Chapter Twenty-One: Beached

Evangeline skipped up to me with an excited grin on her face as I walked back down to the bathroom holding a stack of towels. 

“Mommy! Mommy!” she cried, her eyes wide with wonder. “There’s a mermaid in the bathtub!”

I smiled, patting her on the head as I passed her. “Yes, dear. There is.”

Reece stood at the doorway to the bathroom looking lost and confused.  He raised his eyebrows as I walked in.

 “Why is there a mermaid in the bathtub?” he asked.
I smirked at him, putting the towels down on the counter. “Are you not glad to see her alive and well?”

 “Yes,” Reece said slowly, glancing at Nirina out of the corner of his eye. “But why is she in our bathtub?”

 “She is giving birth.” I answered, kneeling down next to the porcelain tub. “Is there enough salt in the water for you?”

 Nirina managed a meek nod of her head. Her face was still twisted in pain. “What?” Reece exclaimed, his eyes growing wide as he stepped away from the tub. “Don’t fish lay eggs?”

Nirina shot him a very cold glare. “I’m not a fish, I’m a marine mammal!”

“Reece, turn the other light on, will you?” I said, removing my shoes and stepping into the bathtub. “Turn over for me, Niri?”

“She can’t give birth in the bathtub...” Reece grumbled as he crossed behind me. “Mermaids don’t even have- oh.” he stopped dead as he flipped on the light switch, his eyes bugging out. “Oh.... oh I guess they do…”

“Do you mind, guppy?” Nirina snapped.
Reece covered his eyes and turned away.

“Sorry.” he grumbled.
“Nirina,” I said softly. “Where have you been? What happened?”
Nirina pressed her forehead up against the side of the tub and hissed through her teeth. I rubbed her shoulder until her expression relaxed and she opened her eyes.

“It was… six months ago? I think. I’ve lost track of the time…” Nirina murmured, lifting her head. “Hale and I were… umm… walking home from work and were attacked…” She paused to breathe, and I glanced at the clock against the wall. “They were witches. Lucians.”
Reece knelt down next to the tub. “What did they do to you? Were either of you hurt? How did you escape? What happened to Hale? Where is he?” The secondhand of the clock reached twelve and Nirina let out a cry.

“Easy!” I said, and Reece bit his lip and backed away.

 Nirina fisted her hands against the side of the tub and I tried to coach her as she breathed.  The secondhand had completed a full circle before Nirina relaxed again. “Reaper- what in the seven seas possessed you to do this this more than once?”  Nirina groaned, stumbling over her words.  “Salt… I need salt.”

I backed up and reached for the box I’d lain by the side of the tub.

“Wait!” Nirina shouted. Her eyes quivered. “Will the saltwater hurt the baby?” I shook my head.  “No… merfolk require saltwater for childbirth, do they not?”

“Yes but… but the baby might not be a mermaid. It might be a… it might be a…” Nirina bit her lip and her voice dropped down to a whisper. “The father’s a genie.”

"A genie?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “What genie?” Nirina leaned her head back with a breathy snort.

"Hale…” she muttered, so low I could barely hear it.

"Hale?” I exclaimed, laughing. I glanced at Reece, who was covering the smirk on his face as he looked back at me.

Nirina’s cheeks tinged red and she sunk lower in the bathtub. "I did not realize the two of you were lovers!” I said, smiling.

"Lovers…” Nirina muttered, her mouth so close to the waterline that her words gurgled with bubbles. “Ha…”

"Oh, but this is a joyous match!” I exclaimed, giggling. “I always thought that there was tension between the two of you.”  I frowned, working out the math in my mind.  The child must have already been conceived by the time that Nirina had sent her last e-mail.  “Why did you not tell us?” “I was embarrassed.  Reaper, that sounds so stupid now..." Nirina said, her voice breaking as she spoke.  “All that high and mighty talk I made about not needing guppies on my fins.” Nirina’s eyes misted, and she touched her bare stomach.  “It’s okay, guppy.  I don’t mean it now.”

