by Starla Night
She wilted. Her power drained into the ocean. She whimpered, losing her energy just like she had during their first meeting in the storm when she’d half-rescued herself and then given up.
“You have to let him go. It’s all I ask. I beg you.”
Faier’s heart broke.
King Kayo swallowed hard. His voice sounded rough yet noble in his chest, mature for his years, and finally like a king. “An exile cannot terrorize our sacred islands.”
“He’s not. I swear. He’s not.”
“It is our law, sacred bride.”
“You’re the king.”
“And even I am the law’s prisoner.”
“Please,” she whimpered. “Please.”
He placed a gentle arm around her shoulder. “Come this way. Your destiny awaits.”
“No.” She resisted with a helpless moan. “No…”
Xarin squared his shoulders. “King Kayo. Perhaps your sacred bride will accept his fate after she understands his crimes.”
King Kayo’s expression hardened. “I have explained them.”
Xarin stiffened to match and spoke even more formally. “I meant after a judgment of the elders. A traditional trial.”
“For an exile?” First Lieutenant Tibe said with disgust.
Chiba and Kusi snorted.
King Kayo matched his opinion. “Delay is unnecessary.”
Xarin’s hands clenched his trident. “Perhaps…for the sacred bride…a slight delay will be calming…”
King Kayo ignored that reasoning. “He is an exile! It is not as though a city will avenge his death.”
“Yes.” Harmony’s soul brightened. “Yes! Faier’s not really an exile. He’s from—”
“Look, my sacred bride already feels better.” King Kayo lifted his chin at Xarin arrogantly. “Your suggestion is unnecessary, Second Lieutenant.”
The blue-green warrior’s brows drew together with worry, and he bowed. “My king.”
“Come, my sacred bride. Xarin. Kusi. Chiba.”
The other warriors flew to him.
Harmony struggled. “But— You don’t—”
“First Lieutenant Tibe, we will go ahead.”
“Listen to me. Faier isn’t an exile! He’s—hey!”
The king pressed Harmony to his side and kicked.
She argued desperately.
King Kayo chatted over her with Chiba in his language.
First Lieutenant Tibe turned to Faier. “I suppose I should ask a few questions. Such as, what did your sacred bride mean when she said you were not an exile? Will your death loose the wrath of another city on our heads?”
Faier strained against the sawed bindings.
They loosened. Not enough.
“But…” Tibe lifted his trident. “I do not care.”
Tibe whirled his trident.
Faier broke the bindings.
Tibe’s trident aimed at Faier’s center.
Faier twisted to escape…
Not enough.
Stab.
Tibe’s trident buried deep into the left side of Faier’s abdomen.
That entire side of his body turned cold and then lit on fire.
Tibe yanked the trident out.
Pain lanced him again. His blood flooded the water. He cupped the wound. His life leaked out between his shivering fingers.
Tibe aimed at the center of Faier’s chest. “Let us try that again. Without the twisting.”
Faier’s body shook.
The blow was mortal.
He was dying. Like an exile. Alone.
In the distance, Harmony screamed.
Chapter Twelve
Stab. Stab. Stab.
Harmony’s left side split open. Her insides leaked out.
She released King Kayo and grabbed her whole, unblemished waist. She wasn’t hurt. But her muscles tensed. She was being ripped open. Stab.
She arched her back in agony.
Her scream erupted from her soul.
Around her, the warriors flurried.
“My sacred bride!” King Kayo’s face wavered in and out of focus. “What is it? What attacks you? My sacred bride!”
The agony continued.
She couldn’t stop screaming.
And then she didn’t want to.
Listen. Hear me, she silently begged the warriors.
“Calm, my sacred bride. I beg you!”
No. I refuse.
More flurries of activity.
“Why have you returned?” The hooked nose of the mango warrior named Tibe wavered into focus. “Ah. My king, her pain is not surprising. The exile fed her elixir. She transformed because they entangled their souls. We sever that connection with his death.”
