“Aw, so cute! What’s his name?”
“Chuchu. He’s pretty smart for a starfish. He’s good at sneaking around.”
I laughed.
“I’m sure he is.”
“I still can’t believe your familiar is a great white. You are going to win for sure!”
I laughed at the amazed look on her face.
“I’m not sure about that. He’s the friendliest great white ever. And yes, he’s mine.” He bumped me again. “Or rather, vice versa.”
Starla was still trembling.
“He’s harmless. Watch.”
I signaled to Beazil to roll over. He gave me a sour look and I laughed. Then with a dramatic look on his face, Beazil drifted slowly so he was belly up.
“You want to touch him? His skin is rough but his belly is soft.”
Starla swam closer, sticking close to my side. She reached out and lay her hand on his belly. I heard Beazil sigh. He did love a good belly rub.
“See? He likes you.”
She giggled a little and I nudged her.
“All right, you two, I’m starving. We’re almost there.” I patted my net bag. “Try to keep up. I want to stuff this!”
I swam ahead, careful not to leave them behind. Starla looked tiny with Beazil by her side. He was there every time I looked back. I was pleased that he had taken to her so fast. I knew he’d look out for her forever. He did that with Lila as well.
We were at my secret scavenging spot in no time.
I dove down and looked around. It was a shallow field, thick with seaweed. We were not far from the shore, but not close enough to encounter humans. I had never seen another Mer here. Unless you looked, you would never know that beneath the seaweed, it was full of oysters. I’d even found mussels there, and lots of crabs.
I wasn’t crazy about the bigger crabs. They tended to bite and were fast with their claws. But the bite-sized ones were delicious.
Without hesitation, I swam headfirst into the seaweed, digging around with my bare hand. There was always a chance a crab could latch on and injure you, but there was no way around it.
That was the price to pay for delicious fresh oysters, and I was more than happy to pay it.
It was only seconds before my hand closed over a big oyster shell. I grinned, stuffing it into the net bag slung over my shoulder. I grabbed a few more and then decided to find a new spot. There were fewer oysters here this year, and I knew it was because of pollution. I was careful not to take too much from any one location.
I tried to right myself and found myself close to toppling over. I’d never foraged with a spear on my back, let alone all my worldly possessions. I exhaled and grabbed the harness I wore and glided to the left.
There, a perfect new spot. I harvested some more oysters and nodded to myself. My bag was nearly stuffed. Plenty for the three of us tonight and tomorrow. We didn’t want to attract attention with so many mouths to feed around.
The area would be decimated, and then where would we be? Never mind the oysters.
Normally, Mers were cautious about natural resources. We respected the sea and her bounty. But with all the pomp and circumstance, not to mention hungry young Mers . . . well, it would be easy to get carried away.
Besides, if they weren’t all well-fed, there was a chance it would give me an edge in the competition. Not that I wanted anybody to starve, but there was no way I was revealing the secret spots that had kept me alive all these years. Plus, they probably all had coins to buy food from the vendors set up around the arena, and many had brought trunks full of supplies. Many even had their own tents, often set up with their families outside the camp.
But we were the ones who would be eating the very freshest food. At least we would have that going for us.
I swam up and high-finned Starla with my tail. She was amazed by all the oysters.
“I wasn’t sure if they would feed us. My GrandMer sent me with extra seaweed just in case.”
She opened her bag, revealing neat bundles of preserved seaweed.
“Hold onto that. It’s good supplement in your diet, but it’s not enough to get in real fighting form. Of course, we are hoping you won’t ever have to fight.”
She nodded solemnly and I felt a fissure of fear. She was about fifteen in human years, at the bottom age of anyone in the trials. Plus, she was so slight, so delicate-looking that I hoped no one would bother to attack her.
But the truth was, I couldn’t know that. You were allowed to attack during the games as long as it was during an event. Hurt, maim, or even kill. It wasn’t encouraged to kill needlessly, but it certainly wouldn’t cost you a coveted position with the Royals.
“Do you want to win, Tri?”
I popped open an oyster and handed it to her.
“I don’t want to. I have to.”
She nodded thoughtfully.
“I think you can.” She slid the oyster into her mouth and groaned. “Oh, that’s good.”
I opened another oyster and let out a whoop. There was a large pink pearl inside. I held it up for Starla to admire.
“That’s beautiful!”
“Here, you keep it.”
I handed it to her, but she shook her head vigorously.
“Tri, you could eat for a year on that!”
“I won’t need it,” I said with a wink.
I took her hand and pushed the pearl into her palm. Then I swallowed my oyster. I was starving, truth be told. I had barely eaten during my shift, and that had been last night. It was already getting dark out.
“Come on, we can eat the rest once we find our beds.”
“And Dane! He’s going to be looking for you.”
“Me?”
She fluttered her eyelashes at me comically.
“He liiikes you.”
“Oh, stop it.”
I denied it, but I felt a tiny thrill at her words. He did like me. This proved it. I’d been wondering the same thing in the back of my mind without really focusing on it. Starla’s words just reinforced it.
