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Chapter Text

“And so,” Merapi said to King Saltoro and Queen Kirat of the Royal Merfolk Kingdom of Maoke, “with the automated farming system you don’t need a skilled farmer like Viv to coax the crops out of the ground. Viv will help you set up the system and then any of the Maokiris can run it.”

“It would be my pleasure to get everything started,” Viv said. “I’ve seen the site you’ve set aside for the automated farms. It looks perfect.”

King Saltoro bent down and watched the small machine spit out seeds and fertilizer onto a freshly hoed plot. After it was finished, it spat out light nutrients to nourish the seeds and soil.  “This is incredible,” he said. “We haven’t been able to grow much of anything since the oil spill. And you’re saying we can have fruit and vegetables like we used to?”

“We’ve tested your soil. It’s similar to Merikiha’s. I can take all the lessons I’ve learned farming in Merikiha and apply them to the automated farms here,” Viv said. “With Merapi’s machine, anything that grows in Merikiha will grow in Maoke. Sproutfruit, sea spuds, bluecole, red reefbuds…you name it.”

“I’ve so missed sproutfruit,” Queen Kirat said wistfully. Viv smiled. Merfolk love their sproutfruit.  It was sometimes hard to get sproutfruit to the market because Semeru ate so much. 

“We would be happy to provide you with seeds to get started,” Princess Miranjani pronounced. 

“And then, a side benefit of the automated system is that it will produce extra seeds, so you’ll never run out,” Merapi told the King and Queen. 

“This is just wonderful,” the King said. “We are truly honored that you are sharing this technology with us.” 

“It’s our honor,” Mira told them. “It’s important to us that we build links between our Kingdoms. We’re each other’s closest neighbor, and if there’s anything we’ve learned from the experience with Pufferfish, it’s that we’re stronger together.” 

“Very true,” the Queen said. “We are in your debt for helping us find our people.” 

“We have recruited twenty volunteers to help with this initiative,” the King said. “Including Merdai, so this will be a family affair.” 

“Semeru’s uncle is a talented gardener,” Viv said. “I’ve never seen such lush seaweed. In any case, if you gather the volunteers, we’ll start this afternoon. I went a bit nuts so I have little gifts for them.” 

“Let’s all have lunch then,” Queen Kirat said. “Afterwards, Your Highness, we would love to have a meeting with you while Merapi and Viv are training the volunteers.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Mira said, and the five of them swam to Maoke’s palace. It was grand, but made of grey stone rather than Merikiha’s creamy white palace, and so looked a bit drab. Never mind, Viv thought to herself. This whole place will be purple and blue with sproutfruit soon enough. 

Later that afternoon, Viv and Merapi met the volunteers at the field. 

“I’m glad Surya tested the soil,” Viv whispered to Merapi.

“I know, can you imagine if it wasn’t good soil? Thank the Goddess we thought ahead.” 

Viv handed out hoes to all of them and showed them how to make the correct size plots with the automated farming machine in the center of each. Merapi demonstrated how to work the machines, and Viv handed out instruction books and showed them the signs of healthy crops as they grew. 

“Now for each of you, I couldn’t let you go without showing you our appreciation. 80 cycles ago, the land-dwellers had a terrible war and it threatened the food supply. As a result, the government started a program called Dig for Victory, where ordinary land-dwellers planted gardens in their yards to increase the amount of fruit and vegetables in our food supply. We’re doing the same thing in Maoke, and we’re so honored to partner with all of you in that effort. So I had Dig for Victory pins made for you.” 

“You’re such a land-dweller,” one of the older volunteers, a man named Pauhunri, laughed. Viv saw Merdai frown. 

“Guilty,” Viv said with a grin. “So do you not want your pin? It’s sparkly,” she said, waving it in the light.

“Of course I want my sparkly pin,” Pauhunri announced, and all of the volunteers laughed. “Such a merfolk,” Viv laughed. She swam over and handed him his first. It depicted a merfolk tail pushing a hoe into the ground and the words “Dig for Victory,” with a small citrine sun in the sky. 

“That’s pretty,” Kangto, one of the women volunteers said. They each took the seeds and loaded up the machines, watched the seeding, harvesting, and watering, and then the work was done for today.

“Come back tomorrow to see how your plots are getting on,” Viv said, and they all agreed and waved. 

“See you later,” Merapi told Viv. “I’m going to catch up with Mira at the palace.” 

“See you,” Viv said. She swam over to Merdai, Semeru's uncle, and gave him a hug. “Hey, you.”

“I’ll never get used to people making fun of my family,” Merdai said gruffly.

“Don’t worry about it. If I had a coin for every time people called me a land-dweller, including your nephew, I’d be richer than both our Kings combined.”

“We could only dream. Well, come on over. I want to show you a new kind of seaweed I’ve been growing. And you told me you brought that dressing for seaweed salad you people eat in your hometown.”

Viv pulled the bottle out of her bag. “We’ll eat like Pokyans today.”

They swam towards Merdai’s grotto.

“Where’s that nephew of mine?” Merdai asked. 

“It’s his training weekend, and he’s got some new moves he’s showing the soldiers. But he swore up and down by the Goddess he’d be here for dinner. I hope it’s okay that we’re staying with you tonight.”

“I’d be upset with you if you didn’t,” Merdai said. “What kind of new moves? Dangerous ones?” He lifted an eyebrow. 

He’s as paranoid as his nephew, Viv thought with a hidden giggle. “The Goddess has four Guardians that protect the magic on Coral Island: Forest, Garden, Savannah, and River,” she told Merdai. “Semeru’s friends with the Forest Guardian and they train together all the time. King Tan has taught Semeru some moves he’s sharing with the guard.”

“Interesting,” Merdai said. “I’d like to go to Coral Island some day.” 

“I need to get Cho Oyu some more ingredients for the potion, but as soon as I get off my butt to do it, I’m sure we could make that happen.”

“I’m not sure what a butt is.”

Viv laughed. “This part on a human,” she said, pointing. “It’s an expression.”

“I gathered.”

They arrived at Merdai’s grotto. Viv noted that the last time she was here, old food and clothes and books were thrown everywhere, as though the person who lived here didn’t care much about keeping things clean. Now things were much tidier, though books were still piled up on every available surface. 

“Come see the seaweed,” he said, and took Viv out the back to his lush garden. “Look at these gorgeous plants.” 

“They look so familiar,” Viv said, gently touching the fronds of seaweed. “Then it hit her. “Oh my Goddess, Merdai, we call this kombu at home!”

“Do you grow it?”

“No, I don’t think I’ve ever seen it growing. You buy it dried at shops. But it makes a stock that’s absolutely gorgeous. I haven’t seen kombu at all in the ocean. Lucky you! Lucky me!”

“Can we make the stock tonight?” 

“Have you got any dried fish?”

“As it happens, I do,” Merdai said. “How much of this do you need? We call it margros.” 

Viv looked at the fronds. “I don’t know. I’ve never had it fresh. Let’s try five fronds and see how it is.” 

Merdai cut the fronds and went inside. He placed them on the counter of his kitchen. 

“Can I get you a cup of tea?” he asked Viv. 

“I’d love one,” Viv said. “Mind if I look at your books?”

“My books are yours,” Merdai called from the kitchen.

Viv opened one book, The Origins and Meaning of Solendre, and found that it was very interesting. She was so absorbed in it Merdai had to clear his throat to give her the tea. 

“What’s this festival?”

“We used to have it before the oil spill, but we stopped. I don’t know why we haven’t started again.”

“They haven’t started again in Merikiha either. I don’t know why.”

“The last big party was your wedding,” Merdai said. “We had so much fun.” 

“We’ll have a big party in Maoke when all the crops are harvested. A huge feast. We did that in Merikiha and it was awesome.”

There was a knock on the door. Merdai opened it, and there was Semeru, covered in bruises on his chest, arms, and tail.

“Nephew,” Merdai said in dismay. “What happened to you?”

Semeru waved his hand dismissively. “We can always expect a few bruises when the soldiers are learning something new. I got off lightly. It’s nice to see you,” and he rubbed noses with his uncle and gave him a bear hug along with some hearty smacks on the back. “Hello, my darling,” he greeted Viv, with a much more tender hug and kiss. “I’m sorry I missed the demonstration. Were the King and Queen happy?”

“Very happy,” Viv said. “Everything worked perfectly.” 

“The system is amazing. Farming’s going to be as simple as a swimming sea slug now,” Merdai said. “Sproutfruit wine, here we come.”

“I have a surprise for the two of you,” Viv said. “I brought two bottles of our sproutfruit wine.” She pulled them out of her bag, and treated herself to Semeru’s and Merdai’s huge grins. Yup, they definitely are related, she thought. “The question is, should we try to save one for the King and Queen or drink both tonight?”

“I’ll tell you right now,” Merdai said with a laugh. “There’s no way we’re going to be able to save that second bottle for the King and Queen.” 

Chapter Text

Viv showed Semeru and Merdai how to make dashi, which she poured on top of a nice piece of grilled tuna. With that, and the wakame salad she prepared, they had a lovely dinner, particularly after they opened the first bottle of sproutfruit wine. Viv liked it okay, but Semeru and Merdai lost their minds about it after a glass, saying it was the most delicious vintage they’d had in cycles. Semeru bragged it was because of the high-quality soil that he and Viv had cared for themselves and the improvements he’d made in the aging barrels. 

“Is that right, beautiful husband,” Viv said with a snort.

“It certainly is,” Semeru enthused. “I’m very happy we switched to poplar wood for the barrels. It improves the flavor.” 

“As long as you don’t mind chopping down the poplar trees,” Viv said. “They’re a real bear to haul back from the river.” 

Merdai lifted a glass. “Here’s to the perfect glass of wine,” he cheered. “Fruit grown under the sea and aged on the surface. Humans and merfolk living together in balance. The two of you together, uniting our peoples. All in this little glass of wine.” 

“That’s beautiful,” Semeru said, growing emotional.

“My people say “L’chaim” when they toast,” Viv said, clinking their glasses. It means “to life.” 

“We say “Haele,” meaning ‘to your health,’” Merdai noted. 

“Hae-le,” Viv repeated, trying to get it right.

“You’ll get there,” Semeru said with a smile and a hand on her tail. 

Viv leaned back in her chair, grasping her full glass of wine. “So I have a bunch of questions, Merdai.” 

“Anything. This wine really is delicious, you two,” Merdai said.

“I know it is,” Semeru said proudly.

“I want to know about Semeru as a baby.”

“Well, he was loud,” Merdai said with a laugh. “I’ve never heard a baby scream like Semeru did when he was unhappy. Oh, and his name wasn’t Semeru, either.”

“What was it?” Viv asked. 

“Salak,” Merdai told them. “How’d you get the name Semeru?”

“At school,” Semeru said. 

“You went to school in Merikiha?” Merdai asked. 

“My first memories are of meeting some Merikihan guards. They made sure I went to the school there. I stayed in school for a few moons and then eventually I swam away because school was too boring. I didn’t go again until two cycles later and I stayed for the whole cycle because it was more interesting.” 

“How old were you when you first went to school?”

“I thought I had four cycles because I was as big as most of the firstling class. But it turned out I had two. My parents were captured 33 cycles ago.” 

Merdai shook his head. “It doesn’t seem that long ago. Where were you living then?” 

“In a cave,” Semeru said. “And then for a few moons with a family in Merikiha. I don’t like to talk about it much.”

“I wish I could’ve found you. I looked everywhere I could think of for moons. And no one would help me. The Maokiri guard said that you must’ve disappeared or died along with your parents. And then I knew that Bratan and Iya had said they were moving to Merikiha, so I talked with some Merikihan guards too. They laughed when I asked them whether anyone had seen an abandoned baby. They said someone would have noticed a baby by himself. But to be honest, I don’t think anyone did. You were just gone.” 

“We’ll never know what happened,” Semeru said. “I definitely remember being found by guards wearing Merikihan uniforms.”

“I wonder if the Goddess took care of you when you were a very young baby,” Viv said.

Semeru waved his hand. “Merfolk can take care of themselves at a very young age. I was fine.”

“Maybe, but we’re not supposed to,” Merdai said. “I hate the thought of you growing up all alone. I let you down.”

“No, uncle, please don’t ever think that,” Semeru said. “It means the world to me that you were looking for me. How could you find me in that vast ocean? And no one in either guard helped you. I should check the protocols to see what the procedure is now to help young children on their own.” 

“It was a tragedy all around,” Viv said. “But it turned out right in the end.”

“It certainly did,” Semeru smiled. “Would you have moved to Merikiha too or stayed in Maoke?”

“I would have moved eventually,” Merdai remarked. “I wanted to be close to my family. It was…it was a beautiful time after you were born. One of the most special times in my life. What a shame it only lasted a few months.”

Merdai stared into the distance with a stony look on his face. I know where Semeru gets that from, Viv thought to herself. Then Merdai poured himself some more wine. 

“You can’t imagine a more beautiful baby, with your blue eyes and silver tail. You had just a few wisps of silver hair. You were just the cutest little thing. What a bite! And…” Merdai sighed.

“Tell me,” Semeru said. 

Merdai had another sip of wine.

“You had this lovely little way of snuggling into your mother’s arms. You’d put your head in between her neck and her shoulder and she’d hug you tight.”

None of them said anything. Viv sniffled a little. Semeru’s eyes grew bright with tears.

“Bratan came to me when he found out Iya was pregnant,” Merdai said gruffly. “He told me how scared he was of being a father. This was a man who wasn’t scared of anything. He’d hunt any fish, and wouldn’t let orcas or krakens scare him off the chase. And he was worried that he wouldn’t measure up as a father. I told him all he needed to do was yell at his baby to behave, like our father did. And I remember, he laughed and then he said, “No, I want to be better than that.” As soon as you arrived, Bratan fell in love with you and never worried about it again. But he also never let you go. You were always in his arms, unless you were in Iya’s. Or mine.”

“What a beautiful family,” Viv said, softly.

“My father and mother had already passed, so Bratan and Iya were all I had,” Merdai said, equally quietly. “Like I said, those first few months with you were blissful. Babies are demanding, and the two of them needed the support. It felt good to be needed. Even something as little as holding the baby while Iya bathed or had a meal. Just being able to do that was special.”

He chuckled. “I remember once Iya was getting you ready for a bath and you were sitting in your little chair, playing with your tail to entertain yourself. Suddenly you giggled and she turned around and you’d pooped everywhere, down your tail, up your back, in the chair, even in your hair. We had to clean out everything before she could get you in the bath. Oh, she said a lot of curse words that day. But we got you all cleaned up. Took forever, though.”

Semeru looked embarrassed and Viv laughed. 

“I’m going to get your dad to tell all your embarrassing baby stories,” Semeru said. “But honestly, Merdai, this is a treasure. Thank you. I never imagined I’d ever meet anyone who knew my parents.” 

“You’re all I’ve got, nephew,” Merdai said. “I was alone for a long time. Now I’m not alone anymore. And that feels good.”

“Yes it does,” Semeru said. “Yes, it certainly does.” 

“Tell us a story about Bratan,” Viv said. 

“I told him that he had two tails when he was born but the healer pulled one of them off,” Merdai said. “And then my parents were absolutely delighted when we were picking something up from the healer and he wanted to know where his second tail was and why he couldn’t see the scar. I got in a lot of trouble that day.” 

“That’s fantastic,” Viv said, giggling. 

“It’s not fair that I tell all the stories,” Merdai said. “Let’s hear one about you, land-dweller.”

“All right,” Viv said. “My parents told me this story, so it might be true, it might not be true. We were waiting in line at the grocery store — where you buy food — and we were in line behind a man who didn’t have a leg. He was wearing a prosthetic.”

“You can lose a leg?” Merdai asked in wonder. “What’s a prosthetic?” 

“It’s a false leg so you can still walk around even if you lose a leg,”  Viv said. “Some of them are pretty cool. You can even get special running prosthetics and some people think they’re even faster than having natural legs.” 

“Why wouldn’t you want that?” Semeru asked. 

“Cause I don’t want to get my leg chopped off!” Viv said. “Would you?”

“No,” Semeru said. “I like my legs.”

“I might,” Merdai said. “How fast can you run with those things?”

“Really fast,” Viv said. “They did studies on a guy who ran with those particular prosthetics. He used less energy than athletes running on their own legs, so in theory he could run faster. Super interesting.” 

“So you can pull a land-dweller’s leg off.”

“You can’t pull one off, but humans can live without their legs,” Viv said. “But you can’t live without your tail, can you?”

“I don’t think so,” Semeru said. “It’s such an important part of our bodies.” 

“It would probably depend how much tail you lost. We could probably lose the tip,” Merdai noted.

“We just couldn’t swim as well,” Semeru mused.

“Okay, so the man at the grocery store only has one leg,” Merdai prompted. 

“And I asked him where his leg was and he said he lost it in an accident. And I asked him if he looked in the sofa because that’s where my mom says she always loses things. My mom was so embarrassed and apparently the guy cracked up.”

Merdai and Semeru fell over themselves laughing. “That’s pretty good,” Merdai said. 

They stayed up late finishing the two bottles of sproutfruit wine and telling stories. 

“Go to bed, you two,” Merdai told them. “You’re a bad influence on an old man.”

“You’re not an old man,” Semeru said. “But we will go to bed. We’ve got a long swim tomorrow.” 

Chapter Text

“We are interested, cousin, in why you are keen to share so much technology with us,” the King said to Princess Miranjani. “Why is Merikiha being so generous with us for the first time in living memory?”

The Princess sized up King Saltoro and Queen Kirat. Saltoro and Krakatoa were third cousins and the family resemblance was strong. Like his cousin, Saltoro was big, with dark hair and dark eyes, but his beard was wild and curly while Krakatoa’s was tidy and adorned with jewels. If Viv had been there, she would have nudged Mira and said, “The King looks like a Russian novelist.” Saltoro had a huge silver trevally tail, which gave its color to the royal family’s accoutrements. Their royal jewels were in silver and platinum, and studded with pearl and abalone shells, rather than Merikiha’s bronze, gold, and purple stones. Queen Kirat was shy and soft. She spoke in a soft voice and gazed at the world with, Mira thought, rather listless blue eyes. She had long white hair that she wore in a braid and a pale blue surgeonfish’s tail. She had none of the grandeur and presence of her mother, and none of the strong opinions, either. 

I think I know which one I like better, Mira thought. I can’t believe I’m thinking this. 

King Krakatoa had told Mira to expect skeptical questions like Saltoro’s. She was well prepared to answer. 

“Merikiha and Maoke are each other’s closest neighbors,” the Princess said. “The threats that both our kingdoms face are different than what they have been before, and with twice the defense power and strength, we will be better prepared to face those threats than we ever have been. It’s important for us to collaborate as much as we can to solve difficult problems like relations with humans, environmental issues, and the food crisis.” 

“Is this what your father thinks?” Saltoro asked the Princess, hiding a smile in his massive beard. 

“I speak with the full authority of the Merikihan Kingdom,” the Princess said, with a slight touch of haughtiness.

“You remind me of your mother,” Saltoro said, laughing. Mira knew to expect this as well. 

“You do me great honor with the comparison,” Mira said. “And as part of this honor, I know that you will give us more opportunities to collaborate. I know, for example, that our Master of Strategy and Tactics has proposed joint war games to your Royal Guard Captain.”

“The Master of Strategy and Tactics,” King Saltoro mused. “What an interesting man. He could have been our Captain of the Royal Guard, perhaps.”

“Perhaps,” the Princess said. She wasn’t sure where Saltoro was going with this.

“A tragic story,” the King reflected. “Bratan and Iya both came from well-established Maokiri families. It’s interesting that the two of them chose to move to Merikiha. But in so doing, they were kidnapped and murdered by land-dwellers. And their baby son grew up to marry a land-dweller himself. It’s quite poetic.”

“It has led to great success,” Mira said.

“I don’t doubt you think so,” the King told her. “You’ve signed the treaty with the humans.”

“Our reef is clean,” the Princess said. “The humans are no longer permitted to dump garbage anywhere near our Kingdom. Semeru’s wife, a human, helped heal our Coral Tree. We recovered from the oil spill with human technology. Merapi developed the farming technology that will feed your people as part of an exchange program with Pokyo University.” 

“This is all well and good,” the King told her, “But allying with Merikiha requires a certain amount of getting into bed with humans that I’m not completely comfortable with. Unlike your Master of Strategy and Tactics.” 

“I’m not sure that remark is entirely appropriate,” the Princess said. 

“Appropriate or not, it’s true,” King Saltoro said. “My cousin Krakatoa has chosen to ally himself with humans, and you and your Master of Strategy and Tactics want to export the alliance to us.”

“We do want you to join the treaty,” Mira said. “We want the sanctuary borders to extend around Maoke.” 

“Why do you care what happens to Maoke?” 

“Because there is no point in living our lives as separate little kingdoms when we face existential threats like Pufferfish,” Mira said. “Do you think they will be the last corporation to attempt to drill for oil in our waters and dump trash on us? Let me assure you, they will not. Together we can stop them. Together we can hold them accountable."

Kirat blinked. "You think the humans will listen to us?"

"They are duty-bound to. If they don't, they will suffer consequences that they themselves have specified. They have legally agreed to pay us money and clean up the mess." 

King Saltoro's eyes grew wide. "Really." 

"Yes, really," the Princess said. "Another thing to consider is how close we are to you. You are not currently part of our treaty. So humans can still do environmental damage to you without consequences. Garbage dumping and reckless oil drilling that happens in Maokiri waters drifts to Merikiha. We don't want that.  Join us now and help us prevent harm to both our Kingdoms later.”

The King stroked his beard. “And you think this will work.”

“The results speak for themselves. Come look at our reef. Eat your coralcap stew and drink your sproutfruit wine.”

“What do you want from us?”

“I want you to join us at the next negotiation with the humans, and I want you to support Merikiha when we are in need of your services.” 

“What kind of services?”

“I don’t know that yet,” Mira said. “I have many gifts but I am no Oracle.”

“So you want us to ally with you to provide some sort of service but you don’t know what. Defense, probably.” 

“Perhaps,” Mira said. “That seems to be a fair exchange for miraculous farming technology that will solve your Kingdom’s food supply crisis.”

“You raise a persuasive point,” the King laughed. “You have grown into an interesting sparring partner. When I saw you last, you were a child.”

“With the passage of time, I’ve grown up,” she told him. “Consider the proposal.”

She left the room and swam down the hall to her bedroom. She sat on the sofa and put her head in her hand. This work was still hard for her, even though she was getting better at it, and she was tired. She closed her eyes, and let the soft sounds of the current relax her mind. 

There was a knock at the door. “Come in,” the Princess said, her voice thick with fatigue. Queen Kirat entered the room.

“Your Majesty,” Mira said, floating upright.

“Don’t get up,” the Queen said. Mira was surprised. Queen Nanda Devi knocked for no one. In her palace, every room was her own. 

“I remember visiting Merikiha several cycles ago,” the Queen said. “Shortly before the oil spill. You were a rambunctious child. Now you are becoming a leader.” 

“Thank you, your Majesty,” Mira said, sincerely.

“The oil spill changed so many of us,” the Queen said. “Perhaps it forced us to face facts we find uncomfortable. Like it or not, we live in a world with humans. There are more of them than us. We can either hide from it, or confront it. I’d rather confront it with human allies than human enemies.”

Mira stared. “That’s our thinking, your Majesty.”

“How well do you know these humans?”

“Some of them I know very well and others I’ve only just met,” Mira said. “I have met wonderful ones and I’ve met bad ones too.”

“Not unlike merfolk,” the Queen said with a soft smile. “What a surprise.”

“Our two species are not that different,” Mira said, laughing. “The more time I spend with humans, the more I realize how similar we really are.”

“I suspected that as well. I look forward to seeing it for myself.”

“What do you mean?” 

“I will be joining your delegation at your next negotiation in Pokyo,” the Queen said with a soft smile. “The Royal Kingdom of Maoke has accepted your proposal. I will send a message to Cho Oyu to prepare the potion that will allow me to become human. And I shall see all of this for myself.” 

“Your Majesty,” Mira said in surprise. “I am grateful. All of Merikiha is.” 

“Please. We are cousins. And of course. It’s the right thing to do, no matter what bluster Saltoro comes out with. We have to face reality as it is, not as we wish it were. I look forward to your help in acclimating to life on the surface. I’ll have our people make all the arrangements with yours.” Queen Kirat got up from the sofa and smiled. “Please give my best to your mother.” 

“I will,” Mira said, and Kirat swam out of the room. It occurred to Mira that there were many styles of leadership, and that Queen Nanda Devi did not have the only one. And then she said, “YES!!!”

Chapter Text

Semeru raced through the forest, trying to outrun the beast. He sped through the trees and the underbrush, each sense tracking the eight-foot tall creature behind him. He pushed his body to the absolute limit, using all of his speed and agility to stay ahead of it. He grasped his spear in his hand, hearing the beast crash through the underbrush. It was gaining on Semeru. He inhaled and exhaled, imagining the moment when he would have to whirl around and attack the creature with his spear. It was getting closer. He could feel its hot breath on his neck. 

With inhuman speed, Semeru acrobatically spun around, ready to attack the creature with his spear. It roared and grasped for Semeru but he dodged out of its grip. He lunged for the beast with the spear but it dodged too, moving forward to grab Semeru with its huge hands. Semeru spun away and tried to stab the beast in the leg but his spear got caught on its thick pelt. He thought fast, abandoned the spear, and pulled out his swords. The creature pulled the spear out of its pelt and used it to knock one of the swords out of Semeru’s hands. Semeru didn’t even flinch, just tossed the remaining sword to his right hand. The creature spun the spear, circling Semeru, eyeing him, toying with him.

“Stop stalling,” Semeru said. “Just attack.” 

The creature smiled and rushed Semeru with the spear. Semeru roared and deflected the spear with his sword. Sword clashed against spear until Semeru saw an opening and knocked the spear out of the beast’s hand. Semeru rushed the beast, shoving it to the forest floor, towering above the beast with his sword poised at its throat. 

“That’s one all, King Tan,” Semeru said with a smile, holding a hand out to help the orangutan up. 

“Well done,” King Tan said, grabbing Semeru’s hand. “I think you’re getting faster, sea-creature. If you are even a sea-creature anymore.”

“Half and half,” Semeru clarified, cleaning off his spear. 

“Do you like that?” King Tan asked. “What are you?”

“What are you?” Semeru challenged him.

“A forest spirit in an orangutan’s body. At least I’m not my brother, who got the slime monster’s body.”

“It could be interesting being a slime monster,” Semeru said. “You could fit into small spaces.” 

“He is the librarian among us,” King Tan mused. “So what are you?”

“I’m something new. And I like that.”

“The outsider,” King Tan said, handing Semeru his swords.

“I’ve always been an outsider. It goes along with being an orphan. Now I belong to two peoples. And that’s as it should be.”

“You’re adapting to this well,” King Tan said. “You’re getting harder to fight. I like it.”

“I like it too,” Semeru grinned, putting his swords in their scabbards and grasping his spear. “Now let’s settle this. Best of three, orangutan.”

King Tan adopted a fighting stance. “Best of three, swimmer.”  

Viv discovered a blue diamond in the water shaft of the cavern while mining for silver, and she knew Mira loved them, so she decided to drop by the Kingdom to give it to her as a thanks for all her help in Maoke. 

She pushed open the heavy door to the palace and found Deno in the guard position and heard loud voices upstairs. 

“They’re having a big discussion,” Deno said, accepting Viv’s hug. “I’ll have the seaweed handkerchiefs for the tears afterwards.”

“You’re a great Captain,” Viv said with a smile. 

“I’m a great friend,” Deno said. “This can’t be easy for the Princess. Go upstairs. She’d probably like the support.”

Viv swam upstairs to find the Queen and Mira in the middle of an argument.

“Mira, you’re going to Himinas next cycle, and that’s final,” Queen Nanda Devi said. “All monarchs spend their time at the finishing school at the top of the world and so will you.” 

“It’s such a waste of time, Mother,” Mira cried. “I’m doing the work of being a Princess. It makes no sense to send me to school to learn the work I’ve already done! It’s a complete waste of time!”

“Going to that finishing school is what’s done. It’s what’s always been done. And the people you meet there will be your allies for life,” the Queen said, severely. “Sometimes it is the people, not the lessons, that provide the value.” 

“Congratulations on getting Maoke to join the treaty,” Viv said, cheerfully. She wasn’t at all sure this was the right time to interrupt. But what the hell, she thought. Their argument isn't going anywhere. 

“How do you know about that?” the Queen said.

“Because Cho Oyu is fresh out of the ingredients for leg juice and she told me I’m just the friendly farmer to get her more.” 

The Queen and Mira's intense discussion dissolved in giggles. “Leg juice,” Mira howled. “Hopefully it won’t take three moons like last time.”

“Ling’s helping me, and I’m putting my adorable husband to work getting as much osmium kelp as he can. Fortunately he knows the reef pretty well.”

“I imagine he does,” the Queen said, with a grin. “Well, Viv, I am sorry to interrupt your business with this discussion.”

Viv threw her arm around Mira. “For what it’s worth, and with the greatest amount of love for you, my sister, your mother is right.”

Mira yelped. “What?”

“Humans can go to university, like Merapi and Imun do, and study to receive a certification called an MBA. A Master’s of Business Administration. The lessons are absolutely worthless. The worth in the degree is actually having the degree and the people you meet while you’re there. They’ll be your allies for life.”

“Just like the people you’ll meet at Himinas,” the Queen noted, shooting a look of gratitude at Viv. “They will always be by your side. Like Queen Kirat.” 

“See,” Viv said. 

“Goddess, that’s annoying,” Mira said. 

“Besides,” the Queen ventured, “we would like to know which of your Himinas class is eligible for marriage.”

“Hasn’t Father picked someone for me yet?”

“He has some ideas,” the Queen said. Secretly, she thought to herself that Krakatoa had been too slow in picking a suitable match for the Princess, but the King was sentimental about his daughter. Men, Nanda Devi thought to herself in frustration. 

Mira rolled her eyes. She didn’t want to know what her father’s ideas were. It was annoying that her sisters, Viv and Denali, were all coupled up. It felt like everyone she knew was moving on with their lives, in a romance, and there she was, still stuck in merling mode, doing what? Going to school? Waiting for her father to make a decision about who she was going to marry? 

“I’ll send the registration work,” the Queen said imperiously. 

“Wait, Mother, can’t we wait another cycle?”

“For what, my child?”

“I just…I think we need to see how things play out in Pokyo, don’t you?”

“Himinas will be able to accommodate our schedule in Pokyo.” 

Mira knew she was out of excuses. 

“I’ll leave you two to chat,” the Queen said. “You know this is the right thing.”

She swam away with her usual grandeur. 

“ARRGH,” Mira groaned. “Thanks for your support, sister.” 

“What did you want me to do? She’s not wrong.” 

“I don’t want to go,” Mira said. “I just don’t want to.” 

“I think you should,” Viv said. “You’ve got a talent for this princessing thing. Talent can only get you so far, though. Take it from me — make your job as easy as possible. Get more allies. How long is the course?”

“A cycle,” Mira groaned.

“Oh my Goddess, Mira, a cycle is NOTHING. Just do the thing.”

“I feel like a whale with three fins,” Mira said. “You’re with Semeru. Eva’s with Denali. I’m not with anybody. I can’t even kiss a boy without it being a Kingdom emergency. And my mother didn’t even thank me for getting Maoke on board with the treaty.”

“Of course not. It’s your job,” Viv laughed. “Nobody ever thanks you for doing your job. Well, except me.” She pulled the diamond out of her bag and handed it to Mira, who burst into tears. “Besides, how many fins does a whale have? Don’t they have more than three fins?”

“Whatever. I’m stuck. I’m just stuck.” 

Viv put her hand on Mira’s arm. “If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you have the ability to win any situation with your charm and personality. You know Himinas is the right thing to do. So go and win it. You want to meet a suitable guy. Well, go find one. You’re the Princess of the Royal Kingdom of Merikiha. You win for your Kingdom. Go make a win for yourself now.” 

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Well…”

Viv crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing, I suppose,” Mira sighed. 

“Do the thing, Mira. You know you’ll feel better. And I’ll send you care packages. I’ll even visit if you want.”

Mira hugged her. “Only you can make going to the Arctic for a cycle sound at all appealing.”

“I’m just excited to tell you I told you so.” 

After her visit with Mira, Viv checked her dive watch. She didn’t expect Semeru home for a couple more hours, and she’d finished all her tasks for the day, so she shrugged and decided to see what was happening at the Sleepy Eel. 

The bar was empty except for Jannu.

“Hey, man,” she said, taking a seat at the bar. “How’s it going?”

“Living the dream, land-dweller.” 

“What have you got for a thirsty farmer?” she asked.

“I got you,” Jannu said. “Coming right up. You’ll like it. Still working today?” 

“You know it,” Viv said. “The grind never ends.”

“Is it really a grind? You seem pretty happy,” he said, shaking his cocktail shaker up and down.

“Not really,” she said. “You see right through me.”

“Of course I do. That’s my job.”

He poured the drink into a glass and garnished it with a slice of soka fruit. “Check this out. I call it the Wakeup Call. It’s soka and reefbud juice with some secret ingredients.” 

Viv tasted it. It was very tart with a strong alcoholic burn. 

“Thanks,” she said, and put her glass back on the napkin. 

He put his fins on the bar. “Hey, thanks for making such a big difference in Semeru’s life,” he told her. “I reckon I was his only friend there for a while. He was a pretty lonely guy. Now look at him. He’s always talking with somebody.”

“It was always there, I think. He just needed a spark to open up.” 

““People don’t really change,” Jannu said.  When he was a kid, he used to be a charming bugger, then stuff happened while he was serving. He told you about that?” 

“Some,” Viv said. 

“I’m glad he joined the guard,” Jannu said.. “It was what he needed to grow up. But he lost a lot  of that fun energy. I’m happy to see he’s getting it back.” 

“Tell me a story about Semeru as a kid,” Viv asked. Jannu laughed. 

“He was really, really good looking,” Jannu said. 

“He is now,” Viv replied. 

“Yeah, but back then, whoa.”

“Did you have a crush, Jannu?” Viv smiled. 

“Anyone who says they didn’t have a crush on Semeru when he had around 17 or 18 cycles is lying,” he said, seriously. “There wasn’t a more beautiful merfolk around. Honestly. And he made time with everyone. If you were lucky he’d keep you around for two weeks. Then he’d get bored and hang out with someone else. I never was involved like that with him, but everyone else was.” 

“Isn’t that the process of finding a partner?”

“Oh, he wasn’t serious about that then,” Jannu said. “He just wanted to get as much tail as possible.” 

“Typical teenage kid,” Viv said. 

“Exactly. One night a man who had just about 30 cycles came into the bar. Semeru must’ve had around 18, and he was huge. Semeru bet me a night crashing on my sofa that he could get the man not only to buy him a drink within an hour but that he’d spend the night with him. It wasn’t a challenge. Of course Semeru won.”

“Why weren’t you involved with Semeru?” 

“I wanted to stay his friend and I thought getting involved with him would ruin that. Not many people talked to me. Semeru was the popular one.”

“Seems strange to think about now,” Viv said. 

“He grew up a lot, really fast, and the guard asked a lot of him,” Jannu said. “He took it very seriously.”

“Jannu, why didn’t you just let Semeru crash at your place if you were friends? Why did you make him sleep in the kitchen?”

“He asked to sleep in the kitchen,” Jannu said. “I didn’t know he didn’t have a place to live and was too young and stupid to ask. He was always betting to stay on my couch or offering to do something to stay in the kitchen. If I’d been more perceptive, I’d have realized what was going on. But he had a lot of pride, and made it a game.”

“Interesting,” Viv said.

“There aren’t a whole lot of people like him in the Kingdom,” Jannu said. “He takes on a lot.” 

“There’s no one like him anywhere,” Viv said. “Thanks for the drink, Jannu. And the story.”

“Stop by any time,” he told her.

When Viv got back home, she heard Semeru singing in the shower and she grinned. There wasn’t much cuter than her beautiful shark warbling away. She went upstairs, took off her clothes, went inside the big shower, and wrapped her arms around Semeru’s waist. 

“Hello, my love,” he said, delighted.

“You lured me with your beautiful voice,” she told him.

“You are a gorgeous sea creature,” he replied.

Viv grabbed some soap and started to lather him up. “I’m glad I caught you in the shower, so I don’t have to smell your fight with a sweaty orangutan.”

“You smell like you’ve been in the Kingdom,” Semeru told her.

“I had a chat with Mira and the Queen, and a very enlightening talk with Jannu,” Viv pronounced.

“That’s hoity-toity company.”

“Jannu?” Viv laughed. “I agree.”

“Oh you,” Semeru said, clutching at Viv’s slippery body. She laughed and twisted out of his grasp. He reached out and grabbed her, holding her tight, and she laughed harder. He bent down and kissed her. Nothing else mattered for a while as the warm water ran over their bodies and they touched each other, kissed each other, took pleasure in one another. 

“Let’s not waste the water,” Viv said. 

“Agreed.” 

They finished washing each other, rinsed, and both dried off and wrapped up in fluffy white robes. Viv noticed that Semeru’s wet, tousled silver hair looked particularly nice and shiny. They went to their bed, where Semeru leaned against the pillows and Viv started kissing him again. Then he pulled away with a smile on his face. 

“So go on, tell me what Jannu said that was so enlightening.” 

Viv’s face grew serious. 

“Hey,” Semeru said, taking her hand. 

“Semeru, I know it’s not the same, and Jannu is, well, not exactly Mr. Perceptive, nice as he is…” 

“That’s certainly true,” Semeru laughed.

“He was telling me stories about when you were a kid, and I asked him why he made you sleep in the kitchen. And he said he didn’t realize that you had no place to sleep and that you asked to sleep in the kitchen or you made it a game to get into someone’s bed. He told me you had a lot of pride and you didn’t want to tell him what you were going through, which he didn’t realize until later.” 

“Okay,” he said. 

“I just…I just hope you know you can tell me anything, Semeru. Any problem you have or had, you never have to hide it from me.”

“I wouldn’t, my love,” Semeru said. “You know I trust you. I trust you with my life.” 

“I know,” Viv said. “And I also want you to know there’s nothing you’ve done in your past that would drive me away or make me love you any less. You know that, right?”

“Of course. What story did he tell?”

“About a man who came into the bar. You were 18 and you bet Jannu that you could get a man to buy you a drink and take you to bed in an hour. You won.”

“Oh yes,” Semeru said. “I remember that.”

“Was it a nice bed?”

“It was fine,” Semeru said. “The man was fine too.” 

“Fine as in “Meh okay fine” or “That guy was fiiiiiine!” 

“The first one. He wasn’t that good looking.” 

They were quiet for a few moments, and Semeru asked, “If I told you I did that kind of thing a lot, would you still say that nothing I’ve done in my past would make you love me less?”

“Of course I’d still say that. You’ve always said you had to do what you had to do,” Viv said. “I have no idea what I’d do if I were homeless.” 

“You’d figure it out. People do,” Semeru said.

Viv thought for a moment. “Also, I love you for you. The Goddess told me the night before we were married that every experience builds the tapestry of who we are. All those experiences you had make you who you are, and you are the man I love.” 

“She told me something similar. I was afraid I wouldn’t be worthy of you.”

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be worthy of you!” Viv laughed. Mira told me ‘You’ll come to him without the baggage of the past’ and I couldn’t imagine how the hell I'd get rid of that!”

“We can’t,” Semeru said. “I’ve got as much baggage as you.”

“Care to make a wager on that?” Viv said with a grin.

“I do not,” Semeru grinned back. “But it means a lot to hear you say you love me no matter what I did.” 

“You’re stuck with me, Cap,” Viv said with a smile. “No matter who you slept with back in the day. But I imagine Inierie must have been a breath of fresh air after all that,” Viv mused. “You didn’t need her for a bed.”

“No,” Semeru said, slightly uncomfortably. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t really want to think about Inierie just then. Maybe you should think about why, Semeru, he heard a small voice in his head say. 

Then he said, “I should tell you that in Altai, I was spending a lot of time with a man before I was with her. That was the first time I’d ever been with someone I didn’t need something from.” 

“Oh? What was he like?” 

“I heard about that phrase you use. Mr. Right Now? That was him. He was a lot of fun. We hung out a lot. I’d go to his place after going out and things like that.”

“But you dumped him for Inierie.” 

“I was just spending time with him. I was with Inierie. We were more serious.”  

“This is one of those moments where human romantic terminology comes in handy,” Viv laughed. “This guy was your fuckboi, and you broke it off so you could be Inierie’s boyfriend.”

“That’s right,” Semeru said.

“What happened to him?”

“He went his own way,” Semeru said. 

“What the hell does that mean?” Viv asked him, 

“It doesn’t really matter,” Semeru said. “It’s all over, and I’m with you now.”

“But —” 

“It doesn’t really matter,” Semeru said, firmly. Viv filed this to talk about with him later. It wasn’t like him to mark a discussion closed this way. Whatever had happened must have really upset him.

“You’ve been hearing all kinds of stories about my past, my love,” Semeru said, giving her soft, luscious kisses on her jaw. “It’s not fair, you know.”

“Give Kai or Katia a call, they’ll tell you anything you want to know,” Viv told him, closing her eyes in pleasure. 

“I think I will.” He picked her up and straddled her on his legs, pressed against his crotch and abdomen.

