Journey into the Realm: The Stolen Child (Journey into the Realm Series) (6 page)

I was the first to step into the stream. When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by water. Everything around me was blue, as if there were a film of blue haze over each of my eyes. The water was freezing, chilling every part of me, reminding me of my near-drowning last June. I tried swimming up to the surface, until I remembered there wouldn’t be any surface. This was Atlantis, the Mermaid Realm, and here there was no dry land.

The bow and arrows and shoulder bag were heavy on my shoulders. I hoisted them up and began to take in my surroundings just as Nathan joined me in the water, followed by Tavis, Aimee, and Elvina. Fish swam in schools nearby, different types pressing together, creating a rainbow of color. I swam around, admiring the beauty and clarity of the water. I had never been so fascinated with water. Until now, it had just been something to drink or swim in…or a place where accidents usually happened for me. Now it was a glorious wonder.

I had never seen such beautiful shades of blue, such lovely fish swimming in circles of underwater ecstasy. Sparkling water particles made my skin shimmer. No light from the sun reached here, but everything was so naturally bright that no sun was needed. Pure magic.

I peered down and gasped. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the water’s floor was covered with huge stalks of vibrantly colored coral. Until now, I hadn’t known that coral could be that large. It was beautiful, more beautiful than I had ever imagined coral could be. This was obviously not normal, everyday coral – this was no ordinary place.

Out of curiosity, I motioned to my friends to follow me and swam down to take a look.

As I neared the wondrous sight, I noticed a flash of movement that I knew right away was not a fish. Sure, it had a fish tail, but its upper body was that of a human. The creature had aquamarine hair and a bluish tint to its skin.

“Mermaid,” I whispered with awe, also surprised that I could speak clearly through the water.

She was truly exotic, far different than any creature from
The Little Mermaid.
She wasn’t just a human with a fish tail. She was another being altogether, maybe resembling a human from far away, but I suspected that if I got close enough, I would be quite surprised by her actual features.

“Maybe she’ll lead us to the King,” Nathan said.

“It’s worth a try,” Tavis agreed. “Let’s follow her.”

Together we dove down deeper to follow the exotic sea creature. I knew we were nowhere near fast enough to catch her, but as long as we kept sight of her, we could figure out where she was headed.

Finally we reached the coral. To my dismay, the mermaid was nowhere in sight, probably hidden somewhere among the bright stalks. As we neared the ocean floor, my mouth gaped as I realized that the coral formation was actually a city – the city of Atlantis. I hadn’t expected Atlantis to look anything like this.

It was difficult to capture all of the beauty in a few simple words. The coral city sparkled, so shiny and bright, and I found myself blinking repeatedly, trying to adapt to my surroundings as I swam. Each bright building reflected the other, making every spot, every inch of the coral, seem as though it were dancing.

And it wasn’t just the coral that amazed me. Patches of kelp, anemones, and various other undersea wildlife swayed to a silent melody I would expect to hear only in the far corners of my imagination or the depths of my wildest dreams.

Before now, I had imagined Atlantis as a landscape of beautiful and ancient buildings that had once rested on an island, eventually sinking to the bottom of the ocean. I knew from Aaliyah’s telling that Atlantis had been above water at some point in time.

But Atlantis wasn’t simply a sunken, ancient city. It was much more than that. Atlantis was the sea itself, complete with grand, exotic formations and colorful, unique life-forms that invigorated the Mermaid Realm.

As we made our way through the pathways of the city, mermaids and mermen swam by and glanced at us curiously. Some of the looks were hostile, others simply confused by our presence. I was reminded of the way the elves of Tarlore had treated me only a short time ago.

Suddenly I felt very tired, like I couldn’t hold myself up any longer. I couldn’t swim. I couldn’t even float. Dizzily, I tried to keep my eyes open, but everything around me was spinning. Flashes of color and beauty swam before my eyes, and the brightness of the shining coral made staying awake more difficult. I looked over at my friends and noticed they were experiencing the same onslaught of exhaustion.

I couldn’t explain what was happening, and I realized I couldn’t hold on any longer. Everything was just too overwhelming.

Darkness washed over me like a wave of the sea.

***

I was the first to wake. Everything was foggy and silent, but even with bleary eyes I could see the prison bars in front of me, the jail cell surrounding me. I repositioned myself until I was leaning on my elbows, turning my head from right to left as I took a good look around. Everyone was accounted for. Tavis and Aimee were propped up against the back wall. Elvina was on her back to my left; Nathan on his stomach to my right. Mostly unharmed by the looks of it, but still unconscious.