We swam back toward the camp with Beazil at our heels.
Chapter 7
We swam quickly back to camp, passing oysters back and forth as we went. We slowed down as we entered the rows of tents. I looked around, realizing we were attracting way too much attention.
Everyone was staring.
Not just at Starla and me.
They were staring at my familiar.
This was not good. By revealing Beazil so early, I’d put a massive target on my back. From now on, I’d be the girl with the shark.
Jellyfish!
“Katriana.”
I turned to see Dane waiting outside one of the women’s tents.
“Hi.”
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“I brought dinner.” I held up my net bag. “Breakfast too.”
He shook his head at me.
“You really are resourceful, aren’t you?”
I shucked an oyster and handed it to him. He was staring at me like I was performing a miracle. He made no move to take the snack.
“Haven’t you ever had an oyster before?”
“Of course I have.”
He tilted back his head and ate it, making an appreciative sound as he smacked his lips.
“Thank you, that was—GET DOWN!”
He pushed me aside, holding up a wickedly sharp spear he pulled from his back. It was a split-second before I realized what he was doing.
He was about to kill my shark.
“Wait!”
I grabbed Dane’s arm, holding him back. Starla swam in front of Beazil, holding her arms out protectively. I smiled to myself at her bravery.
“Don’t! He’s hers!”
Dane lowered his hand slowly then turned to look at me.
“Yours?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Your familiar is a great white?”
I nodded sheepishly.
“Yeah, but he’s . . . wel
l, actually, can we talk somewhere else?”
He nodded and pointed to the tent.
“This is the last open one. I think it’s because of the, um, location.”
I glanced over his shoulder and groaned. Yep. We were in the last tent before the drop-off into the trench. That’s what everyone called the massive cavern that ran for miles in the seabed. In fact, the tent looked like it might actually tip over and fall into it.
The cavern was full of squid. Big ones too. I’d heard that they’d once found one that was more than thirty meters long. It was a place that teenage Mers explored on a dare, but usually only if they’d been drinking fermented Sea wine. Once in a while, they didn’t come out again.
Fantastic.
I ducked my head into the tent. There were eight empty beds and two of us. But if it was just us then . . . I jerked my head at Beazil and he swam placidly into the tent. It wasn’t small, but he nearly ate up all the space.
Starla and Dane followed us inside, and I closed the flap behind us. I stared around the room, nodding to myself.
“Not bad.”
My friends all stared back at me like I’d lost my mind. Even Beazil. I shrugged.
“What?”
“You think this is nice?”
I swam to one of the cots and pushed down on it. I sank into it with a moan.
“Perfection.”
I heard a high-pitched giggle, and then a manlier chuckle. Even Beazil snorted at me. I cracked an eye.
“You guys hungry?”
Beazil nodded eagerly.
“Sit down. You guys are making me nervous.”
Starla sat on the bunk across from me. Dane sat beside her and Beazil sort of wiggled his snout between the beds. I opened my net bag and popped open an oyster, offering it to Dane first.
He shook his head.
“You eat it. I’m fine.”
I held it out stubbornly.
“These are fresh. So fresh they wiggle on the way down.”
Starla made a face and then shrugged.
“That sounds gross, but they really are good, Dane.”
He sighed and took the oyster.
“Fine, but just one more. You girls need your strength.”
I gave an oyster to Starla and another to Beazil. I ate another one myself and tried to get Dane to have another. He shook his head, and I went around in a circle until most of the oysters were gone. Then I dug a hole right beneath my bed and set the bag inside it, covering it up again with sand.
“They should keep there. We can have a few in the morning.”
Starla grinned at me and then excused herself. I looked at Dane. He looked like he was turning something over in his mind. He cleared his throat.
“I brought you something, though looking at your familiar, you might not need it.”
I stared curiously at the bag he held out to me. I fluttered my eyelashes at him.
“You shouldn’t have.”
He sighed wearily.
“Just take it. I’m serious, Tri.”
I took the bag and inspected it. It was cloth. Human-made, with metal rivets and a sturdy clasp.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you.”
He shook his head.
“No, not the bag, though that’s yours to keep. It’s not going to keep you alive though.”
I cocked an eyebrow at him.
“Well, now I’m really curious.”
He was staring hard at me as I undid the clasp and opened the bag. Inside was something I never thought to own. He’d brought me . . . armor.
A blue helmet and shoulder guards. There was even a chest plate, though it was made for a boy, not a young woman. I lifted out the helmet, staring at it curiously. It would fit me perfectly. They were well-used, but the quality was unmistakable.
“Wow. This is—” I was about to say beautiful when he cut me off.
“I know, it’s old junk. But I can’t let you go out there without protection.”
I swallowed past the sudden lump in my throat.
“They are perfect. Thank you.” I gave him a suspicious look. “Wait, you didn’t steal them, did you?”
He laughed uproariously and shook his head.
“No, Tri. It’s just my practice gear from when I was younger.”
