This wasn't my face. It was the mermaid's face.
"Hello, Carmilla," said the mermaid. The leader I had met at the Pequod. She didn't look as beautiful this time. She looked like a monster of the sea, deformed with demonic eyes and ill skin.
I raised my head and saw tens of mermaids behind her, surrounding us inside the whale. I fell back, appalled by the mermaids' numbers and ugliness.
But none of that concerned me the most, at least not now. I turned back to look at Angel. The horror on his face…it was like he had looked Death in the eyes. It puzzled me how a strong man like him had this kind of weakness. But then again, who was I fooling? The mermaids themselves didn't scare him. It was what they could do. The songs they could sing.
They began singing that unmemorable song again. Humming it happily as their faces turned back into the beautiful girls of the sea. They braided their hair and swam in unison as they hummed the song, as if they were entertaining a king and queen in some castle in the water. Their giddy looks added to the horror. How do you fight someone who looks so beautiful?
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he was someone else.
I crawled back to Angel and buried his head in my chest, clapped my hands on his ears. He was like a child, a pale one, shivering in my bosom. I was like his mother now, trying to lie to him and tell him that the world wasn't full of monsters.
"You'll be all right." I patted him. "I promise."
"No, he won't." The leader mermaid snickered, shielding her mouth with manicured hands. "He is going thirsty, Carmilla."
"What do you mean?"
"I wouldn't hold him so close if I were you." She continued snickering. "Because sooner or later, he will want your blood, darling."
They were right. I knew it, but still held to my shivering lover. I pulled him nearer, hoping my love would heal him. Didn't Amalie Hassenpflug say something like that?
A tear crawled out of my eyes, ever so painful.
Who was I fooling? Didn't I see Angel in the ship before, when he was almost ready to hurt me? Back then, I was almost going to let him. But with the secret he wouldn't tell me, I didn't feel the same. I wanted my safety. I wasn't sure if I'd give him my blood. I wasn't a vampire, like Night Von Sorrow claimed.
Looking at the water, filled with tons of mermaids singing, I realized I had no place to go.
"Give in, Carmilla," the leader mermaid said, reaching out her hands again. "She wants to see you. You belong to us."
Everyone seemed to think I was one of them. Only I wasn't sure whom I belonged to.
"Go away!" I shouted. "Leave us be. Who are you?"
"My name is Lark." She bowed her head, as if I were her queen. "Sirenia Lark at your service, Majesty."
44
Fable's Dreamworld
"Loki!" Fable screamed back at him, titling her head as she rode. Cerené was scared to death, refusing to leave as she had been ordered. Fable hated her for not leaving, but there was nothing she could do. Cerené cared for everyone too much. "Remember me?" Fable shouted at Loki. "You killed everyone in my town, Furry Tell!"
This time she totally remembered it. A big part of her memory began to come back. The hardest was her hate for Loki. How in the world did I hate him so much in the past? It's the right feeling, but feels so wrong.
"My pleasure." He smirked, glowing out of the shadows. "Sue me if I offended you."
"I will do worse!" Fable gritted her teeth, doing her best not to chicken out. This isn't the real Loki, Fable. It's some monster in the past. Ironically, if you hurt him in this dream and take his Fleece, you will be saving him in the Waking World.
"Ha! If so, why don't you get off your horse and fight me, witch!"
"Nah, that won't let you glimpse the darkness you shed on my town," Fable said, as she struggled with her horse. It seemed scared of Loki. "I will burn your heart out." She was just buying time until she glimpsed the red Fleece wrapped around his wrist.
Finally. That's what I came for.
Loki laughed again, too confident he would get her, and the Princess slumped on Cerené's horse behind Fable.
Fable turned around and hissed at Cerené, "You're sure you can lead us to Jack's treehouse?"
Cerené only nodded, her eyes fixed on Loki. Fable realized how much Cerené feared him, the boy who'd cut off her hands before. Why didn't you just go, Cerené! Fable thought. But then again, how could she return to Jack's treehouse if Cerené didn't stay? Also, Shew's body was bait for Loki.
"Look," Fable hissed. "It's going to be all right. Just speed toward the treehouse. I will follow you and make sure he can't hurt Shew before we get there. Once we're there, the Beast, Ladle, Jack, the Star, and Marmalade can kill Loki. It will be seven against one."
"Six against one." Cerené shivered.
"I understand." Fable nodded. "Now, run!"
"We split her heart among us!" Cerené felt the need to yell at Loki before she turned away to run.