Silver Tides (Silver Tides Series) (30 page)

kerensa

Half way to the apartment the beer hit Sophia, she wobbled on the path, till Daniel placed his arm around her waist. He half carried her back to the apartment, where she fell asleep before she hit the bed, forcing us to go without her.

"Don't look so worried," Daniel teased. "Mum will be fine; she just needs a lie down after all that beer ... I did warn her."

I stifled a grin at Daniel sounding like a parent with a vagrant child. He seemed more grown up since having returned from Atlantis. Even when he was joking and having fun, there was something in his eyes that hadn’t been there before---the burden of responsibility.

We were all packed into one car like sardines in a can as we drove through Porthcurno, a town so small that if you sneezed you’d miss it. We followed the signs toward the Minack Theatre and turned down a winding dirt road that could have just as easily led to a cliff drop, as a path.

When the road abruptly ended in a small circle, Mum parked the car and we went on by foot. I felt like Miss Bennett in
Pride and Prejudice,
walking across the green moors, the scenery as romantic and rugged as the boy who clutched my hand. The wind whipped my hair back, carrying the briny scent of the sea.

Despite the beauty of the setting, my stomach was filled with tension and the fear of failure. Daniel gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and I smiled confidently, while feeling like a total hack. Everyone was sure that I would find the Heart of the Sea, the same way that Mum was sure that I would morph into a seal one day; I had a terrible sense that neither would happen. Instead of whining---like I wanted to---I held my back straight and pushed my chest out confidently. I usually tried to reason through things logically, but there was nothing logical about my situation. I just had to hope that everyone’s faith in me was not unfounded.

Silver grey humps of granite protruded from the green cloak of grass, like ancient turtles frozen in time. Dr. Conneely lithely drew us to a tall outcropping of rocks. As we turned the corner, the wind died down and we discovered a cottage etched into the granite. From a distance it had looked like a pile of rocks, but up close, it was someone’s home.

Dr. Conneely looked apprehensive as he knocked on the solid wood door. Two sheets of glass were wedged amongst the stones as windows, graying curtains obscured a view of the inside of the cottage, but a flickering light hinted that someone might be home. Dr. Conneely knocked again. We waited for a long time before the door creaked open fractionally.

"What de ye want?" barked an angry voice that sounded like the wicked witch of the west.

"Kerensa, I just want to talk," Dr. Conneely pleaded.

The door swung open with a thud and a female version of Dr. Conneely stood in the space it left. Her back was stooped and her graying hair was pulled into a long plait down her back. She had Dr. Conneely’s rodent features, minus all the age spots. Her face looked meaner than a hungry crocodile. Daniel and Charlie instinctively drew closer to me, unconsciously offering protection.

Yet there was something more in her eyes, untold sorrow. My heart was instantly moved to alleviate the suffering of the old woman before us.

"I can't 'elp ya," she declared. "I can't even 'elp meself."

"Can we come in?" I asked, stepping into her line of vision. I rubbed my arms and tried to look pathetic. With wind whipped hair, glossy eyes and red nose from the cold, it wasn’t a tall order to look like people in need.

She saw the rest of us for the first time and softened. "Come in, before ye freeze."

Inside she seated us at a small handcrafted wooden table and insisted on giving us stale tea in tin cups. The cottage consisted of one room; the sleeping area was cordoned off with a sheet and we were sitting in the kitchen, dining room, and entertaining area. The room was immaculate and rows of thankyou cards from various charities and locals lined the fireplace mantle.

After distributing our drinks, Kerensa slumped at the table with us, like a soul devoid of purpose. Dr. Conneely introduced us, but even before he could ask about the artifact, Kerensa was already onto us.

"I don't know what the Heart of the Sea is." She sighed. "Ye know I'd give it to ye, if I did.” I believed her, there was nothing vicious about Kerensa. Looking around her home displayed a tidy mind, and a compassionate heart that didn’t desire grandeur or riches.

None of us knew how to proceed if Kerensa couldn’t direct us.

“I'd give me fingers to go back to the sea," Kerensa breathed into the silence. The ache of being separated from home pierced my heart.

"Then why don't you return to the sea?" I asked softly, wanting to understand what would prevent her from doing something she wanted so much.

