Authors: Missy Fleming
Chapter Forty-Five
The next morning I’m a bundle of nerves.
After stopping the storm, I have to expand my power farther, learn what it does, and build up my stamina. I can’t let it tire me if I hope to make a difference. Again, sleeping eluded me. My mind tripped over the events of the day and learning the truth about Magdalena and Eustacia. There’s a nagging concern that continues to plague me. Can I kill Calandra? Am I motivated enough to end someone’s life, of letting that dark side of the power loose?
I have yet to find an answer to that one.
Entering the atrium, I briefly acknowledge the bows and search for Nerio. I’m worried he won’t show up, that my father has sent him on an errand, but I locate him deep in conversation with Desma. She can’t be happy hearing our relationship has changed, assuming he told her. I had hoped things were better with us, but judging by her scowl, I doubt it.
Pulling myself together, I swim over, determined to be friendly and nonchalant.
Nerio notices me and I’m momentarily lost in his warm brown eyes. Desma follows his gaze and, after a flash of fleeting annoyance, plasters a smile on her face.
“Good morning, Zoey,” Desma greets. “How was your trip?”
I cut Nerio a sharp glance and wonder if he told her where I was or if she just noticed I was gone. From his expression, he did tell her, but is annoyed that she mentioned it.
“Fine,” I say refusing to give her any more. “I got a lot of helpful advice.”
She crosses her arms over her chest, taking on a haughty stance. “I’m not happy about this.” She waggles a finger between her brother and me. “I told you I didn’t want him to get hurt and now he’s practically the king’s confidante in planning a war.”
I’m perplexed as to why he told her about our new relationship. They are probably closer than I thought.
To calm her I say, “Your brother means the world to me and I can promise you I won’t let anything happen to him. All I can say is it’s within my power to do that, to protect him. As for the king including him in the preparations, you should recognize that for what it is, a compliment and a huge opportunity.”
“I do see that, but he refuses to leave your side,” Desma complains.
“What does she mean?” I ask him.
He rubs his neck, a slightly guilty gesture. “I was to go and alert my father to have what he calls the
militia
ready. I don’t like being so far from you in light of recent revelations, so I’m sending Desma instead.”
“Isn’t that a little dangerous?” I demand.
“I’ll be fine, Zoey. I make this trip alone quite frequently,” she reassures me.
Nerio pipes in, “And I’m sending a guard with her.”
She rolls her eyes at that but keeps her mouth shut. The three of us float awkwardly for a few minutes as Desma stares at the floor. Nerio finally asks, “Are you ready?”
I nod. “Good luck and be careful,” I say to his sister.
Once we’re out of view of the palace, he takes my hand as we swim. I revel in it, just for a moment, then he says, “She won’t repeat what I told her, I swear.”
“If you trust her, I have to too.”
Nerio slows and releases me as another of the palace guards approaches us. “King Stavros requests your presence in the throne room. He ordered me to stay with the princess until you return.”
“All right.” He nods once and turns to me. “Jepi is a loyal merman, you’ll be safe.”
He leaves and the new guard hovers a few, respectable feet to the side. A shadow darts my direction.
Kona skids to a stop in front of me. “Zoey! I’m so happy to see you. I’ve been gone seeking news from the dolphins for the king.”
“I’ve missed you, little guy.” We cuddle for a few moments and it’s the quietest I’ve ever heard him. Before I can question what he’s learned, he goes rigid.
“You must leave. Quick, follow me.”
Kona darts off at lightning speed and I don’t have a chance to react. A prickling sensation trips up my back and I peer behind me. The guard who sent Nerio away is gone, replaced by a merman with a severely scarred face staring directly at me.
I tense to flee, but he warns, “I wouldn’t if I were you.”
He points to two great white sharks flanking me, their familiar brands goading me, and cutting off my escape. I could very easily use power to escape, but an insane part of me is hungry to find out what he’s here for. Sharks mean Calandra and that equals information, if I’m lucky.
The merman edges closer and I manage a better look at him. His blond hair is cut short and he has piercing gray eyes. It’s impossible to guess his age because his face is ravaged by many scars. One crosses over his mouth, leaving it in a perpetual sneer.
“My name is Fallon. I act on behalf of Calandra.”
Instantly, my body goes rigid. Exactly as I guessed.
“Calandra welcomes you to the kingdom and sends you glad tidings. She also offers you her allegiance.”
If I wasn’t so scared, I may have laughed. “Is her allegiance what gave you those scars?”
He cocks his head to the side. “I used to live in this ocean, believe it or not. During a hunting trip to the north, I got tangled in a fishing net. The thin wire pulled tight with my struggles and sliced me up. I fought loose, but the damage was done. For months I felt uncomfortable and unwanted in the palace. No one spared me a kind glance. I was a ghost. Calandra accepts me as I am.” He sneers. “Tell me, princess, have you met any imperfect mer during your stay?”
