The Mermaid's Mirror - L. K. Madigan [65]
"You always go to Magic's?"
"Magic's?"
"The place where you met my father. The place where I found you."
"Ah. Yes, I love that cove. I call it the Place of Beautiful Danger. I have spent the time since I left the land in warmer seas. But something kept drawing me back to my Place of Beautiful Danger. And now I know that it was you."
"Were you away a long time?"
"Yes. A great many full moons. Oh! The word comes back to me. Months, yes? I believe that it was more than one hundred months." She considered. "Closer to one hundred fifty months."
Lena counted in her head. Her mother must have spent most of the past twelve years far away from Magic's. That was why Lena had never seen her before. That must be why Lena had begun to feel more powerfully drawn to the ocean. Once Melusina returned to Magic's, they were both looking for each other, without even knowing it.
"Why did you go so far away?"
"Upon my return to the village, after living on land, I grieved deeply, although I could not say why. Though the villagers performed the reunion ritual several times, I failed to thrive. The—" Melusina used another word in her language, which Lena understood to mean healer. "The healer fed me Loss Potion many times, without success. At last, my parents felt it would be wise to take me away from the scene of my sadness, until my heart was regained."
Lena thought of her mother, all those years ago, separated from her beloved husband and child ... her heart broken, but unable to remember why.
"We travel often," continued Melusina. "Sometimes to the warm waters ... sometimes to the iciest seas. Would you like to travel to the tropical waters with me?" Her face lit up with excitement. "We could swim with the manta rays and the giant turtles. Oh, but the white whales of the cold northern waters are wonderful, too, with their funny smiles! There is so much to share with you, dear one."
"White whales? I've never even seen a picture of a white whale."
"There is much to see. You will love this world, Selena. We will eat and drink and rest, then we shall explore this world together."
"What do you eat down here?"
"Oh, all manner of things! The sea is bountiful."
"Do you have caviar? Dad buys it for me sometimes. It's really expensive."
"You shall feast on the eggs of the salmon every day if you like, dear."
"Really?"
"Certainly. It will be my great pleasure to share food with you. It is a mother's joy to feed her child."
"And then we can explore?"
"Ah, my dear, first you must rest. We will have plenty of time for exploring. You shall stay as long as you like."
"But what about—?" Lena stopped. What about... what? Her loved ones on land? Yes, she supposed they would be anxious. But their faces were already growing fainter in her mind.
CHAPTER 34
In the distance, a giant kelp forest swayed, the ever-shifting currents of the sea rocking it hypnotically.
"It's so beautiful," said Lena.
"It is the verge of our village," answered Melusina.
"You live in the kelp?"
"No, dearest. But the kelp provides a shield. Our lookouts patrol this area—if danger approaches, they can disappear into the forest before they are seen, and alert the village."
"I don't see them."
"No," said Melusina. "But they see you."
Nervousness seeped into Lena's thoughts. What if they won't let me in?
Melusina squeezed her daughter's arm. "My people will welcome you, Selena. There is no need for fear."
As they neared the forest, Lena's mind filled with a sound that was a combination of calling and singing, loud and melodious.
"Melusina draws near," called a merman. "Near."
"She brings her child