The River Maid Read online

  Christian said nothing, his jaw tense.

  “Put the creature down,” Fournier said. Christian set her down gently on the deck. “Now, step away from her.”

  Christian hesitated before stepping back. Fournier drew his pistol and shot him. Adrianna screamed. Christian fell to the deck, clutching his shoulder. Blood pumped out between his fingers. Adrianna pulled herself across to him. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were closed, his face white.

  “Set sail.” Fournier’s men rushed to obey him.

  Adrianna held Christian’s head in her lap as the ship began to move. She smoothed the hair back from his face, her hands trembling. “Don’t die, please don’t die.” She pressed her hand to the wound to try and slow the bleeding and Christian cried out in pain. Her tears fell onto his chest.

  “Move away from him,” Fournier ordered. He had his pistol raised ready to shoot Christian again.

  “No,” Adrianna said, shielding Christian with her body. Fournier grabbed her hair and yanked her back. She screamed. The ship lurched, making Fournier stumble.

  “Captain,” a deckhand steering the ship called.

  Fournier released her. She pulled herself back across to Christian. The ship was entering a narrow part of the river, between two rocky cliffs. Waves smashed against the side of the ship, sending a shower of spray over them. The sailor steering the ship struggled to keep the ship on course. The waves were forcing them into the rocks. Adrianna looked back. Behind them, the river was calm, with barely a ripple creasing its surface.

  “Get us out from between these cliffs before we’re smashed to pieces,” Fournier said, shouting to be heard.

  Above them, the sky was serene, a cloudless blue, yet here a storm raged. Water washed over the deck and the sailors had to cling on for their lives.

  Fournier turned to her. “You’re doing this.” He pulled out a knife. “Hold her down while I cut out her tongue.”

  “It’s not me,” Adrianna said.

  The lieutenant grabbed her by the hair. He wrapped it around his hand and forced her head back.

  “Open her mouth,” Fournier instructed.

  She clamped her mouth shut as the lieutenant tried to pry it open, his thick meaty fingers squeezing her jaw and digging into her cheek. Fournier pressed the blade against her lips. The ship tilted dangerously to one side. Men screamed as they were sent tumbling overboard. The lieutenant released her and rushed to grab a rope to secure himself. Fournier swore and ran to grab the now unmanned wheel. He was too late. The ship smashed against the side of the cliff. It was pulled away before being forced against it again.

  Fournier shouted orders, but there was no one to follow them. He had his back to the mast. Adrianna watched as it toppled down and crushed him.

  Adrianna was thrown from side to side. Barrels and other supplies hit her as they fell into the water. Men screamed and cried out prayers. Some jumped overboard while others lashed themselves to the ship only to be torn away. Through it all, she held onto Christian. With a terrible groaning sound the ship broke in half and they were flung into the water. For a moment she was disorientated, not knowing which way was up. Around her, lifeless bodies were sinking down, while those still alive frantically tried to grab her as she pulled Christian to the surface. She could see the silent plea in their eyes as they struggled for breath, but she couldn’t help them. She had to save Christian.

  Above, the waves still churned, threatening to dash her and Christian against the cliffs. Amidst it all she saw Lorelei. Water raged around the mermaid. It had raised her up above the waves, like a queen on her throne. Her long hair streamed back with the force of the water, her eyes blazed with violet fire and her tail shone silver. She was beautiful, but terrible to behold. Adrianna realised Lorelei had done this. It had started when Christian was shot.

  Christian was unconscious in her arms, his face deathly pale. She struggled to keep his head above the water as waves washed over them and tried again to send them against the rocks. Lorelei was going to kill them both.

  Adrianna swam to Lorelei, dragging Christian behind her. The mermaid turned her eyes to her and she could feel the power in her gaze. There was anger, but also recognition there.

  “They killed Christian.” Lorelei’s voice was that same strange sound; old and ancient. It rolled across the water like thunder. Despite the storm, Adrianna could hear her clearly. This creature wasn’t human. She wasn’t mortal, but something else.

