King of the Ocean (3)

I didn’t want a big send off when I took my daughter up to the surface. A fortnight after making my case in front of the High Court, it was time. I woke my daughter up in the dead of night and led her to the underground caverns. None of my subjects knew of what resided down there, except for Aria, my father, and I. 

“Why’d we gotta leave so early?” Aalia moaned as we traversed down the long, narrow hallways, which only seemed to become danker and darker with each step we took.
“I know, darling. But I promise it’s worth it.” I squeezed her narrow shoulders and grinned. “Besides, I thought you wanted to see the human world, hm? Or shall we just turn back?”
Her golden eyes flew open and settled on me. “No, no, I was just kidding-see, I’m awake!”
I pressed a finger to my lips as we neared it. The door to Walean’s magic chambers. He was as old as the seafoam that rose and fell against the rockiest shores. The door was made of the smoothest sea glass that showed my reflection in all sorts of jagged ways.
It opened by itself, with a gentle woosh. In the entryway stood Walean, his form shriveled and gnarled, covered with a hooded robe made with the thinnest threads of sea kelp.
“Walean,” I whispered. “My dear friend. We have come for our departure.”
He reached up a fragile hand and stroked the end of his wispy beard. “Come, Son of Poseidon. And granddaughter.” He said in a weak voice, yet it was drenched in authority.
I ushered my daughter inside, and the door slammed shut.
“It took you long enough, sire.” Came a snippy voice from beside me. I looked over and saw Aria, as well kept as ever, sidled up beside me, a smirk sat on his lips.
“Aria? You’re accompanying us!” Aalia squealed and ran up to hug my advisor. It was clear that he wasn’t prepared for impact. “Yes, yes.” He hissed, his tail fluttering about. “Your grandfather didn’t think your father would be able to handle life on the surface.”
I felt my brows furrow. I tightened my lips into the grimmest line I could and crossed my arms over my chest. Walean grabbed at my forearm and led me to the deep, porcelain bath that sat in the middle of his chambers. White steam rose up from it in whispering curls.
“Step inside.” He said, letting his hood fall. I was surprised to see that he still had quite a lot of hair that tumbled about his shoulders in white waves. I did as told, one foot after the other. It was warm and comforting-
Until I got my head shoved underneath. I struggled for air in a panic until I felt sand under my feet. I blinked open my eyes and was standing on a cliff overlooking the churning waters of Pelican Island. I watched as it crashed into the jagged rocks that seemed to shoot up from the earth.
I turned around and was met with the open door of my temporary home. It was a strange house. Angular and modern in style, with glass doors and tinted windows.
The Gull.
It was nice to be back.
I heard a cacophony of groans from behind me, and found Aalia and Aria collapsed in heaps beside each other, arms and legs fanned out like the limbs of a starfish.
“Come on, darling.” I knelt by Aalia and pushed a lock of her glossy brown hair out of her face. “Let’s walk off those sea legs.”

“Oh, I love it when you call me that,” Aria giggled lucidly as he reached up a hand aimlessly toward the sky. “I want to be in those big strong arms again, you know.”
“That offer doesn’t apply to you.” I hissed.
I watched as his eyes flew open and he sat up bolt right. “I-I didn’t..I mean..”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you inside.” I swept up Aalia’s slight frame into my arms and stalked up the front steps.

By the end of our first day on the beach, Aalia already found her dream man. A short, muscle-y kid who was a lifeguard. The only notable thing about him was that he had curly blonde hair and those clear-framed glasses that everyone thinks are so cool. I made sure to watch them like hawks as they sat by the edge of the cliff, hands entwined, watching the sun set into orangey bliss.
“You know how unsettling it is, the way you’re looking at them.” Aria comes up next to me, hands folded behind his back. “They’re children. Let them relax.” He rocked back and forth on his heels for a second.
“I want to make sure they aren’t doing anything..illegal.” I spat. My gaze flicked down to the Jack Daniels’ I was nursing in a crystal glass. Everything had already been set up for our stay, courtesy of my dad, most likely.
“I remember the first time we came here together.” Aria shrugged and rolled his shoulders back. “We sat in that exact spot and drank.”
It was true. I remembered that Aalia was barely a month old, and I had left her in the care of my mother, the gods bless her soul. And we had managed to slip away together.
I remembered the drunken giggles and hickies he left on my neck. I remembered the sweet taste of the limoncello that graced both our lips.
It was the best night of my life. But I couldn’t let him know that.
The front door swung open, and in ran Aalia, skirt of her flowy blue sundress flailing about her ankles. “Dad, can I go to the pier with Sandy?”
“Sandy?” I muttered. My gaze flicked to lifeguard-nerd-boy who grinned and waved. I waved back and turned to my girl, whose eyes were simply sparkling with gold specks.
“Be home by the time the moon comes out.” I told her. She gave me a kiss on the cheek and bolted out the door. Sandy wrapped a sinewy arm around her, and they’re off.
“Young love. So pure, so uncomplicated, hm?” Aria musters a little smile, and turns to me, his brown eyes shining.
I sighed, turned on my heel, stalked to the kitchen, grabbed another glass from the counter, and handed it to him. “Yup. Come on.”
The sky was a purpley-pink when we settled down on the towel my daughter and her beau had sat on. I poured myself another glass of good ol’ Jack’s; Aria declined with a wrinkled nose.
“I don’t understand why you like that..stuff,” He hissed. “It’s so bitter.”
“The burn is nice.” I felt the words slip from my mouth, absolutely slurred. Aria scoffed, grabbed his empty glass and poured himself a hefty serving. He gulped it down in one single swoop, and I could see the daze settling in his eyes. After a few more swigs, he’s hammered.
I take five more.
We’re laughing and kissing and whispering in no time. The moon shines on us like a spotlight, washing us out with its effervescent glow.
“So, you’ve decided to give me another chance,” He laughed and caught my chin in the crook of his thin, delicate, index finger.
“Of course..I love you..” I meant the words. I meant them. But I thought of Aalia. Aalia and how her face could possibly fall if she saw me kissing another man, and how I probably had never loved her mom, or something. My brain was going in twenty directions at once.
We stumbled inside as the night turned navy blue and fell asleep on the couch.
I could forget about Aalia for a little while, right?