Below the Tides

By S. R. Harris

When eighteen year old River is attacked one night on her way home from work on the dark streets of Philadelphia, the mystery of her disappearing white father is about to be revealed to her.

Whisked away by a mysterious stranger and a half brother she never knew existed, she discovers the underwater world of Arcaccia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gypsy Shadow Publishing
• Release date: Mar 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781619506954

S. R. Harris

Sakina Harris is a South Philadelphia native. She has her Bachelor's of Arts in Paralegal Studies from Pierce College. She currently works as a paralegal for a Philadelphia law firm. She is the mother of five fabulous children and one silly granddaughter. She currently lives in Delaware County, PA.

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Below the Tides

The Tides Book One

by

S. R. Harris

All rights reserved.

Copyright © May 9, 2022, S. R. Harris

Cover Art Copyright © 2022, Deja D. Heggs

Images from123rf.com

Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

Lockhart, TX

www.gypsyshadow.com

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

ISBN: 978-1-61950-695-4

Published in the United States of America.

First eBook Edition: Monday March 20, 2023

Dedication

To my mother, Carmella Williams. Thank you for everything. Keep watching over us, my angel.

Terms and their Meanings

Circulu ~ Circle

Alcazar/Acropolis ~ Castle

Bivouac ~ Barracks

Tabbed ~ Elected

Apa ~ Father

Ama ~ Mother

Neni ~ Aunt

Ziju ~ Uncle

Oma ~ Grandmother

Pake ~ Grandfather

Bojuku ~ Husband

Bojo ~ Wife

1

I always knew I was different from most of the people in my neighborhood, not just because of the way I looked, but also because most black girls who grew up in the hood weren’t fascinated with water. I mean, we take showers and baths obviously, we love pool parties and going to the beach; but swimming, the sea and the sea life were just not something a lot of black girls found interesting, although being biracial could have something to do with it, so I will blame my love of the sea on my white half.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the water… not only swimming, but I was so intrigued with what was below that vast sea. I was so certain that there was something down there, but I just didn’t know what. Growing up in the inner city of Philly didn’t give me a lot of opportunities to be near water, but every chance I got I would go down to Penn’s Landing and just gaze at the water, wondering what would happen if I just jumped in. I don’t know why but for some reason I knew deep in my heart that I wouldn’t drown. Call it instinct, call it crazy because trust me, I knew it was crazy. I knew I couldn’t hold my breath indefinitely, but that didn’t change the fact that I knew what I knew deep in my heart. To date, I haven’t been stupid enough to test my theory.

I live in a low-income housing development with my mom. As far as low-income housing goes, the Tubman Towers are not that bad actually. It makes up about fifteen blocks and most of them consist of squat apartment complexes that all look the same. Each complex has three or four apartments per unit. All the complexes are located on the outer streets of the Tubman Towers, the neighborhood itself being designed like a spiral. The closer you get to the center of the Towers, as it is called by those of us who live there, you can see buildings, three fifteen-floor buildings. They are not the cleanest, and the elevators hardly work. Drug addicts and drug dealers linger in the hallways that usually smell like piss and shit. The families who live in the buildings are on government rental assistance.

We live in a complex on the outer ring of the Towers because my mom has a pretty good job as the supervisor of the mailroom to some fancy pants law firm, so while we are not poor, we are low middle class, as mom says. We live in one of the outer complexes, close to downtown Philly, which has two floors and three apartment units. We live on the first floor because it is the only one with two bedrooms, Ms. May lives on the second floor on the right-hand side, while Mr. Crawford lives in the apartment on the left-hand side. Both are older than mom. Mr. Crawford is a retired police officer, and Ms. May works for PECO, the Pennsylvania Electric Company. When I was younger I used to go to the park in the center of the Towers, but after I turned eighteen, I spent my summers working at Sip N’ Read. Sip N’ Read is a small bookstore located in Old City Philadelphia. I started working there two summers before and while it was only supposed to be for that summer, I continued part time through the school year. Now that I was getting ready to leave for MIT in the fall, I needed as many hours as I could get.

