by Starla Night
“See the dorsal?” he asked. “Up means hunting, down is thinking. Here, it is nonaggressive.”
“That is so cool.”
He smiled, and the lines by his gray eyes crinkled. The doom clouds he’d carried around New York had finally dispersed in the water.
She felt the sonar clicking of a sperm whale on her body, heard the song of humpbacks, and tracked the days by watching fish moving up and down the water column. Time dilation underwater was real. Five minutes was actually a day, and though she wasn’t hungry or sleepy, she’d already seen and experienced so much.
And this was only the beginning.
Finally, Lotar bailed out of the fast current into a slower one. The landscape, which had been rough and rocky, was dotted with coral thickets. They were approaching a great reef. In the distance, a tiny light glimmered like a cell phone screen in the wilderness.
Lotar hovered above coral spires. Japanese noise rock played nearby. Again? Must be another giant octopus.
“We reach Sireno soon.”
“Already?”
“That light is the Sireno Life Tree.”
Wow.
Her heart kicked, armpits prickled, hands trembled. This was it. She had to convince everyone that they were the good guys, not to kill them on sight, and to come to a party that was her idea.
“My tongue feels like clay,” she said.
Lotar’s gaze veered from his sharp lookout position to her. His brows pulled together in confusion.
“Like if I try to speak, nothing will come out my mouth,” she clarified.
“Do not speak with your mouth.” He rested a wide palm on her chest. “You communicate here.”
With her heart?
Oh. He thought she had a good heart and others could see it?
That made her feel a little…
Wait, no. “Because I’m underwater so I have to vibrate my words in my chest.”
“Yes.”
She was an idiot.
But Lotar was with her. This wasn’t Shark Tank. She could do this with his—
“Stay quiet.” He released her and kicked for the ocean bottom, seeming to melt into the landscape.
“What?” She hugged her elbows, bereft. “Alone?”
“Reduce your electrical impulses. I will return.” He disappeared to a vague shadow over the landscape.
A goodness to gracious ninja.
Well, he did come from a city of spies.
She drifted on the current, floating inexorably closer to the spires, while schools of gray and silver fish flew past her twittering like strange birds.
Lotar would be back soon.
What should she say to the Sireno elders and king?
Oh, God. Her heartbeat spiked again.
The fish veered away.
Oh, her impulses. She tried to deep breathe, think meditative thoughts, and they veered closer again.
She should have practiced on the way.
Spike.
Okay, don’t think about it, don’t think about it, don’t think about it.
What could she do?
Become a ninja. Practice her powers. Make her fins so she could move more fluidly in the water instead of being stuck with human feet.
She flexed her toes.
Ugh, her nails needed painting. Her toes were stubby and ugly. The index toe went the wrong direction from the rest. Going its own way.
She had so many flaws.
Give up, Hazel.
She stretched.
The fish veered away from her. One brushed her back.
Oh, they weren’t veering away from her. They were veering away from something behind her.
Noises tugged at her. Like daytime television, or a podcast beyond her hearing.
She rotated.
Tattooed warriors surrounded her with tridents!
Ack.
Where was Lotar?
Lotar coasted over the healthy reef beneath the floating city.
He dove between thick trunks anchoring the ancient castles to the vibrant, coral-covered seafloor.
The castles bobbed far above. Like all mer cities, they radiated around the brilliantly glowing Life Tree anchored in the very center.
But Sireno’s old Life Tree had died off five years ago, and the new one had sprouted up from a different castle, throwing the city off-balance.
If their city was thriving, new castles would have sprung up.
But old cities mourned their absent sacred brides. The castles had dwindled and most had an unkempt, abandoned look.
He found a good spot to anchor and float.
The largest castle close to the new Life Tree belonged to the king. The warriors swimming in and out were advisers. Older ones would be elders. One, two, three…
Hazel was waiting.
He had left her in a sheltered zone cleared of predators. So long as she kept her impulses calm, she would not attract notice.
Impulses such as the jangle of nerves in his belly.
How unusual.
He focused on calm.
Hazel was not in danger. He had made sure of that, but even so, he should return to her. This was enough information. Not as much as he would get, but…
A patrolling warrior swam urgently into the castle.
There had been no call of alarm.
But…
Several warriors exited and swam purposefully toward the region where he’d left Hazel.
No.
Lotar kicked, crossing the reef beneath them, avoiding animals he did not mean to flush out. There was some sort of gathering ahead. And in the middle of it glowed Hazel.
His stomach dropped.
He kicked with all his might.
But he could not reach her in time to save her from the foreign warriors drawing around her with tridents…
Hazel’s chest brightened. She pointed through the newly arrived Sireno warriors. “There he is.”
The Sireno warriors turned.
And many things became clear at once.
The Sireno warriors held their tridents loosely in welcome.
The foreign warriors around Hazel had their tridents pointed out, protecting her. And she floated with another female. A queen.
“Lotar, look.” Hazel waved at the queen. “I was outside the city trying to be quiet like you told me, and who should swim up but Pelan and Roxanne? One of MerMatch’s successful, um, matches!”