“The Lucians…”  Reece cautiously put a hand on the side of the tub and leaned closer.  “What did they do with you?  Where were you?” “They moved us around.  I never could quite tell where we were… it was always dark and they sedated us half the time.  And reaper there were so many of us.  Hardly any food…they took so much blood...”  Nirina murmured weakly.  She smiled for an instant, stroking her stomach with one finger.  “Hale gave me half his portions.  He always made sure I was okay.”

Reece frowned.  “Well that sounds… awfully noble of Hale. Are you sure they didn’t do some sort of crazy experiment on his head?” Nirina curled her hand into a fist next to the porcelain wall of the tub and laughed through a strained gasp.  “Not entirely… no…”  Nirina’s face twisted and I squeezed her hand.  She relaxed again when the secondhand of the clock had made its full circle.  “… but I only escaped because of him.  They were moving us again.  He distracted the guards, and I ran.  The contractions started when I was in the middle of the woods.  I was so scared.  I wandered around for ages before I recognized the landmarks and made it to the outskirts of town.”

Nirina paused, and I squeezed her hand again.  She gently shook her head.

“I… I think they were about to get rid of us.  I overheard them talking… there was this dark-haired lady with super creepy eyes giving them orders.  She said something about… not needing us anymore.  That we were plan B…”  Nirina lifted her eyes to mine. “… and plan A had finally come around.” I felt a sudden chill.  The dark haired lady Nirina saw could only be Quintessa.

Nirina bit her lip and whimpered.  Her head dropped down to her chest.

“He could be dead by now…”  Nirina mumbled.  “Oh, Watcher… let him still be alive.”

 "Mommy?”  I heard Evageline’s voice by the door.  “Is she gonna be okay?”

Bowen was peeking under her arm. I pressed a finger to my lips.  "She will be fine.  It’s past your bedtime, sweetheart.”

Evageline’s eyes widened in pleading.

"But Mommy!” she cried.

"I promise, you can meet the mermaid tomorrow.”  I said, shaking my head.  “Reece?”

Reece jumped up and slung Bowen on his hip, then clasped Evageline by the hand.  “Come on, Eva.  It’s bedtime.”

Evageline grumbled, glancing behind her and craning her neck to see Nirina through the open door as she turned the corner. Nirina’s breathing was growing increasingly labored by the minute.  She leaned against the side of the tub, shaking her head.  "Sophia, I’m scared.”

"Just breathe.” I said, putting my hand on her shoulder.  “I promise it will be over before you know it.”

"But Sophia, what if it’s a genie?”  Nirina said, lifting her head to look me in the eye.  “I don’t have any idea how to raise a genie!”

"Worry about that once the child is here, Nirina.”  I said, glancing down into the salty water.  “Alright, you have dilated enough.  Now push.” Nirina groaned, gritting her teeth together.  She exhaled with a whimper, and then after some coaxing, clenched her fists at the sides of the tub and pushed again.  The fluke of her tail flipped up and then splashed back down again, sending streams of water cascading onto the floor.

"Come on, Niri.  Again.”  I said.

 Nirina lifted her torso, clasping onto the side of the tub with a groan that turned into a scream as it echoed through the bathroom.  She dipped her head back down into the water.

 Reece reentered the bathroom, cringing with the last echos of Nirina’s scream.  He shut the door.

"I don’t think they’re going to get much sleep.”  he muttered.

 Nirina could only answer with another ear-piercing cry.  After every push, she would fall back underwater again.  Her fluke would twitch.  Water would overflow from the sides of the tub and splash onto the floor. "That’s it!”  I finally cried.  “Another, Niri.  Come on!”

Nirina obeyed.  This time, as her scream died in her throat, I lifted her child out into the open air.  As soon as his mouth broke the surface, the baby was screaming and squirming in my arms.

 Reece breathed a sigh of relief, clasping his hands to his head. "Oh thank Watcher.”

"It’s a boy!  He looks just like his father!”  I said, holding the child closer to me.  “Reece, get me a towel and my surgical scissors.”

