Fates: Chapter Forty

Margaret

"You can still tell me your problems, you know. At least before you leave for wherever you plan to go with Seirra," Robert said as we were walking home.

I looked at him blankly and he gave me an indulgent smile.

"Your sigh sounded like it came from somewhere deep," he clarified. "And you seemed...unfocused the whole day. Somehow, I don't think it's because you're nervous for tomorrow's concert."

I had not even realized that there was something different about me today. I went through rehearsals the way I usually did but knowing Robert, it should not have been a surprise that he would notice that something was wrong.

"Steph and Kris asked me a while ago if I knew something but I don't think I can tell them it's because Seirra's a merman."

Okay, so maybe I had not gone through the day as normally as I thought. If my other friends had caught on, then I must be very distracted. I guessed anyone would be if they were in the same situation as I was.

"I already told you what happened last night." I had not, however, mentioned anything about the hug or Seirra's vow of love.

Robert's expression hardened with that statement. He now wanted to meet Kalus.

"Maybe I should be there when you question him. I'm sure I can help," he said between gritted teeth.

"I don't think it's a good idea. I appreciate your concern, Robert, but it's about Aquania and you don't have to be involved."

He glanced at me in surprise but looked straight ahead when he said, "So we're in the "you and us" situation now, huh?"

I had no idea what he was saying.

"What are you talking about?"

He smiled but his eyes filled with resignation. "You and us. Merpeople and humans. I don't have to be involved because I'm human but you can be there because you're going to be a mermaid soon. Right?"

It had never occurred to me to look at it that way but he had a point.

"I just don't think you have to concern yourself with it. It's dangerous. Besides, Kalus is Seirra's father. I'll probably just be there sitting quietly while Seirra does the interrogation. If there's anybody who needs answers, it's him."

Robert understood what I said and finally let go of his wish to come with me to where Kalus and Seirra were.

"How is he anyway? Seirra, I mean. Knowing his father wanted you dead must have been hard on him."

I recalled how Seirra reacted when Kalus revealed himself and I shivered. There was no way he would be able to get over his father's betrayal anytime soon.

"I honestly don't know. I'm sure he'll be objective but I know he's hurting inside. When I left them this morning, he was too quiet. Too...calm. It was like he's going to burst once someone pulls the trigger. He was like a brewing storm." I had stopped walking without even realizing it. "I don't know what I can do to help him."

I lifted my eyes and met Robert's gaze. He was looking strangely at me--like he was seeing someone he didn't know.

"You're really going to be happy in Aquania," he said with a soft smile.

He did not give me a chance to reply because he continued walking and had remained silent until we reached Books and Covers.

"I know it can't be but I'm sure your performance tomorrow will be unforgettable," Robert said before he ushered me inside.

"Thanks," I said, knowing full well that there was no way he would remember my performance tomorrow once I became a mermaid.

He left afterwards and suddenly, I dreaded what was coming.

Who was Kalus, really? Why did he know Grampa? More importantly, why did he know my father? When he said I was connected to Seirra's mother, I had no idea what to feel. He never said I was related to his wife but what if he said that so he can drop the bomb later on? What if I was actually Seirra's blood relative? What did that make us?

A sudden wave of emotion rushed through my blood as I remembered Seirra's voice when he told me he loved me last night. His confession had made me happier than I wanted to admit. Somehow, hearing those words spoken just for me was like seeing a ray of light amidst a dark existence. It had only been a few days but it felt like it took him a long time before he was able to say it. Somehow last night, it seemed as if we had both been waiting for it to happen. It was almost unbelievable. The past few days had been difficult but when he said he loved me--so sure, so sweet, so true--well, I couldn't help but feel as if I could trust him with my life and my heart.

But then what if, by some freakish twist of fate, the two of us were siblings?

The bell attached to the bookstore's door rang and a customer almost bumped into me.

"Oh! Sorry! Excuse me, dear," the old man said, not expecting to find someone standing by the door.

"Oh, no. I should be saying sorry. I was in the way," I said in reply as I moved aside to let him pass.

He went on to one of the shelves and I walked towards the back door.

"Hello to you too," Amanda said with a look of concern.

She said it loud enough that it was impossible not to hear but she probably thought I was still in a daze.

"Seirra and his sick friend are upstairs. I don't know what's up but you can talk to me anytime. Just let me know."

It was one of the most endearing traits about Amanda. She always knew if something was troubling me but she never pushed if I did not want to talk about it. And it was always amazing how loyal she was. The next thing I did surprised the two of us.

"I'm really going to miss you," I told her, giving her a bear hug so tight it was a wonder she wasn't hurt.

She chuckled and pushed me back a little.

"What are you talking about? Are you leaving?"

I kept the longing off my face. Thinking of a viable excuse, I shook my head.

"Nope. I was just thinking about going to Lancaster and going home to a dorm instead of here with you. I know it's going to be difficult not having you around."

"You don't really have to go to a dorm if you don't want to, you know. But then, that's an extra hour of everyday travel for you."

I grinned. "Err, I'll think about it again. I mean, it's you or sleep, right? I'll have to make sure I'm setting my priorities straight."

She laughed and finally disentangled herself from me.

"If you're leaving, I'm pretty sure I'll miss you too," she said, motioning for me to go ahead and meet Seirra.

There was still laughter in her eyes when she asked me, "By the way, why is it that Seirra's friends are almost always way too old for him? Not that I think it's a bad thing. Just curious."

I guessed Amanda would really wonder about it since the only friends he told us about were Kalus and Grampa. I was not a surprise that Seirra would deny that Kalus was actually his father.

"I don't know either," I said. "His other friends are all likely in France."

She accepted that with a shrug and I finally got through the back door. Seirra was sitting by the door to Grampa's room, reading the last Harry Potter book. He looked up when he heard me come in.

