Chapter 15

Helena POV

Why is her ring at the bottom of the ocean? It was puzzling to the mind and trouble to the heart, did something happen to her? And that weird message she left about me not looking for her was terrifying, she could be out there, somewhere, alive even.

"How— how did you know it was here?" I glanced up from the ring, staring at Triton,

"Why did you follow me Triton," I sent him a mind link, something I still have not caught on to yet, but it was thrilling, imagine if I could do this on the surface, home... With my father I suddenly got sad.

Taking the ring from my palm, Triton took my hand, slipping the ring onto my finger. At that moment, my heart was racing, pounding loudly through the serene ocean.

"I followed you because I was worried..."

"Well, I am safe, you can leave, I tend to explore the ocean a bit more," I pulled away from him, flickering my tail,

"Then I will explore it with you,"

"Not a chance... Plus don't you have princely duties to tend to," I looked up, still hearing the calling trumpets,

"It can wait... I want to take my— friend on a little tour, you'll love it I promise," he held out his hand, gesturing that I should take his offer, Could I trust the prince? It was a lingering question on the back of my head. He did lie to me before, but I have been here for weeks, and he was my only friend. I didn't see that Nakida again, and God knows I would love to. Whenever the prince and I hang out in the gardens, I could feel eyes on me, judging me. I guess down here Triton was Pete in some kind of way, a nicer version.

"Alright, but no scary place, I am planning on tackling one fear at a time," I took his hand, letting him guide me slowly to wherever

"Yeah, about that, what made you finally decide to take a swim," he looks over at me, and that's when noticed him, really noticing him, my eyes traveled from the flapping gill on the side of his neck to his enormous golden tail, I could see his veins glowing under his skin like a map, coursing all of his body, and gleaming through piercing gold eyes, they are brighten than when he is in his human form,

"I don’t know," I finally answered, looking ahead of me as the wariness of the ocean wrapped around us,

"Just a feeling," and it was just a feeling, similar to the night of my kidnapping when the ocean called for me.

"Okay," he releases my hand, swimming in front of me,

"Close your eyes,"

"No, I am not going to do that,"

"Come on, it's for a second,"

Rolling my eyes, I did what he asked,

"No matter what don’t open your eyes,"

"What? What do you mean don’t open my—" I tried to scream, regretting it immediately as that water gushed into my mouth, expelling through my gills, Triton grip was right on my arm, dragging me along as he swam ahead, what was I thinking by agreeing to this, what is swim into a rock or a shark's mouth, mermaids do hunt the small sea creatures for food, what if we are also small creatures to something bigger, I didn't where exactly in the deep's food chain we were, but I have a gut feeling it wasn't at the top,

"Where are you taking me?" I sent Triton a mind message, or whatever it is he called it,

"You will see," he suddenly came to pause, I couldn't feel his hand on me anymore,

Was he eaten?

Did something happen to him?

"Triton,"

"I am right here," I felt his hand on my shoulders, I could tell our faces were inches apart even though my eyes were closed, how do I know? Because I get this feeling whenever he is close to me, butterflies in my stomach,

"Something caught my eye down by the coral," he added,

"Oh, well... I can open my eyes now?"

"Right... Yeah— you can open them,"

Slowly I opened my eyes, and he closer to me than I thought, one wrong move and our lips will brush against each other, and a part of me wouldn't mind if they did,

"I found this," he brought something from behind his back,

It was a fork, a strange one, gold with four spikes, small white pearl attached to its stem, and the bottom shaped like a mermaid tail, with a large gem in the center of it,

"This is one interesting fork," I teased,

"It's not a fork, it's a dingle hopper,"

"Thanks, I guess... Although I have no idea what's a dingle hopper,"

"Oh, sorry my bad, I forgot you are not yet familiar with our antiques. Its comb."

"This is a comb?"

"Yes, it's believed to grow one's hair after a couple of combs. Mermaids would kill the have this,"

"So, if it's so important, why was it laying around?"

