Secrets of the Deep (27 page)

Sapphira jolted forward, wide-eyed, staring at something behind him. Archie yelped, and Dani shouted his name. Before Jake could react, whatever had him by the shoulders whirled him around, leaned down, and shrieked in his face—a wet, bubbly, fizzy sort of scream that was anything but human.

It wasn’t the sea monster he had expected, but Jake had no idea what the creature was. He had never seen anything like it before. In his shock, he had dropped his alicia mirabilis, but by its sinking light, he glimpsed the thing’s face, some four feet wide.

It resembled a giant stalk of broccoli come to life, or perhaps a mangrove tree wearing a shaggy wig of kelp, holding him with spindly arm branches and gnarled, hooklike hands that seemed to be made of driftwood.

Its towering form was covered in dark green vines like long, tattered robes; a few barnacles dotted its broad, misshapen face like warts. From its head sprouted coral antlers, shaggy with seaweed, while its lower body split into two thick legs like tree trunks.

Jake stood frozen in pure shock for a second, then cowered as it leaned down and ranted at him in furious, guttural grunts and dolphinlike clicks, angry bubbles pouring from its mouth.

He stared in terrified amazement, unsure if it meant to rip his arms off or if the thing was merely scolding him.

In the next heartbeat, Liliana rushed over to his side and began clicking and grunting back to it, and the creature started calming down.

“Liliana!” Sapphira shouted, sounding as shocked by her sister’s ability to communicate with the creature as Jake was by the whole thing.

But the little pink mermaid seemed unafraid. She swam higher until she was at eye level with the bizarre creature, her gold braids floating upward from the sides of her head as she treaded water in front of its huge face and spoke soothingly to it in its own language, never taking her eyes off the thing.

After a few more odd, staccato noises from the little mermaid, the creature begrudgingly released Jake and backed away a bit, still clicking its displeasure to the princess, but more or less mollified.

Retreating, the creature hunkered down, lowered its head, and blended in once more with the other plant life in the Seaweed Forest.

Heart pounding, Jake rushed back to his friends in a daze, still so stunned he barely noticed the frightened hugs that he received from Isabelle and Dani. “Wh-what…just happened?”

“You all right?” Maddox demanded, looking him over.

“I…yes…I…” Jake blew out a shaky breath, then Archie turned angrily to the mermaids.

“What the devil was that thing?” he demanded, while Nixie stood guard at the edge of the path with her wand in case the thing came back or more of them approached.

Jake looked at Sapphira, still dazed, but she was staring at her little sister in shock.

“Please, everyone, it’s all right. The Colony is peaceful. Mostly,” Liliana added with an apologetic look. “They just don’t like being bothered. And they really hate those shark men.”

“Lil!” Sapphira finally burst out, as though her sister’s display had left her nigh speechless. “When did you learn to speak Algaerian?”

Liliana turned to face her sister. “You’re not the only one who likes to have adventures! I
told
you I’m not a baby.”

“B-but you’re not allowed to come here!” her elder sister sputtered.

“You do things all the time you’re not allowed to do, so why can’t I?” Lil folded her arms across her chest with a saucy look. “The Algaerians are my friends, for your information.”

Sapphira looked astonished as Lil tossed her head and swam away with a very princesslike flounce.

“Algaerians?” Maddox echoed, glancing around uneasily at the towering stalks of seaweed around them.

“This is their forest,” Lil said over her shoulder.

“You might’ve mentioned that before we ventured in here!” Jake said to Sapphira, finally finding his voice again.

“Her Highness doesn’t trust landers, remember?” Isabelle reminded them coldly. “She’s not going to tell us anything except what little it suits her for us to know.”

Silence followed.

Sapphira glanced warily at Isabelle, but for once didn’t have a sarcastic retort. She looked a little chastened. Of course, the crown princess was too haughty to apologize. Instead, she just handed Maddox the bandage roll of seaweed and swam past him. “Come on. We’d better keep going,” she muttered.

As Liliana followed her sister, Jake and his friends glanced around grimly at each other. It was written on all their faces, especially the girls’, that they couldn’t wait to get rid of Sapphira.

