The Fate of the Muse

chapter TWO

SUMMONED





“I suppose I should have been ready for this,” I said, trying unsuccessfully to keep the shake out of my voice.

Evie outlined the plans that had already been made for me, and the reality of the situation came crashing down upon me all at once. I was scheduled to be in Paris in two weeks, and it wouldn’t be a pleasure trip. A council meeting had been arranged, and I’d been summoned to meet with the association of half-mermaid hybrids. I was always going to have to join this exclusive little group once I came of age, but because of my exposure and the kidnapping that followed, my indoctrination had been scheduled a little early.

“I’m sorry sweetheart,” Evie said, scooting closer and putting her arm around my shoulders. “They wouldn’t agree to wait any longer. We’ll tell Abby and your father that we’ll be attending the Paris shows together.”

“Good cover story,” I said numbly, for everyone knew that Evie was a fixture at Paris fashion week.

“Yes, well… Thank heavens I was able to choose the location, so at least I know we’ll have some decent accommodations. I’ve booked a suite at the Ritz. ”

I sighed, “What do you think they’ll want to know?”

Evie pursed her lips, “I’ve denied everything Peter said before his… accident, but I don’t think they’re buying it. I’m afraid the rumors are flying.” She heaved a sigh, “They are all women, after all… and we girls do love our gossip.”

“What exactly did Peter say?” I asked, alarmed.

“I don’t know everything,” Evie said grimly, “He was allowed to place some calls to plead his case before…uh, as we were waiting for the association to arrive. I do know what he told one member, and we can start by refuting that.” Her eyes met mine as she added, “I don’t know who else he might have contacted.”

My heart sank, for there was a possibility that he had verified some shocking tabloid rumors. Evie’s security team had taken Peter into custody in order to bring him before the council, for as the son of a recently deceased hybrid, Peter was one of theirs. The association policed itself, but before they could pass judgment and punish him, the people that he was working for beat them to it. A false suicide had been staged to eliminate him, along with all of the incriminating evidence.

Everything, that is, except for me.

So, I grappled with the looming possibility of Peter’s murderers coming back for me, combined with the grilling I was scheduled to receive from a council of fellow hybrid muses. It was almost too much to take all at once. I dropped my head into my hands as Evie rubbed my back soothingly.

“Everything will be alright,” she said, “We simply need to come up with a story and stick to it. I have many dear friends on the council, and I’m certain they’ll side with us.”

The council suspected that I was different from the rest of them, and they were right. Peter had watched me, finding out about my ability to communicate with mermaids in the hopes of using it to capture more of them. I wondered how much he’d said; for as far as I knew, I was the only one capable of speaking the mermaid’s strange language.

Evie straightened her spine and smoothed her skirt, “Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary in the past few weeks? Anything suspicious at all?” I shook my head no.

She went on, a model of efficiency as usual, “I had Boris sweep your house and car for bugs while we were at dinner. He found nothing.” I sighed, feeling a strange mixture of annoyance and relief.

“Evie?” I raised my head, casting a suspicious eye at her “Why did you choose that restaurant?”

She smiled placidly, “Oh honey, I really did want to see Megan sing again… And isn’t everything else all water under the bridge by now?”

I sighed, “For me it is… So, what was all that with Omar?” I asked, cocking a brow at her.

“Marina,” She tossed her head and smoothed her platinum blonde hair, “I may not be immortal… but I’m not dead yet!”





Evie and I talked for a while, going over some of the possible questions and coming up with a story. When the car finally dropped me off at Abby’s cozy little house I was surprised to see the lights still on and Megan’s car in the driveway next to my Range Rover. I kissed Evie goodbye, waved to Boris, and headed for the door, feeling like Cinderella staggering home after the ball.

“What was that all about?” Cruz asked anxiously, jumping up to greet me at the door. Megan sat up with a worried look.

“Nothing,” I flopped down on the couch, unstrapping my shoes, “My feet are killing me.”

“What did Evie want?” Cruz persisted.

I paused for a moment, “She’s taking me to Paris for the collections.”

“Paris!” Cruz cried, stricken, “But that’s in two weeks!”

“Yeah, “I said, “And?”

“I can’t go!” he whined, plunking down next to Megan, “That’s the week I present my portfolio to design school. And you’ll miss my birthday too.”

“Sorry,” I replied, too wrung out to bother trying to soothe him.

“I thought you couldn’t leave Ethan,” Cruz said petulantly.

“She made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” I replied. Unfortunately, it was the truth.

“We’re sorry about springing the restaurant on you guys,” Megan added, elbowing Cruz in the ribs, “He feels bad too.”

“Yeah,” Cruz said grudgingly, “But it’s really kind of Megan’s place now that she works there… I don’t see why Ethan should be all upset.”

“Just drop it,” I said wearily. I couldn’t take any more conflict.

Cruz couldn’t stop defending her, “I’m sure Evie didn’t mean anything by it,”

Megan started to mediate, “Surely, she must have known that it would be uncomfortable for them,” she said, tilting her head at Cruz.

“I don’t believe it for a minute,” he sniffed, “And stop calling me Shirley!”

I smiled tiredly and stood up to stretch, “I need to get some sleep, I’ll see you guys later.”

“Me too,” said Megan, rising to leave. “Oh, and Bill wanted me to tell you he wants some more paintings for the coffee shop.”

“OK,” I said, walking her to the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

I slumped down the hall to my room and changed, falling boneless and weak onto my bed. I looked around at all the paintings strewn about the tiny space, thinking about which ones I should take to Bill. They reminded me of the sea, and how wild and powerful I felt when I was immersed in it. Whatever happened to that side of me? I was feeling defeated, and realized that by giving into my fear I was letting Peter and his shadowy masters win.

Muse. Music. Museum. The words kept running through my mind along with their greater meaning. My natural tendency to be aloof was enhanced– I was more unwilling to be around people than ever before, watching everyone around me anxiously for signs that I was somehow affecting their behavior. Evie always said that information leaves a film, and now I knew what she meant by it. Knowing about my abilities became like a veil that colored everything I saw; I could never look at anybody the same way again, and it felt like a curse to me.

I thought about how Evie reveled in her power, actively seeking out worthy people to champion. She savored their success, and it satisfied her, for she had faith that it was the right thing to do. She was at peace with herself, and with the skills she wielded so deftly. Shamelessly using her formidable abilities to amass wealth, she’d married progressively richer men until she was insulated from the unpleasantness of the everyday world, and powerful enough to make dreams come true.

I could never be like Evie– who could? I struggled with the reasons for my existence, looking for some kind of sign as to what my greater purpose could be. Why was I so different from all the others? None of the other muses had the ability to transform into a mermaid, or even understand their language. I could talk to them and sea creatures as well; it had to mean something. Sometimes the situation seemed comically surreal, and I had to laugh at myself, realizing that seventeen was a weird age for an existential crisis.

Ethan’s constant presence was like a hand on my back, guiding me toward the routines of day to day life, and I’d be lost without him. He calmed me down, and kept me from my obsessive worrying. When we could be together every day and every night I knew that my life would start to make sense, and I’d eventually find all the answers I was looking for. Being around Ethan made everything seem so clear and simple that I knew we were meant to be together forever.

He was impatient, ready to get on with our married life, but we quickly discovered that it would be impossible without the consent of my guardian, who for now was my Aunt Abby. Despite the fact that she’d surprised us all by suddenly eloping with Ethan’s dad, I knew she’d be shocked at our plans. Abby and Dutch had obvious reasons to rush into things, for there was a baby on the way. No one could see or know why I needed to marry Ethan so soon.

Then there was my dad to consider. Abby would never give her permission without informing my father, and he’d be even more shocked than her about it. He’d say I was being impulsive, and that I was too young to know what I wanted. Dad hadn’t even met Ethan, and he would never understand what the big rush was. I wanted to move in with him– to find a place to rent and start college together, side by side, but Ethan was resistant, afraid to get off on the wrong foot with my father. After the way him and Evie clashed, I suppose I could understand his hesitance.

So for now, we kept our plans to ourselves, and tried to be patient. We had finals week to get through, and college to think about in the fall. I’d signed up for just a few classes, uncertain as to what exactly I should study. Ethan would be attending on a full-ride scholarship, and he knew exactly what courses he needed and how long it would take to graduate. Ethan worked so hard for everything he got that I was embarrassed when my father called on his connections in order to get me enrolled after the deadline.

I wouldn’t be eighteen until January, and once I was, no one had any say in our plans but us. Those eight months stretched out before us like an eternity.





The next morning I woke at dawn, eager to get to Ethan. I wanted to tell him about the meeting with the council, and what we planned to say. I needed reassurance that everything was going to be okay. I dressed in a hurry and found Abby in the kitchen, reading the paper.

“Good morning honey! How was the prom?”

“It was alright,” I said, “How are you feeling this morning?”

Abby smiled as she stroked her pregnant belly, “I’m good, just a little more tired than usual. I’m sorry I didn’t stay up to see you get in, Cruz told me that Evie came by to take you all out. That was sure nice of her.”

“Yeah… nice,” I said. I hoped Ethan was over it by now.

“Do you want to go with me to the farmer’s market?” she asked.

I smiled, “I was just on my way there.”

