The blonde woman was Amphitrite? Several puzzle pieces clicked into place and I realized that the blonde haired woman I had seen in my vision was the Queen. Nemertes and Amphitrite were the two Nereids whom my mother had trusted with the knowledge of my birth. Two of my mother’s closest friends. Two Nereids I would’ve known had I not been sent away.
“You’ve known Natasha for that long?” Carmen asked curiously.
“Mom was on Thetis’s counsel with Natasha and Amphitrite, so yeah, I’ve known them my whole life. After Thetis died, they’d still come to Charleston to visit.”
“Amphitrite? She’s the Queen of the Nereids, right?” Phoebe asked.
“That’s right,” Olivia spoke proudly. “She should have been our leader all this time. Not Keto.”
“It was a good memory,” I admitted to her quietly. “I wish I could have known them that way.
Thank you for letting me experience it.”
Surprise took her features hostage before giving way to empathy. “I think you will. I mean, you already know Natasha and I know Amphitrite will love you.”
“I haven’t met her yet,” I deliberated. “It seems like if she were so close to Mom, I would have met her by now right?”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my life, it’s that the Nereids are very wise,” Zara shared.
“They are never frivolous with their decisions. If she hasn’t come to meet you yet, I’m sure there’s a very good reason.”
“She’s right,” Phoebe rubbed my arm. “Besides, you’ll definitely meet her on your birthday.
She has to give you her approval!”
“Which brings us back to the task at hand.” Zara’s features became serious and she focused on me with impish eyes. “The next part of Antiquity I want you to practice involves visiting the past through in soul form.”
“Are you talking about…time travel?” I asked incredulously, but she just chuckled.
“It’s no different from your foresight ability,” she clarified. “When you have a vision of the future, your soul travels there. Seeing the past is no different.”
“So I can go back to events of the past?” I asked wide-eyed. “Can people see me?”
“That is the one caveat. During visions of the future, the people involved cannot see you because the events haven’t happened yet. The past is different however. Anything you do or say can and will alter your present.”
“Watch out Marty McFly…” I muttered. When I tried to wrap my mind around time, I failed miserably. I decided then and there I wouldn’t ever go back to the past. It sounded way too complicated.
“What I’d like for you to try is traveling back to just a few minutes ago.” She instructed. I waited for her to start laughing, but unfortunately she didn’t crack so much as a smile.
“And how do I go about doing that?” I asked timidly. Could I get stuck?
“It’s actually the easiest of the visions to prompt. You just have to close your eyes, relax and allow your soul to let go as you picture the event you want to witness again. You may feel slightly dizzy but it won’t last long.”
I leaned back on the couch and closed my eyes. I thought about Finn sitting beside me as we talked about the common denominator in my life; the number three. I felt as if my soul was detaching for a reverie, but I concentrated on the moment I wanted to re-witness. I felt a slight lifting sensation and I opened my eyes eagerly.
“Now, the queen was second only to your mom in power and strength, but she’s by far the wisest. The fact that she’s a Tri-goddess helps. Once you become a goddess, Nereid, and Leader of the Tydes, there will be two Tri-goddesses.” I heard Zara say. I scanned my surroundings and swiftly noticed I was standing at the door. I stared wide-eyed at the me in the past sitting beside Finn.
“If Mom wasn’t a tri-goddess, how did I become one?” The past me contemplated.
“Well, Amphitrite and your mom shared the same mother, your grandmother, but she wasn’t a Tri-goddess either. How it happens is unknown, because it’s not inherited and can’t be bestowed.
You’re just born that way.”
“So - Amphitrite is Queen of the Nereids because she is the wisest, and Mom was the Leader of the Tydes because she was the most powerful?”
“Exactly. But, being the strongest two Nereids, they naturally gravitated towards each other.
Amphitrite was on Thetis’s counsel, along with Natasha and Dr. Campbell. But, Amphitrite was your mom’s right hand woman - her confidant. And your mom was the same for Amphitrite. Kind of like a best friend you’ve known your whole life - except for Thetis and Amphitrite, ‘your whole life’ meant centuries.” Zara smiled at the past ‘me’.
“Then why didn’t she become the leader of the Tydes-“
“Holy crap!” I shouted as I shot upright on the couch and looked around with a crazed expression. “That was amazing! I actually saw us sitting here talking!” Something else dawned on me suddenly. “I remember thinking I saw something! At that same moment! I thought I saw something near the door. But it was…me!” It was official. My mind had been blown.
“No way!” Phoebe squealed.
“Excellent,” Zara clasped her hands together and then peered down at her watch. “You’ve done exceptionally well tonight, but we need to move on to your next lesson. You may think you’ve experienced your range of power over the sea, but you’ve only scratched the surface of what you’re capable of.”
Chapter 29
“You want me to do what?” I implored with astonishment. The words that had just come out of Zara’s mouth were laughable at best.
“Is that even possible?” Carmen squinted up at Zara from her perch on the sand between Phoebe and Olivia. Zara’s house was located north of Lorelei’s campus on the same side of the island. A short walk down from the guest house brought us to a picturesque, isolated stretch of shore that faced west. As the sun dipped below the tree line behind us, the sky darkened considerably and gave the illusion that it was later in the evening. The tide was high but the ocean was calm, producing waves no more than three feet tall. After taking a stab at spinning up whirlpools, creating waves, calming those waves, and playing with any and every sea animal that felt my presence, the sea lesson had started to feel like a cake walk. But obviously Zara had decided to keep the main event for last.
“Didn’t someone split the Green Sea?” Phoebe wondered out loud.
“That was the Red Sea,” Olivia snorted, “…but Stasia’s definitely not Moses.”
“You’re right,” Zara answered assuredly. “She’s much, much more powerful.” I glanced back at her with obvious doubt, but allowed a dying wave to pool around my ankles and bury my feet farther into the cement-like, wet sand. A smiled hijacked my lips as I thought back to the first time Finn and I had spent time together on the dark shore at the bonfire. Like Zara, he had possessed an inordinate amount of faith in me. I’d stilled the waves with his instruction, and had even managed to create a protective bubble around Phoebe and I during the hurricane. But creating a ten foot wide trench in the ocean all the way to the horizon? On purpose? At least she didn’t have high expectations. What if there were boats out there? Some unsuspecting fisherman was about to have the experience of a lifetime.
My gaze traveled from the small waves lapping at my calves to the distant horizon for any signs of boats. Satisfied there were none, I stood tall and centered my energy. As the water swirled around my legs, I concentrated on its welcoming touch. Drinking a cold glass of milk after eating a plate of hot wings couldn’t hold a candle to the tranquilizing arms of the ocean. I closed my eyes briefly, as the water around me danced with the energy that flowed outward from my skin. With every ounce of strength and pure will I shot that energy forward like a wrecking ball.