“None of these men have the slightest idea what’s happening here, do they?” asked Dean.
“They know enough,” Shellheart replied. “They know you desecrated the chamber of Poseidon. Sacrilege. They also know Captain Lyndra used you to get her hands on the sacred blood. She did us all a favor by helping you escape. It’s going to be even easier to start the war now.”
“Where is Lyndra?” Gentleman Jim asked.
“Locked up, along with her men. I’m afraid she won’t be riding to your rescue this time,” Finneus said. “My aunt, of course, wants to see evidence of their involvement, but she won’t be queen much longer, will she? When I’m king, everyone will simply have to take my word about Lyndra’s treachery.”
Dean frowned, remembering Queen Avenel’s words. Some people hardly need any reason at all to go to war.
“My men are very good at following orders,” Shellheart said. “Trust me, they’ll march into battle with great big smiles on their faces.”
“No they won’t,” Dean said. “I came here to tell you to your face you’re going to lose. You’re never going to be king, Finneus. It’s not happening.”
Finneus found Dean’s bravado amusing. “Once I drink the blood, I’ll be master of an endless army. King by divine right. Those who won’t bow down before me will quickly learn the price of their defiance. If you don’t mind your tongue, so will you.”
“I’m just telling you the truth. Someone down here has to. You see, there’s a problem with your plan.” Dean made a show of checking his pockets and coming up empty. “I didn’t bring the blood with me.”
Finneus stared at Dean, stone-faced. “I’m not in the mood for jokes.”
“You think I’m joking? See for yourself.”
“Search him,” Finneus told Shellheart. “Search all of them.”
Dean, Mookergwog, and Gentleman Jim allowed the duke to search them one by one. When Shellheart came up dry, Finneus appeared ready to erupt. “What are you doing? Surely, you realize giving me the blood is your only hope of getting your friend out of here alive.”
“Where is Waverly?” Dean asked. “What have you done with her?”
“She’s in the palace. And I haven’t done anything yet, but if you don’t stop playing games . . .”
“Don’t worry, the blood’s coming. But you might not be happy when it gets here.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Tell me something while we wait. If you wanted to be king so badly, why didn’t you just go get the blood yourself? All that power, practically unguarded . . . you didn’t need me. You didn’t need him,” Dean said, indicating the duke. “You could have just taken care of it on your own. Why didn’t you? The truth is, you didn’t have the guts.”
Finneus balked at Dean’s accusation. “I didn’t want to tempt the sea god’s wrath.”
“Oh, that’s right, I forgot. You’re a righteous merman. Same reason you had to hire out the killing of your aunt. Couldn’t get your hands dirty there, either. If you do it, you’re a blasphemer. If I do it, you’re in the clear.”
Finneus nodded. “Something like that.”
“Something like that?” Dean laughed. “You think the sea god, assuming he really exists, can’t see through your lies? You think he’s fooled?” Dean stopped smiling and leaned in close to Finneus’s face. “You really think he’s going to find you worthy?”
“I am worthy.” Finneus pushed Dean back. “You’ll see.”
“If you say so.”
Just then, another pod broke through the Heavy Water barrier. It rolled onto the plaza floor and came to rest a few feet away from where Dean and the others stood.
Finneus was not impressed. “Who’s in there? Your friend Ronan, the fighter?”
Dean nodded. “Among others.”
Finneus rolled his eyes. The pod held four people at most. “Am I supposed to be scared?”
The pod split in half, opening up like a locket. A monstrous tidal wave of water poured out. It was as if a caged ocean had been loosed upon the city. Finneus gasped. Shellheart staggered back. “The pod . . . it’s filled with DeepWater!”
The same enchanted water that Waverly had used in her high dive act came rolling across the plaza, strong enough to crush everything in its path.
“Not just DeepWater,” said Dean. Swimming inside the massive wave were Ronan, Verrick, Skinner, and the full crew of the Crimson Tide. They had all been transformed into mermen for the journey. “I told you to be careful what you wished for. You wanted blood. Now you’re gonna get it.”