“Do you mind if i do this?” he asked her.

“Not at all,” she said, taking his face in her hands and kissing him.

“Good.” 

Chapter Text

Mira was brushing her hair in the palace. She cleaned her teeth and her tail, carefully put on her clothes, fastened the bracelets around her wrists and put the rings on her fingers, and placed her crown on her head, making sure that her hair didn’t get tangled in the intricate dragons and fronds. 

There was a time when she felt that she needed to look like a princess so she would fuss and fuss over her appearance. She would fiddle with her hair, or crown, or clothes, or jewelry, trying hard to achieve what was the right royal look — heavily influenced by her mother, though she’d never acknowledge it. She was known to change clothes two or three times before a public outing, trying to achieve some ideal of “princess-ness.”

But now she knew that it wasn’t a question of whether she looked like a princess or not. She was one, no matter what happened to her. And she also understood how important a princess was as a symbol. It was important for people to see her as that symbol so they would feel confident in the Kingdom and in her father’s and mother’s rule. That was a role she didn’t mind playing. 

Viv had shown her pictures of Queen Lizabet, the queen of a land-dweller country called Great Britain, who wore very distinctive colorful outfits and hats. Nobody else ever wore clothes like that - her style was unique to her. “Queen Lizabet was never fashionable,” Viv noted with some admiration. “Instead, she had a unmistakable style. And she wore that style for nearly 50 years to create a truly individual image. No one else was like her. And her confidence in herself created confidence in her reign and ultimately her country. No one else looked like her, no one else could be her, and that gave her a strength and a power her people responded to.”

Mira took the lesson to heart. She wondered what she could wear that would be distinctively hers. Her crown was like her mother’s, but her hair jewels were her own. Were those big and showy enough? Lizabet would wear yellow coats and enormous matching yellow hats. She would talk with Viv some more about this.

She swam down the stairs, nodding at the guards in the throne room, and swam outside the palace. She thought it was odd that the plaza wasn’t as busy as it normally was, but that was all right. She saw Etna, Denali’s mother, and went over to say hello.

“Happy sunrise,” she said, putting her hand on Etna’s arm affectionately. But before Etna could respond, she turned into black dust and floated away. Mira screamed, and so did Tahat, her husband. Denali also screamed from the other side of the plaza. 

“No, Etna, no, you can’t go! You can’t leave me!”

“Father, Father, what’s happened to Mother?” Denali cried. 

Tahat looked at Mira, his eyes narrowed in anger. “You. You’ve done this. You’ve done this to all of us.”

Mira raised her hands. “No. No…I didn’t, I couldn’t…”

Denali looked at her in hatred. 

“Where’s Cho?” Mira cried desperately. “What is she doing?”

“You killed her too,” Agung said. “Etna’s the fifth one this moon. Everyone just keeps disappearing.” 

“What happens to them? What happened to Etna? She was perfectly healthy,” Mira cried, watching Tahat and Denali scream in their grief.

“She disappeared,” Agung said. “They all do. It keeps happening. All these people in our Kingdom, they’re swimming around, everything is fine, and then they just disappear into dust.”

“But why?” Mira said.

“Because of you,” Agung told her, his face dark. “You’re the one who wanted to go to land. You’re the one who didn’t want to do her duty. You’re the one who didn’t want to be the Princess. And now we’re all disappearing.” 

“But what about Deno? Or Semeru? Or Cho? Does anyone know what’s causing this?” 

“You know what happened to us,” Deno and Semeru said at the same time. Mira turned and watched them crumble to dust and float away. 

“They’re no longer here to defend us,” Agung said. “It’s only you. You were supposed to protect the realm, and you’ve failed. And now all of us have to pay the price.”

“I never…I never meant for this to happen,” Mira said, weeping.

“I imagine my turn will come,” Agung remarked, eyes focused on the distance. “One day I will be swimming, doing my best to protect our people, and I will just curl up and die. Because you couldn’t be bothered. Because you abandoned us.” 

“But I didn’t…”

“Your duty isn’t important to you,” Agung told her. “We’re not important to you. Your Kingdom isn’t important to you. And as a result, we’re going away.” 

Tahat and Denali’s cries were deafening. “Please, Agung, please, how do I fix it?”

“You can’t, your Highness,” Agung told her coldly. “You had the chance and you wouldn’t take it. And now you’ve failed all of us. You’ve ruined all of our lives.” He looked at her, and he too crumbled into black dust that floated away on the current. 

Mira screamed, but no one was there to hear her. Her voice floated away on the current, like yet another mote of black dust. 

In the morning, she woke up in the palace feeling disturbed. She knew she needed to talk with someone, and she remembered the conversation she’d had with Semeru about duty and responsibility. She knew he would have good advice for her. 

“Father,” she said at breakfast, over morning buns. “I need to head up to Coral Island today.”

“And why is that, my daughter?”

“I need to talk with Semeru.” 

“Farming business?” the King said with a laugh.

“Not exactly.” 

The King had another bite of morning bun. “Do what you need to do, Mira. But perhaps you might see if you could get a coconut. Viv brought Olan a coconut recently. He cooked it with fish and it was rather nice.”

“I will ask,” Mira said.

After breakfast she teleported up to Viv and Semeru’s farm and knocked on the door. Semeru answered it.

“Hi Mira! This is a surprise. What can we do for you?”

“Can we talk?” she asked. 

“Of course.”

“Where’s Viv?” 

“Hey,” Viv said, drying a mug with a dishtowel. She hugged Mira. “Nice to see you. Can I get you a cup of tea?”

“You always ask if I want a cup of tea,” Mira smiled. 

“Well, do you? The hibiscus kind?”

“I do,” Mira sighed. 

“Great,” Viv said, and put the kettle on. She reached up to grab the tea bags. Mira didn’t like milk, of course, so Viv got down an herbal tea that all the merfolk liked. 

“Why do you always put the tea bags on the shelf that’s too high for you to reach?” Semeru asked her. Mira sat down at the kitchen table.

“Because that’s where they go,” Viv said. “Got them!” 

Semeru shook his head. 

“What are you doing around the farm today?” Mira asked. 

“It is all about putting honey in aging barrels today,” Viv replied. “But Semeru, can you build some more of those mason jars, please? Sam has asked us for more tofu.”

“Everybody loves our tofu,” Semeru said. “Above and below the water.”

“I think it’s because the mason jars you build are so good,” Viv replied, lightly kissing him. Mira’s heart twanged with jealousy. 

“I have a favor to ask you,” Mira said. “Father wants a coconut.”

“A coconut!” Viv cried. 

“Olan cooked fish in the coconut you brought him and Father liked it, so he asked for another one.”

“Sure,” Viv said, pouring the boiling water on the tea bag. ”I need to go chat with Zarah anyway. Why don’t I come back here in an hour and meet you all.”

“That sounds great,” Semeru said. 

“See you,” Viv said. “Let that steep for five minutes, Mira.” She left the house cheerfully singing "Consider the coconut/consider its treeeeeeeeee/we use each part of the coconut, that's all we need." 

Semeru and Mira looked at each other and both of them laughed.

“I love Viv,” she told him. 

He smiled. “I do too.”

Mira’s smile faded. She looked out the window. 

Semeru touched her arm. “What’s going on, Mira?” he asked her. “Seeing you here is unusual.”

“I wanted to tell you that I’m  going to Himinas, Semeru.”

“That’s great!” he enthused. “Are you telling me you need security?”

“No. That’s not why I’m here.” 

“So why are you here?”

She looked at him and looked down at the floor.

“It must be my wonderful company,” Semeru said with a grin. “My excellent conversational skills.”

And then she laughed.

“I’ve been having these dreams,” Mira said. “Maybe one a week. And they’re always very disturbing.” 

“Tell me,” Semeru said. “You can take the tea bag out now.”

Mira did, put it in the sink, and sat back down and had a sip of tea. 

“Agung, or you, or Deno, tell me that I’ve abandoned my duty and and my people and then everyone dies.” 

“Ah, those dreams,” Semeru said. “I’m familiar.”

“You’ve had them too?”

“You mean the ones where I let everyone down and everyone dies because of me? Because I failed?”

“Yes! Exactly!”

He nodded. “I used to have those dreams a lot too.”

“You’ve never let anyone down, Semeru.” 

“Oh, I have. And I dream about it a lot. Well, not as much as I used to. Viv’s helped me.”

“Of course she has,” Mira said. “And who helps me?”

“Me?” Semeru asked. “Can I?”

“You’re not my partner,” Mira seethed. “I’m alone! I’m all alone!” She began to cry. “Everyone has a partner but me!” 

Semeru hugged her. “Hey,” he said. He rubbed her back. “Hey, hey.” 

Mira sobbed into his chest. “I’m all alone, and I’m no good, and nobody wants me, and I’m a failure,” she said. 

“Do you really think that’s true?” Semeru asked. 

“No! Yes! I don’t know,” Mira cried.

Semeru didn’t say anything, just let her weep.

“I think you know it’s not true,” he said, very quietly.

“Right here, right now, I think I know it. But I’m feeling lonely and stuck,” Mira said. “I want what you and Denali have, and I’m jealous. I don’t want to go to Himinas, but I know I have to. And I know that my duty will take me away from you, and Viv, and Denali, and I don’t want to go. I want to keep what we have, but even that is going away. The land expeditions aren’t as fun anymore because you’re with Viv and Denali’s with Eva. I’m alone. I’m always alone. And when I’m alone, I get low. I feel like I’m no good and that no one cares about me.”

“And now even more people are depending on you,” Semeru said, quietly.

“Everyone thinks I can take on so much now. They have so much faith in me. What if they’re wrong? What if I make a mistake? What if people suffer because of me?”

“I’ve asked myself all those questions for cycles,” Semeru said. “I’ve made mistakes and the consequences have been very bad. Very, very bad. Lives have been lost.”

“And you’ve saved lives,” Mira said. 

“So have you,” he told her.

They were both quiet. 

“I can see that you feel a lot of pressure,” Semeru said. “It’s because you have high standards for yourself. You want to do the right thing for your people.” 

“I know I’m going to fail everyone. I know I’m going to let everyone down.” 

“Yes,” Semeru said. “That will happen. But they will still depend on you anyway. And sometimes — maybe even often — you won’t let people down. Give yourself a chance to succeed.” 

She looked out the window again. 

“A life of service isn’t about being right every single time,” he said. “It’s being true to your principles and letting those principles guide you to the answers.” 

“What if my principles are wrong?” 

“I don’t think they are, but your experience shapes them,” Semeru said. “You know the right thing to do because you’ve seen it. You’ve lived it.” 

“You’re right,” Mira said. “I just wish I didn’t have to do all this alone.”

“Do you think you’re alone?”

Mira exhaled quickly in frustration. “I know I have you and Viv and Denali and Deno,” she said. “And my mother and father. I know I’m lucky to have such a wonderful family. Believe me, I do. But I feel like I’m stuck as a child just at the moment when I need to grow as an adult. You moved on to the next stage in your life. Denali is in the process of doing that. When do I move on? And do I even want to? What awful person am I going to marry? And where will I move to?”

“Do you think Himinas will solve any of these problems?”

“My mother and Viv say that I have to go to make allies,” Mira said. “I guess that’s what I’ll be doing.” 

“You will. It’s the first step in moving on to the next stage of your life.”

“I just want what you have,” Mira said frankly. “I want to be settled.”

“It wasn’t easy to get here,” Semeru noted. “There were many times I felt like you did, hopelessly alone, unworthy of anyone.”

“You?”

“Yes, me,” Semeru said. “Why does that surprise you?”

Mira thought about the weeks before Viv and Semeru got together, when both of them seemed like they weren’t sure what in all the oceans was going on. “I suppose it’s not that surprising.”

“And not only did I have to get over those feelings, but I had to come to peace with my life not turning out the way I thought it would. I’d dreamed of my life being like Tahat and Etna’s, you know, meeting my partner in Merikiha, getting married, living my life in the guard.”

“I’m starting to think that’s pretty rare,” Mira said. 

“You and I have a surprising amount in common,” Semeru told her. “And one thing that was true for me and I think will be true for you is that I don’t think your path will be anything like what we expect. Mine wasn’t at all. So follow where your life takes you and let the people who love you help you along the way.” 

“So what am I going to do while I follow my path?”

“You’re going to do your duty,” Semeru said, firmly. “You’re going to do what’s right for Merikiha. And then the pieces will fall into place.”

“I hope you’re right.” 

“Here’s what I tell the soldiers,” Semeru said. “Control the controllables. What else can you do? The uncontrollables will happen, and we’ll deal with them.”

“That’s what Deno says,” Mira sniffled.

“She learned it from me.” 

“I guess I can do that.” 

“I know you can. You’re not a failure,” Semeru told her. “You’re doing a wonderful job for your people.”

“Do you promise?”

“I do. I’m your big brother, remember?”

She threw her arms around him. “I love you, Semeru. What would we do without you?”

“You would be just fine,” he said. “But maybe you wouldn’t get such terrific advice on a regular basis.”

Mira barked a laugh. “Want to hear a secret?” she asked. 

“I do.” 

“Father’s cousin introduced me to the Crown Prince of Finisterre,” Mira said. 

“Is he one of the prospects?” 

“Apparently so.” 

Semeru shrugged. “That’s not so far away.”

“He chews with his mouth open.” 

“I’m not sure it strategically makes sense for us to ally with Finisterre anyway,” Semeru said tactfully. “They’re too small. It doesn’t give us a tactical advantage.” 

“I’ll tell Father that when he makes me marry him.”

“So you think Finisterre will be the one?” 

“I don’t know. I don’t think any decisions have been made.” 

“There’s probably a reason for that,” Semeru said. “Just keep on doing what you’re doing. You know you’re doing the right things.” 

Viv came back with a coconut in each hand. 

“One coconut for His Majesty, King Krakatoa,” Viv intoned. She shook them by Mira’s ears. “Hear the coconut water sloshing?. That’s how you know it’s good.” 

“But you have two,” Mira said. 

“One’s for our lunch. Are you staying, Mira?”

“You bet I am,” Mira said. “Can you make that spicy soup with the shrimp?” 

“Of course I can,” Viv said. “My love, will you do the honors?”

“I’d be delighted,” Semeru said. He went upstairs to get a sword he didn’t particularly care about, came back down to the kitchen, and sliced the coconut open with the sword. Both Mira and Viv applauded. 

Eva had been experimenting with baked goods that would survive underwater to give to Denali as gifts. Denali sent her letters every day, but Eva couldn’t send anything back. So she had the idea to make Eva a treat for her to share with her family in the Kingdom. 

Nothing made Eva happier than feeding Denali sweet treats. She’d been so moved by Denali telling her how beautiful the work of her hands was, and how magical she’d found Eva’s cakes and pastries. Not surprisingly, Eva expressed her love through sharing what she made, and she wanted to spoil Denali rotten, especially on the long weeks when Denali was in the Kingdom. But what kinds of baked goods would survive underwater? This was a challenge that Eva had never considered. So, every day, Eva went to the ocean with a plate of treats and submerged each one in the water to see how it behaved. 

Most of them did not work well. Anything made with flour was out. Cakes, breads, pastries, and croissants simply dissolved into mush. Fudgy chocolate brownies fared better, as did flourless chocolate cakes, though they got slick and a little slimy on the outside. At least they look nice and shiny, Eva thought. She discovered that the salt water actually enhanced the taste of the chocolate cake, and she tried a version with salted caramel and that worked even better. 

But then she started working with jellies and they survived beautifully in the ocean, and the more Eva researched the topic, the more recipes she found. Nata de coco, Turkish Delight, mizu shingen mochi, agar agar cakes, panna cotta, and of course, her famous kue lapis were all good candidates for ocean-friendly treats. It was fun to experiment with the right textures and flavors and to make the little jellies as pretty as possible. Eva imagined they were jewels, treasures she was mining for her favorite person. 

She got into the idea of making a bountiful dessert plate for Denali. It was an unconscious declaration of love for her partner. She found the recipes and ingredients for the prettiest plate of jellies that she could find, and she spent nearly two full days preparing all the little fancies, putting them in perfect little molds and crafting iridescent sugar pearls, softly glimmering in the sunlight, and realistic sugar kelp leaves for decoration. 

She found a wide glass plate and filled it with raindrop cakes, the mizu shingen mochi, nestled inside sugar scallop shells and drizzled with molasses; clear agar-agar cubes, each with a perfect raspberry inside; coconut panna cottas shaped like little seashells; cubes of rose and lemon Turkish Delight, rolled in coconut; and homemade fruit gummies that Eva had molded to look like starfish. She was proud of these. She had made the flavoring syrups herself — mango, passionfruit, lychee-basil, and strawberry — and they glistened like gems on the plate. And then she added squares of her kue lapis cake, which, with its colorful stripes, looked so beautiful with the other sweets. 

Eva walked to the farm to find Viv or Semeru and found Semeru building wooden stands for the glass mason jars and Viv emptying honey into even more jars.

“It’s the jar crew,” Eva joked.

“Half of what we do is put things into jars, and the other half is take things out,” Semeru said with a laugh. 

“But they’re all nice things we’re putting into and taking out of jars,” Viv said. She approached Eva. “Hi, honey. Do you want a sticky honey hug?”

“I sure do,” Eva said. Viv obliged.

“And do you want some honey?”

“I’ll never say no to your honey. What kind is it?”

“Snowdrop.”

“Yes please,” Eva said enthusiastically. “That stuff is delicious.” 

“Here you go,” Viv said, handing her two jars. “What can we do you for?”

Eva blushed. “I made a present for Denali,” she said. “I miss her. And I can’t write her a letter. Would either of you be willing to tell her to pick it up? And where should I leave it for her?”

“There’s a rocky cove below the Goddess’ temple on the east side of Coral Island,” Semeru said. 

“I know that place! That’s where Denali showed me her tail for the first time,” Eva said. 

“That’s a great place to leave her a gift. It’s easy for her to get to and hard for people to see,” Semeru said. “Particularly after dusk.”

“I’ll run down to the Kingdom and let her know,” Viv said. “Just leave it there and she’ll pick it up after sunset.”

“What if I want to meet her there?” Eva asked.

“You could do that too,” Semeru said. “What did you make her?”

“A few little sweets,” Eva said, blushing.

“Be right back,” Viv said. She put her hand on the Goddess portal and disappeared in a cloud of petals. She was gone for about five minutes and then came back. “Denali was easy to find, and she’ll meet you at the cove at sunset tonight.”

“You’re not even wet,” Eva marveled.

“That’s the Goddess’ magic. Now go and get yourself ready. And maybe you can make us some of those little sweets when Denali and Mira are back for the land expedition in a couple of weeks, please?” 

“Of course. Thanks, honey,” Eva said. 

Eva went home and looked around for something to cover the plate so all the sweets wouldn’t drift away underwater, and found a burlap sack that had once held flour. Then she changed into her swimsuit and beach coverup and waited till sunset. As the dusk deepened, Eva walked to the cove and sat on the rocks farthest from the island, waiting for Denali. 

Her partner arrived, her shiny tail flashing orange and white. “Hi!” Denali cried, breaching the water. She plopped herself down next to Eva and gave the smaller woman a deep, tender kiss. 

“I brought you something,” Eva said, and unveiled the huge plate of sweets, shining in the fading light like gems. Denali’s mouth was a round O of surprise.

“Eva, this is so beautiful,” she said. 

 Eva picked up a mango-flavored jelly and put it in Denali’s mouth, letting her fingertips linger against Denali’s tongue for a moment. “Do you like it?” she murmured.

Denali experienced the explosion of fresh mango flavor in her mouth and smiled. It was wonderful. “Give it a try,” she whispered, and leaned in for another kiss. 

Chapter Text

“Well, here it is, Semeru,” Vihren told him. “What do you think?” 

Semeru had seen Vihren make a stone sculpture moons ago that appealed to him and that he thought Viv would like. He was right — Viv had loved the original sculpture. It was crafted from dark, smooth stone and shaped like an egg. Near the top of the egg, there was a hole cut through the stone. The planes of the hole were polished to an even shinier surface than the outside and carved with straight lines like the sun bursting through the stone. The egg-like shape appeared to be overflowing with possibilities and the polished, shiny interior invited fingertips to trace the textures. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Viv said, gazing at it and clasping her hands together in delight. “It’s so serene but somehow dynamic too. I love it.”

“I thought you would,” Semeru said, giving her a hug. He was delighted. 

“Can Semeru and I commission another one for our farm?” Viv asked Vihren. “This one’s so nice, I hate to take it away from you.”

“Of course I’ll make another one for you two,” Vihren had said. He had a source of volcanic rocks that polished beautifully and shone with a hidden light underwater. Vihren was curious what the sculpture would look like on land. It had taken a couple of moons to craft, but he was very happy with how it turned out. He sent a note to Semeru when it was finished. 

“I can pick it up today, my love,” Semeru said to Viv over breakfast. 

“I can’t wait to see it.” 

So Semeru went to Vihren’s workshop to see the new sculpture. He marveled that it  was even more beautiful than the original. The stone was so smooth and cool to the touch, its shape round and organic. Semeru imagined the afternoon sunlight shining through the hole in the middle, illuminating the carved lines like runes on a stone tablet.

“I love it, Vihren,” Semeru said. “You’ve outdone yourself.”

Vihren smiled. “It’s funny, knowing that it would live above the water inspired me. The stone spoke to me in ways it hadn’t before. You’ll tell me what it looks like in the sunlight, won’t you?” 

“Of course,” Semeru replied. He gave Vihren a bag of coins, took the sculpture in an awkward hug, and carried it outside, where he teleported back to the farm. 

The sculpture had been unwieldy underwater but on land, the thing was also very heavy. Semeru knew from experience that objects felt lighter in water than in air. When he asked Viv why, she explained about forces of buoyancy. In any case, the sculpture had been simple to get out of Vihren’s workshop, but now, on the farm, it was a much more awkward lift. He could do it, but it was a bit difficult.

“Well, this is a workout,” he said to Viv, hauling the stone across the top end of the farm. It was about four feet high and two feet wide. 

“I think let’s put it here,” Viv said, indicating a spot next to the greenhouse. He put it down and then they spent half an hour getting it precisely in the right spot and at precisely the right angle. 

Semeru nodded in approval. “That looks perfect. It’s beautiful here.” 

Viv leaned against him. “The sea and the earth and the farm…all together. It’s us, sweetheart.” 

He wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, it is. I’m so glad we were able to bring this here.” 

“Me too. Thanks for suggesting it.’

He gently turned her around and kissed her. 

“Do you know how much it means to me to be able to contribute to our home? Together?”

“You mean you don’t miss that life all by yourself in the barracks? Nobody telling you what to do, doing whatever you wanted…”

He laughed. “Everyone told me what to do when I lived in the barracks,” he said. He took her face in his hands. “And now, we make our destiny together. We’ve made our home together. I know I talk a lot about dreams coming true, but this..:this is incredible.”

“I love what we’re creating together. Our home, our life, our work. It’s bliss.”

“I do too, honey,” he said. 

They didn’t say anything for a few moments, just enjoyed the feeling of their arms wrapped around each other. And then Viv kissed his chest, took his hand in hers, kissed it, and then gently bit his thumb knuckle. 

“Oh,” he said. “Is that what you want?” 

“I wanted to see if you were interested,” she smiled: 

“Is that right.”

“Well, are you?” 

He picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. “I could be tempted,” he said.

“Let’s go then.”

He carried her back to the house and took her upstairs. He sat the two of them on the bed and she unwrapped herself from around his waist. She pulled him close to her and kissed him, her soft lips caressing his, tangling their tongues together, running her fingers up and down his neck. He sighed, moved her closer to him, and began to gently kiss the back of her neck where he knew she’d get goosebumps. He could feel her skin begin to respond to him and he couldn’t help an “mmm” escaping his lips.

“I think I am very interested,” he murmured, smiling and nipping her earlobe. “Very, very interested,” he whispered as he placed soft, delicate kisses on the side of her neck. Viv shuddered and put her hands under his t-shirt, touching his gorgeous chest. 

“Good, because I am too,” she whispered, watching him breathe hard with pleasure.

“I fear our farming output has plummeted since we got married,” she murmured.

“All I want to do is you, every single day.”

“Is that so terrible?” he breathed, lightly touching her breasts.

“No,” she said, closing her eyes. “Not at all.” 

After they enjoyed each other, Semeru turned to Viv, kissing her and stroking her hips. “I’ve been thinking about our gifts.” 

“Oh yes? What have you been thinking about?” 

“We haven’t been able to wake yours up in the same way we woke mine up,” he noted.

“Oh, you mean with unbelievable sex?”

He blushed. “Well, yes. Or any way, really.”

“I don’t think my gift works like yours,” Viv said. “It doesn’t really turn on like yours did. It just is.”

“Pleasure woke mine up,” Semeru mused. “I wonder what yours is waiting for?”

Viv shook her head. “It’s not waiting for anything. It’s already awake. I’m teleporting. I’m making things happen. It’s good.” 

“But you don’t hear the song,” Semeru said. 

“No. Only when you sing it to me. And that makes sense because our gifts work together.” 

“Just let me try waking your gift up one more time.”

“All right.” 

He held her in his arms and sang the song of his gift, and as usual, she felt her body respond to him, humming the song right back. This time, she hummed along as he sang and he lifted up in the air, but she went nowhere. And when the song was over, everything returned to normal. 

She flowed into his mind. See? Together we make your gift stronger.

This doesn’t feel quite right, Semeru told her thoughtfully. But I’m not sure why.

“I watched a TV show about people with superpowers,” Viv said. “And in the TV show they said that people got the superpowers because they were needed for a particular purpose. If I am getting a gift that works like yours, then maybe it’s waiting for its purpose. And if I don’t, then that’s okay too. My gift is great. I’m very happy with it.”

“But—”

“But nothing. It’s okay.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Semeru. I can’t be angry or upset about a magical power the Goddess gave me. I’m grateful to have what I have. I’ve been grateful to do what I do with it. Honestly.”

“Honestly?”

“Honestly. And besides, if I want to go someplace fast, I know a guy.”

He laughed. “I’d like to go someplace with you right now.” 

“Your teleportation powers could use a workout, I bet. Where would you like to go?”

“To the beach house,” he said with a grin. 

“Again? I knew you’d like it there.” 

“I like it very much,” Semeru said. “I’d like it better if you were there with me.” 

“I’m sensing a theme here. I’m getting an indication you want to reduce our farming output even further.”

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“I think we should get dressed, though. Just in case we don’t end up in the right place.” 

“All right,” he said, and they both threw their clothes back on. She laced her fingers in his, looked in his eyes, and visualized going to beach house with him.

Suddenly, after a moment of being freezing cold, they were there, in the open living room, looking at the palm trees swaying in the soft breeze and the little turquoise waves lapping the white sand beach. 

Semeru picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She kissed him. 

“Now take all your clothes off,” she said.

“Why? What are you going to have us do?”

“Just do it,” she said. 

He did, and she took hers off too. 

“Last one to the waterslide is a rotten egg!” she cried, racing up the stairs to the waterslide on the roof. 

“I have no idea what that means!” he yelled back, following her. She switched on the waterslide.

“We haven’t done this before,” Semeru said. 

“No time like right now!” Viv replied, going up the stairs. 

She flew down the slide and splashed into the pool. Semeru followed her fully expecting to turn into a merfolk when he splashed into the pool, but he stayed a human. He yelped because he really didn’t know how to swim. He flailed his arms and legs, his instincts screaming at him to keep his head above water. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful, so he got a mouthful of chlorinated water and sputtered loudly. “Pleh!” he cried, spitting out the water in his mouth, still thrashing wildly. 

“Hey,” Viv said, laughing. “You’re okay. Just stand up.” 

“I can’t swim as a —” and then he made a bubbling sound that indicated he’d gotten a mouthful of water again. “Pleh! Pleh!” he spat. Then he cursed in Merakih.

Viv grabbed hold of his arm and squeezed one of his legs between her thighs. “Stand up, Semeru,” Viv said firmly. “Stand up. Stop thrashing. You’re tall enough to stand here.” 

“I can’t —” 

“Stand up. Stop panicking, soldier.” 

Semeru inhaled and exhaled and followed Viv’s instructions. He discovered that Viv was right and he was tall enough to stand in the shallow pool.

“Oh. I’m not drowning.” 

“No,” she laughed. “It’s good to be 6 foot 6. See? Even I can stand up!” But out of habit, and to keep herself warm in the chilly pool, she began to move her arms and legs back and forth in the water. 

Semeru looked over at Viv. “What are you doing?”

“Treading water,” she said. “It’s how I keep my head above water if I feel like I’m someplace too deep for me. And it keeps me warm.” 

“Show me?” he asked her, and she showed him how to rotate his legs like riding a bicycle and move his arms back and forth. He picked it up quickly. 

“This is a useful skill to have if I’m ever in a deep body of fresh water,” he said.

“Yes, very,” Viv agreed. 

“We didn’t turn into merfolk,” he said, inspecting his legs. 

“Probably because we’re not in the ocean,” Viv noted. “There’s no magic in a swimming pool.” 

“What is the taste in the water? And why is my nose burning? That hurts!”

“The water is chlorinated so bacteria won’t grow in it,” Viv said. “The chemicals keep us safe, but they don’t taste good.”

He gaped. “There are chemicals in this water? Will I get sick?”

“Don’t drink any more and you’ll be fine,” Viv told him. “The burning in your nose is just what it feels like if water goes up your nose the wrong way.”

“I’ve never experienced that in my life,” Semeru remarked.

“I’m really sorry. Humans aren’t well adapted to breathing underwater.”

“I guess not,” Semeru said, coughing. “Bleh. That water tastes terrible.” 

“Want to try land-dweller swimming?” Viv asked him. 

“Sure,” he said. “I can’t imagine what that’s like.”

“How would you usually swim?”

He tried to put his legs together and swim like he would with his tail, but went nowhere, tipped over, and came up spluttering again.

“What is the point of being in the water if you can’t even move!” he complained. “This is ridiculous.”

“We’re not sharks, honey,” Viv said. “Look, there are a couple of specific strokes we use to swim.” She showed him crawl and breaststroke, and she was amazed at how quickly he mastered both strokes and how fast he was at crawl. He’s such a natural athlete, she thought, and wondered what his life would have been like if he’d had the luxury of exploring his talents rather than fighting to survive. 

“Why would you use one over another?” he asked. “Crawling is more fun.”

“They have different purposes,” Viv said. “Crawl is to get where you’re going quickly and breastroke is to keep your head above water for a long time if you’re in an emergency situation.” 

“Good to know,” Semeru said. “But they’re both terribly inefficient.” 

“Neither are as good as having a tail, but we humans have to make do with what we have.” 

“Which one do you do underwater?”

“Breaststroke,” Viv said. “You spend half your time breathing during crawl, and you don’t do that underwater. But I use flutter kicks when I’m diving because I go faster. Especially if I’m wearing flippers.”

“Humans are such strange creatures,” Semeru said, testing out his flutter kicks. 

“But we’re really cute.” 

“You are.” 

“Want to go on the waterslide again?”

“Now I know what to expect, I absolutely do,” he said. “That was fun.” 

They spent a couple more hours playing on the waterslide and then, when they felt a bit dozy from being in the sun, went back inside the house. They made love slowly and gently and then fell asleep in each others’ arms.

When they woke up again, syrupy golden sun poured into the room. 

“I’m so lucky to know you,” Viv said, stroking Semeru’s beard.

“Oh? Why’s that?” 

“I’m lucky to know you in particular, but I’m amazed at how much I’ve changed since I've gotten to know merfolk. We all have. All humans. Without even knowing it.”

“Do you think that’s true?” 

“Don’t you feel like people on Coral Island are coming together more now? They’re more considerate of the environment. They’re more thoughtful about what they do. I saw Raj telling a customer - some tourist - not to throw an empty cup on the floor. They never used to do that.” 

“And that's because of me?” 

“I think so,” Viv said. “You and Mira and Denali. You inspire people. You inspire me. Hell, you inspired Chris!” 

Semeru laughed and Viv luxuriated in his warm feelings of love and happiness. 

“Thank you for being you,” she said. “Thank you for giving me the chance to know you.” 

“My pleasure, as always,” he said, kissing her softly, with velvet lips.

Viv yawned and stretched.  

“We should go home for dinner,” Viv told him. “There’s nothing in the fridge here to eat.” 

“Works for me,” Semeru said. 

“Besides, we still have to make the tofu, and I haven’t collected the durian juice out of the juicers, and there are so many snowdrops to process, and…”

“All right,” Semeru said, stroking her hair. “I’m sorry for distracting you.”

“You are the most wonderful distraction.” 

They put on their clothes and Viv sent the two of them back home. 

“You do the tofu, I’ll process the snowdrops,” Semeru told her. 

“Deal,” Viv said.

Things were quiet for a little while, and then Viv noticed that an invisible force was taking away the soybeans from the pile on the floor. She yelped before she realized what was going on. “Semeru,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Become visible again.” 

She heard him snickering in her mind. 

“Semeru Bernstein, make yourself visible right now, sir.” 

What are you going to do if I don’t? 

Make myself a delicious dinner and eat it while reading a truly trashy novel, and then play Super Shell Racers by myself.

“I love Super Shell Racers,” he said, appearing next to her.

“When did you finish the snowdrops?” 

“A while ago,” he said with a grin. “So I thought I’d come over and bother you.”

“Why don’t you be a useful invisible person and help me finish loading the tofu into the mason jars.” 

“Okay,” he said, and then disappeared.

How much of this is going to Olan? he asked her in her mind.

Half goes underwater and half stays on land these days, Viv said. Sam pays us and Olan doesn’t. 

Why did you make that arrangement?

I’m feeding the soldiers out of the goodness of my heart. 

We’re the luckiest merfolk guard in the sea.

You certainly are.

They finished the tofu and Viv could feel Semeru’s wind surrounding her. Then he appeared and kissed her. 

“I don’t know what my gift’s purpose is, but it’s a lot of fun,” Semeru laughed. “And now I want to challenge you to Super Shell Racers.”

“I’m going to win again,” she told him.

“Only because you’ve played it way more than I have,” he remarked as they both headed into the farmhouse and upstairs to Semeru’s room. He guided her inside. 

Semeru had thought very carefully about what he wanted in his spouse room. He got his big bookshelf, and his meditation area, and his big comfy sofa. He brought up a shell-shaped chair from the Kingdom which he never sat in. This mystified Viv. 

“How do you sit in it?” she asked, inspecting it, and he cried while waving his hands, “Don’t sit in it!”

“So is it actually a chair?” she wondered.

“Yes, but you don’t sit in it.” 

“It’s your chair, my dude,” she said with a laugh. He also brought up an urn from the barracks filled with spears and swords, and put a few in decorative arrangements on the walls. 

Then one afternoon he came to her and said, “I’ve been talking with Mark about something called a ‘man-cave’.” 

Viv arranged her face to be as neutral as possible, but she was already imagining howling over this with Eva. Bros discussing decorating. 

“How did a man-cave come up, honey?” Viv asked, trying extremely hard not to grin at all.

“We were at the cavern and I asked him what he would put in a room that was completely his own. He said that he would create a man-cave with the biggest television he could find and lots of game consoles like a AstroStation 5 and a NendoCo Swap. That’s what we played Super Shell Racers with, right?” 

“That’s right,” Viv said. “Would you like an AstroStation 5?”

“Mark made it sound pretty fun,” Semeru remarked. “Do you think we could get one?”

“If it’s what you want, of course we can. Did he mention anything else in the man-cave?”

“He mentioned a fridge for beer, but I don’t think I want that. Can’t I just get a beer from our fridge in the kitchen?”

“Mark is like a mushroom,” Viv said tartly. “He sits in the dark and plays video games and occasionally goes out and kills things.”

“Do mushrooms kill things?”

“The poisonous ones do.” 

So Viv went to Luke’s store and ordered the biggest television they had, a large and very loud sound system, and an AstroStation 5 game console. She also moved the Swap upstairs to his room. When everything had been installed, Semeru was very pleased, but because of his electrosense, he could only have a few electronics turned on at any one time.

That night, they stayed up late playing Super Shell Racers, and Viv taught him how to powerslide, which meant he did much better than before. He even beat Viv in a few races. 

“Enjoy your victory, newbie,” Viv said. 

“I certainly will,” he said. “And to celebrate, we will now go to bed.” 

“That’s the best way to celebrate I know of,” she said, heading to the bedroom. 

“I love you, my darling,” he whispered in her ear..

“I love you too,” she whispered back. 

The next day, they both were entranced by the sculpture in the afternoon sun. The light illuminated small rainbow sparkles in the stone that never would have appeared if it had stayed underwater.

“It’s so beautiful,” Semeru said in wonder. 

“Underwater stone in the sunlight,” Viv said, squeezing his hand. “Good things happen when you bring land and sea together.” 

Chapter Text

“I’m just going to say it right now – shell hoarding, wine, and birthday parties do not mix,” Viv groused. 

“I’ve been telling Agung this for years,” Semeru said. “His house is a health hazard.” 

A week after their trip to the beach house, the two of them were in the Kingdom for a quick social visit. Denali and Agung’s birthdays were two days apart so they almost always had a joint party. Viv and Semeru had brought many bottles of wine for the pair’s birthday gift. They’d stayed late into the evening, but it was time to head back to their farm. 

“I can’t believe how many stacks of shells Agung knocked over,” Semeru said. “Was it five? Six?” 

“They need to find a new venue for their party,” Viv said. “Maybe they could rent out the Eel or something.” 

“Or Agung could just clean up,” Semeru said. He kissed her, and said “See you at home.” He disappeared, teleporting as he usually did.  Viv waited a moment, visualized the farm in her mind, and put her hand on the Goddess Portal to head back herself.

And she landed with a thump on the ground, not on her feet. When the petals cleared, she realized still had her tail.

She looked up to see Semeru, looking at her in surprise. “What the heck happened?” she said, but she was not speaking English, but rather the lilting tones of Merakih. Semeru was saying something as well, in more nasal English, but she no longer understood him. The puzzled and frustrated look on his face told her that he didn’t understand her either. 

English is my native language, Viv thought. I should be able to speak it. So she thought about it, and said to Semeru, “I think we’re stuck.” But he still looked puzzled, as though he couldn’t understand her. 

We never could speak the same language, except when Viv learned Merakih as a human, Semeru thought to himself. The shape-shifting magic always translated for us depending on what form we’re in. When I’m a merfolk, I speak Merakih. When I’m a human, I speak English. I never have to think about it.  He got the same thoughtful look on his face that Viv did, and tried to speak Merakih to Viv, but she too looked puzzled. Neither of them could speak their native languages at all. The magical translator was stuck. 

That was a problem. But another problem was that Viv was starting to feel increasingly uncomfortable. She knew merfolk could be on the surface for short periods, but she felt dizzy and panicky. And, as she dried off, she felt very itchy and cold. She needed to get back underwater. Unfortunately, the roof of the Goddess portal was too high for her to reach. Semeru saw her struggling and lifted her up to touch it. She teleported to the Kingdom in a cloud of petals. But because he was touching her, he came with her. 

When they arrived in the Kingdom’s plaza, Viv sighed with relief. But then she turned to Semeru, and nearly screamed. He still had his legs and he was sinking. He flailed his limbs uselessly. He also seemed to be having trouble breathing. “You can be anywhere! You’re all right!” Viv screamed, and he turned towards her voice, but he was clearly panicking. “Semeru!” Viv cried, hoping he would recognize his name. She grabbed his waist and shoved him as hard as she could towards the Goddess portal. Thankfully, he was able to catch it. He disappeared. 

Viv floated in the plaza, unable to believe what had just happened. Agung, Mira, and Denali swam up to her. “What was that, Viv? Was that Semeru with legs?” Denali asked. 

“We got stuck,” Viv said, her voice shaking. “I can’t get legs on land, and Semeru can’t get his tail here. He panicked and almost drowned.” 

“Oh my Goddess,” Agung said. “You’ve got to see Cho Oyu.” 

As soon as Semeru hit land, he vomited up sea water as the cherry blossoms swirled into the air. He rolled onto his back, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. His heart was racing and he was beginning to develop a splitting headache. The experience of doing an unexpected free dive 30 meters deep left him feeling pretty awful. He stood, slightly unsteadily, and walked to their farmhouse.

This is not a good situation, he thought to himself. He was stuck in a land-dwellers’ body and wasn’t sure about his ability to breathe underwater. He had no idea what “existing in air and water” actually meant. All he knew was that his lungs really hurt. He suspected he’d inhaled some seawater. 

He went inside the house and sat on the sofa, petting Trinket, who’d jumped up in his lap. He was unable to communicate with Viv, and in fact had no way to communicate with anyone in the Kingdom for help. The best course of action, he decided, was to wait and rest. Viv would speak with Cho Oyu and would get a message to him in several hours. He’d get himself into better shape and prepare for what came next. 

He went upstairs, feeling sad and unsettled. He brushed his teeth, flossed, and washed his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. Is this the face of a human?  He closed his eyes and turned away. Not yet, I’m not. I’m still half and half. 

He got in the bed and the sheets were freezing cold. He could hear Trinket downstairs on her cat bed, meowing mournfully for Viv. I hear you, kitty cat, he thought. I can relate. He stared into the deepening gloom, hoping against hope that everything would be back to normal when he woke up. 

Cho drummed her fingers against her chin as Viv told her the story. “This is very strange,” she said. “Cho will need to consult the currents.” 

