The Mermaid's Curse (California Mermaids Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter Seven: Oceania

Xavier and I sit on the piano bench in complete silence, our bodies inches apart. I shiver as I remember the rich baritone of his voice, and the thrilling chords he’d played. I’ve never been so touched by anyone, musically or otherwise—and I never imagined that I would experience this kind of deep, almost spiritual connection with a land-dweller.

Perhaps the magical feeling came from the full moon. But I’ve sung and played the sea harp many times under the full moon, and nothing like this has ever happened.

This means that the magic was, most likely, purely between Xavier and me. Maybe our souls are bonded, and our musical union is the first sign of that.

I feel my cheeks heat up with the thought of other unions, not just musical ones…Xavier’s lips on mine, for example.

I shake my head, trying my best to erase those kinds of thoughts. Of course, I can’t be thinking romantically about a land boy; such a relationship would be doomed to failure. But despite my best efforts, I just can’t stop.

Luckily, Xavier speaks before my fantasy blossoms even more out of control. “Shall we play another piece together?” He quirks one side of his mouth upward, and at that moment, he seems uncertain and boyish—and incredibly endearing. “This is a sonata that I started composing, but I never titled it, or knew how I wanted it to end. I know now.”

He pulls out a sheaf of papers, covered with musical notations, pokes a few notes out on the piano, and scribbles on the paper before he looks at me again. “The title will be
Sonata of the Mermaid
. You’ve inspired me, my muse.”

I grin at him, glad for the distraction. If we’re busy playing together, I won’t have time to be perplexed by my feelings. “I’d love to play another piece with you. But what’s a muse?”

“It’s an inspirational person. The term originated from Greek mythology. The nine muses were goddesses of the arts and sciences, and daughters of the Greek god Zeus.”

Xavier is so smart. He knows things that I never learned in mer-school. “So you think I’m like a goddess? Thank you.”

Xavier reaches up, tracing his finger across my cheek, and his touch sends a round of chills up my spine. It feels like a school of tiny, shivery minnows has begun swimming up and down my back.

“I think you’re better than a goddess,” he says. Before I can reply, he begins playing a soft, rolling melody on the piano, and I raise my hand to my cheek. The shivery sensation has turned to sheer fever, and my cheeks are flaming to the touch.

Xavier’s sonata has no vocal part, only sweet chords. There’s an aura of romance about the song, and I begin to hum along. I return to the harp, and my fingers instinctively pluck the strings in joyous harmony.

The calm of the music washes over me like tepid saltwater, and for a moment, I am not a confused sea creature on land—I am actually floating above the scene, as though I have no body, only a soul. The notes of the piano and harp surge, and my voice swells to a magnificent crescendo. Xavier begins singing along, too, with only tones, no words. And finally, Xavier’s voice and piano wane, gradually fading away, like the moon at sunrise. I allow the music of my voice and harp to melt away as well.

Afterwards, Xavier says, “That was perfect. It was exactly the ending I wanted, but I wasn’t capable of it before, not until you came.” He rises from the piano bench and walks to the harp, pulling me to my feet. In my high-heeled shoes, we see nearly eye-to-eye.

“You know,” he continues, “you could have a brilliant career in the opera with a voice like yours. My mother sang in the opera for years, and still has many connections. Or perhaps you could play the harp in the symphony. We could perform together; it’s my dream to play and conduct in the symphony.”

My soul comes crashing back to earth, joining my human body. I become aware of the aches and pains in my new leg muscles, and the uncomfortable way that Amelie’s shoes squeeze my toes together. Suddenly, I’m stifled—not by Xavier, but by this surface world. I feel an almost aching need to return home.

But as I look into Xavier’s eyes, I feel another ache entirely, in my heart. Warning bells begin to ring in my head. We mermaids are supposed to meet humans, and even help them out, but falling in love with them is complicated.

I almost wish that we had never played together, never connected. Of course I can’t be an opera singer, or play in the symphony, or fall in love with a human. The idea is completely absurd, and I don’t want to give him any false hope. I can’t possibly stay here and build a life, can I?

Chapter Eight: Xavier

A combination of emotions flits across Oceania’s face: first dreaminess, then confusion, and finally sadness. She narrows her sea-glass eyes, and says in a low voice, “I can’t possibly do that. I can come back to see you, of course, but I can’t live here. I can’t be an opera singer, or play in the symphony. What would my family do without me?”

