My stomach twisted into a knot. “We have to try. Otherwise, our lives will surely be over. Just imagine if someone like Kyler takes over your post. He’s ruthless.”
He shuddered at the mention of Kyler’s name. “He’s the nastiest landwalker I have ever met. Pure evil.”
Kyler’s cold grey eyes flashed through my mind. “You’re right. The sooner we get out of here, the better,” I said. “Can we try to escape tonight?”
“Not tonight. I’ll need to go over the plan with my parents first.” He paused. “And I’ll need to tell Arwyn goodbye.”
“The King’s son?” I asked, sensing the sadness in his voice.
He blinked slowly. “Arwyn has a good heart and his father is desperate for him to regain his health. I’m afraid if I go, it will be a death sentence for my friend.”
“Can he come with us?” I asked.
“He’s too sick,” Cyrus responded. “He would never survive. Plus, he couldn’t live underwater with us… It wouldn’t be fair to take him away from his family.”
“Tomorrow then?” I asked, not wanting to think about the King’s sick son losing Cyrus.
He placed his hands on the side of the tank. “Yes, I’ll gather the other mermaids in the morning. That will give me time to fake your test results and tell my parents the plan.”
“Dyna will be worried,” I said with a frown. “Can you please tell her that I’ll be okay? I don’t want her to think I’ve gone home without her.”
“I’ll tell her,” said Cyrus. “I promise.”
I hated the idea of Dyna thinking I had left. First Azure, then me. She would be devastated.
“Don’t worry,” said Cyrus, placing his hand on my shoulder.
His touch sent shivers down my back. Looking up, I frowned. “Cyrus, I can’t put my finger on it, but you seem so familiar to me. Which kingdom did you live in before the dragons kidnapped your family?”
He stepped back, my skin instantly missing his touch.
“Ah, far away. We lived far away. I don’t remember it that well,” he said quickly.
Recalling the memories must have been too painful to handle. It was written all over his face.
“Cyrus, when we get back to the sea, your family can come live with us,” I said. “The mermaids in the tank, too. I’ll make sure no one else is ever cast out of our kingdom again.”
He gave me a sad smile. “It’s been so long since we’ve been free.”
“Well, you’ll never have to worry about that ever again. Our kingdom is miles under the water. The dragons will never be able to hurt any of us ever again,” I said. “There’s only one thing you’ll have to give up.”
A crease formed across his brow. “What’s that?”
I poked him in the leg. “You won’t be able to use these ever again.”
Cyrus looked down and let out a chuckle. “I haven’t been in the water for more than a decade. I can’t wait to get back into the water. The dragons have forbidden it.”
I couldn’t image not using my tail for that long.
“Aria,” said Cyrus.
“Yes?”
Cyrus leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Thank you.”
His lips were soft and I instantly wished they were on my lips instead of my cheek. The moment he pulled away, heat crept up my neck and spilled out over my cheeks. “For what?”
“For giving me the courage to leave,” he whispered.
10
I spent the night alone in the small room. Cyrus brought me a plate of food and a large glass of sweet liquid. He said it had vitamins and that it would give me energy for our escape.
Failing to get a good night’s sleep had given me loads of time to think. I pictured my family. My father would never let me out of his sight again. He’d assign multiple guards to escort me everywhere and he would beg me not to leave the castle ever again. I shook my head. While I would never to go to the surface again, I had vowed to continue my mother’s work. I would need to leave the castle grounds, even if it meant the guards trailing behind me.
I doubted that it would take much convincing to get my father to agree to let the girls and Cyrus’s family live in the castle or in the homes on the castle grounds. After what they had gone through, he’d understand. My father could be tough, but there’s no way he’d force my friends back to the outer boundaries and if Uncle Tryon had anything to say about it, I’d stand up to him.
Arwyn’s sad face popped in my mind several times. Leaving him behind would crush Cyrus, but he was right, there wasn’t any way he could come with us. Dragons simply couldn’t live under the sea.
