The Kiss That Saved Me (The Tidal Kiss Trilogy Book 2) (45 page)

“Well, I spoke to it. It said something about needing pure blood,” I say and Azure groans.

“Oh for shits sake that’s so cliché. Blood of a virgin? Seriously? What on earth kind of ritual requires that?” She barks. I feel a slight sense of shock. Starlet was a virgin? She seemed so… not the type. I shake my head, my long blonde hair tickling the base of my spine where flesh turns to scale.

“An old one,” Marina comes through the crowd of women who are in a horseshoe formation behind Orion. She looks awful, her breast is slashed and she has a black eye, it’s healing already, but her wounds still shock me. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen her without her hair pristinely kept.

“They have my scythe, too,” I drop this bombshell.

“How?” Cole demands and I shrug.
 

“I don’t know. Solustus must have had it all this time, but it’s useless, it served its purpose,” I remind Cole of this fact but he doesn’t look so sure I’m right.

“We have to go and get Star,” Azure says fiercely. “I have someone looking out for her but we can’t leave her there.” As her words reach Orion I watch him debate this momentarily.

“We can’t, Azure,” he shakes his head, looking grim.

“She’s your sister, Orion!” I remind him, shocked at his lack of compliance on the matter of family, which he usually held so dear.

“Her life is not worth the extinction of our race. We need to get far away from this place. We need to regroup and heal.” He looks at me, his gaze softening, as if his façade of coldness is cracking under the weight of his decision.
 

Azure is about to retort when we hear something suddenly stir from outside the silent walls of the white marble chapel.
 

We freeze, instantly forgetting the passionate tongues of the argument that clash together like swords. My blood begins to pound in my ears but I remind myself of Vex’s voice, telling me to focus and I hone my senses. After a few moments I hear the stirring again and I move high above the height of the group and swim towards one of the windows.
 

“Callie! What are you doing?” Sophia hisses at me, looking distraught. I expect Orion to give me grief about endangering myself again but he says nothing, letting me go as I please. I smile to myself slightly at that; relieved he isn’t going to argue with me on every little thing.
 

As I reach the window, I place my hands on the ledge and stare out at the vast expanse of sand and empty ocean before me.
 

I see something, a blessing, and it makes me smile. I fly from the window, my heart rising in my chest. He is here, against all the odds.
 

I lower myself to eyelevel with him, smiling with a crazy enthusiasm.
 

“Hello, Philippe,” I sigh, feeling myself relax. I pat his neck, stroking and kissing him. I had never been a true lover of horses, but in this moment I adore every inch of him. He is safe and he is here, a symbol of all we have lost, but also a sign that Orion is right.
 

The others follow after me, helping the Equinox into the chapel, his hooves clopping and clipping against the marble, sand dusted, floors and his gills blowing bubble filled snorts into the darkening water of dusk.
 

I do not know how he found us, whether he had felt the calling of our sorrow, or that of the Goddess, telling him we were in need. The message of his aid however is clear.

We are on the move.

SOLUSTUS

A knock at the door stirs me from contemplation, from staring upon the face of my brother. I have not been in close proximity with him since the night Titus was taken from this earth… I remember it well.

“Saturnus!” I hiss, desperate to make sure he is still abreast with the plan. I am hidden from sight by the shadow of a doorway.

“Brother. Quiet.” He stirs slightly from the sand where he is pretending to lay unconscious.

“Sorry. Everything is in place? She will yield to us?” I look into his too green eyes as I hear the army fighting above us and my heart races with the effect of adrenaline. I can be gone but a moment, making sure that nobody notices I am absent among the fighting.
 

“Yes. The girl will not fight the prophecy I have fed to her. She believes she is dying to save them all. We just have to hope Titus will keep a close enough proximity to be in the path of the lunar energy we so seek,” he looks up at me, irritated, as though he can’t work out why I’m still suspended in front of him. I look over my shoulder, I need to get back to it, to dart back in as if I had never left. I turn my back on my brother and return to the ritual site, seamless in my invisibility.

“What?” Saturnus barks, noticing me staring. The water is still slightly cloudy with the dissolution of sand and glass shards mingled in with the metallic sting of blood. The ruddy taste clings to the inside of my throat, an old friend.

“Nothing…” I mutter, slightly averting my eyes. They travel into the room, settling on the sickly pink tail of the mermaid, Azure’s sister. Her eyes narrow as she catches my gaze.

“What are you looking at, bitch?” I find my body erect and her eyes widen, she tries to say something but the gag across her mouth, shoved between her lips and pressing down her tongue, prevents sound. My tail twitches, willing me to move, to spill her blood. I feel Saturnus shift, pushing his palm to my chest.

“Brother. Not yet. She must die, but in the right way,” he reminds me that we need to kill her over the seal. I turn, disgusted by the sight of her sparkling demeanour, and move to the window. We are silent in these moments, savouring our victory. I look out over the city, the city I have waited several lifetimes to grasp, only to crush and let fall like sand. A harsh knock at the door disturbs me and Saturnus is there within the time it takes me to blink, opening it and revealing Vex, he is smiling and his pupils are diluted black, his lip is bloody as he sweeps it with his tongue.

“Who is this?” Saturnus turns to me and I beckon the boy forward. He moves into the room, pulling his cargo with him. A mer.

“Vexus. One of my more useful minions,” I explain as Vex bows his head in respect to Saturnus. I wonder if he can feel the darkness radiating off him, he had never bowed that way to me. My eyes narrow.

