Page 130 of Midnightsong
His messenger made a strangled noise as he stared at the large mammal outside. “W-with what yu, Your Majesty? I would prefer not to go near her. I had an altercation with a dujiaojing when I was younger.” He showed Kaden a small scar on the inside of his wrist.
“If you could enlist help, then.” Kaden rolled his lips between his teeth. The dujiaojing glided away, out of sight. In the direction of the sanctuary.
Black fathoms.
The messenger gave a single nod. “If that is all?”
“And please let our chefs know to prepare a celebratory banquet come high moontide. And you are dismissed. Thank you again.” Kaden held out a hand, and the sentry turned and exited, the gilded doors, shutting behind him as soon as his tailfins disappeared from sight.
Fifty-Six
Angie
Angie pulled up to the docks’entrance and parked in Bàba’s reserved parking spot. He sat in the passenger seat, sitting at attention and looking out the window.
Five days after their truce with the mer, Governor Taylor lifted the restrictions on their evacuation zones and slowly, people with homes by the coastline had begun to return. To her knowledge, Stefan and Ken returned to their own home yesterday.
Angie and Bàba had left Mia’s house yesterday evening, and today, Bàba insisted on returning to the docks to check on things.
“You sure you’re going to be okay getting to your office?” Angie killed the engine and hopped out, grabbing Bàba’s rolling walker from the backseat and bringing it to the passenger side. “How long do you want to stay for?”
“Maybe an hour, tops. I just want to take a look around the area. Make sure everything in my office is still there.”
As Angie walked beside him, steadying him as he gingerly stepped over cracks and bumps on the ground, she thought of the reports of looting that were going on in empty homes, cars, and offices along Southwest Alaska when evacuation orders were still in effect.
Bàba swung his office door open, and plopped into his rolling chair, leaning back.
“I’ll go take a walk around.” Angie headed for the door.
Bàba mumbled affirmation as he looked around the office and removed dead potted plants by the window behind him.
Angie stepped back out into the cold, still biting, but its sting softer and more subdued in mid-March.
An incoming call request pinged, from Dr. Williams to her and Reesa. Angie walked to the ledge with the banister she and Stefan used to stand and chat, overlooking the whitecap waves.
At six thirty in the evening, the sun was taking its leave and making way for the moon to emerge. The skies were awash with purples, reds, yellows and oranges, casting a dark haze over the rocky seas.
She picked up the call and couldn’t stop the happy grin from spreading when she saw Dr. Williams with a woman who looked to be about his age and a young girl, and Reesa. “Hi everyone!” Reesa waved with both hands at the screen.
“Angie! Reesa, how are you?” Dr. Williams asked. “I want to introduce you both to my wife Aleena and daughter Tiana.” He motioned to them, and they both nodded. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”
“Oh no, I have about an hour before we go out for lunch,” Reesa replied.
“Lunch?” Angie raised an eyebrow. “Are you in Incheon?”
“Yeah, I came back once the school got hit and been with oehalmeoni and oehalabeoji.” Her maternal grandmother and grandfather, Angie recalled Reesa telling her once. Dr. Williams put an arm around his wife’s shoulders and squeezed. “I came off another call with our PGU faculty that said all the captured mer were released back to the sea. We let the last of our mermen go yesterday at SMOSA. And that mermaid at the aquarium was let go, too.”
“That’s great news,” Angie said softly. It sounded like Grayson only let the mermaid go under orders, but at least she was free now.
“Yes. And we found out who spread the news of the mer to the public, and he was fired from SMOSA for leaking confidential information.” Dr. Williams rubbed his forehead.
“Sh–” Reesa’s gaze darted to the young girl. “I mean, yikes.”
“He spread it to the news and social media for monetary gain, and I suppose, for his fifteen minutes of fame, too. He figured out spots to find mer from the video I shared with you all, and he recorded that.”
He rested his chin on his fist, a faraway look in his deep brown eyes.
“Yeah. Anyway, the other reason I called is to ask if you two would want to co-write a journal article with me and Aleena about safe and peaceful coexistence with the mer. We can interview a few of them who are willing and write an article on both our perspectives.”