It has always been just me and mom for as long as I can remember. When I was younger I used to ask my mom about my dad all the time: where was he? Who was he? I didn’t even know his name, for fuck’s sake. I got my first answer when I was twelve. We were watching TV, some sitcom with the perfect family—the perfect dad, and the problems were all solved in thirty minutes or less. I looked at her and asked her where he was, who he was. My mom cut off the TV and took my hand and smiled at me. "Your father was… well... he was my one and only true love and you, my beautiful, girl have the best parts of both of him and me.

Like what?

Well, obviously you are the perfect half of him and the perfect half of me. Your complexion is a perfect blend of the two of us. Your hair… she continued as she reached up and pushed one of my curls off of my forehead. I knew that my hair was different from my mom’s. I didn’t need to use the flat irons to press out my hair; just water and a brush and my hair was pretty manageable. My mom’s hand caressed my cheek as she said, and of course your eyes, she said with that beautiful smile of hers. I shook my head at that, scrunching up my nose, I hate my eyes.

What? Mom said in shock. River, for heaven’s sake, why? You have beautiful eyes.

I just shook my head again. My eyes are so unusual most people take a second look, they are either fascinated by them, or they think I’m a freak. My eyes are a mix of steel gray, dark blue and green. The eyes of the sea, my mom calls them. Not to mention that was one of the reasons I got jumped by Tasha, Monique and Syreeta. They cornered me one day at the park. I was naïve, thinking they wanted to be my friend, but then the leader started calling out, look at who it is—the weird-eyed freak. I just stood there next to my bike, confused because I had only seen these girls at a distance, I didn’t go to the same school they did.

You think you’re better than us, don’t you, bitch? she said.

I was too stunned to say anything and before I could even form an answer and understand that I might be in danger, one of the other girls said, Punch her in her stupid face, and before I could react I was on the ground getting punched and kicked, I curled into a ball to protect my face.

If it hadn’t been for an older lady coming in with her kids, who knows when they would have stopped. Of course, there was no way to hide this from my mom, I was light skinned and easily bruised, so when she got home from work there was no way she wasn’t going to see me all bruised and beaten. She flipped her shit, of course. I didn’t know the girls by name, but I knew who they were, and my mother marched through The Towers to their parents and really told them off. I had never heard her use such language before, and I will admit she scared the shit out of me in those moments. Judging from the looks she was getting, I wasn’t the only one there scared shitless. Of course, I never told her that was the reason I got jumped, even though I am sure she knew based on some of the stuff she was saying.

The next answer—or maybe this counts as two answers—came around my fifteenth birthday. We went to Virginia Beach for a whole week instead of our usual long weekend to the Jersey Shore. I asked my mom if it was because it was my birthday and she told me yeah in part, and also because people from Philly seem to think the Jersey Shore is the only beach worth going to. We were sitting on the beach watching the sunset and it was such a beautiful sight. I wanted to sit as close to the water as possible, but mom was having none of that; so we were sitting on a sand dune.

I must get my love for the sea from my dad. I wasn’t really expecting an answer. My mom wrapped her arm around my shoulders and I laid my head on her shoulder. It was moments like this that I wish everything would just stop and stay still.

He loved the sea more than anything, it’s the reason why I named you River. I wanted you to have a piece of him even if in the end, he took another path.

What do you mean? I held my breath, not making a sound because she was talking about him, and I didn’t want her to stop.

She was quiet for what felt like an eternity before she said, I never wanted to prejudice you against your father in case one day the two of you might meet. I want you to make your own decision about whether or not you want to have a relationship with him. She stopped, and I couldn’t figure out the look on her face. She sighed and continued, He had a choice, River. He could have stayed with us, he could have chosen to stay but in the end, he chose his duty, and his duty took him away."

Why didn’t he just take us with him?

