by Dee J. Stone
Something flickers in her eyes. It’s gone so fast, I wonder if I imagine it. “There is no one,” Doria repeats.
She’s totally lying. Why, though? Maybe it’s because she’s embarrassed to be crushing on someone. Or maybe it’s because it’s someone her parents don’t approve of. “I’m sure you’ll meet him soon,” I assure her.
She doesn’t say anything, her gaze on floor. After a bit, she looks at me. “Mother tells me you are to join the search party to locate my brothers.”
I nod.
She runs her hands up and down her tail. “Father refuses to allow me to join.”
That doesn’t surprise me. As strict as he is, Syren loves his kids very much. He would do anything to keep them out of harm’s away. Even though he made it seem like I would be a nuisance if I came along, I suspect there was another reason—that he didn’t want to risk the life of his son’s mate because if something were to happen to me, Damarian would be crushed. Not to mention alone for the rest of his life.
“I wish I could put myself to good use,” Doria says. “Like you.”
I reach for her hand and am surprised when she lets me take it. “But you are. Maybe you won’t actually be going with your father and the others to search for your brothers, but you’ll be so useful here. Someone needs to hunt for food for your family. Someone needs to help your mother take care of the kids. Someone needs to be a support system for your mother.”
Her eyes brighten as she considers my words.
“So you see,” I say. “There are many other ways you can help out.”
I expect her to narrow her eyes, to yell at me, tell me I have no right to come here and tell her what she should do or how she should feel about herself. But instead, she leans forward and grabs me, pulling me into her arms.
I’m so shocked, I sit completely still.
“Did I make an error?” she asks. “Is this not what humans do as a sign of affection?”
I laugh and return the hug. “You’re fine.”
She leans back. “Thank you, Cassie.” Her voice is sincere. “I do not have others I can speak to.”
“Not your friends?”
“They do not understand.”
“Well, I’m here if you ever need to talk.”
Her eyes scan every feature on my face. “You are all right for a human. Damarian has chosen well.”
“Thanks.”
She sits here for a few more minutes before getting up. “I shall leave you to your rest. I understand you have a tiresome day ahead of you.”
I nod, my body filling with anxiety.
She rests her hand on my shoulder. “It will be all right. Father will allow no harm come your way.”
I nod again. “Thanks.”
After lifting Zarya in her arms, she leaves. I pull some seaweed over myself and close my eyes tight. I’m scared as hell to train and fight the rebels and venture into the deep, dangerous water. But I push it all aside because I don’t care about myself right now. I care about Damarian and Kiander. I’m not leaving this ocean until they’re safe.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Kiandra tells me to eat because I’ll need my strength today. For the first time since I’ve entered the ocean, I have no appetite.
Syren left early this morning to meet with Callen to gather as many merpeople as possible who are willing to join the search party. Hopefully, they’ll return with a large army and we can start training. Every second we waste puts Damarian and Kiander’s lives more at risk.
When I’m done eating, Zarya pulls me into her room and shows off all of her toys. She’s a good distraction.
After what feels like days but is only a few hours, Syren finally comes home. The adults meet in the main room, eagerly waiting to hear the news.
“Twenty,” he says.
My heart sinks. That’s such a low number. “Don’t they want to help save their king?” I ask.
Syren shakes his head. “We are not accustomed to war. Many do not wish to put their lives in jeopardy. They have families.”
“So do you. And Kiander one day.” And hopefully, Damarian, too, but I don’t want to think about that. Though, I guess now that I’m a mermaid, having children with Damarian may not be such a scary thing. I quickly shake my head. I am not thinking about this right now.
“Human rulers sometimes draft people for war,” I say.
“Draft?” Doria asks.
“Like force.”
“No,” Syren says. “Absolutely not.”
Yeah, I didn’t think so.
“I guess that’s it, then,” I say.
Syren nods. “Yes. We are to meet with the others shortly.” He nods at the food on the table. “You will need your strength.”
“Father,” Doria says.
“No.”
“But Father—”
“I will not allow it, Doria.” He swims closer to her and touches her cheek. “I will not put you in harm’s way,” he says softly.
I see in her eyes how she wants to demand he let her go. But I also see the fear in them. The terror.
“We will locate them. I assure you.”
She nods reluctantly.
Syren swims over to his wife, takes her hands, and wraps his tail around hers. “I will bring them back to you.”
She rests her head on his chest and they stay like that for a little bit, until Syren forces himself away from her. He calls the younger kids into the room, and kisses the top of their heads, telling them to behave while he’s away.
“Are you exploring the sea?” Zarya asks, eyes wide with excitement.
Syren puts on a smile. “Yes, my darling.”
Syd frowns, eyeing his father suspiciously. He probably knows exactly what’s going on.
“I wish to come!” Zarya says.
“Not now, Zarya.”
“But Father!”
“Zarya.”
She pouts. He kisses the top of her head again. “We will see you shortly.”
She looks at me. “Cassie is leaving with you?”
Her parents exchange a look. “Yes,” Kiandra says.
“Why?”
