Princess Master 3, page 12
“He… he doesn’t think Wes was very nice to me,” the teenage mermaid muttered, and then she peered out from under the curtains of her hair and looked directly at each princess in turn. “I used to think he was, but then he did something really shitty--oops--crappy--I mean--”
“Sweetie, I mean it, don’t worry,” Cienna reassured her. “We’ve all been your age once, and we’ve all heard bad words before, even though we’re motherfucking princesses.”
“Oh, my gods, you’re so funny!” Vivian’s eyes brightened, and she actually giggled. “I can’t believe you said that, and you’re a princess.”
“I know my way around a bad word or two.” Cienna grinned. “But Vivian, if Wes did something bad to you, it’s important to tell someone about it. I know it seems like grownups don’t know anything, but we can actually help sometimes. Maybe we can even help you figure out what to do.”
“Okay.” Vivian sighed deeply, and her eyes filled with tears again. “So, on the day Eudora… my mother… I found this necklace. It had this red, heart-shaped stone on it, and I always thought it had something to do with what happened that day. In any case, I connected it to my mother, and I… I really loved that necklace. And you might think I’m crazy, but I even think it’s magic. I’ve been trying to use it to heal things, and, well, it kind of seems to be working. Do you think I’m nuts?”
“No, not in the slightest,” Ariana said, and we all shook our heads.
“S-So, th-then W-Wes…” The girl started sobbing, and it didn’t seem like she was going to stop, but then she looked up at Ariana with red-rimmed hazel eyes. “That… that fucker took my necklace, and I want it back.”
“Where do you think he took it?” Jessamine asked, and her voice was serious.
“He hangs out with this group of assholes, and they all carry knives, and they’re usually under one of the waterfalls trying to steal from travelers,” Vivian sniffled. “B-But I never thought Wes would steal from me.”
“Vivian, would you mind getting me another bottle of wine?” I spoke up, and it seemed to startle the girl.
“Y-Yes, sir, of course I can,” she mumbled, and she got up and hurried back to the bar.
“Is anyone else thinking what I’m thinking?” I asked, and I looked around at my wives. “Because I’m thinking I kind of want to kick this guy’s ass.”
“I was also hoping we could help her,” Jessamine answered me. “She said it was a magic necklace, and it had something to do with Eudora, and gods, the story is just so sad… and Joe, you’re so sweet, I don’t think you can resist helping a woman in tears.”
“You’re right,” I chuckled. “But I also thought the necklace sounded really powerful, if it can actually heal things. And if the people of this town are still so sad because of Eudora’s attack a couple years back, it might really help boost morale if we helped the mayor’s daughter and took care of a few assholes along the way. Just saying.”
“No, you’re right, Joe, I agree, but shhh…” Ariana whispered, and I saw Vivian was hurrying back from the bar with another disgusting bottle of seaberry wine.
I quickly looked up at Cienna, and she nodded her agreement.
“Here you go,” the teenage mermaid said, and she slid the bottle across the table to me. Then she looked down, began to fidget with her hands, and sniffled.
I was glad we’d decided to help the young girl.
“So, Vivian, I hope you don’t mind we were talking about your situation while you were at the bar, and something occurred to us,” Ariana began.
“We were talking about how great Joe is,” Jessamine continued Ariana’s thought. “And, one thing Joe’s great at is kicking ass. Sweetie, do you want us to go get your necklace back for you?”
“You would do that for me?” Vivian glanced at me for a moment, smiled slightly, and then looked up at Jessamine with wide hazel eyes.
“Yeah, we’d really like to help you,” I interjected.
“Thank you… Joe…” the girl said as she looked at me shyly.
“What’s going on?” I heard a deeper voice rumble, and when I looked up, I realized Ronan had swum back into the room.
Vivian looked up at us and vigorously shook her head, and I got the picture.
“Everything has been great, Ronan,” Ariana assured the mayor with a bright smile. “Vivian has been taking wonderful care of us.”
It occurred to me he would notice our untouched food, but when I looked down, I noticed the princesses had somehow messed with the plates to make it look like they’d been partially eaten. I was impressed, as usual, at the princesses’ social skills, and the way women always seemed to think of everything.