Nixie put her wand away with a slight snarl. “At least now we know why the shark men wouldn’t come in here.”

“Right,” Archie said. “I reckon these ‘Algaerians’ don’t care for their kind.”

“They hate them,” Lil said over her shoulder.

“Why?” Maddox asked.

She shrugged. “They just do.”

“I thought Algerians came from North Africa,” Dani mumbled as they continued on their way.

“Spelled differently, I should think,” Archie said. “As in
algae
.”

“I’ll bet they’re a species of underwater Green Men,” Nixie remarked.

Archie and she began discussing the possible origins of the algae folk as they swam down the path behind the mermaid sisters.

Maddox hung back this time, presumably to keep an eye on Jake after what just happened. He had promised Derek that he would keep him safe, after all.

Thankfully, though, Jake was already pretty well recovered from his fright. He could almost laugh about it now—that creature had been so odd! Frankly, though, it was his cousin Isabelle that he was worried about at the moment.

“Ahem! Say, Isabelle—why don’t you help Maddox wrap his arm with that seaweed bandage?” Jake suggested.

“But I don’t—” she started, but Jake swam ahead.

Nudging Dani, they exchanged a conspiratorial glance then hurried ahead to give the older pair a moment alone.

“You sure you’re all right?” Dani asked him as they continued together down the path.

“Aye,” said Jake. He paused. “Interesting day we’re having, no?”

“I’ll say! I sure am going to miss Sapphira,” she drawled.

Jake snorted and looked askance at her.

She grinned. “I
am
looking forward to seeing the mermaid city, though, even if it’s only from a distance.”

“You can keep your distance if you want. I’m going in.
I
want my reward from the king.”

“Ha ha.”

It was another half an hour before they finally came to the far side of the forest.

Maddox, whose arm had stopped bleeding, swam to the front of the group. He was determined to go first to find out if any of the shark men were out there waiting for them.

Nixie was right behind him, peeking out of the forest path into the open water. “You know…I could just make myself invisible and go check it out first.”

“Are you sure?” Jake asked with a frown.

“It’s easy,” Nixie said with a shrug.

“Very well. But don’t be long. And be careful.”

“Done.” Nixie tapped herself on the forehead with her wand. They heard a cheerful “Ciao!” but saw nothing as she presumably swam off to scout out the situation.

They waited tensely for her to return.

Jake couldn’t wait to leave the forest after his brush with the Algaerian. That one had let him go, thanks to Lil, but who knew how many more of the strange creatures were still lurking about, resenting their intrusion?

Nixie reappeared about ten minutes later and, happily, gave them the all clear.

They remained on their guard as they all swam out of the forest in a school, keeping close together for protection’s sake. But the mood among them was lifting. Everyone was excited to see the glistening capital city of the merfolk, after hearing Lil describe it on the way.

“I can’t wait for you to meet Papa!” Liliana said eagerly. “And our tutor, Professor Pomodori. He’s really smart. Our palace is so beautiful, isn’t it, Wallace?” the child rambled on in a dreamy tone, when all of a sudden they heard explosions in the distance and stopped short.

With a gasp, Liliana looked up anxiously at her sister. “What was that?”

But Sapphira’s face had turned ashen as she stared in the direction of the city. “We’ve heard that sound before.”

They all had, actually.

As another boom tore through the waves, upsetting the dolphins still following them, Jake recognized the sound as the same rumbling reverberations that had brought the sunken temple crashing down around their ears.

“That’s cannon fire,” Archie whispered. “And here, we thought it was an earthquake…”

They all knew instantly who was behind it.

“Not again!” All of a sudden, Sapphira rushed ahead.

The rest followed at top speed until they came to a stony rise, where they stopped and took in the sight of the underwater city that sprawled across the sandy plain below.

Unfortunately, the capital was under attack.

“I don’t understand,” Sapphira whispered with a stricken gaze fixed ahead. “How did he beat us here?”

“I guess the
Flying Dutchman
must be a magical ship,” Dani murmured. “Given that Davy Jones has got to show up on time anyplace in the ocean where sailors are about to drown.”

That made sense, Jake supposed, though nothing else about this day did. He could only stare at the legendary black ship floating underwater in the distance. It was poised on the outskirts of the whimsical town, fiery broadsides booming from its hull.

