I was late; Marina had already left her apartment. I was knocking for several minutes when saw an irritated face of her obviously housewife neighbour.
She was not in, for I couldn’t hear her in the rooms inside. Mermaids’ sense of smell is not, of course, as good as dryads’ or shifters’, but I can hear quite well to understand that she was not hiding or ignoring me behind the closed door.
The coffeehouse is crowded. Luckily, it’s not my shift; I sit in the farthest and the dimmest corner and take a plastic cup of tea to pretend that I’m drinking it.
I decided to find any other equivalent of a searching potion in the staff room; siblings keep them behind some simple runes. No way I will return to my roommates now; I am full with their more or less erotic moments for this week (l know them all too well to expect no changes in their habits).
“Where can she be? With her human male? Friends? Parents? Studying?” I’m chewing my lip, feeling shame, “I should have asked her about such simple things; listen to the story of her life... If I told her more about me, she would not be so scared. And my great idea was to fill her with a love potion!
Nevertheless, the reaction could be worse: once I told one man about my nature of a creature, thinking he was my true friend and lover. But he grabbed my hand and forced me to visit the village priest. It was an awkward situation... for him, for I slapped him hard in the face and had to hastily leave the place. I loved it so much: I had a pretty two-roomed house there, a kitchen garden, a goat and five hens. I rented out a room, cooked for my guests, sold them and some neighbors milk, eggs, home preservatives, and simple vegetables that didn’t need any special treatment. That was the place I loved the most. Sometimes I think about it with nostalgia, but the life of a mermaid is to burn all bridges when the moment comes. And it was just one confession of my real self, but the result was depressing; that’s why I prefer to share my off the water life with witches or witchers.
“Doris!”
“What are you doing here?” I can’t believe I see Juni among humans like in a bad dream scenario. And she is not alone but with Marina’s best friend. The dryad didn’t even apply any elementary magic to hide her ears.
“It’s so good we find you here. We need to talk to you,” she seems unusually meek and weak being in a crowd of humans.
“If you come to talk about Marina, you’ll be disappointed, for I’m not in a mood to talk about her,” I’m trying to sprinkle my voice with cocky indifference.
I’m so mad at myself and Juni. It was impossible to invite her to my place outside the pond or sanctuary. She perfectly knows I’m upside down, though she has just come not alone or with a random human, but with a person who might be standing between me and Marina. Traitor!
Juni, seeing my face, is changing glances with a young man; he and the dryad are sharing the same expression as if they came to me to announce someone’s death.
I am suppressed: even my best friend prefers him over me (I’m convinced it’s not her idea to find me in a room full of humans):
“Relax human,” I say listlessly. “She doesn’t want me anyways.”
“Doris we are here not to argue. All we want is the best for Marina, but your relationship with her...” Sylvester finds his voice.
“But what does Marina want?” Den’s question is like a lightning in a clear blue sky.
My sneaky colleague has been overhearing our conversation since the very first word. We freeze, and he continues recklessly:
“You are talking what is better for her as if she’s your little baby or you are sharing a toy: I want her! No, I want her! Ok, take her: I’m tired of her anyway,” he’s saying it in a disgusting baby-talk manner.
“It is your style, isn’t it?” the boy is piercing me and Sylvester with his oily eyes. “Playing with humans like they are your toys and then breaking them occasionally. Right, buddy? Just like you who’s fond of fucking girls and then break their hearts. Still waiting for your forest princess nymph and while waiting killing time in a company of simple ladies?” Sylvester’s ears and cheeks are the same color as his shaggy hair. “Or breaking hearts in general, because there’s no heart of her own?” Den’s eyes are fixed on me. “Oh, here are my gloves!” he’s grinning at us like we are bad players, and he’s a joker on a card. “Have a good day! Sylvester. Doris. Beautiful fairy.”
He has already gone, but we keep on standing ashamed and embarrassed. Sylvester is the first to break the silence after a “shockwave”:
“Den is a jerk, but he’s right. It’s not my business what’s happening between you and Marina. If she’s happy, I’m happy too; and I know it sounds like a stupid cliche... What about coffee? I’ll buy us some,” like a ginger clownfish swims between the corals, he is steaming around people and tables.
