by Dee J. Stone
Syd and Syndin peek their heads out of their room and stare at their grandfather. Even though they most likely don’t remember him, they know who he is. Just like Doria sensed he entered the palace, they felt it in their hearts, too.
Damarian must have heard the commotion out here because he exits his room and also stares at his grandfather. Ryter doesn’t bow down before him. Maybe that’s because he doesn’t feel like he’s part of them anymore, since he left the colony and lives as a hermit.
We all just float here in an awkward silence. Ryter’s eyes move between every person in the area, like he’s trying to remember who’s who, and then his eyes land on me. They turn hard. I mentally prepare myself for his accusation that all this is my fault, but he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t have to—I see it all over his face.
Finally, Kiandra says, “Father, are you hungry?”
“No.”
Another awkward silence.
“The journey here must have been difficult,” she says. “I hope you were not injured.”
Ryter glares at me. “I have slain hundreds of those beasts before. I am here to do so again.”
We’re all quiet as we gape at him. He wants to fight the sea serpents? Then it hits me—he wants to die in battle because it’s too painful for him to live without his mate who died a few years ago. I’m pretty sure Kiandra and Damarian realize this, too, because they both talk at once, claiming it’s too dangerous. That he’s elderly and should stay here where it’s safe.
He holds out his hands, and they fall silent. “I am not here to request permission. I am here to inform you.” He studies the sharks swimming around. “Perhaps it may be useful if I have the aid of a shark.”
Kiandra moves closer to him and hesitantly lowers her hand on his shoulder. “Father, please. I beg you to reconsider. You have…” Her voice gets choked up. “Why do you not remain here where it is safe?” She gestures to Doria, Syd, and Syndin. “Why do you not get acquainted with your grandsons and granddaughters?”
Ryter’s eyes rove over the twins and Doria. I’m positive I see something warm flash in his eyes, but it’s gone so fast I wonder if I imagined it. He focuses his attention back on Kiandra. “Now is not the appropriate time to become acquainted. I am here to defeat the sea serpents.”
“Why?” Damarian swims forward and looks directly into his grandfather’s eyes. “Why is it your wish to aid us? From the time of Grandmother’s death, you have secluded yourself, have not shown an ounce of care for your family, and you count the days until you can be reunited with your mate. Your reasons are selfish—you wish to perish at the hands of the enemy. I will not waste one of the sharks to aid you in your ridiculous quest.”
Damarian’s words seem to put everyone in a stunned silence. Ryter blinks at him. It takes a moment for him to gather his bearings before he says, “That is not my intention.”
Damarian folds his arms. “Forgive me for not believing you.”
Kiandra places her hand on Damarian’s arm. “Please show respect to your grandfather.”
Damarian’s head lowers a bit. “I apologize, Mother, but I do not appreciate his behavior.” He looks at Ryter. “Now is not the appropriate time to speak of the past, of the pain you have caused our family. But you cannot fault me for my suspicions.”
Ryter’s face holds no emotion. “I am here, for it had occurred to me that I am one of the sole children of the sea who has battled the beasts in the past war.” He looks away. “I may wish to leave this world, but it is not my wish to see the sea and her creatures destroyed.” His eyes return to Damarian’s, and they grow more intense. “Many children of the sea were slain by the cruel claws of the sea serpents in the past war. My friends, my family. Their deaths will be in vain if we do not defeat them once and for all.”
“My thoughts exactly,” I find myself saying.
Everyone pins their eyes on me.
“What I mean is, we’re wasting time. Ryter wants to fight them, and I do, too. Here we are in the safety of the palace when our fellow children of the sea fight for their lives, the lives of their children, for the future.” I look at Damarian. “You know deep down that I need to do this.” My voice is soft. “You’re just afraid to face the truth.”
Damarian keeps his eyes on me for a bit before glancing at the other merpeople in the area. His mom looks conflicted, the twins look scared beyond their wits, his grandfather has once again no expression, and the Guards appear uncertain.
After what feels like forever, Damarian says to his grandfather, “Do not enter battle until I grant you permission.” Ryter opens his mouth to refuse, but Damarian says, “I am your king, Grandfather. Whether you wish to perish is your concern. But you are a child of the sea and you are a member of the colony. You are required to obey your king.”
“They grow stronger as we speak,” Ryter says in a calm tone, though his eyes are anything but calm. “All due to her.” He sends daggers at me. “Because she provides them with your power.”
“The sea serpent inside her is subdued,” Damarian says.
Ryter shakes his head. “As long as the sea serpent inside her is alive, she will continue to provide them with power.”
“No,” Damarian says when I open my mouth. “I know what thoughts are in your head, Cassie.” He faces everyone. “I ask you to remain here while I converse with my mate.” He takes my hand and leads me back toward his private room.
“Damarian,” I say as soon as we enter.
His hand tightens on mine, though he avoids my eyes. “Are you certain this is your wish? To put your life in peril?”
I put my hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at my face. “Yes. The children of the sea are getting slaughtered out there. With the help of Ryter and myself— and maybe some more sea creatures—we might be able to stop them.” I lift his face when his eyes lower to the ground. “I’ll be okay. You’ll be with me every step of the way. Damarian, you’re the king. You need to give me the green light.”