Your father went somewhere I couldn’t follow, sweetheart. I was left with more questions than answers because what did that mean, where could he go that we couldn’t? I mean, even if he went to a foreign country, Mom has a passport. Of course, that conversation did nothing but make my teenage brain imagine things like Jason Bourne, working for the government in some sort of top-secret position that no one knew about. That he only stayed away to keep us safe because if his enemies ever found out about mom and me they would come for us. Those fantasies, as most fantasies do, faded into the background as reality continued to force its way down my throat.

2

Arcaccia

Queen Celestria paced back and forth in front of the scribe, screaming at the top of her lungs, What do you mean Addam won’t inherit his father’s throne? He is the heir to the throne, isn’t he?

The scribe leaned back over her witching bowl, as she slowly waved her hand across the surface, her black eyes flashing as she received whatever vision was visible to only her. She was not intimidated by the queen, for she was used to her spoiled behavior. The queen was outraged at what she was hearing. She had not gone through all she had for Addam not to inherit the throne.

There is another, the scribe said.

What do you mean another, another what? the queen’s tone was sharp enough to cut glass.

Another royal, the true heir. A child born of the sea and the land, born before the prince.

No, the queen shook her head, that’s not possible. While her and Armen’s was a political marriage, they had been together for almost seventeen tides; surely if he had another child, he would have mentioned it. Of course, had she known… things might have gone differently, and that thought just enraged her even more.

It very much is possible and it is a truth. King Armen sired a child while he was on land, and that child will inherit the throne.

Who is it? She would handle this! There was no way some half-breed was going to stand in her way.

The scribe waved her hand over the top of her witching bowl chanting something under her breath, the bowl’s surface turned jet black like the darkest of sludge, the surface shimmered, and the queen held her breath; but after a minute nothing happened. The surface revealed nothing.

What does that mean?

It means that the child is being protected by strong magic. I cannot break through it.

Fine, the queen snapped, then at least try to get a location. Do you think you can do that? I thought you were all powerful, but apparently not. The queen was pissed; not only was she learning there was a child born before Addam, but apparently her bojuku had known about it because he had the child protected.

The scribe’s hand continued to wave slowly over the surface of her bowl. It took some time, but soon an image started to form, one with ships and large buildings.

Can you try to find something that will tell me the location?

The scribe’s eyes flashed dark black from lid to lid. When the image in the bowl started to change again, a sign attached to what looked like a building that said Philadelphia Water Front appeared.

The queen turned and stalked from the room without another word.

Not too long after the queen’s departure, the scribe sent a message to her king: She knows.

The king looked at the message that appeared in his chiming bowl. The scribe had spelled the message they agreed upon the minute he found out about his daughter, River. He knew when the time came, Celestria would eventually discover her, and he knew he would do everything to protect her. He knew it was time to have River brought from the surface down to Arcaccia. He only hoped she would eventually forgive him for not being there for her. The king sighed and walked to his private room off the throne room and summoned Sylas.

King Armen looked at Sylas, the trusted leader of his private royal unit and Admiral of all the units of Arcaccia. Sylas, while just past his twentieth tide, had risen through the ranks thanks to his father’s training. When his father died, Sylas had been able to step into his shoes. Sylas also trained Addam personally.

Sylas, Armen said, his voice somber, I need you to go on a mission… take no one with you and tell no one.

Sylas looked at his king, noted the timbre of his voice, and realized in that moment he looked old. He had deep wrinkles in his forehead, dark circles around his eyes, and he looked tired and worn down. This was not the king Sylas was accustomed to: his father’s best friend; the one who took him in after his father died; the one who taught him how to be courtly.

Of course, Your Highness, he said, executing a perfect deep bow.

