Ice Massacre

by Tiana Warner

  “What if we used a fishing net?” I said. “Launch it at them with crossbows and get them tangled.”

  “They’d cut through it.”

  “Not before the whale got away.”

  She didn’t say anything for a while. Then, “Could work. Better than letting the whale pummel us.”

  “We just have to use the nets sparingly. We’ve only got five.”

  “Let’s bring it up. We’ll try it next time.” She stood and put a hand on my shoulder.

  “‘Night, Meela.”

  “‘Night.”

  I watched her descend into the cabin, leaving the deck nearly empty. I could only see Nora’s shadow standing at the bow facing the ocean, and Dani over at the fishing net, hoisting it from the water to check it. Something was in there, and she pulled it out and tossed it in the barrel. Then she dropped to her hands and knees and began vigorously scrubbing the deck with a wire brush.

  She must have been tired. We all were. Though something about the way she moved was compulsive, like she had no choice but to keep scrubbing.

  I stood, deciding I should get to bed too.

  Some girls still shuffled around the cabin when I entered. Annith sat on her bed cross-legged, staring down at her hands. I realised she was twirling her promise ring around her finger, and I averted my eyes, feeling like I’d intruded on something personal.

  I crashed into bed without looking at anyone else. I felt homesick and wished I could curl up next to my mother.

  A spider was active in the window by my face, spinning a web in vain hope of a meal. I reached up and squished it. A creature so fragile didn’t belong at sea.

  Even in the cabin, the temperature was uncomfortably cold. We were that much closer to the polar region while we floated by the Aleutian Arc. I pulled my thick quilt over my head and waited for it to remove the chill from my bones, staring into the blackness until everyone’s shuffling faded to light snoring. Nora came down the stairs shortly after and climbed into the bed above mine. I listened to her toss around for several minutes before she stilled and her breathing steadied.

  It felt like a very long time before my eyelids grew heavy.

  I was one of the first girls up in the morning. Dani’s bed was the only empty one, but she must have gone to sleep at some point because her blankets were askew.

  By the time the rest of us had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast, Dani was already sweating from cleaning the deck and was sitting on a barrel like she’d been waiting for hours.

  “All right, girls,” she said, jumping to her feet once we all made it up the stairs. She crossed her arms and stood tall, feet spread. “Shaena and I have been talking, and we’ve decided something.”

  The rest of us glanced at each other.

  Shaena stepped beside Dani. “As captain of the Bloodhound, I hereby promote Dani to be captain in my place.”

  A moment passed when nobody said anything.

  “You can’t do that, Shae,” I said. “We need to stick with the order set by Anyo.”

  An approving murmur passed over the girls around me.

  “The captain gets the final word,” she said. “I think Dani will make a better—”

  Fern spoke up. “Dani, did you threaten Shaena or something?”

  “Shaena can make her own decisions,” said Dani, “and if you don’t obey your captain, that constitutes mutiny. Shaena has the sense to know what’s best for this crew.”

  “We’re close to the demons’ nest now,” said Shaena. “I’m sure of it. We need a leader who’s top-notch in combat or we’re all going to get slaughtered.”

  Nora raised her hand, like a kid in school. “Anyo said—”

  “Anyo isn’t here,” said Dani. “The training master’s job is done now.”

  “But he—”

  “The success of the Massacre is up to us,” said Dani loudly, “and I won’t let us fail because of some random order the training master chose based on parentage.”

  “The order might not make sense to everyone, but it can’t be changed,” I said, trying not to erupt at the idea of Dani being my captain. “If Shaena steps down, fine. But Linoya is the rightful captain.”

  Dani glowered at me, then tossed her hair and addressed everyone else. “Who wants the top combat student as their captain?”

  She raised her hand, and so did Shaena, Texas, and Akirra. Hesitantly, and without meeting anyone’s eyes, so did Kade and Holly.

  Dani looked between them, then fixed her glare on me. “If anyone else wants to survive this Massacre, you know where to find us. We’ll be discussing strategy.”

