Chapter 28: The Visible Kiss

"— it is repulsive, it is vile, it is hideous, it is obscene –"

Nixie rolled her eyes. Floating in the center of an ice crystal chamber – the traditional family "time-out" room – Nixie waited through her mother's reproof.

Nixie had been the only child dragged into Queen Celadon's firing range. She glowered. Somehow her brothers had evaded this lecture. It was irritating. Each brother was equally guilty, with the exception of Brine.

Nixie snorted. Brine was in so much trouble. He would be safer as the main course in a fish tavern, as far as their parents were concerned.

A drop in Queen Celadon's tone recaptured Nixie's attention. Queen Celadon had refocused her loathing from humanity in general to one human in particular. Shark.

Growling softly, Nixie waited for the first wave of anger to pass. Leviathan and Lorelei were also present, submissively positioned behind the king. Expressions hardened without Littoral – Csilla was caring for the little mer – Leviathan and Lorelei regareded Nixie with little pity.

Nixie scowled from her brother. Leviathan. So perfect. So stoic. So resigned. Just like King Basalt.

Exasperated, Nixie glanced down. Herman the king crab and Baracuda the shrimp nodded to punctuate the queen's more exciting descriptors of Shark, but Nixie ignored them.

Concentrating on Shark, Nixie closed her eyes. Quickly, she drowned everything out. Queen Celadon's scolds rolled off her like water.

Again, Nixie sighed. She was bored.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah…" Nixie muttered to her pet shark, Phin. Nondiscreetly she nodded at her mother. "Same speech, different tide pool, huh Boy?"

The snow leopard shark snuffed. Supportively, he rolled his eyes.

Queen Celadon noticed, and she was not in a generous mood. Passing her husband, she pointed at Phin. "Another eye roll Phineas and I shall personally grant new credence to the words 'shark bait!'"

"Mom!" Nixie protested as Phin retreated behind her back, tail curled under his gills. Glaring, Nixie held her shark protectively. "Mom don't scare Phinny! He didn't do anything! And big breaker: neither did I! Brine is the one that – "

"—you assisted Brine to help the humans escape. Correct?"

"…yehhhhh-sss."

"And once again you cavorted with that pirate. That…." Queen Celadon convulsed. "Shark."

"Well…" Nixie winked at Phin. "…we did a little more than cavort."

"Nixie!"

"Oh come on! This is not fair!" Nixie whined, overlooking King Basalt's icy scowl. "Brine is the dumb rock fish, not me! Brine brought the humans! Brine bust them through the palace! Brine lead them to the Graveyard! Not me! This isn't my fault, its Brine's!"

"Lower your tone young maid or – " Queen Celadon paused. "Herman." she barked, half turning from Nixie, "Where is Brine?"

"Oh!" Herman bumbled. "Prince Brine? Prince Brine went…."

"Missing!" Barracuda shrieked.

"Missing?" Queen Celadon leaned. "Explain."

"He's gone!" Barracuda buzzed around King Basalt. "Ain't it tha truth! Ain't it tha truth!"

"The young prince vanished promptly after the human-pirate escapade." Herman explained. "With his brothers."

"Where are his brothers?" Queen Celadon said.

"Missing out on this bubble fest, that's for sure." Nixie grumbled. "Ditchers."

"We're not ditching you Nix!" someone called. "Some of us were forced to stay out."

Nixie turned. "Conch! Conch where have you been?"

Conch entered, escorted by guards. As they deposited him beside Nixie, Conch spurted the guards with boiling water.

"Are you through?" Queen Celadon said.

Conch broke an icicle fish from his necklace. He looked up, grumpy.

"I'm cool." he said defensively. Almost cattily, he drank the icicle fish oil. "Cool as a clam. You didn't have to make me wait outside the palace forever. I was cool all the while you were grilling Nix."

"Thanks Conch." Nixie said.

"Don't mention it."

Queen Celadon glared. "Well. Conch. Tell me. Were you also cooled when the humans escaped? Or was the tunnel you melted through the palace merely sleight-of-hand?"

"I can control it." Conch said, but felt his core temperature rising. Feigning a scratch, he touched the remaining dead icicle fish. They were cold. Calming. "Mom. My curse is not as bad it used to be. I can control the heat."

"Which is worse?" retorted the queen. "A fry with uncontrollable powers? Or a grown merman abusing them volitionally? Conch…you helped Brine's humans escape."

