Seaweed (27 page)

“I didn’t mean to frighten you, child. I’m sure I will be fine.”

“And don’t forget,” Tor said. “Prince Mol still wants you.”

I turned to him, beseeching. “Please, stay with me. I need your protection. You’re both saying so.” I felt so helpless and torn. I wanted Rai to fight and win. I just didn’t want Tor and Dex fighting. I knew I was being selfish. All the Rai had loved ones who would fight. Not just me.

“You’ll be fine here, Dori,” Tor said. “And I’ll come back, as soon as it’s over, I promise.”

I had to admit defeat. They were leaving and there was nothing I could do to stop them.

“How do you fight? What does a merfolk war look like anyway?”

Tor kicked the sand with his toe. “It’s not very sophisticated, I’m afraid. The Lars clan use archaic weapons, whatever they can scavenge from ship wrecks. Mostly they are sneaky attackers. We don’t have any real rules of engagement, since war between the clans has been so rare.”

Dex rubbed his bushy eyebrows with his thumb and forefinger. “We, of course, can gain modern weaponry, but still fighting underwater is cumbersome. And we don’t want to obliterate them unfairly, even if they are our enemy.”

Like when Tor saved Crazy Jim, even though he had been attacking us. The Rai had a high ethical standard to maintain.

“Where is the battle?”

“The Lars are approaching Bear Seamount en mass.”

“There must be something I can do,” I said, a quiver in my voice. I could pretty much give up on remaining tearless. I wiped the first stray drop away with my fist.

Tor pulled me into a hug. “Just stay safe, Dori. That’s what you can do.”

Uncle Dex left Tor and me so we could say our good-byes in private. I felt like one of those women you saw in history class saying goodbye to their men in uniform, hanky in hand, waving wildly at the trains as they chugged by.

I stewed the whole way home, sobbing quietly. Would I see them again? Wasn’t there anything I could do?

Dad was in the living room when I got home, feet up on the recliner, jaw slack, sawing noises coming from his nose. He’d fallen asleep while watching the news. He was missing a story about a riot in some foreign city.

I watched with interest. It gave me an idea. I ran upstairs to see if I could do some wild on-line shopping.

CHAPTER FORTY

A plan was formulating but I really had no idea if it would work. It could just make things worse. I had time to fret over it because even with rushed shipping, I had to wait for three days.

Samara and Becca didn’t know what to do with me anymore.

“Where’s Tor,” Samara asked on Monday when I met up with them in the hall. I needed a story that would make sense to them why Tor kept coming and going so much. I didn’t have a good one yet.

“He’s got the flu or something. Pretty bad. He’ll be out for a couple days.”

“That sucks.”

“Well, I’m grounded anyway.”

“Right.” Mike appeared around the corner and Samara forgot all about me and my problems, taking Mike’s hand and giggling as they strolled down the hall.

“They seem happy,” I said to Becca.

She hugged her notebook to her chest. “Yeah, all these years they’ve been buddies, and who knew?”

I still sensed a thread of resentment.

“You know, Becca, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t have a boyfriend in high school. There’s still all of college ahead of you.”

“That’s easy for you to say because you have a boyfriend. In fact, you’ve had your pick of boys.”

No bitterness
there
.

“What’s wrong with me anyway?” she whined.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. It’s all about timing and the right guy for you just doesn’t happen to live in Eastcove. Do you really want to waste your time and energy on a guy just to break up because he’s not the one? Believe me,
that
is no fun.”

Becca sighed. “My mom says high school is for school. Guys are a distraction that keep you from getting good grades.”

“Sounds like she’s been talking to my mom. If she had her way, she’d ground me for life and I’d never have another boyfriend ever again.”

Becca laughed. It was good to see her smile again. The bell rang and we each headed to our own class, but for the first time in a while I felt hopeful that our friendship could get back on course.

Outside of my constantly checking the mail and hoping for a delivery, the next three days were like old times. I hung out with my friends at school, walked Sidney afterwards, ate dinner with my family in the evening, and did my homework at night. Mom was in her glory and I hated that I was about to turn her world all upside down again.

I did do some investigating while I waited. I researched the co-ordinates of the seamounts, particularly Bear. I mapped out how to get there by boat and how long it would take. Longer than if I swam as a mermaid, but I promised Tor I’d stay safe. I had to keep dry. Or at least out of the water.

On one of my lunch breaks I went down to the harbor to see Harvey Smith at the boat rental place. I knew he had one novelty boat that he rented to tourists that had a glass bottom. Harvey didn’t normally rent to minors, but I told him I was planning a surprise. He conceded because he knew me and I paid cash. Between the boat rental and my on-line purchases, all the money I made working over the summer had dried up fast.

On Thursday late afternoon I saw the UPS truck pull up. I ran outside before he could ring the bell and alert my family of the delivery. Two good size boxes. I hid them under the bushes.

I said goodbye to Mom on Friday morning, like I was on my way to school per usual, but instead of catching a ride in the Rotten Apple, I told Luke I felt like walking. Then I hiked over to Nana’s.

She didn’t answer when I knocked on the door, and I double checked the house but it was empty. I followed the well-worn path to the ocean.

Nana was there, sitting on a rock staring out to the sea.

“Nana?”

“Dori, honey, what are you doing here?”

“You told me never to keep secrets from you, so I have one I need to share.”

Nana pursed her lips together like she knew she wasn’t going to like what I had to say, but patted the rock beside her.

I sat and we watched the waves lick the shore, and shooed the seagulls away from our heads.

