Page 8 of Whispers of the Starlit Sea
Above them, someone tuned a fiddle and began playing. Thomas hummed along to the traditional song. Arick pushed himself upright, knowing what was coming. He leaned back on his hands, his face tilted toward the sun.
The next tune was one of his favorites, and Thomas could never hear it without begging him to sing. Arick cleared his throat and sang the haunting lyrics of a love lost and a land that separated them. Thomas joined on the chorus, his high tenor voice providing a perfect counterpart.
As he sang, his gaze traveled over the water as though searching for the lost love of the song. Two dots bobbed along with the waves, growing ever closer. They looked like the heads of two women, one with red hair, the other black. But the water out here was far too deep for ladies to risk, and no one would be swimming by the rocks like that.
Mermaids.
He immediately shook the idea free. The music — that must have been the reason behind such fanciful thoughts. They were seals, nothing more.
But why did the thought leave him disappointed?
Whenthesistershadexhausted themselves, they found a rock and leaned against it, letting the sun and wind dry their hair. With only their heads and shoulders out of the water, they could pass for humans, albeit oddly dressed humans, arrayed in garments of scales that covered most of their bodies and faded to skin just below their collar bones. Humans seemed to wrap themselves in layers of fabric, something Sorcha was glad the merfolk didn’t need to be concerned about. The scales provided them with what modesty and warmth they needed.
“I wish Father had let me join the Watchers last night,” Ciara commented. “I’ve been training for ages.”
“The storms started early, and you’ve not had your graduation ceremony yet.”
“I know, but it’s been ages since a mermaid has been a Watcher. With the increase in storms, there’s a greater chance for a human female to be on the ship.”
Sorcha pushed her red hair out of her face. Out of the water, curls started to form as it dried, tickling her cheeks. “Why do you think the starfish can’t block the female’s voices?”
Ciara shrugged, watching a small crab dance its way across the rock. “They’re higher pitched. But that doesn’t explain why mermaids are less susceptible to their voices.” She turned to look at the human city in the distance, with its massive gray castle high above them on the cliffs. “I’d love the chance to learn more about them.”
Sorcha pushed her off the rocks. “Don’tsaythat! You get close, and you know what could happen!”
“I’d cover my ears. Besides, once the human stops talking, the spell releases.” Ciara rolled over and leaned back against her perch.
“Not before you are too far up the sand to get back.” She’d seen fish die that way — flopping and bouncing as much as they could, until they exhausted themselves and lay twitching on the shore, the vibrant colors of their scales fading.
“Better than being bound to a human,” Ciara said, bitterness in her voice.
A seagull floated by, bobbing among the waves.
“What do you think happens to bound ones?” Sorcha asked, following the change in topic.
Ciara shrugged. “They turn into humans and live the rest of their lives on land.”
“There has to be more to it than that. Or else merfolk would do it all the time. Aunt Maeve said she once wanted to be human, but it wasn’t worth the cost.”
“Aunt Maeve wanted to do everything. Maybe I’ll rescue a human and we can find out what happens,” Ciara mused.
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Wouldn’t I?” A teasing gleam appeared in her eye. “Let’s go find a human and see!” She sank beneath the waves and zipped away, her purple-blue fins lifting above the water to splash Sorcha.
“Ach!” Sorcha cried in protest. She pushed off from the rocks to swim below the surface. Immediately, her breathing came easier, and the drowsiness she had felt faded. While they were above the surface of the water, merfolk were still able to gain the oxygen they needed, but it was harder. And when they were completely on land, it was almost impossible. “Where are you going?”
Ciara didn’t answer as she pulled farther away. Sorcha concentrated on catching her, but Ciara was stronger from her months of training and kept just out of reach. As they swam, they passed the eddy that led back to the grotto, heading for the harbor. For a few minutes, a dolphin joined their race, darting in and out between them. Then, the rock formations that guarded the entrance for ships flashed by. Ciara turned over, swimming backward to taunt Sorcha. “Can’t you keep up, then?”
Sorcha looked up, her eyes widening in fear at the sight of the wooden wall that loomed behind her sister. “Ciara!”
Ciara spun around, her shoulder bouncing off the ship. Sorcha grabbed her and pulled her away before she could be caught in the wake.
“Stop, I’m fine.” Ciara’s voice was shaky, but she hid it behind a toss of her hair.
Sorcha clamped her hands over her ears. If there was a ship, there were humans. “Let’s go back.”
“No, I want to see what they’re doing. No ship passed us outside the harbor, but this one isn’t leaving…it’s heading back in.”
