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sixty-five

Carnaxa

I scream and slam my fists against the hearth. The fires within gave me the gift to see Thylas. I try to coax more flames, but my power continues to summon the floodwaters, using what little magic I have left. I call upon Ereon’s ice and nothing but a flurry materializes in my palm.

I look down. Beside Ereon is my dagger. The images of my mother, who started all of this play in my mind. The sound of soldiers’ sandals echo down the hallway, their hurried footsteps and roaring screams filling the air.

“The waters are flooding Antalis!” they howl. “Find higher ground!”

There is no ground high enough that can save them, because I plan to drown them all. I gaze down at my hands, the warmth of Ereon’s blood still clinging to my skin, and I watch as it slowly drips onto the marble floor beneath my bare feet. I lean down at his side once more and I can feel the stickiness of his blood coating my white gown.

As the wind picks up, the sheer white curtain sways and flutters with grace. His body has grown cold, and his eyes, which used to gaze at me lovingly, now hold a haunting, ghost-like quality. Will he forgive me for this night? The sacrifices I must make, my selfishness — I can’t let him go. I refuse to release the ripples that shimmer and glow inside my chest. “ Only the sacrificed can save.”

I gently press my lips against his chilly forehead, running my fingers through his lush hair, and savoring his familiar scent that fills my senses.

I grab the jeweled dagger, feeling its weight in my hand, and offer a final prayer to the Goddess watching over me. I rise, my ears picking up the increasingly loud footsteps of the soldiers and feeling the vibrations of heavy thuds reverberating through the floor. They are coming.

As I gaze upwards, the moon’s ethereal glow casts a shadow over the sun, creating a captivating celestial duel. Raising the dagger, I feel the cold, sharp blade grazing my neck .

“ A koneni pe o tokaeyae wae pi retolana, ” I mimic her last prayer, the one on the battlefield she's shown me so many times, only changing what I need. “Death will not be the end.”

The waters rise here and the flames blaze in Shaston and I will be the sacrifice. I glance once more at his body, holding the ripples tight. I gaze upon the remnants of my home, both the outer and inner rings submerged in water as it gradually creeps towards the heart of my kingdom. Soon Antalis will fall.

The touch of the blade against my skin sends shivers down my spine and blood drips down my chest. The dagger falls, the clattering sound it makes upon hitting the floor blending with the distant roar of the waves against the gates, and I take my last breath.

“Wake up.”

I swirl in a watery grave. I wanted peace, and yet ... I open my eyes and see my mother staring at me.

“Is this Mohasha ?” I ask, feeling strange, but I suppose that’s what happens after death. Behind my mother, the castle of my home is underneath the water. Its beautiful marbled walls sparkle as the fish and squid swim around it.

“I told you, death is not always the end.” She smiles at me. “I can’t prevent what is to happen, but I can affect it. Because of your sacrifice, it gave me the power to change my people — our people. And because of another’s sacrifice, there is still hope.”

“Change us?” I ask, confused .

“Look.” She glances down. Instead of legs, I have a glistening tail of blue and gold. Like a fish gracefully gliding through water, it sways back and forth. With a quick upward glance, I swiftly scan the area around me. All around are people with bodies similar to mine. I would expect horror or shock, but they are smiling.

“It was time to start anew. What grew in a day also fell in a day, but I gave you all another chance. Another chance to save the rest of the world.”

My fingers touch the shell in my chest before I hesitantly ask, “Ereon?” I glance down at my arm that bears the red tattoos. “Thylas?”

Her smile is forced, her eyes betraying a hidden pain. “Ereon is here, you kept his soul so tight to yours, and he is one of mine. You held on to him just enough that I could save him. Those that were cursed with the deluc and left waiting have been reborn as well. Your father” — she looks behind her and smiles — “has chosen to stay here with me, for now. But Thylas is walking the path I tried to save him from, a path set forth by his ancestors.”

“What does that mean?” I ask, panic straining my words. “Where is he?”

“Learn your powers once more, learn to walk and swim with the creatures of the sea. Read the words of my past. Become all that you must and then you can face him — save him.”

My tail swishes around me. “I don’t understand.”

“You are a new creation, my dear one. One that can live on both sea and sands, for when you reach land your legs will grow, but if you exceed a fortnight on shore, the magic will set you free. ”

“Die. You mean. We will die, again?” I ask, biting back a laugh. I’ve already felt death brush against me, and its darkness is something I no longer fear.

She nods at me. And I have to ask her once more, “Mother, where is Thylas?”

She reaches out and brushes strands of hair behind my ear, before she looks at me. “The new King of Shaston remains on his kingdom’s sands. I can’t save those who are no longer mine to save, even though I tried.”

A wave of emotion washes over me, and I can feel tears threatening to spill from my eyes. “The new King of Shaston? No. He can’t be.”

“Thylas had little control when Atlas twisted his words and made him believe. Hold on tight to your love, my Daughter, for your battle is not over yet. He’ll need you, they all will. This is just the beginning. Be brave. War is coming.”

As she kisses my forehead, I feel a fleeting warmth before she disappears from my sight.

As I look around, I can’t help but notice how my people navigate the water with ease, as if swimming is an innate ability for them. I move my tail slowly back and forth, feeling the smooth, rhythmic motion. Maneuvering the tail is like a graceful dance, flowing with such ease that it feels as if it has always been a part of me.

“Naxa!” Siphonie’s voice rings out around me, startling me as she pulls me to her tightly. “We’ve been waiting for you to wake! We tried moving you to a room in the castle, your room — but couldn’t. You were frozen here, just floating.” She smiles, her tail matching her hair that she shows off. “So this is new. You missed everyone panicking, but then ... it’s like we have always felt at home in the water, so it seems better than the death we all thought we were facing.”

“You’re squishing me.” I smile at her as she releases me. “Has anyone seen Ereon?”

Rhenor shakes his head. “Ereon, is not here, not in your room either. Maybe the tide took him before we woke.”

“I have to find them, we have to prepare.” They stare at me confused.

But I need to see what is left of my kingdom. I swim fast, so fast that I burst through the waves and feel the salty spray on my face as I look out at the vast expanse where my kingdom once stood. There is nothing to be seen of the land that once occupied this space, the moon still hovers in front of the sun, an eternal night lingering.

My lungs fill with a sensation I’ve never felt. It’s like my magic but different. Something I’ve felt before, but didn’t understand. I flick my fingers out in front of me, watching the tattoos on my right arm reflect the moonlight. Small flames flicker at my fingertips — Thylas. Holding my left hand in front of me, I call something I’m more accustomed to, and snow falls — Ereon.

I look for the ripples of the twin drop, searching deep for what the magic shows me to be true. I can feel their presences humming against my heart, assuring me they are both still out there ... somewhere. And I will find them.