The glow tangled once more. Only to die out, her hands trembling, her whole body hurting.

Iara panted, sinking onto the sand below her, losing focus and slumping. She let herself lay there for some minutes, feeling the waters brush her.

But she eventually raised her gaze again, pushing the pain away. Her eyes filled with hope and brightness, determined. She slowly raised her hand again, to brush the seaweed she had been channelling her magic into.

It had grown slightly, its once vibrant brown colours now tangled with a light azure hue. Its roots had grown, it rose higher from the bottom; it looked more alive.

It did, because her will flowed into it. Before, it was small and slightly withered. Sharp pain flowed into her body as she forced it to bloom. She tried to share her life, her will.

Her eyes filled with sorrow, for the azure brightness faded, and the plant twitched due to it. It soon bent as if in pain, like if it was trying to reach for something that was not there. She could only sit there, her hands shaking with impotence, seeing it whiter, worse than it was before. It fell down onto the sand, all its colours leaving.

Dead.

Iara shed tears, which mixed with the cold waters around her. She had been trying to invoke her magic with all her might. The cay was far away; she roamed darker depths, trying to focus, find the will inside her, alone.

It only took will… and something to pay. Her whole body was in pain while she transmitted life into the plant. But the plant had no will. It had no desire, no thought, no emotion; it was primal. It felt nothing for such a spell, there was no bond.

She was not strong enough. She had barely practised this in the past, only when truly alone, when no one would frown upon it. It was a secret she had kept inside.

It could help. She knew it.

But it was not enough, not from her. Matthew had the will, emotion, and perhaps longing; it could mean a difference. But he was not like her, he was not a merfolk. Magic flowed stronger in them; his willing submission to it could perhaps not be enough.

Her eyes stared at the dead plant. Alon’s words echoed louder in her mind, now her own thoughts.

It could go wrong.

If only Alon had listened, if he had given her his hand and tried, wishing for it… The three could will it, it could be.

But it was not to be. She was alone and weak.

The currents seemed to try to comfort her, rocking her frame back and forth, the dim light almost not reaching her.

There was silence for a while… until she growled.

Iara let out a loud snarl, laying down her hand again, feeling her body burn as a glow tangled around her arms, ending in wild sparks on her fingers, which soon pierced the dead plant. The poor thing shook under her with painful jolts. Its leaves tangled with an azure hue for a moment, only to turn black.

But that did not stop her. Her teeth clenched while she cried, her shoulders shaking, her eyes sharpening as she glared at the seaweed. She kept trying to force it to bloom, even if not a single trace of life returned to it.

Her azure light reflected on every reef and rock, every fish and animal fled from the glow.

All fled. All but one, who watched from the shadows.

Iara halted, seeing a small white light blend with hers in the water. She lowered her hands, losing her glare in surprise. Another merfolk was looking down at her with a curious look.

“You are making a mess, don’t you think?”

Iara frowned at the angler, not liking how she began circling her, unimpressed by her apprehensive expression.

Nosy…

She did not yell, but she did snarl, unable to hide the dead plant from her inquisitive gaze.

“Don’t judge me.” Iara looked down at the seaweed again, having wanted to be alone. “I know what I’m doing!”

“You sure?”

Iara could only lean back, because the angler floated closer to stare at the plant, voice infuriatingly teasing.

“I mean, looking down at this thing…!” She shook her fins, pointing. “If your intention was to kill it, good job!”

Iara glared, not liking the intrusive demeanour, or the curious look on her face.

Diya either did not care or did not notice Iara’s tiredness as she turned to look away, her azure eyes narrowed. Her next words were firm, even if regretful.

“If you are here to mock me, you can move that long tail of yours where light does not shine. Leave me alone, I need to-“

“Alone you won’t do anything!”

Iara looked over her shoulder. She felt anger, because the angler fish was now floating upside down, looking at her like if this was a game, her little fangs biting her lip.

