CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - Meela
A Resounding Hush
I couldn’t explain why I trusted Eriana to guide me towards a mysterious ship when the creature had spent so long trying to kill me.
But now, she was a part of me, an extension of my mind and body. As definitively as I could trust my survival instincts, I could trust her to keep me safe.
With senses more powerful than my own, she found a ship floating a few leagues away and led me towards it.
We encountered nothing along the way—presumably because any creature that felt us coming fled as fast as possible.
The closer we drew to the ship, the more nervous I became. I contemplated what I would say. How was I supposed to convince these people to listen to me?
I considered my options. As a mermaid, I could lure them. I could threaten them with the serpent. But I didn’t want to use force. They had to agree to peace on their own volition.
We stopped at the ship’s bow. The materials stung my skin and coated my tongue in something thick and bitter. The sight of its broad hull, so unnatural among the blues and greens, sent a chill through me.
Abruptly, pain stabbed through my body. Every cell vibrated. I moaned, raising my hands to my ears. It was that noise again. But how? The serpent had destroyed the ship.
Hadn’t she? I couldn’t think, couldn’t remember. That terrible pain filled my head, paralysing me. I grew dizzy from the pressure of it against my ears.
Eriana shook her head, releasing blasts of air from her nostrils in agitation.
I barely heard her speaking to me.
It is from inside the ship. Should I break it?
No, I thought. Don’t attack. Let me talk to them.
I summoned her closer. Her eyes narrowed and her head lowered, reminding me of a cowering dog. I climbed onto one of her great heads. Shielding myself with the mane of horns, I asked her to rise from the water.
We broke the surface and a different explosion of sound met my ears. It took me a moment to understand what was happening. They were firing machine guns at us. Bullets ricocheted off the serpent’s scales. She didn’t offer so much as a groan of protest, and soon, the bullets stopped.
My ears rang in the silence.
“I am not here to hurt you,” I said in English, uncomfortably aware of my accent. “Please, lower your weapons so we can speak.”
My words were met with silence. I leaned around the mane of horns enough to see their faces. A crew of about twenty Americans stood on the deck, aiming at the serpent. They were faint with terror, several of them visibly trembling.
“I am Metlaa Gaela, Daughter of Kasai. I come from Eriana Kwai, and so does this serpent.”
The crew followed my voice and caught sight of me atop the serpent. I must have appeared small and insignificant compared to her. They glanced to each other, still looking frightened.
“I’m here on behalf of merpeople. We wish to negotiate with you to end this war. Please, turn off that noise.”
A man with a neck as wide as his head stepped forwards. “We thought the serpent was commanded by the merman king.”
“The king is dead. The serpent is under my control, now.”
The crew tensed. There was a groan of fingers tightening over triggers.
“She will not harm you.”
“And if we kill you?” said the wide-necked man.
Eriana gave a low hiss. Careful, daughter. These soldiers do not know control is passed by blood.
“Then the serpent will avenge her master,” I said, lying easily.
There was a beat of silence. I felt Eriana’s pain, her second head still beneath the surface where the noise blasted.
I said again, more firmly, “Please stop that noise.”
“Are you surrendering?” said wide-neck man.
“No. I’m negotiating a cease-fire.”
Once, I would have considered this guy intimidating, but now that I’d spent time in the presence of mermen, he seemed laughably small.
“Why the sudden change?” he said.
“This war was King Adaro’s. I used to be human, and more than anyone, my people understand what pain this war has caused. With cooperation, we can stop this.”
The man raised his eyebrows. “What are your terms?”
“I only want peace—starting with ending that noise.”
I forced my anger down, not wanting to transition into demon mode. I wanted them to feel like they were talking to a human. My tail was masked behind Eriana’s mane of horns, and I had the impression they’d relaxed a little since I’d begun talking.
The crew stared, seeming to weigh the threat of the serpent against my request.
The back of my neck prickled at Eriana’s continued discomfort. Any living thing for leagues around was suffering, and we all knew it.
The wide-necked man turned and strode into the helm. He was gone a long time. Nobody spoke. Finally, Eriana let out a groan of relief. A moment later, the man returned with a phone.
“I’ve told the others to pause the sonic charges. Now start talking.”
