Hiiiiiiiii, Clovers! I'm baaaaack! I have been very busy and thank you so much for your patience and support. Also, thank you for expressing your concerns. I was stressed and unable to write. So I had to get my right mind set back and recover. Also, on my last announcement regarding my date... Well, it never happened. *Sighed* And I'm glad since I found out a juicy bit about him and I can honestly say that dodged a bullet there. LOL Anyway–I am back and got my life in order. ;D
Your support by commenting and voting means alot to me and helps my story get recognition. So thank you!
Enjoy~
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Tristen
Nixie draws a line across the three o's. "I win!"
I chuckled as I signed, "You sure did." I stretched myself on the sand, lying on my stomach as I trailed my fingers in the sand for a new game of tic-tac-toe.
"Tristy," Nixie trailed a pattern into the sand.
I raised my head once I finished setting up the new game. "Hm?"
"If you didn't try to save me, you wouldn't be here." Still avoiding my gaze. Her lips trembled.
My jaw clenched and waved to get her attention. Nixie's large, baby blues raises. They were shiny and dark with guilt that no child should have. My chest tightened. I sat up and grabbed her to seat her on my tail near my waist, I hugged her tightly. "Never think that. Ever. It wasn't your fault. I would still do it if I saw into the future. I would've still tried."
She wept and a pearl drifted down into the sand. I grabbed it and held it in my hand, hiding the pearl. She signed, "I just want this to be over. I just want to go home."
An ache cruised across my chest and I swallowed thickly, "You will, Nixie, you will go home soon."
Nixie wrapped her small arms around my neck and cried, the pearls falling on my chest. I didn't have the heart to tell her to stop crying. She pulled back, sniffling. "When I asked Red if she was going to free us, she didn't lied. She was telling the truth."
Red... My chest twinged with something unknown.
I closed my eyes, considering my next words. "Nixie... Red is a woman, just like you will be one day. A woman with weaknesses and strengths, with flaws and talents and ability to fail or succeed. We should not expect her to overpass our expectations of her. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"
Nixie nodded, "Yes, I do." Then her eyes turn to me, staring deep into my eyes with wisdom beyond her years. "Unhooked fish swims faster."
I smiled, proud. "That's right."
"Prince Tristen?" She signed.
I jolted at her use of my title, "Yes?"
"Is Red your shi-amare?" She blinked, her blond hair wafting around her soft face.
I exhaled in defeat. "I hope not." The duties and responsibilities of being the crowned prince's shi-amare... isn't a life I wish for anyone.
She nodded, "She would be a pretty princess."
I twirled her blond hair and smiled. "Yes, she would have been."
Zuri swam near us, "I did it!" She yelled out loud. I stiffened as I straightened up.
Nixie raised her fingers, "Shhh!" Then she signed, "You can't talk!"
Zuri frowned, "Who are you, little creature?" She was still speaking out loud.
"Zuri," I signed, warningly as I swam up to her eye level.
Zuri rolled her eyes, "I managed to dismantle the sonar. The fays still believes they're listening since I switched up some wires to bounce back sounds..." She threw some words that I didn't understand.
I raised my palm to stop her. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, I am." She blinked confusingly. She was never one to joke. "We are safe."
"So they can't hear us right now?" I signed.
"Yes, that's what I just said."
"Are you crazy?" I yelled out loud, causing Zuri's tentacles to jerk outward and I continued. "You could've gotten us killed! You should've told me that you are going to do something so dangerous and irresponsible!"
Nixie cleared her throat and slithered out of earshot, escaping. Zuri frowned at Nixie in a slight betrayal. She turned back to me with beaten expression.
I sighed, hating her wounded look. I rubbed my hands over my face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. But you do realize you could have seriously injured all of us here. You can't just make decisions on your own anymore. Everyone's lives are at stake now."
Zuri breathed, acceptance. "You're right. I apologize for not coming to you first."
"It's not just about me... but I would appreciate it if you did come to me first before you do something so reckless."