“But she is innocent. The exile deserves death.”
“Law must prevail.”
The blue-green warrior, Xarin, spoke. “There is another way. Delay judgment to—”
“I told you to be silent, Xarin! You are not king. I am king!”
“My king.” The teal-and-white warrior, Kusi, hugged his chest. “Make her stop.”
“The scream is agonizing,” pineapple-yellow warrior Chiba agreed.
“She will stop screaming when he is dead,” Tibe said. “I will end him.”
“Wait, First Lieutenant Tibe. If her sadness increases any more, she may never produce a healthy young fry.”
“King Kayo, that tragedy may happen, but justice must be served. Even a king is not above the law.”
“Yes. You are right. Justice matters… No.”
“I am ending him now, my king.”
“Stop! All of you stop. My sacred bride cannot carry such hurt. This is too painful.”
“The law—”
“The law of the mer is to not injure sacred brides. They are sacred! Harming the exile harms her. We will disentangle their souls another way!”
“But, my king-—”
“You, Xarin, bind his injury. We will disentangle their souls at the Life Tree. My sacred bride will calm!”
The ocean fell silent.
The pain receded to a dull, throbbing ache.
Without meaning to, she stopped screaming.
Her breath wouldn’t go in. Oh, she was underwater, so of course it wouldn’t. But she felt stunned, as if someone had slammed her into concrete and knocked the breath right out of her.
King Kayo’s worried face swam into focus. His brows lifted. “My sacred bride. You have quieted.”
Beyond him, Xarin tied seaweed around Faier’s waist.
Faier looked woozy and sick. Blood clouded the water. He rested his hands on top of the bandage.
Tibe complained. “You should not waste our bandages on an exile.”
“I ‘waste it’ on my sacred bride,” King Kayo sniped. “Hurry now to the Life Tree.”
She looked over his shoulder at Faier. “Are you going to leave him like this?”
“No,” the king said.
Relief eased her heart. Even if the crocodile was dead, Faier wouldn’t survive alone with such a terrible injury.
“We must ensure he is dead ourselves.”
Her stomach rolled.
King Kayo caught himself. “After the judgment of the elders.”
The other warriors floated around Faier. They attached a noose to his wrists and pulled him through the water. Down, down, into the deep.
Descending into the ocean felt like flying. Soaring underwater into an endless blue sky. Not blue in the usual sense, but clear, like air, and she saw for miles. Probably to the sea floor. If she squinted, she could almost see to the glimmering surface, even though that view grew congested with layers upon layers of shimmering fish.
Fish swarmed them, enmeshing the mer into the sea in a way humans never would be. Tiny see-through creatures and schools of giants twice her size, hundreds deep.
Every fish made its own particular noise and glowed with soft light. Sponges, minnows, sprites. She had seen these white auras before on land animals. The underse
a animals glowed the same. She’d never heard the music.
Each fish announced itself with a bass “whoomph” or a high pitched “waw-waw.” New Age flute and panpipes, like what used to float out of the scented crystal-filled shop near her mom’s apartment. Peaceful, soothing, natural.
Along with the occasional “Na-na, na-na” Jaws music as a large, multitoothed denizen swerved close. One particular nasty big fish with crooked teeth tried to chomp the dead crocodile—and then blood-streaked Faier. Xarin whirled and slashed it with his trident. It swerved away.
The warriors swam in formation: Kusi in the lead, then Chiba and First Lieutenant Tibe around her and King Kayo, and Xarin in the back dragging both Faier and the dead crocodile. King Kayo’s two trophies. The warriors chatted in their tribal language, excluding her again. Where was her translator, Evens, when she needed him?
Oh, Evens… She hoped he was safe. He knew English thanks to her, French from school, Kreyòl because everyone besides her spoke it, and the tribal language from his mom. She missed him so much, it hurt.