I purse my lips in doubt. I don’t trust his story, especially considering we have the ability to heal. His question does make me doubt, though, and I find myself considering the people I’d met. They certainly were beautiful, but I assumed it’s how they are here. I shake the thought aside. It was probably a ruse.
“Inform Calandra I’m not interested in her allegiances. She’s unleashed a war on humans and I can’t ignore that. Besides, my place is here, with my father.” I try to sound strong and unwavering, but my voice falters a bit at the end.
Fallon sighs. “We figured you would say that.”
I watch in terror as he beckons one of the sharks forward. My right hand rises on instinct, ready to use my power in order to get the heck out of here.
“I have something to show you. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. Do you know a fish does not have the ability to lie? They are incapable of it. We’re also aware that Stavros showed you how to communicate. Trust me, you want to see this.”
His tone causes my stomach to clutch in warning. This is not going to be good, but I hope I’ll catch a snippet of information I can use to aid our kingdom, but it’s highly unlikely. Then there’s the fact I hope this merman will report to his evil merwitch that I’m not afraid. Holding out my hand, I steady my hammering heart. The shark’s stare is locked on me with a cold, unwavering intensity.
A flicker of images assaults me and I retract in horror. Hoping it was false, I reposition my hand and gasp.
I watch Fallon and another man abducting my mom from our house and tying her up. The picture changes, showing her inside a large bubble, her cheeks streaked with tears. The last is of her on a tiny white beach, surrounded by shark infested waters.
I recoil as anger explodes inside me, itching to hurt this man. But I can’t. If I hurt him, I’ll have no idea where Mom is. The warmth tingles in my tail and I force it down.
Fallon waits patiently, studying me with detached amusement until I can manage words.
“What do you want?”
He beams triumphantly. “Come with me and we’ll let her go.”
The matter-of-fact manner in which he says it assures me I have no other options. He’s too confident. We’re far enough from the palace my screams won’t be heard. My only hope is Kona. Surely he’ll bring help. Or Nerio will realize he’d been duped. Until then, I won’t take any risks. Mom’s life is at stake.
It’s frustrating to have this power and not use it. Even if I found a chance to torture him into telling me, he didn’t strike me as the type to cave under those circumstances. It’s a battle to stay rational and logical, to not hurt him and maintain control. Patience is my biggest ally.
Nodding curtly, I follow him with the sharks bringing up the rear. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of Kona hiding behind a large rock. In as subtle a movement as I can manage, I tilt my head in the direction of the palace.
We pass out of sight. I’m confident he’ll be racing to alert someone. I hope. Gathering myself together, I keep a keen watch out for any details that will help me navigate home. As I follow Fallon into the unknown, dread gathers in my stomach, and I center my entire being on making it to Mom.
Once she’s safe, I’ll do whatever I have to.
Chapter Forty-Six
It’s impossible to judge how far we’ve gone, but it’s the most I’ve ever traveled in a single day since the initial journey with Nerio. Fallon doesn’t stop or slow down. His message is clear. If I can’t keep up, I’m shark food. They are uncomfortably close and, every now and then, I feel the shift in current as they jerk toward me. It’s torture.
This part of the ocean is dark and desolate. He’s kept us close to the surface, but the light doesn’t penetrate very far. The floor, far below, is barren and flat. I don’t spot very many fish and the ones I do flee before we are remotely close.
My mind stays busy. I’m wondering if Nerio and my father realize I’m missing. I’m terrified about what will happen to Mom. I watch for any opportunity to escape, but that would be pointless. The only plan I’ve come up with is to rescue her and use all the power I can muster to keep us safe.
If Calandra is there or Magdalena or Eustacia it’ll be an added bonus.
Ahead, in the distance, is a small landmass. Closer, I notice it’s a rocky, volcanic uprising. Fallon leads me into a confusing maze of caves and tunnels. He changes direction so often it’s impossible to remember his actions. The passageways are dark, even with my amplified vision seeing what is in front of me is impossible. Twice, I scrape my arm against jagged rock and hiss in pain. My breathing is fast, shallow, as the rock walls press down on me from above. Occasionally, the space narrows so drastically we can barely wiggle through.
I have to continuously choke back tears, hot sobs clawing to be let out of my throat. This is my fault. If I hadn’t been a spoiled child and ran off, Mom wouldn’t have been alone. The merwitch desires something from me and my mom is the bait.
As I fret, rational thoughts return. Calandra is probably using both of us to lure Stavros out, which means she planned this and timed it perfectly. Sick, I have to push aside the realization I made a huge mistake in rushing off with Fallon.
