Chapter 12

'We're all ghosts. We all carry inside us, people who came before us. When we illuminate the road back to our ancestors, they have a way of reaching out, of manifesting themselves...sometimes even physically, We are bound to our ancestors and to those who made us, whether we want to be or not. What matters is what we make of what we are.' ❤❤❤❤ SELENA (THE GODDESS OF MERMAIDS) ❤❤❤❤ "What!?" Rae shouted on what she heard the strange beautiful mermaid utter. "Whose ancestors are you talking about?" "Yours of course." The beautiful mermaid answered. "You're mistaking me for someone else, I am from the witch Kingdom, not a mermaid Kingdom, in fact my grandmother is the queen of witches. I was told your kind were wiped out to close down the Gate of Darkness years ago." Rae said and then remembered her conversation she had with her grandmother about the last mermaid. "Oh, I see that you are the last mermaid my granny had told me about, right?" The beautiful mermaid shook her head. "No, I have already told you who I am." Selena said. Rae was surprised, she thought the mermaid was the mermaid queen daughter. If she isn't, then this mermaid she is seeing here is a different one and her life might be in danger. "Then if you are not Avonmora's daughter, do you know if any other creatures apart from me sees you, you are a goner." Rae said. "Why would you say that?" Selena asked. "Because they are looking for the last mermaid to sacrifice, so that the Gate of Darkness will close forever." Rae explained. "That was what they did to the rest of you." "Well like I said before, I am your ancestors Rae, and no one can hurt me." Selena said smiling. "And I have told you that you are not my ances-" Rae began to say but stopped as she looked at the mermaid in pure shock. "How did you know my name is Rae?" She demanded. "Well, how I came to know about your name, is a secret. I am your friend Rae, I will not hurt you." Selena said with a smile as she went on splashing her tail into the water. "But why would you say you're my ancestors when I am a witch." Rae asked confusedly. "The secret you asked Lillian not to reveal to you yet is part of it." Selena said. Rae was shocked to her bones when she heard that. "How come you get to know everything? Are you a witch mermaid or something related to that?" Rae asked now suspicious of the beautiful mermaid splashing the water inside the cave. Selena laughed out loud. "No, we are healers. Come and sit down with me." Selena added tapping at a dry up space beside her. "In that dark water cave?" Rae ask staring at the dark water. What if something was hidden beneath the dark water, and the creature will grab hold of her legs and eat them. She will be legless forever. "Yes, nothing will eat your feet Rae, like I said before, I will not hurt you, I need you to sit with me to discuss." Selena said and went back to what she was doing. Rae contemplate on it before making up her mind, after all, she was wearing her bracelet and one bad move from the mermaid, her grandmother will appear. Removing her boots and rolling up her trouser higher to her knees, she walked the little distance between them and step one of her feet into dark water and waited for a minute, when nothing happened, she smiled and put the other leg inside, and sat down on the dry space. "So Rae, tell me about yourself." Selena asked. "I thought you know all things and my name too, so you should know everything about me since you said my name correctly." Rae said facing the lady, up this close, words couldn't describe the mermaid beauty. Selena turned to regard her slowly. "You're very intelligent and outspoken, just like her." Selena said sadly. "Just like who?" Rae asked. "My daughter, she is just like you." Selena answered with a smile. "You have a daughter?" Rae asked surprised, which means there are two mermaids and not one. "Yes, she looks just like your inner soul." Selena answered with a smile. "What's her name, can I know her?" Rae asked. "Her name is Avonmora." Selena replied. "What!? Don't tell me the Avonmora you just mentioned, is the one who was once the queen of the Mermaids?" Rae asked with a raise eyebrows. "She is the one, but I am afraid I couldn't save her." Selena said with a sad tone. "Wow, you look younger but seriously speaking, you're old." Rae said and out of curiosity, she wants to know more about Selena. "Why would you say I am old?" Selena asked smiling. Leaning closer to Selena's ears, "I will tell you why I said that, if you will in return, tell me about yourself." "Oh I see, no problem. You have my word." Selena promised. "Good. The reason why I had called you old is that you are a grandmother. I promised not to tell anyone, but I was told Avonmora has a daughter who is out there somewhere, hiding." Rae whispered. Selena smile, she knew but decided to play along. "Really?" "Yeah, but do not tell anyone about what I just told you." Rae said with a serious face. "Rae, I won't tell anyone what you told me, I give you my word." Selena promised. "Good, so since I have told you that you have a granddaughter, go and look for her and hid her with you, because you both are the last mermaids." "I will do that Rae." Selena said with a smile. "Now, fulfil your own bargain." Rae said with her arms crossed. "It's your turn." "Sure. My name is Selena, one of the seven goddesses of the Sea Nile. That's all you need to know about m-." Selena said and suddenly look up at the sky. Rae also followed but saw nothing. "What is it?" "There is not