Great
, I thought to myself sarcastically.
We’re already in jail. This journey’s off to a fabulous start.

With a lengthy sigh, I blinked until my vision cleared and decided to get up. I found it surprisingly easy to stand. I wondered why I wasn’t floating. I was underwater, after all. Shouldn’t I be rising a little? Maybe the Mermaid Realm was different because it was magical. I shrugged. That really shouldn’t be my primary concern. I needed to figure out why my friends and I were in an underwater jail cell.

On the bright side, the cell was beautiful. Everything sparkled, and the ground was made of soft sand I could imagine squishing between my toes. The walls and bars were a shimmery blue that showed my reflection.

Someone cleared her throat, jostling me out of my room appreciation-induced delirium. I turned until I faced the prison bars. A mermaid floated on the other side. Her narrow, crystal blue eyes looked me over with a questioning glance. I stared at her openly. If she had anything to do with my current predicament, I didn’t want her to see me as weak.

The mermaid had flowing, thin blue hair that matched the tint of her skin. Her lips were a deep blue and I noticed that instead of a normal, slightly rounded nose, hers was small and flat, barely noticeable. She had small slits on each side of her head instead of ears, further proof of how fishlike mermaids were. She wore a bikini top infused with colors of pink, blue, and yellow to create a swirl of sparkling beauty. Her tail had the same colors, only it shined more because of the fishlike scales. She wore a string of brilliant pearls around her neck and a crown of pearls atop her head. I recalled that oysters grew pearls inside their shells, which made them the obvious jewel of choice for mermaids.

The mermaid’s features were unusual but breathtaking. I couldn’t stop looking at her. Every time I blinked, I noticed something different, like she was ever-changing, her features constantly shifting. She reminded me of a cloud. When my human sister Dina and I were kids, we would look up at the sky, like most children, and name pictures in the clouds. Sometimes I would “see” a dog and a few minutes later it would look more like a flower.

This mermaid couldn’t be ignored, no matter how hard I tried to focus on something else. She had a light that outlined her body and radiated outward. It kept my eyes fixated on her, even when I tried to blink. Actually, I couldn’t really blink at all. Everything about her drew me forward. If it weren’t for the bars blocking my way, I would have reached out to touch her.

“What do we have here?” she asked in a symphonic voice, all violins and cellos and violas harmonizing together.

I didn’t answer; I just stared at her like an idiot.

She tried again. “What is your name, dear?” Her accent was thick and difficult to understand, as though the water muffled her words.

I opened my mouth to speak, but all that came was a whisper. “Ramsey.”

She nodded, like she had already known the answer to that question. “You are quite a peculiar creature, Ramsey. What are you, might I ask?”

“I am part elfen and part Golden fairy,” I stammered. It was hard to speak normally, and confidently, to someone so stunning.

She smiled, but it was a knowing smile, one that held secrets. “You and your friends gave the mermaids of Atlantis quite a fright. They wonder why three elves, a Woodland fairy, and a creature of mixed blood has entered their Realm.” She paused for a moment. “Why
are
you here?” she asked inquiringly.

I didn’t want to reveal my journey to her, but I couldn’t resist. I couldn’t deny her wishes. Her supreme beauty commanded me.

“We – my friends and I – are journeying through the Realms because of a spell the Element fairy king, Vortigern, devised to stop me from reaching the Golden Fairy Realm. We must travel through each Realm, beginning with the Mermaid Realm and ending with the Element Fairy Realm, before I can finally cross into the Golden Fairy Realm and meet with Queen Titania.”

At the mention of my aunt, the mermaid’s eyes widened with interest. “Why must you meet with the High Queen?”

“Well, there’s a war going on between elves and Element fairies that has lasted thirty years. I plan on ending it.”

“And how do you suppose you will accomplish this task?”

“Queen Titania is my aunt. I am hoping that after much persuasion she will use her power over the Realms to end the war,” I told her matter-of-factly.

The mermaid gasped. “The High Queen is your aunt?”

I nodded. “Yes, she is. My mother is Lady Rosina, her youngest sibling.”

The mermaid began swimming back and forth, like she was pacing. “The council will have much to discuss,” she muttered.

