Chapter 13

"I see..." Adewale said in wonder as he caressed his chin with his thumb and index finger. "Tell me where she is so that I can go demand the portion of my favour from her. Since I'm a prince, she ought to give me a bigger portion than she has given Adigun, the pauper!"

"It's not that easy, Adewale. She only shows kindness to those whom she deems worthy!"

"Deem worthy?" Adewale asked with a disgruntled look. "Why should any woman whether mortal or immortal have the right to deem any man worthy? Who's superior here! Is there any other way I can get the favour I seek from her?"

The priest threw his cowries again and said, "She wears a sacred necklace gifted to her by her mother. Any man who can take it from her will forever be powerful and can ask for anything!"

"Good, that's all I need to know. I won't go grovelling before a woman because she's immortal." Said the prince, more to himself. "Now, let's go to the last and important part... Where can I find her?"

The priest hesitated. "Adewale, I'll advise that you give this up! You might end up putting the entire village in trouble!" The priest tried to convince him.

"If I needed your counsel, I'd ask for it!" Adewale spat. "Now, tell me where to find this taboo living in our midst!"

The Chief priest sighed in resignation, consulted his cowries again. "She takes refuge in Adigun's farm." He involuntarily answered.

Grinning, Adewale rose with pride then said, "Now one more thing so that I'll be sure that you are not leading me into an ambush. If I confront this mermaid, can she harm me?"

"Her powers have greatly depleted after giving birth to a child who's half-human! I don't think she can do much, especially if you ambush her on land." The priest answered.

Prince Adewale's eyes shone with greed as he rubbed his palms together in glee. "Gave birth, ehn? So Adigun already laid with her!" He soliloquised. "If that common man can lay with an immortal then she wouldn't refuse me!" He stated and walked out of the shrine.

The priest rose and quickly said out loud, "Adewale, please do not do what you have in mind! Do not! Do not call the wrath of Orisa Osun upon the whole village! We will suffer greatly for your crime, so I beg of you to just take the necklace and leave her unscathed!"

But Adewale paid no heed to his warnings, he simply left with his men.

                                                   * * *

After a painful childbirth, Enitan smiled as Adigun carried the baby in his arms towards her.

"It's a girl." He told her with a proud smile as she took the baby from her human lover.

"And she has human legs." She said in awe, tears in her eyes. "She's so beautiful too."

"She very well took after her mother." Adigun complimented.

Enitan smiled and said, "I've to name her now... As the river and the land as witnesses, I name this child Ewatomi, which means beauty is enough."

"A worthy name it is." Adigun concurred. Then he asked as the baby began to make little sounds of discomfort, probably eager to be breastfed and Enitan did not waste any time in feeding the baby some milk from her bosom.

"Do you think that she'll be able to live with my kind?" Adigun curiously asked.

Enitan looked up at Adigun and smiled softly. "Yes, but I'll have to raise her in the river first so that she'll be able to alternate and shapeshift whenever she likes...the river will give her the rest of powers she ought to have. Since she was born with human legs, it means that your gene is stronger."