Reece did as I asked.  Nirina lay back in the tub, her chest heaving.  I cut the umbilical cord and she looked up at me with wide-eyed terror.

"Sophia…” she said, her voice shaking.  I wrapped the baby boy in the towel Reece handed to me.  “It’s just the afterbirth, stay calm.” Nirina squeezed her eyes shut, groaning.  “I really don’t think so!” I took my eyes away from the baby boy’s scrunched up face.  I whispered an oath under my breath and held the baby out towards Reece.

"Take him.”  I ordered, shoving the baby against his chest.

"Take him?”  Reece said, his eyes widening as he slowly, much too slowly, cradled his arms to hold the infant.  “Take him, what?  What’s going on?”

"The twin is crowning.”  I said, turning back towards Nirina. “Twin?” Reece shouted. I plunged my hands back under the surface of the water as Nirina let out another ear-splitting scream.  Reece backed up against the wall, holding the howling boy close.  My hands caught the baby girl’s head just as she emerged. Water pooled around the bathtub, dripped from the counter tops, and fell from the ceiling.  Nirina lay back, panting, in an almost empty tub, sweat coated on her brow.

 And two beautiful babies wailed.

The next morning, I led my ecstatic young daughter down the stairs and into the bedroom where Nirina was resting.

“Hey guppy junior.”  Nirina whispered.  “Long time no see.  Wow… you’re bigger.” “Hi!”  Evageline said, tugging her hand from mine and racing across the room. Her eyes widened as she stared down at the newborns who snuggled against Nirina’s chest. “Are they merbabies?”

“Maybe.”  Nirina said, kissing her son’s forehead.  “Still too early to tell.”

“Can I hold one?”  Evageline asked.  She glanced at me for approval.  I nodded my head. Nirina shifted and Evangeline held out her arms.

“This is Undine.”  Nirina said, placing her daughter in Eva’s hands.  She stroked her son’s brow.  “And this is Moses.”

“Undine.”  Evageline said, bouncing the baby girl in her arms with a sparkle in her eyes.  “You’re pretty.” I beamed, leaning against the door frame. I heard Reece shuffling around in the kitchen behind me, and turned my head. He dropped a backpack down on the table and shoved a few elixirs into it.  When he noticed me watching, he pursed his lips together and shook his head.

“Can’t reach Regan.”  He zipped the backpack up and slung it over his shoulder.  “If the supernaturals were being herded through the Western Wood less than forty-eight hours ago, they might still be nearby.  I can try to pinpoint where with a magical tracking spell.” "No!” I said, glancing back behind me for an instant. Nirina looked up at me, concern on her face. I stepped away from the doorway and lowered my voice. “By yourself? Do you even know how many Lucians are out there?” “Dad is out on the river just north of the woods… we can track them together.” Reece said, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and dialing.

 I yanked the phone out of his hands.

“No!”  I repeated.  “If he is already out there, ask him to go!  You cannot leave now!  What about the children?”

 Reece’s shoulders slumped.  He turned back towards me and wrapped his arms around my waist, laying a kiss on my neck.  He tilted his head towards Nirina and Evageline, who held the two newborns close.

"What about those children?” he asked softly.  My fingers around the phone loosened. Reece held out his hand, and I reluctantly dropped the phone into it.

Reece started dialing again, turning away from me. I grasped his chin and pulled him back, pressing my lips against his.

“Stay safe.”  I whispered.

“I will.”  he whispered back. He put the phone to his ear and backed away.  My arms fell limp to my sides.

I felt something tugging on my leg and I looked down to see Gawain staring up at me with his father’s turquois eyes.

“Ma-ama!”  he laughed.  It was the only word he could say.

I lifted him up and pressed my cheek to his feathery blonde hair.  I heard Reece speaking in a low voice behind me, and then the front door slammed shut.
Hours later, I watched my children play together on the floor.  Nirina knelt by the crib and watched the sleeping faces of her twins.

Daria came to the front door, Yasmin and Irwyn in tow. She and Nirina had a tearful reunion.

