The Mermaid That's Sweetest

7] A Forbidden Castle

7] A Forbidden Castle

When I arrive back at shore by midnight, Aegir confronts me and pulls me from the boat. I stand naked on the wet sand after he's hauled me from the little boat. He unties my wrists and looks me over, in shock. I try to hide my bloody thighs but it's kind of impossible.

"What the hell?" Aegir hisses, "How did you get back here so quickly? I mean, I'm glad but... we had to put you out far enough to be... you know... at risk of every element. Not that I wanted that for you, Lily. I just... I just can't believe you're back. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," I shy away from a wave and stumble to the edge of the soil, getting away from the sand. Once on darkened soil, I lean over and throw up my guts from the sea sickness that flooded me all the while. Aegir awkwardly follows me and waits for me to speak more about it to him, but when I pull myself up, I just wave him off, "Please, leave me alone."

"Lily, I just want to know what the hell happened!"

"Get lost!" I turn and scream it at him. Aegir flinches and open and closes his mouth, completely confused about why I would be angry at him.

"...whatever..." he turns and storms off, muttering to himself about how he was just trying to help.

The thing is, Aegir wasn't trying to help if he put me out there to die in the first place.

The fact I was back here was one thing.

I stumble back to the Orphanage for the Darvs and I clean myself up, grabbing a basic brown shift without waking anyone up. The fact the other Darvs sleep so peacefully, does nothing but infuriate me further.

I storm my way back to the Overseer's Cove on the east end of the village. I can already hear the four women chanting as I slip into the open archway.

I'm sick of being so darn sweet.

"It's a ghost!" Darneek shrieks when she notices me. I storm in closer to the fire, so they can all see I am indeed alive and not just a shade of a soul.

They've all been hunched over, chanting over the fire, but now they all get to their feet.

"I never slept with him!" I yell at all of them as best as I can, but my voice is still croaky from being bruised, "The fact I am back alive proves it. I'm innocent. I also have a message... from the Erebos himself... that if you ever send me back out again, as some sort of 'trick' he believed me to be... well... he's going to tear me to pieces. He warned you not to cross a line, whatever he meant by that, I'm sure you all know."

Darneek shrieks in outrage and runs out the back while two of the Overseers follow and only Signet pauses... remaining to approach me with a frown.

"...Lily... an Erebos sent you back alive..." she shakes her head, "That is an even worse omen than you surviving the night and us finding you."

Oh, geez.

This is so not what I needed right now!

"I'm sick of people telling me who I am and what I cause, I'm just Lily and nothing else – why does everyone think I'm some sort of special bringer of bad luck? An Erebos' whore? I'm still a virgin. I'm not pregnant. I got my period on the flipping boat!"

"So, you even bled and he still did not lunge for you?" Signet holds up her hands, completely confused, "...is there any chance, child... that you... dreamt about him..." When I pause and narrow my eyes, it's too late, my reaction gives away my answer. Signet pounces and grabs my elbow. She pulls me out of the Overseer's Cove, "Come with me," she whispers and I just follow, too curious to object.