Others? How many places was this happening? My mind jumped to Lysi. I gritted my teeth.
The man held out the phone as though expecting me to come aboard.
“Um,” I said, scanning the machine guns aimed in my direction and wondering if the bullets were iron. “Pass it to the serpent, please.”
Eriana raised her other head beside the ship. The nearest soldiers scrambled back as seawater cascaded onto the deck.
The man obliged after a moment’s hesitance, dropping the phone onto Eriana’s tongue. She brought it to me. I picked up the phone gingerly, trying not to get water on it. I had the urge to laugh. What was wrong with me?
A call was connected, the timer on the screen counting up. I raised the phone to my ear.
“Hello?”
“Officer Miller here,” said the other end brusquely. “I understand you are holding my ship hostage.”
“My name is Metlaa Gaela. I am a mermaid and a former human from Eriana Kwai. King Adaro is dead. I have possession of the serpent, and I intend to make peace between us.”
He was silent, then said in a constricted voice, “That is quite a remarkable achievement, Metlaa Gaela.”
“Um. Thank you.”
“Are you prepared to have all merpeople cease their attacks on human ships and beaches?”
“Yes. The king’s armies no longer serve him.”
“I see,” said Officer Miller. “Interesting.”
“We have a new queen. She would like to meet you and sign a peace treaty.”
It wasn’t an outright lie, but my stomach twisted all the same. The plan had better follow through on Lysi’s end.
“A treaty? Metlaa Gaela, are you aware the last peace treaty we signed with merpeople was broken? Are you aware we lost lives in the Aleutian Islands?”
“Those actions were King Adaro’s. You have my word that merpeople will stop invading beaches and sinking ships under our new queen.”
“What’s the word of a girl from Eriana Kwai?”
I flushed at his taunt. “What would you know of Eriana Kwai? You left us to die.”
“The struggles of one small island aren’t—”
“I am offering to end this war,” I said, not wanting to hear his pitiful excuses. “Given that I have the serpent under my control, I recommend you accept.”
Officer Miller sighed. “That’s exactly the problem. You’re on one of my most valuable ships with twenty American soldiers aboard, and you have the power to destroy it in seconds. You’ll understand why this conversation feels like a hostage situation.”
I closed my eyes, summoning calmness. “I do not intend to harm your crew, Officer Miller. If you agree to meet, you can discuss your terms with the new queen of the Pacific.”
He paused. I wished I could see his face, read his aura.
“I see,” he finally said. “And then what happens with the serpent?”
“I will destroy it.”
“Destroy?” His tone was harsh, clipped.
“Yes. Once we come to an agreement, the serpent will cease to exist.”
“But it’s the only one of its kind!”
I didn’t respond.
“Metlaa Gaela,” he said, a note of false warmth in his voice, “it would be a shame to lose something as incredible as the leviathan. What can we offer you in exchange for it?”
“I will not let her become a weapon.”
“We’re prepared to offer you anything. Any amount of money.”
“The serpent is not my bargain.”
“Consider—”
“No. I have seen what she is capable of.”
So have they—and that is why they want me, said Eriana.
“A peace treaty. That is my request,” I said.
“And if we don’t agree?” said Officer Miller.
I hesitated. “Then I suppose you will keep dropping iron bombs in the water, and issuing these sonic attacks, and doing everything you can to destroy all life in the Pacific Ocean. But you should know that I have spent my life training for war and fighting in battles more terrible than you know. And if you keep fighting, I will fight back.”
There was a long silence.
“All right,” said Officer Miller. “I need to contact the right people. Can you meet me in Anchorage?”
“No. I want you to come to Eriana Kwai.” I looked towards the setting sun, weighing how long it would take me to get there. “Tomorrow. Sundown.”
Another pause. “I can make that work.”
“You won’t drop anything into the ocean? You won’t issue any more assaults, noise or otherwise?”
“Not between now and then.”
I chewed my lip. If he was being honest, at least I’d be able to get to Eriana Kwai without helicopters or ships waiting.
“I’m passing you back to your crew,” I said. “See you tomorrow.”
Without waiting for an answer, I tossed the phone back to the crew on deck.
Eriana and I disappeared beneath the surface before they caught it.