much time Rae, mermaids are known as healers, we cure and save lives no matter how tough the wounds and illness are, we don't use our gifted powers for evil. You will have to do something for me before I leave." Selena said when she stared back at Rae. "What do you want me to do for you granny?" Rae felt glad calling her 'granny', she wants to remind the beautiful mermaid that she was a grandmother. "I can't leave here, I am far away from this world." Selena said. "Someone need our help urgently, she is very sick Rae. You have to find out who the sick lady is and heal her from your touch." Selena added. "Heal her with my touch, how? I am not a mermaid, even we witches aren't as strong as you guys when it comes to healing, I read that in history books." Rae said with disbelief eyes. "Well, if she dies, the evil doer will gloat in happiness which I don't want. She did try to open up, but was prevented. if you believe in your powers and yourself, you can heal the lady." Selena said. "Okay, I will try to find out if there is a lady sick in the kingdom." "Good." Selena said as she removed herself from where she had sat and started swimming, going further inside the cave filled with dark water. "Get up from there Rae and leave this place at once right now." Rae quickly left where she was sitting and put on her boots, once done, she faces Selena who was quietly observing her. "Will I see you again?" Rae asked hopefully. "Yes, only when you have healed the lady can you see me again." Selena answered with a smile. "Now, off you go quickly and do not stop until you get home." "I will try my best and I hope to see you soon, take care of yourself old woman." Rae said as she started running. "Take care too…... my grandchild." Selena whispered lowly to herself before disappearing into the dark water. Rae happened to glance back, the place she had sat with the mermaid a few seconds ago, was now filled with grass, not wanting to stop as something in her urge her to run. She left the same way she had came in and ran straight home. Few minutes later, the water man appeared right in the middle of the caves as he stared around him. He had felt the presence of the last mermaid when he was meditating. He had cast a magic spell around here to alert him when the last mermaid step her foot inside the Mermaid Kingdom. "She was here, I can still feel it." The water man said as he began to look round the caves for her. He realized she wasn't there anymore. "I came late, she escaped me today but next time, she won't be that lucky." The water man said and vanished. **** Tamara nose flare up with anger as she stared down on Jason with so much disdain. "If not for one thing, I would have deal with you slowly." Tamara growl out in anger. "And I have been telling you to tell me, what exactly is this one thing you keep on repeating." Jason said in the same tone as hers. Tamara didn't say a word, she left the Chamber and soon came in with Roen. "Son, didn't you heard that I was calling you, she told you, right, why then did you not come to me and choose to ignore me?" King Roen asked his son. "I will answer you in my own convenient time father, for now I want to stay with my mum and even if Tamara wants to give my mother her herbs, I will still be here and there is nothing you can say about that father." Jason replied gently. "I called you to come to me, but here I am now. I am not asking you to follow me back to my chamber or the throne room. Step aside with me, there is something I need to discuss with you privately, please son." Roen said. "Okay." Jason said after a while. "We will discuss outside the chamber." He let go of his mother hand and left with his father. Tamara was left alone with Rosa. Clapping her hand a little bit, not too loud, she smiled sweetly at Rosa. No one could hear their conversation now. "Finally, I am alone with you." Tamara said with a cruel smile as she approached the bed. Rosa eyes were screaming for help. "I told you I have the final say in my plan, Rosa, but you wanted to spill every bean out to Roen. I was more faster and smarter than you." Tamara said with a smile, as she brought out a little knife she had hidden in her waist, with it she cut off a little bit of her arm and allow the blood to touch Rosa. The wounds on her arm closed as the blood on Rosa turned into a white scorpion and entered inside her body, vanishing as the skin was made whole. "I will be feeding my scorpions to you until you die, no one will come to rescue you Rosa, read my lips, No one." Tamara said and laughed, "Enjoy your last days on earth well slave." Rosa wasn't really Tamara cousin, it was a planned work. Tamara clapped her hands once more, at that moment, Jason opened the door and went back to his previous seat. As soon as he held his mother hand again, her hand felt colder than before, he shouldn't have left his mother alone. "Why is my mother hand colder than before?" Jason asked "How can I know when I have been standing right here." Tamara said. "I will have to give her the herbs so that she can heal." "Give me the bowl of herbs and get the hell out of here." Jason said. Tamara gave the herbs to Jason and walked out of the chamber with a hidden smile. Jason gave his mother a little bit of the herbs. When he touched her forehead, it was as cold as her hand. Closing his eyes, he concentrates on his inner fire and when he opened his eyes, he saw a little fire bird phoenix that was standing on Rosa forehead. The fire from the Phoenix, gradually absorb the cold.