The Jumbie God's Revenge by Tracey Baptiste

Author:Tracey Baptiste
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Published: 2019-08-02T19:28:48+00:00

18

The Other Mermaid

Corinne’s toes had barely touched the froth at the break of the waves when two mermaids bobbed out of the water. She swam out to meet them, and Sisi grabbed her hand and dragged her into the sea. Corinne took a last glimpse at Pierre, who stood on shore, forlorn, before she was pulled under.

Sisi’s fins and tail flashed yellow with red at the tip. Addie swam ahead of them, a bright green slash in the water. They moved past the waving coral reef, which looked like it had been ripped apart, then past another, older reef farther out that lay bleached as bones, broken and scattered in the golden sea sand. Corinne pointed to the surface, indicating she needed more air, but this time Sisi and Addie didn’t notice. They kept moving, around the skeleton of the ancient coral reef to the far side where Mama D’Leau lay coiled up in her own tail. Corinne went limp at the sight of the powerful jumbie lying in the sand like a washed-up fish. Sisi tugged her along. But as they got close, the water pushed against them, hurtling them away from the old reef with a spray of bubbles and sand. Corinne used that moment to break free of Sisi’s grasp and kick to the surface for a breath.

Sisi and Addie came up with her, as well as the third mermaid, Noyi.

“Took you long enough,” Noyi snapped. She was thicker than the other two, with her hair coiled into an elaborate bun of plaits on top of her head.

“She was looking for her papa,” Sisi explained.

Noyi rolled her eyes. “And all the while, I have been here, trying to get Mama out.”

“I came as quickly as I could,” Corinne said.

“So what do we do now?” Addie asked. “We can’t get close to her no matter what we do.”

“What have you tried?” Corinne asked.

Noyi put her hands on her scaly dark blue hips. “How many ways is there to get to a person?” she snapped. “We have been trying to swim to her.”

“From the front always?” Corinne asked.

“The reef is at her back,” Sisi said. “With the pull that strong, we’d get gouged on the old coral trying to reach her from behind.”

The cut on Corinne’s leg from the time she had climbed the cliff began to tingle. She rubbed it. “You aren’t used to having to hang on to things,” Corinne said. “You have to hold on with your hands and your feet.”

“Feet.” Noyi pursed her lips and glared at her.

Corinne looked down at the mermaid’s waving tail. “Right. Well, I know how to hang on. I’ve done it hundreds of times while climbing,” Corinne said. “One of you could put me in the coral, and I’ll get to her from the back.”

“What makes you think this Huracan won’t notice you?” Addie asked.

“You’ll distract him,” Corinne said.

“But then the current will take you,” Sisi said.

“That’s when I have to hang on the hardest.”

Sisi’s face brightened. Addie shrugged, but Noyi looked even more irritated.

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