“He must be using Greek fire for his underwater cannonry,” Archie mumbled, more to himself than to them. “It’s been known since the seventh century. Water can’t put it out,” he added absently.

Sapphira covered her mouth with both hands, staring. Liliana whimpered by her side, watching Jones’s crew of shark men streaming over the sides of the ship. They were racing toward the towered pink palace in the center of the city.

At the same time, however, a colorful army of mermen were rushing out in formation to defend their home against the pirate horde. It was a spectacle unlike anything Jake had ever witnessed before.

Obviously, the sight was extremely upsetting to both mermaids.

“Not again…” Lil let out a soft moan and started crying.

Collecting herself, Sapphira turned suddenly to Isabelle. “Give me the Triton Trumpet. Hurry.”

Isabelle reached into her satchel and handed it over.

“What are you going to—” Jake started.

“Watch my sister,” Sapphira ordered, and then she bolted off, the horn in hand.

Her little sister shrieked her name in panic, but Dani held her back as the elder princess went racing toward the battle.

“Sapphira, get back here!” Maddox bellowed, but she just kept going. He glanced at Jake. “I’ve got to stop her.”

Jake nodded. “I’ll come with you in case there’s anything we can do to help the mermen. You lot, stay here.”

Already far ahead of them, Sapphira was barreling through the sea, shouting someone’s name. It sounded like
Tyndaris
. But Jake doubted she’d be heard over the thunder of the cannons. Apparently reaching the same conclusion, Sapphira used the Triton Trumpet, blowing it over and over again as she swam. Somehow she got the attention of a large and impressive merman warrior in a metal helmet and breastplate like a Roman centurion.

He came racing over to meet Sapphira. “Princess, you’re alive! By Poseidon, where have you been?”

“Never mind that, what’s happening?” she cried as the boys caught up.

“Jones came back, as you can see,” the warrior reported. “He didn’t find the orb in the Calypso Deep. He still thinks we have it! Pray to the gods that he hasn’t killed your sister.”

“No, Tyndaris, I have her! See?” Sapphira pointed at the rise, where the others waited anxiously. “She’s safe. That’s where I’ve been—rescuing her! And these landers helped me.”

“Landers?” Tyndaris echoed in surprise, warily eyeing up Jake and Maddox in a manner that reminded Jake of Derek Stone.

“Never mind them,” Sapphira said impatiently. “The point is, Liliana’s safe.”

Tyndaris nodded when he saw that it was so. “You have to keep her out of here. Both of you must stay out of the sea until this is settled. It’s too dangerous for you here. If Jones captures you, he’ll use you against your father. So take the Landwalkers’ spell, both of you. I know it’s unpleasant, but at least then you’ll be beyond his clutches. I’ll let your father know you’re both safe. We’ll find you once the city is secure. For now, Jones means to pound us into sand, all to make us hand over something we do not possess.”

“Tyndaris—we have it,” Sapphira haltingly admitted, nodding at Jake.

The warrior looked at her in amazement. “You?”

She nodded bashfully. “I…I’ve had it all along.”

“Where?” he demanded.

“Safe. It’s on land, but don’t worry, we can go and get it right away! Jones will leave us alone once we give him what he wants—”

“Absolutely not! No, Your Highness! Jones must never get his hands on that thing. Keep it on land. And guard it with your life,” he added, turning to the boys.

“Why? What does it do?” Jake asked.

“Our people’s oldest texts claim the Atlanteans destroyed themselves with one of those devices,” Tyndaris replied. “Supposedly, the orb could harness deep magnetic forces in the Earth. But the Old Ones got careless with its power, and accidentally triggered what I believe you humans call…Noah’s Flood?”

“Noah’s Flood!” Jake cried.

“I really don’t think this is any of their business,” Sapphira protested.

“Pardon, Your Highness, but it’s very much their business,” Tyndaris replied, “considering millions of their kind will drown again if Davy Jones gets his way, as you well know.”

“Oh,
really
?” Jake’s jaw dropped at her treachery, while Maddox glared at the mermaid in shock.

“Her Highness forgot to mention
that
little detail!” the older boy said.