"Because that son of a fox has got me pelt," she said bitterly, her arms motioning toward nowhere in particular. "I've turned this place upside down looking for it. Wouldn't be surprised if he's buried it, the old snake!" She spat onto the floor in disgust, leaving a wet patch on the wooden slats. I didn’t know whether to giggle or recoil from how gross spitting on one’s own floor was. The bigger realization was that only someone in terrible pain would do something so illogical.

"So you're a prisoner?" I asked sadly, remembering the stories of fishermen stealing selkie pelts and keeping women against their will. To endure a life separated from the sea was one that I didn’t want to imagine. Even without being a seal I savored summer in the hot sand and frolicking in the waves. It must have been a thousand times worse for Kerensa.

"Marriage is a prison for the best of us but mine is literal," she spat woefully, her words tinged with pain.

"Where is Arthur?" Dr. Conneely enquired levelly. He looked at his sister with pity, her pain reflected in his eyes. Under the surface Dr. Conneely felt utter contempt for the man that kept his sister prisoner, but he had no choice but to be civil, as his feelings would only burden Kerensa further.

"Out fishing," she said, spitting the words out like chewing tobacco. "Ye know when they steal a selkie pelt they don't just get custody of ye, they get yer longevity. The old snake should have died decades ago and be with the devil, with demons rubbing chili in his stomach ulcers; instead he's out fishing."

Charlie raised his hand to cover his mouth, so as not to grin at the visual that Kerensa had painted. Being a nerd, he was committing the insult to memory for future use

"We've both looked everywhere," Dr. Conneely explained for our benefit. "Arthur's crafty; we just can't find it."

"Where did you last see it?" Mum asked.

I held my tongue, despite the urge to tell Mum, that if Kerensa knew where she last saw it, she'd have it already. I didn't understand the purpose behind parents asking that question. If we knew where it was last, we wouldn't be asking where it is now.

"The last time I saw it was in this cabin, the year Arthur's mother died, 1936," she calculated, "well over seventy years ago." Kerensa ran a weathered hand over her thick grey plait; in her eyes danced the image of her former self. For a moment I imagined her young and vibrant frolicking in the sea before her pelt was stolen; I felt her loss.

"We'll try and find it," I reassured, hoping that I could live up to my word. I was already on a relic hunt, what was a selkie pelt in the mix. At least if I didn’t find Kerensa’s pelt she would still live. I looked into her dark listless eyes, hoping that she would connect with me and try to help us, "Can you remember anything about the Heart of the Sea?"

She shrugged like even trying to remember was too draining. "Check the Minack Theatre; Mum was good friends with the curator there. Apart from that I don't know." Hopelessness flowed out of her, threatening to steal my false bravado. I had to keep everyone moving so that we didn’t all think too much about how easily failure could overtake us.

"Thanks for the hospitality." I smiled standing to leave, no closer to completing my task.

A shadow of doubt drifted over our group as we walked away from Kerensa’s cottage.

"That was a waste of time," Daniel fumed as we trudged back to the car.

"I'd hoped she'd remember more." Dr. Conneely sighed. "Being on land against her will has hardened Kerensa."

"Can't we just intimidate her husband into returning her pelt or fur or whatever?" Daniel asked angrily. I wanted to interject that violence didn’t solve anything, but I was interested to hear the answer.

"I tried decades ago when I was an oak of a man instead of a weed. I beat him bloody, but Arthur would go to his grave before letting Kerensa go." Dr. Conneely shook his head, shuddering at the memory. "In his own twisted way Arthur loves Kerensa; he can't understand that real love knows when to let go."

“It’s sad,” I offered, heavily.

"Let's stop at the Minack Theatre on the way back." Mum shivered as the cold wind cut through her coat. “We may as well give it go, Mya might recognize something.”

I nodded, having no idea why everyone had such faith in me. What were they expecting? That I would walk into the Minack and a golden halo would surround the Heart of the Sea, and I would just know what it was? I kept my sarcastic monologue to myself. They were all counting on me, and I had to carry myself with confidence for Daniel’s sake; so that if I failed, our last days together wouldn’t be tainted by my insecure whining.

