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The tide had changed. My mother kept saying that. I fully understood what she meant after the history lesson where my father is to be the last in a long line of murderous thieves and manipulators. Not to be outdone, an ancient species within the ocean avenged their goddess by sacrificing the males of the species to endow magic to some old witch who then gave them a portion of it and a nice curse that ensured they would only have females regardless of who they mated with. Perfect to end the Mayhem line. My father’s new hot piece of ass? Another operative. Sent in as backup just in case.
My mother was happy to see me, but not in the nurturing way. She loved me in the militaristic fashion our species tended to come pre-laced with. She thought I had been a failed experiment since I only had minor outbursts of temper and for the most part had no desire to take over the magical world and rule. That was their hope for me.
Knowing a Mayhem would never let their offspring fraternize with the ocean dwellers on an intimate level, it was hope that she saw when I disobeyed and dated Loudan. Of course, she could sense I had not connected with that one because none of my finer personality traits were emerging.
I touched Thurst’s swollen lips and asked, “Was I too rough?”
He chuckled and said, “Never. I only now realized I have not been meeting your true needs.”
I pushed up but he pulled me back down to his chest as another gentle rumble of laughter greeted my ear.
“This is more than I ever dreamed to hope for.” He stroked my hair. “Relax, My Love. Rest your weary mind and allow me to love you.”
That sounded really nice. A fantasy. One last little escape from the reality that when we left this place, when my father inevitably finds out, he will destroy it and I do not have the skills or the spells to put it back together. And even if I did, she would still be gone. The quiet assassin, the violent creature trapped inside a humble, beautiful package of submission for all of her life just to create me, would be dead.
How did I tell Thurst that my father was going to murder my mother? How did I tell him that it was possible, out of rage, spite, or humiliation, my father may destroy me?
* * *
Thurst headed into the bedroom as I said goodbye to my mother. Case had been subtly filled with items I wanted or needed to keep as a way of remembering this place. The bowl of sea glass was the hardest to sneak into Case because Thurst had spent the morning gathering the rarest he could find.
“He will begin presenting you with many things. Courtship for his kind is a compulsion. Very large, very brooding, very intimidating physically, but inside, there are few softer, more delicate creatures than he is. Probably why his father was murdered and replaced so easily.” She smiled at me. Her words were just a fact to her way of thinking. No emotional toll to calculate.
“I’ll try to remember that.” I knew she had hopes that by snagging that ‘gentle giant’ blue monster that I was going to spend my life with him, create new life with him, a life with him. Yeah. I was going to push his giant ass as far away from me as I could the moment we landed back on Blackthorn property.
She might be able to face death alone with a stoic attitude and sense of accomplishment, but I was not going to let the merman I love get caught up in the crossfire of an ancient battle between species. I seemed to have defied the cursed odds and landed a foot in both genetic camps.
I asked again for clarification, “If we can only birth our kind and females, regardless of the pollinator, how do you explain me?”
Pollinator. The male of their species were just pollinators and they sacrificed them. Of course, she would think I could throw Thurst under the magical bus if I thought it might save me. They had done that. Her ancestors had then used men of various species to exact their revenge; so many years later, even the females were thought to be extinct because none existed in the water anymore.
That many years? Yeah, some kind of evolution had to have happened. Right?
“You are protected. One day, you will choose, as I did.” She indicated the water. “Until you are ready, you remain a magic-wielding Mayhem witch. Be mindful of how you use those powers as you will miss them when they are gone.”
“Okay.” How was I going to argue with a dying woman?
“You are so much more than I thought you would become, Maxine Mayhem. Go forth and destroy your name.” She smiled brightly at me.
I nodded. Gulped. “I’ll make you proud.”
I doubted there were a lot of times in life when one’s parents were encouraging them to destroy the family name, but again, she was dying. I had my own mind, my own plans, and I’d faced my fear in the forest and… followed the path to the water. Fuck. This whole thing may have gone differently if I just followed the path they wanted me to. I would still have accomplished ending the Mayhem line, but she would still be undercover as a witch, not… about to die as a martyr.
I wanted to apologize to her, but she shook her head as though she knew it was coming. “Warriors make decisions that lead to victory or defeat. I am not defeated. You are not defeated. Win.”
“Yes, Mother.” I smiled at her and those two words were more powerful and meaningful to her than any I love you could have ever been.
“Max?” Thurst called and I knew the door was there.
I nodded at her and then entered the bedroom. He looked at Case, filled to the brim and barely closed and asked, “You okay, buddy?”
I needed to start putting up the wall between us, but that look on his face for my constant companion made it challenging. Warrior. Warrior. Make sacrifices to ensure safety rather than harm. I can do this. I can do this. I can.
“Ready?” I asked and reached for the knob. He nodded. I held onto Case, just in case something happened in transport because we were removing things that should not be taken from here.
We stepped through the portal and found the space empty. I watched the door fade after it closed. Thurst wrapped his large arms around me, placed his chin atop my head and said, “Till next time.”
I cleared my throat. “Right. About that.”