“Sure,” Viv said. “In the meantime, may I please send a letter?” 

“Of course,” said Cho Oyu, handing her a pen and note card. 

“Is Semeru all right?” Mira asked.

“I hope so,” Viv said. “I have no idea what condition he’s in. Humans are supposed to prepare for a free dive at this depth, not just throw themselves into the ocean.” 

“Can’t he be anywhere?” Agung asked. “Doesn’t that mean he can breathe underwater no matter what?”

“I’d have thought so. But maybe he was surprised,” Viv said. “If he got water in his lungs in his human form he wouldn’t be able to breathe, gift or no gift. But honestly, I don’t know. And I’m not sure he does, either.”  She stuffed the card in the envelope. “Please send this to our farm, Cho, as soon as you can.”

“Cho will,” the Oracle said. “Now let Cho Oyu see what the currents say.” 

The four of them left the Oracle’s chamber. 

“Maybe I can go to the farm and talk to him,” Denali said.

 “We don’t know what’s happening, and all of us could be affected. I think you’d be better off here,” Viv said.

“I know, I’m just worried about him,” Denali said. 

“I don’t think it’s worth  the risk,” Viv said. “What if you got stuck too?” 

“You’d have to go live with Eva and bake bread, forever,” Agung said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. 

“I can think of worse ways to spend my life,” Denali said. 

Viv sighed. “Don’t make me jealous. I miss him already.” 

“I’m going to let my parents know,” Mira said. “This is terrible news.”

“Thank you,” Viv said, giving her a hug. Mira swam away. 

“Agung, we should talk with Deno,” Denali said. “She’ll tell us what to do.” 

It was tough having to wake Deno up, and even tougher to explain what was going on, but she got it eventually. “I think Viv is right,” Deno said. “Until Cho Oyu figures out a solution, Semeru is out of action, and I don’t think it’s smart to lose one of our best scouts as well. Denali, I want you to stay here.” 

“That’s decided, then,” Viv said. “I suggest we all get some sleep. I have a feeling we’ll need to be in good shape for tomorrow.”

“Thanks for letting us bother you, Deno.” Denali said. 

 “Of course,” she said. “Good night.”

Viv was about to swim back to the farmhouse but she felt a pull to Semeru’s old room in the barracks. She was lonely. This was the first time she’d been away from Semeru for nearly a cycle. She wanted to feel close to him. So she swam into Semeru’s old room. She looked at the blue lobster mosaic on the floor. She’d asked him about bringing it to the farm, but he wanted to leave it where it was to make his room more cheerful when he stayed there on his strategy weekends. “We can always get Vihren to make us a new one,” he said. While staring at the mosaic, Viv resolved to ask Vihren about it.

She looked at his books, full of titles like Ambush Techniques, Volume 2,  Calculating Victory, and Systems of Maneuver and Engagement. She couldn’t help an affectionate smile at seeing these, and then she felt a sharp tug at her heartstrings. What happened to us? Why is this happening now? Everything was going so well. What insane magic is messing us up? Viv wondered. 

She needed her rest. She needed to prepare for whatever was coming next. She ran her fingertips on his books, and then lay down on Semeru’s seaweed bed. She pulled his blanket over her, and imagined that she could feel his arms around her and hear his breathing. 

Semeru woke up the next morning alone. So it wasn’t a bad dream, he thought. Damn. He groaned, but sleep had been the right move. He felt much better. But without Viv, the bed felt cold and empty. In fact the whole house felt cold and empty. He could hear Trinket meowing mournfully again, still looking for Viv. 

He tried flowing into Viv’s mind but he was blocked. It felt like when he tried to flow he was stuck on the threshold of a door and couldn’t get in. But he could still feel Viv’s emotions, lonely and puzzled.

Then, suddenly, he heard Viv in his mind. She was able to flow to him. She was trying to communicate with him, but was speaking excitedly in Merakih, and it no longer made sense to him. 

I don’t understand you, he thought back to her.

More chatter in a language he couldn’t speak. 

I’m so sorry, my love, but I don’t understand. 

She said something that sounded sad, and then she withdrew from his mind, and now Semeru could feel an especially glum emotion from her, which broke his heart. 

“This stinks in every way,” he said aloud to no one in particular. He guessed that certain aspects of his magic were being blocked. But it was impossible to guess which ones were available and which ones weren’t, and what the rules were for what worked and what didn’t. And he particularly hated feeling so cut off from Viv. At least I can still feel her emotions, he thought. But after getting used to so many other aspects of their connection, it was frustrating that so many of their links together were just … gone. 

I’ve got to do the chores, he thought. He was actually glad. Routine always calmed his mind and settled his body.

He put on some sweats and a pair of sneakers and went downstairs to say hello to Trinket. He petted her, tickled her chin as she rubbed her head on his hand, filled up her food bowl, and then he went outside to do the morning chores. He collected the eggs, truffles, and coffee beans, let the animals out, and then he sighed. It was time to meet his sworn nemeses — the two cows, Burger and Steak. They both needed milking. 

As he went inside their barn, he thought he could see Burger glaring at him. “You better get used to me,” he told the cow. “I don’t know how long Viv is going to be stuck underwater, so I’m going to be the man doing the milking for the foreseeable future.” 

He milked the cow with considerably less skill than Viv, earning himself a bellow. “Well, I’m sorry,” he told Burger. Steak had a mellower personality, but even she swished her tail at him dismissively. 

“Thanks, ladies,” Semeru said, opening the barn doors to let the cows out. They marched into the grassy field with contempt, not even looking at him as he went by. Am I taking this too personally? He thought. Viv would probably say I am. His heart sank. Goddess, he missed her. What were they going to do? He put the milk in the cheesemakers, the eggs in the mayonnaise machines, and the truffles in the oil presses, and listened to the pleasant hum of the farm machinery at work. And then, to his immense joy, he saw that a letter had arrived in the mailbox. He retrieved it, and like all letters sent from the Kingdom, it smelled strongly of salt water and seaweed. He opened it and read: 

My darling Semeru, Cho is on the case. We don’t know what’s happening but we’re trying to fix it as quickly as possible. Please meet me at the rocks on the east side of the beach at sunset. You know the spot. Bring pen and paper. I love you so much. Viv

With so much of their magic broken, Semeru felt exceedingly grateful that Cho Oyu could still send letters that he could understand. He was glad he would get to see Viv, but decided to allow himself a small moment of self-pity. He missed his wife already — her jokes, her stories, their small moments together. Plus, he was a merfolk. He liked being a human, but he wanted to be able to take his own form and speak his native language. He also didn’t like that his magic wasn’t working properly. He was just beginning to understand his gift, and now it seemed like so many of his abilities were gone. And what was he going to say when people asked him where Viv was? In the Merfolk Kingdom at the bottom of the ocean. That’ll go over well, he thought grimly. 

He made himself a cup of coffee and ate some eggs and bell peppers they had in the fridge, trying not to fall into a puddle of sadness at how silent the meal was. He’d gotten so used to constant conversation that being without it was impossibly dreary. He felt dreary emotions from Viv too. He resolved to go see what Mark was up to and if he’d be willing to blow off some steam in the cavern.

Mark lived with his sister on the north side of the Island. Semeru walked over to their house, breathing in the fresh late autumn air. It would be turning to winter soon and he could feel the bite of the approaching season change. This was something new to him and ordinarily it was fascinating to discover the clues that meant the seasons were progressing. But today the brisk wind just seemed mournful. He knocked on the door of Mark’s house, and the burly man answered the door. 

“Shrimp,” Mark greeted Semeru.

“Teddy Bear,” Semeru responded.

“Mark, have you seen my socks? I was just going to — “ a girl with white hair and grey eyes appeared at the door, looking a bit disheveled. “Oh! Hello! I don’t think we’ve met! I’m Odessa. I’m new in town.” 

“Hi, I’m Semeru,” he said, keeping his expression neutral but he couldn’t help his lips twitching with humor. He’d caught many soldiers in compromising positions and it never failed to amuse him. “I’m Viv’s husband.”

“I don’t think I know Viv,” Odessa said.

“Yes you do,” Mark said sternly. “You commented on the big farm the other day.”

“That’s us,” Semeru said, cheerfully.

“Wow, that farm’s amazing,” Odessa marvelled.

“Thank you.”

“Do you need something?” Mark asked Odessa.

“No, all good, I’ll keep looking for my socks.” 

“Teddy Bear,” Semeru said, thinking that he’d wrung as much awkwardness as he could out of Mark, “I wanted to see if you were free to go kill some monsters in the cavern.”

“You’re on,” Mark said. “My shift at the shelter doesn’t start till later this afternoon.”

Semeru raised an eyebrow. “Should I meet you over there?”

“Sure, give me 5.”

“Nice meeting you, Odessa,” Semeru called.

“You too!” she called back. Mark closed the door.

Semeru laughed to himself. Well, well, well, the Teddy Bear has a girl. Then his smile faded. I want my girl. 

Mark met Semeru at the cavern entrance and the two of them didn’t say much. They went to the osmium shaft and obliterated all the trolls, batmonsters, and murder hornets they could find for hours. 

“I gotta split, Shrimp,” Mark eventually said, breathing hard. “This was a good session.”

“See you,” Semeru said. Mark took the elevator back to the entrance, and Semeru spent a couple more hours killing monsters. Then he went back to the farmhouse to take a shower. 

In the Kingdom, the Queen came to find Viv in the barracks at first light. 

“Good morning, Viv,” the Queen said to her. How the Queen knew to find her in Semeru’s room Viv couldn’t guess, but there she was. 

“This situation couldn’t come at a worse time,” the Queen said. “We need your help.”

“Anything, your Majesty, what can I do?”

She rubbed her temples. “I can’t say a great deal right now. But it disturbs me that our strongest warrior and keenest strategist has been neutralized at this exact moment. We need his guidance right now.” 

“Do you think he was deliberately taken off the field?” Viv asked.

“I’m not sure what to think. I need more evidence.” The Queen gave Viv a level gaze. “I need you to think about if you ate anything, touched anything, did anything out of the ordinary, over the last several days. Even the smallest deviation from your routine could have caused this. Think hard, Viv. The future of our Kingdom could depend on it.” 

“I understand, Your Majesty,” Viv said. She felt anxiety settle in her stomach like a heavy stone.

Viv went to have breakfast at the mess hall. She sat down with a cup of Olan’s terrible coffee and a rather nice cara egg scramble with bluecole slaw. But she wasn’t hungry. She stared at the plate moodily, feeling Semeru’s sadness. 

“Hey, Viv,” a voice said. She looked up. Imun and Batur were standing across the table from her with their trays. 

“Hey guys,” Viv said. 

“Mind if we sit with you?” Imun asked her.

“Not at all,” Viv said. “When did you get home from Pokyo?”

“I’ve got a week break before exams,” Imun said. “So Deno’s putting me to work.”

“No rest for the weary,” Viv said listlessly.

“You look sad,” Batur told her, eating his scramble. 

“Is it true Semeru is stuck as a human?” Imun asked her. 

“Gossip travels fast around here. Jeez. But yes.”

“I’m sorry,” Imun said. “That can’t be easy.” 

“You know what I would do if I were stuck as a human,” Batur announced. 

“What’s that?” Viv asked. She was surprised he said anything.

“I want to fly in one of those planes I see in the air.”

Viv laughed. “That’s what Semeru once said to me too. There must be something special about flying in the air.”

“It would be great to see what the ocean looks like from up above.” Batur mused.  “Have you ever been in a plane?”

“Yes,” Viv said. 

“Did you like it?”

“This coffee is terrible,” Viv said. “Making coffee for a crowd isn’t easy but this is bad.” 

“Olan’s never been able to make good coffee,” Imun told her.

“But the plane,” Batur said. “What was it like?”

Viv didn’t want to tell Batur that being in a plane was like riding in a dirty, crowded bus. She wanted him to retain his sense of wonder. 

“One time I flew on a plane off the coast of a place called California,” Viv said. “The best part about it was that you could see the ocean waves hitting against the rocks and rolling on the beaches. You could also see huge ships off the coast, carrying all kinds of things for humans to use. But I couldn’t see much of what was in the ocean.”

“What did the ocean look like?”

“Blue,” Viv said. “Endless blue. 70% of the planet is covered in water and from the air, especially when you’re flying over the ocean, you really feel it.” 

“Is it scary?”

“When I flew over the Pacific, I felt awe at how vast the ocean is,” Viv said. “Our ocean here is much smaller, and our little bay is smaller still. I think that’s why there are so many fish. They feel safe and warm here.”

“In the big open ocean I bet there are less fish,” Imun said. “There’s less food and no place to hide.”

“You go to the Pacific and tell me,” Viv said. “Now I’m kind of curious.”

“Me too,” Batur said. 

“How’s prepping for exams going, Imun?” Viv asked, eager to change the subject.

“Stressful. Do you have any tips?”

“No cramming and no all-nighters,” Viv said. “You’ll kill yourself.” 

He sighed. “Too late for both.”

“Well, try to limit them. And get as much sleep as you can. Did you know that 'sleeping on it' actually is an effective learning strategy? Your brain processes and stores new information when it has a chance to go through the sleep cycle. So study and get your eight hours of sleep and then you’ll retain the information.”

“I’ll try,” Imun replied. 

“Good luck figuring out what’s going on with Semeru,” Batur said. “I’ve got perimeter duty. See you both later.”

“See you,” Viv told him. 

At sunset, Semeru went to the rocky cove that he sent Eva to with her gifts for Denali. As he sat down, he saw Viv swim up, haul herself out of the water, and plop herself down next to him. He almost wept in relief to see her and in frustration about their situation. 

“Hello, my darling,” he said. “I’m so, so happy to see you.” He could feel how pleased she was. 

She said something he didn’t understand, but hugged him tight and then kissed him. At least we can still do that, he thought. 

Viv gestured at Semeru for the pen and paper, which he gave her. She shook her hands to dry them off, and he offered her his shirt. She smiled and wiped her hands on his sleeve. She wrote that the Queen wanted them to think if they’d done anything new or different recently. She handed the notepad back to Semeru, who read it, frowned, and shook his head. Viv was even writing in Merakih. Fantastic, she thought, and sighed heavily. It was weird that she could send letters via Cho to Semeru, but couldn’t write him notes when she was with him. She assumed that she didn’t have whatever magic Cho Oyu used to make letters appear in English when they arrived in her farm mailbox. 

Then Viv had an idea. She wrote four letters across the page: L  I  N  G 

Realization hit Semeru. “The dive mask,” he said. “It’s got a translator.” 

He held her hands in his and nodded.

“I get it,”‘ he said. “I’ll go first thing tomorrow.” She squeezed his hands. He wrapped his arms around her. “I miss you so much,” he whispered into her hair. She said something too. Even though they couldn’t talk with each other, when Semeru kissed her, their bodies spoke to each other perfectly. They kissed and caressed each other and watched the sun sink below the horizon and the stars wink into the sky. 

He could feel her shivering, so he indicated she should go back into the ocean. She nodded, threw her arms around him, and kissed him goodbye. Then she waved at him. He waved back, and she dove back into the ocean. He watched her go, fighting a powerful wave of jealousy. We’ll fix this, he thought. He decided to stop by the Tavern on the way home. 

He got a beer, and then looked around to see if there was anyone he knew. Suddenly he locked eyes with Scott, who waved him over. “Hey, man,” Scott said to him. “How are you? You look kind of shell-shocked.”

“I’ve had a tough day,” Semeru said. 

“Sit down, grab a beer,” Scott said. “Take the edge off.” Semeru got a beer and ordered a burger from Frank and sat at Scott’s table.

“How’s Pablo?” Semeru asked. “Nice to see the two of you together.”

“He’s good,” Scott said, turning a bright shade of red. “Where is Viv, anyway?” 

“Visiting family in Pokyo,” Semeru said smoothly.

“Oh nice,” Scott said. 

They both were quiet for a few minutes, drinking their beers. 

“What’s your secret?” Scott blurted out, apropos of nothing.

“What do you mean?” Semeru asked, puzzled.

“You and Viv seem so…comfortable together. Like you were always meant to be. So secure in each other. How do you do it?”

“Aren’t you secure with Pablo?” I’m the one giving relationship tips? he laughed to himself. I guess I really am the romance king now. 

“We are, just…I want to be his husband. I want to have breakfast with him in the morning and dinner with him at night. I want to be part of his life.”

Semeru smiled. He remembered that feeling all too well. Noah brought over the burger. “Thanks, man,” Semeru said, and Noah clapped him on the shoulder and said, “No problem, I hope you enjoy it.”  Semeru took a huge bite. 

“You have to make that life,” Semeru said, chewing. “It doesn’t just happen. You have to intentionally choose it, and work on it. But once you make the choice, you’ll never look back. It’ll be the best decision you ever made.” 

“How?”

“Why are you here?” Semeru said, eating away. “Why are you not making your partner dinner? Why are you not over at his place? Why are you not bringing him coffee in the morning? What do you really want to do?” 

“What if he doesn’t want it?”

“Then he’ll tell you, won’t he? But you won’t know until you try.” 

“That’s a really good point,” Scott said. “Thanks.” 

“Of course.”

“You should come hang out with us sometime,” Scott said.  “A bunch of us get together at the bar Sunday nights.”

 “That would be good,” Semeru replied. 

He finished his beer and stood up. “Nice to see you.” 

“You too, man,” Scott said. 

"See you, Noah," Semeru called, and left the tavern.

I’m just an underwater volcano of advice these days, Semeru thought to himself. What advice would I give myself? He didn’t know. 

Semeru walked home, listening to the nighttime insects buzzing and chirping. It was so loud on land at night, not at all like the soft whooshing of the currents in the Kingdom. He looked at the stars overhead, and remembered looking up at them when he was at the beach house with Viv. His heart felt like it weighed as much as their stone sculpture. We have to fix this. And we will. He went to bed, listening to the song of his gift whistling in his head.  

Chapter Text

Semeru woke up at dawn, did the chores, got bellowed at by Burger, drank his coffee, ate some eggs and bananas, and checked the time. The lab would be opening in a few minutes, so he decided to take a walk to Starlet Town and say hello to Taiga and Surya. He knocked on the door. Taiga answered it. 

“Hi, Semeru!” Taiga said, surprised but pleased. “What…to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d say hello,” Semeru said pleasantly. “Surya, I need to meet with Ling this morning, so I’d love to walk with you to work.”

“Um, sure,” Surya said. “Why not?”

“We’re having granola for breakfast, would you like some?” Taiga asked. 

“Yes, please,” Semeru said. His magic might have gone away, but his huge appetite certainly hadn’t.

Taiga spooned some yogurt and granola into a bowl and said, “Where’s Viv?”

“In Pokyo visiting family,” Semeru said. 

“Without you?” Taiga asked, brow furrowing in concern. 

Semeru laughed lightly. “Somebody had to take care of the animals, and Kenny wasn’t available.”

Taiga handed the bowl to Semeru with a spoon and he started eating. Their greyhound, Kevin, knew a soft target when he saw one, and he put his head on Semeru’s knee.

“This is a dog?” Semeru asked. “He’s a thin animal.”

“He’s really more of a parasite,” Surya laughed. “Or a bottom-feeder.”

“Be nice, Suryachka,” Taiga laughed. “I’ve had Kevin for years. He’s a retired racing dog, that’s why his body is shaped like that.”

“Oh, his name’s Kevin?” Semeru laughed. “That’s my father-in-law’s name. I guess it’s common.” 

“It comes from his kennel name,” Taiga said. “What they called him during his racing days.” 

“Oh,” Semeru said. “Viv and I have been thinking about adopting a pet. My pet passed away several cy–years ago and Trinket belongs to Viv, so we’d like to get a pet that belongs to both of us.” 

“What kind of pet did you have?” Surya asked.

“A lobster. His name was Poseidon. He was very sweet.”

“You had a pet lobster,” Taiga said, deadpan.

“Yes. He was so affectionate. It was hard to consider getting a new pet after he passed, but I think I’m ready.”

“It’s difficult when your pet dies. They’re like a member of the family,” Taiga remarked.

“I know, that’s how I felt about Poseidon,” Semeru said. Taiga and Surya looked at each other.

“I’ve never heard of anybody having a lobster for a pet, but I suppose it’s possible,” Taiga said. “Have you thought about what you’re going to get?”

“Viv suggested a lizard,” Semeru said. “I don’t want a pet to live in a tank, though.”

Taiga shrugged. “I don’t think lizards mind. Millie’s lizard lives in a tank, and it seems happy.”

Kevin gave Semeru irresistibly sad eyes. “Oh all right,” he said, handing the dog a piece of granola. Kevin crunched the sweet treat happily and put his head back on Semeru’s knee, waiting for more. 

“See, a botttom feeder,” Surya laughed. 

“Any interesting nudibranch news?” Semeru asked him with a grin.

“Scientists recently discovered a nudibranch in the midnight zone,” Surya said, “The creature had been observed before but nobody knew it was a nudibranch. But it is.”

“What’s the midnight zone?” Semeru asked.

“300 to 1300 meters,” Surya replied. “Pretty deep.”

“That is deep,” Semeru said. “Interesting.”

Surya stood up. “I need to brush my teeth, and then let’s head on over.”

“Perfect,” Semeru smiled.

Taiga crossed her arms. “When do you expect Viv back?”

“In the next couple of days,” Semeru said. “Pretty soon.” I have no idea.

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you talking with Ling about?”

“Testing out some of her dive equipment.”

“Doesn’t the Navy give you diving equipment?”

“I hear hers is particularly nice,” Semeru noted. It’s been a while since I’ve been subject to an interrogation this intense.

“Huh,” Taiga said. 

Surya came out of the bathroom. “Ready to go?”

“Ready,” Semeru said. 

Taiga kissed Surya tenderly. Semeru’s heart lurched. Goddess, I miss Viv. 

“Have a good day, lyubov,” Taiga said. “Good seeing you, Semeru.”

“See you, Taiga. Tell me how to say goodbye in Russian.” 

“Da svidaniya,” Taiga said, slowly.

“Da svidaniya,” Semeru repeated. “See you soon.” 

Taiga watched the two of them go. She didn’t know why she had this feeling, but something wasn’t right. Kevin whined watching Semeru leave too. 

“You’re shameless,” Taiga told him, giving Kevin a hug.

“I guess you and Ling are talking with the government about what you’re finding in the ocean,” Surya said, awkwardly, as they walked to the lab.

“You could say that,” Semeru replied. “I’m having trouble with my dive mask so I wanted to try Ling’s. Viv always says it’s so comfortable.”

“It is,” Surya said, enthusiastically. “And it’s got lots of interesting features!”

“Like what?” Semeru asked.

“It’s got translation capabilities. I don’t know why you’d need a translator under the sea, but if you did, it can.”

“Interesting,” Semeru mused. 

He pushed open the door. Ling was bustling around some computers.

“Good morning, Surya. And Semeru!” she said. “Nice to see you. Would you like some tea?” 

“I would,” he said. “See you later, Surya.” 

Surya waved. “See you.” 

“Come with me into my office,” Ling said with a smile. She led him inside and closed the door. She put the kettle on.

“I can see that something’s gone wrong, Captain,” she remarked. “What happened?” 

 “I need the translating technology you created for Viv, please,” said Semeru. “I can’t understand anyone in the Kingdom, and I need help.” 

She looked inquiringly at him. “Has something gone wrong?” 

“Yes,” he said. “Very, very wrong.” 

“Where’s Viv?”

“Stuck there,” Semeru said. “We can’t switch forms.” 

“Oh, that is a problem,” Ling said. “Hmm. If you can’t switch forms then you can’t speak one another’s language, can you?”

“No,” Semeru said. “That’s why I need your help.” 

“Of course,” Ling said. She went into another room in the lab, and came back with a mask, air tanks, a dive suit, and fins — the equipment that Semeru had seen Viv wear all those moons ago. “This will feel very awkward to you, and I’m sorry about that, but it will be a stopgap until Cho Oyu can solve what happened with her magic.”

She showed him how to fit the mask, put the air tanks on his back, and place the fins on his feet. “This is the largest dive suit I have,” she said, giving it to him. “Humans can’t regulate their temperature underwater as well as merfolk can,” she said. “I suggest you wear it to keep warm.”

“Thank you for all of this,” Semeru said. 

 She sighed. “Again, I’m so sorry, Semeru. I know things will get better.” 

“And if they don’t?” he asked, dully. 

Ling touched his hand. “They will. Go see her. And visit me more often.”

“I will,” Semeru replied.  He left, carrying the equipment. 

Suddenly, he had a thought. Viv had Cho Oyu. He also had a source of help. He took the dive equipment home, carefully placed it in the farmhouse, and teleported to the Goddess portal to visit the lake temple. 

He approached the pool where she resided. “My Goddess, I seek your counsel,” he said. 

The Goddess, shimmering in white, rose from the pool. “Semeru, my merfolk child….oh no. Something has happened to your magic.” 

“That’s why I need your guidance, my Goddess,” he said. 

“Come closer, my child,” she said. “Give me your hand.” He did, and she visibly recoiled as she touched it. “Something has gone wrong, Semeru.”

“What do you mean?”

The Goddess paused. “Your magic is like an open door. It gives you access to every world, every place in space or time. But your door has been shut and locked, trapping you on one side of it.” 

“Someone?” he asked. 

The air shimmered. “For you, an open door is your natural state.  As you know, you are meant to flow between worlds. But the door is now shut and locked. This is an unnatural state for you, and putting you in this state is a deliberate act.”

“Someone has tampered with my magic,” Semeru said.

“There is no other way this could happen. You must work with Viv to find those that have locked your door and get them to open it again. She will help you with her gift. Good luck, my child.”  She disappeared into the pool, and Semeru left the temple and headed south to go back to town. He stayed by the lake, though, because he loved the smell of the jasmine flowers and cherry trees so much. 

Now I’m starting to get some answers, he thought as he walked. If I can find the person who did this to me, Viv and I can get them to reverse it. But who would do this to me? And why?

Semeru suddenly stopped cold in his tracks. He knew exactly who had done this to him. He didn’t know why, of course, but he would bet everything he had that he knew exactly who stole his magic and how they’d done it. His expression grew stony. So the fish have come back to the nest, he thought. I’m going to have to pay for something I’ve done. He thought with bitter amusement there were any number of things that he’d have to pay for. He’d done plenty to make enemies while he was in the intelligence service, and he had no doubt those enemies had put him in his human form to make him easier to control. But why eight cycles later? Why make me wait so long? 

“Semeru?” Zarah asked, interrupting his thoughts. 

“Oh, hey, Zarah,” he said, distracted.

“You okay? Where’s Viv?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Just going for a walk. Viv’s visiting family in Pokyo.”

“Really? Without you?”

He sighed. Do I have to tell the same lie over and over again?

“Kenny wasn’t available to take care of the farm. And it’s just Pokyo. It’s not like she’s stuck in some mysterious Kingdom under the ocean,” he said, slightly bitterly.

“No, I guess not,” Zarah laughed. “I was just going to get some tacos. Join me?”

No. “Why not?” Semeru said, not quite sure how he’d get out of it. 

He ordered spicy fish tacos, she ordered vegan tacos, and he listened to her chatter about this and that while Semeru’s mind was elsewhere. 

“Magic, Semeru. Did you hear what I said?”

“Huh? What? Sorry.”

“There’s magic on Coral Island. Don’t you think? Have you ever seen the giants?”

Yes. Many times. “You know,” Semeru said seriously, during the Cherry Blossom Festival, up on the ridge, I thought I saw a mysterious figure. And then I thought I saw something again at the Spooky Festival, but it was like my eyes were tricking me.” 

“Yes, exactly!” Zarah said. “It’s like there’s always something on the edge of the crowd, almost but not quite able to be seen.”

“I imagine the Giants would like humans,” Semeru mused. “The stories say they love looking after the land, and that’s where humans live.” 

“Yes, that is what the stories say. The Giants look after the land, and the merfolk look after the sea, and the Goddess gives her bounty to all. No humans, though.”

“Stories can change,” Semeru said. “The humans need to find their place in the world. And they will.”

“I think we will,” Zarah mused. “I can already see the change here on Coral Island. Can’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“People behave differently here. They’re more thoughtful about their surroundings. Maybe the magic is affecting all of us.” 

“Maybe it is. Would you excuse me? I have to get back to the farm.”

“Of course,” Zarah said. “Nice seeing you.”

“You too.” 

Zarah watched him as he left. She was well aware that Viv never said all that she knew, and now she had a strong feeling Semeru didn’t either. Perhaps that’s why they get along, she thought. I wonder if I could get them to tell me their secrets. 

He hurried home, and as he walked back to the farm, he had the idea to test how much of his ability to flow between land and sea he still had. He was excited to tell Viv about his discovery from the Goddess. They would have to tell the King and Queen, of course, but he wanted to talk with Viv first.  He changed into his swimsuit, strapped the dive mask on, left the farm by the west entrance, climbed over the fence, and jumped into the estuary. He didn’t turn into a merfolk as he usually would, but he had no trouble breathing in the water. 

It was unbelievably fortunate that Viv had shown him some land-dweller swimming skills just a few days before this. He wondered if this was a result of her gift. She just had the ability to know what people around her needed. Perhaps it was foolish to try to wake her gift up like mine. Hers just is. And it’s wonderful.

He turned towards the bottom of the ocean and used flutter kicks and breastroke arms to head down deeper into the water. It worked, but compared to his former self, he was painfully slow. There would be no way he could reach the Kingdom any time before nightfall at this pace.

How do humans stand this? he thought to himself. Going anywhere in the water is so slow! He wondered if he still had the ability to teleport. He imagined himself arriving at his and Viv’s underwater farmhouse, and in a swirl of blue, he appeared among all the crops in front of the house. He noted that the bluecoles needed harvesting. He swam-walked up to their door and opened it. He found Viv sitting at the table, playing with one of their special underwater mugs and looking rather gloomy. 

“Hi!” he greeted her, in a tinny robotic voice. “Surprise!”

“Semeru!” she cried.

“Viv,” he said, and she threw her arms around him and started kissing him all over his face, even on top of the dive mask. “You’re here! What are you doing here? You’re wearing Ling’s mask! How can you breathe? You’re not wearing air tanks! Are you all right?”

“Slow down,” he said with a smile, not that Viv could see it. “Yes. I’m fine. It’s good to see you, sweetheart. And I don’t need the air tanks. I can still breathe underwater. I just need the dive mask to translate what you’re saying.” 

Out of habit, he tried to flow into her mind but he got stuck. She could flow into his, but he still couldn’t understand the language she spoke. 

“I don’t know what you’re saying to me,” he told her.

“Never mind. This is better than what we had. Oh, it’s so good to talk to you,” she said. 

“I wish I could kiss you,” Semeru said. “I hate this mask.”

“It lets us understand each other,” Viv said. “Let’s be grateful for that.”

“You’re right,” he said, and hugged her tight and stroked her hair. She kissed him wherever she could, on his forehead, his neck, his shoulders, and gave a lot of attention to his wrists and hands. She is so special to me, he thought. I never knew how much I needed another person until I had her. 

“I need to tell you something,” Semeru said. “I spoke to the Goddess.”

“That’s great! What did she say?”

“She said this was a deliberate act that someone has done to me,” he told her. “My magic is like a door, open to any world in space or time. Its natural state is to be an open door. But right now someone has closed and locked the door. And that can only be done by a person, nothing natural would cause this.” 

“Who would do this?” Viv asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“Altai,” Semeru said. “I’m sure this is payback for something I did while stationed there.”

“Payback for what? You were there cycles ago.”

“I don’t know,” Semeru said. “We need to talk with the King to unclassify my reports and with Deno.” 

“We’ll do that right now,” Viv said. 

“I think I should practice swimming with you first,” he said, and she nodded. She took him by the hand and they swam together outside, and together they practiced the strokes she showed him for a while. “I have something else for you to see,” she said, and showed him a particular way of moving her tail up and down. She held his legs together and showed him how to do the same thing. “We call this dolphin kick.”

“Dolphins are hraevills,” Semeru said. Viv recognized that particular Merakih insult and she knew it wasn’t nice.

“I know, but the move is useful,” she said.

“Let’s at least call it an orca kick, after a noble animal,” he told her. 

“All right. Show me an orca kick, you principled person.”

The orca kick helped him go a bit faster underwater, though he found it tiring. He was used to propelling himself forward by moving his tail side to side. He also noticed that, for the first time ever, he began to feel cold. He’d never felt cold underwater before until this exact moment. But he was, in fact, feeling uncomfortably chilly.

“Are you all right?” Viv asked, catching his expression.

“Yes, let’s keep moving,” he said, shortly.

They continued to practice Semeru’s swimming skills until dusk approached. The water was so cold that Semeru began to shiver. Soon his limbs were too cold to move. “Oh, honey, you’re human,” Viv said. “Humans can’t regulate their temperature underwater. I’m really sorry, but you’re going to have to go home.” 

“But I want to stay with you,” he said, his teeth chattering. “And we have to talk to the King.” 

“I don’t think you can tonight,” Viv said. “I don’t want you to get hypothermia.”

“What’s that?”

“It’s when your body gets too cold and starts shutting down,” Viv said. “I think we have to call it a day today. Come back tomorrow. Did Ling give you a dive suit?”

“Ye-e-e-e-s,” he said, teeth chattering even harder. He wrapped his arms around himself to keep warm, but he was so, so cold. 

“Go get warmed up. I’ll talk to the King. Come back tomorrow with your dive suit on and it will be easier.” 

He grabbed her and held her close. “Can’t I hold on to you for warmth?”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” she said. “I’m not enough to warm you up. Go take a hot shower and get into bed.” 

“Can’t I come back?”

“I don’t think you should,” Viv said. “I’m so sorry, and I want you to stay here too. But you’ve got to raise you core body temperature. You don’t want to get sick. Come back tomorrow. I love you, darling.”

“All right. I love you too.” He sighed and hugged her, and teleported back to the farm to follow her instructions, and ate some dinner as well. He got into bed alone yet again. He tried to stop the despair from eating away at him, but it was no use. He wanted to be with his wife, and he couldn’t. This is the worst, he thought to himself. 

Chapter Text

The good thing about visiting Viv yesterday, Semeru reflected, even though I couldn’t stay with her, was that I now know what dive equipment I actually need. He was pleased that he could still breathe underwater, so now all he needed was his dive suit and the mask to translate. 

He did the morning chores and, when he was finished, saw a letter in his mailbox. He pulled it out and discovered that it smelled strongly of seaweed and salt water. It read: “My darling Semeru, words cannot express how much I love you. I told the King about the news you shared, and we are all so excited to talk with you. Come visit us when you can and show us your orca kick. You’re so good at it. Yours always, Viv”

Semeru read between the lines. He suspected that there was more news to share about what he had discovered yesterday, news that was so sensitive Viv didn’t want to communicate it in writing. It was time to find out what exactly was going on. He put on the dive suit, slipped the flippers on his feet, and fitted the mask to his face.

He was getting used to the feeling of the dive mask, though he didn’t like it much. He’d never used a dive suit or flippers before. He hated the feeling of the mask clinging tightly to his face, he hated not being able to smell anything, he hated the strange feel of the neoprene against his body, and most of all, he felt like wearing all the land-dweller equipment meant he was losing his identity. Each day that he was trapped in his human body he felt further and further away from his merfolk self.  

But he had no choice. He had to do his duty. He took a deep breath and prepared to enter his beloved Kingdom with a land-dweller’s mask, suit, and flippers on. He teleported to the farmhouse first, to see if Viv was still there, but she had already left. So he teleported to the plaza and saw Viv swimming by. He turned awkwardly in her direction and swam agonizingly slowly towards her, feeling awkward and imprisoned in a way he’d never felt underwater before. 

She saw him too and zoomed over to see him.

“Semeru! Semeru, are you all right? Are you cold?” 

He took her hand. “Yes. It's good to see you again, my darling. And I’m not cold. I’m fine.”

She threw her arms around him. “I’m glad to have you back, sweetheart,” she said. She looked at him with all of his human equipment on, and told herself: I will not cry, I will not, I will not...but her face crumpled. The two of them held on to each other, letting the emotion of being able to communicate again flow. 

“Hey,” Semeru said, softly. “I’m here with you. We have a lot to talk about. Let’s stay strong for each other now. The Kingdom needs us.” 

She nodded. “You’re right. And we do have a lot to talk about. I haven’t even had a chance to ask you what you’ve been up to.” 

Hanging out with Scott for company,” he said, grinning for the first time in days, not that Viv could see it. 

“Oh Goddess,” Viv said. “What was that like?” 

“Awkward,” Semeru said. “He asked me for relationship advice.”

 “And what did you tell the enthusiastic Scott?” she asked.

 “I told him to get serious about being Pablo’s boyfriend and stop hanging out at the bar all the time,” Semeru said, with a laugh. 

“That’s Scott. He’s sweet but very immature.” 

“So it would seem,” Semeru said. “And Mark and I killed monsters in the cavern. Guess what, he got a girl to spend some time with him.”

“He did WHAT?” Viv hooted. “Who is the lucky girl?”

“I can’t remember her name. She has white hair.”

“Oh, the new girl. Odessa. I heard she can use magic.” 

“I didn’t see. Mostly she was trying to find her socks.”

Viv laughed. “I bet she was.”

“And then, of course, I visited Ling.” 

“What did she say?” 

“It was mostly just the practicalities of how to use…all this.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

“I don’t,” he said, in his tinny, robotic voice. “It’s horrible, and that’s all I want to say.” 

She squeezed his hands and kissed his forehead. 

“We should talk to the King and Queen,” Semeru said. “And Cho Oyu.”  

“Agreed. Let's go see them now." She shot off with a flick of her tail and then remembered, too late, that Semeru couldn’t do that. She stopped and swam back. “I’m sorry,” she said, taking his hand, and went at his pace. 

“It’s amazing I can get anywhere at all,” he said.  

“You’re doing beautifully, considering you only really started practicing yesterday.”

“Thank you. I had an excellent and very beautiful teacher.” 

Viv kissed his cheek and pushed open the door to the palace. The King and Queen were sitting on their thrones, Mira was at their side, and Deno was in her guard position below with Cho Oyu. As soon as she saw them, Mira rushed over to give Semeru a hug. 

“Oh, Semeru, I’m so, so, so sorry,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck.

 “It’s all right,” he said gruffly. “At least I can understand what everyone is saying now.” 

“Jeez, party people, the mask isn’t THAT bad,” Viv said. “It’s not some horrible torture device.”

 “Speak for yourself,” Semeru replied. “It’s really hot.” They all laughed. 

‘Let us go someplace more quiet for a chat,” the King rumbled, and led them all to one of the meeting rooms upstairs. 

“Your Majesties,” Semeru said. “I spoke with the Goddess yesterday." Cho Oyu lifted her eyebrows in surprise. “As you know, she told me that my natural state is to flow between worlds, to bridge the human and merfolk worlds. She says my magic is like an open door to any world in time or space. She said that my door has been locked shut and I’m trapped on one side of it. She said it was a deliberate act to shut it and lock it. This couldn’t be a natural occurrence. Someone did this to me.” 

“And you think Altai committed this act,” the Queen said. 

“I do,” Semeru said. “They have both the means and the motive.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment.

Semeru said, “Your Majesty, Captain, we need to unclassify all of the intelligence reports on Altai immediately. We need to know what they’re up to and why they’re doing this now.” 

“I’ve looked at Kelud’s reports, Master of Strategy,” Deno said. “Something has definitely been going on in Altai since your marriage.” 

Viv nudged Mira. “Who’s Kelud?” she whispered.

“Our agent in Altai,” Mira whispered back.

“Altai has always been unstable and violent,” the Queen noted.

“They are hotheads,” Semeru said. 

“It’s gotten worse,” Deno replied. “Kelud’s reports indicate one of their noble families, the Rustavelis, are sowing rebellion against their king. We’ve seen targeted assassinations, operations against civilians, and strange accidents.” 

“Sounds like the Rustavelis are trying to destabilize the royal family,” Semeru said. 

The King nodded. “That’s our fear.”

“How many noble families are there?” Viv asked.

“Six, plus the ruling family,” Semeru replied. “So seven altogether. The seven families are constantly fighting over the Altaian throne, and for the last four generations, the ones that aren’t in power have been trying to undermine and steal the throne from the current royal family. It creates a great deal of instability not only for the Altaians but for the neighboring Kingdoms.” 

““So what exactly have they done to Semeru?” the King asked. 

 Cho Oyu swam forward. “Here is what Cho knows. Master of Strategy, your magic has grown considerably over the past cycle and a half. You have gifts that many merfolk have, like your partner bond, gifts only a few merfolk have, like your shapeshifting ability, and other gifts that no one but you has — your gift from the Goddess. Some of your magic has been locked away, as the Goddess says, like your shapeshifting ability, and some has not. And Cho does not understand the rhyme or reason behind what’s blocked and what isn’t.” 

“Do you have a list of things that Semeru can and can’t do?” Viv asked.

“No, because Cho doesn’t know the full extent of all of his gifts,” the Oracle said. “For example, he cannot become a merfolk, but he can still breathe underwater. Cho does not understand why. Cho will work on this.” 

“Perhaps my gift from you is blocked, and my gift from the Goddess isn’t,” Semeru surmised.

“Perhaps,” Cho mused. 

Deno asked. “Do we know for certain this is a personal attack? It affected Semeru and Viv to a lesser extent. Do we know that Denali and the Princess are unaffected?”

“Unfortunately, I think we need to find out,” Viv said.