“I was so worried…”  Daria whispered, rocking Nirina back and forth. Evangeline started chattering excitedly to Yasmin about finding Nirina in the bathtub last night.   Irwyn waddled over to where the other little boys were playing, flowers blossoming in his wake.

Thunder rumbled outside.  A second storm front was blowing in.  I sighed, pressing my forehead to the window.  For the hundredth time, I prayed that Reece and his father were all right.

“Is that Daddy?”  Evangeline said, jumping up to the window.  “Is he back?”

I jolted upright and squinted through the misted window.  A car was pulling up to the curb.  Was it that ugly rust-bucket Jalopy?  It was too dark to tell.  I spun on my heels and raced down the stairs. I threw the front door open, letting in the roar of the wind, just as a figure came racing up the walkway.

“Regan?”  I shouted in confusion. Regan held up her hands as she approached the doorway. “Get back inside.”

I backed away, and Regan slammed the door shut behind us, twisting the dead bolt into place. Evangeline and Yasmin appeared on the stairway behind me.  As soon as Evangeline caught sight of Regan, she grinned from ear to ear. “Auntie!”  she squealed.

In three large bounds, she rushed across the room and hugged Regan’s leg.  Regan patted Evangeline on the head, and muttered an acknowledgement.  She kept her eyes on the window.  It was then that I noticed she had her wand clenched in one hand.

“What are you doing here?  Did you get Reece’s message?”  I asked.

“Yeah.”  Regan replied.  She turned around, breathing heavily.  Her face was pale. “Well did you get a hold of him?”  I asked, my heart pounding faster.

Regan nodded her head, brushing past me to the alchemy cabinet in the kitchen.  She went straight for the strongest elixirs on the top shelf.  With one thumb she popped the cork out of an Essence of Magic and downed the entire bottle in a single gulp.  Then, she shoved a pair of bottles in the pocket of her jacket. The pounding in my chest turned cold.  I felt as though I were sinking into the floor.

“Something happened.”  I said, stepping forward.  “He is in trouble.” “No...”  Regan said, slamming the cabinet shut.  She turned towards me, biting her lip.  “...yes.  We are all in trouble.”

I stared back at her, clasping both of my hands together at my chest.  I heard shuffling behind me, Daria and Nirina coming down the stairs.  Regan’s eyes flickered up to them.  She swallowed, a pained expression on her face.

“Our prison was ambushed.  Gaia and Constantine have escaped.” My mouth dropped open.

Of all the horrible scenarios that had been circling around in my mind, I had never once even considered this.

“What?  How long ago?” I asked. Regan tossed her wand over her shoulder and reached up to take one of the wands from the high shelf.  She shook her head as she did, wiping the sweat and rain from her brow.

“A few hours…” she murmured.  “They’re not far… but they literally have their entire force guarding them.  Gaia had the tome.  They retreated to the lowest level of the city.”

She backed away from the shelf, gripping the wand in one hand and clenching a fist with the other.

“I think… this is it.”  she said, lifting her head.  “They’re going to try and cast the curse.” I instinctively reached back for Evangeline’s hand.  But my daughter was too far away, still standing by the front door.  Yasmin reached up and curled her fingers in mine.  She stared up at me with her big green eyes and I could see in her face that she did not understand what was going on, but she was still scared. “Do you… do you really think they can do it?”  I asked, my mouth dry.  “You said you didn’t think the elixir would work…”

Regan shook her head.  “I don’t know anymore.”

She brushed past me to the front door.  Her fingers were shaking as she twisted the deadbolt.

I squeezed Yasmin’s hand.  “What happens after the curse is cast?” Regan snorted.  “All abyss breaks loose.”

“Drought, famine, disease... it would turn the world into a wasteland where only the Lucians had control of any natural resources.”  I recalled Reece telling me over a game of chess all those years ago. “For how long?”  I asked.

Regan opened the door a crack and a gust of wind blew it out of her hands.  It banged into the wall and Regan muttered an oath.

