The Secret of the Emerald Sea (26 page)

Chapter Sixty-Three

“Did you feel that?” Jane asked Minerva as they walked through the darkness.

“Yes,” Minerva said, looking over at the Cupid, who stopped walking and turned back to the women.

“He is here,” the Cupid said simply. “
Pluto
. We are running out of time.”

Jane shivered in the darkness, the coldness seeping into her bones. The forest was perfectly still, but there was a feeling of menace in the air, a cold fear that all of them could sense. It was the feeling that had driven them from the village. Only, this time, it was so much stronger than that.

Minerva held their hands and they stood all in a row. She closed her eyes and chanted some words in her own true language, and then Jane watched as the Cupid felt the pain, the familiar pain that wracked his body, as the change came over him more quickly than it ever had before.

“We need you,” Minerva told him as he cried out in pain and doubled over. His skin glowed as his body grew longer and larger and the buds pushed through his skin. He moaned, feeling the power, his power, surge through his tortured body. Soon, he let go of their hands and floated over them, staring down at the women. He rose in the air, twisting and turning, gently moving his wings to stay aloft.

“It was easier...this time,” he called out. “The pain passed so quickly!”

“Yes,” Minerva answered. “One day you will not need to suffer this way to be who you are.” Jane smiled at this.

“Come,” he said, reaching his strong arms down to grasp Jane under one arm and the goddess under the other. “You two are heavy, but I think I can do it if I try.”

His face was dark with strain as he tried to work his wings under their heavy load. Jane watched the earthen floor recede as he carried them upward, moaning with their weight. They could not fly high, but soon they were high enough that they could see the shining Emerald Sea in the distance. He fluttered his huge, snow white wings, and moved over the landscape as Jane felt the familiar sensation of euphoria and fear.

The Cupid headed toward the shoreline where she would finally be safe. He would not go to the Sky, he murmured in her ear, but would stay to fight the Great War, for he was strong, and he said he could feel power flowing through his being. His eyes glowed deep blue now. Jane stared down in wonder as they flew faster and faster toward the sea, and soon they passed the edge of the forest, the village of Lynnshire far, far away now.

He set them down on the dark sand and stood before them. “You must go,” he told her, pulling her close to him. “Your eyes are ivy green in the moonlight, Jane,” he whispered. “I think I have never seen anyone so beautiful!”

“No, I cannot leave you. Please, don’t make me go!” she begged as she stared into his face.

“You must go,” Minerva told her, and then they all looked at one another. As they did, Jane heard a rustle behind them. Cupid pulled out his arrow and turned toward the noise. Jane watched nervously as Minerva began to blow upon the ring she wore.

Soon, Jane felt terrified as two figures emerged from the dark forest. They appeared as black silhouettes, both of about the same height. One of the shapes called out in the darkness for Minerva, and the goddess’ face seemed to light up. She must recognize the voice!

The dark figures ran down to the sand, and Jane’s heart was in her throat as she saw Blake, gazing at her as he ran. She felt tears spring up into her eyes, and she ran toward him, fearing nothing. They embraced, and Blake kissed her endlessly as the group came together.

Blake and Jane broke their kiss and stared at one another. The young man smiled, and Jane felt her heart break, for she must leave him. It was the only way to protect him. “I am sorry,” she said softly. “I am sorry I could not tell you who I am. Do you know now, who I really am?”

“Yes,” he whispered. “I know you must go, but can you not take me with you, Jane? I love you...”

Jane looked down, for there was little time now. “You would not be happy,” she said in despair. “You would not be happy there. It is no place for humans, and you would become angry with me for what I’d done to you.”

Blake’s eyes filled with tears, and he turned away from her, staring at Minerva and Diana.

“Where is the boy...her brother?” he asked, bewildered, as Jane stared into his face. Her heart was breaking. It always seemed to ache when she was with him. “Shall I take him with me, away from this place?”

“I am here,” the Cupid said, moving closer. “I am here.”

“You are a man, not a little boy,” the young lord answered accusingly, and Jane winced. There had been so many lies.