Her tentacles shrank inward, "Okay, okay. I apologize. It's just that the sonar was there, with all that shiny metal and bolts and the wires were calling my name."
I stare heavenward, "What am I gonna do with you?" I searched around, "Where is Malona?"
Her eyes went big, "Don't yell at her. It's not her fault. She didn't know." She lowered her eyes, "She's taking a nap. I had to force her since I knew she hadn't slept for days."
Anyone could see she cared very much about her guardian. I nodded, "Okay. Thank you, for dismantling it." I smiled guilty at her. I turned and begun to pick up Nixie's tears. "Now help me pick these up."
She grinned proudly at my gratitude, "You are welcome." Zuri frowned as she glanced to the sands, "You were crying?"
I scoffed, "I haven't cried in a long time. These are Nixie's, the mer child."
"Oh," She said sadly. Zuri began picking up the white pearls with her tentacles. We straightened up once done and Zuri gave me a fistful of pearls until I was holding two fistful of tears. I was holding a child's sadness in my hands. Rage trickled in, angry at the fays, the old gods and fate that they would put Nixie though this.
Now what is this I hear... about this girl named Red?" Zuri smirked.
"I–uh–how, I mean, what do you know?" I stammered. Dammit, I sounded like a complete imbecile.
"You like her." Zuri's mouth slowly tugged wide, knowing very well that I'd never stumble upon my words like that. "Like you like her."
"Okay, we're done here." I began swimming away.
"Hey!" She swam after me while giggling, "I'm not done, I need answers!"
I went to my little cave, hoping that Zuri would respect my privacy. I sighed when she followed me right into my cave. This is Zuri we're talking about. If she was curious, she would go to the ends of the earth for answers.
"So she's a human that is immune to glamours?" Zuri curled her tentacles, popping the suckers against another, thinking, "I've never heard anything like it. And she's not clover so she can't see through the glamour?"
"No, she ca–"
"Perhaps she's part sidhes but I don't that's possible since Malona tells me she bears no physical evidence that is nonhuman." Zuri steamrolled, theorizing outloud and there was no stopping her. This might take awhile. I went to sit on a crevice of my cave and waited her out.
"I mean, if she was a clover, it would still be fascinating since clovers are really just mere humans with no abilities but the sight. The immunity, hmm, unicorns are immune to glamorous, thus, making them impossible to catch... But I doubt a unicorn bestow her such gift since they would die and Gale said she doesn't bear the mark of such..." She groaned, "This is going to drive me nuts! I need to meet her!" She turned to me, finally acknowledging me. "When is she coming?"
I blinked, "Probably tomorrow morning. She just came this morning."
"Ugh, I missed her. I should been kidnapped earlier." She frowned.
I laughed as I shook my head at her.
She awkwardly smiled and her large, dark eyes drifted above my head. "What are these markings on the rocks?"
I swallowed as my eyes lowered in gloominess. "The days the first group mers arrived here, 429 days."
Zuri's eyes got shiny. "How long have you been here?"
"About seven months."
"You were captured right as you left the kingdom."
I nodded pathetically.
Zuri drifted to the other side of the cave with tallies. "What do these six tallies mean?"
I swallowed glumly. "Mers that didn't returned."
Zuri inhaled sharply, "They're killing us?"
"I don't know, but I don't doubt it."
"Thalassa..." She croaked.
We stayed in silence, grieving for the six mers.
Zuri reached out and touched the tallie on my left. "And what about this one?"
"The mers that are here,"
Zuri stared for a long time at the wall, quiet. Wordlessly, she grabbed a rock from the sand with a tentacle. She holds it in her hand and gave another tallied mark. 118 mers.
Gale appeared at the entrance way with bubbled trailing behind–indicating that he had rushed over here. Concerned, I stiffened. What now...
"Sorry for interrupting, but there is something you need to know." Gale signed.
"Oh, you can speak. This mad genius dismantle the sonar." I tilted my head to Zuri. She ducked her head in embarrassment
His eyes bugged. "Wh–how..." He shook his head and spoke, "You know what, never mind. It's you we're talking about."
