A Mermaid's Heart

Chapter Eleven.

Light rain had begun drizzling from the heaven’s overhead when we returned to the ship. Blue was waiting for us, perched on the ship’s railing, showing little fear of the heights or the chances of tumbling into the water below. For her, fear was just a word, the only thing to scare her being the god who had stripped her of her identity but not even a weapon pressed to her gut could strike fear into her heart ‘Aurella wishes to speak with you’ she informed us once we were on deck, her head turning to glimpse at the two of us covered in streaks of black from where the soot would run down my legs or Caleb’s clothes. My fingertips dripped black and my hair clung to the sides of my face when Blue’s eyes lowered to the sword that glistened with the rainwater in the pirate’s grip. She looked at him for the first time, her gaze piercing before she turned it back onto the town, her mind wondering with thoughts of how a single man could cause so much agony. Caleb moved past me when I continued to study the nymph, in my mind comparing her situation to that of Caleb’s. She couldn’t even remember her name whereas Caleb remembered too much. Was it really such a horrible thing to forget that which might’ve killed us? I shook my head and turned to head for the navigation room. I couldn’t possibly know what Blue’s life had been like before her memories were taken from her, maybe she had lived a beautiful life filled with people she cared about or perhaps it was a cruel life of pain and tears but whatever it held, it was strong enough to make her want to go back to it once she’d remembered. There was a loud clutter as Caleb tossed the sword onto the table then turned to Aurella who was stood by the porthole, eyes glancing to the water, the crying sky overhead, the line where the heaven’s met the sea in the far distance “We be done here” he declared, about to leave the room and force his way past me when she spoke, causing him to stop, his eyes locked onto mine in the doorway as he processed her words, contemplating what to say in order to bite back at her “The spell cannot be performed without the sword, Campbell” oh, how he hated that name, that noble name that constantly reminded him of his past, of where he had come from and all that he’d done. His nostrils flared but he stayed rooted in place while she faced him, her heels creating a symphony of clicks whenever she moved “And unless you have forgotten, you are the only one capable of wielding it” I could see her eyes land onto my form, taking in my wet appearance, the silver scales that were starting to appear on my legs and arms, dipping down into the curve of my chest. The corner of her lips tugged upward and my back tensed “After all, I presume you wouldn’t allow Mary go through such a torturous endeavor on her own” those words caused him to snap, turning to bare his teeth at her, gritting them with his fingernails biting into the flesh of his palm. Her very use of the word ‘endeavor’ meant that there was a chance we would fail, that the spell would end badly “If ye hurt her, I swear ye’ll-.” I cut his threat short, moving to stand in between the two of them, my hand brushing over Caleb’s arm as if to try and calm him. His words died in his throat but his body still trembled with rage. What had she meant by torturous? Would it be a painful spell? Could I die in the process? These were all things I wanted to know “Torturous?” I questioned, my hand dropping back to my side when it slipped from Caleb’s arm, my feet stilling, keeping me rooted in place as I watched her relax. She had gotten what she wanted, the reaction she had been expecting. She wasn’t just a witch, she was a puppeteer who knew how to manipulate people, tricking them into doing and feeling whatever she wanted them to “I have found a spell, however it is a dangerous one-.” she danced her way toward the books, motioning down to one of them where the words ‘Dolor al poder’ had been hand written as the title of the page in red ink. There was something much more menacing when it came to the crimson color in comparison with the usual ebony as if it was even more dangerous than all the rest “Dolor al poder, the conversion of pain to power-.” she explained. The sleeve of her dress brushed over the page of the book when her fingers attempted to copy the calligraphy as if they were a quill. There was a hum in the back of her throat that caused her to tilt her head ever so slightly to one side as she studied the words for what must’ve been the thousandth time that day “It requires an excruciating amount of pain to be caused to the physical body before it is capable of absorbing magical energy-.” her eyes met mine while her hand reached for a velvet bag that cluttered while she moved it, holding it up for both me and Caleb to see “Like that which is trapped within the gems” they fell to the center of the book, carelessly being dropped as if they didn’t matter but that which was incased within them was what was important. She moved around the table, her hands moving to grip the skirt of her dress, being careful not to step on the endless train of black fabric “You will be taken to the very edge of death only to come back strong enough to defeat a god” it was Caleb who spoke up before I could manage to form the words, my lips having parted only to become frozen by the thought of such pain “And what if she doesn’t come back?” her ivory orbs trailed from me to the man stood behind me, his chest rising and falling with a mixture of anger, fear and sadness. I turned my head to glance back at him from over my shoulder, the sight of his jaw set in stone and his eyes glaring made me realize just how serious it all had become “She will-.” Aurella insisted, drawing my attention back onto her, my wet strands of hair whipping my face from the quick movement of my head turning to look at her. She smiled down at me with that sinister grin of hers, reaching up to brush my hair back behind my ear “She has no choice” I shivered at the feel of her cold touch that disappeared all too quickly when she decided to return to the table, reaching for the other books, closing them and setting them aside, all except for one, the one on which the jewels still sat “Just like you have no choice” Caleb snarled and stormed past me, his eyes blazing like those of a wild animal, a lion ready to kill for its pride, its freedom. He didn’t like being told what to do. I tried to stop him, my hand reaching but being met by thin air “Has it ever occurred to ye that I could have ye burnt at the stake, that I have the choice to toss ye overboard and be done with all of this?” he snapped when she turned to face him, their noses inches apart when he spat those words in her face like a reminder of where she was and the power he had over her. She remained calm, hardly effected by his closeness or his loud, intimidating words “But you wouldn’t-.” her scarlet tongue lapped at her bottom lip when she stepped closer to him, eyes drifting over to me when she spoke, her words low, whispering into his ear “Not when it’s a chance for you to correct the mistakes you made twelve years ago” there it was, the sentence that forced Caleb to back down to her as if she were his queen. She knew how to use our emotions against us which was proven in the way she used his guilt for Claudia’s death, for his mother’s murder and the town’s destruction to get him to do what she wanted without having to use magic or even raise her voice. It was hard to believe that she wanted to protect the world and restore the lost memories of those who suffer because of their loss when she was so conniving, so frightening. She slipped past Caleb and headed straight for me, not stopping or slowing down the closer she got. I was about to step aside when her body dissolved into a body of black smoke that collided with me. I turned to see where she had gone but there was nothing, only the deck where the crew were either lounging around or at work manning the ship. She had disappeared and in her place behind me stood Rebecca, her red hair seeming dull in the sunless light of day “She seems nice” she sarcastically muttered, her eyes moving from me to Caleb, a sadness in them that told me she wanted to speak to the Captain alone. I could only assume that it had something to do with the town, their past “If black widows were nice” came my uttered response when I stepped around her and headed for the Captain’s quarters but I paused when my ears heard her first words. I hadn’t meant to listen in on their conversation but I just couldn’t leave when he might need me “You didn’t go to visit them” my hand stilled where it had been tracing the wooden walls of the ship and my ears perked up at the curiosity that her words stirred “I know how you must feel but-.” there was a deep sigh before her words had even begun to form “They’re your family and they deserve to be visited every once in a while” family? My mind raced back to when she had told me of how Caleb and become a pirate Captain and how he had buried both his mother and sister on a cliff overlooking the ocean before he had left the Port, leaving Rebecca and whoever else had survived behind “Let it go, Becca” his voice was cutting yet pleading at the same time as if he didn’t want to talk to her, as if the topic was enough to wound him. I wanted to go to him, to get rid of his pain but I stayed rooted in place, unable to move when she added “Your guilt is what’s keeping you from swallowing your pride” she meant that it was what kept him from going to visit their graves, from talking to them like many people would do when they lost a loved one “And your pride was what caused your guilt” my head turned, eyes staring at the doors that lead to the navigation room. They were harsh words but they were words that he needed to hear. It’s never easy to move on from the past, sometimes dwelling on the same thing for years, decades even until it would start to eventually fade. I couldn’t tell how long it would take him to fully heal from it but I knew that he needed to go see them before we set sail again. I turned and headed below deck, taking a seat in the chair that was pushed into the corner contemplating the spell that was yet to come and whether I truly was strong enough to survive it.