“I’ll go, Father,” Mira said. “We need Denali here.” The King and Queen looked at each other and nodded.

“Go straight to Coral Island, get your legs, and come straight back,” Semeru instructed. “If you get stuck, go to our farmhouse. I’ll meet you there.” 

“Understood,” Mira agreed. 

“While we wait, let’s assume this is a personal attack. I think we need to determine what’s special about Semeru,” the Queen noted.

“Everything,” Viv replied, smiling. Semeru squeezed her hand, and wished mightily that he could kiss her. 

The Queen asked, “Did you think if you did anything unusual the last day? Anything Altai could have tampered with to cause this?” 

“I wrote down what I remembered we did,” Viv said. She opened her bag and pulled out her notebook. “We got up, took care of the animals, you made me breakfast - eggs and toast. Then you went to train in the forest, and I went to Sam’s for seeds,” she said. “I bought roses and starfruit. I came home, planted the seeds, and you met me for lunch.”

“We went to the taco truck,” Semeru said. “And then we went to the beach in the afternoon.”

“I did empty my insect traps along the way. But there was nothing unusual about them. And then we changed and went to Agung and Denali’s party. They had punch to drink.” 

“We should ask about that punch,” the Queen said. 

“I’ll make a note of it,” Deno replied.

“I’m back,” Mira said from the back of the room. “There were no issues whatsoever.” “So it is personal,” Semeru said. 

“So now the question is what do we do to unblock the Master of Strategy’s magic,” Cho commented. “If we follow the Goddess’ metaphor, and treat your magic as a door that can be locked, someone would have to have a key to do it. Perhaps we can replicate the key.”

“What could be a key that would lock or unlock Semeru’s magic?” Viv asked. 

“A part of his body,” Cho said. “Some of his hair or a fingernail or…”

“Blood,” Mira said. “Altai.” 

“That does seem likely, considering what the Goddess has said and the nature of what has happened to Semeru,” the Oracle mused. 

“No other Kingdoms possess this kind of powerful magic,” Semeru remraked.

Cho Oyu nodded. “It is true. Cho does not know of any other Oracle that has the skills to block the Master of Strategy’s magic this way. But the Altaian Oracles do.” 

“I could see a simple explanation for this,” Deno said. “This family could have put Semeru out of commission because they’re planning to attack our kingdom. Perhaps to draw support to their side.”

“Altai are the ones that ambushed us a few cycles ago,” the King said. “This could just be a simple case of revenge.” 

 “It’s plausible,” the Queen said. 

Viv thought for a moment, and then she spoke. “We have intelligence, they must too. Semeru is strong, but he’s not the only defense we have, and this family will know that. If I’m hearing the Goddess correctly, this attack is personal, just for Semeru. Especially because it’s designed to counteract his particular magic. They want him for something in particular.” 

The King nodded. “You have a point. But we should increase our defenses in any case. “

“Already done, your Majesty,” Deno said. He inclined his head in thanks.

“What in all the oceans would Altai want you to do for them?” Mira asked. 

He shrugged. “This could very well be payback for my work in the service.”

“What do you mean, payback?” The Queen asked, severely.

Deno looked uncomfortable. 

Viv crossed her arms. “That’s a really good question, Your Majesty.” 

Semeru sighed. “The Altaian families have been known to capture people they have a grudge against, and, ah, make their feelings known. That could be it.”

“Make their feelings known? What does that mean?” Viv said.

No one said anything.

“Are you all saying what I think you’re saying?”

“No one said anything,” Deno noted, the ghost of a smile on her lips. 

“It sounds like you’re saying they want to attack Semeru for revenge,” Viv asserted. Again there was an uncomfortable silence. Viv’s eyes widened. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“It’s a possibility,” Semeru said quietly. 

“What’s wrong with these people?” Viv cried. 

Now it was the King’s turn to look uncomfortable.

Viv rubbed her hand on her face. “Are you all saying that Semeru is the merfolk James Bond over here?”

“We don’t know who that is,” Deno told her.

“What exactly did you do when you were stationed there, Semeru?” Viv asked. “I guess it wasn’t the usual buying shady guys drinks in dive bars.”

“There was some of that,” Semeru said.

“The rest is classified,” the King replied.

“But I thought we were going to unclassify it! What is Altai getting payback for? Don’t we need to know to protect Semeru?”

“There may not be much we can do,” he told her, lacing his fingers in hers. 

Viv looked at him. “I just don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want anyone to punish you for anything you did in the past.” 

“I have another question that might help us,” Deno said. “What about Viv’s magic? How much of it was affected?”

Viv opened her mouth to answer but Semeru frowned.

“What’s that noise?” he asked. They heard faint shouting outside. 

“Wait here,” Deno said. “Semeru, you’re with me. I think I’m about to be very glad I increased the patrols around the palace.” 

Swimming as fast as he could, Semeru followed Deno to the door. She opened it and saw the Kingdom’s defense force fighting a battle against enemy merfolk, and the enemy troops were well-armed and numerous.

“Your Majesties, Your Highness, Viv, don’t leave the palace,” Deno bawled, as the two soldiers went out to join the fray. 

“Can Semeru even fight?” The Queen asked.

 “Don’t worry, he’ll handle himself,” the King said with a smile. The King’s confidence in Semeru warmed Viv’s heart. “But all of us should stay here.” 

“But we can’t just wait here in this room,” Mira said. 

“We should,” Viv said. “We’ll just be in the way.”

 “Not at all, Your Majesties,” said a new voice. “You’re a critical part of this  engagement.” 

A group of five soldiers, wearing bronze armor and helmets that reminded Viv of samurais, swam into the room. All of them had some sort of crest on their breastplates that Viv didn’t recognize. But the King did. 

“Rustavelis,” he snarled.

“How did you get in here?” the Queen cried.

“Your ground security is excellent,” the largest one said, who was wearing a golden armband and had a dark silver tail. “The security on the upper floors of your palace is not quite as sharp.” He bowed. “I’m Commander Ilyinsky. Thank you, your Majesties, for participating so nicely in our diversion.”

“What do you mean?” Mira cried.

“While we distract everyone outside, I can just swim in here and get the real target.” 

“And what is that?” the King asked.

“Not what, who,” the lean merfolk said. “Your land-dweller friend. Viv. What a strange 

name.”

“Me?” Viv cried. “What the hell do you want with me?”

“Those are my orders. You’re to come with me. You and your husband.”  

“You’ll never take him,” Viv said.

 “As a merfolk, no,” Ilyinsky replied. “As a land-dweller, probably. And you will do exactly what we say or I personally will take him apart piece by piece.” 

“You’ll have to go through me to take either of them,” the King said.

“You have to be joking,” Ilyinsky laughed. 

Krakatoa landed a punch on Ilyinsky’s face and pulled out a dagger from his belt. “Try me, you coward,” he snarled. 

Ilyinsky pulled out a gleaming sword. 

 “Your Majesty!” Viv called, and handed him the greatsword that Semeru had recently sharpened, complaining the entire time. She was still too early in her sword training to be useful. 

The King heaved the greatsword downward in a crushing arc. Ilyinsky caught it with his own sword, wincing with the shock to his arms. But he managed to swim away before the king’s brute strength could lock him in. Steel scraped against steel with a sickening whine. 

King Krakatoa was all strength and power, but Ilyinsky was a force of speed and precision. His sword slipped through the water like a hot knife through butter. The King pressed forward with mighty swings that Viv thought, had he been holding an axe, could have chopped down trees, each one forcing Ilyinsky back. But the commander used the momentum against the King. He sidestepped the heavy strokes, ducked underneath, dodged out of the way. Ilyinsky answered the King’s mighty swings with a flick toward the King’s wrist, a sudden jab at his ribs, all quick, focused cuts. 

The effect was that the King was nearly out of breath. He was panting and sweaty. His strength would have easily shattered his opponent’s skeleton but Ilyinsky kept slipping out of reach. Ilyinsky was nearly silent, coiled like a snake waiting to strike.

Then he saw his opening. The King’s next swing was a fraction too wide and left his flank open just long enough to let Ilyinsky in. The commander’s steel flashed, sliding past the King’s defenses to strike his vulnerable side. With a final fluid motion, Ilyinsky drove his sword down across Krakatoa’s tail, felling him to the ground. The greatsword clattered across the floor. Ilyinsky picked it up and threw it in the hallway. 

“This has been entertaining, but the party’s over,” he said, roughly grabbing Viv’s arm. “Bind her,” Ilyinsky ordered his men, and they roughly tied her hands behind her back. “Don’t get any brave ideas about flicking us with your little glowing tail,” he said. “Do that and I’ll rip off Semeru’s dive mask.” Viv said nothing. Semeru was much more vulnerable as a human and they clearly controlled his magic. What else are they going to do to him? What are they going to do to me?

Ilyinsky took Viv outside. Even as a land-dweller in the ocean, Semeru was extremely dangerous in combat. He and Deno had killed or disarmed dozens of enemy soldiers. Viv’s heart sank. If it weren’t for her, they might have won the battle. But she remembered what Ilyinsky said — it was just a distraction to get her and Semeru. What do they want with us? 

“Semeru, you filthy land-dweller,” Ilyinsky snarled, “look what I took from your King.” Semeru turned from where he was efficiently disarming an enemy and saw Viv being held captive. His eyes filled with rage. “Swim away from the soldier if you want your wife to live,” Ilyinsky said. “Very good. Now swim over to my men.” Semeru did so. “Give Gamchan your sword.” Semeru hesitated. “DO IT,” Ilyinsky ordered, and reluctantly, Semeru handed it over.

“You’d think villains would come up with new clichés to spout in these situations,” Viv said.

“I’d heard you were a chatty sort,” Ilyinsky said. “I’ll only say this once. Shut the fuck up if you want your husband to keep breathing.”

Viv did as she was told. 

“Altaians have much more powerful magic than any other Kingdom, including yours,” Ilyinsky bragged. “Watch this little trick.” He showed them a small silver ball, and squeezed it. Suddenly, Deno and every other soldier near Semeru was thrown backwards, and a large air bubble appeared around him, giving him a certain amount of air to breathe. He and the bubble sank to the sea floor. Semeru banged on it and punched it, trying to get out of it, but it only wobbled.  Some of Ilyinsky’s soldiers tied rope around Semeru’s bubble, preparing to tow him to their destination, and one looped another rope around Viv's body and leashed her his arm.

“Soldiers, if you’re still alive, retreat with me,” Ilyinsky said. “If you’re dead, well, that’s your misfortune to die in this ridiculous Kingdom. Swim!” And the Rustaveli force retreated, taking Semeru in his bubble and Viv, tied up with ropes, along with them. 

Chapter Text

After they left Merikiha, the group swam north at some speed, Viv guessed, based on what she could see of the sun. But she didn’t recognize the landscape, and she surmised that they were swimming far away from any nearby Kingdoms. Soon they were in the open ocean and clearly they weren’t going to stop to rest. The shadows became long as they journeyed to their destination, and then disappeared into inky blackness and the soft silence of the underwater night, and then the grey pre-dawn lightened into soft pinks and then golden morning sunlight. And still they kept swimming. Viv didn’t know how long she’d been swimming for. She could go much farther and faster as a merfolk than she ever could as a human, but there were still limits to her abilities, and she was growing tired. She envied Semeru being towed in his bubble. But she was certain he was embarrassed about it, so she didn’t try to catch his glance. 

“Getting tired, land-dweller?” one of the soldiers said to her. “Do you need to be carried like your human husband here?” 

“We will tow you too, human, if you need that,” Ilyinsky said. “I need you in relatively good condition.” 

“No, thank you,” Viv said. “I’ll manage.” But she did meaningfully slow down. 

“Ugh,” Ilyinsky grunted. “Kubor, carry her.” 

“Can’t we tie her to the bubble?” the soldier, Kubor, asked. 

“You carry her,” the commander said again. “I don’t like having my orders questioned.” Kubor grabbed Viv, undid the ropes cuffing her wrists, shoved her arms in front of her, and roughly cuffed her again. 

“I’ll swim under you. Put your arms around my neck,” Kubor said. It was strangely intimate, but Viv followed his instructions, and he began to swim with her on his back. “You’re not that heavy, thank the Goddess,” he said. 

They swam for several more hours until they arrived at a huge three-story grotto, with numerous windows and decorative shells at the corners and a lovely, ornamental coral garden in the front. It reminded Viv of a European country estate. They did not go into the large house on the property, however, but rather a stone cave-like structure off to the side. The prison, Viv thought. Semeru and Viv were thrown into a large cell with a cot along one wall and a sink and what looked like a toilet along the other.  The walls were made of stone and Semeru’s bubble rested on the dirt floor.  There was a large glass globe on a kind of natural shelf in the stone wall and it glowed with a sickly pale blue light. The soldiers untied all the ropes and closed the stone door, which had a small hole covered with bars as the only window to the outside world.

The two of them looked at each other. Neither were in great shape. Viv felt dirty, tired, and consumed with worry about Semeru. He had taken off his mask so he could breathe more easily. Viv realized that there would only be a small amount of air left in the bubble, and that he could get dehydrated and would get sick if he didn’t drink water soon. 

She yelled out of the window in the cell door. “Hey. HEY! Somebody listen to me! HEYYYYY!!!!!”

An older, heavyset merfolk, with wild, curly brown hair and an iridescent brown tail, opened the door and swam in. The heavy door locked shut behind her. 

“Hello, land-dweller,” she said, in a rich, deep voice. “My name is Dzhimara, and I am the Oracle of Altai. May I be the first to bid you welcome to our Kingdom.” 

Viv felt a stab of fear in her stomach, but of course, she wasn’t going to show it. I don’t care how bad these people are and what kind of revenge they want against Semeru. We’re getting out of here.

“Hello, my name is Viv, and this is my husband, Semeru,” Viv said, as pleasantly as she could.

The Oracle laughed. “I know who you are,” she said.

“Well good, you have a leg up on us,” Viv said. “Um, sorry.” 

The Oracle laughed harder. “You are very funny, land-dweller.” 

“Thanks, I guess,” Viv said. “My husband is a human now, and the air in his bubble won’t last forever. When will you make him a merfolk again?”

“We won’t,” Dzhimara said. “We’ll leave him in the bubble. But we’ll refresh his air.” She showed Viv a small silver ball. It looked like the same one Ilyinsky had. “This is a bubble-generating device,” the Oracle said, squeezing it. “Right now I have put one full day of land-dweller air in the bubble. If you do your task correctly, the bubble device will be yours, and you can do what you like with it. You can refresh his air every day and make his bubble as big as you please. If your  task is not performed correctly, I’ll keep the device.” She shrunk the bubble around Semeru. Viv saw the panic on his face as he had to squat inside his much smaller air bubble. “I think he would prefer this in your hands.” 

The Oracle grew the bubble again. 

“He also needs fresh drinking water,” Viv said. “Like rainwater. He’ll get sick if he doesn’t have it.”

 “Humans are so delicate,” Dzhimara complained, but she waved her hand and a glass of water appeared on the ground next to Semeru. Viv watched him drink it. He nodded. 

“You will see Kazbek tomorrow.” she said. “He will fill you in on the details of your task.” 

“Who’s Kazbek?” Viv asked.

“You’ll find out tomorrow,” the Oracle answered. “For now, eat and rest.” She waved her hands again and Viv and Semeru each got a slice of fish on a plate. 

“Wait,” Viv asked. “Why are we here? What are you going to do with us? Are we doing something for Altai?”

“You have a lot of questions, land-dweller,” Dzhimara replied. “You will find out the details of your task tomorrow. Now it’s time to eat and rest.”

“What about Semeru’s task? Will I find out those details as well? Will he? How are you planning to talk to him?”

“Here’s something you should learn about Altai,” Dzhimara smiled. “We mind our own business here. Your task is your business. Semeru’s task is his business. You’ll learn about your business tomorrow. He’ll learn about his business when the time is right. So there’s no point in sticking your tail into his business.”

Viv wasn’t going to accept this. “We’re partners. We share each others’ business,” she snapped.

“That’s where you’re wrong, human,” Dzhimara noted. “Semeru’s business is his alone. And yours is only yours. Good night to you both.” She swam out of the cell. 

Viv placed her hands on the bubble and Semeru put his hands against hers. 

“Can you hear me?” Viv asked him. Semeru tapped his ear and shook his head. Viv mimed sound coming out of her mouth and touched her ear. He shook his head no and touched his ear and shook his head again. 

She looked at Semeru, and mimed frustration. He nodded. He pointed at the fish and mimed eating it. Viv nodded. They needed to keep up their strength, particularly if Viv would be doing some kind of manual work. 

The fish wasn’t much and both of them finished it quickly, particularly after their long swim. After they ate, Viv tried to touch Semeru again. She put her hands against his and tried to push the bubble in so she could feel his arms. He tried to guide her down to be level with him. She put the side of her face against the bubble and he rested his cheek against hers. She could almost feel how warm he was. The contact relaxed her and she felt herself giving in to her fatigue. She was so tired…she’d deal with whatever came tomorrow. Viv sank to the floor in sleep. But as unconsciousness took her mind, she realized she hadn’t felt a single emotion from Semeru since he was inside the air bubble. 

Mira pored over Semeru’s intelligence reports for the third time, willing the words to memory. She was impressed by his neat, precise handwriting. Of course it’s precise. Everything he does is precise. 

Semeru had written: Unlike Merikiha and its neighboring Kingdoms, the throne of Altai has been a prize fought over by seven noble families. Throughout Altai’s extensive history, these seven families — Tau, Koshtan, Ksudach, Schota, Rustaveli, Mishrigi, and the current ruling family of Elbrus — have traded the throne back and forth. 

Elbrus often seems more interested in military conquest than ensuring domestic security, spending a lot of time, merpower, and money on incursions outside Altai. Rustaveli and Schota have more cash wealth and property than the other families, which gives them economic leverage over Elbrus. Elbrus needs Rustaveli and Schota to fund its wars, putting the ruling family in an uncomfortable position when it needs to assert its power. Elbrus has also created a shaky alliance with the Koshtan, Ksudach, and Tau families, who have more troops under their command than Elbrus does. These troops often staff the ruling family’s military adventures, which gives those three families additional leverage over Elbrus. 

Elbrus does not seem to have made any moves to control the families in any way, leaving themselves vulnerable to internal coups and strife. This harms Altai’s ability to be economically successful, creates civil unrest, and ultimately threatens its own security and the security of its neighbors as well. 

Mira lightly touched the page. How she wished she could discuss this with Semeru. How did the families with the most money assert their power? What leverage did the ones with the most troops have? Why was the ruling family now the one in charge? What had happened? And why were the Rustavelis making a move now? 

“Your Highness?” Batur said, knocking on her door. He was on palace duty today. “Your father has asked to see you. He’s at the Coral Tree.”

“Thank you, Batur,” Mira said, closing the report. She would read the rest later. She swam out of the palace and through the Kingdom on the path to their Kingdom’s sacred tree. 

“Hello, Father. I heard you wanted to see me,” Mira said, approaching King Krakatoa.

He was silent for a few moments. He did not look at Mira, but rather at the tree’s lush purple blossoms and strong brown trunk. 

“Isn’t it beautiful,” he mused, but his voice was choked with emotion. Mira had never heard him sound like that. “I don’t think I ever remember seeing the blossoms so abundant and bright, even when I was a child.” 

“It is very beautiful,” Mira said. “Even the currents are hushed in this place.”

“If there is any place where the Goddess is, it’s here,” the King said, bowing his head. 

They were silent for a time, and Mira snuck a glance at him. His lips were moving but there was no sound coming out of his mouth. He was praying. She bowed her head too. She could certainly use some guidance from the Goddess. 

He looked at his daughter and took her hands. Mira saw, for the first time in her entire life, that her father’s face was wet with tears. 

“Father,” she cried, and hugged him tight. He accepted the hug, and Mira had the feeling, as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, that she was being hugged by the largest mountain in the world. 

“My daughter,” he said to her. “I’m the luckiest man in the world to have you.” 

“Do you mean it?”

“Without question. You are growing into the leader that I always wanted you to be. Always dreamed you’d be.” His face fell. “It’s too bad you have such a fool for a father.”

“What?”

“I’ve been thinking and focusing on the humans for nearly twenty cycles, Mira,” the King said, his voice raspy with emotion. “I’ve been thinking about them as our primary enemies, strategizing how to live with them and change their behavior, co-exist alongside them. It has been the centerpiece of my reign. I believed that I succeeded. I had thought that I had achieved my goals for our people. I had thought that I had secured my legacy. I thought we were on the cusp of great peace and accomplishment for our people, thanks to you, and Denali, and Semeru, and Viv. And I’ve gone and thrown it all away. In the midst of my vainglory, I forgot to keep an eye on enemy merfolk. After I executed all my plans and strategies to take care of the humans, it turns out that merfolk were the greatest threat to my reign.” He laughed with bitter humor. 

“Who could have anticipated this, Father?”

“I should have been more careful. I should have kept a closer watch on the intelligence from Altai. I should have been harder on Semeru and Deno. And my Goddess, I should have kept up with my sword training. Mira, I lost them. Semeru is like a son to me. I know how precious Viv is to him and you and to all our people. And they just slipped through my hands.”

Mira felt a chill all over her body. She remembered her dream, the black dust of her friends and family slipping through her own hands, floating away on the current. Tell me my dream isn’t coming true, Goddess, she thought wildly. 

“I was weak and vain,” the King said. “I was distracted by praise and self-congratulations. I was a fool and a dolt. And now two of my dearest are paying the price!”

“Father, you weren’t weak or vain. You’re not a fool or a dolt.. You were doing what was right. You were following your principles.”

“I failed my people,” Krakatoa said. “I let them down. I couldn’t even fight to save Viv’s life. I am useless in every respect. And our people will look at me and see inadequacy.”  

“Father, no,” Mira said. 

“How else can you interpret what happened?” the King thundered. “I am the ruler of this Kingdom and I failed my most basic responsibility of keeping my people safe. I have to look in the mirror every day and know that about myself.” The King inhaled deeply. “And I don’t know what they’re going to do to Viv. I’m sorry, Mira. I’m sorry to be this vulnerable with you. At least Semeru has some training and preparation on what the Altaians are like. Viv has nothing. And she’s the wrong species. How in all the oceans are they going to treat her? And this is my responsibility! She’s a member of my Kingdom! They will use her to humiliate me, I’m sure of it.” 

Mira said nothing. She was terribly afraid her father was right. 

“I can’t blame either Semeru or Deno,” the King said. “Both of them have done a good job at keeping our enemies at bay. They did what I asked them to do. What they thought was the right thing to do based on the threats we could observe. This is all on me. I dropped the shells.” 

“No one could have prepared for this, Father,” Mira said. “This is a very sophisticated attack with complicated magic. It was personal for Semeru and Viv. It would be very difficult to defend ourselves against this.”

“If I’d been paying attention, I’d have set up defenses against this kind of magic.” 

“Do you have Cho Oyu looking into it?”

“Of course,” the King said. “I never thought I needed to worry about this.”

“None of us did, Father,” Mira said. “None of us had any idea this could happen. This is just strange. But we will take care of the problem. You are not a failure. We’ve suffered a terrible misfortune. But it’s like Semeru says. A life of service isn’t about being right all the time. It’s about being true to what you believe in. You believe in strategic alliances. We will use our alliances to get our people back. And all of Merikiha will be behind you in that.” 

He stroked his beard thoughtfully. “You are right. Alliances are the way to solve this. And the work that we all have done to secure alliances with our neighbors gives us much more power than we would have alone.”

He was silent for a few moments. “I like the way you are thinking, Mira. I like your confidence. How different you are to the girl who first went on land three cycles ago,” he said. “You have learned much from your time with the humans.”

“Thank you, Father.”

“You should get rest, my dear. Thank you for listening to an old man.”

“You’re not an old man, Father.” 

He nodded. “You are right. Perceptions are everything. Now is the time to project strength and confidence. Thank you for the reminder. Please leave me. There are preparations to be made.”

“Of course, Father. Please let me know if I can help in any way.”

“I will.” 

The small opening in the stone door to Viv and Semeru’s cell let in a small amount of dirty grey light at dawn. A long, lean merfolk, with an angular face, a spiky striped orange and brick red tail, red-brown hair, and bright golden brown eyes, came to the cell. He wore golden bracers set with pearls on each wrist, and a thick, flat golden necklace, three inches wide, studded with pearls and iridescent shells, rested on his clavicle. He wore a brown leather belt with a golden buckle emblazoned with the Rustaveli crest, and three brown leather straps, about an inch wide apiece, extended from the right side of his belt over his left shoulder. At his shoulder he wore a golden brooch, carved with another Rustaveli crest, on the straps. 

“Good morning, you two sleepyheads,” this new merfolk intoned. Viv sat up and her motion awakened Semeru. She floated upright, shook out her hair, rubbed her eyes, and approached the new merfolk with her arms crossed.  The long, lean merfolk smiled at Viv as though it were some sort of social occasion, and he bowed to her in a deeply formal manner. 

“Hello, Viv,” he said pleasantly. “Welcome to the Kingdom of Altai. I trust you are aware of our wonderful reputation.” 

“I know of nothing else,” Viv replied. “I have heard so many fine things about your excellent Kingdom.” 

“What good news. Let me introduce myself. My name is Kazbek and I am a Duke of this Kingdom, the head of the ancient and noble Rustaveli family of Altai. Welcome to my ancestral home. My family are the rightful rulers of Altai, but unfortunately, due to various incidents of misadventure, we have lost our status over the years. The current ruling family are, shall we say, doing a rather poor job of it, and it’s now time for my family to be restored to our proper role.”

“Well, this is a classic story,” Viv snarked. “How many power-hungry scoundrels throughout history have used ‘The King isn’t doing a good job! The people want it!’ to justify a naked power grab? I’m so glad to see that the clichés are still popular.” 

“Aren’t you fun,” Kazbek said. “I do hope we get more of a chance to talk.” 

“It depends on how busy you are with villainous deeds and such,” Viv said. 

“Villainous deeds are in the eye of the beholder,” Kazbek laughed. “The intelligence reports were right about you. You're very amusing.”

“Well, thank you,” Viv said. “I’ll accept the compliment. And an escort home, if you don’t mind.” 

“I do mind,” Kazbek said. “You have business here with me.” 

“And what business is that?” she asked. 

“All in good time,” he replied, and she rolled her eyes. 

“Why do villains always say the same damn things? Why not ‘I’ll tell you in a minute’ or ‘when I’m done with my evil monologue’? For Goddess’ sake.” 

“Am I a villain?” Kazbek mused. “Or am I just trying to do what I can to help my people?”

“Here’s the difference. If you weren’t a villain, and you wanted me to help you and your people out, you wouldn’t kidnap me and throw me in your dungeon. Instead, you’d hire me for a lucrative strategic consulting contract and put me up in one of the posh rooms in your elegant pile over there.” 

Kazbek stared. “How in all the oceans does Semeru put up with you? I don’t understand half of what you just said.” 

“He’s a smart guy,” Viv said. “He keeps up.”  

Kazbek laughed. “Good for him.” 

Viv tilted her head. “You have spies keeping track of me?”

“Of course, my dear. You learn so much about interesting people if you keep your eyes open. And my agents keep my eyes open. Intelligence is perhaps the most useful tool I have to secure my family’s power.”

“I guess. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about intelligence,” Viv said.

“Your husband does,” Kazbek retorted.

“Maybe you should talk to him, then,” Viv snapped. “Oh wait. You can’t. Because you stuck him in an air bubble.” 

“Don't worry about that. We’ll get him out eventually. When he’s ready.”

“What do you mean, ‘when he’s ready’?” she interrupted. 

“When he’s ready,” Kazbek repeated. “But I’m more interested in talking about you right now. Here’s what I have learned about you. Even though you’re a filthy land-dweller, you’ve embraced your beloved Kingdom with open arms. And they’ve embraced you. I can call it your beloved Kingdom, can’t I? You live there part-time in a sweet little grotto.”

“All of the grottos in Merikiha are sweet,” Viv said. “It’s the most beautiful place.”

“I know it is,” he said. “And it’s doing so well. You have solved your pollution problems. The humans no longer bother you. Your reef is clean. The economy is returning to normal. People are acting like they did before the humans started dumping their trash all over us. You have accomplished much in the last three cycles.” 

“We try,” Viv said. “We’re just doing the best we can.” 

“I think it’s a bit more than that. You and your husband have made some magic,” he said. 

“Like I said, we’ve done the best we can,” Viv snapped.

“The two of you are really something together. The human and the Captain. It’s like a romance novel. I can’t blame you for being interested in him. What a dish,” Kazbek said with a hungry smile. Is he attracted to Semeru? Viv thought, wildly. She looked at Semeru, whose expression was unreadable. 

“This couldn’t possibly get weirder,” Viv said. 

“Another of the Altaian noble families rather unwisely tried to take your lovely husband out a few cycles ago. I was glad they did so I could understand his capabilities. He gutted them like fish. I have to say I admired him.”

“Uh huh,” Viv said. 

“Here’s my situation,” Kazbek said. “I’m trying to overthrow a weak government. Merikiha, like it or not, is the Kingdom on the right path at the moment, thanks to the two of you. You’re right that I do want power. But, as you know, it is easier to get it and keep it if the people are on your side. And the people are angry. Our reef has been trashed by humans. Pollution is making our people sick. We can’t work, we can’t feed ourselves, we can’t live the same way we used to even just a few cycles ago. So this is a perfect moment for me.  If I can make it clear that I’ve got two Merikihan power players on my side: the merfolk who decimated my rivals' defense force, and his wife, the land-dweller who singlehandedly cleaned Merikha’s reef and restored her Kingdom’s way of life, then it makes the case to the Altaians that we’re the right people to rule. And then they do the overthrowing and get their hands dirty, where I just swim right in like the delightful savior I am.” 

“Why would I be on your side? You’ve kidnapped me and my husband and are treating him like crap.”

“Your husband is a threat to my people,” said Kazbek, his face the picture of innocence. “You don’t expect me to just let him swim about as normal. He is dangerous.”

“So just stick him in a cell, then. Why bother with this stupid air bubble?” 

Kazbek laughed unpleasantly. “You want me to just ‘stick’ Captain Semeru, the strongest warrior in all the Kingdoms and a known expert in prison escape, in a cell? Do you think I’m mad?”

Viv’s stomach lurched. I didn’t know he was a known expert in prison escape. What else don’t I know about my partner?  

“Fine. So maybe you should have left him where he was in Merikiha,” Viv retorted.

“No. He’s important to our plans. He needs to be here,” Kazbek said. “The bubble is regrettable but necessary.” 

“Land-dwellers would say that what you are doing to him is a crime and is forbidden under the codes that govern the treatment of prisoners of war. You would go to jail for what you’re doing to him.”

“Lucky I’m not a land-dweller, then, and don’t care about any of those rules.” 

“How fascinating that humans are more moral and ethical than merfolk are,” Viv said, sweetly. 

“I’ll make a note of that.” Kazbek snarled. 

 “And you still haven’t told me what you need me to do,” Viv noted

Kazbek leaned toward her, his face full of menace. “What you do best, my dear. What you’re most famous for. Cleaning up the trash.”

“You want me to clean the trash just like I did for Merikiha?” she asked.

“Yes. That will prove to my people that we are the right family to rule them. You will help me show that my family has cleaned up the garbage and forced the humans to serve merfolk for once. Then the Altaians will support me.” 

“I won’t do it,” Viv said. “Not until you return Semeru’s proper merfolk form.”

“What makes you think you can demand that?” Kazbek asked. 

“You have no leverage over me. You need me to do this for you. Without giving me what I ask, I simply won’t do the work. You could kill me, but then you’re stuffed because who’ll you get to clean up the garbage? So yes, go ahead and turn Semeru back into a merfolk, thank you.” 

Kazbek threw his head back and laughed. “I like your spunk. And ordinarily I would agree with your assessment. But we have an additional asset you don’t know about.”

Chapter Text

Mira found her mother in the throne room of the palace. “You have to let me be part of the rescue squad,” she cried. “I can’t bear the thought of Semeru and Viv being in Altai, I can’t, Mother.”

Queen Nanda Devi was silent. She regarded her daughter, her passionate eyes, her stricken face. 

“Mother, listen to me. Please. You have to let me go.”

“Come with me,” the Queen said. She swam off her throne, turned tail and swam upstairs. Mira followed.

“We don’t even know what’s happening to them,” Mira cried. “They could be tortured. They could be starved. They could be beaten! They’re my brother and sister! I have to go! Mother, please!”

The Queen said, “Peace, Mira,” and continued to swim to one of the meeting rooms at the top of the Palace. Mira held her tongue, but her thoughts continued to spiral to dark places: She’s going to tell me I can’t do it, that I have to go to Himinas, that I have to focus on my lessons, even though my brother and sister are being tortured. She’s going to tell me that I’m too young, I can’t possibly be on such a sensitive mission, I can’t do it. And maybe I can’t. Maybe I’m not good enough, my skills aren’t developed enough. What would I do, anyway? Will I have to fight? I don’t know how to use a weapon. Semeru would never let me. She thought about the few times Viv had let her hold a sword. The pointy end goes in the monster. How hard could it be? They’re all monsters in Altai. Aren’t they? 

The Queen took Mira into the room and closed the door. She sat on the sofa and indicated that Mira should sit down next to her. She said nothing, but coolly regarded her daughter. 

“Mother, please,” Mira began. 

“You will lead the rescue operation to Altai,” Queen Nanda Devi said.

Mira shook her head. This was not what she was expecting. “What?”

The Queen smiled. “Your father worked so hard to create the alliance with the humans,” she said. “He began the work years ago and the two of us have seen it to completion. And look how successful it has been. Look at how clean and beautiful our Kingdom is. How happy the people are. How our enemies perceive us.” 

“Do you think that’s why Viv and Semeru were kidnapped?”

“I suspect it’s not that simple,” the Queen said. “If I know anything about Altai, it is that the story is never straightforward. There is always a deeper narrative happening under the surface. You don’t know this, but my father considered offering my hand in marriage to their now-King to create an alliance. Despite all their chaos, it makes sense to work with them. They have more resources and merpower than we do.”

“You wouldn’t have married Father?” Mira asked.

“I always liked your father better,” the Queen told her. “But if I had been sent to Altai, I would have done my duty. In the end, there was too much chaos between the warring families. The royal family couldn’t or wouldn’t do enough to stop the infighting. My father didn’t want me in the middle of that, so he felt the better course of action was to choose Krakatoa. And in the end, he was right. Look at the good we’ve been able to do for our people.”

“And you love Father,” Mira prompted. 

The Queen smiled. “I do. I grew to love him. We are partners, it turns out. The Goddess had her plans for me. As she does for you.”

“Good. Altai is full of monsters,” Mira cried. 

The Queen was silent for a few moments. Then she spoke. 

“Mira, do you know the story of the shark and the crab?”

“Of course. The shark spares the crab’s life and the crab repays the shark by freeing him from the net.”

“Just so,” the Queen said. “We always believed that the surface was also full of monsters. Devil creatures with fins at the end of their legs who were out to hurt and kill us.”

“They’re not, though,” Mira cried. “They’re kind. Lots of them are.” 

“You are the shark,” the Queen told her. “You argued for Viv to stay in the Kingdom and heal the Tree, and Viv repaid us by saving all of our lives. You took a risk and you were rewarded for it. Because unlike many merfolk, you see the good where others may not.”

Mira opened her mouth and then shut it. Because her mother was continuing. 

“I want you to take another risk now,” the Queen told her.  

“What risk?”

“If we keep fighting against Altai, the violence will never end. I don’t want any more kidnappings. I want you to make an alliance with their royal family.”

“Me!”

“It must be you,” the Queen said. “Your father and I cannot go. Kelud, our agent in Altai, thinks the royal family isn’t behind this, one of other noble families is. If either of us were to leave Merikiha for this rescue operation, it risks starting an internal war with the Altaian families that could destabilize the whole region. It is well known that you are becoming our diplomatic representative, as you have secured alliances not only with the humans, but with Maoke as well. It therefore makes sense that you are sent to negotiate for the release of our people. You are well-suited for this task, Mira. I’m confident you can complete it.”

“I can’t do this alone,” Mira said. 

“You won’t have to. Puncak will lead the military side of the operation and Agung will lead the intelligence side, so they’ll be going with you. In addition, Maoke and Tamrau have expressed interest in developing an alliance with Altai, so they’re sending their representatives. Your work in Maoke is already bearing fruit. Both kingdoms believe that if we all can convince the royal family to ally with our Kingdoms, we will help them strengthen their position and end the instability.”

“But Altaians are awful,” Mira said. 

“So are humans,” the Queen said. “Isn’t that correct?”

“I see your point, Mother,” Mira said with a laugh. 

“We believe that an alliance is the only way the violence is going to stop. You’re going to have to build a rapport with the royal family. Which means you’ll have to stop seeing them as monsters and start seeing them as colleagues.” 

“What about Himinas?” 

“That will have to wait,” the Queen said. “Hopefully when you go there you will have three alliances you’ve personally negotiated under your crown.”

“Mother, I’m excited about the trust you’ve placed in me,” Mira said. “I’m so happy to do this for Viv and Semeru.”

“And for the Kingdom,” the Queen said with a smile. 

“And for the Kingdom,” Mira agreed. “What should I do now?”

“Deno and Puncak are training the special operations force. Go talk with Deno about that. But the most important thing you can do is learn as much as you can about Altai. Read about their customs. Read Semeru’s reports. Think about what you did in Pokyo.” 

“I’ve already started with Semeru’s reports. This isn’t the same as Pokyo. There’s more violence and magic, and Viv and Semeru’s lives are on the line. Is it all right to feel a little nervous?” 

The Queen swam to Mira and hugged her. 

“I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, my daughter," the Queen said. “We’ve had our conflicts over the years. And I’ve come to realize that this is because you see things rather differently than I do. You are endlessly curious. You never take anything for granted. You’re unaffected by the baggage of the past. Yes, you can be nervous. This is one of the most strategically important things we’ve ever done as a Kingdom. And it is risky. But I also know you have the skills and the talent to do it. And I believe in you. You will succeed and rescue our people. This is what we do as Queens. And you will do a wonderful job.” 

Mira threw her arms around her mother and buried her head in her shoulder. She did not weep, but her eyes grew bright with tears. The Queen held her daughter as tightly as she could, and the two of them took strength in one another. After a little while, the Queen pulled away.

“You will succeed.” she said, smiling with her eyes full of tears. “Now go see Deno and get details on the plan.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Mira said, and swam away. 

The Queen’s smile faded as Mira left the room. She had read the intelligence reports. She was certain that everything that Mira said about what would happen to Viv and Semeru in Altai was true. She loved them both and was afraid for them. What will the Altaians do to our people?

Mark was hurling the throwing axes at the dummy outside the Band of Smiles headquarters. He was feeling a bit unsettled, if he was honest with himself. Things were going well, as well as they could, with Odessa. They were going well in the sense that more nights than not he found her in his room, sharing his bed. That was nice. It was also nice that Anne didn’t even comment. Didn’t say a word. She went about her business, and Mark went about his, and if Anne had any opinions about his new roommate, she kept them to herself. So that was good. And things were going well at the shelter. Nothing to comment on there. 

He wasn’t the kind of guy who had many friends anyway. Prior to Viv moving to town, he killed monsters, worked at the shelter, went home, ate dinner with Anne and Paul, and would occasionally take Zoe to festivals or fishing or whatever. His closest friend was probably Kira, followed by a frenemies relationship with Axel and Senja.

Viv changed that with her easy, uncomplicated way of just hanging out with him. He liked their conversation. And then he’d met Semeru, Viv’s husband, and for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had a friend who wasn’t his boss and who he didn’t think would shove a blade into his back the minute he stopped paying attention. He and Semeru didn’t talk much at all, which he liked too. He could relax, didn’t have to think about what he was going to say next, just could focus on the task at hand. And the guy was good. He had an efficiency and grace of movement that Mark kind of envied. He wouldn’t ask for any pointers, of course, but it was impressive that Semeru could dispatch a monster elegantly, whereas Mark was more of a brute force kind of guy. He liked the Shrimp’s style. 

When he’d seen Semeru a couple of days earlier, something seemed off about him. It seemed like he was working through some angry emotions rather than just blowing off steam. And he hadn’t seen Viv for days. Usually she’d poke her head in at the shelter or he’d just see her walking around town. But she’d just been…gone. And now Semeru was gone too. Nobody knew what was going on, and the cat was yowling day and night. Mark had gotten Kenny to help him feed the animals and he’d fed the cat. But it wasn’t like the two of them to just up and disappear. Viv had been gone for days, and Semeru for a full day now, too. What the hell happened to them?

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman with purple hair charging up the lane to the headquarters. But she wore her hair in long braids, not loose or in a messy bun like Viv. And instead of farmer’s overalls, she wore a cozy sweater and jeans. But there was an extremely determined look in her eyes and she was walking with a purpose. Towards him. Who the hell was this?

“You’re Mark,” she said as she approached.

“Guilty. Who wants to know?” 

“I’m Taiga, Surya’s wife,” she said, with a slight accent. 

“Nice to meet you,” Mark said. 

“Nice to meet you too,” Taiga replied. 

She surveyed him.

“I hear you’re friends with Semeru,” she said. 

He went back to his throwing axes and hurled one into the dummy’s heart.

“Yeah,” he said.

“Do you happen to know where he is?”

“You know what I know, lady,” Mark said, throwing another axe.