Mum drove like a rally racer to get us to the theatre in time to watch the sky light up like a painters easel. Pastel peach, powder pink, and baby blue washed across the sky bathing the Minack in golden light.

Small clusters of tourists snapped endless photos of the sunset backdrop. The rugged cliff coastline reflected the dancing colors as the waves crashed onto the shelly shore across from the theater.

We walked down the tiered stone seating to where the stage was set up for the evening’s performance. The theatre was both rustic and elegant for
A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The crashing waves and marbled cliffs vibrated with sea song under the changing light. I wondered how people could watch the show when nature was so adamant about trumping any performance humans could present.

"This was Mum's seat," Dr. Conneely said nostalgically, motioning to a seat on the end, halfway down. The cement that held the seating was decorated with the same intricate Celtic designs that adorned the whole theatre. The display depicting the history of the Minack gave me a renewed appreciation for the outdoor masterpiece; it had been primarily designed and built by a woman, Rowena Cade. The curator, who had been Celeste's closest friend. I imagined Rowena Cade doodling the art without ever knowing that her good friend was a mermaid princess.

As darkness descended, the air cooled exponentially. We had less then forty-eight hours before we had to get back on the plane. We were no closer to the Heart of the Sea than when we'd left.

Even the boisterous din of the Cable Station Inn couldn't lift the dejected cloud that had settled over our group. Dinner was consumed with limited conversation, and we settled into our less than stellar sleeping arrangements with little fanfare. I agreed to share a double bed with Mum, so that Daniel and Charlie could take the room with two single beds, while Sophia had her own room and Dr. Conneely slept on the pullout couch.

My dreams were haunted with failure. The merman was pulling me under the water. Charlie and Daniel were out of earshot, unable to hear my high-pitched screams. I pulled toward them with all my strength, but it was futile; the merman’s clasp was like iron and his skin chainmail thick. I woke up disorientated, but the screaming continued. It wasn't me screaming.

clues

It took me a moment to get my bearings as my eyes swept across the room and I found Mum sleeping beside me. She had often joked she could sleep through a foghorn; knowing she had lived on Seal Rock made me wonder if it was a fact.

The hardwood floor was cold under my bare feet, as I rushed into the living room to find the source of the screaming. Sophia looked like a typical mum in a monster movie, with her silk slip and nightgown open, her mouth gaping as the shrill erupted from her.

“WHAT?” I screamed, grabbing a cushion to defend us.

She saw me and pointed at the couch. Daniel and Charlie erupted from their room, at the same moment as I realized that Sophia was pointing at Dr. Conneely, who was in seal form.

I lowered the cushion and gave the prone animal a shake. “Dr. Conneely...”

“Wwwwwwhat.... what?” stuttered Sophia.

Dr. Conneely roused from his sleep, groggily. “Mya?”

“Yeah.” I smiled trying to be delicate. “You should probably morph or whatever.”

Dr. Conneely looked over my shoulder at Sophia’s terrified expression.

“Sorry,” he said, pulling the blankets around himself, and quickly erupting from his seal form.

Sophia screamed again.

“It’s just Dr. Conneely,” I comforted Sophia, as Daniel draped his arm over her shoulders, stabilizing her.

“Sorry, I … I ...” Sophia cried, overwhelmed further by Dr. Conneely’s transformation.

“You freaked.” Charlie shrugged, reassuringly. “It’s normal; you’re human.”

“You can do what he does?” Sophia asked me, a look of disbelief in her eyes.

“Nope.” I shook my head. “I have no skills and no skin.” I left out, and no Heart of the Sea radar, and I’m a total dud that all of you are putting your faith in.

“I can,” Charlie boasted, a goofy grin playing across his lips.

“Mum’s got a fur pelt thing for her transformation,” I added, as though it might help Sophia understand.

“I just breath underwater,” Daniel informed comically.

“And the tail,” Charlie reminded Daniel helpfully.

“Yeah,” Daniel nodded, “I have a big silver fish tail too.”

“I need a beer,” Sophia said wearily, looking at each of us as though we were crazy.

“Come on, Mum,” Daniel teased, “how many people can say they’re surrounded by mythical creatures?”

