Page 115 of Mermaid on Heels

The siren king’s men followed their lead into the depths and Papa navigated them to Pearltuna.

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Returning to Pearltuna was a long, hopeless dream—now come true. Liriya shed a few tears when she first spotted their border and realized how much she had missed the place she once called home.

Once. But no longer. Luke was her home now, and she had left a part of her with him when she was abducted.

Liriya and Papa detached the peals protecting the border. The pearls were enchanted for only the members of the royal family to have access to move them. Once one was moved, all the pearls surrounding Pearltuna came down.

Papa welcomed the sirens, who waited far behind because of the pearls, warmly into Pearltuna. They swam to the castle at Papa’s word, deciding to begin with the guards. As the sirens split into two-person groups, Liriya and Papa went in search of her mama.

They half-hid their face with one hand as they went, so no one would recognize them and unleash an attack. Faelina had turned the people against the royal family, apparently. Though, surprisingly enough, she had allowed the people to go about their day rather than staying unmoved in the ballroom where they had gathered that day.

Liriya and Papa went to Mama’s chambers, but didn’t find her there. They went everywhere they thought she would be, on a normal day of her life, but she wasn’t there either.

Fear began crippling Liriya; would Faelina have done something to her? She paled in dread remembering Faelina’s words from the first day.My apologies, but seeing you getting separated from your mother makes me excited.

What if she had done something to their mama after realizing Liriya and her sisters were still alive?

“Let us search the dungeons,” Papa said, trying to look confident for her. He grabbed Liriya’s hand and swam towards the dungeons’ location.

And his haunch was good, as Queen Amiya was there, locked up in a cell.

Liriya’s heart burst with joy at the sight of her. When Papa found the key and unlocked the gate, she glided inside and hugged her mama who was staring into space unfocused. But as soon as Liriya entered her line of sight, Mama began attacking.

Liriya pulled away in shock and horror.

“Your mama is under the same enchantment, sweetheart, remember?” Papa reminded her solemnly.

Despite the newly built compassion towards Faelina, Liriya couldn’t help but think that she had been so cruel in turning their own mother against them.

Pushing her thoughts aside and composing herself from the shock, Liriya helped Papa to get Mama out of the cell, who kept writhing in their hold. They joined the paired sirens outside the castle and set out for the surface together.

Mama kept writhing all the way, and the Pearltunian guards who saw Liriya and Papa from the hold of the sirens, tried to reach out and attack them. Therefore, they swam in the distance. However, as they neared the surface, every mer-person began writhing and trying to yank themselves backward.

“It must be the enchantment! Faelina must have commanded them not to near the surface!” Papa shouted over to the sirens as he tried to yank Mama up. “Hold tight!”

Liriya tightened her grip on Mama’s arm, despite the impossible fight she was putting up. She didn’t know her mother was capable of this much strength.Must be the strength of the enchantment,she thought.

After a minute-long try, they finally pulled her up to the surface. The fighting ceased and Mama’s body went still.

Liriya waited, holding her breath as she watched, not letting go of her arm yet. Mama’s unfocused sapphire eyes began to change color into ocean blue-green—Liriya and Ella’s eyes. They focused and she blinked several times before they landed on Liriya and Papa.

“What happened?”

Liriya choked on a joyous sob and hugged her. Mama returned the hug hesitant and baffled, patting her back awkwardly, while Papa held them both to him.

“Angelfish, why are you—sharks and dolphins!What are we doing on the surface? How did I get here?”

Mama broke apart from their embrace, utterly confused, and glanced around in horror as the sirens brought the Pearltunian guards to the surface. They all gained consciousness and looked as baffled as Mama. Liriya realized that they didn’t remember anything.

“Your Majesties?” one of the guards asked, blinking at Liriya and her family. “What is going on?”

“You were all under a certain siren-mermaid’s enchantment, and our siren friends here have helped me and Princess Liriya break it. Let us thank them and work with them in rescuing all of Pearltuna by bringing them to the surface! I know you are all confused and do not remember anything, but I promise to disclose everything you need to know when I return. I need to seek an audience with King Alton of Oceantuna urgently, who has the weapon that alone can bring down this siren-mermaid. Therefore, I am leaving Queen Amiya and Princess Liriya in charge!”

“Wait, what?” Mama turned to Papa, even more baffled. Liriya wished her voice would return magically, somehow, so she could explain everything.

“I wish I could stay here and tell you everything, my dear.” Papa glanced at Mama, his eyes desperate. “But our daughter’s future is at stake and I cannot waste time.”

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