  She motioned for them to follow, and the group descended into the cabin.

  After a moment of silence, Linoya said, “Does this mean Shaena stepped down?”

  All faces turned to gape at her. She just laughed.

  “All right. Guess that gives us two captains,” she said. She slung her weapon across her chest and made for the helm. “Let her have her fan club. As captain of the Bloodhound, I command you not to worry.”

  We decided it was time to float parallel to the Aleutian Islands, knowing we must be near the merpeople’s nest. This was our time to kill as many as possible.

  But the day passed, and we hadn’t seen so much as a salmon float by.

  I stood at the starboard railing, watching the Aleutian volcanoes billow silently in the distance. Tiny, under-nourished snowflakes blew around us, not sticking to anything, but floating in front of our eyes and reminding us how cold we were.

  “Where are they?” yelled Texas, looking frustrated enough to start firing random bolts into the water.

  “They’ll come,” said Dani. She was sitting on a barrel overlooking the main deck, holding her crossbow like a king might hold a staff.

  “The rats are scared because we butchered them,” said Shaena with a devilish grin. She rested a hand against her quiver, which was bursting full of iron.

  Across from me, Nora eyed Dani’s group with a sour expression. Their hostility had stretched beyond just mermaids, and they’d gotten snappy. Anyone who ventured near was bound to get yelled at for something stupid. At one point, Annith got hollered at for walking too loudly, as if the mermaids would hear her footsteps and get frightened away.

  “It’s a good thing if the demons don’t want to fight us, isn’t it?” Sage whispered to Zarra as they watched the patrolling girls. “It means they’re giving up?”

  I kept my eyes on my compass—I’d been finding the bobbing arrow therapeutic—but said quietly, “Or it means they’re creating a plan.”

  I felt their gazes on me, and looked up. They’d been chewing on herbs for hours and their eyelids looked heavy.

  “You really think they’re smarter than Anyo let on?” said Zarra. The combination of the herbs and the still-fresh laceration across her cheek made her hard to understand.

  “Yes,” I said. “I think they’re as smart as people.”

  They were quiet for a minute, then Sage said, “Maybe we don’t need to massacre them to win. Just figure out a way to outsmart them. Use logic.”

  “Maybe. But I think some of us have different goals than others.”

  They stared at me again.

  “Take Dani,” I said, nodding to Her Royal Highness on top of the barrel of fruit. “She just wants to prove herself as a warrior by killing as many mermaids as possible.”

  “Well, that’s obvious,” said Zarra. “I thought she was gonna stab someone for real in combat class.”

  “I just want to get home alive,” said Sage. “I wish we didn’t need to be here.” She glanced over her shoulder as if someone might be listening. “Is that bad?”

  “Of course not,” I said, though in truth I wasn’t sure.

  “I want the demons to be scared to come anywhere near our island,” said Zarra. “If that means I need to be here slaughtering them, then I’ll slaughter as many as I need to.”

  Sage gawked at her. “You’re so brave, Zarra.”

>   Zarra laughed, her smile lopsided, and threw a dried flower in Sage’s face. Sage smiled dimly.

  “What about you, Meela?” said Zarra.

  “I want Eriana Kwai to be free again,” I said. “I don’t like being here, but I want the sea demons to . . . I mean, for everything they’ve done to us, I want . . .”

  Revenge. I wanted revenge.

  “You want them to leave us alone,” said Zarra.

  I grimaced. “Yeah.”

  “At least you’re not just here because you’ve got an appetite to kill,” said Sage.

  We watched Akirra and Shaena practice stabbing each other at the helm. We needed to find more mermaids, very soon.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Kyaano

  The sun had not yet risen when the violently rocking ship startled me awake. I bolted upright, my dream-addled brain filled with images of mermaids. Wind screamed through the cracks in the door and I peeked out my tiny oval window. Huge waves thrashed against the ship.

  Around me, the other girls had also awakened from the storm, some already rushing about the cabin. I dressed quickly and clambered up the stairs behind Annith. Nobody spoke, whether because of grogginess, nausea, or—more likely—fear.