"Preposterous!" Herman said.

"Yuck!" added Barracuda.

Conch smoothed his beard. "Oh what I wouldn't give for a fishing pole. Mom, Dad listen. I know Nix and Brine have been ridiculous with the human thing – "

"—hey!"

"But – " Conch continued, shoving his hand over Nixie's face, " –Brine's humans need a chance. Don't kill them. Let the little maid tell her story – "

"Wait!" Nixie interrupted. "I get punished for Shark, and Brine gets off free?"

"Nix!" Conch pressed, desperately still trying to hold his parents' attention. "Nix really bad time to make a tsunami out of a ripple! I'm not knocking Shark – "

Conch turned quickly to Queen Celadon "—but I'm not supporting him either – "

He returned to Nixie. " – but Squirt and Red are on some sort of crazy treasure hunt. They're looking for something. A tinker-something. And the tinker-something was eaten by an icicle fish. Like MY icicle fish!"

Urgently, Conch lifted his necklace. The dead fish twinkled from the cord. "Think about it! That tinker-something might be why the pirates are killing all the icicle fish! And if the humans came all the way from Neverland to find it – "

"Oh mother of pearl!" Nixie snapped. "You are all slower than sea slugs! A fairy! The humans are looking for a fairy! Tinkerbell is fairy and the pirates need her to stake revenge!"

Everyone blinked.

"Revenge?" Conch spluttered. "Revenge on whom?"

Nixie laughed. "Whom do you think?"

"Excuse me?" Queen Celadon hissed. "The pirates are looking for what?"

"The pirates looking for a pixie named Tinkerbell!" Nixie ranted, oblivious to Queen Celadon's intrigue, "I heard Bluebeard and Hook talking after Leviathan attacked. They're looking for a pixie and they sent Wendy underwater to find it!"

Queen Celadon was livid. "And why did you not share this sooner?"

"Because," Nixie said, "It's kind of hard to get a word in edge-wise when someone is blasting her trident at a human-mermaid hybrid and yelling 'off with her head' to the pits of the sea!"

Fortunately for Nixie, King Basalt spoke.

"Pixie?" he said. "Fairy?"

The monarchs made eye contact. "Neverland?"

Queen Celadon ground her trident into the ice. "Summon Brine. Now."

A sudden commotion broke the solemnness.

Conch glanced back. "Oh wonderful." he said, jabbing a thumb. "Look who's here."

Nixie turned. Wrathfully, she waited as Hadal lead Peter, Wendy, Teal, Csilla, and Brine into the cave.

Teal took one look at his parents and broke into hysterics.

"It was BRINE!" Teal wailed dramatically. "Mom! Dad! It was ALL BRINE! He made me do it! He made me break the humans out of jail!"

Brine rolled his eyes.

"Well hello, Brine." Nixie snarled. She swayed indifferently as Hadal dragged Wendy to the queen. "Nice of you to finally show up. Oh and thanks for dumping me on Mom, been great mother daughter bonding – "

"—Nix." Conch interrupted as Hadal threw Wendy. He tensed as Queen Celadon aimed her trident. "Nix clam it. Mom. Wait a second Mom – "

"Mom!" Brine pulled against his guards. Peter fought similarly behind him. "Mom! Don't! Don't hurt Wendy!"

Queen Celadon stabbed. The trident hit ice. The teeth hooked over Wendy's neck, scraping the skin but not impaling her throat.

Brine and Peter shouted. Ignoring them, Queen Celadon walked her hands down the trident shaft. She lowered over Wendy.

"You have three seconds to change my mind."

"Mom!" Brine spoke desperately fast. "Mom! Wendy is looking for a fairy! A fairy that – "

"Not you, Brine!" Queen Celadon tipped the trident into Wendy's chin. Her eyes flickered to Wendy's hidden kiss. "You, human. Speak."

Brine and Peter quieted, suspended helplessly outside of Wendy's situation. Wendy stared into the Queen's grey green eyes. They were intense and frightening. Intimidated, Wendy broke the gaze. She looked for Brine.

Queen Celadon jerked the trident, knocking Wendy's head upright.

"I am not a patient mer." she said, ignoring Wendy's cry.

Wendy tried not to whimper. But she was scared.

Then someone whispered. "Don't be afraid."

Wendy lifted her eyes, trying to see peripherally without moving her head. That wasn't Brine? It sounded like Peter?