She would have shoved her off… if she had not begun to comment to herself, saying things that drowned her ire under wonder.

“You would need the help of someone who knows more than you.” Diya clicked her tongue, pouting. “But I guess you rather keep trying to learn all by yourself than find one who could-“

“What did you say…?”

Diya turned upright again, laying down the point of her fins with little care.

“That you prefer to be alone and-“

“No!” Iara leaned closer, Diya blinking as she demanded. “Not that! Find who?!”

A small glint crossed Diya’s eyes. One that Iara did not see, for she was too lost in her own thoughts. The angler grimaced subtly when she let the next words out.

“There’s someone around that knows a lot about this kind of stuff.”

Azure eyes widened, the words making her heart skip a beat. It began to fill with hope. Diya did yelp slightly when Iara shook her shoulders, suddenly eager to listen, showing pure urgency.

“W-where?!”

Diya raised a fin, explaining nervously, her eyes looking away, what Iara deemed a thoughtful look.

“West; there are underground ruins, deep, past narrow ravines crowded by black seaweed. The entrance is at the end of a chasm, can’t miss the big stony arc. She has been there for quite a long time, always wise and-“

Diya blinked, because Iara let go, bolting away.

The angler floated there baffled, not even needing to end her words to lure the mermaid. There was no need to say everything the shark told her to. She could only watch while that gray tail dashed over the rocks ahead, fast. Iara yelled one last thing before she disappeared into the dark waters.

“Thanks!”

And she was gone.

Diya looked down onto her own hands, biting her lip again, feeling no fulfillment. She did not move while a black figure neared, circled her. Those two red eyes looked down over her with amusement. His voice tangled with faked gratitude.

“You did well.”

Her eyes moved to glare up at him. But the shark only laughed, leaning slightly.

“Don’t look at me like that…” He crossed his chest with a finger, where his heart would be… if he had one. “I always keep my word. You did your part. I will do mine.”

He waved his hand at her, reassuring.

“You can go back to the dark cold cavities you call home. No sharks will prey on you there.” He moved away, fading into the dark. There was one last glint from his eyes, which mocked her. “I shall leave you alone. Again.”

Diya let her own light flicker. Her figure shook as she swam away tiredly.

—————-

 

Two silver eyes glinted in the dark. For once, they really pierced the waters like a predator would, even if not with the same intentions…

Alon panted, his moves faster than usual. He had to narrow his eyes, having gone into deeper waters, the light from above decreasing. No reef was left unchecked. He kept looking, hoping to see any trace of a beautiful gray tail.

Yet he could only see blackness, shadows tangling with everything. It made him growl in exasperation, the echo coming back to haunt him.

After a while, Alon halted, letting out a tired puff of air. It floated up and out of sight, the surface far. He would have swum up to rest a little, to keep on looking after. He had been searching for a long time. There was no trace of her. He was not hearing anything in the currents.

He was about to bolt upwards, his tail curling to slam down and impulse him. But he let it uncurl gently, his gaze lowering. Something caught his attention. He slowly let himself sink, nearing the bottom.

His hand moved slowly. He frowned, his fingers touching with fear the dried leaves of the small plant, all withered. His eyes sharpened while he stared at it, filling with apprehension once more.

It looked dead. Indeed. But it was not natural. It looked like if something had ripped it inside out, small stripes of black running all through it, with a faint azure hue.

She’s been here.

The merman huffed, standing upright again, looking all around him with a worried look. He spoke her name again, tone tangling with fear.

“Iara?!”

His call echoed back to him. And he could not feel her anywhere.

His teeth and fists clenched, painfully. He wiped sideways, swimming ahead, forgetting about resting, pushing it all away; because she had to be around. If that plant truly had been exposed to her magic, she had to be trying again with another one, somewhere close.

He would keep on looking, and once he found her, try to make her see.

She needed to be found and stopped; before she could hurt herself… or him.