She got up to get ready, pressing her hand on the small of her back. I offered to drive, and when we got to the market we went our separate ways, agreeing to meet up later. I made a bee line for Ethan’s booth, disappointed to see his friend Long standing there with him.

Long was the grandson of Lue Khang, Ethan’s employer and my confidant. A wise and kind man, Lue seemed to know all about the mermaid’s presence and my connection to them. His Hmong beliefs considered them to be part of the natural world– he thought I was good luck. His grandson didn’t see things that way at all. Long viewed me with suspicion and fear, believing that I was using supernatural powers to manipulate and control Ethan. Little did he know, somewhere deep down inside, I was afraid of the same thing.

I slowed my pace and approached them cautiously. They were engrossed in an intense conversation and didn’t notice me until I came right up to them. When they looked up at me both of their faces were serious, clouded over and unhappy.

“What happened?” I asked, looking back and forth between them, suddenly alarmed.

“I gotta go,” said Long. He walked away, taking care to avoid me.

“Come here,” Ethan said, walking to the back of his stand to meet me with open arms. He wrapped himself around me, clinging to me tightly. He seemed even more in need of a hug than I was.

“Uhm, no pun intended, but why the long face?” I asked, pulling back to look up into his eyes.

“We just got some really bad news. There’s a problem with Lue’s land,” he said unhappily, “Apparently the government’s seizing it and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“What?” I was confused, “I thought he owned it.”

“He does,” he said grimly. “But we just found out that they can still take it from him. They just have to say it’s for the public good. If they prove it’ll be put to a better use they can force him to sell it to someone else.”

“But that’s crazy!” I exclaimed, “What better use?”

He looked angry, “There’s a developer that has plans for a seaside resort and golf course.” He snorted bitterly, “They call it ‘eminent domain’. Our congressman wants the tax dollars it’ll bring in.”

“Your land too?” I asked, horrified. It was everything he’d been working so hard for. It was his future– our future. I had seen his house…

“Everything,” he said with a sorrowful shake of his head, “Including the fields on either side of Lue’s.”

I stood rooted to the spot, stunned, as he turned to help a customer. Ethan’s land meant everything to him– it was his stake in the ground, something permanent in a world where the rug could be pulled out from under you at any minute. I thought about the injustice of it and started to feel a familiar flicker of anger welling up inside of me. I began pacing back and forth. When Ethan returned I looked at him with blazing eyes.

“They can’t do this!” I seethed, “We have to fight them!”

Ethan looked dejected, shaking his head mournfully, “Lue already talked to a lawyer. We can’t afford to fight the government and the developer… They got a lot of power, and even more money.”

“Evie has lots of lawyers– she can help us!” I suddenly had a newfound appreciation of Evie’s deep pockets, and the way her money could be used for a good cause.

Ethan looked at me reproachfully, “Even Evie can’t fix everything. This is the government we’re talking about,” he said glumly, setting his jaw stubbornly, “Besides, I don’t want to owe her anything. I won’t start out that way.”

“But–”

He came closer and inspected my face, “What did she have to say last night?”

I had forgotten about my problems for a minute, and I looked down. I didn’t want to burden him with any more troubles.

“Tell me,” he demanded, his voice tense.

“I have to meet with them in two weeks,” I said quietly.

“Where?” he asked. He knew exactly what I was talking about.

“Paris,” I looked up to meet his worried eyes, “We’re going to say Evie’s taking me for the fashion shows.”

He exhaled loudly, taking me in his arms again, “How long will you be gone?”

“A few days… She said a week at the most.”

“What’s gonna happen?” he asked, pressing his forehead to mine.

“Aunt Evie says they’ll only ask me some questions... We worked out what to say– It’ll be okay.”

When another customer arrived we broke apart reluctantly. I watched as Ethan patiently listened and gave a man advice about how to prune fruit trees. Both of our worlds had just been turned upside down, and yet, he was as constant and steady as ever. The unfairness of the situation was staggering, and I had the strangest sensation that it was somehow my fault.

I took a seat in the back of the booth and quietly observed Ethan as he worked, my heart swelling with love. I could see his gentleness and grace, his persistence, and the protective way he kept looking back to check on me.

“What?” he asked, when he glanced over to meet my gaze.

“Nevermind,” I said, getting up to give him a quick peck on the lips, “I’m going to go check on Lue.”

I walked around the back of the farm stands until I came across Lue Khang, sitting alone, staring pensively into his teacup.

“Hey Lue,” I said softly, announcing my presence.

He smiled weakly, “Hello water girl.”

“I can’t believe it,” I said sympathetically, biting my lip.

There was pain in his eyes when they met mine, “How can this happen?” he shook his head sadly, “This is America… People are free in America…”

I slipped into a seat next to him, “Exactly what did they tell you?”