“It is because Damarian and Kiander are lost,” Syd says.
“What?” Zarya cries.
Syren gives his son a look. “Damarian and Kiander are well.” He pats Zarya’s head. “Behave, all right?”
She nods, then rushes to me. “You will return, will you not?”
“I will,” I assure her. “Don’t worry.”
She grins.
Syren heads for the opening and nods at me. I say goodbye to the rest of Damarian’s family and follow him out. The great white swims forward. Syren rubs the top of its head. Then he goes to the second one and touches the top of its head, closing his eyes. He’s communicating with it. After a few seconds, the shark lowers its head and moves closer to the entrance of the house. Like it’s protecting it.
“Come,” Syren says to me.
The other shark swims between us as Syren leads me toward the exit. But we don’t leave the merpeople colony. He brings me to a large open area that is devoid of fish and other creatures. Merpeople are gathered there, tails of all colors, though most are Sapphires and Violets, which doesn’t surprise me. There is one Ruby and a few Diamonds and Emeralds. They are comprised mostly of men, but I see a couple of women, too.
Sharks swim around as well.
Surveying the merpeople, I recognize two of them: Callen, head of the Guard, and Kyle. Kyle waves when he sees me and swims over. “Hey, Cass.” He gives me a hug. A large tiger shark follows closely behind him.
“Not such a big turnout,” I say.
“Yeah, but we honestly didn’t expect many to volunteer. That’s okay. We’ll take the rebels down either way.”
The tiger shark is only a few feet away from me. My stomach swirls around as the image of Kayla’s severed arm and bloody body bounces in my mind. I know it’s not fair to blame this shark for something it didn’t do, but I can’t help it.
“You have a shark,” I mutter.
“Yeah.”
“How does it work? Does every merperson get a shark when they reach a certain age or something?”
He shakes his head. “Generally, each home is assigned a shark as protection. Depending on status and other factors, heads of households can have their own private shark. For example, if someone is an explorer, he will have his own personal shark. Though some sharks choose what master to serve. Like Fiske.”
“Fiske?”
“Yeah. He grew attached to Damarian.”
“And your tiger shark?”
“Recently assigned to me by Queen Flora because I joined the search party.”
I scan the area, watching the sharks swim around. “And all these?”
“Will be assigned to their masters.”
My heart pounds in my head. That means I’ll be getting one, too.
Kyle smiles. “Hey, they’re not so bad. And they won’t hurt you.”
I eye a bull shark whose eyes are pasted on me menacingly. “Can they catch my human scent or something?”
“I doubt that. You’re one hundred percent mermaid now.”
“I don’t like the way he’s looking at me.”
He follows my gaze and chuckles lightly. “Bull sharks are pretty aggressive, more so than the other sharks. Bullies. Just ignore him.”
My gaze moves to the great white sharks. They’re all massive, with crazy sharp teeth. One of them will be my protector. I don’t know if I should sigh in relief or hide in a cave.
A Sapphire and a Violet join us, each with a shark, and then Syren and Callen swim to the middle of the area. “I believe all who wish to search for my sons are present,” Syren says. He eyes the merpeople floating around. “As we have informed you earlier, this is a difficult task we ask of you. My sons’ lives are in peril. The life of the king is in grave danger. It is a dangerous mission we are set to embark on, but it is a mission we must do.” He swallows. “There will be warfare, there may be death. If you are not up for the task, I advise you to leave.”
He waits for people to go, but no one does. He bows his head. “You have my thanks.” He raises his head. “Let us commence training.”
Callen starts assigning sharks to the merpeople who don’t have one. My heart races as I watch the number of great whites grow smaller and smaller. Will I get one? What if there aren’t enough left? Maybe Syren has no intention of letting me come along?
When there is only one left, Callen and Syren make their way toward me, the shark trailing behind. It’s large, maybe a little larger than the others, with the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen. It wants me for lunch—I know it does.
“Cassie.” Syren gestures to the shark. “Callen and I believe this shark is best suited for you.”
Yeah, because it’ll eat me two minutes into training.
“She enjoys doing as she pleases,” Callen says. “Many have reported her for her refusal to adhere to orders. But it is my belief that she will listen to you.”
Great. This is just awesome. I’m left with the problem shark.
“Okay, I guess,” I mumble.
“If she refuses to listen, we will assign you a different shark,” Syren says.
When they’re out of earshot, I face Kyle. “Am I being punished or something?”
He shakes his head. “Trust Callen. He knows what he’s doing.”
I fold my arms. “What’s Syren, anyway? Is he a member of the Guard?”
“Sort of. He was King Palaemon—the former king’s—most trusted advisor. Ever since they made the agreement to set up their kids. He oversaw the Guard. But as soon as Kiander took the thrown, he dismissed his father.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure. But I think it’s because he wanted his dad to spend more time at home.”
My skin prickles when I feel the shark staring at me.
I back away. “I think my life is at stake.”
Kyle laughs. “Don’t be scared. Talk to her, get to know her. See if you guys can get along.”
