Mermaid Academy

by Cameron Drake

  We dug in, eating while Starla chattered about this and that. Mostly how the barracks operated. Lights out, security, the toilets . . . I grimaced at the thought of sharing with a hundred other Mer. Rip added some salient points and tips. I was staring at my leftovers when everyone stopped and looked at the doors.

  A servant swam in and handed a basket to Dane with a bow. He looked at me sheepishly and shrugged.

  “I knew we were going to miss dinner.”

  He lifted the lid to show that the basket was full of softshell crabs. And small, savory pies. And a few lobsters. I started drooling immediately.

  He laughed at the look on my face and handed it over.

  “I can’t! You need to eat something first.”

  He shrugged and took a pie. I grabbed a softshell crab and almost inhaled it, it was so good. I gobbled down another and was halfway through a lobster when I noticed an odd look on Dane’s face. He’d just taken a bite of his pie. He wasn’t moving. He was just staring at me, looking shocked.

  “Dane?”

  He slowly reached between his lips and pulled something out. It was silver, sharp . . . definitely not a standard pie ingredient. It was a blade. Our eyes connected as a droplet of blood escaped his mouth.

  “Triton!” Starla exclaimed before I shushed her.

  “Starla, get Annaruth. Hurry!” I turned to Rip. “We need to get him out of here. Act casual,” I added as we each slung an arm around the Prince.

  “I can swim,” he hissed under his breath, so we both moved back. I saw the look of alarm on his face. “There is a piece . . . the blade is still inside. I can feel it . . . burrowing.”

  “Where?” I demanded, gesturing for Rip to block us from view. Dane touched his jaw, and I closed my eyes, silently asking Lumi to go and fetch it. Dane’s eyes widened as the bright light sank into his skin. I stared in awe as the bright light moved under the surface of his jaw to his throat.

  “This is going to hurt,” I warned him, but Dane just gasped out his agreement.

  “It already hurts.”

  “Lumi. Return,” I whispered, and the tiny seahorse appeared through a small cut on Dane’s neck. The little seahorse dove into my hand, leaving a wicked-looking sliver of metal resting in my palm. Dane slapped his hand over his neck and exhaled, looking at me in awe.

  “Let’s go,” I murmured softly.

  I ignored the stares of the other Mers as we swam past. My sister’s eyes were like swords, piercing me. I didn’t even glance her way.

  Someone had tried to kill Dane.

  Or hurt him.

  And they had succeeded in hurting him.

  I felt a cold fury start to build inside me as we swam toward the High Priestess’s chambers.

  Chapter 14

  “Your quick thinking saved the Prince. The Queen will be grateful.”

  I nodded absentmindedly as I swam back and forth, not caring even a little about gratitude. Dane could have died. That magic blade had been far too close to a major artery for comfort.

  “There is no doubt now. There is a plot to kill you,” Annaruth said, the worried look in her eyes belying the calm sound of her voice. She looked at me. “Both of you. We weren’t certain before, but there’s no denying it now.”

  “Why Dane?”

  “Perhaps they aren’t happy with the current state of things. They would expect him to follow in his mother’s footsteps in terms of foreign policy.”

  “My mother will rule for years,” Dane said. “Centuries, most likely.”

  “No one can predict that, Your Highness.”

  He had nothing to say to that. I paused in my restless swimming.

  “Well, that explains Dane, but I’m nobody special. At this point, I’m not sure I’ll even make it to graduation, let alone dry land,” I said, allowing myself a moment of wallowing over how badly I was doing in Combat.

  Dane and Annaruth both gave me nearly identical looks of disbelief.

  “Don’t be foolish, child,” she said, though not unkindly. She started pacing. “We knew there was a plot to keep you from marrying the Prince or have you removed as Spark, but to kill a Royal, let alone the heir to the throne . . . that is grave, indeed. They are far more brazen than we imagined.”

  She stopped and stared at us both.