Pelan, a warrior with black-and-red tattoos, held his bride loosely. Two other warriors from Atlantis had escorted them.
Everything was as it should be for two groups meeting at the boundaries of the city and requesting entrance.
The only one out of place was Lotar.
Curse it.
The First Lieutenant of Sireno, a warrior with purple tattoos introduced as Malem, gripped his dagger, unsettled. “Why are you behind me?”
Lotar hovered his hand over his dagger. “We come in peace.”
First Lieutenant Malem’s tone flattened. “Clearly.”
His Second Lieutenant, Ailan, murmured. “The rumors are true. Atlanteans will overrun us.”
The first lieutenant rubbed his chin.
All this was Lotar’s fault. Deep, hot shame flared in his belly. No one had caught him out like this since his trainee days.
“Overrun?” Queen Roxanne’s mellifluous vibrations soothed the group. “Oh, we’re not staying. None of us. We’re here on a family visit. Pelan’s from Sireno, you know, and we wanted to tell his father in person that I’m in the family way. They”—she indicated Hazel and Lotar—“are doing the All-Cities Gyre. What a funny word, isn’t it? Gyre? And they’re going to escort Gailen and Iyen from here to Aiycaya because there’s safety in numbers, and Gailen’s from Aiycaya, which was not overrun, but you wouldn’t know that from the rumors you hear flying around from that All-Council.”
Lotar used her distraction to dive beneath the Sireno warriors and come up in Hazel’s arms.
First Lieutenant Malem e
yed Lotar skeptically. “Some rumors are true.”
“Even one queen is dangerous,” Second Lieutenant Ailan said. “Two is a war party.”
“We can leave our weapons,” Hazel offered.
What was she thinking? Lotar tightened his grip on his trident. The other warriors looked equally shocked and unnerved.
She tilted her head at him as though surprised by his tension. “What?”
“Warriors do not release their weapons unless forced,” he told her tightly. “In a city of friends, it is unnecessary. In a city of enemies, disarming means they are imprisoning you.”
“Oh. Well, it’s okay if they take your weapons, though. Even disarmed, you’re formidable. You know. You are the weapon.”
This line of reasoning did not soothe the Sireno warriors, but it was kind of her to say.
“We weren’t supposed to arrive together,” Queen Roxanne assured First Lieutenant Malem. “Pelan and I set off weeks ago, and Lotar was supposed to take his time in New York finding his bride, but he’s a fast mover on the surface as well as beneath the water, and so this is a coincidence.”
“I dislike coincidences,” Second Lieutenant Ailan said importantly. “And so does my king. The last time a queen entered Sireno, she destroyed the Life Tree.”
“Well, I just know you’re not going to threaten my Pelan or Hazel’s Lotar, so it won’t ever be an issue.” Queen Roxanne rested her palm on Pelan’s chest and smiled sweetly. Her chest glowed with total confidence. “Right? Are you? You both seem like such nice young men. I’m sure you’ll talk things out using reason.”
Second Lieutenant Ailan straightened and puffed out his chest. “I certainly—”
“A warrior’s vow is his honor.” First Lieutenant Malem eyed Pelan. “You left Sireno. You are no longer our warrior. Act like it.”
Pelan hugged Queen Roxanne. “I understand.”
First Lieutenant Malem narrowed his gaze on Lotar, then pivoted and led them into the city.
Sireno warriors closed in on them.
This city had tried to execute the first warrior to claim a modern queen. Now they were being escorted in at trident-point. Sireno had a new king, but how much had changed?
Hazel trembled with quiet nerves. Her worry pinged on his consciousness.
He snugged her tighter.
No more distractions.
Twelve
They were in.
This was happening!
Hazel snuggled in Lotar’s arms, barely able to feel her fingertips from excitement.
She should really practice what to say.
But there was so much to see, and she was still reeling from the surprise meeting.
First, she’d welcomed the Atlantis warriors.
She’d met them or seen their videos, so they were familiar, but it took about halfway through a hug with Roxanne before Hazel remembered everybody was naked, including her.
How crazy that she barely noticed. Her brain just didn’t register it as important.
And then everybody else had shown up, and she’d pointed out Lotar, and the Sireno warriors had gotten downright frosty. Thank goodness Roxanne had smoothed things over.
“You look well,” Roxanne told her while floating cheerfully in Pelan’s arms, her long fins trailing with his. “Did you lose weight? I love your hair. That color suits you. I think you could pull off red highlights as well. You have the right bone structure.”
She was easy to like.
Hazel and Roxanne had worked together until the last year. They’d both gotten their paychecks from the Mer-Human Alliance, although Hazel’s came from the dating site and Roxanne’s had come from setting up the first-ever mer hospital.
The mer shrugged off almost any injury. They experienced crazy healing powers from the sap of their city’s Life Tree running through their veins, but sometimes they got hurt so bad that they needed to touch their Life Tree to survive and recover, and if their Life Tree was a thousand miles away and another mile underwater, that was impossible.
The foundation had set up the hospital back when it had seemed like all the mermen would someday come to New York to seek their brides, before the visa restrictions.