Juni and I are left alone.
“Apply some magic on your ears, for Triton’s sake! People start paying attention to them,” I’m sitting at the table, and Juni is following my example.
“Don’t worry. They are so stupid to admit the fact that I’m a dryad,” she says. But I see her gingerly covering the tips.
“If Sylvester doesn’t understand that you are a dryad, there’s still a high chance anyone here uses their smartphone and spread your image everywhere.”
Now she looks scared. I don’t think she understands anything I said, though I have already explained her about phones, but “spread image” is a crucial point for my friend. She’s dropping my plastic cup, stays under the table for a while, and sits back with normal human ears. Her short hair is disheveled, and one of her newlymade, round ears is too pointy.
“Doris, I must confess you something. I came here to talk you out of dating Marina. And I feel terribly sorry, for I have promised to help you. Like Sylvester I thought what’s good for me, not for you. I was so afraid of the consequences, and I’m still afraid of them...” she’s looking at her fingers avoiding looking at me, “I promise you I’m on your side. Doris, I don’t want to lose you as a friend too.”
I want to say something angry about her actions, but seeing her funny round ears and miserable face makes me change my mind. She’s not comfortable here: Juni keeps on turning her head where Sylvester has walked away as if waiting for his return.
“Have you found anything suspicious about my co-worker?” I try to change the subject.
“He’s creepy, and I don’t feel any aura in him. Is he your witch’s friend?”
“He’s not,” I’m nervously flickering my hair back. I’ve never mentioned anything special about the loser till this moment. The dryad is right: he has no aura. The young man is like one dark oily pit.
Sylvester’s return prevents us from the aura discussion. He’s handing Juni and then me the most expensive coffee we have here. I’m pressing my lips tightly but don’t comment on it, pretending to have a tiny sip. Juni is wincing but drinking her bitter beverage stoically. I push a sugar bowl towards her, putting two lumps into my cup as a little tutorial.
“Have you already removed your cosplay ears? I loved them so much. You seemed adorable with them... I don’t mean you are not adorable with your real ears; they are lovely too...” mumbles the young man; he’s smiling confusingly. Juni is lowering her eyes. I can see a shadow of a smile on her typically serious and determined face.
What is going on here? Is it Juni or a shapeshifter in her disguise? No, it’s her flourishing and light as a wind aura I know so well. And most surprisingly, I have not seen even a hint of a smile since her elder sister’s death.
We are changing some simple polite phrases at the table. It’s already dark outside, and I feel Juni wants to go home, for she’s fidgeting like a baby.
It seems that Sylvester has interpreted her behaviour correctly, “I got to go now. I'd hoped to meet both of you in friendlier circumstances. Look, my car is parked across the road; I can give you a lift if you want. It was my idea to drag you here, so it’s the only thing I can do to make up for it.”
“I’ll stay with Doris if you don’t mind,” Juni is looking at him as if the human is going to war.
A strange pain is penetrating my body for a second and disappearing leaving the emptiness in my chest like I have no heart, though it is beating ruthlessly. I’m standing without saying a word and, seeing nothing in front of me, going away from the table. I know this sensation of pure loneliness too good: and I was released from it when Marina accepted my coin. I’m trying to breath, but I’m just gulping air but can’t get enough of it. Marina. I don’t feel her. I’m panicking and can’t focus:
“Is she in danger? Dead? No no no on...” the last thought is poisoning my mind, and I’m trembling and rushing to the staff room. I don’t care if anybody is there and start ripping into siblings’ lockets hidden from human eyes.
“Doris? Doris, what has happened?” Juni is behind me.
“Something has happened to Marina. She must be in danger! I can’t find a searching potion here,” I say briskly, poking around in numerous nameless bubbles and bottles that are falling and scattering on the floor.
The dryad doesn’t need any explanations: a creature doesn’t have to be an experienced witch to feel bad omens. She’s nervous but trying to help me. We are awkward, and I accidentally smash one of the bottles with some bright vinaceous liquid: butterflies, no bigger than my nail, start flying neurotically around us. Juni is not good at keeping her magical disguise, for I can see her transformation through the butterfly storm. And not only me.
Sylvester, who is standing in the doorway, is looking at our mess of craziness.
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