I'm going to stop promising deadlines because I never meet them but I'm back and hope you enjoy this chapter!
Summary: The Full Moon is now hours away and no one is ready.
She really owed Rita an apology.
For the massive mass she'd just made in the grotto and for everything that had happened the last week.
After Veridia had left, Nixie may have … lost her temper. She had lashed out and broke a few things, okay more than a few things and really hurt her hand.
Nixie sat on the stone bench and took a second to catch her breath after her minor, definitely minor, outburst. The whole week had been a mess. She was running around looking after everyone now that Veridia had chosen to leave and Sirena did nothing but hide at the cage or apologise the whole time. At least she had apologised. Lyla was off pining after Zac with no apparent intention of apologising for what she did.
She still had that Moon Ring on her finger. If it was up to Nixie that damned ring would either be thrown down an ocean trench or hidden safely away in the same shell box as Rita's was.
Nixie sighed and got to her feet. Lyla wasn't here. There was nothing she could do about that until Lyla eventually appeared. For now she could pick up everything she'd knocked over and hope nothing had been broken.
Once the last cushion had been fluffed up and set back in place Nixie looked over her work. She could tell it had been cleaned and re-organised and Rita would definitely be able to tell but to anyone else it would pass for undisturbed.
Without another look she made her way down to the pool. She just needed to submerge for a minute then she'd go up and see Rita. She trusted Veridia's judgement that the Mermaid no longer had a fever, but that was as far as that trust went. Veridia wasn't someone she ever wanted to trust but over the last week it was something she found herself doing. Until now.
Nixie dove into the water and swam upwards, kicking her legs as one. She should have turned by now. Nixie looked down. Her legs were uselessly treading the water and the fabric of her clothes clung to her, moving unnaturally around her.
Nixie swam the edge of the pool and climbed. It was unnatural swimming with legs. She moved the way she normally would but it did nothing. The only plus side was that it was far easier to get out of the water.
Nixie sat at the edge and pulled off her sodden shoes.
Why did she still have legs?
She wasn't injured, or anything like that. She wasn't -
The salve.
She'd put some of that on. When she washed it off she hadn't dried her hands. Yet she didn't transform.
"Some potions call for it" Veridia had said. She never specified which. They were never taught how to use Irukandji for potions, only about the dangers of the jellyfish itself. And she wasn't the only one who had used it.
Nixie scrambled to her feet. Her jeans constricted against her legs as she moved. It was horrible. The wet socks against her feet were beyond uncomfortable and left little puddles as she did her best to run up the stairs.
She caught her foot on the edge of the carpet and fell forward shoving her arms out to break her fall. She landed on the floor as her body turned to water and she shifted back to Mermaid form.
Nixie slapped her fin against the ground. At least that was one less thing to worry about.
The water burned against her skin as she stepped into the bath. It eased considerably once her legs shifted to tail, her scales more suited to dealing with the heat than skin. Rita slid down under the water and let it wash away all the mess.
The still water held none of the darkness the cave in the grotto had. The sides of the bath were easily seen and felt against the edges of her fin and she could see the ceiling above the surface. The pool had been too much like that place - that never ending void of the dead water - but this, this was fine. This was bearable.
She felt like she'd been hit by a whale and she could hardly move her shoulder. To make it worse - she had no idea why. The whole not-remembering-what-happened-to-her thing was starting to get to her. The last however many days were a confusing blur of odd memories here and there that would maybe make sense to someone, but that someone wasn't her.
Once Veridia reappeared she'd make her explain everything. She'd be back soon. From the vague memories she could recollect, Veridia was almost always there. It was the only good thing she could remember.
Rita surfaced and sat up, resting her back against the side of the bath, she gathered her hair and let it rest over her injured shoulder. For a while she'd thought about cutting it, short hair was easier to manage especially under water, but now she was glad of it.
There was a knock at the door.
"Rita?" Nixie called through the door.
"It's open."
Poseidon shot through the moment the door opened. She'd left him in her room as he had the annoying habit of lying on the edge of the bath and getting hair in the water. Then there was the multiple times he had fallen into the water and scratched her tail while scrambling to get out. The scars were still faintly visible, to her at least- little white lines curving over her scales.
If only the rest of them were like that.
Nixie shut the door behind her, trapping the cat in with them. As expected Poseidon leaped up onto the wide edge of the bath and laid down.
"Hey."
"Hey, how you feeling? Last night was pretty bad…"
"I honestly don't remember anything from last night."
"That could be a good thing?"
