Astrid is the crown princess of Atlantis, but she barely has time to worry about the kingdom with six younger sisters to watch over, especially with the youngest coming into her powers as a daughter of the sea to navigate time. When Astrid fears tha...
My vision is hazy when I first open my eyes. Something thick is clutching my wrists and tail. What...?
I move my head to look, and immediately, it droops, my hair flowing completely free around me. But at least now I can see my body. Namely, the thick seaweed knotted around my wrist and tail. Still, what...?
"Ah, you're the first to awake. Surprise, surprise."
I reach in deep down to find the strength I need to lift my head.
And drop my jaw when I see each of my six sisters and both guards all held down by sea weed that seems to be dangling out of nowhere, yet keeping them firmly in position, a drooping circle around one figure.
A two-legged creatures.
A two-legged creature that smirks at me. "The oldest always have to be first, don't they?"
I blink, trying to take in this strange image before me. I've never see a human down this deep, let alone one quite like this. Dark tresses flow gracefully around her at a length about an arms breadth from her round-shaped, wet sand-colored face that seems to glow like the sun reflected off the tides. A smile twists on her bow-shaped mouth as she somehow flows in place, her black toga-like dress draped over her body and flowing behind her at her feet, which are bare.
But despite all her strangeness, there is something oddly familiar about the sea-green of her eyes that somehow don't seem to belong with the rest of her. "Who are you?"
"I see your father has kept knowledge of me from you," the human stranger murmurs despite being underwater, where I could have sworn she should be drowning in. "Why am I not surprised?"
Summoning more courage, I remind myself that I'm queen, and lift my chin. "I said, who are you?"
"I go by many names." She smiles wickedly, like being mysterious is her favorite pastime. "Earth walkers call me Cerce, queen of the seas."
My title.
She simpers, like she can sense my fury. "Your kind, what few of you who know of me, refer to me as the Strange One."
"That still doesn't answer who you are."
She laughs, like I said the funniest thing before sobering up instantly. "You may find out someday. I'll even tell you myself. If you find a way to come back."
All my anger chills over in fear. "Find my way back from where?"
Not taking her eyes off me, Cerce begins to swirl her hand, somehow causing a matching whirlpool to form just to her left, my right.
I blink. How could a mere human have so much power over the seas, when even among my sisters, little Lena is the only one close to being able to manipulate it. What kind of sorcery is this?
"Scared yet?" leers the one who calls herself Cerce. "Good. Revenge is always sweeter that way."
"Revenge?" I need to keep her talking. Figure out what is going on in that deranged mind of her. Buy time until my father can realize we're missing and send more guards. Find seconds that she isn't focused on my still slumbering sisters.
Oh, why did I ever think I could deal with this situation on my own.
"What did we ever do to you?" I add.
"Oh, you did nothing, sweetheart." Cerce gives me a patronizing smile, once again awaking my fury. "Knowingly. But don't worry, I'll make sure you all know full well that I'm the one responsible for hurting you. The 'king' included."
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