At the appearance of the crooked-tooth giant, the warriors grew more animated.
Xarin made a comment in the tribal language. King Kayo snarled. Xarin darkened and fell silent.
The other warriors snickered.
King Kayo told Harmony in English, “You will stay here with Xarin while we hunt.”
Sharp fear streaked into her. He was abandoning her in the middle of the deadly ocean! She gripped his shoulder. “What?”
“We hunt the bluefin.” He pointed his trident at the big fish lingering for another chance to attack. “The blood has lured it. Wait here. It is a wild fight.”
He released her.
The woolen ocean water wrapped a strange blanket around her. Rather than feeling cold, the water felt thicker the deeper they swam. Now it thickened to syrup.
She couldn’t move.
“King Kayo!”
He returned to her elbow. “What is it, my sacred bride?”
“I can’t swim!”
“Do not swim here. Float.”
“B-but I can’t—there are so many—is this really safe?”
“So long as no predators come.”
“Ah! What if more predators come?”
“Xarin will protect you.”
“But he’s already protecting Faier.”
“He will drop the exile to protect you. Oi, Xarin! Do not let those sucker fish damage my trophy.”
The blue-green warrior swept his trident over the crocodile and dislodged multiple slender fish. They flew like a cloud of flies and landed again.
Some latched on to Faier.
He only brushed one from his face. It fluttered and then suctioned his cheek just below his closed left eye. He did not wave it away again.
“My king.” His favorite lieutenant, Tibe, sidled close. “We must hunt now or lose our chance.”
“No!” She grabbed on to King Kayo. “It’s too dangerous!”
Tibe lifted his shoulders. “If your bride doubts Xarin’s abilities, I will guard her, and Xarin can hunt with you.”
“No, Tibe, you are much more fun to hunt with. Xarin whines at me to not take so many risks.”
“You are capable of many great achievements, my king.”
“Exactly. You understand.” King Kayo rested his calming hand on hers. “We will go a short time.”
“But…” In the distance, another tiny bluefin appeared. She pointed, triumphant. “There’s another one!”
He squinted. His tone wavered. “Eh…it is very far away…”
“It’s not safe to leave me here.”
“Very well. Tibe will—”
“With anyone!”
“—keep you safe.” He vibrated in his chest to call the warrior back. “Ti—”
“No!” She grappled with him, and his chest vibration cut off. “That man stabbed Faier.”
“On my orders.”
“And ever since we stopped, the cloud of little fish has grown. And look. Now’s there’s bigger fish. Soon, you won’t have any trophy left.”
He wavered.
“And I can’t swim,” she repeated. “At all.”
“You are a sacred bride.”
“At all.”
He frowned. Just like Faier, he couldn’t believe she hadn’t been taught the basics. “You will be fine.”
“But—”
“My king!” Tibe waved. “We must hunt.”
“Coming.” King Kayo removed her hands and held her at a distance. “Remain here.”
Protestations silently died in her mind.
She watched him kick away.
Okay. Yes, she was terrified. But she didn’t want to be useless. This was an opportunity.
She turned and kicked for Faier.
He noted her approach. As did Xarin. But the blue-green warrior was too busy slicing at small invaders. He did not try to stop her.
She reached Faier and shooed away the parasitic fish. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I did everything wrong. I never wanted you to get hurt.”
His aura brightened and his chest vibrated. “Do not injure yourself with regrets.”
“I didn’t. You did. I’m sorry.” She floated in front of Faier, rubbing her healed wrists. “If I’d met you before Lifet I think I could have done it. I could have ordered them. I’ll try again.”
He regarded her with comforting calm. “Do not fret. Your bruises are healed on the outside, not within.”
Tears pricked her eyes. He understood and forgave her. She swallowed hard. “Tell me what to do.”
“Stay with the king.” He flicked an unsteady gaze beyond alert Xarin to where the hot-pink male conferenced eagerly one last time with Tibe and the others. “He is young but will not cause you harm.”