Chapter 31
Blood and Guts
The wave hit like a fast moving mountain, scattering Shellheart’s forces. The soldiers of Neptune tried to run, but it was no use. A flash flood engulfed the plaza, surging forward and picking up everything in its path—including Dean and his friends. Riding the instant tsunami, they charged the Atlantean castle. It was the only way. A frontal assault with Shellheart’s men in their path would have made for a bloody mess on both sides. Riding the wave, they were literally all in it together. The water deposited everyone on the steps of the palace.
Dean rolled over on his back. All around him, soldiers in golden armor were piled up in heaps, their weapons strewn across the plaza. Finneus and Shellheart lay a few feet off, trapped beneath a mound of stunned soldiers.
Skinner hobbled over to Dean, sloshing through puddles with his wet boot and waterlogged stump. “I gotta hand it to ya, Seaborne. Yer plan worked.” He leaned against the palace wall for support and offered Dean a hand up. “I’m impressed. Walkin’ in here without so much as a sword at yer side? Ya got guts.”
“He’s walked into worse situations,” Ronan said, coming up behind Skinner.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Dean said, picking up a sword one of Shellheart’s men had lost in the deluge. “This isn’t over yet.”
“You don’t have to tell me,” Skinner agreed. “On yer feet, scalawags! Step lively!”
Skinner’s crew forced themselves to stand and draw their swords. They seemed to be recovering faster than the soldiers of Neptune, maybe because they didn’t want to incur their captain’s wrath. Or maybe starting out inside the wave wasn’t quite as bad as getting hit by it. A few Neptunians staggered to their feet, but Skinner’s men quickly knocked them back down. It wasn’t long before the crew of the Crimson Tide had taken the fight out of every one of Shellheart’s soldiers. When the brief, one-sided battle was over, the pirates wandered about with their mouths open, marveling at the city and the Heavy Water barrier that covered it.
“All right, lads. Keep moving,” Skinner said, pointing to the palace gate. “Eyes on the prize. We ain’t here ta see the blasted sights.”
“You wasted the blood on these men?” Finneus said, aghast.
“Gave myself a fresh dose too,” Dean said. “Hope you don’t mind.”
Finneus clawed his way out from under the pile of armored soldiers. “I’m going to kill you for this.”
“Come and get me,” Dean said.
He turned his back on Finneus and went inside the palace. Skinner, his crew, Ronan, Gentleman Jim, Mookergwog, and Verrick all followed. Verrick stumbled on his way in the door, and Gentleman Jim caught him. “Are you all right, old-timer?”
“I’m fine,” Verrick said, wresting himself from Gentleman Jim’s helping hands. The journey to Atlantis had taxed him, but he was not without his pride.
“You’re sure?” Ronan asked.
“I am,” Verrick assured him. “I was just momentarily overwhelmed . . . by all of this.” He motioned to the castle and the city outside the door. “I still don’t understand how we got here, or how you managed to fit so much water in that pod.”
“That was nothing,” Mookergwog said. “Wasn’t even half a barrel’s worth of DeepWater.”
“It’s a good thing you had all that stuff topside,” Ronan said.
“I needed something to pass the time up there,” Mookergwog
replied. “Lucky for you, I like to keep myself busy.”
“Aye, let’s see some more ’a’ yer handiwork,” Skinner said. “Mr. Spyke! Got that bag I told ya ta look after?”
“Right here, Cap’n.” Marlon Spyke held up a drenched leather satchel. Glass bottles clinked together inside it.
“Careful with that!” warned Mookergwog. “Those bottles are filled with the same ingredients as my mines. If one of them breaks . . .”
“At ease, Greeny,” Skinner said. “Marlon Spyke’s got the surest hands in the seven seas. You ought to see what he can do with a blade.”
“If we’re lucky, we won’t,” Dean said.
Skinner smirked. “Somethin’ tells me you and ‘lucky’ don’t mix.”
“Fire in the hole!” shouted Long Tom Cannon, holding up one of the glass bottles. Marlon Spyke, who had just finished stacking the other bottles around the door, scurried away. Everyone found cover and plugged their ears as Long Tom threw his bottle as hard as he could. It smashed into the bottles on the floor, and the resulting explosion nearly brought the house down. Boulder-sized chunks of wall piled up in the doorway, blocking the entrance to the palace.