Pelan had been shot by the Sons of Hercules and landed in the mer hospital. The worst moment of his life had turned into the best, and now Roxanne lived with him in Atlantis.
“You look like you’ve gained weight,” Hazel said.
Roxanne’s brows rose.
“I mean, in a healthy way. You glow, but not like sweat.” Hazel stopped before she made it any worse. “You know what I mean. Have you guys decided on a name? Or is it a boy or a girl?”
Roxanne cupped her rounded belly. “We’re going to do the old-fashioned thing and leave it a surprise.”
“Oh, so you don’t even know if it’s twins or not?”
“Just how big do you think I am?”
“No, I mean because Lucy had twins… I just… I’m so excited for you finally having kids.”
“Finally? I think a few months in is pretty fast.”
“No, because of your age. You… You know what? Congratulations and never mind.”
Roxanne laughed. “You, Hazel, are the living end.”
Oh, goodness.
Lotar glanced down at her with worry.
Maybe she should focus on the scenery.
It was cool. Dannika and the other brides had described cities, and she’d seen artists’ renditions, but it was different seeing it with her own eyes.
The Life Tree floated on a stalk in the middle of the city like the tower at the beginning of The NeverEnding Story movie. Its white case glowed like a flower with all the petals drawn protectively around it.
Around it floated these massive shiny bulbs, like frosted glass spheres, anchored in concentric circles to the seafloor.
The purple-tattooed leader, Malem, flew to the largest globe. In the middle, there was a tiny hole, but as they approached, it turned out the hole was big enough to drive a truck through. Or a couple of trucks side-by-side. He gestured mysteriously to the warriors around the entrance, and they moved aside. Everyone swam inside…
Which was down a long corridor…
They popped out in a vast interior courtyard. Doors and windows lined the green, plant-based inner walls. A ten-floor apartment building could fit inside.
Down on the floor, a rich garden of waving plants clustered in vibrant bouquets around a central pedestal. In the center of the pedestal rested a fava bean.
Based on her knowledge of mer castles, that was probably the Life Tree seed. Every citizen got one. And if the Life Tree died out and one of their seeds sprouted, they became the new king.
Except in a few cases like this one.
More warriors ranged around the pedestal. Tattoos coated their bodies, and Hazel noticed the nudity, but quickly…what, forgot? As soon as she glanced away and back, she lost track.
Malem brought them in front of the main guy.
“King Jolan.” Malem saluted and introduced the warriors. “…as well as Queen Roxanne, and Queen Hazel.”
Queen?
Crazy.
King Jolan smiled and opened his palms. “My warriors and I welcome you to Sireno. I—”
“Brides?” Behind King Jolan, an elder with a pinched face squinted at them. “Do not welcome them to the city, my king. Warriors who endanger their own brides pose a threat to all reasonable warriors.”
First Lieutenant Malem crossed his arms. “That is not very honorable, Elder Runa.”
“We did not agree on allowing in females, Malem, and yet you have brought them in. You explain this how?”
“We do not agree on anything, Elder Runa.”
“And?”
“That is my explanation. We did not agree to allow in females, but we do not agree on anything, so…”
The elder pressed his lips together. “You dare compromise the city’s safety? And ignore the express wishes of—”
“Elder Runa.” King J
olan’s smile strained. “He followed my orders.”
“But he should have come back and told us the warriors were reckless enough to travel with their brides through deadly open water.” Elder Runa jabbed a finger at Malem. “This is why you should not be the first lieutenant. You have no sense of order.”
Malem studied the distant ceiling of the castle.
The elder flushed. “Are you listening to me?”
“Hmm? Oh, well, elders advise the king, not the lieutenants, so I was improving my sense of order.”
The elder looked like he was about to explode.
“Thank you, First Lieutenant Malem.” The lines around the king’s eyes deepened, and although he looked quite young, like, younger than Hazel, he also looked as if he’d grown up real fast. “I am sure there is an explanation.”
“Yes. It’s necessary to travel with us women these days.” Roxanne rested in Pelan’s arms. “That kraken on the loose only responds well to us ladies.”
“If it even exists,” the elder sniffed.
“She does, and you need us to teach you how to soothe her so she doesn’t rip out something. Right, Hazel?”
“Yes!” Another save by Roxanne. Hazel swam forward. “I can teach you the sound. Dannika just taught me. You go ‘om.’” She made the noise.
Malem and his warriors dutifully repeated her, as did the king.
Roxanne frowned. “Oh, um, I think that’s a little too high. It’s more like, ‘ommm.’”
The warriors dutifully repeated the sound.
Ah. That was the chant vibration.
Crap.
Hazel wanted to die. Curl up and die.
Roxanne brought her hands together. “Yes, so if you see a wall of tentacles and three mouths, you’ll know what to do.”
“Thank you.” King Jolan gestured to the gardens behind him. “According to the ancient custom of the All-Cities Gyre, we serve a filling meal and offer a safe place to rest here in my castle. Warrior Pelan, we were unaware of your decision to return.”
“I have not returned,” Pelan said.
“It’s just a visit.” Roxanne hugged her husband. “My parents are both dead, so we’re hoping to meet with our last living relatives while they’re still living.”