I opened my eyes to find myself stood in a pool of crystal clear water, koi fish of every color and variety swam around me, merging with the flowy fabric of my teal dress that bubbled to the surface of the water, creating a curtain of fabric between me and the liquid. One of the fish suckled on my hand while another brushed up against my bare legs. I glanced down to find white water lilies floating around me, a sight more beautiful than any I had ever seen before. The tips of their petals were starting to grow a soft pink color. There was a flicker in the reflection of the water that caught my eyes and turned them to the room surrounding the pool. The white curtains, dancing in the light breeze was what had caught my attention but the rest of the room was what held it. There was a king size bed with golden furnishing, the sheets and pillows a mixture of white and teal which seemed to be the three colors that could be found throughout the bed chambers. There was a sitting area, a bathroom without a door or walls, only a white screen to shield the toilet area, as for the bath it was built into the pool, separating it with only a small wall of stone and clay. Above the bed was a large mirror and on either side of it were bed side tables that were decorated in shells and small trinkets of dolphins and starfish. I turned in the water, my dress moving along with me, the fish avoiding me because of my sudden movements when I took in the fur rug near the dresser, the golden candle holders, the painting of the ocean at sunset that hung overhead the fireplace. It was only when I stopped moving that my eyes landed on the roof overhead, taking in the grand chandelier and the circular roof that had been painted with an ocean scene in the middle of day. My bare feet began moving, pulling me from the water, using the steps to stand on the marble flooring, staring directly at my reflection. The teal and gold dress stood out against my pale skin, hugging the curve of my waist then trickling down my legs while my hair hung half down in loose curls to my hips, the other half was done up and decorated in clips of white pearls. Gold powder was padded onto my cheeks and lips, traces of teal makeup lingering around my mismatched eyes. I looked to the bed where a lavender box sat, worn and old from the looks of it. I dared venture closer, curiosity driving me when I reached for the lid, my ankles and wrists bound in golden bracelets. Where was I? What was inside the box? I removed the lid to find a red rose and a heart shaped seashell laying close together in its white interior. I knew what it meant and froze with my hands gripping the bed sheets. I was dreaming, I had to be yet I had never seen a place more extravagant in my life, not in my home palace, not in Bakewell and certainly not in Leyland manor but the shells, the water, the fish and statues of marble horses, they all gave it away long before he did “Teal suits you” his hand traced my bare shoulder, fingers cold to the touch yet so alluring, so enticing that it made the breath catch in the back of my throat. My eyes found the man in the reflection of the mirror, a man with equally as pale skin, vibrant blue eyes and black hair, cropped short with a beard that didn’t quite reach his Adam’s apple “Neptune” the name escaped my lips like a prayer. His eyes met mine in the mirror, staring directly at me when he leaned down to press his lips to my shoulder. His hand slipped down my arm, causing sparks to ignite wherever his fingers would pause for the briefest of moments. I shivered, my head turning to glance up at him when his fingers intertwined with mine. My lips parted to tell him to let go, to plead for him to leave but before I could speak the words he turned me and forced me down on the foot of the bed, his hand moving to pin mine above my head, letting me fall into the mess of fabrics beneath me, the box tumbling to the floor by our feet. I gasped, my free hand moving to push him away, palm resting against his bare chest where the steady beating of a heart could be felt beneath it. He looked at me, his eyes making their way down my body to my parted legs since he was stood between them. His free hand traced my, calve then ventured further up along my leg, pushing the wet material of my dress along my thigh that had scales glistening in the light that filtered in through the balcony doors and windows. I tried struggling but he was too alluring, too mesmerizing that I couldn’t help but surrender, throwing my head back, a small moan escaping me when his hand dared wonder