He swims sway, causing my hand to fall to my side. “You and I are bonded for all eternity, my love. Your pain is my pain, your obstacles are mine. What we share, we cannot share with any other being in the world. It is a bond that is not easily broken.” Though his back faces me, I see him take a strong, laborious breath. “For this reason, I am to join you in battle.”
I feel my eyes pop open. “What?”
He slowly twists around to face me. “Yes, Cassie. I have decided to battle alongside my fellow children of the sea.”
“No.” I shake my head so fast I see double. “Absolutely not.”
“Cassie—”
“You can’t put yourself out there! They’ll kill you and steal your power.”
“You are aware that we are much stronger when we are together.”
“That doesn’t mean you should join the battle,” I say. “If our bond is so strong, we can be miles apart and still be as powerful as if we were right next to each other.”
“I will not rest assured if I am not by your side.”
“You need to, Damarian.”
“If it is your wish to join the battle, then I am joining as well.”
“They’ll attack you the second they see you!”
“And what do you believe they will do to you?”
“Screw what they’ll do to me!”
He shuts his eyes for a second and lets out a breath. “If they manage to return Cassila to dominance, they will be undefeatable.”
“They’ll be undefeatable if they kill you!”
Damarian doesn’t say anything. We just stare at each other, our chests huffing and puffing. After a few seconds, he rushes over and gathers me in his arms. “This is not only your fight, my love,” he says. “This is not only your responsibility. I am the king and it is my duty to protect every creature of the sea.”
“It’s too much of a risk.” I bury my face in his chest.
“It is the only manner in which we can defeat them. You and I, Cassie, toget
her.”
“You can do that from over here—”
“No. We are both needed to battle them. It is not sufficient that I remain here and provide you with the strength and power. It is imperative that I be there as well.”
I want to argue so badly, but I can’t help thinking that he’s right. If he stayed here and infused me with power, I would be strong, but I would only be one person. If the two of us fought together side by side, we would be the strongest beings in the entire ocean.
We’re the only ones who can defeat them.
“It’s risky,” I say. “Putting your life out there like that…”
He cups my cheek. “We do not have another choice. Father, Callen, and I will devise a strategy. We will triumph, Cassie. We will.”
We can argue back and forth, but we’re wasting time. Shutting my eyes, I reluctantly say, “Okay. We do this, together.”
The kiss he gives me holds nothing but hope. The one I return to him holds nothing but apprehension.
Chapter Fourteen
To say Syren is upset with Damarian’s news would be an understatement. He and Callen have hurried to the palace after one of the Guards swam to the battlefront to fetch them. Father and son have been arguing forever, and I can’t help but look at my nonexistent watch. Every minute we waste means more lives are lost, the sea serpents grow stronger, and we’re one step closer to losing the war.
“Listen.” I move forward and place my hands on their chests, forcing them a few inches apart. Both of them are huffing and puffing as though they fought in a boxing ring. “We don’t have time for this. We need to get out there and kill those bastards.”
“I appreciate your will to fight,” Syren says. “But I cannot allow my son to endanger his life. Not only because he is my flesh and blood, but because we cannot risk the sea serpents killing him and seizing his power.”
Damarian’s eyes narrow at his dad. “You are my father, but I am your king. And it is your duty to abide my wishes.”
“Reprimand me if you will. I will sooner be a traitor to my king than a murderer.”
“Murderer,” Damarian mutters.
I glance at Callen to see what his thoughts are on this, but he seems conflicted. I bet I know what’s going on in his head—as the leader of the Guard, he needs to utilize every opportunity he can to win the battle. But he can’t put his king’s life at risk.
“Look,” I say. “I’m going to put two scenarios before you. One, Damarian stays in here while I, Ryter, you, Callen and everyone else fight to our deaths. The sea serpents kill ninety percent of us, including me, since I’m not as strong as I would be if I had Damarian at my side. Then they invade the palace, kill the Guards and capture Damarian and everyone inside. Who knows what they’ll do to your family, Syren? Enslave them, torture them, kill them. Or maybe something even worse.”
The three of them float in a stunned silence, Damarian and Callen looking at Syren who has nothing but devastation on his face.
“Here’s the second scenario,” I continue. “Damarian and I fight alongside the others, protected by you so that no harm can befall him. With the two of us fighting together, we may be able to take the sea serpents down. This way, Damarian won’t be left to fight them on his own, because he’ll have an army with him. And that army includes the other sea creatures who have volunteered.”
Again, they’re quiet. All of us wait for Syren’s response.
“You have chosen a smart mate,” Callen says, giving me a small, awe-filled smile. “Perhaps you shall lead the Guards.”
I know he means it as a joke, but I can’t help feeling horrified by that notion. Me leading the Guards? I’m just a human girl turned mermaid by sleeping with a merman. As if someone like me can actually lead them to victory.
“Father,” Damarian pleads. “You must admit that Cassie is right. If I do not join you in battle, we are sure to lose.”
Syren rakes his hand through his golden hair. “And what if they kill you?”
“We have to try,” I say. “This is the only way we actually have a chance.”
