Bab 3: Chapter II
Adrielle Cuthbert. Where to start? Well, first, I need to tell you more about Tidelanders.
Tiderlanders are half-human, half-siren hybrids. And our siren mothers make us special with abilities. But not all things special is welcomed in this world. Add in the fact that our mothers kill sailors for their seed. We aren't that liked around Orphelin Bay.
So the Tidelanders live together at a place called L'Attente. A haven for my kind and a place to hide from the world. L'Attente is a no go zone for humans, but all of the rules governing L'Attente, are made by the Queen, Adrielle Cuthbert.
For a race of people without mothers, a Queen seemed fitting, especially since the women are historically known to be stronger and more like our mothers than male Tidelanders. Now, Tidelanders like to be free, and they also like their privacy, but they need money to have that.
That's where the Queen comes in. To the Tidelanders, the Queen is everything. Her word is law. Even how they make money is up to her. As such, Adrielle is cold, hard, an iron fist, and a gentle touch for her people. But lately, she has changed. She's more aloof, secretive, and the money has been decreasing.
Most Tidelanders are blinded by loyalty, but I told Thea that Adrielle's changes most likely have something to do with her long trips and the community's decrease in money. But to speak out against Adrielle is only asking for death.
Three years back is when I met Thea Hill. I was out on a dive, recording a few shots, when I accidentally caught Thea on film. Of course, she attacked, and I kicked her ass with a startling display of strength and water manipulation.
Thea loved aquatic wildlife. And began to accompany during my film sessions. When I taught her to edit the film and told her of my plan to sell the footage, she was surprised. But what surprised her more was the money that came in after my work began to gain some traction.
Then I began to see people talking about the rare specimens in my films and discovered the crazy amounts many people spend on fish that I film. So, I began to sell them. Thea and I started to spend more time together, and Thea hardly showed her face at L'Attente. That's when Adrielle found out.
When Thea made it known that there were other ways to make money and maintain privacy, Adrielle didn't want to hear because it wasn't her idea. Then Thea wanted to opt-out of the community and continue working on my projects. That when Adrielle lashed out.
Thankfully, only a few people were there to see Adrielle, and I come to blows. Leandra and Dylan stepped in, and I was forced to put them down. That was the day I learned exactly how strong I really was. But I also learned that Adrielle was a monster herself.
When we're both black, blue, and bloodied, Adrielle showed her force by using her queenship to spin the story and wild the Tidelanders of L'Attente. Adrielle liked absolute power. The situation boiled down to Thea staying in L'Attente with her mouth shut or Adrielle executing her, and I would have to fight every Tidelander in L'Attente.
When it was over, Adrielle called herself merciful. And I was forbidden from stepping foot in L'Attente.
When Thea and I were driving to the city, she wanted me to talk to her friend Violca about Adrielle. I could smell the coup from my seat.
"I don't want to speak to Violca about Adrielle. That's L'Attente's business, and I don't want anything to do with it."
"You are the only one that can fight her head-on. In the water, she's nothing to you. No one could do what you do." said Thea.
"Did you tell Violca that?" I growled, referring to my superior control over water.
"No. I haven't told anyone." Thea replied.
"Listen, Violca wants to be Queen. That's great, but even if I agreed to her plan, Adrielle is not the problem. It's the loyal lapdogs that Adrielle has. So don't invite me to any talks until Violca has a fucking army."
Thea remained quiet for a moment as she stared out of the window.
"It's getting worse. She's getting worse. She just got back. Every time she returns, the allowance is cut. Aiden, the last payout was nine hundred dollars."
I reach over and take her into mine. "Don't worry. I won't let you starve. You let Violca play her games. Come stay with me for a while." I tell her.
Someone was moving in on Augie's business. Adrielle was slipping, and a civil war was brewing. Calliope had some shit to work out, but I could take Thea and the NAIAD, the skip town, for a bit. Or at least that's what I thought at the time.
---
When we arrived at the city, I drove to the Marina to sell the Gang's fish to Gilly Rock, Cueball, and Mr. Whitemore. Big buyers that I trusted. However, my catch went to someone a lot special. His name is Mr. Crumberland.
Mr.Crumberland is a third party private broker for collectors of rare and beautiful things. He had two places that he liked to conduct business: his Yacht Club and his Penthouse.
"Aiden, You know that I don't like being pulled from scheduled meetings. But you are a big client, and you told me that you have a big sale," said Crumberland.
"Aye, I have a Platinum Arowana, and she's pregnant," I tell him.
"Liar. How big is she?" he asked.
"Four feet long and extremely healthy."
"You caught a pregnant fish?" Thea asked with a high pitched voice.
"I didn't know at the time. I only found out when we got to the marina. That's why I called you, Crumberland." I explained
Crumberland stroked his beard. He knew I wasn't bullshiting him.
"What's your price?" he asked.
"Labor to catch her is 100,000 American dollars. the Platinum Arowana goes for the market price of 400,000 American dollars, and that includes her offspring. However, let's say she's only giving birth to...six. It's a steal, and you know it."
I watched Crumberland. I had him beat. The Platinum Arowana was going to be spitting out babies. To pay for the mother and only six out of the whole batch was a win. Crumberland pulled out a notepad and began to do some math and watched him wince.
"2,900,000 American Dollars. This being a personal buy, I only have two million in cash to five you." Crumberland explained the source of his wince.
"And the nine hundred thousand?" Thea asked.
Crumberland glanced at me and then inhaled sharply.
"I have something that Aiden might be interested in. You have only wanted one thing from me in the last five years, artifacts surrounding Siren Lore. Rusalka, Mermaids, Mami Wata. Recently, an archeologist in the Persian Gulf has found the world's second Voynich Manuscript. It has many depictions and a language that seems to be an older form of uniform."