"My guest is... Two mermaids were fighting—"

"Fighting? I thought you guys were all about peace,"

"Oh, we fight... brutal ones too," he chuckled,

"As I was saying," he continued, "Two mermaids were probably fighting over it and it fell and got lost down here,"

"So why didn't they come and look for it? It was just lying there,"

"Well, it's easier said than done, we aren't in the friendly parts of the ocean, current is rough down here, which seems pretty okay to me... I don't maybe today is just a good day,"

"Right. Why I am here?" I took the comb from him, I am sure I should say thank you, at the end of the day Triton did betray me and it's going to take more than a magic comb to fix our— friendship,

"Well," he stepped aside, "I wanted to show you this,"

It was a building, a whole city, and from the raw walls I could tell it's ancient, it's like something I have read straight out of a mythology book. The streets were still intact, even the staircases, large chunks of several columns were missing, but it was still beautiful. Swimming in awe under the high arch, glancing around, Triton was behind me, looking around as well, but not at the lost city's walls, but around it, I think he was afraid.

The lost city, a thought began to etch on my mind,

"Oh my God..." My tail brushed against something, so I swam down to get a closer look.

It was perfectly round stone, it has many lines craved into it, and small holes with glowing diamonds,

"I was wondering when you will figure it out. I remember you told me you liked to read, and I know the humans have been searching for this place for a long time... I have seen them, heard them, watched them give up. So, I know there is probably a book about it,"

"Yea," I continued staring down at the stone, "You have no idea how many books there are, and now I am swimming in the streets of the stories I once read about, what's next... Bermuda triangle," I gazed up at him, "Oh no," his eyes widened, "We never go to the Devil's triangle, the scariest sirens, sorcerer mermaids, and frightening creatures are there... It's like the nest of evil,"

"Really?" I stared at him because that would explain a lot about missing ships, planes, etc.

But why?

"So, you do know about the missing—"

"Ships, planes, aircraft, submarines... Yeah, I know, they have a lofty taste for human flesh,"

"And can't you do anything about it?"

"Unfortunately, no...they mermaids too,"

So, we do fall somewhere in the food chain.

Looking away, I swallowed hard, glancing back down on the stone table,

"What do you this is?"

"I don't know... Never really understood it either,"

That's when I saw it, Orion's dog, the constellations mom always talked about,

"It's a map,"

"How do you—"

"It's constellation map... My mom taught my father and I, look..." I pointed at the diamonds, tracing my fingers over them,

"This is Orion's dog, that's Orion... And that's his belt,"

"You are absolutely right, how didn't I see this before,"

Smiling as I stared at him, my eyes caught something, it was like a cave inside of it was pitch black, but I could see something, like a glowing orb... The one I see in my dreams of me drowning, right before I pass out.

"Triton... What’s— what's down there,"

He stayed silent.

"Down there is the Depths of the Spear... Sometimes called the Deadly Hallows," he finally spoke,

Now I know the real reason why the comb lost its value, soon as reached down here,

"I think we should go,"

"Are you sure, once we don't go inside we should be safe,"

"I want to leave,"

"Helena I know this new and—"

"Now!" I began to swim back to the top,

Back at Meritopia, I slipped into my wet dress, I was glad to find it floating around. I was the first to exist the moon pool, I didn't take that long to dry and transform back into my human form, I guess the ring really does work, wiggling my legs soon as I out, I looked across at Triton, who seems as if he wanted to say something to me, but walked away when I was approached by a child, "Lady Helena,"

"Sue," I smiled,

"Did you and Prince went out to hunt for urchins for the wedding?"

"Wedding?" I mumbled "Yes. Aren't you coming to the prince's and Nakida's wedding?"

He was getting married? To Nakida the same Nakida I met?

"I— I didn't know,"

"Oh, well... You should come, weddings here are a thing," she skipped away,

"Sue— wait," I called out to her,

"I have to ask you something,"

"Sure, anything, Lady Helena,"

"Good," I smiled, "Do you remember the day we met?"

"Yes,"

"Why did you— do you have something you want to tell me?" I stooped

"No, I— I don't think so,"

"Sue, why did you pull me into the moon pool? I know you control plants,"

"I— I didn't, I swear..."

"I won't be mad, I promised," I gazed at her, I wanted to know if there is a possibility the queen told her to,

"No Lady Helena you're not listening, I wasn't the one who told the vine to pull you in,"

"Then who did?"

"Nakida— I saw her."