“Cassie and I are the sole beings who can defeat them,” Damarian says. He turns to Callen. “Do you see our words as true?”
“I do.”
Syren shakes his head. “After what has befallen my Zarya, it is difficult to agree to this.” He swims a few feet away, his back facing us. “But how can I argue that what you claim is true?”
“We can annihilate them once and for all,” Damarian says. “They will never return and the sea will only know peace.”
Syren slowly faces us. “I do not like this, but I am forced to agree.”
Damarian sighs in relief. “What of Grandfather?”
“He is adamant about fighting. I do not believe we can stop him.”
“Then it is decided,” Damarian says. “Cassie and I will join the battle.”
“Let us devise a plan,” Callen says.
***
The plan is simple: protect Damarian at all costs.
About thirty members of the Guard are ordered to constantly watch over him, not engaging in the fighting. We’re one hundred percent sure the sea serpents will try to attack him every chance they get, but they don’t know how much determination I have. How much love I have for my merman. The sea serpents love each other in a weird, twisted away, but mine can stomp over theirs. Because while they have a reason to fight, we have an even bigger one—to save hundreds of lives.
We are fully aware of how risky this is, to practically offer Damarian to the sea serpents. But like we told Syren, this is the only way. I don’t see it as a suicide mission, but as means of hope. Because no one messes with Cassie Price when the love of her life is at stake.
I’m not just nervous—I’m terrified. We’re putting so much on the line, and the lives of Damarian, the merpeople, and every single species in the ocean depend on us. I force myself to shove all negative thoughts aside and focus on what I need to do: kill all those damn sea serpents. I need to be confident or else I won’t succeed.
We spend a few minutes saying goodbye to Damarian’s family. Even though they squirm from my touch, I grab both twins and plant kisses on their cheeks. Then I hold Zarya tightly in my arms, rocking her. She hasn’t left the table yet, so we have no idea if she can swim. I know she must be petrified to even try. Kiandra told us she, Doria, Kiander, Flora, and the twins will try to coax her into trying. At least it will take their minds off the war, and us.
“Are you and Dammy truly going to fight?” Zarya asks, eyes so wide I see my face and half the room reflected in them. “It is so dangerous.”
“We’ll be okay.” I kiss her forehead. “And when we come back, I want to race you. I bet you’ll beat me.”
She frowns, looking away.
I kiss her forehead again. “I know it’s scary, sweetie, but you can do it.”
“I am such a silly fry,” she says, her voice cracking. “I am not fond of myself.”
“No, don’t think like that. It was just an accident, okay? The sea serpents are responsible for what happened.” I swallow as the memory of the attack plays in my head. If my father wasn’t a sea serpent…if he wasn’t so intent on exacting revenge because of what happened to Ruthie. Ruthie…Bobby…am I really going to kill them?
But they aren’t Ruthie and Bobby anymore, are they?
“What is the meaning of this?” someone, probably a Guard, yells outside.
I stroke Zarya’s head before swimming out to see what the commotion is. Before I have a chance to blink, something large and gray launches itself at me, nuzzling the side of my neck.
“Shoney!” I wrap my arms around my shark and squeeze her tight, not caring that her rough skin is scratching me. “Shoney.” I press my lips to the top of her head. I’ve missed her so much. The memory of when I was a sea serpent and battled her sweeps into my mind, and once again I wonder if she would have killed me, or if I would have killed her. I shake my head and tell myself to let it go. It
’s in the past. All that matters is that I’m here and we’re finally together again. We’ll kick all those sea serpents’ asses to hell.
I sensed you were in the sea, she tells me.
When I look past her large frame, I see a young Sapphire merman, probably no older than me, staring at us with a bewildered and somewhat betrayed expression on his face. The others who are gathered around, including Damarian, Syren, Callen, Kiandra, Kiander, Flora, Ryter, the Guards, Fiske and other sharks, just stare at us like they’re watching an intriguing TV show.
“I apologize,” the merman says. “I could not control her. She fled the battle and I was forced to follow.”
My stomach drops as the realization hits me like a ton of bricks. This merman is Shoney’s new master. Fiske told me she was assigned to someone else after Syren banned me from the ocean when I shifted in front of him and the rest of the family. Does that mean Shoney’s loyalty lies with him? Will she only serve him? But then why did she practically run me over just now?
Syren swims to the merman and claps his shoulder. “It is all right. Shoney is known for her…insubordinate nature.” He looks at me. “Perhaps she wishes to serve her previous master.”
The merman looks relieved, and I can’t help but smile. I had a hard time with Shoney in the beginning, too, but we managed to work through our differences and grew so close.
Callen says, “Does she not sense the…” His voice trails off as he looks at me.
“It’s okay, you can say it.”
He nods unsurely. “She does not sense the sea serpent inside her?”
Syren studies Shoney, who is still coiled in my arms. “Perhaps her love and loyalty to Cassie surmounts that.”
Again, the merman looks relieved.
Callen appears a little lost. “I assumed Cassie would have no shark at her side, which is the reason I did not assign her one. But now that Shoney wishes to serve her—”
“Does she wish to serve her?” Damarian asks.