“So you haven’t seen him.”

“Nope.” 

“Viv?”

“Nope.” 

“Have you seen any clue about where they might have gone?”

“Nope.” 

“Viv and Semeru have disappeared, and you don’t even care where your friends are?” Taiga cried in frustration.

“I care,” Mark said. “I just don’t know what to do about it.” 

“When did you last see either of them?”

“Two days ago,” Mark told her. “The Shrimp came to see me to kill monsters in the cavern. He told me Viv was in Pokyo visiting family, but he seemed kind of upset about something. Anyway, we killed monsters.” 

“Did you talk with him about why he was upset?”

“No.”

“Did you talk with him about who Viv was visiting?”

“No.” 

“Did you talk with him about when Viv would be back?” Taiga’s frustration was rising. Could these bros possibly be more useless?

“No.”

“Did you talk with him about anything?”

“I think we talked about his sword,” Mark said. “He said he’d had it for a while. It was a nice blade. Good steel. Better than mine, actually. I wonder if he’d let me borrow it.” 

Taiga was losing her patience. “Focus, Mark! Our friends are missing! What the hell are we going to do?” She paused. “What did you call him?”

“The Shrimp.”

“Because he’s huge. Got it,” Taiga said, unamused. 

“Hey, what’s all the shouting about,” Kira said, coming out of her house. “Do I know you?” 

“I’m Taiga, Surya’s wife. Viv and Semeru have been missing for days,” Taiga said. “Surya said that Semeru hangs out with Mark so I’m trying to get any information about where they might have gone. But apparently the only thing that Mark and Semeru talked about when they saw each other was a SWORD!” 

“I don’t see why you’re so upset about this,” Mark said. “Bro didn’t want to talk, and I wasn’t gonna make him. He was stressed out, he wanted to kill things, so we did.”

Taiga rolled her eyes. 

“I’d like to know where they are too,” Kira told them. “I don’t like that two members of the Band of Smiles have just up and disappeared.”

Taiga put her hands on her hips. “So can you help me find out where they might be? Semeru told all of us that Viv is in Pokyo visiting family, and Kenny wasn’t available to take care of the farm so Semeru had to stay.”

“I can tell you for a fact that’s not true,” Kira said. “Kenny isn’t doing anything this week other than going to the forest and playing his flute. And, in fact, he took care of Viv and Semeru’s animals today. I thought that was strange, but he said neither of them were on the farm. And they looked like they haven’t been for days.”

“Would Kenny mind looking after the farm now?” Taiga asked. “If they’ve disappeared there’s no telling how long they’ll be gone, and someone needs to take care of the animals.”

“Of course. But how are you going to figure out where they are?”

“SOMEONE has to have some information,” Taiga cried, with a glare at Mark. I’m going to keep asking around, and then I’m going to see what information I can get from the house. Thank you both for your help. Let’s stay in touch, okay?”

“I hope the Shrimp and Viv are all right,” Mark commented.

Taiga looked grim. “Me too.” 

Denali waited in line at the bakery like everyone else. It pleased her to see how popular Eva’s breads and cakes were. They were so beautiful, but none of them would survive underwater. 

“Hi, little pebble,” she said with a grin.  

“Denali, what are you doing here? Why did you wait in line? Wait, is it expedition week?” 

“No, sweetheart,” Denali said, kissing Eva gently. “It’s an emergency, and I need a favor from you.” 

“Oh my Goddess. Are you all right?” 

“Yes. But I wanted to tell you I’m going to be away for a couple of weeks. I need to be in the Kingdom pretty solidly for a little while. Viv and Semeru have been kidnapped.”

“Kidnapped! What?” 

“Yes. They’ve been kidnapped by an enemy Kingdom.” 

“Why?”

“We don’t know, but Mira and Agung are part of the rescue squad, so I’ll be taking a lot of his shifts and supporting the Kingdom as best I can. We have to get them back.” 

“I don’t want you to go, Denali. I want you to be here with me,” Eva said, sounding small.

“I’m sorry, Eva, but I have to. I can’t float here while my Kingdom needs me. And the Kingdom that took them is very scary so we have to be extra vigilant in case we’re attacked.” 

“Are Viv and Semeru all right?”

“We don’t know. That’s why we have to go quickly. And you can’t tell anyone about this. All the usual rules apply.” 

“I know. But I wish I could go with you,” Eva said. 

“It would be wonderful if you could help here. Maybe you can find someone to take care of their farm.” 

“Yes. And I’ll tell Kira too. Semeru works with her. She’ll want to know. What should I tell people?” 

“They’re in Pokyo or something. You’ll think of a story.” 

“How long will you be gone?” Eva asked sadly. 

“I don’t know, little pebble,” Denali said. “I don’t know what the rescue team will find in this Kingdom.” 

“Why are they so bad?”

“They’re violent, and use scary magic.” 

“Will Mira be okay?”  

“She will be okay,” Denali said. “She has a great team. They will be safe. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll miss you so much,” Eva said. “Will it be a month?”

“I hope not, sweetheart,” Denali said. “I’ll send you a letter every day.” She hugged and kissed Eva. 

“Wait, let me give you some food,” Eva said. She piled brownies, a flourless chocolate cake, kue lapis, and a couple of jars of peanut butter into a plastic bag, and pressed it into Denali’s hands. “These should survive underwater. I wish I had more jellies, but I gave you all the ones I had made already.” 

“Thank you,” Denali said. “The team will love this. It will inspire them to train harder.” 

“I love you, Denali,” Eva said.

Denali kissed her again. “I love you too, beautiful Eva. Thanks for this. I’ll see you soon.”

She left, and Eva was chewing her lip, stewing on the situation. She put her hands on her hips and then untied her apron. As Denali would say, it was time to stop being a guppy. Right then and there, she made a huge decision. 

Kazbek smiled in satisfaction. It was adorable that the land-dweller thought she had any kind of power over him, that she would have any ability to refuse his orders. He knew she would do anything to keep her husband safe, and he had every intention of exploiting that fact.

As soon as he mentioned that he had an additional asset to encourage Viv to do as he said, a female merfolk swam into Viv and Semeru’s cell. She must have been waiting outside. 

The first thing Viv noticed about her was how strikingly pretty she was. She had a symmetrical oval face, serene emerald green eyes, a soft, full mouth, and the most perfectly smooth bronze-colored skin with a slight rosy flush. Her dark bronze hair was pulled back with some sort of hairpin, but Viv couldn’t see what it was. She had the most beautiful yellow tail with black and white striped fins, like a giant triggerfish. She was wearing a white silk top embroidered with golden kelp fronds attached to a golden band that encircled her body at her waist. She wore a brooch, studded with pearls, bearing the Rustaveli crest on her left shoulder, golden bracers exactly like Kazbek’s, and numerous golden rings on her fingers. Semeru’s eyes widened in surprise. The merfolk swam up to him and placed her hand on his bubble. 

“Hello, lover,” she said to him. Then she turned to Viv. “It’s nice to meet you, land-dweller. My name is Inierie.” 

Semeru’s ex, Viv thought. Well, this sucks. 

Chapter Text

Viv looked at Inierie, and admired her beauty. But Viv’s heart also sank at how hard Semeru’s ex had sold him out. 

Couldn’t he have had just one relationship that wasn’t freaking ruined? Viv thought. Just one. One teensy little one.  But she said, “Well, now I have the answer to whether Semeru is friends with his exes.”

Inierie laughed, and her laugh was like tinkling glass. “They told me you were funny,” she said. Then she turned to Semeru. “It’s such a delight to have your husband back in my Kingdom. We’ve missed him. Of course, when I knew him, he went by the name Kamet. But it wasn’t hard to tell that my lovely Kamet became the mighty Captain Semeru of Merikiha when he mysteriously moved away from Altai.”

“Well, everybody’s got a nickname,” Viv said with a smile. But inwardly her stomach was roiling with anxiety. This is Semeru’s ex that he thought was so nice? She glanced at Semeru and saw his angry, stony expression. He was furious. 

 “Now, about our leverage over you,” Inierie told Viv. “I suggest you do as we ask.”

Viv folded her arms. “And why should I do that?”

Inierie’s smile became icy. “Because I have more power over Semeru than you realize. If you care about him, it’s in your interest to follow our orders.” 

 Viv raised her eyebrows. “What will you do if I don’t?”

Inierie didn’t answer right away. Instead, she gazed at Semeru in his bubble with a tender, almost motherly look on her face, as though Semeru were a beloved child. She touched his bubble gently. Viv thought she was going to be sick. Semeru actually looked nauseous. 

“Look at how lovely he is,” Inierie said, softly. “What a waste that he married you. You know, there was a time, land-dweller, when Semeru was pure. He hated humans. He wasn’t interested in being romantic with you filthy animals.”

“Humans have a word for people like you. Bigot.” 

Inierie stared her down. “I don’t know what you did to my mighty Captain Semeru to turn him away from what’s right. To make him betray his own species. But I swear to you, I’ll get him back on the correct path. And when I do, he’ll never think about you filthy land-dwellers ever again. He will take his rightful place with the merfolk.”

“What the hell does that even mean, Inierie?”

Inierie stroked Semeru’s bubble gently. Viv itched to knock her hand off. 

“Merfolk shouldn’t go near humans,” she murmured. “Even just thinking about it makes me sick. He will come back to us, human. Make no mistake. All it will take is just a bit of convincing and Semeru will end this little land-dweller adventure. Of that I have no doubt. The question is how easy will you make it for him.”

“What the actual fuck are you going to do, lady,” Viv snarled, balling her hands into fists. 

“It fascinates me how our sister Kingdoms frown upon the proper use of magic,” Inierie smiled. “Yet another way in which we merfolk cede power to the humans. Let me assure you, land-dweller, we do not make that mistake in Altai. We use magic to its full capacity. So much is possible when we use it well. And we will use magic to bring Semeru back to his proper place with us.” 

“What if he doesn’t want to go?” 

“Of course he’ll want to go,” Inierie crooned. “I just have to show him the way. Would you like to see how I’ll do it?” 

“I would not,” Viv said. 

Inierie produced a small golden ball, similar to the bubble device. She twisted it, and Viv watched his body turn as still as a statue. He simply stood there, slack-jawed, eyes half-closed, as though he were in some kind of stasis. He didn’t move, he didn’t look at her, his eyes were blank, his face expressionless. 

“What have you done to him?” Viv exploded. 

“I’ve put him in a dream state,” Inierie said. “Isn’t he gorgeous like this? He’s dreaming of being with me.”

“How do you know?” 

“I’ve put that dream in his mind. My magic lets me do anything I like to him. And look how happy he is. But the dream state is dangerous. He won’t eat, he won’t drink, he won’t move, and he won’t care that his air will run out unless you do as I ask.”

“He doesn’t look happy,” Viv seethed.

“Suffering is a teacher,” Inierie said. “It clarifies the mind. Semeru being in the dream state will help him understand that he’s strayed from the path and that he needs to get back on it. But the only person who can wake him up is you, human. So what will you do? Will you save your husband while he dreams of what it’s like to be together with me?”

Viv tried to feel Semeru’s emotions again but there was nothing there. That important part of their connection was simply gone. She looked at him, staring blankly into space. He didn’t seem that happy, but he didn’t seem that unhappy either. But either way, Inierie was right. It was dangerous for him to stay like this for any length of time. 

“Let him go, Inierie,” Viv ordered, her voice deadly calm. “Let him go right now.” 

“Clean the trash, and I’ll think about it,” Inerie said with the sweetest smile.

Viv looked at Semeru again, his body still as stone, lost in Inierie’s manufactured dream. “Fine, I’m going, I’m going!” she cried. 

“Very good,” Inierie said. 

“This way, please,” Kazbek said pleasantly. He led her outside to the ocean floor and showed her the areas she was assigned to clean. Viv sighed. There was even more trash here than in Merikiha, and of course, no coral orbs. There would be no way to make the sick coral healthy. But she could at least clean the garbage. 

She grabbed her scythe and dutifully removed the trash for hours. When night fell, no one came to get her, and so Viv could see what she was doing, her guards held up softly glowing torches, lit with fire that reminded her of the communal light in Merikiha.

Well after dark, Kazbek came back to inspect her work. “Fine,” he said. “The work has been done well. You may have the bubble device.”

He handed it to her and his soldiers roughly grabbed Viv and led her back into the cell. “You don’t have to manhandle me,” Viv said, crossly. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“We just don’t want you to get lost,” Kazbek said with a smile. In the cell, Semeru stood in his bubble, unable to move at all, unable to look at Viv, just staring straight ahead, eyes half-closed. Has he moved at all? Has he even blinked? 

“Squeeze it to refresh the air inside the bubble, and twist the top to change the bubble’s size,”’ Kazbek told her. “See you tomorrow.”  

“Wait! I did what you asked. Let Semeru go!”

“That’s Inierie’s department,” Kazbek said with a smile. “If she’s happy then she’ll free him.” 

“INIERIE!” Viv screamed. “Come here right now and wake Semeru up!” 

“I think she’s gone to dinner,” Kazbek said, mildly. 

“Kazbek, you’re hurting him,” Viv insisted. 

“It doesn’t look like it,” he said. “Well, have a nice night.” 

“You unbelievable asshole,” Viv spat. He waved genially. She watched him leave, and then refreshed the stale air for Semeru and made his bubble three times as big. It took up most of the space in the cell. But he still didn't move, nor did he look at her. He was standing in the middle of the bubble. She couldn’t get close enough to touch him, so she just floated next to the bubble pushing every warm and loving feeling she could at him. She closed her eyes to feel his emotions or any kind of connection to him at all and there was simply nothing there. 

Semeru. Semeru, you have to wake up. You’re not in a great situation. You have to wake up.

But she heard nothing. She felt nothing. Semeru was gone.  

Viv went to the cell door and shouted, “INIERIE!!!”” but there was nothing but silence. 

She came back to the bubble to be with Semeru. She imagined the two of them touching each other, imagined herself reaching out to touch the backs of his hands…imagined herself reaching up to close his eyelids. A small thing. 

Viv opened her eyes and saw that his eyes were closed. But she felt no reaction. Just a blank wall of nothingness. 

“Hello, land-dweller,” Inierie said from the doorway. “You did a good job today. It turns out you’re very good at cleaning the trash.” 

“Let Semeru go,” Viv snapped. 

“I’m glad you’ve done what I asked,” she purred. “I always knew this concept would be easy even for a simple human to understand. You follow my orders, your husband is safe. It’s all up to you.” 

“Is this a concept you’ve explained to others?” Viv asked in disbelief.

“Not to Semeru. I only learned how to do this spell a couple of cycles ago. But it’s a very persuasive little tool,” Inierie said. 

Viv didn’t know what to say. She was floored, and it took a lot to make her speechless. Even though there were some small cultural differences with the Merikihan merfolk, Viv still felt like she could relate to them. She was a part of Merikiha. She loved them and was loved by them. Kazbek and Inierie were completely different and totally alien. She didn’t understand their morality at all, and it scared her. 

Inierie squeezed the golden ball and Semeru collapsed to the floor, his muscles exhausted by standing stiff as a board for most of the day. 

Honey, I’m so, so, sorry, she thought. She swam to him, got as close as she could to him in his bubble. 

“I can’t wait for him to come back to his real life,” Inierie said. “He’s had an interesting dalliance with you. But he needs to return to us now.” 

“He never will,” Viv snapped. “He’ll never have anything to do with you again.”

“I’m not sure that’s true. Are you?” Inierie murmured. She trailed her fingers on the bubble. “Good night, lover,” she said to him, and left the cell. 

Semeru opened his eyes and moved to Viv. He put his fist to his chest and bowed to her. It was a thank you. She put her hands on the bubble and he put his hands on hers. She sat on the dirt floor, tail straight out, and he sat next to her in the same position.  

They had to figure out how to get out of this situation. But Viv was too tired to think, too tired to move. She was so tired…a single slice of fish appeared on plates both inside and outside the bubble, and Semeru also got a glass of water. Viv sighed and ate the flavorless fish. Doubt and fear began to creep into her mind. She couldn’t feel Semeru’s emotions, he wasn’t flowing into her mind, and she no longer had the sense he was always with her. It was like he was locked away in another room. She could see him, but all of the signs of their partner bond were gone. Everything they’d built together had simply vanished. Somehow their connection had been severed. It no longer existed. 

Technically, he’s no longer my partner, Viv realized. He could have been Agung or Imun or Slamet or anybody, sitting there in the bubble. She’d wondered what it would feel like to lose her connection with Semeru. Now she knew. A dull ache began to spread in her chest. Her heart started beating faster in a panic. Her mouth was dry. I’ve lost him. He’s gone. She stared at him. He raised his hands, but she didn’t know what he was trying to say. It was heartbreaking. After so long knowing what was in his head, and how he felt about everything, it was strange and awful having to guess. Like everyone else. I’m not special to him anymore. 

Viv's thoughts began to spiral: What did Inierie mean by ‘Semeru’s real life’? Why can’t I feel him? Maybe he’s dreaming of a time before he was the Captain, before he got his scars, before…me. He was happier then. Happier with her. Maybe that’s why I can’t feel him. Maybe our connection is over. Maybe she’s stopped us from being partners. Maybe this is what Inierie was talking about when she said so much was possible with magic.

She turned away from Semeru and went to the cot to lie down and try to get some sleep. She checked her watch. It was one in the morning. Like in Merikha, the nights underwater were impossibly dark. There were no blankets, so she curled up on the hard, lumpy mattress and pillow. At least sleeping on uncomfortable surfaces is easier as a merfolk, she reflected, though she wasn’t doing much sleeping. Instead, she was remembering every single insult Semeru had ever thrown at her. Pest. Disaster. Reckless. Humans don’t come in peace. You’re no savior. 

Viv’s thoughts were restless. She hated being cut off from Semeru. It had been a long time since she’d felt so alone. Finally she drifted away into sleep, accompanied by unsettled dreams of Semeru trying to get into their farmhouse on Coral Island. She could see him trying to get in the door, but it was locked. As hard as Viv looked, she couldn’t find the key. 

The grey light of dawn filtered into the cell. The soldiers came to fetch Viv to begin her work. Viv checked her watch. It was 5:15 AM, so she’d gotten around four hours of sleep. Great, she thought. And of course, there was no food. As the soldiers rushed her out of the cell, she refreshed Semeru’s air. He was still sleeping, passed out on the dirt floor. 

Viv cleaned the trash, scraping the sticky, oily garbage, pulling it off the stones and the coral, and shoving the pieces into a mesh bag. The work was backbreaking and repetitive, and so, so boring. She never realized how grateful she was for Agung and Denali, and yes, even the grumpy old Captain, for providing her with some company. The soldiers made it very clear they weren’t interested in talking with her, and she wasn’t that interested in talking with them. She was tired, she was hungry, and, she realized as she cleaned and cleaned and cleaned, that she was angry. She was angry at Semeru for dating Inierie, angry at Deno for not rescuing the two of them, angry at the King and Queen and Cho Oyu for getting her involved with the mission to heal the Coral Tree in the first place, angry at herself for even thinking Ling’s bargain was a good idea. Stupid, stupid me for ever getting mixed up with these merfolk people. What I wouldn’t give to be home right now playing Super Shell Racers BY MYSELF and eating ice cream. When was the last time I ate ice cream? Semeru doesn’t like it. But I could absolutely murder a whole proper pint of ice cream with brownies and chocolate chip cookie dough and a peanut butter swirl and…she actually found herself drooling.

“Hello, land-dweller,” Inierie smiled.

“Come to watch the help?” Viv said, annoyed that her ice cream fantasy had been interrupted by this tiresome person. 

“You might be doing a good job, but it’s taking a toll on you. You look terrible, human. You look like something a squid dragged in.” 

“That’s because you’re having me do the hard labor. If I did nothing all day but spout threats like you, I might look as pretty as you do.”  

Inierie laughed. “You’re very kind. But speaking of pretty people, let’s talk about your husband.”

“Let’s not,” Viv snarled. 

“Oh no, we should,” Inierie enthused. “Honestly, I’d forgotten how lovely he is. He takes my breath away. Even as a human, and in that silly bubble, doesn’t Semeru look gorgeous? Even with those scars on his face, he’s still so beautiful. How did he get them, land-dweller?”

“Not telling you.” 

“Fine. I’ll get him to tell me. I bet he was being a hero.”

Viv said nothing.

“Of course he was. My brave soldier,” she said, her voice a sweet caress.

“He’s not your soldier. He’s not your anything,” Viv said testily. 

Inierie closed her eyes. “You know he’s not the only one with a good sense of smell,” she purred. “I can smell Semeru’s desire even from here. He wants me back. He wants to mate with me.” 

“What the hell are you talking about, Inierie?” Viv cried. She knew what Semeru’s desire felt like and she wasn’t feeling any of that emotion from him. Of course I’m not. He’s no longer my partner, so I can’t feel our connection anymore. He could be desperate with lust for Inierie and I’d never know.

“He wants me. He’s never wanted me so much. He’s craving me.” Inierie inhaled through her nose. “Yes. It’s pure lust. Are you sure you’re enough for my lover?” 

“Get out of my sight,” Viv told her. 

Inierie came close to Viv, so close Viv could smell the salt water on Inierie’s breath. “Did Semeru tell you how he made me scream with pleasure every night? He’s so good, human. He’s so delicious. And when he put himself inside of me —“ 

“If he’s so good, why did you break up with him,” Viv hissed. 

“Politics,” Inierie said. “Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want to do for the good of others. I know you’re familiar with that idea, human, and you’re about to get more familiar with it. You’re going to have to do things for Semeru’s own good that will hurt. But they’re the right things to do.”

“You know what the right thing for you to do is? Fuck right off,” Viv spat. 

Inierie studied her critically. “You’re not at all who I expected Semeru would end up with.”

“Life takes us to strange places,” Viv said. 

“It certainly does. I’ll see you later, land-dweller. Think about what I’ve said,” Inierie smiled as she swam away. 

It was well into the night when Viv was escorted by the soldiers back to the cell. They’d held up the lights again so she could see her work after the sun went down. When she returned, Semeru was awake and looking at her with concern. He put his hands on the bubble, trying to get close to her. Viv still couldn’t feel anything from him. He was a blank to her. 

She briefly put her hands against his on the bubble, but she was too fatigued to put on a brave face for him. Out of habit she let him feel how tired she was, and then she thought: Since our connection is severed, it doesn’t matter if I share my feelings or not. She sat down on the cot. He was gesturing at her, but there didn’t seem to be much to communicate about. She’d been cleaning the garbage. He’d been stuck in the bubble. What else was there to say?

That Semeru is apparently down bad for his ex, Viv thought grumpily. And can you blame him? She’s gorgeous. 

Then Viv began to feel sick with fear. She no longer had her connection with Semeru. Inierie had broken up with him, but she brought him back to her, and was saying lots of things about how much he wanted her. Semeru said he didn’t know what happened to the emotional connection when partners broke up. Is this it? Is this what happens? Viv asked herself. One day the connection just disappears? Is he telling me she’s the one for him now? Does Semeru want to try again with Inierie? Maybe it will be better this time. 

And then Viv thought about not being enough for Semeru. Maybe that’s why his stamina is so good. Because I can’t give him enough. Maybe he’d be better off with two or three lovers. Maybe Inierie has godlike stamina too. She’s a merfolk. I’m just human. Maybe I can’t satisfy him. These thoughts disturbed her. She’d thought Semeru was happy. Was I wrong? 

Chapter Text

Eva took a deep breath.  She headed straight to the lab and put her hand on the door. But before she went inside, she could feel her heart racing and her head swim with dizziness. She was scared, there was no way around it. She was scared of going under the ocean.

She closed her eyes and felt Denali with her, so close, just a breath away. Her smile and dark, soft eyes were so beautiful. Eva sometimes couldn’t believe that she was in love with a merfolk. A merfolk! And they had a bond beyond girlfriends, beyond lovers, beyond anything that Eva could imagine. A magic that merfolk generously shared with humans. I can do this for her, Eva thought. I can do this for the woman I love. Their connection propelled her forward despite her fear. 

Surya was at his computer working and grumbling at some data that wasn’t fitting precisely into spreadsheets. “Damned GridMaster,” Surya muttered. “These pivot tables aren’t behaving properly.” 

Eva was determined not to lose her nerve. Now or never, Everest, she said to herself, and walked up to Surya.

“Hi, Surya,” she said, slightly nervously. 

“Hey, Eva,” Surya said genially. “Sorry, I’m just arguing with this spreadsheet. It makes me grouchy. What’s going on?”

“I want you to teach me to scuba dive,” she said, without any preamble. “Viv says you’re a certified instructor. And I want to learn.”

“Oh, um, okay,” Surya said. “Gosh, I haven’t taught scuba diving for a while.”

“Oh,” Eva said. “So will you do it?”

“Of course,” Surya said. “But why do you want to learn?” 

“I want to see the fish,” Eva said firmly. “Honestly I’ve been a little afraid to try, but as my resolution for the year I’m trying to take on things that frighten me so this is something I really want to do.”

“I’d love to help,” Surya said. “Do you mind waiting a couple of weeks? Right now is a very tricky time for me at work. I’m presenting at a conference in a couple of weeks and I need time to get my talk together. It sounds like you don’t want to wait till then.”

“I was hoping to start tomorrow,” Eva said. Surya thought she looked like she was going to cry.

“Okay, okay,” Surya said. “I’ll help you. Don’t be upset. Can you meet me tomorrow at the dive pier?”

“Where’s that?”

“All the way at the end of the fishing pier, right next to the area with the golden beacon,” Surya said. “You can’t miss it. You’ll love diving, Eva. It’s a wonderful experience.”

“That’s what everyone says,” Eva murmured. “I hope they’re right.”

“Everyone is right. Go see Ling now. She’s in the office. She’ll get you squared away with dive equipment. Go right now. We’ll get you in the water in no time.” 

Eva went inside the office and Surya turned back to his spreadsheet. But his thoughts didn’t stay there for long.

Taiga is going to be very interested in why Eva wants to learn how to scuba dive all of a sudden, Surya thought. Isn’t her girlfriend one of Viv and Semeru’s Pokyo friends? Could Eva know what happened to Viv and Semeru? He resolved to talk with Taiga about it as soon as he got home. 

“Captain Trikora,” Major Pulosari said, poking his head in her door. “Merdai is here to see you. And he’s upset.” 

“Send him in,” Trikora said. She’d been expecting this ever since she’d heard the news from Captain Deno in Merikiha. Trikora had just about enough of Altai’s fun and games, and so had her leadership staff. When Captain Deno asked her for help, it was very easy to get not only the guard but the King and Queen to support providing aid. It had also been ridiculously easy to recruit soldiers to join the rescue squad. In fact, they’d had to turn guys away. “Altai can’t push us around anymore,” her lieutenant had told her. “This is a new era and we want to work with our allies to keep the whole region safe from them.” Trikora was delighted. She knew an alliance with the Altaian royal family was the right approach to shut down the Rustavelis. She could only hope they would be able to rescue Viv and Semeru before something truly awful happened.

Trikora had been promoted to Captain of Maoke’s Royal Guard shortly before the funeral services for the merfolk Pufferfish had captured. More merfolk had disappeared from Maoke than Merikiha, and when she looked into it, there were so many stories of people that everyone knew that had just vanished one day. Her mother’s childhood neighbor. A school friend’s cousin. A member of the Maoke racing team. They were all just gone, and the guard didn’t do much to figure out what had happened or stop it from happening again. Trikora was shocked by the way the disappearances had just been swept under the rug and friends and family had just been shrugged off. This is not acceptable behavior, she thought to herself.

She’d met Semeru and heard his story when he came to Maoke to speak at the funeral ceremony. What happened to him when he was a baby was horrible beyond measure. She was shocked that the Maokiri guard was able to get away with not only failing to look for Bratan and Iya but also refusing to begin even the most cursory investigation into what happened to Bratan and Iya’s child, despite Merdai repeatedly asking them for help. Things were very different in those days, Trikora reflected.   

She’d expressed her gratitude to Semeru for his and Viv’s work in finding the disappeared merfolk, and she swore that this kind of embarrassed negligence would never happen again for such a serious matter. And she also noticed that the guard seemed to like her more buttoned-up approach to serious situations.

So she couldn’t blame Merdai for being furious. She would personally see that he would be informed of anything she could tell him. The Maokiri guard owed him that much. 

He swam into her office. “What the hell is this, Captain?!?” he said, holding a letter in his hand. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was a mess and he hadn’t shaved, either.

“May I see it?” Trikora asked. Merdai wordlessly handed the letter over to her. 

Trikora scanned it. It was from Princess Miranjani, personally informing Merdai of Semeru and Viv’s disappearances and a commitment from Merikiha that they would do everything possible to rescue them.

“It’s true, Merdai,” the Captain told him. “We were informed by Merikhan officials as soon as they were able to share the information. We have pledged our assistance to Merikiha. Don’t worry. We will find them.”

“What kind of assistance? Do you know where they are? What are you planning to do? Is this going to be like when Semeru disappeared when he was a child?” Merdai asked, heartbreak in his voice.

“First of all, Merdai, let me give you my personal assurance this will not be like what happened when Semeru was a child,” Captain Trikora said. “We do know where they are, but the precise location and the type of assistance we’re offering are classified. Both must be classified because this is a sensitive military operation. I know this is hard. Believe me, I do. And I know that the way you and Semeru were treated thirty cycles ago was unacceptable. Again, I want to reassure you that’s not happening here. We will find them. We will bring them back to you. We will keep in touch with you as much as we can about our progress. I swear it.” 

“I was alone for so long,” Merdai said, tears filling his eyes. “And everyone told me that I was crazy to be sad about being alone, that there was nothing anyone could do, and that I should accept this as my fate. And I just got my family back. I just discovered I’m not alone in the world. And I can’t give that up! I just can’t, Trikora! I can’t!”

She put a hand on his arm. “You won’t have to,” she said. “I promise you. No one is going to tell you that this is your fate. It’s not. We are here to lift you up, Merdai. As a community, as a guard, as a Kingdom. We are here for you. I swear to you that you’re not alone. And that we will solve this. You have my personal guarantee.”

“I can’t do it again,” Merdai said. “Can I be part of the rescue squad?”

She kept her face serious. “No. Like I said, this is a very sensitive operation. But I will keep you informed of everything that I can. I promise. We will find them, Merdai. We will bring them back to you. Please believe me. And know that my door is always open to you.”

He said nothing, but turned tail and swam away. 

Trikora sighed. She was desperately afraid of what was going to happen to Viv and Semeru. She didn’t want to let Merdai know that, but whatever was going to happen to them wasn’t good.

Merdai swam back to his grotto. For the first time in months, he didn’t bother doing the dishes. He took the Dig for Victory pin in his hands and sat on his couch, looking out the window at the seaweed waving in the current, for a very long time. 

“Taiga! Sayangku!” Surya said, walking in the door. 

“Lyubov,” Taiga replied, putting down her papers and coming over for a kiss. Surya noted with amusement that she wore her glasses on top of her head like sunglasses. She’s so adorable, and I’m so lucky, he thought.

“I missed you today,” Taiga said, hugging him tight. “How are you? How was your day?”

“Good, Taiga-shark, and I have something to share with you, but your poor husband has to eat something first, because once I tell you, it will consume you for the rest of the night and we won’t get any dinner.”

“Oh really,” Taiga said, crossing her arms. “Is it that interesting? Is it about Viv?”

“I’m not telling you anything until I eat something,” Surya said, with an innocent and slightly injured air. 

“There’s leftover tofu curry in the fridge,” Taiga said. “Hurry malysh, I’m dying over here.”

“You won’t die in the time it takes me to eat the curry,” Surya said, rummaging in the fridge. “Look, I’ll do what you tell me you always hate and eat standing up over the counter.” 

“I won’t even watch,” Taiga said. “See what a good wife I am?”

“The best wife in the world. How was your day?”

“Oh, it was fine. Lots of meetings. This project is unbelievably urgent, as all of them are.”

“I think this curry is even better cold,” Surya said. “And it’s still spicy.” 

“Curry is always better cold,” Taiga agreed. “Are you done yet?”

“Nearly,” Surya said. “Have we got any water?”

Taiga filled a glass and handed it to Surya. “Of course, lyubov.”

He drank it. “Thank you.” 

“Now are you done?”

He washed his dish in the sink and then put it in the dishwasher.

“Eva came to the lab today,” he told her.

“She came to the lab?” Taiga’s voice rose in surprise.

“Yes. She came to the lab, and was very perturbed, and she told me she wanted to learn how to scuba dive. She seemed really nervous and upset.”

“She wanted you to teach her how to scuba dive.” 

“Yes, because Viv told her that I was a certified instructor.”

“But don’t you have that conference in a couple of weeks?”

“I do, but when I told her that, she looked like she was about to cry or faint, so I told her I’d help her. She was really, really upset, Taiga-shark.”

Taiga drummed her fingers on her chin. “Eva. Why would Eva want to learn how to scuba dive. WAIT A MINUTE.”

“What?”

Taiga grabbed Surya’s arm. “Suryachka, Eva’s girlfriend is one of Viv’s Pokyo friends! You know, the ones who supposedly have lived in Pokyo for years and years but whenever you ask them about it their lore never hangs together?”

“I knew you’d make that connection. But I don’t think I’ve ever asked them about their … lore.”

“Oh yeah, Semeru can’t keep his story straight for five minutes.”

“We just talk about nudibranchs,” Surya said, his eyes wide.

“Yes, yes, you and Semeru, you’re very focused in your conversations,” Taiga said impatiently. “And you know, I never see Eva’s girlfriend in town except for certain times of the month. I don’t think I’ve ever talked to her. But I saw them at Viv and Semeru’s wedding.”

“Is that suspicious? That tracks with her living in Pokyo and coming to visit every so often.”

Taiga put her shoes on. “It does. So let’s ask Eva about it. I’m going to go to the Inn right now and find out why it’s so urgent that she learns how to scuba dive at precisely this second.” 

“Can I come?” Surya asked, innocently.

“You better,” Taiga said. “Otherwise I look like the weird wife who’s all, ‘why are you hanging out with my husband, shlyukha’.”

“What’s a shlyukha?”

“A shameless hussy,” Taiga said, doing a little shimmy.

“Are you not worried about that?”

She kissed him softly and tenderly. “I know you’re mine, solnyshko. Come on. Let’s go now.”

Surya got his shoes on too. “I’m glad I ate the curry.” 

The two of them walked over to the Inn, and Surya was surprised that Taiga was uncharacteristically quiet. 

“Are you okay, sayang?” he asked her.

“I’m just worried,” Taiga said. “I like Viv a lot and I even like Semeru, and I’m scared for them.”

“Me too,” Surya said. “It’s frightening that they would just disappear.”

“Is there something scary here on Coral Island?” Taiga worried. “Do you think it’s coming for us? What could be out there?”

“Do you think this has something to do with Semeru’s work in the military?” Surya asked.

Taiga tossed her braids behind her back. “It’s possible. Do you really believe that he is in the military?”

“He’s really big, and he stands up so straight. He looks like he could be in the military. You don’t think so?”

“I don’t know,” Taiga said. “The whole situation is pretty weird.”

They arrived at the Inn and found Eva in the library, idly looking up recipes for jellied candies. 

“Hey, Eva,” Taiga said, with her soft accent.

“Oh! Hi Taiga! Hi Surya! What are the two of you doing here?”

“We wanted to talk with you,” Taiga said. 

“Me!” Eva cried. “Why?” Her stomach flopped over with anxiety.

“Is here a nice quiet place?” Taiga asked her. 

“It’s as good as any, I suppose,” Eva said. “What’s this all about?”

Taiga and Surya looked at each other. Taiga took a deep breath. 

“Eva, I heard you’re dating one of Viv’s friends from Pokyo, what was her name again?”

"Her name's Denali."

“Oh, that’s right. Erika told me. You know how she is. Anyway, I’ve been trying to get in touch with Viv, but everyone says she’s in Pokyo. Is she with Denali, do you know when they’ll be back?”

"Gosh, I don't know," Eva said, slightly uncomfortably.

"They are in Pokyo, though, right? Isn’t that why Semeru is taking care of the farm?”

Taiga tilted her head quizzically.

"Viv's in Pokyo. I'm not sure where Semeru is.”

“He’s not at the farm. Don’t you think that’s strange? Maybe your girlfriend knows. They’re close, right?”

"They are really good friends. How do you know he's not at the farm?"

“I went there. It was empty. Mark’d been feeding the cat and animals for days. No note, no nothing.”

"Oh," Eva said. "I bet he went to join Viv in Pokyo. She was visiting her family."   She 

really hoped that Taiga would let this go. She didn't have much else to her story. She hadn't had time to think up the details.

Taiga sensed that Eva was circling around the same points. Probably because there wasn't much more to say. Taiga kept her steely gaze on Eva, watching her intently. “I think we both know that’s not true and I think you know more than you’re telling me. Why don’t you want to find Viv, huh, Eva? I thought you were close with her, what is it you’re not telling me?!” Her growing frustration was evident the more Eva tiptoed around giving any sort of straightforward answer. She knew going in that it would be best to treat Eva with a gentle hand, but she didn’t have time for this anymore.

Eva felt unbelievably guilty. What Denali had told her was happening to Viv and Semeru...it was too much for one person to bear alone. She was starting to feel like she was part of the merfolk family. All of them had embraced her with open arms. And she knew that she had to keep their secrets. She owed them that much. But to know that her dear friends, family really, were being held captive and maybe tortured in some faraway prison — she couldn't hold it in anymore. "You're right, Taiga," Eva said, slowly, her voice hoarse. "I do know more than I'm telling you. And it's very important that I keep their secret. But I don't want to. I wish I could tell you. I need help, I really do. And I've got no one to turn to."

Taiga’s expression softened. Eva’s pain was obvious and she felt guilty about making those heated accusations. She sighed deeply, one finger to her lips, thinking. Everything has a loophole, I just need to figure out what this one is… While Taiga pondered, Surya finally broke the awkward silence. “It’s okay, Eva. Everyone’s just worried about Semeru and Viv. If there are things you can’t say, I wish there was a way to tell us what you can say…” Taiga’s eyes lit up. “That’s it! Suryachka, you wonderful genius!” She fixed her eyes on Eva once more, “Do you know the game 20 Questions?”

"I do," Eva said.

“Well then,” Taiga said cheerfully, “let’s play a game. I’ll ask a question and you can answer with yes or no. Ready?”
Eva smiled, for what felt like the first time in ages. "Ready."

Taiga bounced on her heels, ready to finally get to the bottom of things. “Okay, question one: Are Viv and Semeru in Pokyo?”
Eva paused. If she told the truth Taiga would know that everyone had been lying. But it wouldn't reveal anyone's secrets to say that they weren't in Pokyo. They just weren't in Pokyo. They could be in Londinium, or New Amsterdam, or anywhere. "No," she said, finally.
“Are Viv and Semeru on Coral Island?”
"No."

Taiga mulled this over, then asked, gently. “Do you know where they are, Eva?”
Eva sharply inhaled, and she realized that 1) she didn't know exactly where they were, so she could answer this with confidence, and 2) her not knowing where they were didn't compromise the secret in any way. "No." Then she thought. "Not exactly, anyway."

“What about Denali,” Surya interjected, “does she know where they are?” 

Taiga nodded her head, “Yeah, we haven’t seen her around either. Or that other girl, the one with the pretty hair. I remember they used to be here quite a bit.”

"Yes," Eva said in a whisper.

Hmm, Taiga thought. So Denali knows, but Eva doesn’t. Probably for her own good in situations like this… “Okay, question five: did Viv and Semeru go to this place willingly?”

"No."

Surya looked at Taiga. There was a lump in his throat and her face was tight. He swallowed hard, trying to choke down his worries, and grasped her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out, too.” Taiga inhaled deeply and shook her head affirmatively. “Right,” she said, willing her mind to focus. Who could possibly want to snatch Viv and Semeru? Unless… “Eva, does this have anything to do with Semeru’s intelligence job?”

"He has a what? Never mind. I don't know. And Denali doesn't either." Eva still thought she was on the right side of the line.
“His job, Eva. You have to know his job, right? You’re all together all the time, are you telling me you don’t even know where Semeru works? They’re on about it constantly- Semeru’s dived this deep, Semeru talks to rays, Semeru’s seen everything in the damn ocean apparently. You have to know that.” She could tell Eva wasn’t telling her the whole truth and her temper was starting to get the best of her again.

Oh fuck, Eva thought. Now Taiga's really on to me. She's good. I didn't know what Semeru told everyone his job is! Now what am I supposed to say. Eva swallowed. The best thing to do is to be honest. "I can't tell you what his job is,” she said. "He and Denali have asked me not to. But I will tell you that he really does know everything about the ocean, and he has seen everything in the ocean, and he understands more about the ocean than any of us ever will. And I'll leave it up to you to imagine why." Taiga and Surya gaped.

Surya and Taiga exchanged a look. “They’re not in Pokyo or Coral Island,” Taiga mused, “and she doesn’t know where they are, but Denali does…” “And we know that wherever they’re at, they went unwillingly.” Surya added. “And that it might be, I’d guess probably is, connected to Semeru’s ‘intelligence gathering’.” She used deliberate finger quotes, “from how squirrelly she was about it. Surya…” she trailed off, a distant look on her face. An idea was slowly taking form in the back of her mind. Taiga whipped her attention back to Eva, “Question eight: Why the sudden rush to learn how to scuba, Eva? It’s winter. Why do you want to dive in the winter?”