ever closer to the parts of me that had yet to be touched by anyone other than Caleb. Caleb. My eyes shot open and I tried fighting back harder causing him to stop just inches away from touching me, my hand digging into his bicep trying to inflict as much pain as possible “Stop, please” I begged, locking gazes with him. There was a hurt gleam in them before he pulled away from me, my nails having left crescent moon markings on his arm. I felt lost without his touch like a part of me had been torn from my soul, like the life had faded from my body, leaving me feeling empty and cold “I won’t force you-.” he began, his voice low. He was still positioned in between my legs, eyes never leaving my face with his hands on the sheets beside my hips, not touching me but so close that my skin longed to feel him to trace my skin with his fingers “But you are mine-.” those words caused the air to leave my lungs, my arms having fallen to my sides, hands gripping the sheets with a desire to feel his skin pressing against mine. He knew about the effect he had on me and as if to emphasize his words he reached for my neck, running the back of his fingers along the length of it. I arched my head back, my body bending as if pleading with him to keep going but when his fingers left me, my body collapsed onto the mess of sheets, chest heaving as I looked at him through needy eyes “And you have been ever since the day you were born” was it true? I had always loved the sea, felt drawn to it but maybe instead of the ocean that beckoned me, it was him. He leaned down, pressing himself against me, his core brushing against mine beneath the fabric of his black trousers. I gasped, his lips brushing over the shell of my ear “You can try to deny it-.” my hands only tightened on the sheets, my knuckles turning white when I turned my head away from him, eyes taking in the view of the shore beyond the balcony doors “Try to fight it like you are now” goosebumps rose on my skin when he breathed those words into my ear, against my neck only to pull away and turn his stone cold gaze down onto my flustered features “You can keep pretending to love him-.” Caleb. I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes on the sea, knowing that if I was to meet his eyes or touch him that my resolve would come tumbling down in a matter of seconds “But we both know that this is where your path will end” I could never love him, I could never hurt Caleb. I turned my glaring eyes onto him, my lips trembling as I fought the urge to kiss him. He moved back slightly and waited for me to speak “I chose where my path leads me-.” I moved to sit up, forcing him back, standing at the foot of the bed while I glared up at him, my bare feet brushing over the marble flooring below where the rose and shell still lay scattered “And you are not my destination” the edges of his lips began to tug upward, no longer resting in their thin line but shooting me a playful, challenging grin before he turned away from me to face the pool of water. The room began to fade, creating a swirling mixture of teal, gold and white as it spun around me and began to fade to black “You’re a heart of the sea” his voice called through the disappearing images of the bed, the pool, the balcony, the bathroom and living area. I tried looking at him, at the place where he last was stood but he was nowhere to be found “And you will return to me, in due time” it all went black and I was left on my knees, staring at the empty darkness that seemed to have no end to it. There were no sounds, no longer the trickling of water into the pool or the crashing of waves outside the room on the shore nor was there the dipping of the bed when he forced me down onto it or the slapping of bare feet against marble flooring. It was then that I heard the faint rustling sound of clothing crinkling, a deep sigh and something cluttering to the wooden flooring followed by a loud curse. My eyes drooped open to find the Captain’s quarters, a place so familiar and comforting that was the complete opposite of the room I had found myself in just moments before. Caleb was searching for something in the drawers to his nightstand, his desk and dresser having let the book of the seven treasures tumble in his haste. He worriedly glanced at me to see if I was still asleep, his eyes softening when he noticed that I was still stuck in between reality and my dreams. I contemplated telling him of the dream I’d had but I decided against it. It was my war to fight and no matter how hard it would get, I would win for him, for Caleb.