  “Regardless of your position and abilities, I care about you both very much. I will not allow anyone to harm you!”

  She wandered off, muttering to herself, and I looked at Dane. He was stretched on a couch in Annaruth’s massive chamber. It was actually several chambers connected by open doorways with only one entry to the Palace hallway. I could see a massive bed in an alcove to our left. There was an open door that I hadn’t noticed last time. Through it was a room lined with overstuffed bookshelves brimming with scrolls and magically spelled books. That was where Annaruth disappeared to.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Thanks to you, it was just a cut.”

  I shivered.

  “It was not just a cut. Does it hurt?”

  He shrugged. I knew it had hurt. Thankfully, Annaruth was one of the best healers in the Kingdom. It was a rare skill, and having a friend with the ability was very lucky.

  “It’s already healing.” He stared at me. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine. There was nothing wrong with the crabs.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  Dane lay back again, but he watched me. Clearly, he was not satisfied with my answer.

  “Thank Triton you weren’t in the mood for pie.”

  I bit my lip. I wish I had chosen the pie. The thought of someone hurting Dane scared me in a way I would not have thought possible. Not just because he was the Prince, either.

  “Did they search the rest of the pies?”

  Dane nodded.

  “Yes. There was nothing else.”

  “It is weird that they would only choose one pie with all that food . . . unless they were interrupted?”

  We looked at each other. My mouth opened and my eyes grew wide.

  “Or it was spelled to find its way into your hand?”

  Annaruth reappeared with a spell book.

  “That’s precisely what I was thinking, Tri. Well done.”

  I gave Dane a conspiratorial look.

  “She’s never used my nickname before,” I whispered.

  “Nicknames are for two-leggers and the common Mer,” she said, snapping the book shut. “You are neither.”

  “Could this have to do with the black robes? They clearly have a very powerful magician in their ranks.”

  “Black robes?”

  “The secret meeting I saw . . .” I trailed off, still angry that I hadn’t been able to catch them again or save the messenger. Triton knew, I had looked to no avail. I woke up nearly every night to sneak around and look for Mers up to no good.

  I hadn’t even been able to find their secret meeting place again. It must be spelled to be hidden, I thought as realization dawned. I might have swum right over it. If they weren’t entering or exiting, it might not be accessible from the seabed at all.

  “In the cave?”

  Annaruth was tapping her lip.

  “It has to be. I knew there were factions within the nobility, maybe even the Royal family, but this is something else. This is treason. And if they want you both out of the picture . . .” she stared at me, her mind whirling. “It must be a plot to overthrow the crown. The entire Royal family.”

  “Or maybe just one branch of it,” Dane said, a dark look on his face. “Maybe I have cousins who think they deserve more power.”

  “I’m afraid to say that may very well be the case.”

  I looked back and forth between them as it sank it. It might be one of Dane’s family members behind all of this. My heart sank for him when Annaruth nodded.

  “You must move out of the barracks.”

  “No,” we both blurted in unison. I gave him a sheepish look. But I meant it.


  “Not without Tri,” he added.

  “Don’t put this on me! That’s not fair!”

  “You must take all of your meals in the Royal kitchens, although we cannot be too obvious about that either.” Her eyes lit up. “What if we create an illusion that you are in your cots and eating in the mess with the others?”

  “Illusions?”

  “Wraiths,” Annaruth clarified.

  I stared at her in fascination.

  “You can do that?”

  “It’s hard but not impossible. The trick is to keep everyone from talking to them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because wraiths are mute.” She wrinkled her nose. “They are . . . lacking in charm and personality. Something you both have in abundance.”

  Dane and I exchanged a look. I nodded.

  “All right. I’m game if you are.”

  “Anything to keep you from putting yourself in harm’s way,” Dane said. “You really do have a death wish.”

  I rolled my eyes, but secretly, I was glad I didn’t have to go back.