King Armen stood and walked to Sylas and when he was in front of him, he placed his hand on his shoulder, took a deep breath, and began to speak:

Long before I became the king, I went up to the land. I told my father it was for me to try to build more human contacts and relationships on the land, but that wasn’t the truth. I was lost down here I—I don’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I wasn’t going to find it in Arcaccia and so I left, and went to the land. I was supposed to stay for three moons but well, I—I met someone, Rose… She was studying to be a nurse—what we call a healer. She was beautiful, strong and so kind hearted, with the most radiant smile. I loved her and I couldn’t leave her, I stayed with her for three tides before my father came to me, or should I say, found me. You see, one of the things I loved most about her was I told her who I really was and at first… he laughed and shook his head. "At first she didn’t believe me, how could she? She tried to rationalize my eyes as a medical disorder.

Anyway, when my father caught up to me he told me what Emperor Rossick was stirring up, and he told me of the plan he put into place to keep the peace between the provinces. I wish I could say that I fought for my relationship with Rose, but that would be a lie. When I told my father about her, he politely informed me that she could come to Arcaccia as my consort, but he would never allow a human to be queen. I made the wrong choice that day, Sylas. I told Rose I had to leave, told her I was uniting with another female. I—I think I told her that part on purpose, to hurt her so she could move on with her life and find the happiness she deserved. I left that day with my father, and it has remained my biggest regret. A few tides ago, the scribe came to me. Rose was pregnant when I left her. I have a daughter—River—my heir, a daughter of land and of sea.

Sylas stared at his king, his mouth opening and closing, like a fish gasping for air. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing; his king had a daughter, a child older than Addam, a Crown Princess.

The queen has found out about her, and her plans do not include welcoming River to the family. I need you to go to the land and bring her here to Arcaccia.

Of course, Your Highness.

Here, he held out his hand, and Sylas took the necklace that was dangling from the king’s fingers. It was beautiful, a thin silver chain, so thin it was almost invisible. On it was an iridescent shell and in the middle was a glowing blue eye. That is a piece of the Heart of Arcaccia. When you get to River… the king laughed a little at this, still amused that even though he was an ass to Rose, she still honored him by naming his daughter River. He would always remember the child’s face, staring back up at him from the witching bowl, eyes just like his… put this on her. Sylas bowed to his king and tucked the necklace safely away.

Strong Tides, the king said.

Open seas, Sylas replied before he turned to leave.

Prince Addam had ducked behind a tall column, listening to his father tell Sylas about his sister, an older sister who lived on the land. He couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across his face. His sister was the true heir, which meant all the pressure was off of him. He had to find her, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to convince Sylas to let him come. He ducked away from them, not hearing the rest of the conversation as a plan formed in his head.

The queen sat in front of her chiming bowl. She uttered the incantation, dropped in a strip of Muir weed and waited. After a few seconds she heard the familiar chiming sound and waited for her father to appear.

Father, there has been an unexpected development, she started, and then proceeded to explain to him what she had learned.

She waited for his outrage, for him to be as upset and angry as she was but he just said, This is an unexpected complication, but nothing that cannot be resolved. You have your own loyal guards who you brought from Deji, and I will send a few males to meet with them. You know what needs to be done.

Of course, Father.

I mean it, Celestria. Nothing is more important than our plan succeeding. You do want that life you have always dreamed about, do you not?

Celestria nodded and after finalizing their plan, she lifted the Muir weed from the bowl and her father’s image disappeared from the bowl.

3

I leaned against the counter, staring out the window. It was a Friday night and I was working the closing shift at Sip N’ Read. It was just me and Reggie, and he was leaving at closing time in ten minutes. I sighed, unsure if the rain was going to hold off until I got home. The store closed at ten on Fridays and Saturdays. It would take me about twenty minutes to clean up, and hopefully I would be out the door by 10:30 and straight home tonight. No going down to Penn’s Landing to look at the water. Right on schedule, Reggie walked out from the back room. I knew he was going to ask me if I wanted him to wait.