Eva thought about how to answer this. "It's very important to me to see the sea creatures right now," she said. "I've been talking about it for moons, and now is just a really good time."

“Question nine: Which sea creatures are you looking for?” Surya asked, unable to stop himself.

“We’ve stopped doing yes or no questions. But the answer is all kinds. All kinds of sea creatures.”

Surya blushed. She was right- he got distracted easily thinking about marine life. Taiga squeezed Surya’s hand, frowning at the other woman. “Question ten, Eva, are Viv and Semeru under the sea, too? Question 11: is that the real reason you want to dive, because of what happened to Semeru and Viv?!”

Eva sighed. She had to be honest. “Question 10: I can’t tell you that. That’s part of the secret. Question 11: Yes. Sort of.”

Yes? Sort of?” Taiga scoffed, plainly unimpressed with this ambiguous response.

"That's not the only reason I want to dive."

Surya placed his hand lightly on her waist, reminding her to take a breath and make 

her tone more gentle. “Okay, question twelve- there’s something you want to see there beyond just fish and Viv and Semeru, isn’t there?”

"Yes, of course."

“It’s someone, isn’t it, Eva?” Taiga asked, taking a step forward to place it on Eva’s arm. Her tone was hushed, like someone trying to coax a wild animal.

Eva swallowed. They were getting very close to the line. "I don't think I..." 

Taiga nodded, keeping her hand still on Eva's arm. "I understand this is a very serious secret. I get that." 

"Because I want to keep people safe," Eva said. "That's what this is all about. I'm not keeping secrets for fun." 

"I know," Taiga murmured. "But at the end of the day, we care about Viv and Semeru and we want to keep them safe. We want to find out what happened so we can help them. And that's all Surya and I want to do. If we know who you want to see when you're diving, then maybe we can help you get to that person and maybe they can help us help Viv and Semeru."

Eva took a deep breath. "I understand what you're saying. And I need to be able to trust that you will never, ever tell anyone else about this." 

"We might have to tell Kira," Surya said quietly. 

"Why?" Eva cried. 

"Because Semeru works with her, and she's used to dealing with magic," Surya said. 

"Is this magic?" Eva asked him. 

"You know better than we do," Taiga replied.  "Big secret, underwater happenings, can't tell us much. What do you think that suggests?"

Eva sighed. "No further than Kira. And yes. I want to dive to see someone."

Shock overloaded Surya’s brain with the possibilities Eva’s cryptic conversation was sparking. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.I can’t think about that until we have more information. “Eva, question thirteen. Do you know anything about those strange coral formations? Everyone in town seems to know about them, but never any details. Do you know why they’re there?”

Eva knew she and Denali had talked about this once. Denali said the ancient merfolk ruins were some of the things that she would see when she went scuba diving, and she promised to tell her the story of what they were and why they were there.

“I don’t know exactly why they were there, but I do know they were built.” 

Taiga seized on this. “Question fourteen: Do you know who built them?”

Eva replied, “More or less. They’re very old.” 

Taiga said: Question fifteen: You said they were built. Are all of them built? Are any of them natural?”

Eva shook her head. “I don’t know that, I’m sorry.”

Taiga shared a glance with Surya. So she doesn’t know much about those weird underwater structures. Okay, we tried. At least we now know they were built. And if they were built, someone had to build them. 

“All right, we’ve got five more questions,” Taiga said. “Question fifteen: Is it possible for Denali to show us on a map where she thinks Semeru and Viv are?”

“Only approximately.”

“Sixteen: and why is that?”

“Because a map only shows you the surface,” Eva said, pointedly. 

Taiga inhaled sharply. But she revealed nothing. She only said, “Seventeen: Eva, have you ever met magical beings on Coral Island?”

Eva laughed. “Yes.”

“Eighteen: Do those magical beings live on Coral Island?” 

“Yes.”

“Nineteen: Do these magical beings live in the ocean?”

Eva stopped short. She and Taiga stared at each other. 

“Well, do they?” 

“I can’t tell you that, Taiga.” 

So they do. 

“All right, and here’s the last question: “Wherever Viv and Semeru are, can we negotiate with who’s keeping them there?”

“I doubt it,” Eva said.

The three of them looked at each other. Eva didn’t know why, but she felt exhausted. “Thanks for this,” Surya said. 

“What are you going to do?”

“Talk to Kira,” Taiga told her. “And then we’ll figure out what we’ll do next. But this has been the first break we’ve gotten in days. They’re in trouble, aren’t they?”

“I wouldn’t want to be in their position,” Eva said. 

“I get it,” Surya said. “Thanks, Eva.” 

“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” she said. 

“I’m sure there will be,” Taiga said. 

“I will teach you how to scuba dive,” Surya said. “I know how urgent this is. Can we reschedule, though? I really can’t do tomorrow. Can we do the day after tomorrow?”

“All right,” Eva said with a smile.

Taiga squeezed Eva’s arm and was surprised by the muscles there. I shouldn’t be. She’s a baker. “Talk to you soon.” 

It was late when Inierie got back to her room in Kazbek’s palace. She’d lived there for five cycles and, honestly, she was getting a little tired of it, plush as it was. She wanted more room to spread out, a place of her own. She’d had her grotto when she was dating Kamet, who was really Semeru, but had to give that back to Kazbek when that relationship ended. And then, of course, there was the house that she and her fiance had intended to share…but she dismissed the thought. Useless playboy, she sneered to herself. She now had what she wanted exactly where she wanted him. 

There had always been a strength and a purity to Kamet that she found appealing. He was everything a merfolk should be, a model for everyone in Altai. She hated the other families in Altai, hated how obsequious and devious and scraping they all were for the scraps of whatever they could get from piddly little trade deals or insignificant foreign excursions. She even hated Kazbek’s obsession with the garbage on the reef and food supply and keeping the subjects in his territories content. She wanted more. She wanted absolute obedience from her subjects. She wanted room to grow. And she wanted the perfect man by her side. And she knew very well who that perfect man was. 

Kamet, now Semeru, was what the Altaians should aspire to. Noble, selfless, strong, and resourceful. And extremely good looking, Inierie thought. He is an inspiration. She thrashed with regret that she had let him go so easily. Kazbek had been so insistent that she do her duty and marry a prince for the benefit of the family. We’ll take care of any of the inconveniences, he told her. Don’t worry about that. But you must do this to secure the power of the Rustavelis.

She removed her rings and glanced at herself in the mirror. She remembered the night she’d ended things with Kamet. He was so principled, so upstanding. So devoted to her. She didn’t feel bad about lying to him — it was what he needed to hear so he would go away easily — but she remembered his stricken eyes. 

“What do you mean, you’ve found your partner?” Kamet had asked her, his voice raspy with emotion. “What does that mean for us?”

“Kamet, don’t you know? It means…it means we can’t be together anymore. I’ve found my partner. I’m going to be together with him.”

Kamet looked as though his stomach had dropped out of his body. Poor little fish, Inierie thought. 

“Inerie…no…this can’t be. It can’t.”

“I’m sorry, lover,” inierie had told him. “I wasn’t expecting this. But the signs are all there. I’ve found the person who I’m meant to be with.”

“And it isn’t me?”

“No, it’s not you,” she’d said.

“Do I know who they are?” he’d asked her. But she didn’t answer. 

 “We will always be friends, Kamet. I hope we can stay friends.”

“I don’t want to be your friend,” he’d thundered. “I want to be your lover. I want to be your husband. I want what we have. I want to keep loving you.”

“I can’t give my love to you anymore,” she’d muttered. “I belong to another. I’m sorry, Kamet. Believe me, I am. I loved being with you, I really did.” 

“If you were truly sorry, you wouldn’t leave me,” he said. “Did I do something wrong? How can I fix this?” 

“You can’t,” Inierie said. I hope he isn’t going to be difficult. “There’s nothing you can do. The Goddess has another path for us. I hope you understand.” 

“I love you, Inierie,” he’d said: “Please don’t leave me.” 

“Forgive me, Kamet. This is just the way it has to be. Our destinies have taken us to two different places.” 

“So there is no hope for me?” he’d asked her.

She took him by the hand. “I have to be with my partner, Kamet. I hope you find your partner too, one day.”

“Inierie, I thought we were partners. I don’t want someone else.”

“Oh, lover,’ she said, lightly touching his face. “You’ll know when you find the person for you. You’ll recognize the signs. I promise you will.” 

“I want you. Don’t do this to me.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t have me,” she said. “I have to be with the one I’m meant to be with. And you will be with your person too, Kamet. You’ll find them. I’m sure of it.”

His face twisted in sadness. Then he took a deep breath and his expression grew stoic. He removed his hand from hers. 

“Goodbye, lover. I will never forget you,” he’d said, and left. Then he disappeared a week later. 

Inierie was surprised to find that she didn’t forget him either. Especially after the stupid prince left her. She wouldn’t have minded some entertainment with handsome Kamet. 

Occasionally she’d get intelligence reports from Merikiha and the man they described as Lieutenant and then Captain Semeru sounded very much like Kamet. After the Schota family ambushed Merikiha’s useless King Krakatoa, but were utterly destroyed by this Captain Semeru, she’d actually travelled under deep cover to see if it was the same man. And indeed it was. She’d smiled in satisfaction. I knew it, she crowed to herself. He’s always been everything a merfolk should be. 

Then the intelligence network lit up with the news that Semeru and some woman no one knew found the merfolk that humans had captured and killed cycles ago, including his own parents. A couple of merfolk had disappeared from Altai, and the royal family made a big show of conducting a funeral ceremony and comforting the families. Inierie sniffed in distaste. She was more interested in attending the funerals where Semeru would be speaking, and even dragged Kazbek along to a few to observe. Watching Semeru, she was more sure than ever he would be right for her plans. But then she learned even more disturbing news.

The woman wasn’t just a a woman. She was Semeru’s partner. And she wasn’t just his partner, she was a land-dweller. A land-dweller! Inierie wanted to vomit at the thought. How could her beautiful Kamet, the paragon of everything a merfolk should be, have any kind of relationship with a human? Let alone share the partner bond? How could Captain Semeru even go near a human after he’d discovered what humans had done to his family? Inierie didn’t understand it. And the worst part of it was, if Semeru had touched a human, that meant by extension, Inierie was now involved with a human. Disgusting. She wouldn’t stand for it. Semeru had to be corrected. She would see that he returned to her. Inierie would eliminate the land-dweller and make Semeru come back to his people. And then the two of them would make the humans pay such a steep price for interacting with merfolk that they would never, ever go near them ever again. 

She’d already been thinking about her ambitions to conquer the humans and seize power over them, but now vague ideas and concepts were becoming concrete. And the knowledge that Kamet had become Captain Semeru, a talented military leader, was now the catalyst for all of her grandest plans. She now knew what he was capable of. She knew what she could do with enough money and enough military merpower. And she was fortunate that she found plenty of support with military leaders from all over the region for what she wanted to do. Semeru was the last piece of the puzzle. As long as she could get rid of his bothersome human wife. Kazbek wants her, Inierie thought dismissively. He can eliminate the inconveniences after he’s done with her. He’s good at that.

Inierie had never found her own partner. She didn’t suppose she ever would, and she didn’t care. Her ambitions were beyond that. But she wouldn’t mind the perfect man at her side, being the inspiration for the troops and then being in her bed when it suited her. That life, with a healthy amount of killing humans, would have suited Kamet very well. She was certain that it would suit Semeru too. She just had to make him see the light. And get rid of the inconveniences. That won’t be be much of a problem, Inierie thought. She’s just a pathetic human. 

Chapter Text

Dawn. Viv was hustled out of the cell again and put to work cleaning the trash. She checked her watch and, as usual, it was just after 5 AM. Neither Inierie nor Kazbek came to bother her today. In fact, no one came to talk to her at all. She tried singing a song to entertain herself, but a guard came over and told her to “stop that awful noise” so that was a bust. She had nothing to do while she worked but obsess about whether or not Semeru would be happier with her or his beautiful ex. She tried not to think about it, but her treacherous brain kept returning to that delightful topic. 

She was out there cleaning garbage for hours. There weren’t even interesting fish to look at. Just hour after hour after hour of scraping the garbage with her scythe, cutting it into pieces, and putting it into the bag. She started imagining she was the garbage, she was one with the garbage, that she was a magical organism that had become extremely well-adapted to cleaning the garbage. Anything to quiet her roiling mind. 

No one came to get her as night fell and yet again her guards held up lights for her to see her work. She began to reflect on the differences between daytime garbage cleaning and nighttime garbage cleaning. In the day, the currents were gentler and it was easier to keep track of the loose pieces of rubbish as she transferred them from the rocks and sea floor to her bag. It was also much easier to do the delicate work of separating the sticky garbage from the coral. At night, the currents were stronger, so many times she’d lose a piece of garbage and have to chase after it. Once she saw the soldiers laughing at her as she raced after some water bottles all covered with a sticky, oily substance. 

It was also very hard to see the detail work of scraping the nasty oil residue off the coral, but she was afraid if she didn’t do it properly, Inierie would hurt Semeru. I still love him, even if he’s not my partner anymore, she thought to herself, and that thought kept her warm for a while. But, she reflected, she didn’t see the point of nighttime garbage cleaning since the conditions were so much worse. She could get the job done better and more efficiently in the daytime. Unless the idea is to make me suffer. In which case, nice job, Kazbek. Top marks, dude. She kept at it for hours, until one of the soldiers said, “That’s enough, human,” and swam her back to the cell.

Semeru must have been waiting for her and he walked to the edge of the bubble, putting his hands on it, trying to get close to her as she came in. Viv touched his hands again and stared at him. She still couldn’t feel their connection at all. She remembered the days when Captain Semeru would supervise her, floating there with his arms crossed, staring at her. She’d had such a crush on him. She would have done anything to look at him, given anything just to be near him. The crush had deepened into love, but even now, just like in those days, she would still do anything to be near him. She’d gotten used to the merfolk way of romance, of feeling like a part of Semeru’s body and soul. But all of that was gone. She was starting to think she’d only imagined being able to sense and share his emotions, only imagined hearing him in her mind. She certainly couldn’t feel the lust Inierie talked about, that sharp-edged emotion that was so strong Viv could almost taste it, like leather and smoke and salt. 

Taste is mostly smell, she reflected. Maybe that’s the scent Inierie is talking about. She got close to the bubble and tried to smell anything, but the only thing she could pick up was the seawater and the stones in the walls. She couldn’t smell him at all. I don’t have a merfolk sense of smell. So maybe Semeru is utterly consumed with lust for Inierie. Or maybe she’s lying. I have no way to know, which is just awesome. 

But she didn’t have time to think any more about it because as Viv looked up, she saw Inierie floating in the open doorway, arms crossed. 

“Hello, land-dweller,” Inierie said, uncrossing her arms and swimming gracefully into the cell. She caressed Semeru’s bubble gently, sensuously. “Hello, lover,” she said softly. He backed away from her. “He’s so beautiful,” she murmured, and put him in the dream state again. 

“Let him go,” Viv said in an indignant squeak. She was too tired and hungry to be intimidating and Inierie knew it. 

“You did such a good job cleaning the trash today. It’s like you have a gift for it.”

“I wish you had a gift for leaving us alone,” Viv said. 

Inierie watched Semeru in the bubble. She stroked it softly. “There are no merfolk in the world like him. He is extraordinary.”

“Stop touching his bubble,” Viv spat. 

Inierie turned to Viv with a gentle smile. “How long have you been with Semeru, human?”

“None of your business.”

“How’d you meet him?”

“Still none of your business.” 

“How’d you get him interested in you?” 

“Rough sex and bicycle rides,” Viv said. 

Inierie looked puzzled. Then she shrugged. “You are bizarre, land-dweller. I’m curious, did Semeru ever say anything about me?”

“He mentioned you a couple of times,” Viv replied. 

“What did he say?” 

“That you were nice,” Viv said. “And that the relationship was nice.” 

“I’m glad. He’s such a nice man. So kind and loving. He would have done anything for me. It was a lovely, soft relationship. We were so good for each other. He needed someone to care for him.” 

Viv crossed her arms and frowned at Inierie. “You were sort of mean to him.”

“Oh? What do you mean?” Inierie asked, her sweet tone turning icy.

“Why did you tell him you wouldn’t be seen with him if he wore a beard? Why did you give him the silent treatment all the time? Why did you make him stand outside your door, making him wait for you to forgive him and let him in?”

“Is that what he told you?”

“Is it not the truth? Semeru’s a pretty honest guy.”

She laughed. “Oh, land-dweller. Haven’t you figured out yet that Semeru makes a story more dramatic if he feels hurt? I know our breakup was tough on him. He remembers the worst incidents and highlights them.”

Viv reflected. Breakups were tough and people tried to portray themselves in the best light afterwards. Goddess knew she did. And she hadn’t always been great with Chris. But Semeru had never asked for sympathy. He’d always said Inierie had been nice to him, but Inierie hadn’t been. And Viv wasn’t sure Semeru knew that. 

 “Did you think your relationship was nice?” Viv asked her. 

“It was nice. Very nice. But a lot has happened in the cycles since we were together. We need him now. The merfolk need him back with us.” 

“Between us girls, I’m not that surprised that you sold him out like you were working a garage sale.” 

Inierie laughed. Viv thought she’d never heard such a pretty sound. “Don’t think of this as selling him out, human. Think of this as bringing him back to himself. Helping him rediscover his true purpose. Helping him rejoin his people.”

“What do you want with my husband, Inierie?”

“I want him to remember who he is,” Inierie said, her face serious.

“Will one of you people just give me a straight answer to anything,” Viv snapped. “All I hear is ‘All in good time’ and ‘When he’s ready’ and ‘I want him to remember who he is.’ What is your real endgame, woman?”

“I could very well ask you the same question,” Inierie remarked. “You married our strongest warrior. You encouraged him to move on land. You made him quit being the Captain. You are pulling him away from helping our people. You took him away from his Kingdom to party with you on some tropical island. And look at what’s happening to merfolk now. We are suffering. We are dying. We are losing our home to humans. Your species.” 

She got uncomfortably close to Viv's face. “I think you are here to hurt us. I think you’re a hostile agent sent by the humans to destroy merfolk. You do it by stopping our strongest warriors like Semeru from serving their people.” 

“What the hell are you talking about, Inierie? I’ve helped merfolk.”

“Have you? Or have you just made us weaker? I know all about that fool treaty you encouraged Merikiha to sign. You’ve lured that Kingdom into a trap. When the time is right, the humans will know exactly how to crush the Merikihans. And Semeru won’t be able to do anything about it, because he’s stuck in your trap. That’s your endgame, isn’t it, land-dweller. I know all about this. You humans come in with soft words and nice treaties and sweet promises. And then you’ll kill us all. I know who you are.”

“Inierie, no one is doing any of those things!” Viv cried, her voice rising to a shrill squeal. “No one wants to hurt merfolk! Humans and merfolk are working together to make life better for everyone!”

“You’re a liar as well as a piece of human filth,” Inierie spat. “Whose life is being made better with this treaty? Merikihans? They’re vulnerable to attack. Maoke? They’re totally dependent on human food supply now. And the humans don’t care. Until they crush us.”

“The air quality and the fishing are better in Pokyo since the treaty has been signed,” Viv cried. “They certainly do care. They’re grateful for the merfolk.” 

“Now we get to the truth,” Inierie crowed. “You are a hostile agent, making Merikiha work twice as hard for the humans’ benefit. The merfolk do all the work so the humans can enjoy the rewards. And you want to export your idea of co-existence to more and more Kingdoms so more humans can benefit from merfolk labor. Well, I won’t have it.”

“What? No, it’s not like that at all. When both sides work together, both sides benefit.”

“You can’t show me a single benefit that Merikiha has experienced based on this treaty.” 

“Kazbek just told me Merikiha is the envy of Altai!”

Inierie waved her hand. “Kazbek thinks everything will be fine if you just clean the garbage. But we know the truth, don’t we, human?”

“I’m not the one who wanted the treaty,” Viv pointed out. “The entire Merikihan royal family wanted it. It was the right thing to do. And it’s working.” 

“Look at you, our human savior,” Inierie said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. “Thank you so much, land-dweller, for saving us poor, benighted little merfolk.” 

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Because you care so much.”

“Yes, Inierie, I care.”

Inierie got in Viv’s face. “If you really cared about merfolk, you’d stop taking away our warriors. If you really cared about merfolk, you’d let Semeru go back to his duty.”

“His duty is to bridge humans and merfolk,” Viv said. “The Goddess told him so.” 

“And you heard it?”

“No, he told me.” 

“Of course he did. You’ve manipulated him so he thinks he can have his human whore on land and forget his Kingdom. And you’ve encouraged him to interpret what the Goddess told him to justify fucking you every night.”

“I haven’t done that at all,” Viv cried.

“But what she actually said to him is that she wants our two peoples to get along. And they will. He will help us make that happen. But not with the humans bossing us around, like you want. And certainly not with you here.” 

“I’m not leaving him. He’s my husband. I love him.” 

“Do you really love him, human? Do you really care about him? Or do you just love that perfect body and beautiful face he’s got?” 

“I love him more than my own life,” Viv shouted. “So stop doing this to him.”

“If you really love Semeru more than your own life, then turn around and get out of here,” Inierie told her firmly. “You’re a land-dweller. You have no business with Semeru. Leave him to the merfolk. If you truly love him, If you truly love your precious Kingdom of Merikiha, you’d return to your island and never go under the ocean again.”

“I’ll never do that,” Viv gasped. “I’ll never leave my husband. And I won’t leave my family and my friends.”

“My Goddess, land-dweller, what kind of sick savior complex do you have? Merfolk aren’t your family and friends. You feel special because they let you spend time with them. But what you’re really doing is hurting them. Every time you get close to merfolk you make us weaker and sicker.”

“But I don’t think I do,” Viv said. 

Inierie put a hand on Viv’s arm. “Stop trying to turn Semeru into one of you filthy humans. He isn’t one. And the more you try, the more people will suffer. And not just your precious Merikihans. Merfolk everywhere will suffer. Because of you.”

“And what if I don’t leave him?” Viv asked, her voice low.

“I will put him in the dream state every day until you’re gone,” Inierie said. “We’ll have these little chats every single day about what a selfish human you are, and how this marriage hurts merfolk, and how every time you think you’re saving us you’re actually making us weak. And you and I will watch him sit there, unable to move, unable to see, unable to think. Is that what you want?  Is that how you like him? Then stay with him, and that’s what I’ll do.”

Viv was so tired, and so hungry, that she could barely think. All she could do was look at Semeru, stuck, frozen, completely empty.

“I’m doing this for his own good,” Inierie said. “Sometimes we have to do things that hurt. I know you think it will hurt to leave him. But it’s the right thing for everybody.  You have to do what’s right for Semeru. You have to let him be who he is. Good night, land-dweller. Good night, lover.” She woke Semeru up, blew him a kiss, and swam away. 

Viv felt like she couldn’t breathe. She felt as though Inierie had reached into her chest, pulled out her heart, and stomped on it. 

If I stay here with him, Inierie will hurt him every day. If I leave him, she’ll stop. I can’t leave him. I have to help him get out of here. But if I stay, she’ll keep putting him in this state. She’ll keep shutting him down. 

The fatigue and hunger were making Viv feel like she was hallucinating. Her skin and eyes were itchy, and she felt sluggish and cold. But mostly, she was so, so tired. So she listened to what Inierie said. Inierie is right that I’m worthless and cruel, taking Semeru away from the Kingdom. Taking him away from his duty, his true work, keeping his people safe. I ruined all of that. If I care about him, I’ll stop hurting him. 

A single slice of fish appeared on a plate. Viv ate it in approximately ten seconds. She looked over at Semeru, and saw he’d done the same. 

Wait, this isn’t right, Viv lectured herself. No one who I love has ever said I was hurting anyone by being with Semeru. Not Mira, not Denali, not Deno. And the King told me this was what he wanted to happen. He said Semeru living with me was the goal of his strategy. Inierie is trying to fuck me up. And it won’t work! Semeru is mine, and I love him, and our task together is to help merfolk and humans share the planet. Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? That’s what Semeru told me. That’s what the Goddess told me!

She told you that when you were higher than giraffe tits, a dark, wicked voice said in her mind. You could have imagined anything.

No. I know what she said. And I know what Semeru told me.

Do you? Or did you just hear what you wanted to hear? Why do you care so much about the merfolk anyway? Because you just wanted to get into their hot Captain’s pants?

“No pants, Viv,” she said aloud, and laughed hysterically until she cried. 

I care about the merfolk because I love them.

And? The dark, wicked voice asked her.

And…and because I like being the Chosen One. I like being the special human who helps them. It makes me feel good.

There it is. Thank you for being honest.

Viv went close to the bubble to look at Semeru.

 What a joke — me, the Chosen One. I’m not so special. I could stop Inierie hurting him. But I want to be with him too much. Because I’m so selfish. 

And she let her guilt, the lean, hungry monster that so often haunted her thoughts, take over her brain. I did take Semeru away from his duty. I did take him away from his Kingdom. I did take him away from his people. I stole away the greatest warrior in Merikiha. All of that is true.

Semeru looked confused. But he put his hands on the bubble to touch Viv, and she touched his hands briefly. She looked at him and began to cry. Fuck me, I’m useless, she thought, and swam away to sit on the cot. Semeru looked stricken and that hurt worse.  She put her head in her hands. All I’ve done is create drama since I’ve met him. Pufferfish and now this. I haven’t helped anyone. All the Chosen One’s done is caused chaos. She lay down on the cot, letting her guilt yell at her until she fell asleep.

When Merdai was determined to do something, it was almost impossible to change his mind. He’d had a couple dark nights of the soul waiting for any news about Semeru and Viv, and had heard nothing. As she had promised, Captain Trikora was always available to him, but she could only tell him that there was no news to share. 

Merdai wasn’t about to let his family slip out of his fingers a second time. He was going to go straight to Merikiha and find out exactly what was going on. He threw his toothbrush and a shirt into a rucksack and headed out to do the three hour swim by  himself. He had no idea what he would do when he got there. I’ve got hours to think it through, he reflected. Let’s go.

Semeru had inherited some important traits from his father’s side of the family. Bratan was notable for his bravery and charisma, but Merdai had an enviable focus and discipline of mind. And it was this focus that Merdai used now to plan his next moves.

Who do I actually know in Merikiha? He asked himself. I know the engineer we met, Merapi, and I know the Princess. I think the first thing I need to do is find either one of them and figure out a place to stay. And I bet the Princess will have more knowledge about where Semeru and Viv actually are. Then, once I know where they are, I can figure out how to get them out. But I can’t do anything to rescue them until I know the situation I’m dealing with.

These thoughts comforted him on his long swim, until he arrived in Merikiha. Merdai had been to this Kingdom several times, and he was familiar with it even before he met Semeru. When he was a merling, he’d visited as part of a school competition, and he’d scoped it out with Bratan while he and Iya were considering moving there. He never failed to be pleased by the softly colored stone and the beautiful architecture of the central square. He could hear the faint hum of the village, more lively than Maoke’s central square. My own kingdom is pretty dull compared to this, he thought. He could see why Bratan and Iya had liked it here. But he was hungry and tired and decided to go to the tavern to see if he could get something to eat.

By sheer chance, Merapi and a number of the soldiers also happened to be in the Eel too. “Merdai?” she cried, and came over to him, nodding at him in greeting. “Hi, Merapi,” he said.

“What are you doing here? Do you have news about Semeru?”

“I was hoping you did,” he said, gruffly. “I couldn’t just float around in Maoke when something like this happened.”

“I’m glad you’re here. Come join us,” and she introduced him to all the soldiers, and Merdai was touched at how highly they all spoke of Semeru. They ate and chatted, and then Merapi swam him to the palace.

“You’re only supposed to go in if you have official business, but you’re Semeru’s uncle, so you’ve got the business,” she smiled. “Come find me if you need me, I’m usually at the barracks.” 

“Thanks,” Merdai said, and pushed open the heavy doors. The King and Queen weren’t there, and neither was the Princess, though a man holding a huge spear was at his station below the thrones.

“Can I help you?” Puncak asked. “Oh, you’re Semeru’s uncle, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Name’s Merdai,” he said. 

“Lieutenant Puncak. Nice to meet you, sir. Semeru is a hell of a guy.”

“I know,” Merdai said. “So where in all the oceans is he?”

“I’m not sure I’m supposed to tell you that,” Puncak said. “It’s classified.”

“Then tell me where I can find the Princess, or anybody, who can tell me where the only family I have is!” Merdai said, his voice low and gruff. “Semeru disappeared once, I’m not going to let it happen again!”

Puncak sighed. It was horribly unfair to let Merdai suffer this way, and what harm would it do to let Semeru’s closest relative know what was going on? 

“The Princess is in the library,” Puncak said. “It’s up the stairs and to the left. If you can’t find her, come back here and we’ll work something out.” 

So Merdai swam up the stairs and went to the library, and did indeed find Princess Miranjani very closely reading a number of documents written in very precise, neat handwriting. 

“Merdai!” she cried, nodding her head in greeting to him. “How are you? What are you doing here?” 

“You know what I’m doing here, your Majesty. Highness? Majesty? Ach, I can never keep track of it.”

“Highness. Just call me Mira,” she said, laughing. 

“All right, Mira. So you know the story. I’m not floating around anymore waiting for anything to happen. I’m going to do something about this situation.”

“Has anyone told you anything?” she asked.

“No. All I know is that it’s a sensitive military situation.”

Mira sighed, and decided to make a quick decision. Merdai was Semeru’s only family. He deserved to know.

“I can’t tell you much,” Mira said. “Mostly because I don’t know much. And I have to ask you to be very discreet. Semeru and Viv’s safety depends on this.”

“Of course,” Merdai said. 

“The two of them have been kidnapped by Altaian forces,” Mira told him.

Merdai stared. “Altai! Why?”

“We don’t know. It’s a very delicate situation, as you can imagine. We’re trying to do everything we can to get them back as quickly as we can.” 

“I bet it’s a delicate situation. Altai. Goddess.”

“You can stay here as long as you like,” Mira said. “Use either Semeru’s or Viv’s room in the barracks. Do you know where that is?”

“No idea,” Merdai said. 

“Puncak’s on duty. He’ll have one of his men show you. Semeru’s room is the one with the blue lobster on the floor, and Viv’s is the one next door. I’m glad you’re with us in Merikiha, Merdai. It’s good to have Semeru’s family here.”

“Thanks for your hospitality…Mira.”

“You’re getting the hang of it,” Mira said. “I’m sorry I can’t join you but I’ve got some critical work here. Let any of the guards know if you need anything.” 

“Of course,” Merdai said, and swam away. He asked about the barracks and got his directions. 

Altai, Merdai thought to himself. Well, now, this is an interesting turn of events. Unlike many of the Merikihans, Merdai actually knew something about Altai, and he thought he had an idea of what to do to get Viv and Semeru back. But he’d need some help first. 

“Go ahead and strap on your air tank,” Surya told Eva. She’d met him precisely on time at the dive point. Surya was glad he and Taiga had the extended question and answer session with Eva the other night. He knew how important diving was to her now. 

Eva found that the tank was heavier than she expected and the mask was strangely snug against her face. She felt like she was tiny and all the equipment was dwarfing her. But when she and Surya got in the water, the feeling of being engulfed by the equipment disappeared. Everything felt lighter, more free. 

“Go ahead and switch on your dive mask,” Surya told Eva, and she followed the instructions. They went to an area just south of the dive pier, that was clean and clear and shallow enough to stand in, and Surya suggested they kneel on the sandy, pale ocean floor to get used to the feeling of being underwater.

Eva found that the first breath underwater was deeply weird. It was loud and mechanical and didn’t stop. It was difficult for her to get used to, and her brain kept shouting at her that this wasn’t right, but as the air kept coming, she got used to the rhythm.

She imagined what Denali must have felt in reverse, breathing water her whole life and then suddenly breathing air, being in a foreign place where she didn’t quite belong. But she really did belong. And Eva now had the sense that she could belong too, that she could exist below the surface of the water. Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. It was easy to let those thoughts fill her mind. The machine was strangely relaxing and comforting. 

Next, Surya showed her how to kick with her fins. It was difficult and clumsy at first and hard for Eva to go anywhere. But she imagined Denali again, walking with legs for the first time, and thinking about that helped Eva let go and find her rhythm. She could now glide rather than thrash in the water. 

“That’s so cool,” Eva said. “I feel like I’m flying.”

“Isn’t it?” Surya said, a huge grin on his face. He loved Ling’s special dive masks, that let divers talk to one another rather than having a regulator in their mouth. It made the whole diving experience much more fun. “Are you ready to go down?”

Eva nodded. “As I’ll ever be.” She realized that it was the act of getting into the water that was the most frightening. Now that she was actually there, she found herself very curious about what would come next. 

Surya took her hand and went a bit deeper into the ocean, the sun above gauzy and soft. When Eva could no longer stand, she absorbed the feeling of being weightless, completely submerged, suspended like — she laughed —  a little pebble in the ocean’s endless expanse. But she didn’t feel overwhelmed. She felt excited and happy. Like this was an enormous present just waiting for her to open it up.

And to reward that feeling, a curious batfish swam by, friendly and interested in what the two of them were doing. Eva yelped in delight as she and the batfish stared at one another. The batfish swam away, but that was it. Eva was hooked. She wanted to dive more and see more, and explore this beautiful, weightless world. The world the love of her life was born in and lived in. More, more, more, Eva thought. 

Surya reminded her to check her air tanks. 

“There’s more to see, right?” she asked him.

Surya smiled gently. “So much more.” 

Chapter Text

Dawn. The soldiers came and woke Viv up at 5 AM, using their spears to force her out of the cell and start work. As usual, she’d had only four hours of sleep. Semeru was still sleeping as she left the cell. She didn’t know how she was going to hold it together without collapsing. And then after a few hours of scraping and hauling and pulling garbage, Inierie came swimming by for a chat, wearing a charming smile. 

“I always enjoy spending some time in your company, human,” she said, pleasantly. 

“I wish I could say the same,” Viv complained.

“I’m sorry that you don’t care for me. I don’t understand why. We have one very big thing in common.” 

“I don’t know, maybe your keeping him imprisoned and torturing him has something to do with it.” 

“I put him back in the dream state just now. He’ll have a pleasant day dreaming of me. Of course, he won’t be able to move or think, but that’s on you, land-dweller.” 

“What do you want, Inierie,” Viv snarled. 

“I wanted to see if you had any thoughts about what we discussed last night,” Inierie said. “About doing the right thing for Semeru.”

“If the right thing is leaving him, I’m not doing it,” Viv said. “I’ll never leave him. He’s the love of my life. He’s my partner. He’s my husband!”

Inierie chuckled. “Oh, land-dweller. You’re so very, very sweet. You think Semeru is your partner?”

“I know he is. He’s told me so. Everyone has told me so. You can’t make me deny that we are partners, Inierie.” 

“What do you know about merfolk partners, human?”

“He’s the one for me and I’m the one for him. We share an emotional connection. We’re meant to be with each other. We’re partners!”

“And are you partners for life?”

“Semeru said it happens for life most of the time,” Viv said. 

“And do partners break up, land-dweller?”

“Semeru said he had seen partners break up.”

“And what happens to the emotional connection when partners break up?”

“He told me that he didn’t know,” Viv said. 

“Where is your emotional connection now? What is he feeling?”

Viv didn’t say anything.

“You don’t have anything to say because the connection is gone, isn’t it, land-dweller,” Inierie said, in triumph.

Viv still said nothing.

“Let me tell you the truth about merfolk relationships. I see no one has, so I’ll clue you in. I know that humans have all sorts of adorable ideas about love and lifelong partnership and commitment and all that. We don’t. We are committed to the strength of the merfolk people. The person you marry is the person with whom you will have the strongest children and the person who will enable you to serve your Kingdom to your greatest ability. And that is our purpose, human. To serve our people. Nothing else. We are not distracted by love, or emotion, or some kind of fleeting fancy.” 

“So why did I feel his emotions until I got to Altai? Why could I hear his voice in my mind?”

“You foolish little girl,” Inierie smiled. “Your partnership is over. Semeru has ended it. He is back where he’s meant to be. You can’t feel him anymore because he’s no longer your partner. You had him for a time, and I suppose that it was cute and sweet and even a little romantic. But now he’s here to serve his people as a merfolk should. He can’t have a lifelong relationship with a human. The very thought is absurd. He has severed your bond with him because he’s back doing his duty. He’s back doing what he’s meant to do.”

Viv felt like she was in free fall. This was the thing she was most terrified by. And it was all coming true. 

“But he tells me he loves me,” Viv said, her voice a tiny squeak. “He tells me that I’m the one for him. We share emotions. I feel it.”

“When Semeru gets lonely, he’ll say anything to get you to fuck him,” Inierie said. “You think I don’t know his tricks? He’s a smooth talker. He’ll say what he needs to say to get into your bed. It’s not a special sign of some magical bond. He wanted to sleep with you. That’s it.” 

Viv felt like her entire body was collapsing. This can’t be true. It just can’t. She’s a liar. She’s lying to me. And then that dark voice in her mind: but what if it is true, Viv?

She clung to anything that she knew to be the truth. “He didn’t object at either wedding.” 

Inierie waved her hand to dismiss the thought. “You’ve convinced him somehow to mate with you. Sex has always been his weakness. He’ll do anything for a bit of pleasure. I’m sure he enjoyed being with you for a little while. But he’s now realized he’s a merfolk, not a human, and now that he’s here, he’s returned to his people. That’s why you can’t feel him anymore. I’m just trying to help you understand this.” 

“So if he’s not my partner, whose partner is he?”

“I don’t know. Perhaps someone else here in Altai. The Goddess wants merfolk to have strong children. Do you really think that can happen with you? Do you even know if you can get pregnant? Is it safe? Why would the Goddess want a merfolk like him to have children with a human like you?”

“You told him you didn’t want his children,” Viv said. 

“I’m not meant to have mewling pups with anyone. My destiny is greater. And so is his,” Inierie replied. “He’s not meant for the pathetic little life you’re providing for him. That’s why he broke up with you.”

“He broke up with me?”

“Did you not know that’s how merfolk do it?”

“How can he break up with me? He hasn’t even spoken with me. He can’t! He’s stuck in a bubble!” 

“He doesn’t have to,” Inierie said. “The connection is gone. You no longer feel it. He’s severed it. That’s the sign. Your relationship is over.”

“Inierie, what —” 

“Do you feel him or not? Is he your partner or not?”

Viv put her scythe down and faced Inierie. “You say you know so much about merfolk partners and relationships. You’ve got one up on me. I was born a human. So maybe he’s severed our partnership for some reason. But I do know this. I love him. And he is my husband. Humans don’t leave the people they love and they especially don’t leave their husbands. So I will not leave Semeru.”

Inierie nodded. “You’re a selfish piece of shit, aren’t you? What a self-absorbed piece of garbage you are. How fitting that you clean it all day every day. You intend to hold on to a man who doesn’t love you and make him suffer every day for what? Your own ego? Your own pride? Because you’re so happy you landed the hot merman?”

“Again, he’s my husband,” Viv shouted. “Stop acting like I kidnapped him or something. He told me of his own free will that he loved me and that he wanted me and he accepted my marriage proposal! He married me twice! He is my partner!” 

“Ohhh, you asked HIM to marry YOU,” Inierie smiled. “How interesting. You couldn’t even get him to ask you to marry him. How telling.”

“Don’t be an old-fashioned ninny,” Viv snarled. “This isn’t the Victorian era, sweetheart.” 

I will not cry in front of this woman, Viv thought. I will not. 

“I don’t know why you want to cling to a man who doesn’t love you,” Inierie said. “I don’t know why that’s so important to you. But you can see I’m telling you the truth. He’s left you. If he was still with you, you’d feel your connection.” 

“He loves me, he told me he loves me,” Viv whimpered. She was so tired. 

“Whatever helps you go to sleep at night,” Inierie said. “See you later, land-dweller.” and she swam away. 

Inierie swam to another room in the palace, where Kazbek’s Oracle, Dzhimara, was working on some spell or other, throwing herbs into cauldrons and distilling tinctures. 

“You said it would be difficult to block the connection between Semeru and that filthy land-dweller,” Inierie said to her. “Do you still find it so?”

“Extremely,” Dzhimara replied. “I did not realize the depth of their connection. Not only do I have to block Semeru’s shapeshifting ability, and a number of his teleportation gifts, which are very powerful, but I have to block Viv and Semeru’s emotional connection, which is an even deeper bond than what most partners experience.”

“What do you mean?” Inierie asked. 

“They have a connection that goes beyond mere feelings. He can read her thoughts as well. Trying to keep that away from them is like trying to hide a liquid spill behind a door. It’s taking a lot of effort to keep things from seeping out.”

“Keep at it,” Inierie said. “I don’t think you’ll have to do it for very much longer. We are close. Is there any way to sever the bond itself?”

“No,” Dzhimara said. “No one has ever found a way to break the bond between partners.” 

“Tell me more about Semeru being able to read her thoughts,” Inierie said. “She is a human. How is this possible?”

“I don’t know,” Dzhimara said. “But he can do it. I found Semeru trying to speak to Viv in her mind after I blocked his shape-shifting magic, but they couldn’t understand each other because they no longer speak the same language.”

“You’ve stopped it, though.” 

“Yes. He is unable to read her thoughts now.” 