"Everybody's right. The books are amazing," he said to me in greeting.

It was weird finding him reading a book when something so monumental was about to happen so I blurted out the first thing that came to my mind.

"When did you even read the first six?"

I never saw him reading since he bought all seven books two days ago.

"I'm a fast reader with lots of free time. And when I say fast, I mean fast," he said, glancing pointedly at the book.

I could only assume he was using some kind of magic to read as fast as he had implied. However, we didn't get to discuss his reading capabilities further because he suddenly turned serious.

"He's awake. Weak but much better than last night. We can talk to him as soon as you're ready."

I swallowed. There really was no escaping tonight's revelation.

"Give me five minutes."

I didn't know whether that was enough time for me to prepare for the truth but there was no reason to delay it. I had to know why Kalus wanted me dead.

Seirra nodded but before he turned his back and went into the room, I saw the misery in his eyes. Whatever it was that we would find out tonight, it could not be good for him. In the end, Kalus had still betrayed him and Aquania.

I suddenly wanted to see him cheerful again and using his charms on everybody. Somehow, it seemed like a month had passed since I last saw him genuinely happy.

With a sigh, I went to my room and dropped my things on the bed. I changed into a more casual set of clothes: black pants and a light blue collared shirt. I didn't think wearing a burgundy sleeveless dress and a black cardigan would be an appropriate attire for tonight's questioning.

I entered Grampa's room three minutes later. None of the occupants were talking and Seirra closed his book the instant I came in. I sat on the chair beside Seirra and waited. For a moment, we all just kind of stared at each other.

And then Kalus spoke in a soft, raspy voice.

"I met Ariana a week before her wedding."

It was a totally unexpected revelation and Seirra flinched. He must have understood immediately that her mother had meant to marry someone else before his father even came into the picture.

"She didn't want to marry so young and she was angry at her father for encouraging her suitor. It was storming that night but she still went to the beach."

There was a ghost of a smile in Kalus's eyes but a lot of grief too. It was obvious that Ariana was not a topic he often talked about.

"She climbed a rocky ledge by the sea--or at least she tried to--but she slipped and fell into the sea. Looking back, I think she knew that it was dangerous but she did it anyway. I saved her and she woke up as soon as the storm had passed."

Kalus paused. I stole a glance at Seirra to find out how he was taking it in. He was staring at his father as if someone had just handed him the shock of a lifetime. It looked like an overreaction but I didn't think it was the right time to ask him about it.

"She was a very beautiful woman and I knew the moment she opened her eyes that she was the maiden for me. I asked her to meet me again in the morning but she said neither yes nor no. So I waited. And waited. Dusk finally came and I could not describe just how joyous it felt when I saw her standing by the beach looking for me."

I had no idea what to feel now that Kalus was telling us all about his love life. His eyes were glazed with something I could only attribute to love and it became a bit difficult to remember that he was the man who wanted to kill me. Or at least make sure that I never got to Aquania. He had another bout of coughing but it was not like yesterday. He bent forward but his coughs did not sound like they were coming from his hollowed body. After a few seconds, he was ready to continue his story.

"We fell in love instantly and Ariana told her father about it. She expected his disbelief and we knew that there was every possibility that her father would object our union. She fought with him and refused to marry her fiancee--Gregory."

Kalus's eyes pierced mine as he said my father's name and I slowly understood the implications of his words. Seirra and I were not siblings. Our fathers, however, had both been in love with one woman. Unbelievable. This was the kind of story that people could only see in movies. I stared back at Kalus and he saw the questions in my eyes.

"Yes, Margaret. Your father was supposed to marry Ariana. You and Seirra would never have been born if I had not come along."

I turned to look at Seirra and saw him struggling with his emotions just as I was. I thought my life was normal, boring even. But now it seemed that my destiny had long since it started shaping my future--and Seirra's. I never would have expected such a twisted fate. I wanted to feel angry for the way his parents had hurt my father but I couldn't. This was the past and if I looked back at how much my dad had seemed happy with my mom, I knew that something right must have happened or it wouldn't have happened at all. I was still frozen when Seirra reached out and held my hand. It was a comforting gesture but his next words were the ones that laid my raging thoughts and feelings to rest.

"We're different from our parents. We're not going to let them ruin what we have right now."

He gazed at me with an intensity that I instantly felt and I nodded. There was no way that the two of us were doomed. I simply could not accept it. We both turned back to Kalus, letting him know that he ought to continue. The older man was looking at us as if he had never expected this confrontation to turn out like this. He gave us a sad smile before closing his eyes to take a deep breath.

"I wish things were easier for all of us. But then, if it was easy, it would never be worth it." He paused again before he went back to Ariana's father. "Her father's reaction, however, was anger that was almost similar to loathing. He even threatened to kill me if that was what it would take to keep me away from his daughter. I was never with her on land because I did not possess the Crystal Key of Saol but I knew everything that had happened because I've met her father--Nathan."

It took me a moment to grasp his meaning and when it hit me, I could not hide the shock from my face. Really, how many impossible revelations are we going to get tonight?

"You mean Grampa? But..."

Seirra was equally dumbfounded and he finished my question for me.

"But how could that be? Grampa's daughter is named Alana. You're lying to me again!"

I was nodding my agreement but one look at the certainty on Kalus's face told me he was definitely not lying.

"When Ariana decided to come with me, we thought it best that we change her name. She told me that if she was going to start a new life in Aquania, she must leave Alana behind." His voice had turned sad and he looked away. "Little did we realize that it was impossible for her to escape from Alana."

"What do you mean?" Seirra asked, his stance wary of whatever was coming.

Kalus looked at his son with sad, sad eyes and somehow, I started to feel terrible.

"Your mother did not die from illness, Seirra. She killed herself."