  Nora burst through the door at us, drenched and panicked. She and Chadri had been staying awake. She stepped back when she saw us all rushing up the stairs. “Good—we need help.”

  The crashing and groaning was deafening as the ship careened across the waves, the wind pushing us forwards at blinding speed. The gusts wrapped around me like an icy blanket, suffocating me so I had to bury my mouth and nose inside my jacket to breathe. Rain and waves soaked me from all sides; at my feet, it flooded across the deck in torrents.

  Through the dense rain and mist, I saw Shaena already taking over Chadri’s post at the helm, pulling the wheel with all her weight to keep us on course. Just like we were taught, she steered us into the waves so we tackled them head-on, rather than allow them to toss us sideways. Still, the ship thundered across the water, making each crest over a wave feel like we were slamming onto rock-hard ground.

  I squinted up at the sails. They flogged and strained against the mast with a force that could make them burst.

  The girls around me scrambled to tie down anything loose. I wondered how much had already washed away in the rivers swirling over the deck.

  The sails were going to break if we didn’t do something. Already, Shaena fought more than was safe, trying to control the wheel with too much force acting against her.

  I yelled at the top of my lungs, my voice raspy. “Reef the sails!”

  Closest to me, Annith, Akirra, and Linoya looked over, and all I could see were the whites of their eyes. I nodded and they jumped into action without question. Annith and I grabbed the mainsail line.

  I glanced at Shaena to make sure she heard me. Though dawn surely approached, the dense clouds trapped us in their gloom and I could barely see her through the rain. A tall figure appeared beside her—Texas—and she waved a hand to show they’d heard. Together they struggled to keep the ship angled into the wind. It rocked wildly beneath us; several times it knocked me off my feet and I had to use the mast to steady myself.

  Annith and I eased the halyard and pulled on the reefing line, bringing the sail down halfway. My palms burned against the sliding, grimy ropes—but to let go would be to seriously hurt Annith.

  Only after Annith and I spent several exhausting minutes jumping into the air, using all our weight against each rope, did we manage to secure them. Bitterly, I realised this was where the male sailors would’ve had more success. The extra pounds of muscle they had over every one of us girls would be crucial for controlling the ship in a storm.

  Annith and I collapsed to our knees, panting, and glanced around. The foresail looked successfully shortened too. The ship still rocked dangerously, but we’d slowed down enough that I no longer felt like I would be launched overboard any moment.

  I was about to put a hand in the air to let Shaena know we were done when Linoya’s voice cut faintly through the howling wind. “I can’t get this one secured!”

  I looked again to see her small body at the base of the sail, battling with the reefing line. I leapt to my feet. Had she been trying to do it herself? Where were the other girls to help? I dashed over and leaned into the rope while she secured the end.

  “Got it?” I said, my arms trembling.

  She let go and braced herself on her hands and knees. “Thanks.”

  I helped her to her feet. Even with the sails shortened, the ship still crashed over the waves, and we had to hold onto the mast as we took a moment to catch our breath.

  “Where’d Akirra go?” I shouted over the clamour of the storm. “I thought she was helping.”

  Linoya wiped a hand over her dripping face. “Dani told her to go get the fishing nets before we lost them.”

  “You should’ve made her stay,” I said. “You can’t reef a sail by yourself.”

  We both panted voraciously. Linoya’s hands must have burned as badly as mine—but the wind still howled, and our work to keep the Bloodhound intact wasn’t done.

  I was about to turn around when Linoya lurched forwards, falling into me. I caught her in my arms and stumbled back, collapsing sideways.

  “What—”

  She screamed, a long, agonised wail. I pulled her off me in time to see a flash of scarlet hair duck down beside the ship.

  “No,” I said breathlessly. Linoya flailed an arm behind her, reaching for something.

  “Get it out!” she shrieked. “Get it out of me!”

  A jagged spear, calcified seaweed the length of my hand, protruded from the small of her back. I stifled a gasp so I wouldn’t frighten her more.