  “Christian’s alive. He’s not dead.” Adrianna had to shout to be heard above the storm. “But you have to stop or you will kill him.”

  The river immediately calmed down. They were no longer in danger of being thrown against the cliffs. Lorelei came to them. She didn’t move; the water carried her forward. The mermaid touched his face. “They hurt him.” Her voice sounded normal again. The river was calm now, the waves nothing more than a gentle caress. There was no sign of the ship, or any of the men. Lorelei had killed them all.

  “Yes, but you saved him,” Adrianna said carefully, afraid to anger her.

  “He doesn’t love me,” she whispered, caressing his face.

  Afraid Lorelei was going to take him from her, Adrianna tightened her grip on him. “I’m sorry.”

  “I would have done anything for him. I was going to give up the river for him, my home, my tail, everything that I was.”

  “You shouldn’t have to give up everything you are to be with someone.”

  Silver tears trickled down Lorelei’s cheeks. She turned to her. “Go, Adrianna. Take him and go.” Her voice was low and as deep as the ocean. “Never come into my river again. Go and be with him.” She swam away.

  “What about my legs?” Adrianna called after her.

  Lorelei laughed. It was a terrible sound, reverberating against the cliffs and echoing back to them. “You said to me once he should love you no matter what your form. You can stay like that and he can love you as you are.” The mermaid dived under, and in a flash of silver, she was gone.

  Adrianna swam awkwardly to the bank, pulling Christian behind her. She remembered doing this before, in another life. She had to get him out of the water before Lorelei changed her mind and came back to take him. The water was quiet now. There was no sign of the ship, not even a piece of wreckage. It was as if it had never happened.

  She heaved Christian up onto the bank and, exhausted from trying to keep his head above water, she collapsed onto his chest. She brushed his dark hair back from his face. “Christian? Christian, please wake up.” He was so pale and still. She couldn’t tell if he was breathing. “Christian?” She put her lips to his, intending to breathe into his mouth. His lips moved under hers, kissing her. She pulled away. He stirred and opened his eyes.

  “Just like when we first met,” he said, smiling weakly. “You keep rescuing me.”

  She smiled back. “You keep needing to be rescued.”

  “I was supposed to rescue you.”

  “You did.” His eyes closed and his breathing sounded laboured. “Christian, please don’t leave me.”

  “I won’t ever leave you,” he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I’ll stay with you always.”

  Shivers racked his body. She needed to get him out of his wet clothes, but she was powerless, trapped here in the river.

  “Please don’t die,” she said, willing him to open his eyes.

  She put her arms around him to keep him warm and rested her head on his chest, below his chin. His arms came round to hold her. Adrianna was afraid to move. He was delirious; he didn’t know what he was doing. She didn’t want to move. She wanted to stay like this, with Christian holding her. She wondered if Gaspard was still alive. She had no way to help him either. As a mermaid she was helpless. Christian was going to die and there was nothing she could do.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  She lay there for hours. Christian’s arms were limp by his side. He had stopped holding her hours ago. She listened for him to take a breath, holdin
g her own while she waited for him to take another. Blood still trickled slowly from the wound on his shoulder. Cold from lying half out of the water, she lay against him for warmth. Hearing something, she raised her head from his chest.

  “Adrianna! Christian!”

  She pushed herself up. It sounded like Gaspard. “We’re over here,” she shouted back.

  She didn’t recognise the man on the horse who appeared; only his clothes told her it was Gaspard. His face was swollen and bruised, making him almost unrecognisable. Blood had dried down his face and his right eye was swollen shut. He all but fell off the horse and staggered over to her. He walked like he was in pain, half-doubled over where they had beaten him.

  “Christian was shot,” she said as Gaspard knelt down by Christian. He drew back the prince’s jacket and ripped open his shirt to examine the wound. “Will he live?” she asked, fearing the answer.

  “If we get him to a doctor.” Gaspard’s breath came in short pants.

  “How far is it to St Goarshausen?”

  “Half a day perhaps.” Gaspard took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the wound. “What happened to the ship?”

