The Mermaid's Mirror

Chapter 36

Lena stared. "And? Do I have to leave?"

"No, dear one. The vote was in your favor. Do not trouble yourself about it," said Melusina.

"But when did everyone vote? I didn't see that."

"After the song," said her mother. "Those who placed their hands on you were bestowing their blessing for you to remain. Forever, if you like. Those who merely bowed and departed were indicating that you should be a visitor only."

Lena's lower lip trembled. What did it mean that some of them did not want her to stay?

"Come," said her mother. "We shall find a place for you to rest. I will bide with you until I must surface again. Have you eaten your fill?"

Lena nodded. "Don't I have to surface?"

"Not yet. The cloak protects you. Once you take it off, the enchantment is broken, and you will join me in surfacing."

"Take off the cloak? I can't take it off——I'll drown!"

"No, indeed, my child. You must trust in the magic."

Sure, thought Lena. I'll trust in the magic enough to take off the cloak when I'm about five feet from the surface.

Melusina swam with Lena past several large caves. Peering into the mouth of one of the caves, Lena could see mer-folk curled up on beds of seaweed.

A short distance away, Melusina led Lena into a different cave, slightly smaller. There were beds of seaweed clustered here, too.

"Here is the sleeping cave where I take my repose," said Melusina. "We all sleep at ... what is the word? Various times, depending upon our need for air. Let me make you comfortable before I surface."

"You have your own cave?" asked Lena.

Melusina turned away, adjusting a bed of soft seaweed for Lena. "I am the only one who uses this cave."

"Why?"

"This is the cave for the Riven," answered her mother quietly.

"The Riven?" said Lena.

"Let us speak of these things when you have rested," said Melusina, avoiding Lena's gaze.

"No, Mama. Please. I'm not sleepy."

"Selena, my child," said Melusina. "You are stubborn as a limpet!You must rest." She caressed her daughter's cheek. "But I see that you will not be at peace until you have answers." She settled down next to Lena. "You may ask three questions. Then I must surface."

Lena nodded. "Okay. What is Riven?"

Melusina closed her eyes, as if gathering strength before speaking. "One who is Riven has chosen to forsake the world beneath the waves. She rises out of the sea and endures the riving light of the full moon upon her body. When legs take the place of her tail, she dares to walk upon the land. This transformation is against the most ancient laws of mer-folk. Thus, when a mermaid returns to the sea, she regains her form, but is known ever after as Riven. Mer-folk do not abandon their own, but one who is Riven must always remain outside the circle, in some ways."

Lena's heart was beating hard. "Outside the circle? You mean they treat you like an outcast?"

"No, my dearest. Not an outcast. You see for yourself the closeness of our kind. When I returned to the sea, full of grief and woe, I was reunited with my people and tended most lovingly. But one who is Riven once chose land over sea, and that betrayal can never be forgotten." She touched Lena's hand. "Forgiven, but not forgotten."

"I don't understand why that means you have to sleep somewhere else, though."

"Mer-folk communicate with our minds, as you have learned. The dreams of mer-folk have the power to drift from one sleeper to another, much like our thoughts. My dreams are a danger to others, for at times I dream of my life on land."

Lena shivered. "So you remembered us, sometimes, in dreams?"

Melusina nodded. "Only in dreams. Each time I awake, the sea claims my memories again."

"But once you saw me—that day at Magic's—you remembered being my mom. Right?"

"Yes."

"If you could remember me, why couldn't you remember Dad?"

"Ah, yes. Dad," said Melusina vaguely. "I do not know the enchantment surrounding the memories of the Riven. I remember the feeling of love. But I see only a blank face whenever I try to picture your father."

It seemed terribly cruel that Melusina should have lost all memories of her husband. After all, he was the reason she left her people to live on land.

"Do you remember anything about him?" persisted Lena.

"I remember the moonlight cleaving my tail into legs. I remember the love of a human had tempted me onto land."

"He loved you so much!" cried Lena.

"Did he?" Melusina looked interested.

"Yes! He didn't even get married again for a long time. But finally he thought you were never coming back, so he—" Lena did not finish her sentence. What was the name of his new wife? Lee?

Melusina frowned, as if focusing on some cloudy image in her mind's eye. "He was fair of face, was he not?"

"You mean handsome? Yes! Everyone says so."

"But kind, as well. My heart tells me this was true."

"He's very kind."

"You say he married again?"

"About seven years ago."

"Ah. Time is different for us. I cannot remember how long a year is."

"Well, there are twelve months in a year," said Lena. "So twelve full moons."

"Oh! Yes, yes. Now I understand. We do measure time by the full moon. But the passage of time is different in our world."

"It is?"

Melusina nodded.

"How do you mean?" asked Lena.

"Let me see," said her mother. "If there are twelve moons in a year ... let me see. I would be sixty-two years old, in your world."

Lena looked at her lovely young mother in amazement. "Sixty-two?"

"Yes. I believe that is the number."

"That can't be right. How old is Amphitrite?"

"Well, let's see. She would be ... hmm. One hundred and thirty-sixy ears."

A long silence followed these announcements. Lena did not know what to say. Was time passing differently for her, too, in this undersea world? Had it been only a few minutes since she'd left, back on land?

"What about—"

"Selena, you have asked many questions! And now you must sleep. The cloak protects you until my return," said Melusina. "When you awake, we shall explore the world beneath the waves. But now I must surface."

"Yes, Mama." Lena settled down on the bed of seaweed, closing her eyes and plunging into slumber like an anchor falling to the seafloor.

***

Brian's eyes remained dry while Allie wept—shocking, wracking sobs that rent the night sky. He sat on the sand, in the exact spot where he'd landed when the strength went out of his legs. He wanted to console her, but those words did not exist.