Margaret: Chapter Nine

21 days left before Seirra’s deadline. Nothing much happened since my attack. Well, maybe except for the fact that I ended up being guarded 24/7. More than my Grampa, Seirra seemed to be obsessed in making sure that either he or my grandfather was around me all the time. As he explained before, the incident seven days ago had never happened before and we had to be extra careful.

With all the attention I got from him, I think it was I who need to be very cautious.

Sometimes, it was hard to remember that he was different from me—an entire species of difference. He had a tendency to be really sweet and charming that I often forget that our relationship was a ruse he created to make him seem normal. At times, I just savored the moment and treated him as I thought I would treat a real boyfriend.

Apparently, I also slowed down his investigations. He couldn’t stray far from Grassfield High during my class hours because he felt the need to protect me. Thus, we only got to look more thoroughly for Marina when we’re together after class. Seirra had been searching for eight days and the only lead we were sure of was that a mermaid—or mermaids—had lived here in Grasveld Aisles. We had asked the older residents and most of them said that they had once seen a mother and daughter with lime green eyes. Eye colors that were common to Aquanians. They all said that the color was rather unusual and very easy to remember.

Grampa’s eyes had once been as vivid as Seirra’s but age had dulled it to olive green. We asked him if he knew the mother and daughter that the other people had seen but Grampa had not encountered them. He assumed that it was because the former queen still had a bit of her powers in her and could sense the presence of a Huntre. She may have tried to avoid Grampa and maybe trying to evade Seirra as well.

Today turned out to be another fruitless search. We started our way back home and were walking along Ocean Drive, northern Grasveld’s main road which would eventually connect to Harbor Drive.

“We’re done with the northern part of Grasveld,” Seirra declared, frustration clear in his voice. “We can start with the western side tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry,” I told him in a contrite manner. “It would have been easier for you if you didn’t have to wait for me to finish class.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said nonchalantly, “I was merely being impatient. This is the closest I’ve come to finding Marina.”

He looked so distressed, and without knowing what I was doing, my palm ended up touching his cheek as I assured him, “You’ll find her soon enough. I’m sure.”

A lopsided smile broke out of his frown and he placed his hand over mine.

“Thanks, sweetheart.”

My eyes widened at the realization of what I just did and I hastily removed my hand out of his grasp. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t let go easily. I might no longer be holding his cheek but my hand remained caged around his. He started pulling me as we walked so I tugged at our hands but he still kept his grip on me.

“You do realize that I was just trying to comfort you?” I asked him with a bit of my sarcasm to hide my blush.

“Uh-huh,” Seirra answered, turning this way and that. “And I am very much comforted.” He suddenly grinned widely and began walking faster. I would have stumbled while keeping up with his pace but his firm grip kept me walking steadily. Delicious smells of chicken, bacon, tomatoes, and cheese drifted towards my nose as we reached a small restaurant called ‘Marly’s Pasta’. Seirra opened the door and ushered me in as he finally removed his hand from mine, this time, placing it at the small of my back. I didn’t really know which hold was more disturbing. “Hmmm. It smells good in here.” He looked at me warmly, keeping his wide smile plastered on his face. “Your treat.”

I rolled my eyes at that. “I should have known that’s what was on your mind,” my sarcasm couldn’t help but point out. For a while I was thinking that this seemed like a date. But heck, since when are the girls practically required to pay during the date?

We found a seat near the windows and the waiter took on our orders. I asked for a chicken parmiggiana and Seirra ordered for carbonara. The house special drinks were sparkling apple juice.

As soon as the waiter left, Seirra gazed at me, making me blush profusely.

“Stop that!” I demanded from him with a slight tap of the table.

“Stop what?” he asked innocently.

“Staring at me. What else?” My face must have revealed my annoyance because he leaned back and his eyes no longer looked as intense as before.

“I was just trying to imagine how Marina would look like,” Seirra informed me.

“Oh.” Now that was rather disappointing. I thought he was thinking about me and the situation we are in.

“I suppose she won’t be anything like you,” he continued in a confident voice. “Aquanians are far more beautiful.”