Jane watched as the Cupid moved close to the young man and stared into his face. Blake was so handsome, and so innocent. “I was the one who pierced you with my arrow that night at the Christmas Pageant when no one could see except the two of us.”

“I don’t understand,” Blake said in anger, glaring at the winged man. He turned to Jane, his voice accusing. “Where is the child? This cannot be him!”

“He’s not truly a child,” Minerva said, answering for Jane. “He is the Cupid who stands before you now, the daughter of Venus herself...the Goddess of Love.”

Jane looked over at the Cupid, who seemed desperately sad.

“He is cursed, and appears as a human child by day, but this is his true self, and only some of us can see him until the curse is broken and he can be free. You are under enchantment by the gods, and by black magic, and so you can see him thus. I have weakened the curse, but I cannot break it yet.”

“I was pierced by Cupid’s arrow, and bound to Jane?” he said, bewildered. “I had no need of that for I would have given her my heart anyway.”

“I did not bewitch you,” Jane said heatedly, glaring at the Cupid. “I swear to you, I knew nothing of this.”

“She did not know...” the Cupid said, retreating into the darkness. “It was my doing alone, and I am sorry.”

His voice was cold now, disembodied. Jane looked on as he went and sat by the shore, his wings folded around him. She turned away from him; she could not face him. He had deceived her and led her to ruin.

“You must take Blake away, Diana,” Minerva said heatedly. “Somewhere where he cannot be found, and hide him well.”

Diana nodded. “But you will need my help, will you not?” she asked. “For I can feel the evil closing in on us, and I know what that means, and so do you...”

“Yes, I can feel it, too. There isn’t much time.” Minerva rubbed on the ring on her finger, blew on it again. The pearl’s colors were changing and shifting.

“I have help, don’t worry,” Jane said, and Diana took the boy’s hand and led him away.

“I will hide him well, with the animals, and stay with him until this is over.”

“It will be over soon,” the Cupid said, his back turned. The sea in front of him was turning wild and rough. “Tomorrow, take him to his mother.”

“She is gone...I sent her away,” Blake said, crying a little. He gazed at Jane, and her heart filled with longing.

“She waits for you,” the Cupid barked. “I feel more powerful now. I can always feel love, but all is stronger now, and I know she waits. She is there, in your house, and she will not leave until you come. Her love is so strong. She sent others to look for you instead, but they will not find you here. You must go back.”

Jane took Blake’s hand, and she shook as she raised it to her lips and kissed it gently. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” she said, tears streaming down her face. He let her go, watching her walk down to the shore.

I will do anything to keep him safe
, she thought as she nodded at Diana who swept the boy away again into the darkness.

“Diana will take care of him. She is powerful, and she can hide him well. He will be safe,” Minerva said, walking with her.

“I believe you,” Jane said, and she held the goddess close, burying her face in her shoulder.

“It’s time to go now,” Minerva said simply.

Jane took off her boots and she sat at the edge of the shore, touching the water with one hand. The full moon lit up the night sky. She looked back at the Cupid, still angry with him, but her anger melted as she saw his face. He stared at her with sorrow and with longing, and with true love. She felt the mixture of confusion and attraction that always overtook her when he was a man. He came over to her then, and held her gently in his arms, his white wings enfolding her.

“I will see you again, I swear it. I would die for you, Jane. I took you to the village because...something made me take you there. We were all meant to be in this place, together, on this night. I was meant to bind you to Blake so that you would stay. The Great War is coming, and we were meant to be part of it. That is all.” He let her go, and stepped back, watching the waves froth behind her.

“Why us?” she asked, dreading the sea, and unwilling to leave him

“Pluto destroyed me. Perhaps I am meant to destroy him in kind,” The Cupid said. “I have one arrow left, Jane, and I will use it well...”

“Come with me,” she said, suddenly. “I want to be with you.”

“One day, perhaps, but not this day.” He smiled. He held her gaze, his eyes intense.

As Jane turned to the water, she saw a legion of creatures rising out of the surf with great, thick manes of hair like Neptune’s, and strong chests covered in golden scales. She smiled, for she knew her father had sent them to help her, to help all of them. The soldiers waited in the water, scanning the edge of the forest. Cupid nodded at them, and one of their kind came forward.