“But you can switch between the land and the sea, can’t you?” I protest, taking both her hands in mine and swinging them back and forth. “Why do you have to choose?”

Oceania glances down at the floor, our intertwined hands, the harp—anywhere but at me. “We mermaids can come to land and talk to humans, but our lives are in the ocean,” she says softly. “For us, the land should be a place that we pass through every once in a while, but we’re expected to build our futures at the bottom of the sea, marrying mermen, swimming with dolphins, and protecting the ocean. If we don’t protect it, who will?”

“But why can’t you be different? Would you be punished?”

Oceania raises her face, which has gone pale with anguish. “I don’t know. I might be reprimanded by King Triteus, or perhaps cursed by the sea-witch Morwenna. I can’t tell you what would happen for sure.”

She squeezes my hands before releasing them, running her fingers through her hair and swirling little tendrils around her fingers. “I suppose I can ask my sister, Ula.”

“You should. There’s nothing to worry about, Oceania. Just think about it.”

She smiles at me, and says, “All right. There’s no harm in thinking, I suppose. But I don’t want you to get your hopes up. I really don’t see how I could possibly play in the symphony or sing in the opera. Those jobs have long hours, don’t they? And travel? I’d probably have to stay on land for days.”

I nod. “They do, and you would. But you owe it to yourself, and to your special talent, to at least think about it. Don’t forget that.”

Visions of a future between Oceania and me rush into my mind, completely unbidden. If I have my way, she’ll live here, at least for the majority of the time. With her as my muse, I’ll compose pieces as melodic as Mozart’s, as intense as Beethoven’s, as fluid and lyrical as Debussy’s. My father will have to understand that I can’t pick up the family business—there’s no way he won’t understand, when he hears the fantastic music that Oceania and I will create together.

We’ll perform together every night, and our music will soar to new heights. We won’t mind the long hours or the travel, because we’ll be doing it together. I’ve been to London, Paris, Rome, Vienna. But how much more beautiful would these places be with Oceania beside me?

A moment later, I scold myself. I’ve never thought of a future with any girl before. What kind of power does this mermaid have, getting in my head like that? If I didn’t know better, I’d think she cast a spell on me.

I need to stop getting ahead of myself, and focus on the present. “How long can you stay, Oceania?”

“My parents will be expecting me home for our sunrise swim. What time is it now?”

I glance at my pocket watch, and my mouth drops open. The night has flown by, and it’s morning—and nearly time for sunrise. “5:30.”

“I should go,” Oceania says, but she makes no move to head back upstairs. She pushes out her bottom lip like a wounded child, looking as melancholy as I feel.

“I wish you didn’t have to.”

“Me neither, but I do. My family will be planning a birthday celebration for me, and I can’t disappoint them.”

Oceania continues twisting her hair around her finger, and I reach up to still her hand. I trail my fingers through her hair slowly, before I drop my arm back to my side. Her hair is fine and soft, and holds a slight stiffness from the saltwater.

“Okay,” I say hesitantly. “At least let me walk you back to the beach.”

Oceania nods, and I take her hand and lead her upstairs, never wanting to let her go.

Chapter Nine: Oceania

Xavier’s house is completely quiet as we slip out the front door and into the pearly light of the impending morning. Dewdrops cling to the blades of grass like little gems, and the damp air is fragrant with the scents of earth and sea. 

We stroll down a narrow street that connects several large houses like Xavier’s. It’s lovely, but I feel out of place until we finally reach the beach.

As soon as we step onto the sand, I struggle to bend over and remove my shoes, but it just isn’t happening. The rigid undergarment that Amelie had laced me into makes bending at the waist impossible. Despite my grunting and puffing, there’s just no way I can reach my feet.

I look up from my battle to see Xavier watching me with an amused expression. “I should’ve known that you’d want to get out of those shoes as soon as possible,” he says, winking. “Here, let me help you.”

Xavier sinks to his knees, and I feel my face heat up as he reaches under the layers of my skirt. Gently, he loosens the clasp on one shoe, and then the other. I kick them off into the sand, wriggling my toes until I can feel the circulation again.

“Thank you so much,” I say as Xavier grins up at me. “I don’t know how Amelie can wear those all day. They’re completely uncomfortable.”

Xavier shrugs, standing up. “I think she’s just used to them.” He kicks off his own shoes, and then picks up both his pair and mine, clutching them in one hand while he holds my hand with the other. “Although I must admit that this feels much better.”

