Absolutely breathtaking.
We were surrounded by trees on all sides, so dense all together that it looked like we’d have to hack our way out of here. I assumed that the moon-shaped gap would be our exit, but when I looked behind me, all I saw were plain trees oncemore. The only difference was how knitted together they all seemed to be, and the haunting blue glow they gave off now.
“Where are we?” I startled at the echo my voice made. The sound reverberated in the peculiar antechamber of the forest.
“Close your eyes,” Hesper said. I rolled my eyes at her, and she added, “Trust me, Clara.”
We were fresh off our truce, so I did it. My eyes shut, and the unnervingly beautiful world around me went dark.
“Okay, what now?” I asked. Then without warning, two gruff hands pushed me hard on my back, and I flew through the air right into the pool below—travel pack, clothes, and all.
Water flooded up into my nose and my mouth. I thrashed my way to the surface, fighting my layers of clothing. I reached the surface and tried to shout at Hesper, but a coughing fit took over instead. That’s what I got for trusting Hesper Altanfall.
A heartywahoosounded from behind me, and I paddled around to see Hesper cannonball into the water—fully clothed and wild with happiness. Her jump barely made a splash despite the height and ferocity of it. The water looked like glass the moment her head disappeared beneath the surface. The bubbles popping up were the only evidence she still lived.
A hand gripped my ankle and pulled me under. I had the wherewithal to hold my nose before going completely beneath the water.
My eyes were closed, but I could sense someone—or something—right in front of me. I prayed to all the Goddesses that it was Hesper being maddening rather than some lagoon monster surveying his lunch.
A finger kept poking at my cheek, beseeching me to open my eyes. I listened because I didn’t really have another option.I expected the water to burn my eyes, but the world beneath looked shockingly clear. Cobalt-blue rocks surrounded me on all sides, with long tendrils of glowing green flowers shaped like bells growing on them, swishing in the water. Bursts of hot pink, deep purples, and yellows sprung from the rocks’ crevices. And flowers the size of small beds rested on the bottom of the pool. I recognized a few blooms from Patti’s shoppe. All of which, if my memory served, were blooms from the Lore Isles.
Surely, we couldn’t have been in Lore. We’d only been on the road for a few days, and Lore was days away through treacherous terrain and surrounded by the sea. That was the one trail on Hesper’s maps I knew we weren’t using.
Hesper swam right in front of me with that same ecstatic grin on her face. She pointed ahead of us to a dark cave nestled under the waterfall and then gave me a thumbs-up. I promptly met that with a thumbs-down. Was she quite all right? Why did she think going into the mysterious underwater cavern was a good idea? I tried to swim to the surface, but she pulled me back down again. Great, I would drown down here.
But my lungs weren’t hurting for air at all.
In fact, I hadn’t thought once about when to take my next breath because…
I wasbreathingdown here.
My eyes went wide at the realization, sucking in deep mouthfuls of water that was just like breathing the air. There was no immediate need to be frightened, but my body wanted to panic, nonetheless. But also, this was a dream come true because who in their right mind didn’t want to become a mermaid at some point in their life?
A figure emerged from the dark cave and swam toward Hesper and me. I grabbed onto Hesper, pulling her so close that our bodies tangled together. She gave my arm an encouraging squeeze.
I realized the figure coming toward us at an alarming speed was no monster. Based on the bright pink tail cutting through the gloom, it was a water nymph. Her ebony skin looked like carved onyx, glistening in the blue water. Her light pink hair flowed endlessly behind her and was the only thing covering her bare chest. The pink stone crown she bore told me that this was not just any water nymph. She was the princess or queen of whatever realm Hesper and I’d jumped into on a whim. If I could have fallen to my knees, I would have. Her beauty was as terrible as it was breathtaking.
“Hesper Altanfall.” The nymph’s voice sliced through the water like a song.
“Marielle.” Hesper’s voice cut through the water, too. Of course, Hesper was friendly with this water Goddess.
“You come for passage to Lore Isles. And you bring with you Clara Thorne.” Marielle swam right up to me, her bright pink tail like lightning through the water. “It is nice to finally meet you.”
Finally? Did she know of me before this very moment? In my helpless human form fighting against my layers of clothes in the water, nothing seemed more impossible. Other than the garden I had to grow sans magic, time, general resources, et cetera.
Hesper nudged my arm as if telling me to talk to her.
“Uh, hi, your majesty?” My voice didn’t cut as elegantly through the water as the other two, but based on her tinkling laugh, I’d say she’d heard enough.
“I am no majesty,” Marielle finally replied. “I am the keeper of these sacred waters. This”—she pointed to her jagged-rock crown—“is a reminder of my duty. Nothing more.” Princess or not, the water seemed to bend around her, awaiting her command.
Below, other water nymphs popped out from rock faces and flower beds, a few figures swimming to stand sentinel at the entrance of the cave. Each nymph shimmered in the depths; flashes of gold, bright blues and purples, emerald greens, ruby reds, and sunset oranges filled the world. It felt as if I were looking at an underwater rainbow.
My heart swelled at the sight of all of the color swirling around us. It was unbelievable, a dream come true. I was breathing underwaterwithmermaids.
Beautiful, my heart whispered.
Yes, it is, I replied.If only there were buttercups.