The water clears and I spot light up ahead. We enter a decent sized lagoon. It would have been gorgeous if not for the fifty sharks congregating in it. My body trembles with fright, jerking motions that cause my teeth to clatter. Sharks are very unnatural. They’re creepy and menacing. Flashes of them as I scramble to swim in the ocean as a child or of them coming at the tunnel in the aquarium jolt into my head and it’s difficult to stay brave. I shy away from each of their chilling stares.
Fallon breaks the surface and I follow.
High above us, a partly cloudy sky winks down. The lagoon itself is only about seventy yards across and even less wide, full of bright turquoise water. Tall black, rock walls rise up in every direction. It’d be impossible to spot this lagoon from outside. It’s a perfect prison. In the corner is a small sandy beach dotted by a single palm tree. It’s the same beach I saw Mom on in the shark’s vision.
Only now, it’s empty.
Panicked, I turn to Fallon. “Where is she?”
The tips of my fingers warm and I’m close to unleashing my powers on him. Fallon doesn’t answer. He merely grabs me and pulls me toward the beach. I try to fight him, but he’s a big merman. As the water shallows, he picks me up and tosses me onto dry land.
My shoulder cries out at the impact. Instantly, I change and, in a matter of seconds, I’m human again. Unsteady, naked, vulnerable.
And pissed off.
Coldness sweeps up my body and I cut him a glare, latching onto the anger. The sensation intensifies and he begins to scream, clutching his head. As he thrashes in the water, a voice pops into my head telling me to stop, but even when I try, it doesn’t work. I clench my fists at my sides, swaying on one leg, and focus my fear to him. Whatever I’m doing to him is terrible. His face is dark red, blood streams from his nose and ears. Still, I don’t stop.
Eventually his cries are cut off. I watch in shock as he floats facedown, unmoving. The icy feeling disappears and the sickening realization of what I did wraps around me. I killed a person. I stole their life.
Regret presses in, overwhelming me with tremors. He might have deserved it, but who am I to judge? With his last breath went any chance I had at finding my mom. That is my biggest lament. What does it say about me? Had the animal instinct kicked in, fighting for survival? I swallow thickly, startled that I’m not on the verge of sobbing. I’m obviously in shock. I’ll have to deal with the ramifications of murder later.
The water froths near the corpse and two mermaids break the surface. The first one I notice is Magdalena, which causes my anger to multiply and the cold to return. The fact she’s involved with abducting my mom, even the attempt to kill me, overrides my nakedness and I want to hurt her.
I turn my attention to the other mermaid and realize its Calandra.
She’s beautiful, but in a cold way. Her skin is so pale it’s almost translucent and black veins snake underneath it. Long ebony hair falls past her shoulders, set off by a white streak similar to a skunk, which is fitting. Malice radiates from her and I take a wavering hop in the opposite direction. Or maybe it’s because of her eyes. They are completely white and lifeless.
“I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Zoey,” Calandra greets in a gravelly, haunting voice. “You’re not quite what I expected. I didn’t want to believe you were so marred.” Then her gaze shoots to Fallon’s body. “You are more intriguing than I imagined. To take a life so easily and not shed a tear. Bravo.”
I balance on one leg and lock away the humiliation. “Where is my mom?”
Refusing to show this monster any weakness, I clench my fists tighter, digging nails into skin. My power hums, boiling and writhing to be let loose and this time, I recognize the cold sensation and lock it down. It won’t have a chance to take me by surprise. If I have to use any, it will be the warmer, less violent version.
They both laugh, but Magdalena speaks. “Eustacia told me about your handicap. Such a shame.” Her tone is mocking. “We’re not done with your filthy mother. I have plans for the woman my husband can’t let go.”
“Why are you doing this, Magdalena? You’re betraying your kingdom.”
“This is not my kingdom!” She slaps the water. “It never was. They had their conceited minds made up before I got here. Calandra will give me more rewards than you can imagine.” She leans forward, as if she wants to hurt me herself, and adds, “My daughter mentioned what a snitch you are. Don’t worry, I won’t be returning, but the kingdom will never accept you as one of their own. I’ll make sure of it.”
“Yeah, well, your daughter isn’t exactly an upstanding citizen. She’s as tarnished as you now,” I taunt.
Her lips twist in a sneer. “You think it was her idea alone to hurt you? Yes, she planned the attack, but with my support. I only wish we’d done it before you vindictively tried to squeeze her head off. Don’t fool yourself. You’re so naïve, guilty of the same actions that Calandra is and traveling down the same path. Now, because of a stupid human, my daughter had to flee her home. We had to sneak off in the night like common criminals.”
I’m feeling bold and it’s probably not the best course, but I say, “Because that’s what you are.”
Rage floods her face and she snarls, “Eustacia should have been queen!”
