The Syrenka Series: Arise Part 7

"I don't love them," I whispered, barely able to emit any sound. Why should I love Brendan? He was gone and I would never see him again. And Kain. My stomach twisted in pain thinking about him. Was he even still alive? I couldn't bear it if he died. Did that mean I loved him?

Graham cleared his throat, forcing me to focus on him. "Realize something, have we?"

"My mother loved my father," I repeated instead of addressing the thoughts racing through my mind.

"She did," Lucian confirmed. "But she couldn't stay away from me either. Hence, you," he said and nodded in my direction.

I chose not to acknowledge that comment. I couldn't stomach the thought of my mother spending any personal time with Lucian. Learning that she had lied to me my entire life was disappointing and heartbreaking enough. How had my father handled it all so well? His strength and willingness to raise me as his own created a whole new sense of respect for him and I suddenly felt sick with sadness.

"Are you okay?" Graham asked, drawing my attention back to him.

"She's fine," Lucian answered for me.

"Perhaps you could feel some sympathy for her. This can't be easy to hear," Graham replied in my defense.

In an instant, the two selkie guards came back into the room and yanked Graham out of the chair. He tried to reach for his drink but it was slapped out of his hand before he could take a sip. Graham struggled against them, at one point seeming to almost break free. The largest selkie smiled a second before he slammed his head into Graham's face. Graham yelled out in pain and his nose began to bleed profusely.

"Stop!" I called out to them. "Why are you doing this, Lucian?"

My father stood with his arms crossed and a tense look on his face. A long moment pa.s.sed before he looked up at me. "I'm making a point."

Now on his knees, Graham tried to tilt his head back to stop the bleeding, but the selkies held him tight. He coughed several times before Lucian continued.

"He may be your natural mate, but he still needs to learn his place in this world."

"And you are the only who can teach me, right?" Graham asked with a huff. Lucian flicked his hand and the woman selkie marched over to him. Without saying a word to her master, she turned and walked straight toward Graham. The surprise on his face was evident until she reached forward with unexpected speed and punched him three times in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, his arms pulled taut in the opposite direction.

"Lucian!" I yelled.

The selkie left the room in a daze. Lucian's control over them was astounding. If I had all that power, I could get us out of here. Trying to push a command into the selkie's minds, I searched for my little room and their lights. The haze still clouded my head but I used all of my concentration until a spiteful laugh broke my focus.

"You're going to break a blood vessel in your head, daughter. The compulsion needs some work." Lucian made his way to the table and grabbed an apple. Tossing it up and down, he paced around the room while the selkies moved Graham closer to the door.

"He needs to learn his place, and you need to learn how to use all of your gifts."

"I think we both know our place," I whispered, not quite knowing how to respond. I was afraid to ask what he meant about my gifts.

"You both have immense power," Lucian continued. "So much power, that there are many who would not be pleased with this union." The sharp sound of his teeth biting into the apple made me wince.

"We don't know what you're talking about," I said.

"No?" Lucian asked but looked at Graham. Turning toward him myself, I expected Graham to back me up. He didn't say anything.

"Graham?"

"Eviana...I...," but before he could finish one of the selkies punched him in the face hard enough to knock him out. My stomach plummeted. Graham was not my most favorite person in the world, but he didn't need to be treated like this. Plus, he was about to tell me something.

The shuffling of feet accompanied the tears burning in my eyes. The guards pulled Graham out the door and presumably back to the boathouse. I promised myself that I would check in on him again tonight. It was a long walk between here and the prison, and I knew all too well what the selkies could do to Graham in that amount of time.

Lucian cleared his throat. "Now that the distraction is gone, I'd like to pick up where we left off."

"What do you mean, Lucian?" I couldn't hide the weariness in my voice.

He took a final bite of his apple and then threw it out the window opening. Making another grand performance out of moving to his seat, he put his feet up on the table and crossed his arms behind his head.

"I'm going to tell you all of the secrets your mother kept hidden during the last seventeen years."

My instincts were telling me to run. I knew what was coming next would change everything. Did I really want to learn anything else? My old life seemed like it didn't exist anymore. Like none of it was ever true.