  “Lorelei destroyed it.”

  Gaspard shook his head in disbelief. “I will go and find something to move him. Will you stay with him until I get back?”

  “Of course.” There was nowhere for her to go anyway.

  “Don’t let him die.”

  He struggled to drag himself back onto his horse, but eventually he managed to get himself up into the saddle. He gave her a last look before he rode away. She lay her head back down on Christian’s chest.

  “Gaspard has gone for help,” she told him. He couldn’t hear her, but she could pretend that he could. “He’s alive.” She knew Christian would want to know Gaspard wasn’t dead. “You promised me that you wouldn’t leave me alone, remember. You can’t die. If you do you will break your promise.” He didn’t stir at her words. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was afraid of what I was feeling for you. I was afraid I was becoming like Lorelei.”

  She didn’t know how much time passed before she heard a rattle of wheels. At any other time, she would have laughed at the sight of Gaspard driving a cart. He had no idea how to make it stop. He said whoa, but the horse, a heavy draft horse with black and white spots, carried on. The horse was almost in the river before it finally stopped.

  “I gave the farmer all the money I had,” Gaspard said as he climbed stiffly down. “He has enough money to buy twenty carts, but if it saves Christian’s life it will be worth it. How is he?”

  “He’s still unconscious.”

  Gaspard grabbed the front of Christian’s jacket and pulled him into a sitting position. “I’m sorry, my friend,” Gaspard said as he hoisted him up onto his shoulder. He stumbled with him to the cart and laid him down. Climbing in, he dragged him further in. Adrianna winced at seeing Christian so roughly handled, but there was no other way. Gaspard came back to stand before her. She knew he was thinking about what to do with her.

  “I can’t stay in the river,” Adrianna said. “Lorelei will kill me.”

  “I’ll come back for you.”

  “No.” She could spend an eternity alone here in the river, or she could spend whatever time she had left with Christian. She held out her arms.

  “Are you sure?” Gaspard asked. “I won’t be able to stop.”

  She nodded, hoping she looked braver than she felt. “There’s nowhere else for me to go.” It was her choice; she chose Christian. It wasn’t that she was worth less than him, or that she didn’t value herself. There was no other way. She couldn’t stay in the river, not now, and she couldn’t stay on land. She would keep Christian alive. Gaspard picked her awkwardly up. Luckily, the cart was close as he couldn’t have carried her far. He set her down next to Christian and covered her tail with a rough woollen blanket. She pushed herself up and lifted Christian’s head into her lap.

  Gaspard climbed into the driver’s seat and flicked the reins. She held onto Christian as the cart bounced, keeping pressure on his wound. He groaned, but she hushed him.

  “We’re going home,” she told him.

  ~~~~~

  Hours passed. Her tail felt tight and uncomfortable from being out of the water, but she said nothing to Gaspard. They travelled all day. Her arms ached from holding Christian in place. He thrashed around, making his wound bleed. She tried to soothe him and keep him still, hushing him and whispering soft words. When she reached down to rub her tail, her hand came away covered with iridescent scales that had flaked off. She rubbed them between her fingers and they crumbled into dust. That wasn’t good, she thought.

  It was almost dark by the time she saw the town in the distance. She recognised the hills and rocky cliffs; she had stared at them from the river often enough. It felt like a thousand years had passed since she had left and yet nothing looked different. She was finally home.

  Gaspard took them around the back of the town and up the winding path to the castle. The cart creaked and the horse slowed its pace, straining under the weight as they climbed the hill. A stable boy came out of the stables, a rake in his hand, as Gaspard guided the cart into the courtyard of the castle.

  “Fetch a doctor,” Gaspard said. His voice was dry and raspy. “The prince has been injured.” The boy gaped at Gaspard for a moment and then dropped the rake and ran off into the castle.

  Gaspard climbed slowly down, wincing in pain, one hand pressed to his side. The princess, Christian’s mother, rushed out, breathless from hurrying.

  “Gaspard, you’re back! I’ve been so worried. What happened to you?”

  “Christian is hurt,” he said, interrupting her. “I’ve sent a boy for the doctor. We must get him inside.”

  The princess let out a cry when she saw Christian lying pale and lifeless in the back of the cart. She barely looked at Adrianna; all of her attention was fixed on her son.

  “He’s so cold,” she said, touching his forehead.

  “We need to get him warm,” Gaspard said. He gently took Christian from Adrianna’s arms, careful to leave the blanket covering her tail. “I will come back for you, mademoiselle,” he said to Adrianna in a soft voice. “Wait here and do not let anyone see your tail.”

  Gaspard carried Christian into the castle. The princess hesitated, finally noticing Adrianna, before following him in.

  Adrianna waited, trying not to shiver from the chill in the evening air. She reached down under the blanket and touched her tail. It felt dry and rough. She examined her hand and found more scales had flaked off. She lifted up the blanket. Her tail that had once glistened now seemed dull, the scales clouded and grey.

  Gaspard finally came hurrying back. “I had the servants draw a bath for you. I’m afraid the water will be hot. I haven’t told Marie about what happened to you. She’s still in shock over Christian.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up and carried her into the castle. He struggled to hold her high enough so that her tail didn’t sweep the floor and he was soon panting from the effort.

  “How is Christian?” she asked.

  “Alive. We’re waiting for the doctor now. He should be here any moment.”

  He carried her along a hallway and up a grand staircase. Despite living in the town all her life, she had never been inside the castle. She had only seen it from a distance and curious, she looked around at the tapestries and coat of arms on the wall. This close to Gaspard, she could see how badly he had been beaten. Both his eyes were swollen into slits and bruises and cuts ran down his neck and disappeared under his shirt. His arms trembled with exhaustion and the strain of carrying her. She felt him stagger under her weight and then straighten. The servants that passed them looked at her curiously, but they quickly averted their eyes, too well trained to stare. Luckily, none of them were from the town so they wouldn’t know who she was.

  Gaspard nudged open the door with his foot and carried her into a bedroom. Before the fireplace, a
huge metal bathtub was filled with water, the surface steaming. He lifted her in. The warmth surrounded her, sinking deep inside her. She gave a blissful sigh.

  “I have to go and check on Christian,” Gaspard said, wincing as he straightened. “I will be back. I need to explain about you to Marie and see that the servants are kept away.”

  The poor man could barely stand. She heard him lock the door behind him as he went out. A candle on the dressing table was the only light in the room. She was afraid to look at her tail. She remembered being afraid to look at it once before, when she had first lost her legs. Taking a deep breath, she sat up and pulled up the dress and looked down. The scales had lost their lustre and her tail seemed more grey now than green. It felt rough and coarse under her hand, not smooth as silk as it had once been. More scales came away at her touch. She closed her eyes. She had been so desperate to get her legs back, but now she feared she could lose her tail and be left with neither.

  Chapter Thirty Five

  Gaspard paused outside the room where he had placed Adrianna. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe through the pain in his chest. He took short breaths, trying not to breathe in too deeply. Lifting Adrianna had been agony, but there had been no one else to do it. He walked slowly, one hand on the banister, conscious of his ribs with every breath. Like a snail, he made his way up the stairs to Christian’s room. The doctor was just removing the ball from his shoulder when he entered. Marie waited anxiously at the foot of the bed, one hand against her mouth to muffle her soft cries.

  The doctor looked up as Gaspard came in. “Perhaps she should wait outside,” he suggested.

  Gaspard took Marie and gently drew her out of the room. “Come, Marie. We should let the doctor work. We can wait downstairs.”

  Marie stiffened under his touch. “I trusted you to keep him safe.”

  “I’m sorry, Marie. I tried.” Gaspard suddenly felt weary, the strain of the last three weeks catching up with him. Sleeping outside and the long days spent riding had been too much for him. He took Marie down to the drawing room where he eased himself into a chair, wincing at the pain. Marie didn’t sit. Clearly agitated and frantic with worry, she paced the room.