By the time Cyrus knocked on door, my nerves were shot.
“All of the mermaids are in the temporary tank,” he whispered as he closed the door behind him.
“Even Azure?” I asked.
He nodded. “With scale rot striking down new dragons every day, the guards didn’t want to be anywhere near her.”
“What about your parents?” I asked.
“They’ve been given permission to visit their sick daughter,” said Cyrus. “I made it sound like she didn’t have much time left.”
My heart fluttered. “Cyrus, you did it. We’re going to get out of here!”
He managed a weak smile. “I wouldn’t have had the courage if it hadn’t been for you.”
“I will always fight for those being treated unjustly,” I said. “This time, I just happened to be one of the victims.”
“Aria, if something goes wrong, I need you to make me a promise,” said Cyrus.
“Nothing will go wrong-”
He cut me off. “But, if it does, please promise to look after my family, okay?”
“Of course,” I agreed. “But, don’t worry. We are all getting out of here.”
Cyrus looked down at his feet.
“What is it?” I asked, reaching out for his hand.
“I- I- I’m just really grateful for you,” he stammered, as he wove his fingers in mine.
My skin tingled at his touch. My father had forbidden me from dating anyone until my eighteenth birthday, which was only a few months ago. Since then, I hadn’t met anyone I was interested in. Sure, I had lots of potential suitors, but the stuffy princes from faraway kingdoms wanted a quiet and rule abiding wife. I would never fit that mold.
“You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met before,” he continued. “You’re just… just so brave.”
I had never thought of myself as brave. My mother had simply taught me to stand up for myself and do what was right. This was one of those instances.
Reaching forward, Cyrus ran his thumb along my jawline.
My breath hitched in my chest as he leaned down, his face only inches from mine.
“Aria,” he whispered, sending shivers down my spine.
“Yes?” I responded, my voice shaky.
Closing the space between us, he slid his hand into my hair and pulled my face toward his. “Thank you,” he murmured before brushing his lips against mine.
“It’s time,” Cyrus said, motioning toward a large iron lid, sealing the opening to the water drainage system.
I perched on the edge of the tank. “Okay, let’s go over the plan one more time.”
The mermaids and Cyrus’s parents, who were still in human form, nodded. My heart ached for them. They were both extremely thin and had dark circles under their eyes. Their time serving the dragons must have been excruciatingly difficult.
Making eye contact with everyone, I cleared my throat. “As soon as Cyrus opens the lid, we will only have a few minutes to get everyone through the opening. The quicker the better. If we take too much time, an alarm will sound. Now, once you get through the opening, the pipes will lead us out to the moat surrounding the castle. There will be dragons and landwalkers on guard, so stay as close to the bottom as possible. Hopefully nightfall will give us additional cover. Now, there will be a small tunnel at the south side of the moat. We need to get through it quickly. The longer we take, t
he more likely we are to get caught. Once you are in the sea, you will need to dive down as deep as possible. Do not stop until you reach the sea floor.”
“But, what if the dragons come after us?” asked Yazmine, fear flashing through her blue eyes.
I swam over to the little mergirl and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “We’ll be safe in the deep water. Plus, we won’t be there long. We will swim directly to my family’s kingdom.”
The merpeople in front of me gasped.
“Your family’s kingdom?” asked Yazmine.
“Yes,” I said, “I’m Princess Aria, daughter of King Triden. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you all before. I was afraid to tell you all who I was at first, especially because my Uncle Tryon was the reason many of you were cast out of the kingdom.”
The group in front of me looked shell shocked.
“Listen, I’m happy to answer all of your questions as soon as we get back to the kingdom,” I said, “But for right now, we need to focus on one thing and one thing only, escaping.”
“Aria is right,” said Cyrus. “We will be safe, we just need to be sure to stick together and dive down as deeply as possible. We just need to focus on getting through the opening as quickly as possible. If it’s open too long, an alarm will sound. There will be time to talk to Aria about everything once we are all safe.”