But then I thought about my friends back home. Many of them were injured or worse, so perhaps leaving that part behind would help me get through the next two days. At least until I could get in front of the Council.

Letting curiosity get the best of me, I sat down in the chair next to Lucian's and prepared for the worst.

Nine.

Eviana "How much do you know about your mother?" Lucian asked. Thinking the question was obnoxious and insensitive, I glared at him. "Eviana?"

"What do you mean?" My mother came from a powerful family, and had she wanted the notoriety, she probably could have held a seat on the Council. I knew that she was strong and formidable, and that her clan respected her immensely. She was a loving mother, a caring sister, and a good wife. Or at least that's what I wanted to believe.

"Let me rephrase," Lucian continued. "Do you know why we are at war?"

"Because of The Legacy." It was a term used to describe merfolk's ability to control humans and other water creatures. Those that wanted to practice their birthright didn't care to live amicably amongst the humans anymore. They wanted to rule the world and all living creatures in it like we had done in the past.

"Yes, The Legacy. But do you know why it's important now?"

I rolled my eyes. "Just get on with it, Lucian."

He smiled and patted the top of my hand. I pulled away as quick as I could. "Patience, daughter. You may be surprised at how many of us want to declare our rightful place in society. In fact, clan leaders and Council members throughout the world have been doing just that in times of need."

"How?"

"Inciting wars, ending conflicts, controlling natural disasters. Humans always find a way to explain it with science and religion. But what we've really been doing over the past century or two is grooming them for what is to come." Taking a moment to pause, he sipped his drink. "Allowing The Legacy to thrive would actually make things a lot easier for them."

"For who? Humans?"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes. Remove all choice and you have peace."

"And robots," I added. Did he really believe this? "So, what? A few powerful Council members and clan leaders decide what is best for the entire world?"

"Exactly," he replied with amus.e.m.e.nt.

Shaking my head, I continued asking questions. "And you're hoping to be one of them?"

"I am one of them," he said. "As was your grandfather, Graham's parents, and a couple of the Council members you know and many you have yet to meet."

"My grandfather? Who? Papa Dumahl?" It was common practice in leadership families to maintain the surname, even after marriage.

"The one and only. He worked on this for most of his life." My mother's father was a supporter of The Legacy? I needed a moment for that to sink in. "We almost had your mother convinced to join our cause, until she met Charles," Lucian scoffed. "He wanted to blend in with humans and raise a family in his little peaceful bubble. What a waste of talent."

"Excuse me?"

"Your mother." He smiled at me again in a way that made my skin crawl. "Her power was amazing, but she refused to use it to further our cause. Did you ever see her water control?"

I was overwhelmed. Once again it seemed as though everyone in my life was a liar. My mother told me that she'd endured an arranged marriage and she also never showed us her water control. That was something I didn't even know existed until I met Abhainn. Seeing my face, Lucian sighed.

"I guess she didn't want you to know about that either," he said quietly, and I almost believed that he felt something. Be it pity or disappointment, I didn't care.

"So how are you involved in all of this? Are you the...leader?" I asked, trying to find another word.

He laughed and reached for another apple. "Am I the leader? Not quite. But I am important."

"A touch of humility never hurt anyone," I added sarcastically.

"Why be humble when I am stronger than most merfolk in the world?" His arrogance was astounding. But I picked up on one of the words.

"Most?" For once, I smiled. "Oh, say it isn't so. There are a few more powerful than you?" I feigned a shocked look complete with a hand over my heart. The corner of Lucian's lip curled up and instantly worried me.

"Yes. There are a few. But I'm convinced I can bring them over to the dark side." I didn't appreciate his attempt at humor. Just as I was getting ready to ask for more information, the woman selkie shuffled into the room with a distressed look on her face.

"What is it?" Lucian asked.

"A phone call. For you. Urgent," she replied in broken English. Narrowing my eyes at her, I wondered how often she pretended not to understand the language. She caught my stare and smirked. I wished my compulsion was working better.