"What kind of depictions?" I asked him.
"Sirens. Bipedal, slender sliver skinned women with pitch-black eyes, full lips, and white hair. It is the first depiction of its kind in history." Said Cumberland.
Obviously, I was going to accept his offer. Is the book really worth a million dollars? Damn right. I was different from my Tidelander siblings, and I wanted to know why. That's why I connected with Mr.Crumberland initially. He brokered purchases that helped me learn of my people through artifacts left behind by the ancients.
"Mr.Crumberland. I want this manuscript now." I tell him with the voice of a Siren.
I could feel Thea's burning gaze at my side. But I kept my attention on Mr.Crumberland as he walked to the living room and pushed his coach aside to reveal a floor safe. Once it was open, he presented the twelve by twelve-inch manuscript.
"Now, the money, Crumberland."
Crumberland then received packed ordinarily black leather satchel with stacks of American dollars. I didn't want to stay any longer than I need. The next half an hour was Crumberland's men tanking the tank with the Platinum Arowana away.
Back on the road, Thea couldn't help herself. "What the shit was that, Aiden!?" she shouted.
"Men can't do what you just did!" She added, "That was the voice of our mothers. And you used it on a man. Maybe if it were against a woman, I would feel better, but we can't even use the voice against the same sex. Can you use it on women too?"
"Yes," I told her honestly.
"Tidelanders?" Thea was a bit frightened. I could see it in her aquamarine eyes.
I thought about Calliope. But I always felt she was special. So I told Thea, "I don't know, I never tried."
"Okay, " She replied while brushing her dark black hair back with her hand.
"Are you relieved? You thought would strip you of your free will?" I ask her. " Glad to know you have so much trust in me."
"I didn't..."
"It's fine. I get it. Just aid to the other secrets you keep for me." I tell.
"And what about Crumberland. He knows about your interest in Sirens. Just how much have you bought from him?"
"A lot. But you don't have to worry about him." I assure her. "You're staying with me tonight, right?"
"You said that I couldn't go back to L'Attente." She replied.
"Do you want to go back?"
"No... I just don't like leaving Violca alone there," said Thea.
"Then she can stay on the NAIAD too," I tell her.
"What of Zara?" Thea asked.
"Send her off. She stays with me; she might end up dead."
"She might think you're choosing me over her."
"Who gives a shit."
------
The next morning I woke up with Thea's arms wrapped around me and her head on my chest. I looked around. After I got dressed and I left a note for Thea and went to deliver the gang's cuts of the money.
When I got to the factory that we used as a front for the smuggling business, I handed out the money, and the men, as usual, always had something to say. They talk about how we should be making large amounts of money every month and dumped on the Tidelanders. It was nothing new.
That is until Grayson said something about Augie and his family drama, blinding him from needing to be done.
"What family drama, Grayson?" I ask him.
"Rosa took Cal's money and bought the Devil's Tail. Cal wants what's hers. But Cal seems to have other problems by the way she showed up this morning." Grayson explained.
"What happened this morning?"
"Cal showed up with no bare feet, screaming for Augie. He took her away."
I put Jared's but on the tabled and left the factory. I knew I was probably overreacting, but I sped to the McTeer house anyway. As soon as I reach the front door, which was wide open, I heard Calliope scream with the voice of a siren, not once but twice.
I ran upstairs and saw Colton Raxter holding a gun, locked in a trance. I was on him in a flash. I knock his body into the shelf, and the gun dropped from his hand. I then held him by his throat as I pent him against the wall with supernatural strength.
Looking into the bathroom, I saw Calliope standing naked and tensed. Her wet hair clung to her creamy skin, and droplets cascaded down her body into a puddle at her feet. Behind her, a pistol was on the edge of a bathtub full of water.
"Are you okay?" I asked her.
She only stared at me.
"Calliope!"
"Yes, I was... I was in the bath, and he was just standing there with a gun." She explained.
"Colton, what the fuck are you doin' here?"
"A-Augie sent me." I forced the words out as he was struggling to breathe. I let his body drop to the floor.
"Augie sent you for what?"
"He said someone hurt Cal. I'm here to watch her."
"In the fucking tub? Get outta here. Tell Augie I'll stay with her."
I rush into the bathroom and look Cal over. I cup her face to focus her attention. Once our gaze met, I asked her, "What happened? Who tried to hurt you?"
Calliope didn't say a word. She just hugged me and started to cry. I felt a bit guilty for not being there for her. I pick up the towel next to us and wrap her in it.
Before I knew it, I was picking her up and taking her to her room.
Calliope and I were sitting snuggly together on her bed as she told me what happened after she got home. It reminded me of the time her father died and we talked for hours in her bed. This badass woman was tough to the core, but when we were alone, we both managed to put our hearts in each other's lap.
She was getting for a shower when someone wrapped her in the shower curtain and took her from the house. They there her in a boat and took her out to see. There, they chained her feet and threw her curtain wrapped body in the water. She sank until she hit the floor.
Fighting free of the curtain, she tried to undo the chain on her feet when her time ran out, and she gasped for air, taking in water instead. Water filled her lungs, and she fought for air that would never come. That is until she took her first breath underwater. She unscrewed the lock on the chains and swam back to the beach. She said it was faster than humanly possible, as she got to the beach in under an hour.
I sat and listened as Cal told me how it felt to drown and know you were about to die. I heard her frustration when she told me that she thought she was going crazy. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to tell the truth. Her powers were flaring.
"Calliope, Cal, I have to tell you something...about us and what happened in the water today."
PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA 
D_Blackwell
D_Blackwell Thea resembles the late model, Raudha Athif, R.I.P
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone