Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist: 03 (Emily Windsnap, 3) - Tapa blanda

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It’s midnight, and as light as day.
   A full moon shines down on the ocean, making the waves dance as they skirt the edges of the tiny island, lapping on jagged rocks and stony beaches.
   A chariot glides through the sea, tracing a circle around the island. Solid gold and adorned with jewels on ­every side, the chariot is pulled by dolphins, each decorated with a row of diamonds and pearls along its back and head.
   Inside the chariot sits the king of all the oceans: Neptune, grander than ever, a chain of sparkling jewels around his neck, his gold crown glinting above his white hair, his trident by his side. His green eyes shine in the moonlight as he looks across at the island. He is waiting for his bride to appear from the castle that stands above the rocks, half hidden by mist, its dark windows gleaming in the bright night sky.
   “Go around again!” he demands, his voice booming like thunder. His words send ripples bouncing away from the chariot. The dolphins draw another circle around the island.
   And then she is there, smiling as she steps ­toward the water’s edge, her eyes meeting his, their gaze so fierce it almost brings the space between them to life. A bridge between their two worlds.
   A small flock of starlings approaches the water as
she does, circling the air above her head like a feathered crown. Twisting her head to smile up at them, she holds out a hand. Instantly, one of the birds breaks off from the circle and flies down ­toward her open palm. Hovering almost motion-less in the air, it drops something from its claw into her palm. A diamond ring. As the woman closes her hand around the ring, the starling rejoins the other birds and they fly away into the night, slinking across the sky like a giant writhing snake.
   “I give you this diamond to represent my love, as great as the earth itself, as firm as the ground on which I stand.” The woman flicks back shiny black hair as she reaches out ­toward the chariot to place the ring on Neptune’s finger.
   A twist of the trident, and a dolphin swims forward. As it bows down to Neptune, it reveals a pearl ring, perfectly balanced on its brow. Neptune takes the ring. Holding it out in his palm, he speaks softly. “And with this pearl, I offer you the sea, my world, as boundless and everlasting as my love for you.” He slides the ring onto her finger. “This is a most enchanted moment. A full moon at midnight on the spring equinox. This will not happen for another five hundred years. It is almost as rare as our love.”
   She smiles at him, her white dress wet at the bottom where she stands in the sea by his chariot.
   Holding his trident in the air, Neptune continues. “These rings may only ever be worn by two folk in love — one from the sea, one from land — or by a child of such a pair. As long as they are so worn, no one can remove them.”
   “No one can even touch them,” the woman says.
   Neptune laughs. “No one can even touch them,” he says. Then he holds his other hand up, palm facing the woman. She does the same and their arms form an arch, the rings touching as they clasp hands. A hundred stars crackle in the sky above them, bursting into color like fireworks. “When the rings touch like this,” Neptune continues, “they will undo any act born of hatred or anger. Only love shall reign,” he says.
   “Only love,” she repeats.
   Then he spreads his arms out in front of him. “At this moment, night and day are equal, and now, so too are earth and sea. For as long as we wear these rings, the symbols of our marriage, there will always be peace and harmony between the two worlds.”
   With a final wave of his trident, Neptune reaches out to help the woman into the chariot. Hand in hand, they sit close together, her long dress flowing to one side of the chariot, his jewel-encrusted tail lying over the other side.
   The dolphins lift the reins and the chariot glides silently off, taking its royal owners away to begin their married life together.
 
Emily! I won’t tell you again.”
   I opened an eye to see Mom pulling back the curtain across the porthole in my bedroom. Outside, an oval moon hung low in a navy sky. Almost full, I thought automatically. We’d been learning about the moon’s cycle at school.
   “It’s still night,” I complained as I pulled the quilt over my face and snuggled back into my pillow.
   “It’s half past seven,” Mom replied, perching on the edge of my bed. She folded the quilt back and kissed my forehead. “Come on, sweet pea,” she said. “You’ll be late for school.” As she got up, she added under her breath, “Not that you’d miss much if you were. They ­haven’t exactly taught you anything useful at that place so far.”
   She’d left the room before I had a chance to reply.
   I let out a heavy sigh as I lay in bed, looking up at the ceiling. Mom seemed to be ­really down lately. That was the third time she’d grumbled about something in the last week. Personally, I ­couldn’t see what there was to complain about. We were living on a beautiful secret island: Mom, Dad, and me, all together on an elegant old wooden ship half sunk in the golden sand and sparkling water that surround the whole island. Merfolk and humans, together in peace.
   I realize that last part ­isn’t necessarily a requirement in ­everyone’s ideal living situation, but it comes in handy when your mom’s a human, your dad’s a merman, and you’re half-and-half.
   I pulled my bathing suit on and joined Mom at the
breakfast table.