Beyond the Sea (45 page)

“It’s a nice night,” Jeff commented, looking at the stars above them. “Very clear.”

“Yea, it is.” Jamie gazed upward. “Where’s the moon?”

“There isn’t one. Tonight is the new moon.”

A jolt went through Melia’s body. “Novus lleuad,” she said slowly, mentally trying to connect the dots.

               
“What?”

               
“The new moon. Tonight. Yep.” Why would moon phases be important to merrows? Because of the way the moon affected the tide? Was that how they told time? Melia had never once explained the importance to Jamie. She racked her brain, finally recalling that during a new moon, it was ideal to cast spells for banishing, starting new ventures or new beginnings.

“There’s less than an hour left,” Jeff said, sitting on a bench. “Want to stay here for a few minutes and go back in?”

“Yea, that sounds good.” Jamie chewed the inside of her lip. Why had Melia written ‘new moon’ in her notebook? Whose handwriting was on that message in the bottle? Did it mean something? It couldn’t since tonight was the new moon. And Melia was inside, safely away from the formidable ocean. She was spending the night with Peter and was going to San Diego in the morning. She was safe.

Jeff stood and extended a hand to Jamie. They slowly walked around the courtyard, talking about random, non-important things before they went back inside. He asked Jamie to dance and this time she willingly agreed. Two songs later, Peter cut in.

“Have you seen Melia?” he asked. Jamie shook her head. “She said she was going to find you.”

“I haven’t seen her in awhile,” Jamie said, letting go of Jeff, directing her attention to Peter. “You haven’t either?”

“No.”

“Shit,” Jamie swore. Peter put his hand on her arm to lead her away from the music so they could talk. It was a harmless gesture. Nevertheless, Jamie caught the flash of jealousy in Jeff’s eyes; it was disturbingly satisfying. “Let me go look for her in the bathroom,” Jamie said and sped away. She knew Melia wasn’t in there. How could she have been so naive?

“She’s not in there, but I think I have an idea where she went,” she told Peter, who followed her out into the lobby of the banquet hall. Connor and Courtney strode out.

“Did you find her?” Connor asked.

“Uh, not quite,” Peter mumbled, looking at Jamie.

She didn’t say anything, waiting for Connor to go away. Knowing she couldn’t waste anymore time, since every second put Melia farther away and further into danger, she said, “Her friends,
Finn
and
Gill
are in town. She’s outside talking to them.”

“Yep. I forgot about them. We should say hi as well,” Peter said quickly. “Actually,” he directed to Connor. “I, uh, really want to be alone with Melia. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Connor joked about Peter getting laid but he didn’t care. He needed to get to Melia, to save her. He didn’t know why she would go to Vaianu; it hurt that she so easily left. Jamie rushed to say bye to Jeff, trying to come up with an excuse as she paced over. Peter snuck out the back to avoid getting caught by the chaperones and impatiently waited in the car.

“Sorry,” Jamie apologized when she ducked into the car. “It wasn’t as easy as I thought. Jeff kept asking questions.”

“It’s alright.” Peter backed out of the parking spot. “What did you tell him?”

“That Melia got food poisoning from dinner.”

“Good thinking.” He peeled out of the parking lot and suddenly slammed on the brakes. “Where are we going? And she couldn’t have gotten far, right? I mean she’s on foot.”

“Most likely. I don’t know. I don’t understand why she’d meet him.”

“Are you sure that’s where she is?”

“I found a note inside a glass bottle. It said ‘novus lleuad’ along with something else in Mermish. I know that ‘novus lleuad’ means new moon. And tonight is the new moon.”

“I’m not following.”

“Nyneve told me that moon phases are important to merrows. In spell casting, the new moon is a good time to cast a spell to create a new beginning. I don’t know if it’s the same with merrows but…”

“But it fits enough to think Melia might agree to the deal. Why would she do that?”

“The recent deaths.” Jamie hit her head against the seat. “I should have known! Melia isn’t the type of person—merrow—to just sit here and do nothing. She acted like she was all fine and dandy and I wanted so much for her to be happy again I ignored how weird it was! God, I am such an awful friend!”