  “Lie down,” I said, pushing her into the deck. She complied, though seemed to be struggling involuntarily, like her muscles were trying to attack but her brain wouldn’t let them.

  I grabbed the spear with both hands, and before I could think about it, I pulled. It came out roughly, and Linoya let out a deafening scream that sounded like she was gargling her own blood.

  “You’re okay, you’re okay,” I said repeatedly, and I threw the spear to the side. It skidded across the slippery deck.

  I pulled a dagger from my belt and used it to slice away her shirt, revealing the gushing hole.

  Annith appeared. She pushed me aside. I fell off Linoya and landed hard on the deck.

  “Stop the blood!” I yelled. I scrambled to my feet and tried to calm myself by putting my hands over my mouth and nose. What a stupid thing to say. Of course she was going to try to stop the blood.

  “Go take care of that mermaid,” shouted Annith, not taking her eyes off the wound.

  I looked up. The other girls sprinted towards us with their crossbows. Some already stood at the ship’s perimeter, firing into the water. I cursed myself, realising my blind moment of trying to pull the spear from Linoya’s back could have cost me my life if nobody had been around to keep the other mermaids down. I could’ve been the next easy target.

  I was at my crossbow in two steps. I’d left it sitting against the base of the foresail. The grips were slippery, and I wiped my hands uselessly on my pants as I dashed to the railing.

  “Come back and fight, coward!” I yelled, leaning over the water and scanning the thrashing waves for a glimpse of scarlet hair. “This bolt has your name on it!”

  Something cracked against my temple, and I turned to see a barnacled stone the size of my fist bounce off the railing.

  The blur of a dark-haired mermaid thundered onto the deck. Fighting dizziness, I spun and fired, but the ship crested a wave and tossed me sideways, and I missed her narrowly.

  She hurled another stone; it collided with the end of my crossbow and bounced to the side. My crossbow smashed into my nose and I felt warm blood start to flow.

  The mermaid slammed her webbed hands into the deck, dragging herself towards me.

  Blinking away th
e tears blurring my vision, I reloaded and fired again. She was close enough that my eyesight didn’t need to be accurate: the bolt pierced her sternum.

  The mermaid fell into me, dead by the time her hand reached my neck. Her grip slid off me and she landed on the reddened deck at my feet. I turned towards the water and loaded another bolt without glancing back at her. The blood pouring from my nose would have to wait. I could feel its warmth running over my lips and down my neck, but to take a hand off my crossbow could be lethal.

  I gritted my teeth at the sight below. Four mermaids scaled up the side. Two others waited, half submerged. Still, I couldn’t see the scarlet-haired demon who’d impaled Linoya—but she wouldn’t get away from me.

  I fired at the first demon and got her square in the chest. She hit the water before she’d finished screaming. I reloaded and fired twice more, hitting my targets in quick succession. The fourth one let go and fell back into the waves before I could pull the trigger.

  Blondie shouted from the main deck. “They’re aboard! Watch your backs!”

  I hesitated for a fraction of a second, and in the time I glanced sideways, the scene below emptied. Only a lost sea spear floated in the deep red water, rising and falling in the violent swells. I spared a half second to take my hand off my crossbow and sweep the salty blood and water from my face.

  Something scraped across the deck behind me. I whirled around, ready to fire. A mermaid propelled herself forwards with her arms, strides away from me. A conch shell was locked in her webbed fingers. She had scarlet hair.

  My lip curled. Vengeance overcame me as I stared at the hand that’d gored my crewmate minutes ago. I fired, but failed to balance myself against the motion of the ship. The iron bolt shot too far left and pierced her shoulder. She fell back. I reached for another bolt, furious at myself for missing. But at that moment the ship hit an enormous wave and we lurched skywards. I fell, losing my hold on the crossbow.

  No sooner had the heels of my hands hit the deck than the mermaid’s icy fingers closed around my wrist. She pulled, bringing me flat on my stomach. Her thick hair covered most of her face, drenched and tangled from the wind, but her blood-red eyes glinted through the mats.