Mirna bit her fingernails. “I’m scared.”
“We can do this. You are the bravest mermaids and mermen that I’ve ever met.” I motioned to the dingy brick walls around us. “How many mermaids do you know that could look a dragon in the face and survive? Do you remember how scared I was when I saw one? I screamed and you all just laughed. You are all incredibly brave!”
The younger mermaids looked at each other.
“When we get back to the sea, you’ll be reunited with your family members. I promise, everyone will be looked after. Your days of imprisonment and fear end now,” I said, my voice rising slightly.
A quiet beeping sound echoed through the small room.
Cyrus picked up a small device and hit a button. “It’s time.”
With the help of his parents, Cyrus slid the transport tank over to the edge of the tank. One by one, we all loaded into the cramped glass box.
“Here we go,” he said, wheeling the box next to the iron lid. Bending down, he secured the locks on the wheels.
I watched as he took a deep breath and fished out a large keyring. Selecting a long skeleton key, he inserted it into the keyhole and turned it to the right.
“Get ready in three, two, one,” he said as he pulled back the iron door.
With a loud whoosh of musty air, the door swung open.
As planned, Cyrus’s parents went first. They had worn towels around their waist, which could be dropped as soon as their tails came back. Next, we loaded the younger mermaids. Poor Yazmine’s entire body shook as we helped her out of the tank and into the opening.
Once everyone was in the tunnel, Cyrus turned toward me and said, “It’s your turn.”
I pulled him toward my body and pressed my lips against his. “I’ll see you in the moat.”
Without another word, I dove into the tunnel and began the bumpy descent. The dank water made my stomach twist. Holding my breath, I tried not to inhale the foul odor.
The sound of the iron cover slamming behind me brought a wave of relief. He made it.
As my body slammed against the rusty walls of the pipes, I tried to focus on the plan. Get everyone into the sea, swim to my family’s kingdom, and never go to the surface again.
With a gust of fresh air, my body shot out of the tank and into the moat. The freezing cold water surrounded my body and sent shivers down my spine.
A few seconds later, Cyrus splashed down next to me.
“Oh no,” I gasped as a loud siren blared overhead. “They know!”
Not hesitating, we dove down and headed for the small tunnel leading out.
Cyrus’s parents were already through and Azure, the last of the imprisoned mermaids, slipped through the opening as we approached.
As I entered the tunnel, I breathed a sigh of relief.
Swimming around a bend, the open sea lay ahead of me. I glanced back at Cyrus and gave him a teary smile. “We made it.”
We were almost there. Freedom was only a few feet away.
Suddenly, his eyes went wide as he let out an agonized scream.
I turned around only to come face to face with an iron gate slowly closing down at the end of the tunnel. Flicking my tail, I desperately propelled my body through the water, trying to make it out of the tunnel before the iron bars blocked us from reaching freedom.
“NO!” I shouted in frustration as the bars clunked against the bottom of the tunnel.
Cyrus swam to my side a moment later. We both pulled with all of our might, but the bars refused to move.
“I had no idea there was a gate on this side,” he said frantically.
My eyes filled with tears. “It won’t budge. We’re trapped.”
Cyrus’s mother clung to the bars. “No, this can’t be happening!”
“Leave us,” instructed Cyrus. “We’ll figure another way out. Get to Aria’s kingdom and tell her father, the King, what happened.”
Mirna let out a sob. “I don’t want to leave without you!”
“I know it’s hard, but you have to go. Tell the guards and my father the code word, “Amethyst.” They will believe anything you tell them. If Cyrus and I can’t get out, he’ll come up with a plan to rescue us!” I said. “Now go! Quick! Before the dragons get here with their nets!”
“Be careful,” said Dyna. The little mermaid blinked back tears.
