27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Meria

“ Y ou know how to tend wounds?” Sands asked after Dominick passed out.

“I do. If you don't mind, I need some clean linens and water.”

Sands nodded and left the room. I only had a few minutes to heal him. Mermaid tears were unique. They were rare and hard-won, and came at a great cost to mers’ energy and magic, but after conjuring them, and thereafter sleeping, I would be fine. I did not want Sands to know of that ability because I still did not trust most humans. I knew Sands would not abuse me in such a way, but that information in the wrong hands could kill thousands of my kind–as it had before throughout Terra’s history. I had taken some of Dominick’s pain away already, mostly with my touch, but my tears could heal those wounds as if they had never been there. It was easy for me to cry, because seeing Dominick, the strong and brave pirate prince so out of it–so weak, that both frightened and saddened me. I leaned over his mangled arm. It was, still, mostly connected, which was a gift from the Ancients. I had seen far worse injuries. Sharks liked to eat mermaids, too. I gulped, focusing my mind on the task before me. I had never used my mermaid tears for something so serious before. We were not allowed to use them unless given permission. I would have broken every rule, if needed, for Dominick.

I looked at his black veins, wishing I could heal those pains also, but I could not when I needed to direct all my magic to the healing of his arm. I vowed to myself that I would heal every single pain Dominick had ever felt, someday. That man, he was the best of men.

I leaned over his wound, and my sadness deepened, and I let two tears fall into his wounds. Lights emanated from the places where the tears touched him.

I sang faintly:

Mother Ocean, to you I plead.

Father Creator of the world we know,

I call upon you now–please, save this soul.

Heal his flesh so that he may be made whole.

I watched, as slowly the wound began to stitch itself back together. I traced the skin that was healing. Once the wound was nothing but a scar, I noticed how the healed section of his arm no longer held the black veins. I touched the skin, turning his arm around; there were no more black veins there, either.

How much of my magic will be needed to take away all his pain? I wondered, just as my head felt light, and I knew that I needed to rest. Sands came in and set the linens on a side table, near the door.

“I'll be back,” he said before leaving quickly.

Grateful that he did not stay, I walked over to the clean linens. I needed to, somehow, hide how quickly he had healed. Perhaps Sands had not seen or maybe he did not understand the full extent of Dominick’s injuries. There was a lot of blood; maybe, it was hard to tell? I quickly wrapped his fully healed arm, and I sat down in the chair behind the desk, my mind going in and out of clarity.

I should get up and change into dry clothes– but standing up right then seemed near impossible. Plus, I did not mind leaving the ocean on me.

“Thank you, Mother Ocean; Thank you, Father Creator–”

I closed my eyes after taking one last look at Dominick, and I smiled; then I took the rest I needed.