The Mermaid's Mirror

Chapter 33

Even though she knew there was no air for her here, Lena instinctively took a terrified breath, and felt the salt water enter her throat.

Incredibly, the water moved in and out of her gasping lungs. She did not begin to drown. She began to breathe the ocean, as her mother had said. She could not speak, but amazement filled her mind, causing Melusina to smile and send a thought to her: "No, you are not drowning. You are diving."

Lena felt a half-frightened laugh bubble out of her mouth.

"How can I breathe under water?" she asked, using thoughts instead of words.

"I cannot explain this enchantment to you. It is because of the cloak, and because of my desire. When your desire is powerful enough, you will be able to breathe under water without the cloak."

"No way!" said Lena. "You're kidding, right?"

Melusina's response was bewildered. "I am not in jest, dear one. The way is true."

Lena smiled at her mother's sincerity. "I believe you," she said. "It just seems impossible."

"It is impossible for humans," said Melusina. "But you are not human."

Lena's heart faltered. Not human.

"Or rather," continued Melusina placidly, "not wholly human. The blood and magic of my people runs through your veins. See? Already it is proved."

"What do you mean?"

"We dive ever deeper. But your body ails not. Your heart, your lungs, your every cell, do not collapse from pressure. You are my daughter." A flash of pride lit up her mother's features.

"Amazing," whispered Lena. She became aware that her legs were kicking in time with the movements of her mother's tail. But she was not swimming the way Allie had taught her to swim; she was kicking with her legs together, as if she were a mermaid, too. I am, she reminded herself. I am half-mermaid.

On land, that idea would have felt preposterous. Deep beneath the surface, with her body behaving in a most fishlike manner, it seemed natural.

"Where are we going?" she asked after a few minutes.

"My village. My home. It is still farther."

"What will happen when we get there?"

"You will be welcomed. My people know I have the memories back. As soon as I saw you—my beloved child—the Recollection struck. I—" She faltered. "I was wounded by the memories as they returned. But my people saved me as I foundered. They are a great solace, always." She added with a smile, "They know about you now, daughter."

"But what about...?"

Melusina waited for her to finish the thought.

"...your parents."

"Ah," said Melusina. "They are not merely my parents, they are your grandparents! They will welcome you with joy. My people have held many memory circles to help in the healing of my sore heart. Amphitrite and Merrow deplore my pain."

"Amphi—?"

"Your grandmother and grandfather."

"But..." Lena could not help pursuing the thought.

"Yes?"

"Dad said your parents didn't want you to marry him. They had him dragged away."

Melusina's strong swimming slackened for a moment. "Ah. I regret that the memory eludes me. I recall the feeling of betrayal. But that was long ago, and I have learned to forgive."

"But your mother said she would destroy him if he ever set foot in the ocean again!"

"What? No, my darling, never believe this! My mother would not command such violence. Her role is to protect our village, not mete out punishment."

Lena thought that Melusina might be too trusting of her mother, but she didn't say that. After a moment, she asked, "Is she the queen or something?"

Melusina chuckled. "That is a word she would love to own, but no, we do not use human titles that rank one above the many. Amphitrite is—" The mermaid used a word in her language, and Lena understood it to mean something like guardian.

They swam on. As their distance from the shore grew greater, Lena thought less about her father. At first her heart literally ached, knowing how scared he would be when he found her shoes abandoned on the rocks. But as she and the mermaid dove deeper into the sea, her worry seemed to diminish, as if it were attached to the land, and she was moving too far away to feel it.

"How much farther?" she asked.

Melusina laughed. "You are still an impatient child, I see. Soon the village will be within view."

Lena's clothes felt heavy. Obviously, she couldn't remove the cloak, but..."Can I take off my jeans?" she asked.

"Jeans? Oh, yes, the fabric that covers your legs? Certainly."

Lena unbuttoned her jeans, desperate to free her legs from the water-logged denim. "People will stare, won't they?"