“I haven’t seen him in almost forty years,” she said, staring out at the horizon.

“He’s seen you.”

She jerked. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve seen him watching you. When you’re shopping and hanging out on Main. I think he still loves you.”

Her wrinkly hand covered her mouth. “Oh, my.”

“That’s why you come here all the time, isn’t it? You’re hoping to see him again.”

Now she wrung her hands, staring into space. “It’s been a childish fantasy of mine, I’ll admit. And once Benjamin passed away, I really let my mind go. It’s silly.”

“It’s not silly. It’s sweet.”

“Well, he hasn’t tried to talk to me. I’ve been here all along.”

“He’s just honoring your request. The Rai are like that. If he knew you wanted to see him, he’d come. I know it.”

She looked at me steadily, her gray eyes watering from the wind. “Will you tell him?”

I nodded. “Of course. But there is a reason I came to see you. The clans are fighting.”

“Fighting?”

“Like, war. The Lars declared it.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible. But what does this have to do with you?”

“The Rai are out-numbered. The manner in which they are fighting is ineffective and outdated. And, Tor and Dex are in the battle.”

Nana drew a sharp breath.

“So, I have a plan, but it means breaking my curfew.”

Nana shook her head. “You’re not going
in
are you?”

“That’s not the plan, but I might be gone for a while. Nana, I think you should tell Mom the truth.”

She blanched a bit at that. “I suppose it’s time.” She patted my knee. “Don’t worry. I’ll deal with your mother. You just go do what you have to do to save our men.”

I wrapped my arms around her and she kissed my forehead. “I love you, Dori.”

“I love you, too, Nana.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

I managed to abscond with my packages without being noticed. It took a bit to balance both boxes as I walked to the harbor. At least they hid my face. I got the keys for the glass bottomed boat from Harvey.

He eyed my boxes.

“Supplies,” I said. “For the surprise.” Which wasn’t entirely untrue. Tor was about to be surprised.

I hopped on board, set the co-ordinates and hoped the technology on the boat was accurate. The weather wasn’t too bad for this time of year, a little choppy, but if all went well I should get to the seamounts before too long.

And I hoped I wasn’t too late.

Behind me Eastcove became a small dot until it disappeared altogether. I kept driving east until I was unable to see any land at all. I’d never been this far out before, and especially not by myself. I felt a tickle of nervous apprehension. It was an odd feeling to be out in the middle of the ocean with no landmarks in sight, just three hundred and sixty degrees of water.

The signals on board told me I’d reached the surface area above Bear Seamount. Though I thought I would’ve known without them just by the strange behavior of the wildlife. Pods of Atlantic dolphins, humpbacks and harbor seals skimmed along the surface in an outward fashion, like petals sprouting from the eye of a daisy. Obviously, there was something going on underneath that they didn’t want to have any part of.

I cut the motor and dropped the anchor. Then I lay flat on the glass bottom. This was the part where I was hoping for a miracle. I was part merfolk. Could I see the merfolk world while in my fully human form?

I pressed my face to the glass. I could hear my pulse beating in my ears and my breath steamed up the surface making it harder to see. I wiped the glass clean with my sleeve.

Where are you? Why can’t I see you?
I strained my vision searching for flashes of red and blue, but I all I saw was a strangely empty sea.

Why couldn’t I see? I flopped on my back, letting out a breath of frustration. I knew what I had to do, but I had to muster all my courage to do it. I had to, for Tor and Dex.

I took the bailing bucket and scooped it full of water. I removed my jacket and my sweatpants. Then I dumped the water on my head.

I lay on the glass floor, wincing through the tingling and stiffening of my legs as they transformed into a tail. It was itchy and tight and not nearly as smooth as when it happened while submerged.

I flipped onto my stomach, knowing I had little time before I converted back. I pressed my face to the glass and I let out a startled breath. A whole new underworld scene had developed. The Lars and the Rai were in the height of battle. Some had hand weapons but many just wrestled like frenzied sharks attacking each other.

I searched desperately for signs of Tor. His dark shaggy hair, the pattern of his tattoos.

Then I saw him. He was man to man with another familiar mop of hair. Ky Larson. I guess Tor hadn’t killed him last time after all.

They had each other in a head hold, rolling and spinning through the currents. Their tails flipped manically as each of them tried to get the upper hand.

I sucked air.

A red ribbon floated away from their frenetic forms. Blood.

Pain tore through my torso. I yelled out scratching at the glass. This was the first time I had to go through this experience without Tor to comfort me. It was scary to be alone and consumed with so much pain.

I hugged myself hard, my nails biting into my forearms.
Breathe through it.
More pulling and tugging, each like a stabbing knife. I let out another yelp, then gradually the pain subsided. I waited until it was completely gone, and my breathing patterns were back to normal.

I was naked. With shaking hands I put my sweats back on. I lay on my stomach peering through the glass but I couldn’t see the battle anymore. I just hoped that it wasn’t Tor’s blood I’d seen.

I opened the boxes. What I needed now was the bullhorn. I leaned over the edge of the boat, letting the rim of the bullhorn touch the water then shouted, “Tor!”

I kept shouting until finally, a dark head broke the surface.

I almost cried with relief.

“Dori! What are you doing here?”

I knew he’d be mad, but I hoped he’d at least listen. “Tor, I have an idea.”

I tried to ignore the worry lines on his face or the deep scratches on his shoulder. I showed him what I had in the second box and what I thought we should do.

“Hmm, it might work,” he said thoughtfully. “And it won’t hurt the other marine animals?”