He laughs as we walk down the beach. Even though the day is young, the fishermen are already hard at work, casting their lines into the water and reeling in their morning catches. The waves are placid and all is silent, except for the occasional cry of a sea gull and the gentle background noise of the ocean rolling softly onto the shore. 

“Well, here we are. Point Joe, where it all started.” Xavier finally breaks the silence as we reach the spot where we met for the first time.

Together, we climb across the rocks, gazing out at the horizon. The view is much different than it had been under the full moon. Now, a thin layer of clouds covers the sky, and the tranquil ocean laps at the rocks.

Xavier drapes his arm around my shoulder, and we watch spellbound as the sun rises over the deep teal waters, peeking out from the gaps in the clouds and bathing the sea and sky in luminous tones of pink and orange. The sun’s rays glint off the tips of the clouds, making them shimmer like the golden doubloons I’ve seen in underwater shipwrecks.

I snuggle into Xavier’s embrace, savoring the feeling of his strong, manly arms. But I know that far under the ocean, my parents are awakening and probably wondering where I am. They’ll swim to Ula’s house to interrogate her, and when she tells them that I swam to the surface at midnight but she hasn’t heard from me since, they’ll begin worrying. Mermaids and humans enjoy a relatively peaceful co-existence, but I have heard tales of mermaids who have been mistakenly speared or caught in fishing nets, just as there is the occasional story of the human who tries to frolic with mermaids and ends up drowning.

I glance over at Xavier, and see that his suntanned skin is glowing golden under the rising sun. He smiles at me. “It’s been so long since I’ve enjoyed a sunrise,” he says. “I usually sleep through them, but they’re amazing, don’t you think? Like a new beginning.”

“It is a new beginning,” I agree, drawing my face closer to his. I stroke the light stubble on his cheeks and chin. “Today is the dawn of my first day of adulthood. And I love it so far.”

Xavier hugs me tightly. “I’m glad to hear that. And I didn’t get a chance to tell you this yet, but happy birthday. I’m glad that we met. But I have one question for you.”

“Anything,” I say, my voice muffled against his jacket.

“I’m wondering if you would be all right with me kissing you. What happens when a human kisses a mermaid?”

Chapter Ten: Xavier

Oceania, who has had her face buried in my shoulder, raises her head to look at me.

“It would be perfectly all right if you kissed me,” she says, her eyes sparkling like playful waves splashing against the sides of a boat. “A mermaid’s kiss can simply express affection, just like a kiss between humans. But if the mermaid fills you with the enchanted breath of life, you will have the power to experience the depths of the water without drowning. All you have to do is trust and believe, and never leave my side while we’re underwater. I’d love it if you’d come to my world, Xavier.”

I glance at the ocean dubiously. It’s beautiful, but it has a mind of its own. The waves may be calm now, but they could become turbulent and dangerous in the next few hours, especially in such close proximity to the rocks. They didn’t start calling the water near Point Joe “the Restless Sea” for nothing.

And who knows what lies under the infinite fathoms of the sea? There are mermaids, but there are also jellyfish, and man-eating sharks. Would delicate little Oceania be able to protect me from such creatures?

Besides, I have obligations at home. It’s nearly 6 AM, and the family will be awakening soon. My father is dragging me out fishing on his new boat, with a few of his business associates who are also spending the summer in Monterey. He expects me to be there.

But I also can’t resist Oceania. What if she vanishes into the watery depths, and I never see her again? I need something of her, even if it’s only a treasured memory that will grow hazy with the passing years.

“Xavier?” she asks, her forehead wrinkled in worry. “Are you okay?”

I blink hard, fighting to return to the present. “I am. I was just thinking about how much I want to share
this
with you.”

Ignoring the protests of my brain, I listen only to my body and my soul. Gently, I close my eyes and lower my mouth to Oceania’s.

Her soft, pink lips melt into mine as pliantly as saltwater taffy. I feel a tingling sensation as our lips seem to fuse and lock. With a soft moan, Oceania breathes into my mouth, and my entire body heats up, starting with my throat, windpipe, and lungs.

Then, before I know what is happening, Oceania tugs me backward, her lips still pressed to mine. My eyes flutter open, and the last thing I see before we plunge into the depths of the sea is the brilliant, colorful arc of sunrise sky.

And then, everything becomes blue and unbearably cold. Gripping Oceania’s slender hand like a lifeline, I struggle to keep my eyes open under the stinging saltwater, praying that I’ll live to see another sunrise.