Vexus pushes his captive to the floor, next to Starlet.

“I believe you’re looking for this?” He snarls, his lip upturning in disgust of the merman’s glimmering scales, rebounding light at all angles. I share his disdain for the creatures so clearly in favour with the Goddess, more beautiful than we could ever be, even in the best light. Not that I want to be beautiful, I like my dull ruggedness just fine. I raise my eyebrows again as Saturnus smiles.

“Yes, indeed I am boy. It’s nice to see Solustus is valuing brains and not just brawn I must say…” His impressive tail sweeps out from him as he closes the door and rounds Vex’s wide circumference, its spiked flesh flaring slightly with each of his motions. I lean back against the windowsill, contemplating my memories.

“I do not recall seeing you at the fight Vexus…” I begin and Saturnus cuts me off.

“Now Solustus, surely you cannot hope to remember the whereabouts of every one of your recruits. You are but one man after all…” Saturnus looks back over his shoulder at me, his yellow cat eyes are terrifying and his pupils are but fissures into nightmare.

“I was there. Saw the whole bloody thing, didn’t I? It was nice of you to warn all of us
minions
that you were going to upend the ocean’s sand into the open water though. I’ll be getting it out of my hair for weeks, bloody stuff,” he rubs his hand through his locks vainly and Saturnus smiles, almost too sweetly. I know he’s fuming, volcanic.

“What makes you think I need to tell a bottom feeder like you my plans?” I move quickly, sensing confrontation and wanting immediately to be in on the action. It’s the moment I’ve waited for, holding the Occulta Mirum in my palms, and I don’t want to miss a single second. Vex’s eyes widen.

“Mate, I didn’t mean it like that…” It’s the first time I’ve heard him on the retreat, and once again it’s not from me. What is it about Saturnus that chills him? I’ve made threats, I’ve spoken harshly and downward to him before, and yet I cannot quell his rebellion. Saturnus does nothing at all and has the boy’s tentacles twitching. I clench my hands into fists until my long fingernails carve my palms.

“I don’t care how you meant it,” Saturnus snarls.

“You’re right. It was rude of me… sir,” Vexus bows his head again and moments pass as the mer begins to stir beneath us. Saturnus relaxes, moving his fluke fluidly once more. I feel like rolling my eyes but abstain.

“Well, you have brought me my metal master. So I suppose I can forgive you this once,” Saturnus turns away beside me and Vex relaxes. It’s as though my brother can sense his muscles unfurl, because in one swift slash of his burnt, black fin he comes reeling around sideways and strikes Vex along one of his high cheekbones, sending him crashing against the wall and sinking to the floor. A break in the skin is visible and weeping blood from where Saturnus’ fingernail has punished his insubordinate tongue.

“I’ll tell you something right now, boy, true rulers don’t forgive. Forgiveness is weakness, and I’ve played the weak one for far too long,” Saturnus towers above Vex and I watch the boy stutter, quite unsure of how to react. I smile to myself, daydreaming of how many others will have this look upon their faces, gazing up instead at me. Vexus rises through the water, his eyes masked over with cold reserve. It makes me sort of proud because I can tell he has mastered the skill of acting far more invulnerable than he truly is. I have taught him well.
 

“Feel free to step in and discipline at any time Solustus…” Saturnus turns to me and glares, his black hair and pale skin looking strange, it has been so long since his true form was this much of a permanence. “Not boring you, am I?” He raises one eyebrow and I shake my head.

“No. Not at all,” I speak in a clipped tone. How can it be that I find myself still in second place? I have waited centuries to supplant Titus and yet here I am once more, taking orders.

“Good,” his tone is cold but I can hear a smile spreading across his expression as he turns, moving away from Vex and hovering over Starlet once more. He stares down at Oscar who is moving slowly away from him, eyes wide.

“You…” the merman stupidly opens his mouth and his courage surprises me.

“Yes… you can skip the dramatics, Oscar. Everyone here is fully aware of how corrupt and terrible I truly am…” Saturnus almost sounds bored as he twists in savage momentum once more. “Where do you think you’re going?” He barks to Vex, speeding toward him without warning and slamming him into the wall. I yawn, torture and lording power really is more fun when I’m doing it.

“I thought….” He chokes as Saturnus’ black fingernails close around his throat.

“What’s that? You had a thought? Well, quell that urge boy. You’re staying here. You’ve earned yourself the position of personal guard dog. I want you where I can make sure you’ve got the message about who’s on top. Hmm… I might even get you a collar and leash. Who knows,” Saturnus releases him and clicks his fingers.

“Come, Solustus. We have much to co-ordinate,” he doesn’t even look at me and I feel my gut begin to churn with agitation. When did he become so demanding? I had thought we were in this together as brothers, but he’s expecting me to follow in his wake. A typical big brother. My finger brushes the handle of Scarlette and my eyes wander to the scythe, which is propped against the edge of the two-way mirror that we had used to communicate.
 

I follow him out of the room, shutting Vexus in with the two prisoners and bypassing Caedes and Regus who stand guard at the door.

“You know I don’t respond well to finger clicking. I’m not your sidekick,” I grumble and Saturnus turns on me.

“Excuse me, brother?” He looks hurt, or what would be hurt if he had normal eyes. The feline quality to his irises creates a disturbing parallel.

“I said I’m not your sidekick. We’re supposed to be in this together.”