My hands fisted at my lap. What on earth is this guy’s problem? I didn’t do anything to warrant an insult, especially from a freak like him. I was about to hit him with a wiseass comeback when he leaned forward, crossing his arms on the table.

“There is, however, something quite charming about you,” he paused to think. “Something unexplainable that makes you beautiful.” His intense eyes bored into mine again. “You look normal yet you shine with some sort of beauty that I have never found in any other woman. Humans or mermaids alike.”

I couldn’t breathe. His words literally meant that I wasn’t the most beautiful woman he had met but somehow, it felt like he was telling me that I am. I opened my lips to reply but he straightened up and brought me out of my reverie. Or rather, our reverie. It was obvious he was in the same dazed state as I was.

“I really appreciate your help in my mission, Marge,” he said after clearing his throat. “I wouldn’t have gotten this far without you. Thanks.”

“We haven’t gone that far. But you’re welcome,” I told him with a small smile.

Our meals finally arrived and I couldn’t have been more thankful. Our recent conversation just proved what I sometimes thought was happening: I was slowly being attracted to Seirra. Okay so maybe I already am. Which is stupid because Seirra was destined to find true love in Marina and they should kiss and get married in order to save Aquania. I most certainly can’t fall in love with this merman.

I wolfed down my meal silently, and without looking at him. I wasn’t surprised that he was similarly quiet because I was sure he was trying to come up with a reason why foolishly told me all those things just to pay for the food. We drank the sparkling juice just as quietly and as soon as we finished, we took on our bill.

The food wasn’t so pricey and I was glad I didn’t have to use all of my allowance. I took out my wallet but before I could get the money we needed, Seirra placed one hand on it and another on the Key of Saol. It glowed for a second and I looked at him questioningly. He pointed towards my wallet using his eyes and that was when I saw that my money practically doubled. I was so dumbfounded that he got impatient and took my wallet from me. He dropped a $100 bill on the table and motioned for me to stand so we can leave.

A gust of fresh air brought me back to my senses so I pulled him to an abrupt stop.

“What did you do?” I demanded. “Didn’t you say I can’t wish for money or material things because they’ll just disappear once you’re gone?”

“You can’t wish for money. I can,” he clarified.

“Oh. You could have told me earlier.”

He smiled, probably thinking that I wanted to know because I would ask him to wish something for me. “I have no plans of doing it all the time.”

“I’m sure you don’t,” I snapped. “I wasn’t expecting you to.”

“I can’t do it all the time because I need the Key’s powers should anyone try to attack you again.”

Well, maybe my judgment of his character was getting affected by my wish to negate my attraction to him. “Okay.” I took a breath. “Fine.”

“C’mon. It’s getting late,” he said as he tried to take my hand again and failed. There was no need for us to act like a couple when there wasn’t an audience who would watch.

We continued walking silently and were almost home when a poster on the local bulletin board caught my attention. I unconsciously stopped in front of it to read the announcement.

“Auditions for a prestigious performing arts school. An affiliate of Julliard. I’ve heard of that school,” Seirra read aloud as he stood behind me. He placed his chin between his thumb and forefinger. “You should try, Marge.”

I turned around with a raised eyebrow. “I couldn’t even pass the Nightingale’s Convention. How do you think am I going to get into a school that’s associated to Julliard?”

He walked towards the poster and pointed at the date of the auditions. “If I’m not mistaken, auditions will start the day after I left for Aquania.” He then looked at me, a smirk forming in his lips. “By then, you’d have gotten your wish for the time you spent being my human companion.”

Seirra was right. The date was indeed 22 days from now. I wished for a better singing voice and if I did get that, I would surely have a better chance at entering the school. I guess there was no harm in trying.

“Okay. I guess you’re right,” I told him with a smile. “Who knows, that might be the chance I was waiting for.”

“Good. You look better when you think more positively,” Seirra said mischievously.

“Shut up,” came my smiling retort.

We were still smiling at each other when a sudden gust of wind brought Seirra to full alert. Within a second, I was pushed behind his back and Seirra’s bracelet immediately transformed into the Ardus sword.

As his skin turned into that disgusting, slimy-looking, green color, five equally ugly monsters slowly materialized in front of us.