Wendy held the trident. She looked at the queen.

"I…Peter and I…are looking for a fairy. A fairy named Tinkerbell."

"Yes." Tartly the queen said. She glared at Nixie and Conch. "I am aware. Now. The fairy was consumed by an icicle fish. Correct?"

Wendy attempted to nod but her jaw was blocked by the trident. "Yes." she said instead. "In Neverland. I had gone to shore and Tinkerbell followed. We um…had a small disagreement. Tinkerbell took my hair ribbon and flew over the water. She held it like a fishing line you see, and then the white fish – "

"—the pirates want this fairy?" Queen Celadon interrupted, impatient with Wendy's prattle. "Correct? Well, tell me why. Keep your answer short."

Peter almost smiled. Biting his lip to prevent the smile, he remembered meeting Wendy for the first time.

Unable to see Peter, Wendy blushed. Still, resolved the please the queen, she opened her mouth to say "I don't know."

The curse clamped her vocal cords. A bubble popped out instead.

"Mom." Conch answered to Queen Celadon's surprise. "Mom, she's cursed."

Queen Celadon frowned. She gestured to Wendy's lips. "Yes. I see it."

"Not the hidden kiss." Conch clarified. "The bubble. It's preventing her from saying too much. She did the same thing with Brine and me earlier."

King Basalt hissed. Frustrated, Queen Celadon closed her eyes.

"Who cursed her?"

"We think it's the seawitch." Brine said, eyes attached to Wendy. "The same one that cursed Nixie. The seawitch did the same thing to Wendy in Neverland. Turned her into a mermaid."

"The seawitch was on pirate ship. Brine and I saw her." Nixie glanced to the king. "So did Dad."

Queen Celadon looked to her husband. King Basalt nodded. After the swift and silent interplay, the monarchs turned.

"Thus. We have two pirate bands hunting for a fairy, which was swallowed by an icicle fish, in hopes of executing revenge upon the Neversea Mer." Queen Celadon angled the trident into Wendy's throat. "And two little humans, cursed into mer form, to find the fairy; one mer, of which, made an unspeakable bargain with the pirates but happily sides with the Neversea mer because she and my son are…" Queen Celadon glared. "…friends."

"Puh!" Teal laughed. "Sounds really farfetched when you say it like that!"

Queen Celadon twitched. "Indeed."

Suddenly, Leviathan cleared his throat. "Pardon. But the solution seems clear." Both Leviathan and Lorelei gazed sympathetically at Wendy. "To defeat the pirates, we must find the fairy first. Tis not so?"

"That's my baby!" Csilla said, crossing the room and proudly suctioning herself to Leviathan's shoulder. "They don't make 'em like this boy anymore!"

Queen Celadon nodded at her son. "Finding the fairy is critical, yes. Especially since this human – " she jabbed the trident at Wendy's neck, " – cannot divulge why the pirates need the fairy for revenge."

"Hold on there!" Conch said. "Remember me? Mr. Heat Blister? Mr. Hot Tamale? Mr. Tropical Breeze? Hasn't anyone been listening to me? The pirates are killing all the icicle fish! And if the fairy was eaten by an icicle fish, then we're in bad luck!"

"Yes…." Queen Celadon frowned. "Curious the pirates have not yet found the guilty fish. Conch? Where do the fish herd?"

Conch grinned. Playfully, he twirled his arms wide. "Um. The ocean, Mom."

Nixie snickered.

Queen Celadon was not amused.

Conch wiped his beard. "Sorry. Er – cold and dark. Icicle fish like cold and dark places. Bottom of the sea, salt channels, midnight zones, ice caves – "

" – hooks?" Peter said. "Like…a graveyard of hooks?"

The mer turned, stunned.

Slowly, Conch spoke. "Hooks are made of metal. The metal would make it seem colder. And the graveyard is dark."

"And if the icicle fish was attracted to the Graveyard…" Brine said, "…then it would get caught."

"Which makes sense!" Conch slapped his head. "That's why the pirates keep hunting all the icicle fish! They can't find the right one! Because the icicle fish with the fairy – "

"—is in the Graveyard!" Brine said, silver eyes dazzled with excitement.

"Red!" Conch boomed to Peter. "Red you're not as dumb as you look!"

"Mom!" Brine lunged. "Mom did you hear that? We can find the fairy! Mom you have to let Wendy go!"

"You have a theory, Brine." Queen Celadon retorted. "Not a reason to free the humans."