  “All right.” I chewed my lip. “I can’t believe we didn’t even last one night.”

  Dane laughed.

  “You’ll get over it when you’re in your bed tonight. It’s a lot softer than the cot, isn’t it?”

  Well, he had a point there.

  “It’s hard to argue with that.”

  Chapter 15

  “We can’t be here,” Dane warned me for the dozenth time.

  “Shh,” I said, grinning from ear to ear. “Here they come.”

  We both leaned toward the glass of the windows that lined the barracks. I’d been waiting all day for this. Our doppelgängers were swimming through the barracks. They didn’t wave or smile or speak.

  But, Triton! They looked exactly like us!

  I frowned as I watched them lie down and pull the covers up. There was something extremely creepy about them. Like living dolls. They made my fins stand on end, to be honest. Then I shrugged.

  “I guess it’s better than nothing.”

  We swam away as the lights inside started to dim.

  “If they stick to coming and going just before lights out, we should be fine,” he said.

  “Isn’t it going to make people talk? If we are always together like that?”

  “We are usually together anyway, Tri.”

  I bit my lip and shrugged. He was right. We’d have to clue in Starla and Rip. Having them in on it would definitely help with the illusion.

  “Can we visit Beaz? Unless you are still feeling . . . you know . . . ?”

  He shook his head.

  “I’m fine. Let’s go.”

  “I can go by myself,” I offered, feeling like a jellyfish for dragging the Prince with me to hang out at the stables.

  “No way are you going anywhere by yourself, Tri.”

  “You aren’t my bodyguard,” I said in exasperation. I stopped swimming and looked at him curiously. He was fighting back a laugh. “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What?”

  “I’m more than happy to guard your body,” he said with a chuckle.

  My cheeks turned bright pink. I turned away, swimming for the stables, fervently hoping he hadn’t seen how flushed I was. He had never said something like that to me before. I had no clue how to respond to it.

  Flirting with a prince was not something I was prepared to do.

  I nodded to the guards and was happy to find them loading bags of food for Beazil. I grabbed one and tried dragging it to his stall. I was grateful when Dane grabbed an edge and helped me.

  Beazil was happy to see us, nuzzling each of us with his nose. I told him he was getting fat and he gave me a dirty look. Then he settled onto his back to get belly rubs and be fed snacks.

  “So . . .”

  I looked at Dane curiously, reaching into the bag for another lobster. I was tempted to take one for myself, but these lobsters were still alive. Thankfully, they were magically spelled to feel no pain. And more importantly, not to use their pinchers. Beazil was lucky they were raw. If they were cooked magical lobsters, I would have fought him for them, shark or no.

  “There’s a ball tomorrow night.”

  “I know,” I sighed. I was so not in the mood for a ball. “Visitors from . . .”

  “Gundorth,” he offered. “My mother expects us both to attend.”

  I nodded, hiding a grimace. I was expected to attend state functions. I had gotten a scroll about it last week.

  Most Mers would be thrilled to attend. But after the last event . . . well, I was wary to hang around Royals other than Dane. Particularly the Queen.

  “I want you to dance with me,” he said. My head snapped up. I frowned. “At least once.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea? We are already . . .”

  “I’m sure,” he said. Then he gave me a devastating smile. “Besides, I want to.”

  I swallowed and frowned. Not that I didn’t want to dance with him, but he was getting less . . . subtle about having romantic feelings for me. I wasn’t ready to make a decision about what the future might look like. And as for Dane, he gave me butterflies, but he was more than just a handsome Prince to me. He was my friend.

  I was terrified of losing that.

  “I’m embarrassing you,” he said evenly. “My joke about guarding your body.”

  “Maybe a little,” I admitted.

  “Tri . . . how long are we going to swim around this?”

  “Forever?” I asked hopefully.

  He chuckled, coming closer. I closed my eyes as he tipped my chin up.

  “Do I have to transform to a shark to get some affection from you?”