Her mother squeezed her hand. "Yes, dearest. But they will stare whether your lovely legs are clothed or bare."

Lena kicked off her jeans, breathing a watery sigh of relief. Now she could swim more easily. And her jacket was long enough that it reached to her thighs, so she didn't have to feel totally undressed. She let go of her jeans, watching them sink out of sight.

Deeper and deeper they swam. Lena had not expected to be able to see much under water, but the deeper they descended, the clearer she saw. It must be my eyes, she thought. There must be something about my eyes that is not human, too.

There was a deep blue, almost purple quality to the water, and the temperature did not feel as cold as it had before.

At last, Melusina began to slow her swimming. "The village is quiet," she said. "Some of the mer-folk are still asleep."

"You sleep?"

"Yes, but not in the same way that humans sleep. When humans sleep, they are still and dreaming for many hours. We must rise to the surface regularly for air. Our friends, the dolphins, need air even more frequently than we do. Half of their brains are always awake, to remind them to rise. We share that trait, to a lesser degree. Mer-folk may sleep for two or three hours before needing air, then we must rise."

I'm in between, thought Lena. Maybe that's why I keep waking up lately. My body thinks it needs to surface. "Seems like with all that going to the surface, people would see you more often."

"No, we rise to the surface far from shore. We are able to feel the presence of sailing vessels, and thus avoid them. And when we wear our cloaks, humans mistake us for seals. If we choose to approach the shore, it is for the love of being upon the land, even if it is but a short while. It is a great pleasure to sit on land, feeling the sun on our shoulders and the air in our lungs, combing our hair and singing. It is so much more satisfying to sing out loud. We all have our favorite places to visit on the shore."

"You always go to Magic's?"

"Magic's?"

"The place where you met my father. The place where I found you."

"Ah. Yes, I love that cove. I call it the Place of Beautiful Danger. I have spent the time since I left the land in warmer seas. But something kept drawing me back to my Place of Beautiful Danger. And now I know that it was you."

"Were you away a long time?"

"Yes. A great many full moons. Oh! The word comes back to me. Months, yes? I believe that it was more than one hundred months." She considered. "Closer to one hundred fifty months."

Lena counted in her head. Her mother must have spent most of the past twelve years far away from Magic's. That was why Lena had never seen her before. That must be why Lena had begun to feel more powerfully drawn to the ocean. Once Melusina returned to Magic's, they were both looking for each other, without even knowing it.

"Why did you go so far away?"

"Upon my return to the village, after living on land, I grieved deeply, although I could not say why. Though the villagers performed the reunion ritual several times, I failed to thrive. The—" Melusina used another word in her language, which Lena understood to mean healer. "The healer fed me Loss Potion many times, without success. At last, my parents felt it would be wise to take me away from the scene of my sadness, until my heart was regained."

Lena thought of her mother, all those years ago, separated from her beloved husband and child ... her heart broken, but unable to remember why.

"We travel often," continued Melusina. "Sometimes to the warm waters ... sometimes to the iciest seas. Would you like to travel to the tropical waters with me?" Her face lit up with excitement. "We could swim with the manta rays and the giant turtles. Oh, but the white whales of the cold northern waters are wonderful, too, with their funny smiles! There is so much to share with you, dear one."

"White whales? I've never even seen a picture of a white whale."

"There is much to see. You will love this world, Selena. We will eat and drink and rest, then we shall explore this world together."

"What do you eat down here?"

"Oh, all manner of things! The sea is bountiful."

"Do you have caviar? Dad buys it for me sometimes. It's really expensive."

"You shall feast on the eggs of the salmon every day if you like, dear."

"Really?"

"Certainly. It will be my great pleasure to share food with you. It is a mother's joy to feed her child."

"And then we can explore?"

"Ah, my dear, first you must rest. We will have plenty of time for exploring. You shall stay as long as you like."

"But what about—?" Lena stopped. What about... what? Her loved ones on land? Yes, she supposed they would be anxious. But their faces were already growing fainter in her mind.