Sure enough, Reggie said, Hey River, it looks like it is going to be a pretty nasty storm. I can help you clean up and give you a ride home. And as tempting as a ride sounded on a night like this, I laughed and shook my head, No Reg, please go home. You have to relieve your babysitter anyway. He looked at his watch, peered out the window, looked at me and frowned, and then glanced at his watch again. I know he struggled. He was a single father. I didn’t know the particulars, but I did know that his wife died in childbirth or right after she gave birth. I speculated that he must have gotten some kind of settlement for it because he told me one time that he only came back to work because Lil Reg was in school full time now and he didn’t want to sit home all day being bored as shit—his words. He also said he didn’t want to go back to work in a stuffy office, back to corporate America. It was apparent when Reg made his decision because he walked to the door and I followed him so I could lock the door behind him and set the alarm. The store might be in a pretty good neighborhood, but I am still a single girl alone in a store at night. I’m no idiot.

Okay, he said, but if it starts raining too hard take an Uber home and email Ms. Del the receipt. Have a good night and see you tomorrow, River.

Okay, Reg and good night. Say hey to Lil Reg for me.

I might bring him in with me tomorrow since I am only working a few hours.

"Cool, the new Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel’s just come in. He can read it before we sell them all out." I locked the door after he left. It was funny that Reg always said that he had no desire to go back to Corporate America, and yet he ran the Sip N’ Read like it was some huge conglomerate instead of a small bookshop. He was the supervisor/HR person. He kept the shifts and stuff like that, and was always fair spreading the hours out evenly between the four of us who worked there. He even put himself on the closing shift even though he didn’t have to, but he always worked his fair share. Ms. Delores or Ms. Del as she went by, owned the store. She was like a hundred years old (actually, she was eighty-one). Her husband bought her the store on their first anniversary, the anniversary which I believe she told me was paper. She was always fascinated with books, so he bought her a bookstore. It wasn’t always called Sip N’ Read and it didn’t always sell coffee, but Ms. Del knew how to keep up with the times and as times changed she changed her bookstore with it. Ms. Del’s husband died about ten years before, and they had no children. About five years later, she hired Reggie as supervisor of the store and gave him almost total control, then packed her shit and moved to The Villages, an elaborate retirement community.

She still maintained her books (I guess her trust didn’t extend that far) and if we had to use an Uber because of bad weather, not tardiness, we emailed her the receipt and we got reimbursed on our next paycheck. I grabbed the remote and turned on the television Reggie had installed so I could have some background noise while I worked. Turning on the news, I grabbed the rag from under the counter and started getting busy scrubbing …Unexpected thunderstorms, I heard the newsperson say as I was putting the empties back in place in the cabinets. It is strange how this storm seems to be extremely stronger than the light sprinkles originally indicated.

They were really going on and on about this storm, I thought as I grabbed the broom so I could do a quick sweep of the floor. We are now going to live coverage from Penn’s Landing. I stopped sweeping and leaned on the broom to stare at the TV. I gaped in horror at the screen. The picture must be being shot from the news chopper. What in the actual fuck? On the screen the rain was coming down so hard you couldn’t really make out anything. The weird thing is while the wind was blowing and the sound of thunder could be heard, it was not raining here and the store was only a few blocks from Penn’s Landing. I snapped my eyes to the window to be sure and nope, no damn rain. I looked back to the TV and noted it appeared the chopper was over the water and the rain, my god the rain was coming down in buckets. Wait! What the fuck is that—a tornado?

…it appears to be some sort of water funnel that looks to be gaining momentum because of the storm, the newscaster was saying. I had never heard of such a thing happening, but then again, I was no weather expert. What the hell was going on out there? It was so strange. I finished sweeping the floor, keeping one eye on the door, and looking out to see if the rain had started to fall. I had heard of these things before… odd phenoms where it rained on one side of the street and was bright and sunny on the other side, but this seemed like something else entirely.

The thunder was ridiculously loud, and it was lightning, but still no rain. I knew it was coming though. I wasn’t complaining; I only wanted to make it home before the rain started to come down. After poking my head out the door to check to see if I needed to wear a hoodie, I decided I definitely needed it because the wind was blowing so hard. I stopped at the bike rack Reg had mounted at the side of