“So, Ronan, we were thinking we’d like to go look at the sandfalls this evening before we retire to our room,” Jessamine said with a big grin on her face. “Vivian offered to be our tour guide, and we were hoping you wouldn’t object…”
“I’m not sure, it’s pretty late for Viv to be out…” the mayor mused and frowned, but I wasn’t sure he knew how to say no to a princess.
“Yes, we were really hoping Vivian could show us around town a little bit,” Ariana said, and she smiled up at him through her dark eyelashes.
“Well, Your Highness, Your Highnesses, I certainly can’t refuse you,” Ronan sighed and shook his head. “And I know my Viv will be safe in your hands. I’m a little protective of her, since we lost her mother and all.”
“It’s totally understandable,” Cienna assured him. “But don’t worry about Vivian, because Joe, our husband, is also going to be there to protect her.”
“I won’t let anything happen to her, I promise.” I nodded at the man, and he gave me a short nod back.
“Alright, Viv, you go ahead,” the merman said. “I think I hear your sister and your brothers coming back, but I’ll go ahead and fix their dinner if you want to go with the princesses.”
“Yes, Daddy, thank you.” Vivian popped up from her seat and swam over to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I won’t be back too late, I promise. I know I have some studying to do.”
“Alright, then stay safe out there,” the mayor warned us. “I hate to admit it, but the town has had some pickpocketing and other criminal activities going on as of late.”
“I’m so sorry, Ronan,” Ariana responded as her red eyebrows pinched together. “The palace will definitely take note of the troubles the town has been experiencing, and we should be able to send some guards to help. But for now, we can take care of ourselves.”
I stood up, picked up Genie’s Wrath from where I’d set it down next to my seat, and put it back on my belt. Then I patted my sword, and I sensed the heat of its purple stone. I figured there was no way Genie’s Wrath and I, not to mention the badass princesses, wouldn’t be able to handle a few teenage punks.
“Shall we go?” Cienna asked, and when she got up from her seat and walked toward the mayor, I followed her. Jessamine and Ariana did the same, and soon we were all standing around Ronan in a circle.
“It’s okay, Ronan,” Ariana promised. “Vivian will be back home with you soon.”
She patted him on the shoulder reassuringly, and when she started to swim up the ramp to the inn’s entrance, we all followed.
Everyone except the merman swam out the door, and then we turned to wave goodbye to him. As Ronan watched us leave, a quick frown flashed across his face, and I thought he might have even blinked back another tear. The family’s story was so sad, and I truly hoped we could help them.
So, it seemed we were on the way to the sandfalls to kick some ass.
Chapter 7
We stopped outside the inn to regroup, and luckily, the crowds from earlier had dispersed other than a few stragglers. It had gotten so dim I was hoping we could just hide in the shadows and avoid the townspeople.
“So, you said Wes’ gang carries knives, right?” I asked Vivian.
“Yeah, they do,” the teenage mermaid said and nodded as she brushed her hair back from her face. The girl’s eyes were wide with fear, but her lips were tightened into a resolute line.
“Well, I have a sword.” I patted Genie’s Wrath, and Vivian giggled again. “And, as I’m sure you can see, the princesses are armed as well.”
“We are,” Jessamine chimed in, “and we’ve fought way worse than a bunch of teenage jerks.”
“Don’t worry, Vivian, we’ll get your necklace back,” Ariana promised as she held her trident up into the water. “Let’s grab a lantern, and we can be on our way.”
The lights we’d packed were still in our baggage, but there were ornate lanterns hung up from posts outside the inn, and I took one down to bring with us.
“Thanks again,” the girl sighed, and she sniffled again. “I-I really love… loved Wes, and I can’t believe he did this to me.”
“Yes, it sucks,” Cienna said, and she patted Vivian’s arm sympathetically. “But just tell us where to go, and we’ll help you handle this.”