“I am here to take you home, my princess,” he said, reaching out for her hand.

“Goodbye,” Jane said, looking at Minerva. “Thank you, goddess.” Then, Jane went deeper into the water, which seemed to glow turquoise and green and gold, and then opal white. The full moon glittered against the sea as the soldier led her under the waves, and Jane sank down with him, into the depths.

She knew they all watched in wonder from the shore as her bright tail flicked up to the surface and then disappeared. At once, stillness of the Emerald Sea would return, but she would be gone from all of them...

* * * *

Minerva stood with the Cupid, and they turned and faced the woodlands, the mermen behind them all in a long row. Everyone was watchful and silent. The Cupid reached for his quiver and held the gold-tipped arrow in his hand. Its symbols glowed now, and its tip was razor sharp. He hid it in his cloak, but held onto it all the same. His hand grasped in under his rough cape so that it was invisible.

The sky lit up in a flash of scarlet and gray smoke as Pluto floated over the tall trees and came toward the sand. He landed about fifty feet from them, and the merman fell into position, marching in formation. They had lay on the beach, just for a moment, as their new legs grew strong, then quickly stood up as they had been trained to do with barely any awkwardness.

As they saw Pluto, they formed a barrier around Minerva, and tried to usher the Cupid in, too, but he shook his head. He walked toward Pluto, feeling the terrible fear that assaulted his senses and left him overpowered. He tried to clear his head, for the man was huge, and menacing, and seemed somehow familiar.

“Cupid,” Pluto said, “it has been a long time. My, how you’ve grown.”

“It was you,” the Cupid said. “All this pain, and this curse, and for what?”

“For revenge,” Pluto said, and he raised his hand, gently blowing on a ring on his third finger. It was a flat onyx stone, and when Pluto blew onto it, it seemed to come to life, becoming a crimson river, flowing with dark blood. Shadowy figures emerged from the river, moaning, and began a solemn march as the Cupid held tight to his arrow, watching the river dwellers grow and change.

“He’s sending his creatures,” the Cupid yelled, floating up into the air. “Take Minerva and go!”

“I will not go!” she yelled. “We will stay and fight. Pluto cannot hurt me now,” she said.

“So the girl is under the water now,” Pluto said, “but she will come back for the boy, and I will be waiting.”

“She will never come back,” Minerva said. “I will see that she does not, and you will leave the boy alone. He’s of no matter to you.”

“If she comes, I will know,” he said. He grinned as he watched his men transform. Cupid drew in his breath as they made a great legion of warriors. All of them were decomposed to some degree. They were terrible to behold. Their broken bodies were obviously held together only through Pluto’s black magic, conjured forth from the jaws of death and damnation.

They moved toward the mermen on the shores, and they fought one another. The mermen swung great, iron tridents to fend them off. Cupid ducked in and grabbed Minerva, and they rose in the air over the soldiers as Pluto stared up at them, his face a mask of calm. In truth, he was angry, for the girl had gone back under the water now, and he was not powerful there.

He grimaced at the Cupid, who heard him yell out that he should have destroyed him long ago. Cupid watched the mermen fall to their deaths as his creatures smothered them. Their tridents were useless against the magical beings who spewed hate and bloodlust. Pluto’s warriors were stronger—just as he knew they would be. Would hate always win out over love?

Cupid flew over the sea, as high as he could, with the goddess in his arms. He had never before climbed this high, and the ascent was dizzying. He ignored Minerva’s protests as he carried her up into the night sky, far away from danger. He could no longer see the battle that raged below him, but he would soon go back and fight. This woman had rescued them. She had saved his dear Jane’s life, and he would ensure her safety above all things.

“Where do I go?” he yelled to her as they flew. She knew what he meant, and he told him to close his eyes and repeat the secret words she said. He did as she asked, and when he opened his eyes, he saw a cloud shining with golden light as though it were high noon. He was startled by the brightness, and almost dropped the goddess, but she clung to him.

“Take me there,” she told him, pointing to the center of the cloud. “Fly above it and just drop me. And go and use your arrow on Pluto, for it may be all that will work.”