Sophia smiled tightly, trying to make the best out of a strange scene.

“Sorry to cause distress,” Dr. Conneely apologized, standing up with the blankets in hand to cover his shriveled body. “The couch was uncomfortable, so I slept in seal form because it’s better suited for lumpy surfaces. I didn’t mean to cause offense.”

“It’s your sausage that’s about to cause offense.” Charlie pointed to a small gape in the blanket.

“Chhhhhhaaaarrrrrllllliiiiieeeeee,” I reprimanded, blushing on Dr. Conneely’s behalf.

“Good call, dude,” Daniel smiled, as they bumped fists.

They seemed more relaxed having spent the night alone together. While there was still woodenness in the exchange, the tension of the plane was ebbing.

Dr. Conneely’s wrinkled face reddened as he apologized again, and covered up thoroughly.

Fortunately, Mum stumbled out of the room to bring some focus to our mayhem.

“Where are we headed this morning?” she asked, her caramel curls falling gracefully down her back. I should have long suspected that there was something different about Mum, how else would she wake looking so respectable and composed every morning. Especially when I looked like I’d been wrestling bears all night.

“I was thinking we could go to my parents’ home,” Dr. Conneely replied, still blushing.

“Well, let’s all get dressed then,” Mum ordered; her regal voice whipping us all into action.

I was desperate to spend alone time with Daniel. The house bustled with such activity that it was easy to steal him away to spend a few minutes in the spectacular garden. All the plants were breaking into bloom in the backyard. The high fence closed out the world and gave us a floral backdrop, full of creeping rose-pink vines, exquisite Camellias and fragrant Rhododendrons. We found a big oak to hide behind for privacy; I stole countless kisses as I pressed Daniel against the tree, eager to have his arms around me.

Daniel laughed when his cold hands caused me to yelp when they brushed against the warmth of my back; he kissed my nose affectionately.

"I missed you last night," I told him.

"I would have preferred your company too," Daniel said reflectively, “but Charlie and I got to talk for a while and that was... not what I expected.”

A knowing grin curled across my lips. "So you don't hate his selkie guts?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're a selkie," Daniel spoke softly, his tone thoughtful. "I can never hate another selkie again, because that’s part of you and I can’t hate any part of you. After hanging out with Charlie, he’s not that bad...”

"So you've replaced Tim overnight?" I teased in mock horror.

"Tim and I didn't have that much in common,” Daniel said honestly, “but Charlie and I have experienced a lot of the same challenges. Like the whole being a fish or seal out of water, pardon the pun. Being on land because it's the best thing for the kingdom but feeling guilty about it. Worrying about what kind of leader you’re going to be and whether you can keep your people safe and fed. It’s a lot of pressure, but Charlie understands that, which is a rare trait in friends. You know Charlie’s next in line to be king of Seal Rock?"

"No," I replied, thoughtfully.

I had assumed I would be next in line, but I didn't want to verbalize my disappointment at being overlooked. I tried to figure our how Charlie was prince of seal rock, when I was the princess. Could Charlie be my biological brother? That didn’t make sense. There was three years between us, but Mum would never leave a child behind, or would she?

"Babe?" Daniel asked, noticing the perplexed look on my face.

"Yeah, I'm glad you both get along." I smiled, keeping my feelings to myself.

"Don’t worry you're still first in my heart," he teased, hugging me. "It's just refreshing to have a guy to share stuff with."

I nodded, still preoccupied with my own place in selkie society.

"Once we find the Heart of the Sea, everything will be different. All the laws will revert to the way they were before the lights went out. I'll need to rewrite some of the laws, not to mention a new treaty with the selkies," he said, giving me a squeeze. "The next few months will be hectic, but things are going to be better, you’ll see. We can make this work."

I wanted to ask,
what if we don’t find the Heart of the Sea? Will we run away together or fight the system in some way?
I wanted to form some backup plans, but Daniel was so happy, I didn’t want to hurt him with a not-so-happily-ever-after. The thought was too painful to raise, and the conversation was one that neither of us wanted to have.

"Won't your king do all that?" I asked, hoping that speaking about the future in positive tones would make it that way.

Daniel sighed heavily. "The king is flakey; no one knows what he spends his days doing, but he rarely worries about the kingdom."