Once the dust had settled, Long Tom Cannon kicked at the base of the rock pile. The barricade was good and strong. “That should hold them,” Long Tom said. “For a time.”
“Time enough for us to reach the queen,” Skinner said. “Where do we find ’er, Seaborne?”
Dean pointed down a long hallway. “Throne room. That way.”
“Well? What’re ya waiting for, ya bunch ’a’ barnacles? Let’s go earn that treasure!” Skinner’s crew whooped and hollered as the men charged down the hall.
Mookergwog frowned once Skinner had disappeared around the corner. “I don’t like him.”
“None of us like him,” said Dean. “We just happen to need him.”
“We need more than just him,” said Gentleman Jim. “Lyndra and her men. They can help us if we can find out where they’re being held.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ronan said. “There’s someone else I have to break out.”
“Go,” Dean urged him. “We owe Lyndra that much and more.”
Verrick touched Dean’s shoulder. “I owe a duty to Waverly’s father. You and I must find her.”
Dean nodded. That went without saying.
“I’ll head to the throne room,” Mookergwog said. “The queen needs to know what’s happening here. Someone has to tell her about her nephew.”
The sound of rowdy pirates echoed through the palace. “Someone needs to keep an eye on Skinner too,” Dean said. “We’ll join you as soon as we can.”
“With backup,” Gentleman Jim added.
Mookergwog gave a worried nod and started down the hall alone. “Hurry.”
After he was gone, Gentleman Jim and Ronan went off to find the dungeons.
“Where should you and I start looking?” Verrick asked.
Dean spied one of the queen’s royal stewards. “Let’s ask him,” Dean suggested. He and Verrick cornered the man.
“Where is the princess being held?” Verrick asked him, taking out his sword.
“Who?” the steward asked, trembling.
“The human girl who came here with me,” Dean said. “The diver. The princess of peril? There’s only one human girl in the city, blast it!”
“She’s in the west wing!” the steward said.
“Let’s go,” Verrick said, sheathing his sword.
Moving westward, Verrick and Dean found the wing to be a maze of halls and guest rooms. They split up to find Waverly faster. Dean checked empty room after empty room, but in the fifth room, someone blindsided him. A hard blow to the head saw him dropped to the floor. When he rolled over onto his back, he looked up to find Waverly standing over him, holding a candlestick.
“Dean!?” she said. “What are you doing here?”
“Nnnng!” Dean said, rubbing the back of his head. “What do you think? I’m here for you.”
Waverly put the candlestick down. “I heard the explosions and thought a war had broken out. I should have known it was you.” She helped Dean up. Once he was back on his feet, she slapped him in the face.
“Ow!” Dean shouted. “What was that for?”
“That was for choosing Gentleman Jim’s life over Verrick’s. Do you realize what you’ve done? He’s out of time. We’ll never save him now.”
She slapped him again. “Ow!”
“And that was for leaving me and Ronan behind!”
“Waverly, stop!” Dean said, clutching his cheek. “I didn’t have a choice.”
“That’s what you always say.”
“It’s true! I didn’t want to leave. I had to. Finneus would have killed me otherwise.”
That got Waverly’s attention. “What?”
“You heard me. By the way, it must’ve been terrible for you. This is some prison you’re in.” Dean motioned to the luxurious suite surrounding them. The west wing of the palace was clearly meant for royal guests.
“I’m not a prisoner! Finneus has been doing everything he can to make me comfortable since you ran out and abandoned me here.”
“Is that what he told you? Waverly, come on . . . You’ve been looking at me different ever since we left Port Royal, but do you really think I’d leave you here to die?”
“I didn’t, but . . .” Waverly paused. “What do you mean, leave me here to die?”
“Finneus and Shellheart are trying to overthrow the queen. I made the mistake of finding out about it and got roped into their plans. They were going to kill you if I didn’t bring back the Blood of Poseidon.”
“Oh,” Waverly said, slightly embarrassed. “Did you give it to him?”
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly! Are you trying to get me killed?”
“It’s complicated,” Dean stressed. “I’ll tell you everything, I promise, but right now I need you to trust me.”
“Now that sounds like a risky proposition,” Waverly said, coming around. Her lips had the trace of a smile.