“Congressman Hill won’t meet me, and a lawyer says there’s nothing to do.”

“We have to fight them,” I said defiantly.

He looked defeated, his hooded eyes clouded with sorrow, “My fighting days are over.”

“It’s not right,” I said indignantly, feeling my anger strengthen, rising up like the tide. “There has to be a way to stop them.”

“It is my fate,” he shrugged with resignation, suddenly looking as old and tired as a worn out shoe.

Now I was seething. Lue had given up everything for this country, fighting in the hills of Laos for American interests in a secret war that ended decades ago. He’d suffered unimaginable hardships to emigrate here, and to reunite his family. Despite everything he’d endured, I’d never seen Lue without a twinkle in his eye.

“It’s not possible– It can’t be,” I said vehemently, my voice harsh. I’d seen the future, and Ethan’s house standing on that piece of land. It was Ethan’s land. It was his destiny.

I jumped to my feet, lips tight, fists clenched.

“Marina,” Lue’s sad eyes looked up at me with a warning, “Don’t give in to anger. Anger is poisonous.”

“Not when the cause is just,” I spat out bitterly, thinking about how anger gave me the strength to overcome Peter, “Sometimes it gives us the will to change things.”

“Ah,” he said, “But it is a fire that can consume even the vessel that holds it.”

“Don’t worry about me,” I said, patting him on his hand, “I can handle it.”

I went back to Ethan’s stand to find Abby engrossed in conversation with Ethan, her hands on her hips. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who was angry.

I kissed Ethan goodbye and drove Abby home. She was fuming, seeing the government’s plans to seize Lue Khang’s land as a personal assault on all that she held dear. The farmer’s market was Abby’s favorite place, and she loved visiting all the local organic farmers, many of whom were her friends. She wasn’t about to take the news lying down. By the time we got home there were big plans in the works. We were going to stage a protest.

“What if we made it a fund-raiser?” I asked, “For Lue Khang’s legal defense?”

Abby smiled brightly and I could see the wheels turning, “Yes! We can have entertainment… and speakers, and food.”

“Megan could sing!” I added.

“We could get the local news to send a reporter… When people find out what’s going on they’ll be shocked! Maybe Congressman Hill will pull his support if the public turns against him.”

Abby and I spent the rest of the afternoon coming up with names of community leaders we’d want to speak at our rally. By the time Ethan and Dutch showed up for dinner, the date was set and some phone calls had already been made. We’d have the event a week after school got out, the day before I had to leave for Paris, which would give us two weeks to get the word out and organize.

Dutch and Ethan took over the kitchen duties while Abby and I made to-do lists. She was on fire, full of creative energy and enthusiasm. By the time we sat down to eat she had turned her attention to where we should hold the event.

“What about the park?” asked Cruz, “You could fit a lot of people out there.”

Abby looked thoughtful, “We might not be able to get a permit for that.”

“What about Lue’s farm?” I asked, “There’s plenty of parking, and people could see what they’ve come to help defend.”

Abby smiled broadly, and it was a plan.

Ethan was touched that we were all getting involved, and his outlook grew a little less gloomy, “I’ll check with Lue tomorrow,” he said with a grateful smile. We finished dinner, with everyone excitedly brainstorming different ways to get publicity for the event.

Finals week was going to keep us on our toes, and I could see that Ethan was tired, worn out from a long day at work. He also needed to study, so I took him firmly by the hand and led him out the door. He wanted to stay, but I insisted.

“I’m fine,” I said, “You get some rest.” He’d been working after school every day lately, and I was worried about him. All he’d been doing was working and watching over me, and as I slowly came out of my funk I realized just how hard he was driving himself. He hardly ever went surfing anymore, and I knew it was all my fault.

Before he got in the truck he embraced me, “Did it occur to you that you were, uhm… inspiring Abby?” he asked.

It had, but it was starting to bother me less and less. She wanted our plan to succeed as much as I did, and I didn’t care if I had an unfair advantage. I’d do whatever it took to protect Ethan; I loved him more than anything else in the world. The situation with the land had exposed my mercenary streak, and I began to understand the way Evie operated a little better.

“If I’m encouraging her, good,” I said defiantly, “That land is rightfully Lue’s, and after you pay it off, you’re going to build a beautiful house and an amazing nursery on it.”

He chuckled, “I’ll make sure it’s a big house.”

“We don’t need a big house,” I said.

“Tell that to our six kids,” he grinned at me, “And besides… I’ll have to build a giant closet for all your shoes.”

I stretched up to kiss the smile off his face, “Good luck with your finals,” I murmured in his ear.

“I’m already the luckiest guy in the world.”

I kissed him again, hoping he was right.