“No, you’re not. If anyone’s awful, it’s me. I ignored it too. Well, not really. I knew it was weird and did nothing. I didn’t want to ask her about it because I wanted her to be happy too.”

“She knew we would have stopped her. That has to be why she left without saying anything.”

“I would have stopped her,” Peter said definitely. He hit the steering wheel. “What is she thinking? What is she going to do?”

“I don’t know. Agreeing to the arrangement doesn’t make sense.”

“No, it doesn’t. And I honestly don’t think she would do it.” He turned to Jamie, barely able to see her in the dark. “So what now? What do we do?”

“We find her. We help. And then drag her ass to Indiana, far away from any ocean.”

Peter shook his head. “Lake Michigan.”

“You’re right. Kansas, then.” Jamie exhaled. “Any idea where to start looking?”

“Maybe. It’s a long shot, I suppose, but it’s the only place I can think of.”

“Good enough. Let’s go.”

-Chapter 19-

Melia sprinted along the shore, razor sharp rocks cutting into her bare feet. She didn’t stop or acknowledge the pain. She didn’t have time. She wasn’t going to risk their lives for nothing. She hiked her dress up above her knees, frivolously wishing she had changed into something more battle-friendly. Panting, she stopped, counting the rocks that jutted out of the dark, choppy water.

“Vaianu!” she screamed, once her breathing returned to normal. “Vaianu!” She waited, nerves on end. His large figure lumbered out of the water.

“Melia,” he cooed. “Changed your mind, did you? If I would have known all along that killing humans was the way to your heart…”

“Give it a rest. I’m not going willingly. There are conditions.” She worked to keep her eyes on his. She couldn’t feel their presence yet, which meant the merrows were still fighting off Vaianu’s army. She needed to draw this out for a bit longer.

“Conditions? After you tried to kill me? No.”

“You won’t be able to do this forever. Someone will stop you. It’s only a matter of time before everyone bands together.”

“I’ll kill them first.”

“And then what?”

“I will rule.”

“Who? If you kill all who oppose you, who will be left to be ruled?”

Vaianu faltered, not thinking that far ahead. “Then they will have to learn to not oppose me.” He stepped closer to Melia, causing her to move further from the water. “I would have thought you’d learn by now, Pearl. Celosa died trying to be with me. You are a lucky merrow.”

“That’s not all that I am. And she was crazy, that’s not saying much, Vaianu.”

Vaianu laughed and moved closer. Fearful goosebumps broke out over Melia’s skin.

“Oh, how you are wrong.” He held up his hands. “But this-this is more than I asked for. You truly are stunning tonight, Melia. They will follow you based on your beauty alone.”

“You’re wrong.”

“Am I? Tell me, Melia, what do your beloved humans like? Who do they
follow
? What’s important to them?”

Vaianu was making a point. Melia hated it, and she hated that he had done research on humans. Acting on their own accord, her eyes scanned the water. “Vaianu,” she breathed, her heart once again racing. “Please. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Of course it doesn’t
have
to be this way. I want it to be this way. It’s the way it used to be, the way it should be.”

“You can’t kill every single human.”

“Oh, I know that. But I can kill everyone that comes into
my
water. They have no right to be there.”

She inched to the right, moving closer to the water. “My conditions,” she desperately pleaded. “Let’s talk about the conditions.”

“If you insist,” Vaianu mocked. “What are they?”

“There are certain humans that are not to be harmed.”

“Little Pearl,” Vaianu put his arm around Melia, directing her away from the water. “All they have to do is stay rightfully on land. Good enough? Do you agree?”

“Yes,” Melia forced herself to say. “You have to promise not to harm my mother, her husband, Peter, or Jamie.”

“Cross my heart,” he leered. “Melia,” he snarled. “Will you be my wife and partner?”

Melia closed her eyes. “Yes.”

Vaianu grabbed her around the waist. “This is our wedding night. We should celebrate.”