“We will,” I promised. “Now, go! Your lives depend on it!”
Dainese nodded and tugged on Dyna, Yasmine and Mirna’s arms. “Thank you,” she said, before disappearing into the dark depths of the sea. Cyrus’s parents and Aria kissed their hands and raised them to Cyrus’s face before diving down and out of sight.
As the alarm continued to blare, Cyrus took me in his arms. “Aria, I’m so sorry.”
11
“We may die, but I won’t go back without a fight,” I said, pulling back from Cyrus’s embrace.
He looked into my eyes and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Kyler’s wicked voice boomed from the hidden bend in the tunnel, “GIVE UP OR YOU WILL DIE!”
Squaring our shoulders, we looked at each other one last time before charging forward.
Cyrus collided with Kyler first. The nefarious guard had a breathing device strapped to his face. As the two scuffled, I grabbed a bunch of silver kori, which was growing on the floor of the tunnel, and wrapped it around Kyler’s neck.
As I pulled with all of my might, he grabbed something out of a pack secured to his waist. In an instant, a hot flash of pain shot across my tail. My hands suddenly went weak and my vision became blurry.
The last thing I remembered was the agony flashing across Cyrus’s face.
“Get up,” instructed a rough voice.
My eyelashes fluttered open. “Where am I?”
Kyler’s cloaked figure came into view. He pulled his hood back, revealing an evil smile plastered across his face. I flinched as his foul breath settled over my face.
“I convinced the King not to slaughter you,” he hissed. “Your punishment shouldn’t be over in a matter of seconds. You deserve to be tortured for the rest of your lives.”
Cyrus tried to sit up, but failed. His arms, like mine, were strapped down to a table with thick chains.
“I always knew you were a traitor,” Kyler said as he held up a needle. A droplet of liquid beaded at the tip and spilled over the side. “Now, it’s time for you to pay the price.”
I let out a scream as Kyler plunged the needle into Cyrus’s neck.
“Stop it!” I screamed as Cyrus began to contort and writhe in pain.
“Don’t worry,” said Kyler. “You’re next!”
&
nbsp; “Aria. Wake up,” whispered Cyrus.
For the second time, fear immediately settled in the pit of my stomach after I opened my eyes.
“We’re in the dungeon,” said Cyrus. We appeared to be alone, but he kept his voice low.
Looking down, I cringed. I was in a small tank of dingy water. There wasn’t even enough room to fully extend my tail.
“I should have stayed behind,” whispered Cyrus. “I could have distracted the guards long enough for you all to escape. This is all my fault.”
I shook my head. “No, we agreed to go through with the plan together. We both knew there would be risks. All we can do is have faith that the others will make it to my family’s kingdom in time.”
A loud groan followed by a thunk caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand up.
Cyrus, who was in the cell across from mine, pressed his lips together and prepared for another attack from Kyler.
I slapped a hand over my mouth and stifled a scream as two large yellow eyes with black slits emerged from the corner.
“Arwyn!” exclaimed Cyrus. “How did you get down here?”
The sickly dragon let his head fall as he caught his breath. “I heard what happened. That Kyler is a nasty one.” His gravelly voice rumbled and reverberated against the dungeon’s walls. “I had one of the caregivers slip a sleeping pill into his celebratory whiskey.” Arwyn chuckled, which quickly turned into a wheezing fit.
“That a boy!” A smile broke out across Cyrus’s face.
“Father doesn’t know I’m down here,” said Arwyn. “But, I won’t have much time before someone tells him.”
A slight shimmer in the water caught my eye. Gasping, I fished out a piece of silver kori that had been wrapped around my tail.
With my heart racing, I held it up. “Arwyn, Cyrus, I have an idea!”
They both turned my direction and stared at me with confusion in their eyes.
“Do you have any of the antidote that temporarily worked left over?” I asked.
Arwyn looked at Cyrus, who nodded. “Yes, I have a whole case of vials left over.”
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