"That depends on what happened."
It was like being back in the Pod, when they were still young and learning how to fight the Moonspell. Waking up the morning after getting affected by the Moon and having no idea what you'd done but everyone else did. She'd hated it then and hated it now.
"The cuts got infected and you ended up with a fever."
A fever. Great.
"That explains why I feel so awful."
"Should you have been up and moving about?"
"Don't you start as well."
She'd had enough of Veridia doing that. She may be exhausted and her legs weren't working all too well but she could still walk the (very short) distance from her bed to the bath without any help.
"I won't. I'll stop. Promise. We're all just worried."
"I know you're worried but it's not helping. If I need help, I'll ask for it."
"Okay but I will hold you to that because I really don't need to deal with all this high stress running after everyone as well."
"Now you know how I feel. You three are a full time job, on top of my other full time job. If I still have one." The school board would not take too kindly to her not showing up and with no explanation
"Everyone thinks you're really ill, which isn't a complete lie. Zac covered it with his dad and it's Saturday anyways so you're good."
Saturday. She'd lost a whole week. She had yet to check her phone, no doubt there would be more than a few calls from the board. It was almost comforting that she couldn't find her phone. It was most likely downstairs somewhere but it gave her an excuse to avoid that until she was ready to deal with that.
"That's something then."
The heat of the water was starting to irritate her now, the comforting warmth turning to a sticky heat that made her head hurt.
"Did you transform okay?" Nixie asked. "Like as normal? No delay or anything?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No reason." Nixie looked around the room, pretending the towel bin was the most interesting thing."
"Nixie, that is an oddly specific question."
"I got some of the potion stuff from the grotto on me and I couldn't change. I was stuck with legs but it's fine now. I tripped and faceplanted the floor because I changed." Nixie laughed
"The only thing that I have capable of doing that is locked away where you lot can't get it. You shouldn't have been in it."
In the Pod they were always taught to keep anything that can harm locked away separately from everything else. Irukandji - the one thing she owned capable of preventing transformation - was locked in a small metal chest and kept up on a shelf. There was nothing in there that anyone needed to be using - least of all a Mermaid in the beginning of her training.
"Sorry," Nixie apologised, "well I'm going to make breakfast - you should have something to eat too."
Nixie changed the subject too quickly but she couldn't find the energy to fight back. She'd press the matter again once her head stopped being all foggy.
"I'm not hungry."
"You haven't eaten in a week," Nixie said. " I know Mermaids can last a while without eating but a week is pushing it. You need to eat. I will keep bothering until you do, so it'll be easier if you just give in."
She didn't doubt it. She'd lose anyways. She was too tired to argue or worry about why Nixie was using toxic jellyfish or why it would affect her. The only thing she wanted to do was go back to sleep and hope that when she woke up she'd be able to deal with whatever chaos the Mermaid's managed to cause. Maybe food first was a good idea, might give her some of the energy she was lacking.
"Fine."
Nixie grinned, "I will go and boil the kettle for some tea, unless you need any help getting out first?"
Most likely. She could hardly move her right arm and she couldn't move her tail the way she wanted, and there was that overwhelming urge to go back to sleep.
"I'll be fine."
Rita waited until Nixie had shut the door before slipping back under the water. She just needed a minute yet before she could face trying to get out of the water.
Nixie set the kettle down on it's stand and hit the switch. It would be so much faster to use her powers, but Rita didn't like it when she did that. Something about not relying on powers for everyday tasks and not breaking the kettle by boiling it too fast.
At least the Mermaid was awake, if a little grumpier than normal. She shouldn't have brought up the Irukandji. She'd told herself she wouldn't, it was unnecessary stress to add to Rita. And herself. Rita said she kept anything dangerous locked away where they couldn't get it. Did Veridia know where that was?
It had crossed her mind that Veridia had deliberately done something, she was the one who made the salve, but her reaction to finding out had been too … real. Despite what she had said before Veridia left, she did care about Rita. You don't fight against the council for someone you don't care about.
Nixie took out a mug with a white cat printed on the front and set it beside the kettle. She had no idea how to actually make tea but it involved boiling water so that was a start.
While the water boiled she made her way back up to the bathroom.
"Shit," Zac swore as his phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. "Fuck."
The phone bounced and landed under the low coffee table that doubled as a desk and a handy, easy- access shelf. Zac sighed and dropped down to his knees and then rested his upper body on the ground to peer under the table.
