Page 16 of Sea's Secret

“That is what you think. But what if your heart and your melody are right–and good? Why would your soul’s melody lead you astray?”

Mermaid magic was embedded within every mers’ soul, and within those souls, were melodies. And through those melodies, we communicated with each other beneath the sea. The melodies within our souls literally sang. Most mer trusted in their souls’ melodies. I did not, for my melody was as traitorous as my tail coloring.

With our songs, we could also persuade humans and magical creatures to follow the Creator’s ways of goodness and light. Active souls’ melodies were said to once exist with land creatures, too, but knowledge of how to access melodies originated with the mer race, given to us by the Creator who placed us in the Terran waters Himself. It was said that long ago, the Ancients discovered our melodious souls, through which we communicated under the sea without using our mouths, which was different from how the land-breathers did it. Souls’ melodies were simple to us; they were just how we communicated with each other. We kept it to ourselves, and we minded our own business under the sea. Once the Ancients discovered us, though, we shared our knowledge with them about the power within souls. Soon after that, other magical beings, as well as humans, were taught by the Ancients how to connect to their souls’ melodies. It took hundreds of years, but eventually, the gift was entrusted to all who followed the Creator. Melodies brought beautiful connections, not only to ourselves and to others, but to Terra itself. Once upon a time, there were melodies within all things that lived on land and under the sea. We were taught that the Creator was very pleased during that time. All Terrans had reached their full potential. It was something all living beings of Terra treasured, and it brought peace to the entire world. It was so far in the past, those early days when magical beings, including Ancients, walked among humans, and for a few, even the Ancient Lands had become within their reach.

But by the time the Ancients blessed us with the Marren Lights and asked us to keep ourselves hidden, that world of peace and universal melodies had been long gone—lost. Some believed that it was lost forever. I was taught that both humans and magical beings had forgotten about melodies. The Ancients went back to their lands, and magical beings dispersed to the furthest, most remote corners of Terra, where the Traitor King could not touch them. We, mermaids, waited for the Ancients to return and to tell us that we could swim the Terran waters freely again, but they had not yet come, which we believed meant the world was still corrupt.

During the Great War, when corruption covered most of Terra, and magical beings were hunted, mermaids were included. We were hunted specifically for our healing magic—our mermaid tears. The stories told to us as children, of humans torturing us for our tears, frightened us all so much that not only did we dislike humans, but we did not dare break through the surface of the sea, unless under the moon of the changing tide. It was the only safe time. We hoped that all stories of mermaids would fade into legend over time, and that no one would actively hunt us anymore, but we had no idea if it had, or would ever, happen. It had always seemed better to be safe, just in case, better to wait for an Ancient to come and tell us it was safe.

The lights over Marren continued to dim; still, no Ancient came to help us. There was a fear that the humans had done the unthinkable, that they had killed all the Ancients. I shivered at such a thought.

So, my feelings, which wanted to reach outside of Marren, and also my soul’s melody, singing of wanting to go upon Marren Island that day when I had seen it for the first time, were especially traitorous, because if I had done that, it could have exposed us. It was also impossible, because not only did we lack the ability to walk on land like humans, but the sea was where we belonged.

Do you only belong to the sea, though? another traitorous thought came to me. Those evil thoughts were coming more often, seeping into my melody.

I struggled because I felt as if my melody was not as it should be. It kept singing traitorous desires that went against my father and all of the laws and commands that the Ancients had taught our ancestors.

“Meria? Your melody cannot lead you astray. I keep telling you this. Trust it.”

“No, I love him.”

“You are told you love him. Rina has no idea what she’s talking about, by the way.”

“She—”

“I heard her earlier, talking to Lyra. She is a bit out of touch with reality. And, you do not look like you are in love.”

“Finn—”

“I’ve told you this for a long time; it was a terrible choice to have your father select your husband.”

“I know.”

“You have to stop trusting other people, Meria. This is a good example of that. I would have thought that you would have discussed this topic with Edmar before the engagement. You are incredibly obsessed with having children. Those little merlings are woven everywhere into your song and your thoughts. You stop all the time, just to hold random merlings. It’s obnoxious–well, it would be if it wasn't so sweet,” he trailed off.

“Thanks, Finn,” I sang with a sigh. “I do not know why I did not bring it up before now. I should have, and I have no idea, Finn; I have no idea what to do about it. Maybe, I need to talk to my father. Am I not meant to have a lot of children? Perhaps, I should not be greedy.”

“That is ridiculous. Of course, you are meant to have as many as you wish! That is not greed, Meria! You are meant to have as many as you and your husband want, but it seems like he’s not on the same side of the reef as you, and if he isn’t on the same side about this topic, perhaps, there are more you two do not see eye-to-eye about, meaning, maybe, your father does not know everything.”

“But—”

“Meria, you have to think about this—and do it for yourself.”

“I believe I love him. But I am a bit confused. His kiss did not feel as I thought it would, either.”

“I do not need to hear all the kissing details, Meria,” Finn groaned.

“No–it’s just that my sisters told me that first kisses were so wonderful–yet, to me, it felt like nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Yes! It is so strange, Finn. There is something wrong with me.”

“It is not ‘so strange.’ Also, nothing is wrong with you,” Finn said, and I looked up at him with hope.

“It isn't? Aren't I?”

“No to both. You do not love him, so you didn't feel anything because you should not marry him. It is not so complicated.”

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