Margaret: Chapter Eight

I woke up the following day feeling weak and dizzy. For a moment I couldn’t move; my entire body felt numb as if I was floating in the air. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was my parents’ portrait hung on the wall across my bed. At first I thought they were real and was back to accompany me to heaven.

Then I heard voices. One was deep and husky; the other soft and raspy.

“A few more minutes and she would have died,” I heard Grampa say. “It was a good thing that she has the Key with her. Our abilities would have been fruitless if not for it.”

“Yes,” Seirra answered. “This is the first time my human companion was attacked. And by mermen nonetheless.” Seirra sighed loudly. “Thank Neptune you’re a Huntre.”

Those green guys were mermen? Heck, I need to know what happened.

My body still felt dead to me so I tried using my voice to get their attention.

“Unnhh…”

Both of them had sharp hearing abilities and I did not need to say anything more for them to realize that I have already awoken. They rushed over to the side of my bed and I immediately saw their furrowed foreheads and concerned eyes.

My grandfather sat beside me then held onto my right hand. “How are you feeling, dear?”

“I guess…I’m fine,” I answered him in my whisper-soft, hoarse voice.

He dropped a feather-light kiss on my forehead then smiled at me. “I’m glad.”

I moved my lips in an attempt to smile back at Grampa. He must have understood what I was trying to do and he nodded. My room had stopped moving now and my skin was slowly starting to feel the soft fabrics that surrounded me. Not five seconds had passed when I saw a small movement behind Grampa. I smiled, more easily this time.

Seirra moved forward and stood beside the bed, parallel to my right arm.

“How did you find me?” I asked him with a voice that was still throaty but clearer compared to a few seconds ago.

He was still standing when he addressed me. “I didn’t find you. You found me.”

I looked at him questioningly. I didn’t remember trying to look for him at that time. Well, actually, all I remembered was seeing three green, ugly people. No wait, four. Another one appeared and killed the others.

“What do you mean I found you?”

“I was in Harbor Drive,” Seirra replied. “As owner of the Key of Saol, I have a connection with it. Someone with an impure intent must have been around it for me to feel that it was in danger. You probably felt it too.”

Yes. I might have denied it but somehow, when someone was following me, it had felt too dangerous. As if it was a matter of life and death.

“One of them died when he touched the pendant,” I informed him thoughtfully. My voice had come back to normal and I no longer felt weak since Grampa held my hand. He must have possessed healing powers too.

He nodded a bit stiffly. It was obvious that he knew what happened and that he was not happy about it.

“I followed the path where the feeling was strongest and found you as he tried to touch the Key. I was the one who killed him. The Key can only paralyze a merman for a few seconds.” His fists started to clench.  “I was also responsible for the other two. I would have wanted them alive but they surely won’t let me bring you to safety.  I had no choice,” He said with gritted teeth.

He was responsible for the other two? But that guy was green…

“That was,” I paused for a few seconds to compose myself and prepare for his answer, “you?”

I saw him exchange a look with Grampa before he answered me with: “Yes.”

“But the guy who killed my stalkers was…green.” I told him, confusion marking my face.

“That was how mermen on land look like when they’re in battle mode, Marge,” Grampa said. “You probably didn’t see it but their teeth even resembled that of a shark’s.”

My eyes widened at that revelation. I didn’t really know if I should be happy that I didn’t recognize Seirra at that time or curious if he still looked as handsome when he’s green and monstrous.

I turned to Seirra and he underlined Grampa’s statement by saying, “Fighting in that form unleashes our full powers. It was necessary.”

“I see,” I answered with a nod. To be honest, I think I would have freaked out if I saw him like that. Or at least shocked, considering my physical and mental state at that time. “Do you look as scary as they were?”

“Worse,” he told me. His expression gave no clue whether he was kidding or not but Grampa’s small laugh gave him away.

“You don’t,” I said with a tone of finality. “You look the same. Except, you’re green.”

He gave me a one-sided smile in answer. “You’ll see.”

“Not soon I hope,” Grampa muttered. “We may have healed her injuries but she’s still recovering from what happened.”

Right. I heard them saying that I was actually on the verge of death. I knew about Seirra’s healing ability but not of Grampa’s.

“You healed me, Gramps? Was it because you’re a Huntre?”

“Huntres may have lost their tails but not the ability to heal,” my grandfather answered. “However, it was no longer as strong as when we were mermen.”

“Their only other mystical power is erasing a human’s memory about mermen,” Seirra announced.

“So Huntres were the ones who removed the memories of your previous companions?” I asked them both. That would mean that Grampa would be the one to erase my memories after 27 more days. Or until Seirra finds Marina.

“No. Huntres are rare. Besides, erasing memories was never their duty. They have that ability because Huntres are creatures who were made to swear never to reveal the existence of Aquania,” Seirra explained to me. “If they could help it, they would.”

“So it isn’t their obligation but if they were faced with a situation that required it, they must use their ability?” I asked to fully clarify everything.

“Yes. That way, the humans are spared from death,” Grampa reminded me. Right, mermen kill the humans they encountered or they would look old. Heck, these mermen really were obsessed with looks.

“O-kay,” I commented. “You guys have a very complicated way of life.”

“Not quite as complicated as humans though,” Seirra replied sarcastically.

“Excuse me? There’s nothing complicated about humans! We don’t have those magical pow—” I stopped myself before a useless argument starts. “Never mind.”

“Oh, come on,” Seirra groaned. “And I was hoping you’d accommodate an argument.”

I raised my eyebrow at that. “Sorry but I am naturally a peace-loving person and fighting over our differences is a waste of time.” I looked away from him and crossed my arms to let him know I’m not going to argue with him.

He laughed at the way I tried to dismiss him. Apparently, he found it hard to remain serious and angry for long. At least he was every time I am with him. I smiled a little because really, we were talking about life and death moments ago and now we almost fought over something silly.

“Your brain must be working really well now,” Seirra told me with a grin. “You’re back to your half-sarcastic, half-pretty self.”

That was most likely his charming personality speaking. I tried to hide the fact that his half-insulting, half-complimentary statement just made my heart flutter with excitement and my stomach fill with thrilled butterflies. His grin wasn’t helping either. Heck, why does he have to be such a handsome creature?

I waved my hand and told him off. “Oh, shut up. I’m not pretty and everybody knows it.”

Even Grampa couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “I’ll have to go check the bookstore, my dear. Rest well,” he told me with a smile then went on to do as he said.

The moment my grandfather closed the door, Seirra turned to me and said in a thoughtful pose, “You know, that’s one thing our worlds have in common. The women never think they’re pretty. Ever.”

He then proceeded to land a soft kiss on my forehead before he said, “You’ve got to get well soon, Ms. Beautiful.”

I was still staring at him in surprise when he stood straight, winked at me then walked out the bedroom door.