  “No,” I breathed, finally looking at him. The look on his face was tender and very, very warm. I felt it all the way down to my fins. “I don’t know.”

  “No matter what happens, Tri, I want to be with you now. For as long as you let me.”

  I blinked at him. Now? He was making me decide now?

  “I could have died today, Tri. I’m not afraid of that. I am afraid of not living while I’m alive. Why shouldn’t we grab a little happiness where we can?”

  “A little?” I asked breathlessly, very much aware that he was about to kiss me.

  “A lot of happiness. A tsunami’s worth,” he said softly, his lips coming ever closer. “If you’ll be mine . . .”

  My eyelashes fluttered shut as his lips pressed into mine. He hadn’t kissed me since the Trials. This was different. We knew each other better now. And we had magic.

  I felt his power unfurl between us, gently brushing against mine. I shivered and opened my eyes, pulling back. I stared at him in shock.

  His lidded gaze was still on my lips.

  “Your magic . . .”

  “Do you mind, Tri? Truly?”

  “No,” I said, suddenly sure that I didn’t mind. I wanted him to kiss me again. No matter what it meant. “I don’t mind. But I can’t promise anything. Just right now.”

  He stared at me, his eyes hardening a little. But then he nodded.

  “Fine. Right now.”

  This time when he lowered his head to mine, he didn’t lift it for a long, long time.

  Chapter 16

  I left the Royal kitchens first, hoping that if we weren’t constantly seen together, it might take some of the attention off us. Dane hadn’t liked it, but I had insisted, adding that if our wraiths were always together, we couldn’t be attached at the fins, too.

  Breakfast had been . . . a little awkward.

  We’d been up half the night talking, first in the stables and then in my chambers after he’d escorted me back there. There may have been an almost embarrassing amount of kissing, too.

  “You’re acting weird.” I turned, seeing my half-sister staring at me balefully.

  I rolled my eyes at her.

  “Really? How so?”

  “I tried to talk to you at breakfast,” she said, somehow surly and pouti
ng at the same time. It’s a special gift she has, I thought sourly.

  I ignored the fissure of panic that our cover was blown.

  “I have a lot on my mind.”

  “Like what?”

  I stared at her, realizing she had a right to know. It had been weighing on me for a while. And I still hadn’t figured out a way to help him.

  “Like Dad might still be alive.”

  “Don’t lie to me,” she said sharply. I knew I shouldn’t trust her, but she deserved to know. He was her father too.

  “I’m not. There’s . . . stuff happening below the surface. I don’t understand it all yet, but they had a messenger. She was spelled to take messages against her will. What if that’s what happened to Dad, too?”

  Her pretty blue eyes searched my face for some hint of the truth.

  “You’re just mad that I’m not rotting in some cell,” she said, but I could tell she wasn’t convinced of what she was saying. Her accusation was halfhearted at best.

  “No,” I said swiftly, shaking my head. “I never wanted that. I just wanted . . .”

  “What?” she asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. “What did you want?”

  “When we were young, I wanted us to be family,” I said honestly. “And if not that, if you had to hate me, I just wanted to be left alone.”

  I was about to leave when I heard her soft reply.

  “Mom wouldn’t let me.”

  “What?”

  “When I was little. I was too stupid to know that you hated me. That you were so jealous. And I cried when she wouldn’t let me play with you.”

  “I was never jealous. I never hated you. I was just . . . lonely.”

  “Well, looks like you aren’t lonely anymore,” she said with a sneer.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  But I knew. I knew what she would say.

  “You and the Prince are awfully cozy these days. Angling to become Royal?” She leaned in close. “Mother will never let that happen. And Mers his age only want one thing, anyway,” she added nastily.

  “It’s not going to happen, so you can relax. I’m here to be a Spark, that’s all,” I said with a sigh. “Triton forbid we actually made progress here. Have a good day, Thalia.”