So, he must be a rich boy. I looked at his clothes, realizing I should have noticed that before. But that meant I could actually accept the gift. I smiled suddenly.
“Good, because I am way too poor to bail you out.”
He laughed again, shaking his head. He glanced at Beazil, who was dozing peacefully across the tent, draped over all four empty beds on that side.
“So, a great white, huh? How’d you manage that?”
I shrugged.
“He found me. He isn’t exactly ferocious though.”
Dane stared at me thoughtfully.
“Maybe not. But nobody else has to know that.”
I grinned.
“I like the way your mind works, Dane.”
Starla came in then, and to my surprise, Dane had another bag. He’d brought her a helmet and a small dagger as well. I wasn’t going to lie—I was impressed.
“I’ll let you ladies sleep. See you tomorrow.”
I thanked him again and watched him leave. At the tent flap, he turned back to give me a small smile. I snickered to Starla once he had left.
“We’re ladies now. He’s so formal.”
“He’s someone important’s son, that’s for sure.”
“I always thought most of the upper class opted out.”
“They can do that?”
“Usually, they just don’t swim too fast in the opening race. But yes, there are overfed teenage Mers who never even make it to the opening ceremony. A few coins, a bag of pearls. It happens.”
“Maybe he wants to win.”
I nodded.
“Maybe he does want to win.”
I winked at her, lying back on the cot.
“But so do I.”
Chapter 8
We woke early, before the sun started to warm the waters. I took one look at Starla’s pale face and knew that neither of us had slept much, though at least my head didn’t feel like a hunk of coral anymore. I doubted that Dane had done much better.
Beazil, on the other hand, was still snoring.
At least, he was until he heard the sound of an oyster being pried open with my handy knife.
Starla let out a tiny scream when the immobile shark on the other side of the tent suddenly sprang to life, darting to my bed. He nosed Starla aside for first dibs on breakfast.
“Don’t be such a bottom feeder, Beazil!”
He wrinkled his snub-nose at me as I gave Starla the first oyster. She looked worried until I made Beazil apologize. He sank down and nuzzled her side until she giggled.
We ate quickly, finishing the oysters. I saved two for Dane but couldn’t find him when we ventured outside. I tucked them into my net bag and buried them under my cot again, hurrying back to meet Starla in front of our tent. We looked around as Mers started swimming toward the arena.
Today, we would not be going inside. This was what I had been awaiting for years. Today was the opening race. It was not just a test of speed, but of dangerous obstacles, and sometimes even combat. That’s why I had my weapons strapped to my body, along with wearing the armor Dane had given me. Even Starla had a dagger at her waist.
A large Mer swam past us with an enormous battle axe in each hand. I swallowed nervously. Juno.
He ignored us, thank Triton. But the two Mers that flanked him did not, the girl wearing the spikes and another Mer I didn’t expect to see.
The one who had smiled at me.
He caught my eye, smiled again, and winked. The girl with the spikes sneered at me like I was flotsam. A few other unpleasant-looking Mers followed them. I wondered what that meant. If they were working together . . . that would be especially deadly in the battle trial.
For some reason, that made m
e more nervous than Juno and his battle axes.
Starla shot me a worried glance.
“Don’t worry. We’ll start as far from them as we can. I’ll shoot ahead and you hang back.”
“Okay.”
She looked worried, and I couldn’t blame her. I was suddenly less concerned with winning and more concerned with making sure neither one of us got squashed. I did need to at least place, though, or I wouldn’t progress.
This was the fight of my life. I needed to succeed, not just survive. Starla could opt out by not finishing. In fact, it was likely that half of the entrants would do that. And in her case, it was not cowardice to do so.
I felt myself getting angry. They should make entry optional. For people like me, eager to make their mark on the world. Not on little girls who were barely of age, not to mention small for their age!
“You shouldn’t even swim. Just find a place to hide near the start. It won’t be a long race.”
“You mean because you know you will win?”
I chuckled. I did expect to win, or at least come close, barring disaster. But that was just today. The rest of the contests would be just as hard for me, if not harder.
“Tri. I need to speak to you.”
Dane seemed to come out of nowhere. He pulled me to the side of the stream of contestants. Starla followed, hovering nearby.
I felt my cheeks warm up a bit from his familiar touch. He was so sure of himself. His hand was warm and large on my arm.
“Hi.”
He ran his hand through his hair nervously.
“Hi.”
“I saved you some oysters, but they’re back in the tent.”
“Never mind that. They changed the rules.”
“What?”
“Everyone has to finish.”
“WHAT?”
He glanced over my shoulder at Starla.
“They don’t want people dropping out. So no one is getting out by hanging back today. Everyone who finishes goes to the second trial.”
“And if you don’t finish?”
“Fifty lashes. Unless you are injured.”
“Or dead.”
He nodded slowly.
“Fifty lashes would kill her, Dane.”
“Listen to me. She is not your responsibility.”
The Mermaid Trials Page 5