“Does the human truly share the partner bond?”

“Yes. She can feel his feelings as he feels hers.”

“That’s disgusting,” Inierie said. “How is it possible that humans can be partners with us?”

“I don’t know,” Dzhimara said. “But they can.” 

“Ugh. It sickens me. Why can’t they stay on the surface and out of our way? Well, if he feels what she feels, he should be picking up that she’s thinking about leaving him.” 

“I should think so.”

“That will devastate him. Good. Then he’ll be ready for me. It will make all of our plans so much easier if he comes to me willingly.” 

“And will solve the problems I told you about if you cast a blood magic spell on him.” 

Thank you, Dzhimara. I know this is a challenge. Hang on for just a few more days.”

“You are very kind,” the Oracle remarked.

Dawn. The soldiers hustled Viv outside again and she got back to work. She didn’t really know why she was working and she didn’t really know what she had to look forward to. Semeru was asleep when she came in the night before and he hadn’t woken up when she’d left the cell. There was nothing, no hope, just the endless days of cleaning garbage, and then, when the work was done, what? Sitting in the cell waiting for anything to happen? 

Hours and hours and hours and hours and hours of garbage cleaning went by. No food. No rest. No conversation. At a certain point, Viv felt she would have been grateful for Inierie to relieve the crushing boredom, but she didn’t appear. Kazbek didn’t appear either. She wondered where the soldiers who swam her from Merikiha were stationed. Clearly not nearby. She wondered what Semeru’s business that Dzhimara and Inierie described was. But that was too painful to think about, so she stopped. She could barely think about anything anyway. Her brain was completely scrambled with hunger and fatigue. 

I’m lost, she thought to herself. I’m lost and I have nothing and I have no one. Not even Semeru. 

And then she thought to herself what her Nana would do in the situation. Nana would do the work and respect her marriage vows. We do what we promise, Viv, honey. Viv nodded. She would listen to her Nana. Until Semeru spoke with her himself, she would stay with him. And for about five minutes, she felt resolute in her decision.

But then she began to feel doubt. Severing the emotional connection could be the merfolk way of telling you he’s left you, a voice inside Viv’s head said. That could be his Dear John letter. You don’t know.

He’d said he wanted to be with her forever. Always and always, she remembered.  He wouldn’t just break up with her without telling her. Would he? If he really respects you, she heard Ceil say in her mind, he will tell you he’s breaking up with you in your language, not just his. 

But he doesn’t respect me, she thought. He’s a merfolk. He won’t have anything to do with humans. Remember? He likes it in Altai. He’d been happy with Inierie. 

Viv shook her head. That’s what Inieirie said. Is it true?

She could barely focus. She couldn’t concentrate on anything. Her mind was mush. She felt like every time she tried to think a concept through, she was running through mud.

So much of her identity was wrapped up in being Semeru’s wife and partner. Mira, Denali, and Deno’s sister, the undersea farmer, the Chosen of the Ocean. Who was she if she wasn’t any of those things?

I’m Vivian Bernstein. I’m from Pokyo. I live on Coral Island. I’m a farmer. 

And then something struck her. 

If I am those things, why am I held captive in a foreign undersea Kingdom cleaning the garbage?

She didn’t know. She didn’t know anything anymore. Scrape, pull, place in a bag. Scrape, pull, place in a bag. 

The day took its familiar shape. Clean the garbage, watch the sunset, keep cleaning, watch the guards hold up the lights, clean the garbage, head back at midnight. And this day was no different. The guards said, “That’s enough, human,” and Viv silently swam with them back to the cell. When she arrived, Semeru was in the dream state. How long has he been like that? Viv thought. It doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. She lay down on the cot, looking at the ceiling, waiting for the slice of fish to appear so she could sleep.

“Hello, land-dweller,” Inierie said, swimming through the door. She woke Semeru up. 

Viv sat up on the cot. “What do you want?”

“I wanted to find out your plans. When are you planning to leave Semeru? What can I do to help you?”

“I’m never going to leave him,” Viv said dully. “He’s my husband. He’s my partner.” 

“I see you’re continuing to be selfish,” Inierie said. “There’s a fine line between stubbornness and stupidity. You like crossing it, don’t you?” 

“I might be stubborn, but I’m not stupid and I’m not selfish. You just want me to leave him so you can have him.”

“I want you to leave him so the merfolk can have him. So he can go back to his real life and serve his people. If you swim away right now, I’ll stop putting him in the dream state and he’ll be healthy again. He’ll stay here in Altai and be part of our Kingdom, just like he dreamed of. He’ll be the rock of the Kingdom like he always was. Like he was meant to be. If you really care about him, all you have to do is just go.” 

“He doesn’t want that. He wants to live with me.”

“Oh, land-dweller,” Inierie said. “We’ve discussed this. You’ve been manipulating him for sex. But if you really care about him, you’ll let him go. He’ll find happiness in his duty. That’s what he truly wants. Why are you denying him happiness?”

“Because he’s my husband,” Viv squeaked. “Those are the rules. You stay with your husband.”

“He’s left you. You know he has. He’s no longer your husband. So you don’t have to stay with him anymore. Go back to that island you live on, and never, ever bother us again. It’s the right thing to do, human. You know it is.” 

“I won’t leave my best friend! I won’t leave the love of my life!” 

“He’s not the love of your life. He doesn’t love anyone. He’s a merfolk. He serves. And the sooner you get that into your head, the better. He’s gone, Viv. He’s not happy with you. That’s why you can no longer feel him.” 

“I won’t do it,” Viv said. “I can’t.”

“You can and you will. Otherwise, I’ll just put him in the dream state every day and we’ll have this same conversation over and over again. I hope you find it educational.” 

“So are you saying unless I leave him here with you, you’ll keep putting him to sleep?”

“I’ll stop as soon as you leave. If you don’t like him in the dream state, then do the right thing and go. You’ll feel better. He will too. It’s what’s meant to happen.” And she swam away. 

Viv swam over to Semeru, and he had the slightly dazed look he got when he was trying to recover from the dream state. He put his hands on the bubble, gesturing to her, trying to get her to come close, but Viv just floated there, staring at him, arms folded. 

Viv looked at him critically. He didn’t seem too bothered by the experience. But the dream state hurts him! He wouldn’t want to be with someone who was hurting him, she thought. Would he?

You went back to Chris, that wicked little voice said to her. How many times, Viv?

I left Chris! she told herself. 

Semeru didn’t leave Inierie. She left him. If she wants him back, she just has to snap her fingers and he’ll go. Look at how happy he was to dream of her. That’s what he really wants, the dark, wicked voice said. He wants her. You’re second place. The consolation prize. Semeru is with you because she broke up with him. So just leave. That's what you're best at, isn't it? Leaving? 

But I’m his partner! We have our connection! she answered herself.

The connection is gone. You know it is. You’re not his partner anymore, that dark, wicked voice in her mind told her. 

No. No, that’s not right. 

Well, we’ll just see, won’t we? 

Viv’s anger and despair rose in her throat, causing her pain. He hates me. He broke up with me without even talking to me. I’m not his partner anymore. He wants to stay here in Altai. She started clenching and unclenching her fists, desperately wanting to hit anyone, punch anything. But whose fault was all of this? Yours. It’s your fault, Chosen One.

And after her long, long work day with very little food or sleep, Viv broke. Inierie had done it. Viv began to weep. She hadn’t talked with a soul for days other than Inierie, and all Inierie talked with her about was how Semeru didn’t love Viv anymore. Her world had shrunk to the cell, cleaning the garbage, and abuse. The silence and solitude were so big, so oppressive, she felt like she was being consumed by them. She felt like the silence was shoving her down a dark hole.

She just wanted to talk again. But there was no one to talk to, except for Semeru, who couldn't even hear her. She swam to the bubble and looked at him straight in the eye, the tears streaming down her face. 

“I can’t blame you for wanting to leave me,” she said, her voice broken with sobs. “I’m ugly, I’m a half-merfolk freak, I’m just garbage cleaning the garbage. You don’t really love me. You never did. You want her. You always did want her. I’m nothing to you!” 

She was so tired, and so hungry, and all of her thoughts began to collapse. “In the end, it turns out the only person who ever loved me was Chris. And he hit me. But I should have put up with it. I should have let him smack me around. But I was selfish and moved away, and I ruined three lives: his and mine and yours!. And now I won’t even stop Inierie torturing you! Because I’m such a selfish, worthless, filthy land-dweller!”

She took a breath, and tried to wipe the tears out her eyes with her hands. 

“If you want to go back to Inierie so freaking much you can have her,” she shouted at Semeru, She saw the hurt look on his face, the pain in his eyes, raising his hands because he didn’t understand what she was saying. She couldn’t feel any emotions from him, and now she knew why. 

“Why do you look so confused? Isn’t it simple? You want to break up with me. You want to leave me. I get it. The Goddess was wrong about me. I wasn’t worthy of you after all.”

 Viv had nothing left, no resources, no way to cope, nothing. She threw her arms out wide. 

“I know she’s hurting you,” she told him. “I know that I can stop it. But I’m afraid, and I love you, and I don’t want to leave you, even though it’s probably the right thing to do. I’m just so tired! I want you back at home with me on Coral Island, even though you want to break up with me.”

She tried to breathe, but she couldn’t. It felt like her breath was stabbing her in her lungs. 

“I thought you were happy, Semeru. I thought we had a good life together. I thought you loved me like I loved you. I was wrong, okay? I was wrong.”

She put her head in her hands. 

“But I still love you. And I'm too afraid to leave you.  So I stay here clinging on to my memory of our love. I pretend I still matter to you, I delude myself that I’m your partner. And every day I stay I hurt you more, like the worthless sack of shit I am!” 

 She sat back on the cot and pushed up her tail like it was her knees. She put her head on her tail and sobbed. Food appeared, but Viv wouldn’t touch it. 

If she’d looked up, she’d have seen Semeru banging on the bubble trying to get to her, and that he was crying too. But she didn’t. She sank fully into her own despair, with no partner, no help, no hope, just a future of endless days cleaning the garbage to keep Semeru safe.

Unless I leave him.

All I want is to keep him safe. And if leaving him is the best way to do that…

No. Why am I even thinking about this? She’s a liar! 

But I have to stop her putting him in the dream state. 

And what if she’s right? I’m not a merfolk. I’m an alien. I’m different. So maybe I misunderstood Semeru. Maybe I am just a distraction. Maybe Inierie knows something I don't.

She lifted her head and saw him, his face full of pain. Were those tears running down his face? Why on earth is he crying? He left me. He broke the connection. She swam up to the bubble and looked at him again, the sticky remnant of tears all over her face. Instead of his voice in her mind, like she used to, now all she could hear was Inierie’s voice. He’ll say anything to get you into his bed. You don’t have a magical bond with him. He just wanted to sleep with you.

And maybe that was all it was. And he didn’t even want that anymore. He used to be my partner. He used to love me. Now he isn’t. And he doesn’t. 

She took a deep breath. 

Inierie’s right. I stay here because I’m a selfish piece of shit. 

A selfish piece of shit. 

A selfish, selfish, selfish piece of shit.

She inhaled and then exhaled deeply. 

Viv hadn’t seen herself in the mirror for days. Everyone was telling her how terrible she looked. She didn’t care about that anymore, but she really wished she could look herself in the eye. She looked down at her merfolk body, a body she hadn’t been born in but now felt as comfortable in as her own legs. Unlike the other merfolk, the real merfolk, as Inierie would say, she said to herself, I didn’t inherit my tail from my parents. Cho Oyu said I made it myself, she thought, looking at her glowing fins. She touched one, now, felt the sensation reverberate throughout her tail, pulled the fin to feel the pain. It didn’t hurt as much as, say, pinching a leg might have, but she could feel it in the muscles of her tail, the strong muscles that let her glide through the ocean with her own unearthly grace. She wasn’t Semeru. But she wasn’t a bad swimmer either. She could go as fast as the Princess and was so silent when she sliced through the water. And there was nothing as pretty as her glowing fins in the dusk. 

I made myself as a merfolk. I made myself as a farmer. I made my own career. I followed my passions. I define myself and I choose my life, she said to herself. 

She got up, swam from one side of the cell to the other, and put her hands on her hips. You might be a selfish piece of shit, Vivian Bernstein, but this is your life too. You chose him. You told him that you would be with him for the rest of your life. You told him he would never be alone again. Your Nana expects you to be true to your promises. So you will.

Even if it’s the wrong thing to do? 

Even if it’s the wrong thing to do. I know what I need to do to hold my head up high. So I will not leave him. I’ll never leave him. Is that selfish? Maybe that’s selfish. But all I have are my principles. So I will stay true to them. 

She swam to him now, looking at him, but not touching him. She was afraid to. She was afraid she made the wrong decision. I know this is right. I think this is right. No, I know it is. I keep my promises. Saying that to herself made her feel good. But she looked at him, her eyes bright with tears, and her guilt began to nag her: She’s going to hurt him. She’s going to torture him. Because of you. And she turned away from Semeru. 

Around and around and around her thoughts went. She lay back on the cot, turned to the wall, tried to go to sleep, and then a thought occurred to her. 

“Wait a minute,” she said aloud in the dark. “They’re trying to wear down my defenses, to pull me and Semeru apart. That’s exactly what Kazbek and Inierie are trying to do. And I’m not going to let them do it.” 

Or, that dark, wicked voice said to her, it doesn’t matter what you do. He’s already left you. Because all he cares about is serving the merfolk.

“Then at least I’ll have done a good thing for the Altaians,” Viv said aloud. “And if Semeru wants to dump me, he can go serve whoever the fuck he wants. I don’t care.”

But she did care. She looked at the ceiling. It was the right thing to do to stay. She knew it was. Even if Inierie kept hurting him. I keep my promises. I choose my life, and this is who I am. 

Viv didn’t dare to look at Semeru again for fear he would break her resolve. She was going to go to sleep, and get her four hours, and finish the garbage cleaning job and then she would fight for his freedom. But she was so scared for him. She was so worried about what Inierie would do to him. This is the right thing for me. But is it right for him? 

She closed her eyes, but all she could imagine was Semeru and Inierie, both of them so beautiful, swimming hand in hand together around Altai. Looking at the ocean ridges. He would point out sharks to her, telling her about all the times he went swimming with them to calm his mind. Perhaps they played predator and prey together. Viv imagined Semeru looking for Inierie, finding her behind a coral formation, kissing her hands, biting her knuckles. She imagined Semeru, his beautiful face unscarred, holding the lovely Inierie, gently biting her shoulders and neck, holding her tail close, slipping — 

“Ugh,” Viv said, and turned over. 

Chapter Text

Even though Viv couldn’t feel Semeru’s emotions, Semeru could feel hers even more strongly than ever. For days he felt the potent combination of guilt, self-loathing, despair, and now resolve, and it terrified him. What is she going to do? 

The night Viv broke, he’d spent most of the day in the dream state. Inierie had come in, touched his bubble as she often did, and knocked him unconscious. He wasn’t able to wake again until she came back after Viv returned. He watched his wife and his ex-girlfriend have some kind of tense conversation, with occasional glances at him, and then Inierie left, leaving Viv extremely disturbed. He could feel how upset she was, how angry she felt. He sensed a deep, profound sadness and a dark, painful self-loathing, but, strangely, none of it was directed at him. That would have been easier for him to take. Instead, she was angry at herself. She loathed herself.  It pierced Semeru, watching happy, strong, confident Viv descend into this deep pit of self-hatred that she couldn’t seem to get out of. “Whatever she’s telling you, it’s not true,” he told her, but she couldn’t hear him. 

He watched her shouting at him, but he couldn’t hear or understand what she was shouting about. And then he watched her as she broke, sitting on the cot sobbing her eyes out. He knew her feelings were getting more and more intense under the torment and he could sense a horrible, oppressive finality from her, like something important was coming to an end. Is it us? What does it mean?  Semeru was devastated, watching her. He tried to get the bubble closer to her but it wouldn’t move. He saw her sobbing and it hurt him in his very soul. He began to cry too. This was his fault.  They were in this position because he had been involved with Inierie. He pushed thoughts at her as hard as he could: Please. Please come here, let me help you, let me do anything for you. What did she say? Why are you shouting? Viv, let me in. She didn’t respond. He tried to push the most powerful emotions of love and affection he could muster toward her, but all he could feel was a wall of jealousy and anger and despair. 

He banged on the bubble to get her attention. “Viv, Inierie is manipulating you! Don’t listen!” he shouted aloud. “Just look at me, Viv, please! Look at me! Don’t listen to her!”

And then she got up and she did look at him, and the look in her eyes was something he’d never seen before. It was like she didn’t know who he was, like he was a stranger to her. He could feel that she was steeling herself against pain, that she was guarding her emotions. She was constructing a wall around what she felt for him. Like she was protecting herself from him. Why? he thought in a panic. Why would she do this? What is happening to us? 

She turned away from him again, just as she’d been turning away from him for days, putting up walls of anger and guilt and defeat. Can’t she feel me like I feel her? Why is she ignoring me? Why won’t she engage with me at all? What happens to her every time she disappears from our cell? 

Every day for Semeru was an increasing landscape of bleakness. He awoke each morning from a fitful sleep to find Viv already gone. No one talked to him. He saw no one. He did some calisthenics to keep his body as strong as he could inside the bubble, but they only lasted so long, and once they were done, there was nothing else for him to do. He was being kept in solitary confinement.  He was captured in a cell within a cell, completely, unrelentingly alone. It was a situation, he realized, that was designed to break both him and Viv. She had no defenses against it. He had some, but he realized all too well the silence and solitude would eventually break him too. 

The sensation of whatever Inierie was doing to him to knock him out was deeply unpleasant. When she touched the ball he could see in her hand, he lost consciousness. He had no idea what was happening to him. Everything was a blank. It frightened him that Inierie had the power to simply shut his body and mind down, to make him completely helpless. Inierie could do anything she liked to him or Viv at any time she liked and there was nothing that Semeru could do about it. 

He was desperately lonely. He tried to flow into Viv’s mind, but he was blocked. She’d stopped trying to flow into his mind because they still couldn’t understand each other. He couldn’t wear the translator dive mask in the bubble and anyway it didn’t work in their minds. He tried to physically flow out of the bubble, but that was blocked too, as was his ability to turn into air. He could still flow into her dreams, but he couldn’t talk to her. She kept dreaming that she was inside their farmhouse on Coral Island, and he was outside, and he couldn’t get in. So all he had to think about were Viv’s emotions, which ranged from utter boredom and disgust to extreme anger, depression, and listlessness. He could almost taste her sadness, it was so strong. And he couldn’t do anything at all to help her. Or help himself. 

There was a day that he felt nothing but the guilt consuming her. Semeru had once seen a dolphin try to chase its own tail, circling around and around trying to catch its tail but never succeeding. He’d thought it was funny. But her guilt felt like that, going around and around and around and around, never getting anywhere. 

 His temper flared. If I’ve told her once, I’ve told her a thousand times: she doesn’t need to feel guilty about my decisions! I made them! So why is she so upset about my own choices? She doesn’t listen to me. 

Then he sighed. That’s not fair, Semeru, he lectured himself. Inierie’s probably talking to her. He knew how good Inierie was at finding people’s insecurities and poking them. She did it to me, Semeru thought. She knew how much I wanted affection and someone to talk to. And she got me to do whatever she wanted just to keep the affection coming. It disturbed him, but he had to face the truth. Inierie didn’t care about him at all, and their relationship had been built on the same lies and manipulation Inierie was subjecting Viv to right now. She kept me compliant. Just like Viv is being kept compliant. Semeru was furious about this realization, and he also didn’t like facing this uncomfortable truth about himself. 

The night that Semeru could feel that Viv had made an important decision, an unpleasant memory surfaced in his mind. 

One evening when he and Inierie were together, Semeru had come home after a long day working at the carpenter’s. He’d made a set of chairs and a table, and on his lunch break he’d eavesdropped on a conversation between two nobles of the Ksudach family and filed a thorough report. The pieces of information he was gathering about the Ksudachs were shaping together into a story. Semeru liked this aspect of intelligence work. 

“Hello lover, I’m home,” he said cheerfully, as he let himself into his grotto. Inierie usually came over to his place on this night of the week. 

She was there, taking money out of his bag. 

“What are you doing?” he asked her.

“I needed some money, so I’m taking it,” she said, matter-of-factly.

“You don’t take my money, you ask me for it,” he said. 

“We don’t do that in Altai. Lovers have community property. Everything that’s yours is mine. Didn’t you know that?”

“No,” Semeru said. “You’ve never told me that. No one has told me that. You can’t just take my money.”

“This is the way we do it here. I don’t know how you do it in your Kingdom, but here, your money belongs to me. You’re with me so your money is mine.” 

Semeru folded his arms. “I don’t think it is, Inierie.” 

Her face crumpled. “Why do you want to hurt me, Semeru? You always do this. You’re so cruel towards me. I’m so afraid of you. Why are you so angry all the time?”

He looked bewildered. “I don’t think I’m angry, I just don’t want you to take my money.” 

“How can you treat me like this? I do so much for you, and all you do is yell at me. You make me so scared.”

He was even more puzzled now. “Inierie, what — I’m not even yelling at you. I just want you to tell me when you’re taking money out of my bag. That’s all.” 

She burst into tears. “I can’t talk with you like this. I’m afraid you’re going to hurt me.” 

And she swam out of the grotto. 

Semeru stewed for a few minutes, but when she didn’t come back, he began to get worried. He didn’t want her to feel afraid of him. He would never hurt her. He loved her. How could she say that? He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He thought about what his life would be like without her, and the emptiness frightened him. He went to her house and knocked on the door.

He knocked and knocked, and began to panic. What if she wouldn’t speak to him anymore? Just as his heart started thundering in his chest, she answered the door. She didn’t say anything, just leaned on the door frame with her arms crossed.

“I’m sorry, Inierie,” he said. “I don’t want you to be afraid of me.” 

She still didn’t say anything.

“Please don’t be angry with me,” he said. “I’m sorry I said those things. I’m sorry I made you feel like I would hurt you. I would never do that. I care about you too much.”

“You’re so frightening when you’re upset with me,” she told him. “I worry you’re going to hit me.” 

“I wouldn’t,” he said. “Please forgive me. I won’t say anything about this again. Please let me inside.” 

She looked at him up and down. “Do you promise?”

“I promise, lover. I don’t ever want to scare you.” 

She uncrossed her arms and swam into the grotto. He came inside.

“May I touch you?” he asked her.

“All right,” she said.

They mated later that night, but as he was going to sleep, he realized he wasn’t exactly sure what he’d done to upset her. And the next day, as he looked at his wallet, there were fifty fewer coins in it than he was expecting.  

I didn’t do anything wrong, he thought. She lied to me, and when I pointed that out, she told me I was scaring her.

He thought about Viv, asking permission to read his books or borrow his pen, and smiled. He’d already told her that everything that was his was hers, and she’d said the same. But she still couldn’t get out of the habit of asking to use his things. What a difference, he thought. But he couldn’t tell her. He couldn’t do anything to comfort her or explain what went on with Inierie except push loving emotions at her. And she clearly was in no state of mind to receive them. How long have we been in Altaian custody? It was hard to keep track of the time, and his brain wasn’t functioning well because of his hunger and thirst. 

That was yet another thing to feel guilty about. He could feel Viv being slowly worn down by whatever they were forcing her to do — he couldn’t tell what it was just from her emotions — and her hunger and fatigue. And this left her totally unprepared to deal with Inierie’s psychological manipulation. From the way Viv had talked about Chris, Semeru had been prepared to hear about an abusive relationship. But all he’d ever said to Viv about Inierie was that she was nice. That’s what he’d thought, after all. 

Turns out she wasn’t, Semeru thought grimly to himself. He hadn’t really spoken with Viv much about his feelings toward Inierie. He’d thought the story was straightforward. Boy loves girl, girl likes other boy better, girl breaks up with boy, broken-hearted boy leaves. But now, everything he thought he knew was wrong. She lied to me. She told me she was a civilian. Did she ever feel anything for me? He thought about himself in those days, so pathetically needy for any kind of affection, so grateful for any feeling other than pure transactional sex. He would have done anything for Inierie, and she received what she gave him with a kind of amused, affectionate calm. And he’d thought it was enough. He didn’t want to admit this about himself, didn’t want to admit his weakness. He was always the biggest and the strongest, but she turned him into a sad little pup, desperate for a pat and a kind word. It turned his stomach to think about it. Inierie had made him stand outside her door, banging on it so she would let him in and forgive him, more than a few times. Because she wanted to humiliate me. And I don’t think you’re supposed to treat people you’re involved with that way. Viv never does. 

Viv didn’t get upset with him much. But when she did, she always wanted to talk it out. And she would never give him the silent treatment. He remembered discussing it with her. I’m no good at the silent treatment. I like talking with you too much, she’d told him, laughing. The thought made him smile now. There were many differences between Viv and Inierie, but the one that stood out to Semeru just then was that he and Viv respected each other. He felt like an equal in their relationship. With Inierie, he felt like he was always on edge, like he was always about to be wrong, and that she would make him pay until he admitted it. 

Inierie always wanted things her way, and she would lie to me to get her way. She accused me of wanting to hit her or hurt her, just so I would agree to whatever she wanted to do. And that, Semeru realized, was a particularly toxic combination with Viv’s personality. Viv had told him many times that she was a people pleaser. It comes from having divorced parents, Viv had said. I’m always worried I’ll screw up and drive people away, so I’ll do anything to make them happy. And that left her uniquely vulnerable to Inierie’s particular brand of intimidation. Semeru suspected Inierie would make Viv feel like an outsider and a fool. And there was nothing Semeru could do to help his wife withstand the onslaught. 

I’ve failed Viv, he thought. I’ve left her unprepared. I didn’t defend her. What a useless husband I am. Me, the protector, the guard, the person who swore no one would ever hurt her. Look what I let happen. 

He watched Viv putting her arms on her tail, sobbing harder than he’d ever seen her cry before. He tried over and over again to flow into her mind to talk with her, to comfort her, to try and protect her from whatever Inierie was doing, but he couldn’t. She couldn’t hear him. It looked like she couldn’t feel him. There was nothing for him to do except watch her break. And he thought that the pain and despair he could feel would kill him. 

Then he felt her make a decision about something. She resolved to do something, and then he watched her carefully refuse to look at him. Instead, she stared at the ceiling and tried to turn over to go to sleep. 

What if she’s going to leave me here? he thought in a panic. What if that’s the decision she’s made, leaving me with Inierie? What if she thinks that’s what I want? What if Inierie’s convinced her that’s what I want? Please, please, Viv, don’t do this to me. But there was nothing he could do to communicate with her. All he had was the silence inside the air bubble, without even the whoosh of the current to keep him company. 

Merdai had put his rucksack down in Semeru’s room. There was something about the blue lobster mosaic on the floor that cheered him up. He resolved to ask Semeru about it when he spoke to him again.

If you speak to him again, he thought. Then he shook his head. No. I will get to speak to him. I won’t lose him. 

He lay back on the seaweed bed. He was tired. His thoughts drifted to what he thought he was going to do. Altai. Viv and Semeru are in Altai.

Fifteen cycles ago, because Merdai was good at coaxing plants out of the Maokiri soil, he’d been asked to be part of a royal delegation to Altai, who were having a great deal of trouble with their food supply. “I can only grow seaweed,” Merdai said. “We can’t grow fruits and vegetables anymore.”

“Just go see,” Queen Kirat had told him. “If they’re in the same state that we are then we’ll have lost nothing. And if you can teach them something perhaps there will be a great deal to gain. Find out what you can find.”

There didn’t seem to be any reason not to go, so Merdai sighed and got on with it. That was all he could do in those days, just get on with things. 

But the Altaian situation was interesting. Kirat had given the delegation permission to stay as long as was necessary to get crops going, which meant Merdai had planned for a couple of moons in Altai. He ended up staying for a whole cycle, observing the seaweed and how it grew. Certain types of seaweed grew much better in Altai than in Maoke, and certain types didn’t grow well at all. He was also able to grow some very small bluecoles with a very intensive light nutrient schedule. Had he known more about soil chemistry, he would have known that the type of pollutants Altai was experiencing made the soil more alkaline than Maoke’s, which meant the types of plants that could thrive were different. So he made his careful notes and harvested all the plants. And he talked with people, because when else would he get a chance to talk with folks from another Kingdom?

They all told him how tired they were of the constant wars, the soldiers trampling on their homes and gardens, and how hard it was to make any kind of living because of all the strife. It was hard to make and sell goods; it was impossible to grow anything because even if you could get plants out of the ground, they’d be eaten or destroyed by the soldiers; and the markets were often closed because of the constant battles. But the thing that struck Merdai was how much the Altaians missed their fruits and vegetables. The old-timers in particular spoke of the luscious fruits in particular that they hadn’t been able to grow in so long. They resented the land-dwellers for polluting the soil, but they resented the ruling family even more for not doing anything about it. 

Merdai was cooking up a plan. It was a crazy plan. And he didn’t even know how he’d execute it. But what if he figured out the technology that Merapi used to make the seeds that grew in Maokiri soil and somehow adjusted it to grow in Altaian soil? What if the Altaians could have their sproutfruit and soka and labu crops again? Wouldn’t that be worth something? Wouldn’t that be worth bartering for Semeru and Viv’s lives?

Merdai resolved to put his plan in motion in the morning. In the meantime, he needed his rest. It had been a long swim.

Taiga and Surya reflected on what Eva had told them over breakfast, eating their usual granola and yogurt and carefully avoiding Kevin’s sad eyes. 

“I don’t know what I was expecting but I don’t think I was expecting that,” Taiga said. “Viv and Semeru have been kidnapped by mysterious people, are in a mysterious place, we don’t know when they’re coming back, and are probably under the ocean. And this whole thing is related to Semeru’s job which he never really had.” 

“He had a job, just not the job he told us about.”

“I wonder what his job actually was?”

Surya smacked his forehead. “Sayangku, I think the answer has been in front of us the whole time.”

“What?” 

“The strange structures under the sea. The fact that the reef basically healed itself. The fact that mysterious people appear and disappear.”

“WHAT?”

“After all this time,” Surya muttered. “I never wanted to believe it. I needed to see the evidence. But maybe the evidence was just staring me in the face and I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Lyubov,” Taiga said patiently. “You have to let me into that brilliant head of yours.”

“The lore about Coral Island,” Surya said. “Joko and Dinda have been talking about it since I was a little child. As long as I can remember. There’s a Goddess, and Giants, and merfolk. And it seems like the stories about the merfolk might be true.”

“Do you really want to think about the possibility that “merfolk” — what is that? Is that a mermaid?”

“That’s what Joko and Dinda called them. Merfolk.”

“Do you want to entertain the possibility that they really exist? And that Semeru is one of them?”

“There was a time in my life when I didn’t want to believe anything that hadn’t been proven by science,” Surya said. “But that’s a pretty closed-minded way to view the world. There have been so many miraculous discoveries. Why can’t this be one more? What is the difference between the magic of a beautiful nudibranch and the magic of a merfolk?”

“I guess so,” Taiga said.

“But that’s why Semeru knows everything about the ocean. Because he lives there.”

“Except when he’s married to Viv. Then he lives here.”

“Maybe she’s a mermaid too. Maybe when they disappear for a couple of days they go to their underwater house. But that’s how he can talk to rays and knows so much about the ocean. Because he LIVES there. He was born there. He’s an ocean creature.” 

“That’s why he has so many questions about things,” Taiga said, realization lighting up her face. “And why he hasn’t done a lot of the same things we have.”

“But if Viv’s a mermaid, she hasn’t been one for a very long time,” Surya said. “She seems more comfortable with people.” 

“Her backstory is certainly better,” Taiga laughed.

“Did you know Semeru told me he’d seen a giant squid?”

“Nobody’s seen a giant squid.”

“I bet Semeru has,” Surya said, excitedly. “Sayang, this is wonderful. Can you imagine how great this will be for science?”

“No, malysh,” Taiga said. “This is the biggest secret we’ve ever had to keep. If people find out that mermaids — uh, merfolk, I guess — really exist, every single person in the world will be coming here to find them. We can’t tell.” 

“But —” 

“No buts. You know I’m right.” 

Surya sighed. “Do you think Semeru will let me dive with him sometime?”

“Maybe if we save his life,” Taiga said. “But first we have to find him.”

They turned up the hill, headed towards the shady path that led to Kira and Jack’s cottage. Taiga knocked on Kira’s door. “I wonder if she’s home,” she said to Surya. “And what we’ll do if Jack is there too,” Surya muttered. Fortunately, Kira answered the door. “Hi Surya,” Kira said cheerfully. “How are you? And Taiga, right?”

“That’s right,” Taiga said. “Kira, we need to talk with you about something privately, please.”

“Of course,” Kira said. “Come with me.”

And she led them around the back of her cottage to a back entrance. “This is for business,” she told them, as she led them inside a small stone room with a desk and two chairs. Taiga and Surya both indicated the other should sit until finally Surya did. Kira took the other chair.

“Speak,” Kira said, abruptly.

“We think Semeru is a man mermaid and he and Viv have been kidnapped by some sort of under-the-ocean crime syndicate,” Taiga said. 

“Merfolk, sayang,” Surya said. “And we don’t know about the crime syndicate. But he and Viv have been forced against their will to go someplace underwater.”

“Wait, slow down. Hold on. Semeru is a merfolk.”

“Yes, we think so. Is that the right term?” Taiga asked.

“Do you not read the stories in the library?” Kira said, tartly. “They’re called merfolk. They’ve been part of the Coral Island ecosystem since the beginning of recorded time. And you’re telling me that one of them lives here with us?”

“He’s made us dinner,” Taiga said. “He cooks fish really well.”

“I bet he does,” Kira said. “And he kills monsters with Mark. Of course.”

“You can’t tell anyone about this,” Surya said. 

“i would never. How do you know he’s a merfolk?”

“Let’s just say we heard it from a source,” Taiga said.

“Fine. So what are we supposed to do about it?”

“He’s missing, Kira. He and Viv have been kidnapped by merfolk and from everything we hear about them, they’re not singing songs and exploring shipwrecks. These people are nasty pieces of work,” Taiga cried passionately. “We have to help Viv and Semeru. If they’re being held in the ocean against their will we have to get them back.” 

Kira squinted at Taiga skeptically. “You want us, a bunch of humans, to go look for two people in a vast ocean, underwater, where we don’t live and can’t breathe so we can fight merfolk. You’re serious about this.” 

“We have to!” Taiga cried. “I don’t know why this is so hard for everyone to understand! They’re our friends! Why wouldn’t we at least try to rescue them? When they come back, how can we look them in the eye if we haven’t even tried to help?”

Kira was silent. She put her fingertips together and didn’t speak for what Taiga thought was a long time.

“I like your determination,” Kira said. “Have you thought about joining the Band of Smiles?”

“I’m not here to talk about joining some mysterious monster hunting group!” Taiga cried.

“All right, all right,” Kira said with a soft laugh. And then she grew serious.

“We’re not totally without resources in this situation,” she said. “Surya, have you talked with your boss?”

“Ling?”

“No, your other boss, Big Bird,” Kira snarked. 

“My boss isn’t —”

Taiga elbowed him. “Solnyshko, she’s being sarcastic.”

“Oh, oh, right, oh,” Surya stammered. “You mean Ling.” 

Kira snorted. “Of course I mean Ling. She always seems to know about weird stuff going on under the ocean. I think she knows more than she’s letting on.” 

“We’ve never talked about it,” Surya said. 

“Have you ever asked her?”

“Well, no,” he answered.

“Okay. Go and ask her about it, and when she gives you any kind of an answer, come back here and we’ll discuss what to do. Fair?”

“More than fair,” Taiga said. “Thank you.” 

“I don’t want to see anything bad happen to Semeru or Viv. They’re both excellent assets to us. And nice people.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying,” Taiga said. “See you soon.” 

Surya and Taiga left. 

“Finally, we’re getting some help around town,” Taiga said.

“Do you really think we’re going to have to find merfolk? Do you think we’re going to have to fight them?”

Taiga stopped and straightened up to her full height. “I want to stand up to them,” she said. “Nobody takes my friends away from me.”

“You are the Russian revolution,” Surya laughed.

“I fight for the little guy,” Taiga said. 

Surya wrapped his arms around her. “With you fighting for Viv, she can’t lose.”

Dawn. It was the usual routine. Viv was forced out of the cell and made to clean trash. Semeru was still asleep when she left, but she refreshed his air. She imagined she’d see him that night briefly as she ate and passed out. She didn’t even look at him when she left. What was the point? He was asleep, and anyway, he didn’t care about her. 

As she began the garbage cleaning work, she decided, after her resolve never to leave Semeru, that she no longer cared what the guards thought. I’m in my DGAF era, she said to herself. I should be allowed to sing while I work. Viv was a theatre kid. She loved singing, and seeing how many musicals she could sing from memory would be at least slightly entertaining. The first one that came to mind, unsurprisingly, was The Little Mermaid. She’d majored in musical theatre in college and every year the students in the department put on a semi-professional show, and they performed The Little Mermaid during her sophomore year. That’s how she’d met her girlfriend at the time, Katia.  Katia had played Ariel, of course, she sang like an angel. Viv, with her deeper voice, was cast as the villain, Ursula. For a while, Viv resented that Katia usually played the ingenue whereas she always played the best friend or the villain, but then decided the best revenge was to sleep with the ingenue, and, fortunately, Katia agreed. They dated for a couple of years and eventually, without drama, mutually decided to break up, though they remained best friends. But it had been pretty funny watching Katia convincingly romance the rather handsome boy who played Prince Eric while every night she happily got into Ursula’s bed.

“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat,” Viv sang to the garbage, laughing about how she had spent so much time in a mermaid palace for real. “Now I really am a little mermaid,” she said aloud. “Take that, Katia, I did end up playing Ariel.” The thought amused her. She wondered idly what Inierie would look like in the octopus costume and the thought made her giggle out loud. 

So Viv began to sing the songs from memory, quietly. A guard came over to tell her to shut up, and she said, “Make me,” and crossed her arms, scythe in her hand. He looked at her, and looked at the scythe, and swam back to his group, and she started to sing a little bit louder. And that entertained her for a bit. She got through the entire Little Mermaid score twice by the time the guards told her, “That’s enough, human.” 

She checked her watch. Midnight. The guards escorted Viv to her cell. They were different from the ones she’d seen in the morning, so they must have switched shifts, but Viv hadn’t noticed. When she got back to the cell, Semeru was awake, and she touched his hands briefly. But she was afraid to look him in the eye. What will I see there? She ate the meager meal when it appeared. And then Kazbek entered the cell. 

“You are doing well, land-dweller,” he said. “I’m pleased with your progress, though I admit you don’t look good.” 

Viv didn’t care about that anymore. “Kazbek, Inierie is trying to get me to leave here. Why is that?” 

He smiled. “I think we’re all impressed with how efficient you’ve been at cleaning the garbage. I can see why Merikiha got you to do this job. So we’re going to need to think about what you’ll do once you’re done. When you’re finished, you’ll be free to go.” 

“I can just go?”

“Of course.”

“And Semeru can come with me?”

“No. He has a responsibility here, just like you do. So he must stay. But when you’re done, you don’t have to.” 

“What’s his responsibility, Kazbek?” Viv asked.

“That’s his and Inierie’s business. Not ours. But the good news is that once you’re done with the garbage, our business together is finished. You could go ahead and leave and go back to your island.” 

“I should stay to help him,” Viv said, more to herself than Kazbek. 

“Why? You will have done your service for the people of Altai. They are already grateful to you and will be more so when you’re done. And isn’t that what you want? To help merfolk? You will have done a good job, and you will have our gratitude. Go home. Get rest. Go back to your life.” 

“I don’t want to leave Semeru, but I want Inierie to stop putting him in the dream state. What do you suggest I do?”

“I don’t care what you do,” Kazbek said. “All I care about is that you clean the garbage.”

“I just want to stop her hurting him,” Viv said. “She told me she would put him into the dream state each day that I stay with him. I don’t want her to do that anymore. If I clean the garbage faster, will it stop her from hurting him anymore? Please?”

“There’s only one thing you can do that will get her to stop putting him in the dream state,” Kazbek said. “You know what it is.”

“Leaving him.”

“Yes.” 

“I can’t, Kazbek,” Viv told him. “I promised I wouldn’t. I promised I would stay with him for the rest of my life.”

Kazbek was silent for a few moments. And then he got a look on his face like he was speaking to one of his underlings. Patronizing, Viv thought. 

“It is clear that you are a selfless person,” he told her. “I like how you are thinking about your husband’s welfare. You are thoughtful and considerate.” 

“I don’t want to leave him,” Viv said. “Is there anything else I can do to keep Semeru safe? Is there anything else she wants? I don’t think he’s safe in the dream state. I want her to stop.”

Kazbek nodded. “You are wise to be thinking about this. I agree with you that the dream state is probably not entirely healthy for him. And you won’t have long to consider your options. Going at this pace, I estimate you should finish cleaning the job in just a few days. Once everything is complete, you can go home to take care of yourself and the people around you. Semeru will be fine here. He’ll be safe. He’ll be happy.” 

“But I need to stay with him. I need to stop her from hurting him.”

“He will be fine, Viv. He’ll be safer here without you than with you.” 

“But what will happen to him? When will he come home to me if I go?”

“He will be free to go when he’s finished, just like you will,” Kazbek soothed. 

Viv said nothing for a moment.