"Oh," I replied not sure how to respond.

"After we get back I'll have to move back to Atlantis permanently," he continued.

"What?" I asked, pulling away in shock to fix him with a disbelieving look. "What about school?" I left out the question about our relationship, assuming it was implied.

"I don't need school." Daniel shrugged. "But Atlantis needs me."

“Doesn’t Atlantis need an educated ruler?” I challenged.

Daniel stiffened but continued to be civil. “Mother has trained me to be an effective ruler; that is all the education a switcher requires.”

Sensing Daniel’s discomfort I changed the topic. "I can't go to Atlantis." I exhaled heavily, trying to lighten my tone. “I’m human, the whole not being able to breath under water thing will do terrible things for my complexion.”

Daniel laughed, hearing the Tamara undertones of my statement.

He deliberated for a moment before saying, “You’ll learn to morph like Charlie and then you’ll be on Seal Rock, just a few short minutes swim to Atlantis,” he said, unconvinced by his own argument.

“Selkies can’t breath under water,” I stated the obvious. “We can’t uncloak or unmorph in Atlantis. I don’t know how things will change so dramatically, if we can only visit for short stretches of time, and never in human form.”

Daniel kissed my forehead. “We’ll work it out; we will be together.”

But his empty platitudes weren’t enough. I’d opened the floodgates of doubt for the future of our relationship, and I was going to ride the wave. “I want to go to university. I’m not ready to give up my life on land.”

Daniel looked into my eyes. “I know it’s all really difficult at the moment, but once you see Atlantis, you’ll want to live there, and we will work it out so you can. The finfolk are amazing inventors; we’ll find a way for our queen to live in the city.”

“Fine,” I agreed unconvinced, but unwilling to continue discussing hypothetical situations. We would work out the logistics of our future once Daniel and the selkie children were safe.

“Come on, lovebirds,” Charlie called, “we need to get going.”

I was preoccupied with trying to work out selkie hierarchy, as Daniel and I made our way back into the house. Daniel returned to his room to prepare for the day, while I sought out Mum hoping she would have some answers.

Mum was bustling around our rustic room. Natural wood trimmings adorned the bed head, mirror and built-in wardrobe. The bed was still unmade from our sudden departure; I began to straighten the blankets to seem relaxed about what I wanted to talk about.

“Who’s next in line to Seal Rock?” I asked Mum casually, hoping she didn’t notice pitch in my voice.

“You are, baby,” she replied without a hint of doubt, she joined me in making the bed. Mum was a natural helper; she must have been an amazing queen.

“Why? Are you worried about who will rule the rock if you become queen of the merworld?” Her tone implied how glamorous being a queen was.

“How will that work?” I asked sarcastically, slightly annoyed at the fact that she thought I would care about being royalty. Mum had raised me without a hint of pretension; it was weird that she suddenly wanted me to be a girly princess.

“It’s under water,” I exclaimed exasperated. “Even if I did actually have the ability to change into a seal---which I can’t---selkies can’t breath under water. How could I live under the sea with Daniel?”

“We can hold our breath for about an hour,” Mum encouraged.

“Great,” I said sarcastically, “so I can resurface every hour.”

“You’re very special, Mya,” Mum encouraged confidently. “Everything happens for a reason; you and Daniel work together, and you will find the Heart of the Sea and everything else will work itself out. Remember the Bible says that all things work for good for those who love God.”

“Really, Mum?” I asked, exasperated. “In my time of need, you quote Bible verses?” Whenever Mum was stressed, she always turned to her faith---I should have assumed that she would---but I needed more than a think-positive speech. I needed solid answers; I wanted to know what was going to happen next, whether all the stress and worry I was experiencing would lead to Daniel and me being together, when all the signs were pointing to us being torn apart.

“I’m just saying that you are a child of God; if you trust Him and His plan for you, everything will be OK.” Mum smiled.

“Fine,” I agreed, placating Mum before I had to listen to the rest of the sermon.

Mum smiled; the knowing look on her face meant she knew I was avoiding further discussion. “If you want to know more about Seal Rock and the selkie kingdom, maybe you should talk to Charlie.”