Page 119 of Sea's Secret

“Dip your hand inside again, Sea Princess.”

I reached down again and touched the water. Dominick flooded through my mind, and I tried to focus on my family and my people. I removed my other hand from his and pushed both hands inside the pool. Still, my thoughts pointed to him.

“That is not the desire–”

“The pool reveals, Sea Princess.”

“But I need help with my people.”

“You must choose a star from the depths. Choose a star, and bring it to the surface; then you shall know what you seek.” The dragon dove into the water. I removed my hands from the pool and leaned back. Dominick was there, and I leaned against his chest.

“Dive to the bottom. You can do it easily enough,” he said with a smile.

“Dominick?” I said, shaking.

If I do not find out how to save my people, they will all die. How can my heart be so selfish and think more about Dominick than my people?

“Meria, are you alright?”

“I believe so.”

“Take your time,” he said, caressing my shoulder.

I removed myself from Dominick and shook my head. I thought of Finn, my sisters, my people, Dominick, his lost family, his mother, and all the pain he had endured. No matter how hard I tried, he was right there, the main focus. Without thinking anymore about it, I dove into the Mirror Sea.

The warm water of the mirror sea was soothing. As I moved deeper and deeper, trying to reach the stars that dotted the bottom of the seabed, I tried hard to focus on my people, but my mind kept showing me Dominick.

Once I reached the bottom, it was then I realized that the entire seabed was made of nothing but those stars. As I moved to grab one, it darkened before me. Again and again, I moved and attempted to touch those stars. Finally, I moved my hand over another, and it glowed. Touching its edges, I thought of my family, of my people, but to my left, there was another star that began to flicker, then glow brighter. I moved to it, touching it, and Domnick came into my mind. I touched it and felt love pour from me to him. I saw a life that could be mine, a life that I had desired above all else for all of my life. Dominick was there with a smile on his face, and two small children were sitting upon his knees. One was playing with his golden earring, and he laughed, tickling them; the other was giggling. I came up from behind him, carrying another child, a sweet, little, chubby infant with blue eyes, just like Dominick’s. A family with beautiful children. I noticed, then, that we were on the deck of a ship. I watched another scene where Dominick was beside me as we swam in a cove, our children swimming around us; they were mer. Their tails flashed in the sunlight. I laughed as Dominick wrapped his arms around me, and one of our children splashed us with her tail.

I wanted that.

I removed my hand from the star and paused.

What is this? Why are there two stars that call to me? Can I take them both? Get answers about my people and know if this is a life I could have with Dominick? It was my dream to have what I saw there. I picked up the star and swam back to the other. I picked it up, and nothing flashed before me. I just had a feeling that it contained hope for my people. I swam up toward the surface, but it seemed the closer and closer I came to the surface, the heavier the two stars became. I paused. If they kept becoming heavier and heavier, I would have to leave one behind. I continued swimming, pulling them both into my arms, using my tail to power me through the water as best I could, but I was barely moving.

“Dragon!” I called out into the fathoms. In an instant, the dragon appeared beside me, his body was so large, as if three whales had lined up.

“Sea Princess, what do you choose?”

“I need answers to both, Dragon.”

“Only one star is yours to claim.”

“But, I need to know.”

“Look inside, Sea Princess. You know more than you realize.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your love for your people, your desire to help them does you great credit. You are more selfless than most who have dived into this sea.”

“Please, tell me how to save my people.”

“You know how to save your people.”

It was then that I realized that I did know. I knew it as soon as I had risen out of the sea and grew legs.

“We were never meant to stay in the depths of the sea,” I whispered.