“I think we both know that isn’t true,” she said. “Lies do not become us, Kazbek. If I leave here I think I will never see Semeru again.” 

“One never knows what will happen in the future,” Kazbek said. “But you will leave here knowing he is happy and unharmed. And isn’t that worth something?” 

Viv didn’t want Inierie to hurt Semeru anymore. She didn’t want him in the dream state. And she’d been listening to Inierie go on for days and days about how Semeru truly wanted to stay and serve the merfolk, and trying to force him to do otherwise was selfish and cruel.

“Can I talk with him? Can I just have five minutes with him to find out what he wants?” Viv asked.

“That would put my people in danger. You don’t want that, do you?”

“How would that put your people in danger?” 

“Expert in prison escape, remember? If I let him out for even a minute it’s dangerous.”

 Viv rolled her eyes.  “Whatever. I just don’t want Inierie to hurt him anymore.”

“You could sign a pledge to leave him,” Kazbek said. “I could have a pledge drawn up for you immediately. That will keep him safe.”

“There must be another way.”

Kazbek’s voice was soft, soothing. “It’s been a long day,” he told her. “I know it has. Why don’t you sleep on it? You’ll feel more clear-headed tomorrow and you’ll do the right thing. You’ll make yourself and Semeru proud. You always do such a good job thinking about others and caring for your husband. You’ll do what’s right.” 

He swam out of the room and back to his office where Inierie was waiting. 

“Well?” She asked him. 

He nodded. “She’s close. She’s very close. I estimate she’ll be ready in two more days. She’ll promise to leave him and it will tear the two of them apart.”

“Good,” Inierie said. “It’s high time he learned who humans really are.” 

Kazbek poured himself a glass of wine. “I’m impressed, Inierie. You’ve done a good job on her.”

“Thank you, cousin,” she smiled. 

After Kazbek left, Viv could sense Semeru staring at her, willing her to engage with him. She touched his hands through the bubble again but still she felt too guilty about letting Inierie keep hurting him to look at him. She began to lecture herself. Stop it. You promised. If he wants you to leave, let him tell you himself. But then she argued with herself: He’s no longer my partner. He wants to be with the merfolk and serve them. And all you’re doing by staying with him is hurting him.

“Damn it,” Viv said aloud. “I’m stuck on this stupid treadmill in my mind, going nowhere. I know what he wants. He wants to serve his people and do the duty the Goddess gave him and live a healthy, happy life without Inierie putting him to sleep all the time. So how do I help him accomplish that?”

She shook her head. “I need to work this out with a different perspective.” 

She lay down on the cot and turned away from him to try to get some sleep. But she could feel the tears running down her nose. She missed Semeru. She was lonely. But she had to think clearly. She had to think about doing the right thing for him. And she needed to keep him safe. I’m doing what my Nana would do. What my dad would do. What all my human friends and family would do. Even though it’s going to hurt him. Even though maybe he doesn’t love me anymore. Even though he’s not my partner anymore. Thinking about that was like stabbing herself in the gut. She loved Semeru, loved him with everything she was, no matter what Inierie said. 

She let herself think about all the beautiful things she and Semeru had done together, all the loving moments they’d had, the smell of his silver hair, his bright, beautiful blue eyes adorned with impossibly long, silky lashes, his soft, beautiful skin, his sweet, gentle smile that lit up his whole face when he saw her, his perfect, gorgeous body, the feel of his arms when he wrapped them around her tight. She thought about his sly sense of humor, his endless curiosity, his incredible stillness and focus, his boundless creativity that he was just beginning to tap into, the fascinating conversations they constantly had.  It was hard to believe that he didn’t love her anymore, but she guessed Inierie would know. Inieirie was a merfolk, Viv was a human. What did Viv know about what merfolk were really like?  I have ideas about love and commitment. I thought Semeru did too. I guess I don't really know anything about these people, do I? she thought. 

Viv’s good cry wore her out and she finally fell asleep. She found herself in a vivid dream. She was in a therapist’s office, lying on a leather couch, looking at the ceiling. There was a deep red rug on top of a soft grey carpet, plants everywhere, certificates on the wall, framed gauzy watercolors, and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves stuffed full of books. Viv sat up on the couch to see who the therapist was.

It was Chris.

Oh, this is an experience,  she said, lying back down. You are exactly the right person to help me achieve self-actualization.

Hello, sweetness, and yes I am, he grinned. Who could be better?

Literally anybody in the entire world, she snarked.

You and I both know that’s not true. You need me, sweetness.

Viv sighed. You’re so irritating when you’re right.

So let’s begin, he said. He picked up a pair of reading glasses and undid first the right arm and then the left arm. He placed the glasses on his face. Then he picked up a notebook, licked his finger, and turned the pages to the one he wanted. Then he picked up a pen and clicked it open. 

He looked over at Viv. What the fuck are you doing, Vivian?

What do you mean?

What is all this Kazbek is telling you about signing a pledge to leave Semeru? 

Viv burst into tears. Inierie and Kazbek say that if I don’t leave him, she’ll never stop hurting him! Everyone’s telling me that I’ve got to leave him!

Do you?

If I stay, she’ll keep hurting him! So when she hurts him, I’m to blame. And he wants to stay here anyway. He broke up with me. He severed our connection. He’ll never really be happy on Coral Island. He wants to serve the merfolk. I should let him. Shouldn’t I? 

Inierie is torturing him. She’s keeping him in solitary confinement. She’s taken away his magic. Why the fuck do you think he wants to be here? Why are you ignoring him? Why aren’t you taking care of him?

I told you, Chris. He doesn’t want me. He wants to serve his people. He wants to be with the merfolk. He doesn’t want to live on Coral Island anymore.  

How do you know all that?

Because…because… she stammered. She didn’t know how she knew it was true.

Because she told you so? Chris asked, raising his eyebrows.

Well, she did. And anyway, I don’t know what to do! I don’t want to leave him, but if I don’t, she’ll hurt him! She’ll keep hurting him! It’s all my fault!

Uh, isn’t it her fault? She’s the one with the torture device, not you.

But I…

She’s blaming you for her own actions, Vivian.

I…Shit, you’re right.

Can you feel that he wants her in any way? Is he really happy to be here with her? 

I can’t feel anything from him. He’s just gone. Inieirie said it’s because he doesn't want to be my partner anymore. He wants to serve the merfolk.

And you believed her, sweetness?

I can’t feel anything from him at all. It’s like he’s disappeared. No thoughts, no emotions, no connection, no nothing. It’s a wall of silence. I hate it.

Why do you think you can’t feel anything from him?

Viv couldn’t stop crying. Because our connection is gone. He broke it. He dumped me, Chris, because I can’t make him truly happy. The only thing that will make him happy is doing his duty for his people.  

Chris wrote notes in the notebook. Then he looked at her.

Have you ever seen Semeru teleport?

Viv nodded, trying to stop sobbing. She wiped her eyes and nose with her hand. Chris wordlessly handed her a box of tissues. Sure, lots of times. It’s cool.

So why the fuck hasn’t he teleported away, Vivian? Let’s say you’re right and he wants to go out and do lovely community service projects for the kind people of Altai. If he’s the man who can be anywhere, and he wants to serve merfolk so damn bad, why on the Goddess’ green earth is he staying in the bubble?

Because…because…I hadn’t thought about that. 

Maybe he can’t leave, Chris pointed out. And if he can’t leave, then maybe he can’t flow his thoughts into your mind. And maybe the magic you share as partners isn’t working either and that’s why you can’t feel his emotions. 

Is that even possible?

Didn’t Inierie say that a lot of things were possible with magic? Why couldn’t it be possible that she or that Oracle are blocking his gifts? If they weren’t, then what the everloving fuck is he still doing here?

Viv was silent.

Vivian, can you think of any reason why she would lie to you about whether or not Semeru is still your partner? 

Viv was still silent.

You should probably answer the question, Chris said. Since you are being pressured to leave your husband who you pledged to love for…let me see… he flipped through the notebook. As long as your days will last.

I want that woman to stop hurting him. I’ll do anything to stop her.  

Vivian. I know you’re tired. I know you’re hungry. But think for a minute. Why would Inierie put the full-court press on you to leave Semeru?

Because she wants to fuck him.

Are you sure?

You wanted to fuck me when you saw me again.

Sure. But I also wanted to marry you.

Maybe she wants to marry him.

She ditched him like old leftovers, sweetness. The scary ones in the back of the fridge.

Eight years ago! Maybe she wants him back!

He looked at her over his glasses. Maybe she does. But why would she want him back eight years later? Did she just wake up one day and think, ‘Gosh, you know what would be pretty great? I want to fuck a shark merfolk today!’ Or is there a particular thing that’s happening right now that she wants him for?

What would she want him for?

I don’t know, sweetness, he’s a military leader and an espionage master and a prison escape expert and he has a MAGICAL POWER. What do you think she would want him for?

It was like a curtain had lifted and suddenly Viv could see what was going on. She wants him to lead a battle, Viv said, slowly. She wants to use his magic for war. 

And would you be in the way of that, lovely Vivian?

She sat up on the couch. Yeah, I really would. Because he wouldn’t want to lead a war if he has a nice wife who he loves. People in love don’t lead wars. And she hates humans. She’s gone on and on about how merfolk shouldn’t go anywhere near humans. And he’s just signed a treaty with humans. He’s all in on co-existing with humans.

And how would he feel about humans if you up and left him?

He’d feel betrayed. He’d be pissed.

Maybe he might like to lead a little war against humans, Chris said. Because you can’t trust those motherfuckers.

Oh fuck, Viv said. 

She thought for a moment as she lay back on the couch. But Inierie says Semeru wants to stay here. He’s happy here. He’s not happy with me. 

Does he tell you he’s happy with you?

Many times. He always says how happy he is.

So why don’t you believe him?

Maybe he’s lying. 

We know why Inierie would lie. Why would Semeru?

Because he feels guilty?

Does he feel guilty?

He’s never said he does.

Does he often do that kind of thing, say one thing and mean another?

No. He’s the most direct person I know. If he says something, he means it.

So again, I want to know: why would he lie? 

Viv was silent. 

What do you actually know about how he feels when he’s in this dream state?

She told me that he was dreaming of her.

It’s possible, Chris said. You don’t know what kind of dreams she can make with magic. What do his emotions feel like when he’s in this state?

I can’t feel anything from him at all, Viv said. 

So is it possible he’s not really dreaming about her?

I guess it’s possible. There's no way to tell.

Maybe he’s just sleeping, Chris said. 

But he looks like he’s awake. His eyes are open.

Have you ever seen anyone sleeping with their eyes open?

Yeah, I have, Viv admitted.

Here’s my question. What would it feel like to know that someone could just put you to sleep whenever they wanted to?

That would suck, Viv said.

So why the hell do you think he’d be happy here? Let’s say you leave here and go back to Coral Island. Wouldn’t she still be able to put him to sleep any old time she liked? What’s stopping her? 

Nothing’s stopping her. Oh dammit, I’ve gotten this entirely wrong.

It’s okay. You haven’t slept in like a week. Cut yourself some slack. But let’s review. She’s trying to get you to leave him, she has a vested interest in you leaving him, she’s torturing him and you, and she’s lying about him being happy with her.

And lying about our partnership being over, too, Viv noted. 

Can you think of a reason for her to do that?

A couple, Viv remarked. Not only does she want to pull me away from Semeru, she’s justifying her own behavior when she dumped him.

Humans are really good at justifying whatever they want to do, and I’d bet money merfolk are too, Chris said. We’re not that different. 

And literally everyone I’ve talked to about this says that love between merfolk partners is real. It’s not about serving or having strong children. It’s about having a close relationship. Merfolk do love one another. Everyone has talked about it.

And why would you trust Inierie over your husband? Your sisters? Your friends?

I wouldn’t, Viv said. That would be stupid.

So what are you going to do, sweetness?

Fight for him, Viv said. He’d fight for me. I need to do the same for him.

And how are you going to do that?

I still have leverage, Viv said. They still don’t have anybody to clean the trash but me.

And what about hurting Semeru?

They’d hurt him whether I was there or not, Viv said. It’s not my fault. It’s hers.

Inierie keeps telling you that he’s going to stay in Altai and serve, Chris remarked. I think you might raise a delicate question about what exactly the fuck he’s going to do here. And, if he’s going to serve, she can’t hurt him that much no matter what you do, or else he won’t be able to do whatever fool thing she’s going to have him do.

Those are two excellent points, Doctor Gebrelli.

I would have been an amazing therapist, Chris said.

You would have hated the money.

So true. Chris scribbled some more notes in the notebook. Lastly, you need to stop listening to that torturing bitch.

You’re right. I never should have listened to her.

No more guilt, Chris told Viv. Don’t look back. Look forward. Get the fuck out of that prison. And get Semeru out too. They want him bad. You’re going to have to work hard to get him away from her. But you will. I know it. You can do anything. 

How?

Use your gift. Make it happen.

He turned the notebook around where he’d written: DON’T GET DISTRACTED.

Viv nodded. Then, suddenly, she felt something cold on her face. It woke her up. She sat up on the cot and felt the cold current wrap around her body. She wondered if it was a sign from the Goddess. 

“It’s time to stop taking shit,” Viv said. “This stops now.” 

She swam over to the bubble to look at Semeru. He was asleep. 

“I’m so sorry, my love,” Viv said. “I got distracted. I won’t get distracted anymore. I’m getting you out of this stupid bubble and then we’re leaving this Goddess-forsaken Kingdom if it’s the last thing I do.” She punched the bubble to make it wobble and hopefully wake him up, but it didn’t. 

She couldn’t go back to sleep. Her dream gave her too much defiant energy. She couldn’t wait to confront Kazbek and Inierie. Instead, she made lots of little bubbles with the device and practiced linking them together by flicking her wrist. She lifted increasingly large stones with the bubbles, impressed by how strong the bubbles were. 

Chapter Text

Merdai went to find Merapi in the barracks. 

“I’m on perimeter duty,” she said. “Deno’s got me working while I’m home on break from school. Come with me!” 

“That school you go to on land?” Merdai asked as they swam to the Kingdom’s perimeter together.. “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” she said. “I’m learning so many things, it’s amazing. Land-dwellers have so many machines and it’s fun to think about how we can adapt them for down here. I’m working with Slamet to build an auto feeder machine for his animals! It will save him so much time!”

“That’s wonderful,” Merdai said. “Viv said that the city that it’s in has 30 million people in it.”

“It does,” Merapi said happily. “There’s so much to do and see. My friends took me to something called a movie where you sat in a dark theatre and ate something crunchy called popcorn and there was a moving image on a screen that was so big and so loud. And it was about a group of girl musicians that fought demons!” 

“Goodness,” Merdai commented. He really couldn’t think of what to say. Well, we were all young once, he thought dryly. 

“And it’s so loud all the time! There’s so much energy! It’s just so exciting, Merdai. I was meant to live in a big city, I really was. Viv’s friend Katia’s taken me out dancing a few times and it’s just been wonderful.”

“That’s great,” Merdai said, his mouth twitching with amusement, not unlike his nephew’s. “I need to tell you something I’ve been thinking about with the automated farms.” 

“Oh yes,” Merapi said. “How are those going?”

“Really well. My crops are growing nicely, and Pauhunri is looking after them while I’m here. But I’m thinking about whether we could spread the technology to other Kingdoms.”

“Really? Which ones are you thinking?”

He looked at her with a level gaze. “Altai.”

She blinked, surprised. “Altai?”

“Yes, Altai.”

Neither of them said anything for a moment. They looked at each other to gauge what the other knew. And then Merapi decided to take an objective, scientific approach to the problem.

“I’ve heard that Altai suffered a lot of environmental devastation," she said. “From humans and merfolk. It’s hard to grow anything there.”

“Believe it or not, I worked with them for a cycle to try and improve their crops. You’re right. It is very difficult. But if anyone can solve it, I bet you can.”

“Do you know why it’s difficult?” 

“No,” Merdai said. “I just noticed that certain types of seaweed did better in Altai than in Maoke. Red algaes, for example.” 

“Hard ones?”

“Yes, not the leafy seaweed I grow.”

She thought. “My guess is that the environment is more alkaline there, but I think the first thing we should do is get is a sample of Altaian soil and the water so we can understand the environmental chemistry we’re dealing with. Once we know, we can adjust which seeds we can use in Altai and maybe come up with different fertilizers to help them thrive. For the Dig for Victory project,  Viv had a scientist on Coral Island test the Maokiri soil to see what we would need to do and adjust to get plants to grow there. Fortunately, it’s so similar to Merikihan soil, we didn’t need to change anything at all. I don’t think that will be the case in Altai. But we won’t know until we test the soil and water.” 

“I agree,” Merdai said. “How do you think we could get those samples?”

“Go talk to Agung,” she said. “He’s one of our senior scouts. If he knows someone who can get the sample, we can easily get it to the scientist on Coral Island. I’m sure he’d be happy to help us again. But we’ve got to get that sample first.” 

“On it,” Merdai said. “Thank you for your help.”

The soldiers came to get Viv at dawn and they pushed her with their spears. “I’m not going,” Viv said. “I want to talk to Kazbek.” 

“You will go, or we will fetch Inierie,” they told her. 

“Then fetch Inierie. I’m not leaving this cell until I speak to Kazbek.”

They looked at each other, and one actually touched her with his spear. 

“Go ahead,” Viv said. “If you kill me, Kazbek is gonna be pissed, and I bet you’re not going to like him when he’s pissed.” 

Semeru woke up and saw the soldier threatening Viv, and rushed to the edge of the bubble, banging on it. 

“So? You gonna do it, hotshot?” Viv said with a grin. “Go ahead, run me through. Maybe you’ll get to clean the garbage when I’m dead.” 

“Don’t be a fool, Gamchen,” one of the soldiers said. We’ll go get Kazbek.” They left the cell.

Viv swam over to Semeru and put her hands on the bubble. He put his hands on hers. “I’m getting you out of here,” she told him. “No more Mr. Nice Guy. Put your seatbelt on, my dude. It’s about to get bumpy.” 

Kazbek entered the room. “Why are you not cleaning the garbage?”

“Because I’m on strike,” Viv said. “Do you know what that means?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea.” 

“It means that I won’t work until you pay me,” Viv said. “These working conditions are horrific. I want payment, I want proper food, and I want a proper amount of rest every night. Otherwise, I’m not leaving this cell.”

“I’ll get Inierie to hurt Semeru,” Kazbek said. 

“She hurts him anyway. Besides, she needs him for something. She told me so herself. So did you. Remember? ‘He has a responsibility here,’” she mocked him. “Neither of you are going to do anything to him that’ll cause long-term damage. So go ahead. Put him in the dream state.”

Kazbek snarled. “We’ll hurt you.”

“Go right ahead. Who’ll clean up the garbage? You?”

“Humans caused this. Humans will clean it up.” 

“I didn’t cause this, and I won’t clean it up until you pay me. Merikiha paid me. You can too.” 

“What did they pay you?”

“They gave me treasure. And supplies I needed. They compensated me handsomely for this difficult, backbreaking work. Is it the custom in Altai to force people to work without pay? Does that make you look good to the people?”

“You’re a land-dweller. It falls on you to clear the garbage your people dropped on us. It’s how you’ll pay for your people’s crimes.” 

“I’m a merfolk. Your story is falling apart as you speak. If I were wearing a dive suit and air tanks, you would make more sense. But you can’t go around telling people I’m a human if I have a freaking mermaid tail. It makes you look like a liar. People don’t like liars.” 

Kazbek looked at Viv for a long moment. “So what do you want?”

“I want three things. First: Semeru and I need three meals a day, not one. And we need more than just a single slice of fish. We need vegetables.”

“You are experiencing a taste of what my people are dealing with. Literally,” Kazbek said. “Vegetables don’t grow here, thanks to you filthy humans.”

“Fine. Then we both need more fish.” 

“There are no more fish, again, thanks to you filthy humans. Because of all the pollution, the fish stocks are low. You are eating what Altaians eat. And I can’t give you any more, or the people are going to want to know why we give our human employees more food when they don’t have any.” 

“Is this what you eat, Kazbek?”

“I am a Duke of this Kingdom.”

“Yeah, you are. You just keep living it up, champ. See what the people think. It turned out great for Marie Antoinette.”

“I don’t know who that is,” he complained.

“You know, if you quit being so prejudiced against humans, and took a quick look at their history, it might give you some ideas on how to succeed.”

“Or I could just get Inierie to make your little shark scream.” 

“Why are you taking this out on Semeru? If you have beef with me, take it out on me. Leave him alone.”

Kazbek laughed. “I’m learning, land-dweller. I assume that by ‘beef’ you mean an argument. We have no ‘beef’ with either you or your husband. We need you for the first phase of our plan, and we need Semeru for the second phase. Phase Two isn’t quite ready yet. When it is, we’ll let Semeru know.” 

“What do you need to get it ready?”

“That’s Inierie’s business, not yours,” Kazbek said. “You’re helping me get my Kingdom in shape. You have nothing to do with Semeru’s part in our plans.” 

“So are you going to give us our three meals a day or not?”

“Not.”

“Then I’m not working,” Viv said and lay back on the cot. “Want to play I Spy to entertain ourselves?”

“FINE! Three meals a day. What are the other two things?”

“Second: I want eight hours of rest every night. And last: I know you won’t let Semeru have his full merfolk form back, but I want you to partially open his magic so that he can breathe underwater and speak Merakih.” 

“And what do I get in return?”

“This is payment for the garbage cleaning job! Hello! Are you familiar with how employment works? I work, you pay me!” 

“And then what?”

“And then I do the job and both of us will leave and wish you a very nice day.”

“Semeru can’t leave until Inierie is finished with him.”

“Then I guess she’d better finish with him, because we're leaving here together."  

“This is highly unusual, land-dweller,” Kazbek said. 

“Oh, paying your employees is so unusual,” Viv mocked him. 

“You have a rather different attitude to when we spoke last night,” Kazbek said. 

“I did a lot of thinking after you left,” Viv replied. 

“And what did you think about?”

“Worker protection laws,” Viv snarked. “It is amazing to me how much more moral humans are than merfolk. And you’re the ones calling me filthy. You’re as filthy as they come.”

“Watch your tone, human,” Kazbek said.

“Ooh, whatcha gonna do to me? Make me work without pay? Starve me? Poke me with spears? Again, who’re you gonna get to clean the garbage if I’m not here?”

Kazbek’s expression turned stony. 

“We will take this under consideration,” he said. And he turned around and swam away.

“So I get a rest day,” Viv said, and she slapped the bubble for a high five. It took Semeru a second to understand what she was doing, but he got it, and high-fived her back. She laughed to herself. It was always fun teaching the merfolk human gestures, She remembered showing Agung and Denali how to play Rock-Paper-Scissors, and Deno had told her the next week that the number of arguments in the squad went down because they were solving small disputes with Rock-Paper-Scissors. 

Semeru was surprised and pleased at Viv’s change in attitude. She’d gone from despairing to grim resolve, but something had happened and now he could feel that she wasn’t going to take any more shit from any of these people. He liked this feeling. He felt like he wanted to wrap himself up in the feeling and not let go. “I love you, my darling,” he said out loud to her. “I can feel you’re not going to take any more abuse. I'm so proud of you.” And what are you going to do, Semeru? he asked himself. When are you going to stop taking shit?  

“Well well well, look who just became Ms. Demanding,” Viv heard from the doorway, and there was Inierie, leaning against the door with her arms crossed. Inierie swam into the cell. “Hello, lover,” she said to Semeru, not that he could hear it. Inierie put her hands on the bubble, and he struck it, trying to get her off. She pushed it in, trying to touch him, and he backed away. 

“Stop fondling his bubble,” Viv snarled. “I’m sick of it. Either get him out and touch him or leave him the fuck alone, but the bubble is not your fetish object.”

“I’ve had enough of you,” Inierie replied. She squeezed the torture device and watched Semeru go into the dream state. Viv felt an icy, angry calm settle over her mind. 

“What is the point of this, Inierie? Are you reenacting some Mistress of Pain bedroom games you used to play? Why don’t you go inside so I can watch? I’ll make the bubble real big for you.”

“Shut up, land-dweller,” Inierie said. “I don’t need to explain myself to you.”

“Oh, I think you do,” Viv said. “I’m curious to know whether Kazbek bought you off before or after Semeru was in your bed. And what is the price of betrayal these days? How many coins? Or did Kazbek offer to renovate your bathroom? Do tell.” 

“Shut UP, I said. Are you deaf?” Inierie stared straight at Viv and trailed her fingers gently on Semeru’s bubble. 

Viv watched her. “Forget him wanting you. You want him.”

Inierie glanced at her. “Land-dwellers don’t deserve a merfolk like him,” she snarled. 

“And you think you do?” Viv fumed. 

“I don’t think you understand,” Inierie told her. “Merfolk being romantically involved with humans goes against the natural order of things. It’s like an orca trying to have a relationship with a blobfish. It doesn’t work. They are different orders of species.”

Viv remembered Chris’ suggestion from her dream to find out exactly what Inierie thought Semeru would be doing in Altai. She wouldn’t find that out by shouting at her. She could play a long game. She could do a little dance for the woman.

“Is that right, Inierie,” Viv smiled. “The orca and the blobfish, huh? Which species is which?”

Inierie ignored her. “You are beneath him, human. You are beneath me. Every second you’re with him you dishonor him. You dishonor me. You make me as filthy as you. It disgusts me.”

“I’m sorry about that,” Viv said.  

“You know what you need to do,” Inierie said. “You know how you can solve the problem.”

“Mmm,” Viv replied noncommittally. 

Inierie turned back to Semeru and stared longingly at him. “He was attractive when we were together,” she crooned. “But now look at him. He’s even bigger than he was before. He’s glorious, despite those scars. He will serve our purposes well. He will make the merfolk stronger than they have ever been. Glory will be ours, human, when we execute our plans. And it will be wonderful.” 

Play the game, Viv, you can worry about Crazy Ex-Girlfriend later. But wow, is she nuts.

“He is a glorious specimen,” Viv told her. She imagined Semeru’s reaction — a dismissive snort. “I’ve never seen another merfolk like him.” 

“Of course you haven’t,” Inierie said. “You’ve hardly seen any merfolk. But he is unique. I know that better than you do.” 

Viv didn’t argue. She wanted Inierie to tell her the truth. “Inierie, why did you really break up with Semeru?”

“Because I had to enter an arranged marriage. I had to create an alliance, as all women of my station must do.” 

“That’s not what you told Semeru,” Viv said. “You told him you met your partner.”

Inierie sighed. “If Semeru had simply agreed to stay as my lover, I could have married that fool prince and had my delicious shark on the side. But he didn’t want that. He wanted to marry me. He was very insistent about it. So I had to break it off. Telling him I met my partner was the easiest way to do it.” 

“But wait a minute, you said that merfolk don’t care about love and commitment. If they don’t, then why did he want to marry you?”

“I’ve moved beyond marriage,” Inierie said. “I have a higher calling. And so does Semeru. He will join me at my side, enjoying his true destiny.”

“Sounds like he’ll be pretty busy,” Viv commented. 

“There are forces at work here that you can’t possibly comprehend with your little land-dweller brain. All you need to know is that when we win, Kazbek and I will taste true power. And so will Semeru.” 

“You’re always thinking two steps ahead,” Viv said. “Oh, sorry. Human expression. But it sounds like what Kazbek told me about the endgame isn’t the real endgame.”

“I’m so excited to reveal it to you, I’m getting a little ahead of myself.”

“Perhaps you will use his skills as a military leader,” Viv remarked. “Perhaps you will use his extraordinary strength.”

“You’re getting it, land-dweller,” Inierie said with a smile. “Perhaps you are not as much of a dullard as my initial impression suggested.” 

“You forget, I am half-merfolk,” Viv smiled, gesturing at her tail. “I’m not just a stupid human.” 

“I thought you were going to leave here so Semeru could fulfill his duty,” Inierie remarked. “We had a deal. You were going to leave and I was going to stop putting him in the dream state.”

“Here’s the thing,” Viv said. “I appreciate that you think that he’s got a higher destiny and he’s moved beyond partners and marriage and children. And you’ve severed our connection so you can have him by your side while he does his duty and serves his people and yada yada.”

“I haven’t, he has,” Inierie trilled self-righteously. 

“Sure. You betcha. But I was there at our wedding in Merikiha. I swam through the fire. I wore the pearl paint. I swore before the Oracle and the Goddess that I would stay with Semeru for as long as my days will last. Inierie, I don’t know about you, but I keep my promises that I make to the Goddess. So I can’t leave him. You will have to kill me first.”

Inierie swam close to Viv. Their bodies made contact.  “You need to get out of our way, You need to let Semeru take his rightful place by my side. And then you will bow before him.” 

“So you’re going to take him by force. That’s cool. He’ll love that. That’s a great way to get him to forget about his wife.” 

“He’s going to help us, human! And when he does, he will become pure again! Revenge on the humans will bring him back to me!”

“I don’t think it works like that, Inierie,” Viv said, mildly. “Forcing him to kill humans is not the way to get Semeru to fall in love with you. Have you, like, ever talked to him or anything?"  

“I don’t want him to fall in love with me! I want him to serve me!”

Viv crossed her arms and tilted her head. “Oh, serve you, huh? That definitely sounds like something Semeru would enjoy..” 

“He will, land-dweller. He will serve his people by serving in my army, And when the time comes he won’t have a choice but to give me what I want.” 

We’re getting somewhere, Viv thought. She repeated, “An army?”

Inierie seemed to realize her slip. “He’ll remember what he really wants. He’ll remember who he is. He’ll remember his duty.” 

“When is all this remembering going to happen?”

“That’s none of your concern, human.” 

Viv bit her tongue. She had to figure out a way to stop Inierie. But she needed to know one more thing. “I want something from you.” 

“Kazbek told me. You want to get paid.”

“No. I want information.”

Inierie tilted her head. “And what’s that?” 

“I want to know if you worked for Kazbek before or after you were with Semeru,” Viv said.

“Is that all? Before. Kazbek was tipped off that Semeru was from Merikiha. My orders were to get close.”

“Who tipped Kazbek off?”

“I don’t know, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Inierie, I have to tell you, I’m trying to understand you and I don’t get it,” Viv said. “You think you can get Semeru back. In what universe would he ever touch you again? You left him, you betrayed him, now you’re torturing him. Why would he ever, ever, ever want to trust you again? Why would he want to be in the same room with you?”

“Because he knows what’s right,” Inierie said. “He knows that it’s our duty to fight and defeat the humans. He knows that he must help the merfolk triumph. And that’s exactly what he’s going to do.” 

“You keep saying that he knows what he has to do and he knows what his duty is. How? And why hasn’t he been doing it?’

“Because you’ve made him sick and weak!” Inerie shouted. 

Viv threw her hands in the air. “You’re a freaking fanatic, lady.” 

“I am fighting for the survival of my people,” Inierie insisted. “I am fighting for the good of the merfolk. And I will get Semeru to join me. He knows it’s the right thing for him to do.” 

She touched the bubble again, like a gentle, soft caress. Like a lover’s touch. And Semeru was still in the dream state. Viv’s protective instincts rose. She’d had quite enough. 

“Get your damn hand off the bubble,” Viv said with quiet menace. 

“Make me,” Inierie said. 

Viv was incandescent with rage. She’d only been training for a year with Semeru, so she knew that Inierie would probably kick her ass. But at least she would keep Inierie from touching the bubble like she had some claim to her husband. Viv looked at Semeru. No matter what, she had to keep him safe. She noted where Inierie’s hand was. She looked down at her own hands. And with all her strength, she shoved Inierie’s hand off the bubble and punched her as hard as she could. Her fist collided with Inierie’s cheekbone, a wild but solid connection that snapped Inierie’s head to the side. Inierie’s eyes widened in surprise. Viv followed the haymaker up with raw instinct. She grabbed a handful of Inierie’s hair and yanked hard enough to twist her head. From Inierie’s face, she could see that the pain was disorienting. Viv knew she had one more chance before Inierie gathered herself together so she remembered Semeru’s instructions to find vulnerable spots and jabbed her fingers in Inieirie’s eyes. The merfolk yelped in pain, blinking wildly.

But Viv knew the assault was coming, and it did, painfully. Inierie brought her arms up in time, blocking Viv’s clumsy punches, and then shifted her weight and answered Viv with a short, punishing jab that easily escaped Viv’s arms and cracked against her nose. Viv cried out but pain didn’t stop her. She charged again with reckless punches. Inierie batted one aside, ducked another, and hammered a sharp right hook into Viv’s ribs. Viv gasped with the lack of breath but swung back with a wild, desperate uppercut. It landed on Inierie’s chin and Inierie sharply inhaled with pain.

But Iniere was fast and strong and Viv realized that she was taking advantage of her familiarity of how punches landed in the water and her greater endurance. Viv’s strikes were getting heavier and slower, and Inierie was doing a better job at both blocking Viv’s undisciplined punches and punishing Viv’s mistakes. But all I want to do is keep that bitch away from Semeru as long as possible, Viv thought. And I’m doing that. But Inierie was, in fact, kicking her ass, just as Viv predicted. Every jab and haymaker Viv shoved at Inierie was being blocked by forearms and elbows, and Inierie was landing well-aimed and extremely painful hits on Viv’s cheek, chin, and ribs.

Finally, Inierie overpowered her and shoved her against the wall, her arm at Viv’s throat. Viv played her last card.

“I can’t clean trash if you hurt me.” 

“I can’t believe you think you have any right to Semeru.” 

“Again, nobody objected at either wedding,” Viv smiled. 

Inierie shoved her arm harder into Viv’s throat. “You’re such a piece of filth. You act like you have a claim to that extraordinary man over there.”

“I thought merfolk didn’t care about commitment or affection. Just serving their people,” Viv said in a strangled voice. But she had a cheerful smile on her face. 

Inierie stared at her with complete and utter hatred. “You disgust me. If I could, I’d beat you senseless like you deserve, you miserable human. But Kazbek would kill me.” She paused, and smiled her beautiful smile. “Never mind. I’ll get what I want soon enough. And then everything will be right again.” 

“You’re not getting anything,” Viv said. “Except for another punch in the face.”

“I like those,” Inierie smiled. “They’re like soft tickles.” 

“Wake him the fuck up. Show him what you did to me. He’ll really want to serve you after he sees my face. Wake him up.” 

Inierie squeezed the bubble and Semeru did wake up. He saw Inierie with her arm in Viv’s throat, and Viv’s face covered in cuts and bruises. And his own face contorted in anger.

“Semeru is going to love what happens to him. I can’t wait to show you.” She shoved her arm again into Viv’s throat, just to cause her pain. “See you soon, lover,” she said, blowing a kiss in Semeru’s direction. 

Viv saw Semeru staring at her, puzzled and angry. Don’t get distracted, Chris had told her. And now Viv knew Inierie could get distracted too. 

It was very plausible that Inierie was planning to use Semeru for some sort of attack against humans. All the things she’d said about ruling over humans and taking his rightful place at her side suggested she was going to try to violently seize some kind of power. Viv expected that Inierie would force Semeru to be involved. She was certain now that Inierie was going to do something absolutely insane with Semeru. What could Inierie actually do? Did they know about Semeru’s gift? And if they did, what the hell were they going to do with it? Or would Inierie force Semeru to join her the old-fashioned way: blackmail? Did Inierie have leverage over Semeru in some way? He’d said more than once he’d do anything to make sure his people were all right. Would she force him to share her bed somehow?  And what would I do about it? Of course I’d fight Inierie for Semeru. And I’d lose. And then what? The thought made her want to vomit. She actually gagged.  

Don’t get distracted, Viv. Now she had a rough plan: Get Semeru out of the bubble. Find out what she needed to know about Inierie’s magic. And execute a small escape plan that she’d been working on. And if that plan wouldn’t work? She’d come up with plan B. 

Deep in the back of her mind, she felt a simmering, roiling pool of rage, like a caldera filled with bubbling lava. Inierie had twisted everything Semeru had wanted, everything his instincts were craving and so rarely had, and turned all of it against him on Kazbek’s orders. Viv thought she’d never been so furious at anyone as she was at the two of them. She wanted to kill them both for what they’d done to Semeru. And when she could, she was going to make them pay. I’m going to absolutely murder them. And I will have my revenge. 

But not yet. She needed to free herself and Semeru. 

Viv put her hands on the bubble and looked at her husband. Semeru put his hands on hers, and she could see him thinking about the million questions he had about what happened to her face. She could see his anger and frustration about being stuck inside the bubble. That has to suck, Viv thought.

“I’m getting you out of there, I promise you, my darling,” she told him. He shook his head, because he couldn’t understand her. She made her hands in the shape of a heart and moved them back and forth against her chest like a cartoon heartbeat. Viv pushed feelings of love and affection at him. She had no idea whether he could feel her emotions, but it was all she could do. He put his hands on his own heart. Maybe he can still feel me. 

She pointed at the cot and indicated that she needed to sleep, and he nodded. She lay down and slept for hours. 

Inierie paced, swimming back and forth, in Kazbek’s office. A bruise was developing where Viv hit her, and she didn’t like that. 

“You said the human was close to being ready, cousin,” she complained. “In no way is she ready. She’s more stubborn than ever.”

“I can’t explain it,” Kazbek said. “She was open to leaving him in the night and in the morning she’s yammering on about land-dweller nonsense like working conditions. How ridiculous.” 

“Something isn’t right with her,” Inierie said. “And it threatens my plans. But I have a thought.” 

“What?”

“You said she wanted to be paid by setting Semeru free. Let’s do it,” Inierie said. 

“You’re kidding.”

“We will give him back to her temporarily. Just as a human. Not with his full powers. And then we’ll take him away. And that will devastate her,” Inierie said.

“Will it make her angry?”

“Maybe. Who cares? She can’t fight us. She’ll succumb to despair. She’ll be easy to dispose of. And then Semeru will be mine with no distractions.” 

Kazbek sat at his desk. “Ordinarily I’d agree with you because she was so easy to break. But something has changed. Viv is not your run-of-the-mill human.”

“You’re right, cousin. She’s a human with a merfolk tail. But that still makes her just a merfolk, and we can handle that.” Inierie sighed. “It’s too bad I can’t perform blood magic on her.” 

“You don’t have her blood. And she’ll never willingly give it to you now.”

“Then give her Semeru. And we will take him away. And then we’ll destroy her.” 

“Fine,” Kazbek said. “I’m tired of her too.” 

Merdai knocked on the door of Agung’s grotto. 

“Oh, hi,” Agung said, though he looked pretty distracted. “You’re Semeru’s uncle, right?”

“Yes. May I come in?”

“Yeah, but I don’t have time for a lot of chit chat,” Agung said, already swimming away to test some weapons. “Usually I do nothing but chit chat. But Deno’s putting me to work.” 

“I see,” Merdai said, watching Agung swing a sword. Do scouts usually have so many weapons? he wondered. 

“How can I help you, Merdai?”

“Merapi suggested I talk with you,” Merdai said. 

“Oh, is that right,” Agung interrupted, not looking at Merdai, but now inspecting some daggers. 

“I need soil and water samples from Altai,” Merdai said. “Merapi thinks you can help with that.” 

Now Agung looked up. “A what? You need a what from where?”

“Soil and water samples from Altai.” 

“That’s impossible,” Agung said. “Even if you could swim there, which you can’t, you’d have to get someone to discreetly get that stuff, which you also can’t. Can you imagine someone quietly filling up test tubes and sample containers with Altaian stuff? You’d die. Those illmenni would come along and kill you.” 

“A good scout could do it,” Merdai pointed out. “You know something about being discreet.” The two of them looked at each other. 

“I can’t,” Agung said. “Like I told you, Deno’s putting me to work.” 

“Doing what?” Merdai asked. 

“Oh, this and that. Everyone in the guard is very busy right now. I don’t know if you’ve noticed.” 

“Uh huh,” Merdai said, watching Agung heft his daggers.

“I would really love to help,” Agung said. “I absolutely would.”

“But you’re not going to.” 

“I honestly can’t. But here’s my suggestion. Because I don’t want to see the Drab Crab being tortured in some Altaian prison either.”

“Careful how you refer to my nephew,” Merdai warned.

“He’s the one who was always so crabby. Listen, I know it’s annoying to make you go round the houses to find someone who can help you out, but I would suggest finding either Denali or Rinjani. They’re both great scouts and will have suggestions about what you can do to get your soil samples.” 

“Aren’t you going to Altai yourself?” Merdai asked innocently. 

“If I were, I probably wouldn’t tell you,” Agung noted. Again, they made eye contact with one another. Neither flinched. 

“You’re a very discreet person,” Merdai said. “It must be because you’re a good scout.”

“I am. You’re exactly right. And you’ll notice that I’m carefully avoiding the subject of why you’re so interested in Altai,” Agung told Merdai. 

“And you’ll notice that I’m not asking questions about what a scout is doing with all those weapons,” Merdai pointed out to Agung. 

Agung laughed. “I see keen powers of observation seem to be a family trait. Well, since there are certain things we’re both not talking about, maybe we should end this conversation on a positive, friendly note. It’s always good to spend some time with friends of friends. And I really do hope you get your Altaian soil samples and that they meet your needs.” 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Merdai said. “I’ve enjoyed talking with you.”

“And I you,” Agung said. Merdai swam out of Agung’s grotto and smack into Kangto, one of his fellow Dig for Victory volunteers. 

“Well, hello, Merdai,” she said. “I thought that I might find you in Merikiha.”