Mercadia Forever by Shaka Bry

Author:Shaka Bry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bryon Cahill

CHAPTER 14 - HERMANN

THE INSULT OF being hurled across the room damaged my pride more than the exposed skin on my arms, face, and legs. Maya may have rebuilt Mercadia Castle, intending to replicate the original down to the finest, scrupulous details, but she used coarse sand in her construction instead of fine migmite. She did her best to put a glossy sheen on things, but it’s just a mirage.

“Frannie,” Petra calls from across the room. The three of us hang from strong, weblike material in opposing corners. Our supercharged merlien hearing makes conversation the only aspect of this unfortunate sidebar that isn’t a struggle. “Can you get a hand free? Or a spell?”

“I know no spells,” she answers. “What do you take me for?”

“She could have killed us,” Petra says, wriggling in his gossamer cocoon. “She could have killed us, but she didn’t. She’s still more Maya than evil sorcerer queen.”

I haven’t known him for long, but from what I gather, Petra is an optimistic merlien. Either that or he fakes it really well.

“What about you, then?” Frannie asks of him. “Mezzy said you can turn back time? Sounds perfect. What are you waiting for?”

“When I performed that trick at Grisdale Castle, I could only bring us back a few minutes. That would land us in Maya’s presence again. She’d know we reversed the order of things and be quick to tie us up. Or worse this time. Besides, I’m not even sure I could reproduce the effect.”

A chill enters the room through the fireplace flue. I shiver from the brief cold, wondering if it is a strange, earthly weather or a magic.

“What about you, Explorer?” Frannie asks. “What’s your deal? Got any enchantments up your sleeve? Because now would be an excellent time to share.”

Though I would love to work some surprising sorcery to free us, there’s nothing I know how to do except turn an entire species into sea creatures. I have lived so dreadfully long among the humans—in and out of facilities—that I’ve lost my memory of magic years ago. In fact, it occurs to me I’ve buried my pre-Earth days deep within myself. The decades-long string of ill-kept hospitals and deplorable psychiatric institutions since has stolen the best parts of me.

“Hermann?” Petra leaves my name dangling in the air, just like we are doing.

“It’s as if my many decades with the humans, right up until I met Jonah in the water—” What am I trying to say? “There’s an irreconcilable void inside my head.”

“That’s probably not the best word to use when describing yourself.” Petra’s web spins on its axis and swings closer to mine. He’s able to use his body weight for propulsion, but only to a briefly impressive degree.

“I don’t have any other powers. None that I know of.” I answer Frangelica’s question. “Except for the power to be a nonessential failure.” Even to me, that sounded pathetic.

What’s happened to me? I was so full of promise and hope when Dodger returned me to my former self.

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