Energy vibrated under the water. One by one, Melia began to sense their auras. “The water!” she said quickly, knowing she was safe in the ocean. Too quickly, causing Vaianu to glare dubiously down at Melia.

“No. On land. Since you love it so much.”

“T-the water. You like the water.”

“And since when do you want to please me?”

“I-I…” Melia knew she was trapped. Her best bet was making it to the water where the army of merrows and oceanids were waiting . She jerked out of his hold and leapt forward. She was fast, but not fast enough. Vaianu knocked her to the ground.

“You think I’m stupid? You think I didn’t know you were lying?” He knelt overtop of her, pinning her arms. “Is that where they are? Your stupid humans? Are they hiding in the water?”

               
“No! Vaianu, they’re human—they-they can’t be in the water.” Melia thrashed against him, but her efforts were no match against his weight.

“Yes they can! With tanks and weapons and cages. Ready to catch us and kill us and eat us!” Melia screamed as he snatched her wrists and twisted her arms above her head. “Or put us on display. Have you ever thought about that? Don’t you think your humans have wondered what the rewards of finding us would be? I used a wish to gain knowledge about humans. I know how they work, I know what drives them. We need to separate completely from them before it’s too late.” He hit her hard on the head, momentarily stunning her. Using the stillness to his advantage, he hoisted Melia up over his shoulder. “I will go into the water, Pearl. Just not with you.”

He lumbered farther from the water, throwing Melia down in rocky sand. She landed hard, scraping her exposed skin on tiny rocks. She felt a presence behind her and she scrambled to get up. Stepping on the hem of her long dress, Melia fell. That’s when she noticed the circle drawn in the sand around her. And smelled the oil.

“Now!” Vaianu shouted. Mako appeared from the shadows. He clicked a lighter and dropped it, its flame hitting the oil and setting the circle on fire. Melia screamed.

She was stuck, trapped, surrounded by fire. She clambered to the middle of the circle. Heat radiated out, painfully warming the glass beads on her dress. She turned, feeling flames from all sides. Oil popped, splattering on her skin.

She screamed in pain, terrified. Huge flames danced around her, sputtering and sending more oil flying. The heat burned her lungs. She coughed, each breath painful. The flames blinded her. Even when Melia closed her eyes, she could see the dancing flickers of deadly fire.

This was it. This was how she was going to die.

*

“Do you smell that?” Jamie asked Peter as they raced through the weeds. “Something’s on fire.”

“No,” Peter shouted behind him, not slowing down. “Hurry up!”

“I’m trying,” Jamie promised. “It’s hard running through this in heels and a dress.”

Peter finally slowed, realizing Jamie was right. It was no use running ahead; he might need her somehow. He helped her through a patch of thorny bushes.

“We’re almost there,” he said. “I can hear the ocean.” He grabbed Jamie’s hand, dragging her forward. They skidded to a stop at the top of the cliff. Yellow light illuminated the shore. Jamie thought it was a bonfire at first; her heart sunk over not finding Melia. Then she heard the scream.

“Melia’s inside the fire!” she cried.

Peter’s eyes widened in fear. “MEL—” he yelled. Jamie clamped her hand over his mouth.

“No!” She pointed. “There’s something else there. We can’t help her if we’re dead.”

Peter only nodded. They were too high up to jump. Besides, he knew the water was riddled with rocks. Their only option was to scale down the cliff, which would be painstakingly slow. They would never get to her in time.

Their hooves hammered along the shore. Three kelpies thundered through the shallow water. Vaianu dove out of the way just in time, disappearing under the surface of the ocean. Rèalta leapt upon Mako, his hooves slamming his body to the ground. With a harrowing growl, Rèalta sank his fangs into the adaro’s neck. Cordelia slid to a stop, sending sand flying onto the fire. The flames bobbed as the sand covered the oil. Melia’s head jerked up. Covering her nose with one hand, she tossed a fistful of sand onto the circle.
 
It thinned the fire. She picked up more sand, throwing it, moving manically, until she was able to escape. Clinging to Cordelia, she made her way to the ocean.