The next day, I found myself alone in the house with Greta. The place was small, and I had a hard time avoiding her antics, seeing as I had riled her up the night before with all of my talk of secrets.
Currently, I was outside of the house, chopping up more firewood. I wasn't as good at the task as some of the others were, and it took me some time to get it done, but I was glad to get the time away from Greta. I knew she was itching to pester me again, and avoiding her only made her long to be near me all the more.
When I was done, I gathered up the small amount of wood I had managed to split and carried it into the house.
I did not know how Imanthi had so many dwellings at her disposal to stay at, nor how she had so many underground contacts. I assumed when you had lived so long, things like that accumulated naturally.
Much like how Greta's need to annoy me accumulated naturally throughout the day, something I was reminded of when I entered back into the house and saw her sitting at the table with my journal in hand. When she saw me, her lips curled into a smile.
The wood I was holding clattered to the floor as it slipped from my fingers.
"I have to say, you're much better on the page in person. Literacy is a quality that I admire in s woman." She said. "I really love all of the new content you've added. The sketches of me are nice, as are the detailed descriptions of my hands– and not to mention, this?"
She held the journal open to the page where I had copied about the Great Northern Flower of Purification, and I felt fear run through my veins. I rushed forward and tried to snatch it away from her, but she pulled it away from me just before I could grab it.
A smirk graced her lips as she held it above her head, reminiscent of a childish game.
"Greta!" I snapped. "Give it back!"
I knocked her out of the chair and toppled over on top of her, scrambling upright so that I straddled her hips.
"Don't worry, I've already read it—" She grunted. "I have your secrets already—"
She pushed my journal back to me, but I just tossed it to the side and pressed the hard bone of my forearm against her throat.
"If I choke you long enough, perhaps you'll die." I said.
"No— but perhaps I would get some pleasure from it—" She laughed.
I pressed my arm against her neck harder and felt her wheeze just a bit.
"Then I will just have to find out your secrets. It's the only way to make things fair."
"Who said anything about fair?" She choked out. "If you want to find my secrets, go ahead. You will have to remove my clothing."
"You think I won't do such a thing?" I said.
"At least I finally know that you do find me attractive." She said. "Not that I had much doubt in my mind."
"I—"
She was very attractive to me.
I hated to admit it, even just to myself.
Her slender body. Her long, pale fingers. The way her short crop of her pale hair accented her fine features, androgynous yet delicate.
It didn't seem fair that the gods would make someone so beautiful yet so… infuriating. Like a very pretty poison, in a very beautiful glass bottle.
"I find you unpredictable and troublesome." I told her.
She lifted her hand up and ran her thumb across my bottom lip. I parted my mouth in surprise and she slipped it into my mouth.
"Troublesome, hm?" She hummed.
I went to protest and pushed it further into my mouth.
"Hmph!"
"Yes, I quite like that." She said, "Maybe suck on it a little bit?"
I slapped her hand out of my mouth.
"Keep it up and I'll have you suck on the toe of my boot when I kick you in the mouth."
She pushed my forearm away, and quickly flipped over so that she was the one on top of me, my back hitting the wooden floor with a loud thud. I blinked up at her, my eyes wide.
"I now know that the whole reason you came with us so willingly is that you believe you will remain human if you chase a fairytale all the way to The Far North." She said.
"And I will. It is my one wish, Greta, and there is no reason that you should be so hurt by that."
"It's part of your child like naiveté." She said, "I admire your hope, but you're wrong. You won't stay human."
"Greta—"
She leaned in, and drew her face so near to mine that I could feel her breath washing over my face.
"But it's okay—because when you're dying and in pain and you come to me begging me to turn you, of course I will still oblige you. I'll say, 'Here Judith. I've got you. Please suckle ever so gently at my wrist and you'll feel better soon, my pet'."
I leaned forward and I took notice of the way she held her breath and closed her eyes. There was expectation in it.
I closed the distance, and bit her shoulder as hard as I could. She yelped and fell backwards off of me, and onto the floor herself.
"Ah— you bit me!" She said.
"I will do it again." I said. "Don't test me."
The handle on the door began to twist, and I pulled myself up from the ground and tried to smooth my hair. Greta stayed where she was, arms crossed like a petulant child.
Ayla and Quen entered, and haphazardly stepped over the wood that scattered the floor.
"What are you doing on the floor?" Ayla said.
"That feral thing bit me." Greta said.
Ayla did not look sympathetic to her cause.
"Get up." She said. "We need to check the traps for dinner."
Greta groaned and stood up.
"Fine." She said.
Ayla turned to me.
"Would you like to come?"
"Sure." I said, "But the two of you can go ahead. I'll catch up."
She nodded, and they turned and left. I walked across the room, and gathered my journal from the floor and returned it back to my bag.
I noticed Quen awkwardly pacing by the table.
"Are you alright?" I asked him
"I'm nervous." He said.
"About the tattoo?" I asked.
He shook his head.
"About the ship?"
"Not that either." He said, "It's—I'm nervous about seeing other mermaids, on the ship and once we arrive. I've never been around them, and I know almost nothing about my own culture."
"Are you nervous about fitting in?" I asked.
"I guess that's it." He said. "It's going to be uncomfortable. Being a stranger among kin."
"I was raised by foreigners." I said. "I do not even know where my parents came from, and if I were to go back there, I would be much the same. A stranger among kin. I know we are little more than strangers to you as well, but we will be there for you."
He gave me a small smile and looked away.
"Thank you."
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I followed the path behind the house into the woods, towards where I had helped Ayla set the traps early in the day. It was nice to be by myself for a moment.
It wasn't long before i heard voices. Although I recognized them instantly, they weren't those of Greta and Ayla. My heart sped up, and I slowed my pace. I stopped at a tree, and peered around it.
Patrice and William were down the path, carefully inspecting one of the traps.
"They must be nearby." I could barely make out what he said.
Patrice's voice was much softer, and I couldn't hear her reply.
It was strange, seeing her now.
I once had a visiting priest tell me that life was like vapor. It was here for a moment, lingering in the air, and then it was gone. Almost as if it never was. I guess friendships were too.
Now, I found myself feeling no longing or happiness or even a vague, melancholy longing at the sight of her.
Now, I only felt hate.
Extra update this week since I was late on the last one. Here is a sneak peak of Friday's chapter. 👀