He grabbed his phone and checked the screen. No cracks. Zac exhaled in relief. He'd gone through too many phone screens already. He slipped his phone in his pocket and prepared to push himself up. A glint of something silver under the table caught his eye.
Zac lowered himself back down and reached in under the table. It was probably just a ring from a coke can or maybe one of the missing spoons his mum kept complaining about. Zac closed his fist around whatever it was - definitely not a spoon - and withdrew his hand. He rolled over and sat up before opening his hand.
In his palm sat a silver seahorse pendant on a silver chain. He studied the necklace, holding it up against the light. The clasp on the end of the chain was broken but the rest of the necklace was unharmed, if a little dusty. He felt like he'd seen it before but where - he had no idea.
It wasn't his, it wasn't Evie's. At least he didn't think it was Evie's. He wasn't in the habit of having girls in his room, apart from Evie. And the Mermaids who kept showing up...
"Zac," his mum knocked once on the door before entering the boatshed, "what's that Zac?"
"A necklace," Zac set it back down in his palm hiding it from his mum.
"Let's see."
Zac silently cursed and handed it over. He did not want to explain how a necklace ended up his room. He watched as his mother studied it. He needed something to say but he had no idea what. A recurring thing nowadays.
"I got it for Evie but the clasp broke." The lie came smoothly but tumbled out of his mouth faster than a non-guilty person.
"Oh that's no problem, I can fix that for you," his mum looked up at him. "It's pretty, is that a seahorse?"
"Uh yeah. Thanks mum."
"I'll get it back for you tomorrow."
"Thanks."
"Oh and Zac,"
"Yeah mum?" Zac looked up.
"Please hoover in here. You've gotten Evie's necklace all dusty."
"Will do."
Zac waited until his mum left before he picked up his phone and opened up Cam's text messages.
Do any of the Mermaids wear a seahorse necklace? Zac hit send and waited. Cam was really the only person he could ask. Except maybe David - David would know if it was Sirena's.
Cam replied less than a minute later.
How shld i no?
It was his fault for thinking Cam would be helpful. Then a second later his phone buzzed again.
Why?
Zac hovered his thumbs over the keyboard as he thought what to say.
Found one in my room.
Sure its not urs
Nah. it's silver, gold suits me better
XD
Zac set his phone down and flopped backwards onto the floor. The light above him a perfect circle, just like the Moon that would be rising tonight.
Nixie knocked and opened the bathroom door without waiting for a reply. Rita didn't seem to be in the mood for a lecture. Even when Nixie told her about the Irukandji the Mermaid's response had been almost non-existent.
Rita had surprisingly - not that she would ever say that to the Mermaid - gotten herself out of the bath and was on the floor, leaning against the side of the bath with her tail stretched out in front of her and a towel draped over the top of her tail.
Nixie couldn't help immediately looking at the Mermaid's injury. The redness across the wounds had lessened but was still prevalent across her skin, with the exception of where the wounds intercepted scales - there they were white.
Rita pulled the towel up and covered her chest.
"Watch your feet, there's water everywhere."
Nixie looked down. Sure enough only milimetres from her socks was a puddle of water.
"I did offer to help."
"It would have ended with you on the ground with a tail beside me," Rita started drying off her arm with the towel, further hiding the scars from Nixie's view.
"Probably."
It would've. If she'd turned at the wrong time she could have easily caused further injuries to Rita or to herself and what good would that have been?
"Wouldn't it be faster to use your powers?" Nixie asked. Towel drying took ages. She'd tried once and then given up. There'd been a lecture about that. Rita had made some good points. But just because she listened, didn't mean Nixie was going to take them on board.
"I'm not fit to use my powers yet."
"Oh." She'd never thought about that. That had even been one of the points in the lecture.
"Can you help?" Rita asked.
Nixie held her hand out, fingers splayed and slowly curled them inwards. She was better with direct water manipulation but even first year Mermaids could heat water. Steam rose up and dissipated to nothing as the water evaporated.
And then you look around, this world is tumbling down, but I'm n-not afraid with you.
Singing helped her to forget. Singing with David worked ever better than when she sat alone in the Moon Pool. Singing alone just made her upset and made her miss Aquata even more.
David played the final chord on his guitar and Sirena came out of the trance she out herself into while singing.
"That was beautiful Sirena. You'll do great at the party tonight."
"I can't wait," Sirena smiled. It was a Full Moon tonight. And she had no idea what they were doing. Were they watching Zac? Going to the Moon Pool? No one told her anything. Nixie was always at the house and Lyla was always with Zac.