“Regan, for how long?”  I repeated. “A hundred years!”  Regan shouted, spinning around to face me.  Her face softened for a moment, and she lowered her voice.  “The curse has a lifespan of one hundred years.” The room was quiet for a moment.  Even the babbling of the toddlers upstairs fell silent.

One hundred years.  My children would spend the rest of their lives scavenging and starving.  How long before they would turn to the Lucians and beg to be spared?  Even if they could live apart from the Lucians, they would be slaves to survival until the day they died.  My grandchildren would be old before the curse ended, assuming any could even be born in this frightening, and chaotic world. Regan reached out and clasped the door handle.

“Stay here.”  she said firmly.  “Get the candles out, electricity will be the first thing to go.  And take as much fruit from the garden as you can, the plants will all be dead before sunrise.  Lock the doors.  Lock the windows.  Get out that little sword you practice with all the time… pray to the Watcher.” She turned to go.

“Regan!”  I shouted.

She stopped and turned around.  The rain battered her freckled face, and lightning illuminated the street behind her.

“Good luck.”  I whispered. Regan nodded her head.  “You too.”

She turned and shut the door.  The sound of the storm outside was muffled.

Yasmin stared out the window.  She started tugging on my hand.  “Miss Sophia!”

“One moment, Yasmin.”  I said, taking a deep breath and turning around.  “Daria, gather as much from the garden as you can.  Niri, start filling up bottles of water.” Daria and Nirina both nodded their heads.  I clutched Yasmin’s hand and started leading her up the stairs.

“Miss Sophia!” she shouted again, pointing back towards the front door.

“Hold on.”  I said, helping her up the final step and leading her over to where her brother and my two sons played.  “I need you to do something very important.  Watch your little brother, and keep an eye on my sons.  I’ll be back up as soon as I can.” I let go of her hand and backed up, surveying the group of children.

There was Yasmin, Irwyn, Bowen, Gawain… Moses and Undine were sleeping in their crib. I blinked.  “Where is Evangeline?”

“She climbed in Aunt Regan’s trunk!”  Yasmin finally finished, pointing out the window. For a moment, I stared at her, shell-shocked.  “What?” Yasmin crossed her arms.  “I was trying to tell you.”

My mouth went dry.  My chest went numb.  Would my five-year-old daughter do that?  The answer was, of course, yes!  My five-year-old daughter, who never wore her coat in three feet of snow, picked fights with boys twice her age, and cursed grown men in the name of the ancients, would do that!

I raced over to the window and pressed my hands up against the freezing glass.  The headlights of Regan’s car were already disappearing around the street corner. Plagues!  Plagues!  Plagues!  PLAGUES!

I bolted down the stairs and tore through the front door.  Rain cascaded down my face.

Daria stood upright in the garden. “Sophia?  What is it?”

“Evangeline!”  I screamed over the sound of the storm.  I had a small, dim hope that Yasmin had been making things up.  I would find Eva lingering by the front door or splashing outside in the puddles.  But she was gone.

I was hyperventilating now.  I could feel the cold, frantic pounding of my heart in every inch of my being.  Lightning cracked the sky, and the following clap of thunder seemed to shake the earth. “Stay here.” Regan had said.

Well, grim reap that!

I whirled around and raced back inside.  Water dripped from my hair and my shoes squeaked on the floor.  Daria was racing behind me.

"Sophia, what are you doing?" she shouted.

Timber trilled with joy when I came sprinting into Reece’s elixir crafting room.  He leapt up off the floor and settled on my shoulder, rubbing his scaly head against my neck.  I ignored him, and threw open the chest next to the window. “Sophia…?”  Daria peeked her head into the room.  Her eyes immediately bugged out of their sockets. With practiced ease, I drew out the shining golden sword I had kept since graduation.  Curling my fingers around the hilt felt so familiar, like clasping the hand of an old friend.

“I am going to save my daughter and my husband.”  I said, turning around and facing Daria. “But the Lucians-!”  Daria stammered. “Lucians do not frighten me.”  My expression hardened.  “I have slain dragons.”