Panic sets in as the severity of my situation clicks in my brain. I'm going to die. Tears leak out of my eyes and do nothing but mix with the saltwater pressing in on me from all sides, making my head hurt worse. If I manage to survive the sharks and worse in these waters, I'll soon die of hunger and dehydration.
I am hurting and so very tired. Relaxing my body allows me to float on top of the water. At least it's a calm night, so the waves aren't too bad. To be truthful, if I'm going to die, my view couldn't have been any better. Millions of stars twinkle down at me from their semi-permanent places in the sky. The water in my ears makes it sound as if there is movement all around me. Who knows, sharks could be circling me at this point. I'm just too tired to care.
Closing my eyes, I begin to imagine hearing voices. They make no sense at first. A little at a time I begin to understand them. Three separate voices. Two are arguing. The third interjects, "Just give her your damn necklace, Zanthus." I hear grumbling, and then something cold and heavy settles around my neck. Despite wanting to ask why I'd need a necklace to be rescued, I just can't. My head pounds and demands sleep. I'm too exhausted to fight it anymore.
"What's it take to get some peace around here?" I ask my intrusive, hyper brother. Usually, if someone takes up roost in their room with the door shut, everyone takes the hint that they're not wanting to be bothered. Those kinds of ideas belong in a world where Zephyr isn't.
Sitting on the floor with my back against the side of the bed, I feel it shift with his weight right before his head falls backward right next to mine. Some of his hair is caught underneath him, but most of it drags the floor like a barbarian. That's what we've been reduced to at this point. To live a painful secluded existence where we're living less than our stated titles. One would think after so many years I wouldn't hold such a heavy grudge against the witch who cursed our race. However, the hate still holds as strong as the day it happened. I wouldn't think twice about strangling the breath from her throat.
"Are you even listening?" my younger, by a few minutes, brother asks in my ear.
Unclenching the drawing pencil from my fist before I break it, I give up on the portrait I'm attempting to sketch from memory. I've awoken from the same dream for a week now and all I can remember ten minutes after my eyes open is a waterspout and hair so black that it shimmers purple like fish scales. When I'd mentioned them to Merrick, our most trusted advisor who turned scholar in our current situation, he had suggested I try to write the details out as soon as I woke. But I can do us one better since the fine arts were always one of my talents, even if I'd chosen to be a warrior over pursuing them. Someone had to learn politics to protect my brothers. They are among some of the greatest fighters in our kingdom, but that'll help none when it comes to strategy. Zale is smart but prefers his books over combat. Zephyr does what he wants like he always has. Mother even encouraged it.
Realizing my mind has wandered again before he's able to hold my attention, Zephyr waves a hand in front of my eyes and whines, "Come on, Zan. Can't you feel it? I've been itching for days now. Let's go for a swim."
Come to think of it, I've been dutifully ignoring the sensation of pinpricks across my skin, begging for a shift. After the war when we came to the conclusion we were cursed yet alive, the relief was overwhelming considering we'd lost so many to the battles. Then came the mourning. Not only had we lost family and friends, but we'd also lost our kingdom. All in one swift swoop and with no one to blame but ourselves and the slimy sea witch. Now, I can't speak for my brothers, but I'm simply angry. Every time we leave our barrier of protection, fury sinks further down into my soul to the point I don't think I'll ever get rid of it.
Unfortunately, though, my carefree brother is right. The sensations we're both feeling are getting harder to ignore. For a split second, I wonder what would actually happen if I did. Would I lose my powers indefinitely, or would trying drive me truly mad?
Not willing to risk either, I rise to my feet and toss the drawing pad to the side as I demand, "Let's go find Zale."
It's no surprise to either of us when we do find him moments later in the study with Merrick, both of their heads lodged between the pages of books. I feel like they've read every available book three times over since getting stuck here, but it doesn't stop them from trying to find the answer to our problem still.
"Zale," I bark, causing them both to flinch and Zephyr to let out a chuckle at my side.
Without speaking a word, Zale sets down his book and moves to follow us out of the room. In all our years, he's never once questioned me or my judgement. Even as I followed the orders of our father and almost doomed all three of us. They both trust me with a faith I don't deserve.
He waits until we're outside the keep to ask, "So, you've been feeling it too?"
At my nod, he adds, "Merrick and I have been searching for what it could mean. We've theorized that it could be her."
"Don't," I warn, trying my best to hold in the snarl that his words bring to the surface.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him shrug and Zephyr toss him a smile. They have as much hope as the men that stop in various duties around us to watch as we make our way to the rift in the barrier. The one small place that allows the three of us to access our magic. I struggled at first to accept this as our fate because our people stuck here with us have no such magic anymore. The curse trapped it inside their bodies, unable to be freed. We've lost more than a dozen good men over the years after the caging drove them mad. That guilt will always eat at me. I want to have the hope the rest of them do. It's just a difficult task when it all seems to be as lost as our kingdom.
Feeling like a coward, I ignore their optimistic observance and jump face-first through the sliver of barrier between us and open water. I'm expecting the rush of my shift through the lower half of my body and the low-key pops of the sound through the water behind me as my brothers do the same. Nevertheless, the thrill of being in the water races through me. Something doesn't feel right, though. If anything, the tingles that had been radiating over my body while inside the barrier seem to have gotten worse, not better. Plus, I don't think I've ever seen the water as light as it is. From our keep on the ocean floor, it's normally black as night and murky still with our excellent vision.
This. It's something new.
I’ve start to whip around in search of my brothers when a loud sound unlike any I've ever heard breaks the silence of the water. Pushing my tail to its limit, I rush towards the sound, relieved I can feel the water being disturbed in two separate directions at my back and knowing Zale and Zephyr are following. Cautious of the time we've already spent in our true forms with our talismans, we track the sound upwards to a large vessel cutting through the water at an alarming speed. Their sails must be full mast with the wind of the gods riding them.
Zephyr's laugh is full of humor, but I don't get the chance to ask him what it's for. As the ship begins to pass us, the sound of people on board it flows freely into the water under a mechanical whir, which must've been the cause of my brother's amusement. The ship has no sails but is mechanically driven. We have nothing like this in our realm.