“Okay. But how can I help you?”
A flicker of dry amusement crossed his pained face. “It may be too late for me.”
Her heart squeezed. She brushed away the lingering parasitic fish and hovered her hand over the bandage, wishing she could do something, anything. “No, Faier. You have to tell me. Whatever you say I’ll order them. I’ll make them obey me.”
His aura gleamed. “Grow strong.”
“But what do I say?”
“State your desire.”
The king glanced back at them once more, noted that she had moved, and flew to her, casually dragging her away from Faier and back to the empty place he had left her. “Remain here.”
He let go.
The protestations sounded in her heart again. This was unsafe. She was at risk. Faier was in danger. He was acting irresponsibly.
No. I refuse.
Listen.
Hear me.
“No,” Harmony said.
King Kayo was already two kicks away before he checked. “What was that?”
“I said no.”
His brows lifted.
The word had just popped out. She couldn’t believe it herself. Her heart shot for the surface while her arms trembled. “I mean, uh, well, I won’t remain right here. I will go over to, uh, Faier. And Xarin. For protection.”
“Do not go there.” King Kayo’s brows lowered in consternation. “Physical contact increases your connection. You will entwine your soul more with the exile.”
“Yeah? Well, he never left me.” She pushed that tiny leverage. “Except when I asked him to.”
King Kayo’s frown deepened. “You are my sacred bride.”
“So, then, isn’t it even more important you don’t leave me alone on my first day in the ocean? It’s terrifying. Can’t you understand?”
He took an adversarial stance. “Why do you not understand that you will be safe? Why is my word not enough?”
“Please.”
“Please what?”
Seriously? Why did she doubt his word?
He lifted his chin and pouted. It was like arguing with Evens, before he understood how the world worked.
Harmony swallowed he
r accusations. She had to reach King Kayo’s heart. His aura glowed energetically as Lifet’s once had.
She returned his question. “Why is my fear not enough?”
King Kayo reluctantly drew her into the travel position snugged against his side. “This is disappointing.”
“Thank you.” She clung like a limpet, one of the tide-pool shells Evens had pointed out to her. “Thank you.”
“My king?” Tibe returned with the others. “You are not hunting?”
“My sacred bride is too afraid.”
“I have offered—”
“Yes, I know. She is reassured by no protection but mine.”
The sharp warrior regarded her with cold eyes. “She does not know our ways.”
“That is why I must reassure her.” King Kayo puffed out his chest and kicked. “I will hunt as soon as we perform the marriage ceremony!”
The other warriors fell into their positions. Xarin moved more slowly, as though he were tired. But he dragged Faier and the crocodile carcass clear of the clouds of parasitic fish.
And now she had a future to fear. Marriage ceremony. What new horrors awaited in the mer city?
Perhaps the answer would never arrive. They journeyed forever. And when she wasn’t studying fish, she studied the warriors.
Her life depended on it.
King Kayo’s aura shone bright and cocky like young Lifet’s, but even more rash. First Lieutenant Tibe auditioned for the role of Jean-Baptiste. His bitter mango aura was not filled with malice, only brutalized efficiency.
But even if she couldn’t see auras, she would know he was dangerous.
He looked at her and Faier as if they were problems to be solved, not living souls. If Tibe had been her destined husband, she would not have tried to create a distraction by antagonizing the crocodile. She would have thrown herself right into its mouth.
Xarin was the blue-green of the sea, reflecting jungle. He was the long-suffering second lieutenant who threatened King Kayo by being good at his job.
Pineapple warrior Chiba constantly checked his weapons. Faier had stolen one of his knives in combat. His continuous tapping and fidgeting showed an attention deficit.
Kusi’s tattoos were beautiful teal and white foam on a shallow ocean. The opposite of Chiba, he concentrated too hard. Whenever someone called to him, they had to shout four or five times before he jerked his head up and responded.