“Maybe,” Verrick said, standing in the door. “But you never needed anyone’s help to risk your life.”
“Verrick!” Waverly rushed to embrace him. “You saved him after all,” she said to Dean.
“Saved is a strong word,” Dean said. “None of us are out of danger yet.”
“Aye,” Verrick agreed. “But I’m relieved to find you safe for the moment. I haven’t been much of a guardian these past few days.”
“No,” said Waverly. “It was just my turn to make sure you stayed alive.”
“We need to do the same for Queen Avenel,” Dean said. “Now that all his plans are falling apart, there’s no telling what Finneus will do.”
“Where’s Ronan?” asked Waverly. “Is he with the queen?”
“No, Skinner’s guarding her.”
Waverly’s mouth fell open. “Skinner! Are you mad?”
Dean smirked. “Isn’t that obvious? Come on, I’ll explain on the way.”
Chapter 32
God Save the Queen
When Dean, Waverly, and Verrick arrived in the throne room, they found that they had been right to worry about Skinner. The pirates had subdued the queen’s guards, and Queen Avenel herself was being held at the point of a knife. Mookergwog stood next to her, guarded by Marlon Spyke and Long Tom Cannon. Skinner sat on the shell-shaped throne, covered in jewels and directing his men with a diamond-tipped scepter as they carried chests of gold out of the treasure vault.
“Seaborne!” Skinner said, beaming. “Glad you could make it. You were right, lad. This here’s the haul of a lifetime!”
“Skinner, you idiot!” Dean shouted. “You were supposed to protect the queen. Not rob her!”
“In return for a share of her treasure, yes. But I gots ta thinkin’ . . . what if One-Eyed Jack had the right idea about sharing, after all? I said ta meself, ‘Self, why settle for a taste when you can take the whole blasted thing
?’”
“That wasn’t the deal,” Dean said.
“You were counting on me to stick to the deal? Ha! Now who’s the idiot?”
“You are, if you think you’re going to make it out of that chair,” Finneus called out. He stepped through the main entrance with Shellheart at his side and a regiment of soldiers at his back. Every man jack of them was itching for a fight. Believing they had come to her rescue, the queen looked immensely relieved to see them. Dean knew that feeling wouldn’t last.
“Just keepin’ it warm for ya, guv’nor.” Skinner hoisted himself up and stood next to the throne, patting the seat cushion. “From what I understand, you’ve got designs on this seat, but yer a mite squeamish when it comes ta knocking off queenie here. Is that right?”
The room went quiet.
“Finneus, what’s he talking about?” asked the queen.
“Myself, I don’t have that particular problem,” Skinner continued. “The way I see it, there’s no need for the two of us ta be at odds. Not when we can work this out to each other’s benefit.”
Finneus approached the steps of the royal dais. “Go on.”
“Finneus!” Queen Avenel exclaimed. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, shut up, Aunt Avenel,” Finneus snapped. “Are you really so surprised?”
The queen was devastated. “Are you really so impatient to rule that you would usurp me? I have no other heirs . . . you were already in line to be king!”
“But when?” Finneus demanded. “How long did you expect me to run your insipid human circus? Putting on shows so these monkeys can dance for our amusement? It’s beneath me!”
“Oh, Finneus.” The queen paused to wipe a tear from her eye. “You poor, misguided boy. Duke Shellheart, please stop this madness.”
“I’m afraid you’re wasting your breath, Your Majesty,” Duke Shellheart replied, coming forward to join Finneus. “If you want to talk about madness, start with the decision to host soldiers from Neptune and Abyssal in the same city and then expect us to keep the peace. It’s unnatural, and I’m afraid it can no longer be tolerated.”
Shellheart appeared relieved to finally voice his contempt for the truce, but Dean saw the soldiers behind him looked conflicted and confused. “I thought it was Captain Lyndra trying to steal the throne,” he heard one of them say. Sir Riptide, the scar-faced soldier who had nearly lost his eye to an Abyssian “savage,” told the men to keep their mouths shut and stay in formation. They did as they were told, but there was dissension in their ranks. Dean wasn’t the only one who saw it. Skinner banged the scepter in his hand against the back of the throne, grabbing everyone’s attention before more soldiers started thinking for themselves.
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