“O-Okay, so if you look over behind us, you’ll see all the sandfalls, right?” the teenage mermaid began to explain. “So, there are a few of them, and one of the smaller falls is near the edge of town. There’s a small cave right behind it, and Wes’ gang like to grab the tourists who come by and steal from them. I’m honestly surprised anyone comes to this shitty little town anymore… but please don’t tell my dad I said that, okay?”
“Of course not, Vivian,” Ariana said and nodded. “You can trust us.”
“Anyway, they’re usually there around this time of day, because apparently a lot of tourists come by around now,” the teenager informed us, and then she wrung her hands. “Ugh, what was I even thinking when I was with that jerk?”
“We’ve all made bad choices, sweetie,” Cienna chuckled, “and then we move past them. So, why don’t you show us the cave? I think once you have your necklace back, you’ll be able to move past this a lot easier.”
“Alright,” Vivian replied, and she sighed again deeply. “I know I’m procrastinating, but I’ll show you where it is now.”
Jessamine, Cienna, and I flipped up the switches on our armor so we could swim again, and we traveled along the main strip for a few hundred yards. Next, the teenager led us back along a trail paved with brightly colored blocks of coral that reminded me of the stools at the inn. I thought to myself the town was actually pretty cute, and I was hoping we might be able to make it a nice place to visit again.
The trail led us through a field of anemones and back toward a path that led along the base of the sandfalls. I was glad we’d thought to bring a lantern, too, because it seemed to be getting dimmer outside. It had been a hell of a long day already, but I was still glad we were helping Vivian.
“We must be getting close,” I said, and I looked over at the teenager. “Do you want to talk to Wes first, or do you want me to step up right away?”
“Hmm… I guess I have a couple things to say to him, though it makes me a little nervous.” Vivian peeked up at me through the hair falling over her eyes again. “I’ve never really… told him off for what he did to me. My friends told me I need to, but it’s hard when he’s always with those so-called friends of his.”
“Well, we’ve got your back,” I reassured her, and I patted her on the shoulder.
“Thanks, J-Joe.” Vivian blushed bright red, and Cienna looked over and winked at me.
I could be oblivious to these things, but it seemed like the teen was developing a little bit of a crush on me.
The teenage mermaid led us along the bottom of the falls, and then she pointed at the smallest sandfall toward the end of the path we were on. The sandfalls were made of pure, white sand, and the pale grains cascaded down over rocks from about fifty feet up. The effect was exactly like a waterfall, and the sand even seemed to splash up when it hit the ground. The sandfalls were one of the coolest things I’d ever witnessed, and no matter what happened, seeing them made this whole trip worthwhile.
“Is that it?” I asked, and I could see from a couple hundred feet away that a faint light was glowing from behind the falling sand.
“Yeah, we’re almost there,” Vivian said. “I-I don’t know if I’m ready for this…”
“Well, we are,” Jessamine said, and she shot the girl a smile. “We’re not scared in the slightest.”
“So, I don’t think we should go into the cave to fight,” I suggested. “Let’s call Wes out to the path to take care of this.”
“Agreed.” Ariana nodded. “I don’t think being in an enclosed space with these guys sounds like a good idea.”
We were almost to the glowing cave, but then Vivian stopped and gulped.
“I can do this, I can do this,” the teenager repeated to herself. “It’s no big deal.”
“You can do this,” Jessamine encouraged the girl gently. “Just a few more feet, and then you call out to him. Once he comes out, you say what you need to say, and if there are any more problems, we’ll take care of it.”
“O-Okay,” Vivian responded as she took a deep breath. “Thanks again for helping me.”
We swam the few remaining feet to the front of the sandfall, and the teenager closed her eyes and clenched her fists.
“You got this,” I told her.
“Alright.” Vivian nodded, and then she raised her voice. “Wes, get out here! It’s Vivian, and I know you’re in there!”
A few moments passed, but then I could hear faint voices over the rushing sound of the sandfall.
“Wes, get out here!” a voice mocked in a feminine tone.
“Wes, I’m serious!” the teenage girl yelled. “I fucking mean it this time!”
“Ooh, Wes, sounds like you’re in trouble,” another voice snickered from the cave. “Better run out there and see what that little sea cow wants.”
The princesses gasped, and my eyes narrowed into slits. I hadn’t even seen these assholes yet, and I already wanted to kill them.
