“Your time?” I asked, puzzled. “Time for what?”
She stared at her hands, holding them up.
“They used to be so beautiful. Look at them.” She turned them around so I could see the backs of her hands. They were wrinkled and covered in age spots. “Time passes so quickly. Even for mermaids.”
She looked at me and nodded. “Yes, I know about you.”
I was a little shocked.
“Even I don’t know about me.” I said, trying to lighten the mood.
“They haven’t told you everything, then?”
“I guess not. But that’s not why I’m here. First, my mom and Tammer think you cursed them.”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“It’s not wise to upset me, my dear. I can be your best friend or your worst enemy.” She sighed. “I suppose I was just so angry that I let it get the better of me.”
“They say you wanted Mom’s soul.”
“Initially, yes, that’s what I wanted, until I realized how important she was going to be. Just how much have they told you?”
I told her everything and she listened patiently, nodding her head at times and shaking it at others. When I was finished, she paused before she spoke.
“It was a different time and I wanted your mother to owe me. I knew she was to play a huge role in the future of our race and I wanted her to be beholden to me for my future’s sake. When I cursed them, Tammer came to me to bargain on Elan’s behalf. The only thing that would undo it was a Judgment.”
“Who went through The Judgment?”
“Tammer. He loved your mother so much that he did it for her. Just as Thayde did it for you.”
My thoughts raced back to Thayde who lay bruised and battered in our guest room. A wave of guilt coursed through me.
“Tammer is your mother’s protector, just as Thayde is yours. Thayde will always be your protector – it’s his destiny, whether you try to run from it or not. There is much you will discover, Morgan, but you must know this: you are not who you think you are. Merpeople are much different from humans. They have to face the perils of the ocean at a very young age and many are always on the verge of turning feral. Occasionally, they’ll give in to it, as happened with the Riddick’s and the Dartmoth’s that fateful day. Merpeople are also superstitious. For instance, that pendant you wear. You liked it because you thought it was pretty. Your mother bought it because she believes it is a protecting stone. I wanted to give you that stone as a gift because I know who you are.”
“And who is that?” I asked, unnerved.
“It’s not for me to tell you.” She chewed at her lip and folded her hands. “What else did you want to ask me?”
“How do I stop this feud between the families? If it doesn’t stop, I can’t be with Thayde and I want to be with him more than anything.”
Geiruna eased back and rested her head against the back of the chair. “It’s not impossible. Their fight has been going on for a very long time. The Dartmoth’s have been trying to produce a special Being from our history for centuries. This Being is not something you can create. It is stupid to try to control something so uncontrollable, but they try just the same.”
“Shouldn’t Troen sweep in and take care of it?”
She grunted and then chuckled. “He’s trying to teach everyone to take care of their problems and not rely on one ruler to solve all their differences. I don’t think we are a mature enough race to handle it.”
“What can be done?”
“I’m afraid I can’t answer that. Only one person can solve this dilemma and it’s not going to be solved overnight. Even if it could, wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”
It was obvious Geiruna wasn’t going to give me any more information. I nodded in silence, not really knowing what else to say.
“Believe in yourself and know that you can do anything you set your mind to,” she said, leaning forward in the chair. “You are much more powerful than you realize. One day, you’ll understand everything. Of that, I’m sure.”
She seemed finished, so I stood and smiled at her.
“Thank you for seeing me.”
“Thank you for not judging me,” she answered. “You have a friend in me.”
“I’d like that.” I smiled at Geiruna, extending my hand. She shook it lightly.
I left Geiruna’s shop with more questions than I’d had going in. Everything was so difficult to understand, as practically nothing of the past had been revealed. I decided to walk home to clear my thoughts. A breeze from the ocean swept across me, and I breathed the salty air in deeply. At least it was a beautiful day – sunny and warm. A car horn honked behind me and Tiesa pulled up in her Jeep.