Page 129 of Sea's Secret

Chapter Forty-Six

Meria

Iheard the whispers, first. The splashing stopped as the mer froze in order to stare at me; then many turned their backs to me. I looked around, searching for any familiar face, and then I saw Finn. He motioned to the right, and I saw my father, reclining, half submerged upon a rock, beside the rest of my family. I swam faster to reach them and passed by more mer, who upon seeing me, turned their backs, also. That was what we did to traitors of our kind. When I was at the base of the rock, I rose to the surface.

“Father!” I called, and there was a silence that followed. My father, eventually, turned to look down on me from the rock.

“Meria?” he asked as if confused.

“Father, our people were never meant to stay under the sea, forever.”

“Finn told us to relay that message from you, Meria!” my sister called from beside my father. “I guess Mother and you both told us.”

“Sirens are a real threat,” my other sister said.

“Are the lights still burning?” I asked my father.

“The last one still flickers, barely, but we have lost all else,” Father said. “We can no longer survive in the Marren depths.

“The Ancients set the Marren Lights there to burn bright for us until the time came for us to rise. When the first light went out, that was our sign to leave,” I said. “I am glad that you all have risen. This is what we should have done long ago.”

“She speaks the truth.”

I paused to see Ancient Celia in a long silver dress, standing on a nearby rock. There was a light that radiated from her. “I am Ancient Celia, the Ancient who first brought you the lights. They were only ever intended to be temporary. I am surprised that this information was lost by your kind.”

“It was not lost–only not believed,” my father said, and I could hear the quiver in his voice.

We revered the Ancients.

“You should have believed your Queen, whom the Creator called to guide you out of the seas. Had you listened to her, so many of the mer who have died or worse, have become sirens, would have been saved and still with you to this day.”

“It was forbidden,” Father argued.

Celia ignored Father; then she continued. “Then, your daughter, who was also shown the truth from the Creator, came to you to give you a second chance, and you also denied and persecuted her.”

“I did–” my father said, his face looking so sad as he turned to me. “But humans–there is no way that they are no longer corrupt.”

“Some humans are still corrupt, but most are good; most follow the Ancients once again,” I said.

I heard loud gasps and turned around to see Dominick swimming toward me. He reached me, panting, and I was too astonished to say anything.

“How dare you lead one of the human beasts here!” Father bellowed.

“He is one of the good ones. He follows the Ancients, and he has kept me safe.”

“Depart, human!” Father shouted, making a wave crash against Dominick's side, pulling him down into the water.

“Father!” I screamed; then I dove into the water to find him. He was swimming up toward the surface, and I helped him reach it faster.

“Meria–” he gasped as we broke though the surface. “Your father is rather intimidating,” he smirked. “But I have no doubt that I can handle him.”

“Well, you are a pirate,” I said with a smirk.

He winked and swam over and placed himself in front of my father. “King of Marren,” he said with a nod of his head. I heard the whispers from all the mer around us. My sister was gasping. I had never seen Dominick act so formally. He seemed more like a prince than ever before.“Stop trusting in things that have hurt your people. The truth is here, right now.” He broke the silence.

“Human,” Father snarled.

“I can attest that humans do not seek to harm Marren or any magical beings,” Dominick said.

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