A shadow started to emerge from behind the sandfall, and I put my hand on Genie’s Wrath. I could see the princesses brace themselves, as well, and Vivian pulled herself up to her full height.
“Vivian, what the fuck is going on?” A young merman emerged from the cave, and I smirked when I first caught sight of him. His bare chest was scrawny and hairless, and the mustache he was attempting to grow looked like little more than a smudge of dirt on his upper lip in the lantern’s glow. He appeared to be a couple of years older than Vivian, and, as the teenage mermaid had told us, he wore a large knife in a sheath at his waist. “Seriously, get the fuck out of--”
The merman stopped short when he caught sight of us standing behind his ex-girlfriend. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped open slightly. Then he put his hand to the weapon on his belt, but to say I wasn’t worried would have been an understatement.
“W-Wes…” Vivian began in a wobbly voice, but then she straightened her shoulders and looked the merman straight in the eye. “You’re such a--a dumb sea slug! You stole my necklace, and I want it back.”
“I don’t think so,” the teenage merman said in a deeper voice, but he glanced nervously at me and swam back a couple paces. Then he looked backwards toward the cave to see if his friends were coming out, but no one had emerged yet. “Like I said, you need to leave.”
I looked at Vivian, and she nodded.
“Vivian’s not going anywhere until she gets her necklace,” I informed Wes, and I stared him in the eyes. It was a little hard to tell since he was floating, but he was quite a bit shorter than me. I could tell he was trying to be brave as he met my gaze, but he was starting to falter. His fingers twitched nervously, and I could see the fear start to creep into his eyes
Suddenly, a group of teenage mermen swam out of the cave. I counted four of them, and I groaned internally. I was more irritated than scared, since I knew the princesses and I could handle them easily, but I wasn’t really in the mood for all this drama.
“What the hell, human?” a tall, skinny merman with blond hair asked. “What are you even doing down here in the sea?”
“Dude,” I scoffed, and I rolled my eyes as I pulled out my sword. I could hear Jessamine and Cienna brandish their weapons, as well, and I saw each merman’s eyes widen.
“Shit!” a shorter teenage merman exclaimed, but then he apparently remembered that he was supposed to be tough and pulled out his knife. “I mean, you’re about to swim in deep shark shit!”
“H-Hey, Vivian, I-I never meant…” Wes stuttered, and I thought this confrontation was going to be over sooner rather than later. “Listen, I’ll go get the necklace, I really don’t want any trouble…I really shouldn’t have stolen your necklace. That was a fucked up thing to do.”
“Yeah, it was.” Vivian stared him down and crossed her arms over her chest. “Now, where is it?”
Wes glanced at me for a moment, and I bared my teeth and held Genie’s Wrath so it gleamed in the light of the lantern.
“Uh… it’s in the cave,” the merman stuttered in a high-pitched voice. “I guess I’ll just go get it now.”
“I think I’m going to accompany you,” I told him with the grimace still on my face. “I’d like to make sure that necklace actually reappears.”
“O-Okay,” Wes squeaked, and I raised my eyebrows and followed him back behind the sandfall into the cave the boys used as their hangout. It only went about fifteen feet back behind the falls, and the ground was littered with shards of broken glass and small bottles of the same shitty wine Vivian had served us back at the inn.
Wes grabbed a woven kelp backpack off the floor and pulled something out of it, and I saw it was, in fact, a large, heart-shaped red gem hanging from a gold chain. He held it in his palm and looked at it for a moment, but then I growled quietly, and he quickly handed it over.
When I first touched the necklace, it buzzed slightly against my palm, the red jewel flashed dimly, so I was sure it had magic powers, just like Vivian had said. Then I turned back to Wes and shot him one final death glare.
“After you,” I told him with a wave of my hand, and when he turned to swim out of the cave, I followed him.
The scrawny merboy’s friends and the princesses were still swimming in place in front of the cave. The princesses were glaring at the teens with their hands on their weapons, and the kids were looking awkwardly at the ground. It didn’t seem like they knew whether to stay and try to fight or run away.