"What is it, Gale?" I asked.
"The dark fays are acting a bit frantic. Aleksi managed to lip read some of their conversation, it seems that one of their own is missing."
"A dark fay missing?" My gut clenched at that. Red.
"It seems the dark fay isn't returning to them and they are gathering a search for him."
"If they do that, they might come across Bodhi and Red." I begun to pace.
Zuri paused, "Bodhi is here?"
Gale sighed and begrudgingly answered, knowing what is coming next, "Yes, my shi-amare is here."
"I love her!" Zuri clapped joyfully, "And yep, you can definitely count on the fact that Bodhi killed that dark fay. For sure."
I groaned as I rubbed my nose bridge, "That was what my concern was and she just set a large dark fay hunt out there."
"Shit," Gale ran a hand through his head, realizing the kind of shi-amare he had. "I need to talk to her. I'm gonna go to sleep," He began to turn.
"Wait." I stopped Gale. "What do you mean talk to her?"
Zuri perked at my question. "Oh, according to my research, since shi-amares share a powerful connection, they share the same dreams when they are both sleeping. It's quite fascinating, though I quite haven't figured out if distance plays an obstacle since–"
"Ah, Zuri?" I interrupted her smoothly. "Do mind if I have a moment with Gale?" I didn't want her to be here when I ask my next question.
Her tentacles curled, flustered. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to drone on." She gave me a small bow and left.
"She's like a swimming info-net." Gale's eyes followed her out. Gale was indication Zuri to our technological advancement of the info-net, equivalent to human's internet. "So what is it?" Gale asked.
"Ah, this dream thing... doesn't Bodhi have to be asleep for it to work?"
"She does, but I can send a signal..." He trailed off as he narrowed his eyes at me, "It's not hard, just think about Red and she'll answer."
My face heat and I looked away. "That's not why I asked," I mumbled.
Gale chuckled, "Whatever you say, ahu." Then he swam up to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I know they are fine. We haven't experienced pain from their side, so they must be safe."
I sighed, finally accepting that Red could be my shi-amare. It just doesn't mean we have to accept each other as one and complete the bond. I stiffened, "Wait, pain?"
"Any injury one of us experience, the others' will."
Memories of Burn throwing his fists at me and Shade's spear stabbing my back. I groan out loud, my stomach roiling with fear and guilt. Red... Is she in pain? Maybe she didn't experience anything since we didn't complete the shi-amare bond.
"Oh no, your injuries." Gale whispered, following my thoughts.
"Do you think she felt them?" My hands jerked as I signed, "Even so soon?"
"It's different for every shi-amare, but... I felt Bodhi way before we ever came close to completing the bond."
I floated down on the cave's crevice, sitting. I leaned forward to put my head in my hands. I was already screwing this up, making this difficult for Red and I didn't want that... Not even with the shi-amare bond completed and I am already fucking it up by failing to protect her. I recalled the blood pooling from back injury, all the blood I spilled during interrogation and the syringe to my neck. Nausea relief and my chest tightened. I stood up abruptly, "I need to know if she's okay." I went up to Gale, "Show me how to call her."
"Okay, ahu. First, calm down."
"Dammit, Gale! I don't have time to calm down! I need to know if she's ok." I couldn't wait. My riddled anxiety manifest an image, her deep, golden eyes growing large with pain. I wanted my power desperately to break this glass prison, run out of here and hold her in my arms, safe. My chest thudded.
I needed to see her.
Gale shook me by my shoulders, ratting out of my thoughts. "Stop. She's okay. Bodhi would've contacted me earlier if otherwise. And you need to calm down if you are to sleep."
I nodded defeatedly. "Right..."
"Okay, now first, lay down."
Half of me hoped that it wouldn't work, that she isn't my shi-amare and that she didn't feel any of my injury. She would be safe from me.
But If the dream thing worked....
That would solidify that Red really is my shi-amare.
Then we would both be screwed.
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