Brine shook his head. "But we don't know what a fairy looks like! And Wendy and Peter got out of the Graveyard alive! Mom, we need their help!"

"Brine, do not make uncorroborated outbursts –"

"Mom!" Brine shouted. "Wendy means more to me than you will ever know!"

Brine's words echoed from the crystal cave.

Queen Celadon stared. As her son brushed bright blue, she slowly removed the trident from Wendy's neck.

"Still…" she said, lifting Wendy upright. "…not a reason to spare her life."

Queen Celadon's gaze moved briefly to Nixie before returning to Brine.

"King Basalt and I will hold conference, regarding this information and recent…" she clenched Wendy's arm. "…unpleasantries. The humans' fate will be determined without dispute. Until that time, they will be locked under guarded supervision. Am I understood?"

Brine started to protest.

Queen Celadon cut him short. "Am I understood? Prince Brine?"

Brine paused. Helplessly he looked at Wendy.

Then, he nodded.

Queen Celadon glared. "Everyone. Dismissed."

No one argued. Hardly anyone – save Teal – spoke. Gloomily, the mer trudged from the crystal cave.

Queen Celadon glared fiercely. She curled a lip as Brine cast a backwards glance.

Then she spoke.

"I know who you are."

Wendy looked up, doubtful that the queen was addressing her. "S – sorry? Your Grace – "

"I know who you are." Regally the queen turned. The bitterness in her voice burned Wendy's insides. "And I know what you have done."

"Me? Done?" Wendy stuttered. "Please. I don't know – "

"Brine gave you his hidden kiss."

Wendy stopped.

She had suspicions. Ever since Brine had departed from Neverland without his hidden kiss, she had suspected…that he had given the kiss to her. But Wendy had overlooked the significance of the kiss. She'd convinced herself that Brine had given it, to save her life.

However, with his every hopeful glance, and every heartfelt affirmation, Wendy began to suspect that Brine's feelings surpassed their strong friendship.

Queen Celadon hissed, drawing Wendy from her thoughts.

"The hidden kiss is curse, one that you carry. A curse more painful than silence, talkativeness, heat, backstabbing, inner beasts, cursed children, or a pirate infatuation." Queen Celadon squeezed. "It is a curse of unrequited love, to whomever receives the kiss. Listen well: I know Brine. I see the way he looks at you. I know he gave you his curse."

Queen Celadon dissected Wendy with her grey green eyes.

"Stop playing games with my son."

"Mom!" Teal suddenly cried.

The mer jumped back as Tiller and Echo, his beluga whale, hurdled into the cave.

Teal darted forward. Helping his twin, Teal hoisted Tiller into his arms. Tiller sagged, ribcage heaving with exhaustion.

"Tiller? Bro?" Teal supported Tiller against his side. "Till, what's wrong?"

Tiller gasped, frantically pointing outside. His lips moved, but too fast to read. Echo twittered like a siren, trying to communicate for Tiller, but without success.

"Here!" Conch offered his trident. Placing the teeth against the ice, he wrapped his fingers around Tiller's thin hands. "Take it easy Tiller. I'll help you. Spell it out."

Immediately Tiller moved. He scratched the ice, pressure assisted by Conch.

Conch tilted his head, reading as Tiller wrote. Then, when the word formed, he dropped the trident on the ice.

CURSE

"Curse? Tiller is that it? Oh god." Conch turned. "Mom. Mom! A curse! A curse is coming!"

"Who is it?" Teal asked, terrifyingly serious. "Who sent the curse?"

"The seawitch!" Brine and Nixie said, swimming to their brother. "Mom! Dad! The seawitch!"

"Dad fought her!"

"She want's revenge!"

"How did the curse get through?"

"I thought Dad put a spell to protect the palace!"

"Black magic can't curse twice." Queen Celadon said, swiftly counting her children. "Basalt, is our bloodline not safe?" She looked at Brine. "Are there any mer not cursed?"

"Littoral."

Across the room, tears floated like ice crystals from Lorelei's silver eyes.

"Littoral. Our son. My baby. Littoral…is not cursed."

Leviathan sprung like an arrow. "Csilla! You were watching Littoral?"

Csilla bristled, pointing accusingly at Brine. "Your brothers kidnapped me to save the humans!"

"Um…guys?" Nixie paused at the entrance. She was whiter than ice. "Where is Hadal?"