Lucian stood but I grabbed his arm to stop him. "What have you done to my powers?" I didn't really want to ask him, but I needed to figure out how to get out of here.

"What are you talking about, daughter?" he asked with fake concern.

"Why have you been giving me drugs to dull them?"

His laugh echoed through the room as he removed my hand from his arm. "Oh, my dear. We have so much to discuss. Those drugs are not meant to dull your powers, but to set you free."

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving me in a state of confusion. Free me? I had no idea what he was talking about. As if on cue, my vision blurred slightly and my head began to spin. He did it again. Every time I ate or drank something here I was drugged.

Even though I'd only been awake for a couple of hours, my body wavered with exhaustion. Not knowing what else I could do at this time, I decided to go back to my bedroom to lie down. Trudging up the stairs, I tried to process all that Lucian had divulged. My family line was connected to Graham's somehow. And all of those related to us seemed to be the ones causing this civil war.

My mother's pet.i.te frame and beautiful face came to the forefront of my mind. I still missed her terribly, even though my emotions were torn. She lied to us all. About my father, her powers, and her connections to this war. Ever since I a.s.sumed leadership, I realized how unprepared I had been for this responsibility. We never talked about my powers or the real reason why she was so against practicing The Legacy. Her personal connection to those fighting with their own species had been unknown to most of us. Evidently, she decided to leave that part of her behind and make a life with my father instead. My sister and I were raised in a home with two loving parents who did their best to hide the true nature of our world from us.

As I began to drift off, I thought about how furious she had been when I left with Brendan. She was angry enough to shun me from my clan. I now realized how much her disappointment with my behavior must have been difficult for her to manage. As a clan leader, and an apparently very powerful one at that, she must have looked like a failure to her peers. How could she direct her people if she couldn't even control her own daughter? There was probably little else she could do at the time. She needed to prove her strength to her people.

At some point, my thoughts shifted into dreams. I was swimming with my father off the coast of a tiny rock island near our home. It had been my eighth birthday and I'd requested a picnic in the water. Since my sister and I hadn't been old enough to transition yet, a picnic in the water meant playing in the waves and pretending we had a tail. My father tied our legs together with a ribbon, while my mom laughed and set up the blanket.

He dove into the first wave and disappeared beneath the ocean. My sister and I shuffled after him, wanting so very much to swim as freely as our parents. We jumped and squealed as waves crashed into our legs and halted our chase. My father broke through the surface, flipping backward and beckoning us to catch him. Almost at once, the water wrapped itself around our waists and carried us out to sea. I kicked my legs back and forth as if they had transformed into a tail and laughed when I saw my father squirting water out of his mouth like a fountain.

Without really trying, my sister and I twirled in circles and moved around each other with ease. I caught sight of my mother on the beach with her arms spread wide, turning round and round in a solo dance. The sound of her laughter carried across the sea and soon my sister and I joined her in celebration. We were floating through the water like true mermaids; exactly what I wanted for my special day.

I sat up in bed with a jolt. The dream was actually a memory, pushed deep into the back of my mind. I'd lied when I told Lucian that my mother never showed us her powers. She had manipulated the water to move us through it like dolls. And that wasn't the only time she played with my sister and I that way. Whenever I begged to go swimming with her, I realized she was using a little bit of her powers to keep me by her side. Like a mother dolphin with her calf, she let us believe we were doing it on our own, all the while fiercely protecting us by her side.

As I wiped away the tear falling down my cheek, there was a knock at the door. I had fallen asleep on top of my bed, fully clothed and completely drugged. The fading blue in the sky gave way to brilliant oranges and pinks, letting me know that I slept through the entire day. I really needed to speak with Lucian more about the drugs and their effects. I was tired of wasting time.

There was another knock, only this time is was louder and more urgent. Rolling out of bed, I opened the door, not really caring who saw me in my disheveled state. The woman selkie looked up at me and shoved a wooden tray into my hands.

"Dinner," she said in English before turning and walking away. She moved quickly, almost as if she were afraid to say anything more.