“The council?” I questioned.

She stopped mid-swim and turned to face me. “Ramsey, I am Naida, queen of the Mermaid Realm and the reason for your imprisonment.”

Well, she was certainly straightforward. I drew in a deep breath and marveled over the fact that I didn’t choke on the water. This breathing spell was incredible. “Why have you imprisoned my friends and me?”

“Mermaids are suspicious creatures, I must admit,” Queen Naida explained. “When the five of you dropped to the sand unconscious, it caused much alarm. Mermaids do not appreciate disturbances.”

“Why did we pass out in the first place? And why am I the only one awake?” I asked, eager to know.

“I presume you were all affected by the pressure of the sea. Our depth takes some getting used to. The only reason you are awake most likely has something to do with your Golden fairy blood. Golden fae are strong, resilient creatures. Even so, you were unconscious for two waters, which equates to days in your Realm above the sea.” Before I had the chance to agonize over how much time had already been wasted, Queen Naida suddenly stopped and pursed her lips. “Ramsey, you and your friends have placed me in a very troubling position.”

“Why?” I asked.

“As much as I wish to adhere to the wishes of the High Queen’s niece, for I respect Titania greatly, I am afraid I cannot let you continue your journey,” she said darkly.

Time stopped. Everything around me froze. The sparkle and shine of Atlantis no longer enchanted me. I felt so, so cold.

“Why?” I repeated.

Queen Naida sighed. “Because, you have come too late. King Vortigern sent ambassadors to our Realm six waters ago. They told us that if we hoped to keep our Realm intact and free of turmoil, King Almog and I must capture any suspicious creatures. The ambassadors were referring to you.”

I couldn’t believe this. How could she call herself a queen? She was a weakling, bending to the will of another Realm so easily. “So you’re going to keep me imprisoned here because you were
threatened
?”

Queen Naida’s eyes blazed. “You have no idea how far we are willing to go to preserve the peace in our Realm. We will not be invaded over some foolish half-breed’s hopeless journey!”

Her use of such a derogatory term toward me brought my anger to the surface. “Invaded? By who? Element fairies? They’re not mermaids!” I cried with unabashed frustration.

“The water fairies can breathe underwater. And the ambassadors made it quite clear that the Element fairies have access to Woodland fairies with breathing spells,” she explained. “The King and I cannot afford a war here. Our population is neither large nor strong enough to face a nation of wicked fae.”

I could barely keep from screaming at her. “So you would defy the High Queen
and
surrender rather than stand up for yourselves?”

“Actually, the High Queen has made no decree about the war or how the Mermaid Realm should respond,” she answered. “Therefore, we are not breaking any laws by ensuring our survival. Once I have met with the council, I will return with news of your fate.”

She left me without another word, dumbfounded in a beautiful jail cell in a Realm I never expected to despise.

***

Because Queen Naida had disappeared, it fell upon me to give my friends news of our situation when they finally woke up.

“So we’re stuck here,” Tavis summarized dryly, crossing his arms against his chest.

“Unless some council decides otherwise, yes,” I agreed.

“Or we escape,” Nathan proposed.

“How?” Aimee, always the sensible one, asked. “We have no idea where we are in relation to the city, and we need the crown of a mermaid ruler to cross into the Flower Fairy Realm.”

“The outlook is bleak, but we must find a way,” Elvina argued. “Maybe we should try playing nice. You know, so we can form an alliance with someone who can get us out of here.”

“It’s a good idea, but I don’t think we should start with the Queen,” I admitted. “You should have heard her, all regal and pious. She won’t let us go.”

“Maybe they will send a guard or two down to watch us. We could try befriending them,” Nathan suggested.

I nodded. “It’s a start. Queen Naida said she would return with news from whatever council she was talking about. Until then, I guess we should just sit and wait.”

Murmurs of agreement came from my friends, who were just as upset about the situation as I was but were powerless to change anything, at least until the Queen returned. Feeling low and ill at ease, I half-walked, half-swam over to the wall and leaned up against it, sliding to the ground despairingly. How would we get ourselves out of this mess?

Nathan came to sit beside me, and although I was determined to keep my distance from him on this journey, I couldn’t help but find comfort in his presence. He didn’t touch me; he knew my moods too well to do so. But he was there…and that was enough.

We sat silently for many moments, contemplating our circumstances and trying hard not to admit how we both felt: hopeless.