Right, like it’s so easy. I face the shark. I heard that one rule to showing an animal who is master is by letting it know who is master and who is servant. I’ve never had any pets, other than the marine fish my mom bought for me who hadn’t lasted more than a week.
I move a little closer to the shark, my heart thumping so hard my ears ring. Reaching out, I slowly rest my hand on her head. Like Fiske, her skin feels rough. Hi, I think in my head. I’m Cassie.
She continues to stare at me.
I swallow the saliva nearly choking me. Do you have a name?
Shoney.
Its voice scratches the inside of my head. Biting back a groan, I smile. Shoney. I like that name.
She shoots me a look that says she doesn’t give a damn whether or not I like her name.
“Now that you are all acquainted with your shark,” Callen says. “It is time you connect your minds.”
Say what?
Everyone seems to know what they’re doing. I look helplessly at Kyle. “That’s how you and your shark communicate,” he says. “Through your minds. You develop a deep connection.”
I don’t know if I can do this.
Looking at Syren, I find him watching me. He swims over. “Place your hands on your shark,” he instructs. “Feel her energy flow through you.”
I rest my hands on the top of Shoney’s head and close my eyes. My eyebrows come together as I concentrate—on what, I have no idea. But nothing happens. Opening my eyes, I see the shark’s eyes on me. She looks bored, yet slightly amused.
Okay, I say. I get it. You like to have fun. You don’t like to listen to authority, but would rather do your own thing.
I see something flash in her eyes. My body perks up. Maybe I’m making progress here.
I’m like that, too, I continue. I don’t like doing what other people tell me either, and I don’t like anyone getting in the way of my happiness. I fell in love with someone different. People may think I’m crazy, but I’m happy.
She’s looking at me differently now. Like she’s actually listening to what I’m saying.
With me, I won’t order you around. I’d like to be your friend. Together, we can accomplish many things. I play with my hair. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I need to save the man I love.
Something passes through me, sending a jolt up my spine. My vision gets blurry for a few seconds, and then I’m looking through eyes that aren’t my own.
I stumble back. I see myself gawking at me.
I am Shoney.
After blinking a few times, I’m back to myself. She gives me a smug smile. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Okay, I can merge my mind with a shark and see what she sees. Totally normal.
Callen moves to the center of the area. “Let us begin training. My hope is that we do not spend too much time, for it is imperative that we rescue our captured brothers.”
Syren leads everyone out of this area and out of the colony. He and Callen bring us to an area with many sea life. I’ve never seen so many different creatures in one location. It’s like a buffet.
At first, we just stand there, but after a few seconds, Callen’s shark shoots forward and snatches one of the fish in its mouth. A second later, it goes for another and another, its razor-sharp teeth chomping. But Callen is not just standing there watching the show. It looks like he’s the one in the control, like he’s the one telling his shark exactly which fish to eat.
They’re sharing a mind.
The shark stops and returns to Callen, staying at its side.
Syren swims forward. “Sharks will feed on their own will, but they will listen to their masters if they instruct them. The object of this exercise is to order your shark to feed on whichever fish you choose. When you have mastered the skill, we will be able to search for the rebels and attack them in the same manner.”
Now I understand what we’re doing. Merpeople don’t have weapons to us
e to attack their enemies. They have sharks. By being connected through their minds, sharks will know exactly who their masters want them to attack.
I glance at Shoney, who looks at me. I can already see the defiant look in her eyes.
We’ll make a good team, I tell her.
She turns her head away from me and stares straight ahead.
“You may begin,” Callen says.
I motion for Shoney to follow me away from the others, to an area with a lot of fish to practice on. From the look in her eyes, I know she’s not in the mood for any work.
So do you have any brothers and sisters? I ask.
She narrows her eyes like she knows what I’m trying to do.
Um…okay. Let’s do this.
With a blank expression on her face, she swims toward a school of fish. Concentrating hard, I tell her which fish I want her to eat. She goes in the opposite direction and gnaws on a fish of a different species.
“Shoney, not that one!”
Everyone stares at me, including my shark.
I’m definitely blushing.
I surge to Shoney and touch her face. Look, I know it’s hard to take orders from someone. I thought we spoke about this before and came to an understanding.
No response.
I told you I think we can make a good team. I gesture to the others who seem to be hitting it off very well. I can tell you’re one competitive shark. What do you say we show them who the real winner is?
Shoney rushes to my fish and snaps her mouth over it.
Awesome!
Once again, I’m in her mind and see what she sees. But at the same time, I’m also in my head, seeing everything through my eyes. I tell Shoney what to eat, how fast to go, when to stop. When she’s actually listening, she makes one hell of a hunter. She’s amazing.
Once she’s done, I swim over and wrap my arms around her, rubbing my cheek against her rough skin. You’re awesome, Shoney. Thanks so much for listening to me.
She nuzzles me.
Two merpeople enter our practice arena, a female Sapphire and a male Violet. They incline their heads to Callen and Syren. “What have you learned?” Callen asks.
The Sapphire moves forward. “The deep water is indeed uninhabitable. Venturing there will surely kill us.”
Syren’s face drains from every last hope he had.