David wanted her though. He wanted her to be with him and wanted him to sing with him. Singing with Aquata was one of her favourite things. She didn't know what she'd do if she never saw her again.
Nixie and Lyla were like her sisters in every aspect apart from blood but they had no time for her, no time to sort out how to get back to the Pod. She just wanted to see Aquata again.
"Ready for the next one?" David asked.
"Of course," Sirena said.
"How about 'Night's Call'?"
Sirena nodded and David began playing the introduction. She waited for her cue and began to sing.
Sitting around as the night is falling, feel the soft breeze through the night air calling, and I can't help this way I'm feeling.
"So I have no idea how to make tea," Nixie flicked the switch of the kettle again. The water bubbled and the switch clicked off a second later.
"I'll get it," Rita said.
"No. You need to sit down before you fall down. Tell me what to do and I'll bring everything over." Nixie looked around the counter. So many jars. Four of them. Two black, two white.
"I can stand and make tea," Rita argued back.
"You only just managed to walk through here. Sit down." Even then Nixie had helped her about three quarters of the way. The Mermaid had kept 'mis-stepping' and after that Nixie had kept a hold of Rita's arm.
"Teabags are in the black jar beside the kettle, sugar in the glass beside that. Teabag goes in the cup, two spoons of sugar then pour in the water," Rita took a seat at the kitchen counter, on one of the high chairs.
"Thank you." Nixie followed the instructions and set the cup down on the table in front of Rita. The Mermaid immediately picked the cup up and set it down on one of those small wooden boards.
"Thanks."
"It's fine, Veridia would probably kill me if she knew I let you make this yourself and you got injured."
Nixie turned away and opened the fridge door. There were prawns in here last time she'd looked that would do for a late breakfast.
"Veridia's gone isn't she?"
Nixie screwed up her face as she took out the box of de-shelled prawns and set it beside the plate. She hadn't been sure if Rita knew or not. Now it was time to be the messenger of bad news. Again. She dropped a couple handfuls of prawns onto the plate and put the box back in the fridge.
"I'm sorry," Nixie turned around and set the plate of prawns on the table.
Rita shrugged, "it's a Full Moon. She has to be with the Pod. You know what they're like."
She did know what they were like, she really did.
"I tried to make her stay," Nixie found two small plates in the rack beside the sink and picked them up, "let her know exactly what I was thinking."
She set the two plates down on the table, one in front of Rita, the other one at her seat.
"You didn't need to do that," Rita said.
"I needed to do something," Nixie took the seat opposite Rita.
"You've already done plenty. Did you really swim the whole way to the Pod?"
"Yup. And back again," Nixie popped a prawn into her mouth. It had been a hard swim. The whole way back she'd been fighting to keep up with Veridia.
"How did you manage to find them?"
Nixie swallowed before answering.
"I asked some dolphins. They pointed me in the right direction then when I got close enough Meredith found me and took me to the Council. That was the first time I'd ever been dragged before the Council. They're kind of scary."
"They used to be worse."
Nixie laughed and took another prawn, "you should have some more. You've hardly had anything."
Rita took another prawn and set it on her plate.
"Better?"
Nixie just nodded, it was rude to speak with her mouth full. It didn't usually stop her but she was being nice. It wasn't actually better, the tiny portion Rita had taken was nowhere near enough but it was something.
"Thank you."
"For what?" Nixie asked.
"Going to the Pod. It can't have been an easy thing, facing the Council like that."
Nixie shrugged, "didn't really have a choice. Besides it was my idea. No one else was coming up with any good ideas. You know I'm the smart one."
"That's debatable."
"Hey!" Nixie pretended to be offended, but couldn't stop smiling. Her smile dropped when she noticed Rita had looked away and held a hand up to her face, covering her mouth.
"You okay?" Nixie asked softly.
"Not really."
"She's not worth it."
"That's the problem. She is."
Oh.
"She said she'd be back," Nixie said, trying to smile. She wasn't going to mention that she told Veridia not to bother. Rita was hurting enough, she didn't need to make it worse.
"She'll be back, "Nixie placed a hand over Rita's. "You'll see."
I moved almost 2,000 words of this to the next chapter and this still ended up almost 4,000 words.
I got a new laptop so I've been getting more writing done recently. Chapter 15 is sitting at almost 2,000 words so far with a decent outline in place but we'll see how to goes. I'm hoping to have a shorter wait than there has been but I can't promise anything.
Until next time, I'll try not to take too long :)