‘It will be easy – I’ll take The Stream.’
‘The Stream?’
‘There is a sea current that travels around Tir na Nog. I can find The Stream and then it will be easy to fly through the water. I can do it in my sleep.’
‘You can swim and sleep?’
‘Not my whole brain, silly,’ she said, playfully slapping my chest, ‘I can only sleep one side of my brain while I swim.’
‘You can sleep one side of your brain at a time?’
She leaned in and spoke as if it was a secret. ‘Some people think half my brain is asleep most of the time – and they’d be right.’
‘So I can get off this island,’ I said as the realisation dawned on me. ‘I can warn my friends.’
‘Yes,’ she said, and I joined her jumping up and down.
‘When can we go?’
‘Now.’
‘Thank you, Graysea, they are wonderful surprises.’
Graysea stopped jumping. ‘No, that’s only one surprise.’
‘Really? What’s the other?’
She reached into a pocket and handed me a small glass vial that was set into a gold mesh sleeve. Inside was a dark liquid.
‘What’s this?’
‘It is dragon’s blood.’
I hadn’t realised until that moment just how much hope I had lost. Deep down I had all but given up on saving my father; now this wonderful girl had just handed me the ways and the means of curing him. I lifted her off the ground, spun her in my armme the wayhen kissed her. But as soon as my lips met hers a question flashed in my mind. I pushed her away and held her at arm’s length.
‘What’s the matter?’ she asked.
‘Where did you get this?’
A coy smile crossed her face. ‘I sort of borrowed it.’
‘Borrowed it – with permission?’
‘Well,’ she said, pivoting on one toe, ‘not really.’
‘You stole it?’
‘You could say that.’
‘From the King?’
‘Well yes; who else?’
‘I can’t take it.’
This produced a pout that made her look like a ten-year-old. ‘Why not?’
‘Because you will get into too much trouble.’
‘No I won’t,’ she said casually.
‘Oh I think you will.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘I never really get into too much trouble – you see, people think I’m really dumb. So they never stay mad at me.’
‘But you have never been in as much trouble as this will get you into.’
‘Maybe. But believe it or not, I have thought about this. Moran is due within three years, the King is not going to die of old age before then and your father is sick. I am a healer, remember – he needs this. I may get into trouble, but what I am doing is not wrong.’ She placed her hands on her hips in a defiant so there type of pose.
I stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek. ‘If anybody calls you dumb, tell me and I’ll punch him in the nose.’
She placed her hand on my robe and a pocket appeared. She dropped the dragon blood in the pocket and then sealed the vial within the fabric.
We decided to swim the surf, towing the boat, as opposed to risking me being tossed out by the breakers. This was the third time I had swum with Graysea and I still couldn’t get used to the way those gills opened up on her neck. To be honest it creeped me out a bit. But boy oh boy, once those gills appeared and her feet finned that chick could swim. I held on to the rings that were attached to the boat and then she grabbed me around the waist from behind and zoom, like being strapped to a jet-ski, we were off. She dived down at a speed I thought was impossible in water and then we soared out of the ocean like dolphins at a SeaWorld show. This happened over and over again. I wasn’t sure if we were diving through the air so I could breathe or if she was repeatedly trying to kill me. Once past the surf I had to pry her hands from my waist to make her stop. I floated on the surface – my kelp robe providing buoyancy when I asked for it.
‘Did I get carried away?’ she asked after she had broken the surface and healed the gills in her neck so she could speak.
‘No,’ I said, ‘my sinuses needed a good flushing.’
‘Maybe you should travel in your boat.’
‘You think?’
She nodded yes, missing the sarcasm.
‘Are you sure you are up to this?’
‘It will be easy, honestly. Look, The Stream is just over there.’
I looked to where she was pointing but saw nothing but water. ‘I don’t see anything.’
‘You will when it gets darker. Now would you like me to help you get into your boat?’
I said, ‘Yes,’ expecting her to hold on to the other side so I could climb in without tipping it, but she had another idea. She gave me a quick kiss then once again grabbed me from behind. The next thing I knew I was plummeting to the bottom of the sea before changing direction and diving straight out of the water. As we were directly over the boat Graysea dropped me and I landed flat on my side on the bottom of the boat. I was very lucky to have not put my foot through the canvas. Then the boat lurched, as my own personal mermaid escort broke the water before me, holding the rings in both hands. She gave a hoot, which was the only sound she could make with a neck-full of gills and then did a lovely flip while blowing me an upside-down kiss. Then we were off.
It was not a smooth ride, being towed from the front means that you bounce on every wave and swell. The afternoon sun was setting and I hunkered down trying to think about anything other than the breakdancing my stomach was doing.
As the sun began to set The Stream came into view. It was a watery road filled with luminous algae that, as the night grew darker, became more incandescent. I could see that we were travelling in the opposite direction to the current and that made me wonder if Graysea was lying about this not being difficult for her, but those fears disappeared when I peeped over the bow. Graysea was just below the surface and completely outlined with the glowing algae. Her arms were outstretched like an Olympic gymnast performing the iron cross. Her tail wasn’t even moving. She looked like an angel. Graysea had told me that the Mertain gain power from The Stream and I had just thought she meant it made ocean swimming easier, but here I saw The Stream provided real power, like gold in Truemagic or tree sap in Shadowmagic. Graysea was truly ‘flying’.
But just ’cause my mermaid outboard motor was sailing smoothly, that didn’t mean I was. I had to tear my eyes away from my miraculous escort and lie down in the boat to make sure I didn’t blow chunks.
It was just before dawn when Graysea woke me up by tipping me out of the boat. As soon as her gills disappeared she started to giggle and my anger at my damp awakening evaporated. She was still covered with whatever luminous microorganisms that lived in The Stream and it transformed her into the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.
‘You are glowing.’
‘I know,’ she said, spinning around. ‘Do you like it?’
‘You are radiant,’ I replied, ‘in every way.’
She pointed over my shoulder, ‘From what you have told me I think this beach is close to your home. I will miss you, Conor.’
‘You’re not coming ashore?’