Her words bring me to the very edge of losing control. She’s baiting me and I can’t let her. The merwitch reaches over and touches Magdalena on the arm, instantly deflating her anger. “Do not worry. She will be queen. It’s only a matter of time.”
Examining her closer, I spot the amulet hanging from her neck, a starfish about four inches in diameter. The closer I look, I notice it isn’t merely hanging there, but embedded in the skin, similar to the brand on her sharks. It appears to be made of gold, but it glows, giving the illusion that it’s alive as it pulses with power.
I avert my gaze so I’m not caught staring and because I’m deeply disturbed by the trinket in her skin. Her egg-white eyes quicken my pulse. They focus on me with a chilling intensity and I suppress the urge to crawl away, somewhere deep and far from her lifeless scrutiny.
“Don’t worry, my dear child. I’m not done with you either. You’re special. I can sense it, and when I’m finished with your parents, I’ll have to find out exactly what it is. You dispatched poor Fallon too quickly and that means you can be of use to me. I can teach you to give in to the darkness.” Her deep tone echoes strangely. We’re out in the open, yet it’s as if she’s in a confined space. It’s almost worse than her dead pupils.
“How can you keep up this destruction without recognizing that it’s affecting your home too? What do you hope to achieve?” My voice is deceivingly strong considering my insides are quivering. I hate that she is thrilled I took a life and seeks to use me. But I have to ask. If I get out of here alive, I have to have some information to show for this besides blood on my hands.
“I’ll stop when every continent is covered with water. Humans destroy everything. The only way to save our people and the planet is to exterminate mankind. Once that’s done, all mer will bow to me out of fear and respect. They will quake when they realize the deadly power I possess.”
Her passion and depravity freezes my heart. “You realize not all humans are destructive and heartless? Some are innocent.”
It’s insane how often I’ve made this same argument as a mermaid—to Magdalena, to Nerio, and now to the creature who holds everyone’s lives in her hands. I’m sick of it.
“They may start out innocent, but it always ends the same. More oceans are poisoned, more species killed off, and for what? Don’t worry, child. You’ll see.”
“You won’t succeed,” I warn. “I won’t be your pawn.”
“I already have. Soon your father will also realize it.” She flicks a long, black tail out of the water. “Remember, you cannot leave. These sharks are mine, they hunger for mermaid blood. We’ll talk when I return.”
Before I can react, she disappears. Magdalena lifts a hand to her lips and blows me a kiss. I scream in frustration at letting them leave and not knowing more than I did a few minutes ago.
Angry with wasting my opportunity, I sink in the sand and wrack my brain to figure out what she’s up to and how I’m going to escape. She’s using Mom to lure Stavros out. Then she’ll kill him in order to rule his kingdom and my mom will be killed, collateral damage.
With my actions against Fallon, she now senses there is a fundamental difference in me. I’ve lost the element of surprise where she is concerned and I curse myself for that. While she may not know what I’m capable of, she’s planning to find out.
There has to be a way off this island. And I have to calm my nerves to regain control. My skin is too tight. I feel brittle, like I will break apart at any second. I dig my toes into the sand and remember Gaia.
Using a few precious seconds, I slow my frenzied breathing and draw on the air around me, letting the weightless sensation calm me. Tapping into the air, into the strength I can draw from land, I start to relax and gain clarity. Fallon’s death fades, releasing my conscience. I may have acted too soon, but it was necessary. Logic tells me he won’t be the last to die at my hand. Considering what is coming, what I’m fighting for, I can live with that.
Feeling more myself, yet older in ways I can’t yet fathom, I wonder if I can affect the water to kill or stun the sharks, or have it shoot me over the rocky walls.
I blow out a breath of frustration, which inspires me.
My back aches with the strain of my concentration. I recall the lighter power, the less scary one, and peer out into the lagoon. I’m not familiar with the physiology of a shark, but I focus on the closest one and hone in on its gills. I imagine them closing, sealing up, and cutting off the oxygen rich water.
The shark begins thrashing about as it struggles for air. Eventually, it turns belly up. Encouraged, I broaden my scope and work on small groups, closing their gills and abandoning them to death.
Soon the lagoon is littered with the floating bodies of the dead—sharks and a merman. Foolishly I waste a moment to do a victory wiggle. The power isn’t pretty blooms and party tricks, as Batari promised. It has the ability to take lives.
Except when I peer out over the bodies, I’m overcome with guilt and it halts my silly dance. How could I be so callous in the face of mass death? Even if they are deadly, the sharks were beautiful and it was a waste. They are different than Fallon, who had free will and chose his path.
I stop and brush the thoughts aside for now, along with so many others. I don’t have any time to lose, so I dive in.
As fast as I can, I swim to the underwater opening for the tunnels, avoiding the floating bodies. It’s impossible to avoid bumping into them and each time it happens, I flinch.