arms around him when his eyes began to glow an even brighter blue, the same light coming from his gaping mouth with his arms hanging limply at his sides, his hands no longer struggling to pull the weapon from his chest, his palms and fingers covered in deep cut marks. His body remained but the blue light escaped him in the form of clear water that encircled me until it could penetrate its way into my chest. I was stripped of my emotions then, my head thrown back, arms extended at my sides, my feet lifting off the ground as Neptune’s soul was dragged into my heart where a lock would be placed upon it, sealing him away from the rest of the world. My eyes began to droop, the waters that once were parted starting to cave in, crashing back together around me eventually sweeping my body away, leaving only Neptune hunched there with the sword remaining in his chest like a decorative piece, a statue pale of color with hair that danced in the current. The tears that stained my cheeks were swept away with the waves moments before my eyes fell shut and I was pulled into a deep sleep, the necklace around my throat still there but doing little to stop me from breathing under water due to my newfound power. I could hear the songs of whales, of sirens, the clicking of dolphins, the swishing of fins but above all I could hear Caleb’s voice calling out to me “Evangeline!” desperate and frantic like a man facing death, like a frightened man about to lose his wife, the love of his life but I was too far gone, trapped in my own mind to respond, to reach out to him, instead allowing the sea to carry my limp form wherever it pleased, as far away as it desired me to go.

Caleb.

My head turned violently at the sound of the ocean churning, my eyes darting from the witch to the parted waters that began to cave into each other, merging in frantic swirls of currents that pulled and tugged in every direction. The first thing that went through my mind was Evangeline. She was still in there, somewhere “No-.” I breathed, eyes wide, starring while my brain processed what was happening. I took a step toward the chaos, waves crashing from left to right, colliding with one another “Evangeline!” my trembling hands began to tug at my coat, tossing it aside along with my boots while I staggered along the sand, ready to fling myself into the water but before the water could even reach my knees a voice reached out to me ‘She will need time apart from us-.’ it was loud, louder than the water or the thunder that rumbled overhead or the howling winds that screeched in my ears. I kept looking at the sea, the water slowly starting to calm its angry rant, slowly settling into itself once more ‘Once she awakens she will have to come to terms with who she has become-.’ I wanted nothing more than to toss myself into the water, to search for her, to find her and hold her, to tell her that even though she had kept her visits with Neptune a secret from me that her trapping him only proved to me how deep her love ran but I couldn’t. My feet were rooted in place, toes digging deeper into the sand with each wave that crashed around me. It was as though my body knew that if I was to throw myself to the sea, I may not return to see Evangeline ever again and that was a risk I couldn’t take. From what the witch had said, she would become a goddess, inheriting Neptune’s power, the sea would not hurt her ‘But until then we must remain patient-.’ I turned to face the woman addressing me, the nymph who stood calmly by, her blue eyes fixed on the ocean and not on me. She was naked, her lower half bare but her breasts covered in strands of navy hair, her skin much paler than Evangeline’s if it were even possible for it to be so ‘There is a storm approaching’ with that her body began to dissolve into water that fell into the shallow waters to be swept away by the sea’s currents. She hadn’t been able to return to the sea since she had come to Evangeline that night for fear of Neptune finding her, finding us and the ship. I imagined that she enjoyed being able to merge with the water once more “The gods are restless-.’ the witch informed, her eyes gazing upward when lightning painted the sky white and a flash flickered past my sight. She was listening to something or someone when I stepped from the water, reaching for my boots and coat to get dressed on the shore “Return to the ship” she said but when I looked to her again she was gone and I was left alone on the beach, pulling my coat onto my shoulders before I returned to the rowboat and eventually the ship. I spent nights lying awake, haunted by the thoughts of where Evangeline could find herself out in the world, whether she was alright or not. Was she hurt? Was she in pain? The days grew longer and the night seemed to never end, an endless torment that tortured my mind until even I had believed myself insane.