I looked down at the tray that held a covered plate, a gla.s.s of water, and a vase with a single flower in it. My stomach turned at the sight of the black orchid, remembering the last time I received one of them. Apparently it was Lucian's favorite flower; a sign that he expected complete cooperation from me.

Moving further into my room, I kicked the door shut and threw the orchid on the ground. I didn't want it staring at me while I ate. Although looking down at the plate, I wondered if I should risk being drugged again at all. No doubt there was something in the water or the food, and if I was going to see Graham again tonight, I needed to have all of my strength to get past his guards.

I lifted the plate off of the tray and discovered an envelope underneath. The red wax seal with the letter "S" embedded in the center once again reminded me of a note Lucian sent to my home. He'd warned me that others would suffer for my choices, and they had. Many had died, many were still healing. My hands shook with sorrow and regret. Again, I thought about Kain, my sister, and my cousin, Palmer. I even thought about my Uncle Andre and Jeremiah Williams who had both paid the ultimate price for my decision not to join Lucian in his war. So many people had suffered because of my actions. How many more would I send to a similar fate?

The single piece of paper held the familiar writing of the man who has caused so much pain in my life. I read it with clenched teeth.

Dearest daughter- I regret that I must miss our dinner tonight as business takes me away for a few hours. Please enjoy your meal while you think about what we discussed earlier today. Tomorrow I will explain more, and answer the questions you may have. We will also prepare to meet with the Council. Proper attire will arrive for you in the morning. Sleep well.

Lucian I tossed the note next to the orchid on the floor. Proper attire? It was like I was his personal doll to dress up and parade around for everyone to see. I was tired of this charade. Yes, there were still many questions left unanswered, but I would survive without knowing the truth if I could just get out of this place, right?

Two more nights and I could leave here forever. I had a rough plan that involved the Council meeting and creating some type of distraction so that I could try and plead my case. The Council wouldn't ignore my request to take me away from him. They couldn't. I was the Dumahl Clan leader. I needed to be with my people. Surely they would understand that.

And if they wouldn't listen to me, I had another option. Graham. He was a Council member. I just had to convince him to help me in this matter and we should both benefit. I could go home and he could...well, he could do whatever he wanted to do. After the beatings and abuse he sustained at Lucian's hand, I hoped that he would be finished with the charade and see Lucian for what he really was. Deadly.

With newfound energy and excitement, I anxiously awaited for the sun to set so that I could sneak into the boat house again. After five minutes, I realized that I could pa.s.s some of the time by taking a bath. A nice long soak in the tub always did wonders for my nerves.

Pulling on the terrycloth robe that appeared in my bedroom today, I began to fill the tub with a perfect mixture of cold and hot water. The water heated up rather quickly and in no time at all, the bathroom was filled with steam.

I wanted to brush my hair, so wiping the fog away from the mirror I looked at my reflection for a moment. I swear I saw wrinkles around my eyes and gray circles underneath. Did I always look so haggard and old? Was this what was to become of me?

"Aye, only if ye stay in this place."

My scream escaped before I could stop it. I spun around fast enough to throw my hairbrush at the water sprite now standing in the bathtub. It pa.s.sed clear through him and slammed against the far wall. He smiled and looked at me quickly before turning away like he was shy. I realized a little too late that my robe had loosened and now exposed much more skin than I wanted him to see.

"Abhainn! You scared me half to death," I scolded him while trying to hide my blush and tie my robe. "What are you doing here?"

"Ye might wanna keep yer voice down, la.s.sie. We don't want the dogs to hear ye."

"Well, maybe next time you can knock." I looked at his aqueous body and shook my head. "Or at least give me some warning."

He grinned. "I didn't wait until ye were already in the tub."

I sighed then smiled. Before I could stop myself, I flung my arms around the sprite and nearly dragged him out of the water. "I am so happy to see you."

He reached up and pulled at something in what I a.s.sumed would have been his jacket pocket. I felt his body shudder just before a white handkerchief appeared in his hand. He dabbed at the tears moistening my eyes. "I am happy to see ye too, Mistress Dumahl. Ye 'ave worried us all."

"How did you find me?" I asked, taking a step backward and pulling my hair out of my face.