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  Spio nodded once, jaw set.

  “All right,” I said, turning to Nestor. “Take us to Adaro.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN - Meela

  Back in the Bering

  While I tied Nestor around the neck and wrists, Lysi and Spio wrapped our unconscious victims snugly in the fishing net and left them to drift.

  My insides fluttered at our good luck. Finally, we had an inside source to take us to Adaro. Yes, there were risks if we got close to the king. At the same time, he had not ordered Lysi dead. He’d wanted her alive so he could question her, which meant what I knew about Kori Maru and the serpent would be my protection. Not that I would tell him about either.

  “If you try anything, you’ll get your ass kicked by all three of us,” I said, pressing the blade against Nestor’s throat for emphasis.

  He gave a pathetic squeak.

  I returned the black longblade to Lysi, and we each took an end of rope.

  “Lead the way, Nestor,” said Lysi.

  With a sour glance at this reversal of fortune, he led us south.

  Now, to figure out the timing. We had to get to Adaro before it was too late—but we couldn’t be early, because every moment we were near him while he was a merman, we would be in danger. We had to get this right.

  “Thanks for saving me,” said Lysi.

  “Yeah,” I said distractedly. “Hey, what day is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know? Can’t you track the tides and moon?”

  “It’s harder up north.”

  I huffed.

  “Well don’t get mad about it,” she said. “When we’re farther south I’ll be able to see the moon phase.”

  When I said nothing, she added, “I don’t see you offering insight over there.”

  I glared. I was perfectly aware of my ineptitude as a mermaid without her reminding me.

  “Why do you need the moon phase?” said Nestor.

  “Shut up,” I snapped.

  Would Adaro’s transition happen the moment king tide started, or would it happen at the apex of the tide’s pull? I guessed the latter, but what if I was wrong? We would have to tail him in secret as soon as we found him, to be sure we didn’t arrive too late.

  I was dimly aware of Lysi and Spio talking. I caught the words “attack belugas” and “baitball” and “whale whisperer”. I ignored them, thinking through various scenarios.

  We travelled across the North Pole with Nestor in tow, taking shifts when we needed sleep. He rarely spoke, and only once made a feeble escape attempt while Lysi was on watch. I woke up to find Lysi clubbing him on the head and telling him not to be such a cod. We tied his ropes tighter.

  When we got to the Bering Strait, no one was there to block our passage—much to Nestor’s dismay—as the army was under orders to meet Adaro at Steller Point. We travelled beneath the ice and entered the Bering Sea. The trip south was as stormy as it had been on the way up, the waves overhead white and choppy.

  I thought about what I would do first once I had control of the serpent. More enticingly, what would I do once the war was over? The possibilities were endless. With Eriana’s spirit bound to mine, I would reach a near-goddess status.

  I could command her to stay near Eriana Kwai, or at least return to my first home often, to keep my people safe. I would be a true warrior of Eriana Kwai—more of a warrior than anyone else had been on any Massacre.

  Then, once my time in this world was up, I could pass the honour to my children—assuming I had any. Did I want to? I hadn’t thought much about it. But if I wanted to keep the Host of Eriana alive and under the control of a descendant, I would have to pass it down my bloodline.

  A goddess. The very thought sent a thrill up my spine.

  Soon, I would be more powerful than Medusa. Was any woman in history more powerful than her?

  This was how legends were formed. I would carry on the story of Eriana as no one else could. I would be Metlaa Gaela, descendant of Eriana, master of the leviathan.

  “If you’re hoping to stay hidden, we should stop here,” said Nestor.

  The water was clear of ice, the landscape reminding me more of the Gulf of Alaska. The floor sloped towards two volcanic islands that sat close together, an unfathomably deep trench some distance ahead. We must have been back in the Aleutian Islands.

  I searched for the serpent’s massive presence but felt nothing. No matter. We would find her soon. I flexed my fingers, then raised and lowered my arms a little, imagining how it was going to feel to control the serpent. How had Dani done it, before she died? Was it thoughts or actions that controlled Eriana?

  “Where do we go?” said Lysi.

  “If you don’t mind land, there are caves along the beach,” said Nestor. “We can wait there until he comes.”

  “As long as we don’t have to take out any Kodiak bears,” said Spio.

  I let them discuss it. It occurred to me that I hadn’t spoken once since that morning, but I had no words to offer. The prospect of finally killing Adaro, of inheriting Eriana’s most powerful secret, drove me into a silence too precious to share.

  I trailed behind the three of them as they started towards the beach.

  Abruptly, Lysi’s scream cut through my thoughts like a knife.

  I snapped my head up, looking for the danger, and not until a wisp of blood appeared in the water did I notice something protruding from Spio’s neck.

  A bubble left his mouth. Lysi dashed forwards and grabbed his shoulders.

  Coldness spread through my body. I watched blankly as everything slowed down.

  Spio’s mouth opened and closed. Lysi screamed for him to keep his eyes open.

  My jaw opened in dim surprise. Where had that weapon come from?

  I belatedly turned to Nestor and caught the cruel smile curling up his face. I was the only one still holding his ropes.

  “Lysi,” I said, voice hollow and distant. “Get away—”

  Something whooshed through the water behind me, and Lysi’s screams were cut short.

  My body went numb.

  I met Lysi’s gaze—those vibrant, unimaginably beautiful sapphire eyes. Their precise shape and colour had never left my memory as long as I’d known her. They were the first thing I’d fallen in love with, all those years ago on the beach. They were the first thing to appear in my mind whenever I thought of her, and the shade of blue that had haunted my dreams over the years we spent apart.

  Those eyes were wide with fear.

  Her mouth was open. Those soft lips, and those teeth like pearls—her smile had been the second thing I’d fallen in love with. Back on the Bloodhound, floating in the middle of violent waves and wind, that was the smile that gave me hope. Those were the lips I thought I’d never be able to kiss.

  A bubble escaped those lips as Lysi gave a soft, “Oh.”

  She looked down at her chest. Something protruded from it—right over her heart.

  Her heart: the part of her I’d fallen so deeply, so permanently in love with.

  I wanted to scream, but no sound would come.

  Her eyes rolled back. For a moment, she just hung in place.

  “Lysi!”

  The entire world ground to a stop. This wasn’t happening. It had to be a nightmare. The world could not dispose of something so pure.

  I started forwards, but something closed tight around my arm. I spun around, fists swinging—

  “You make it so simple, Meela.”

  I froze. A small sound caught in my throat, like a gasp for air that didn’t exist.

  I had to be imagining that face. He couldn’t be here. I hadn’t felt the serpent. We were supposed to be hunting him, not the other way around.

  But there he was, reptilian face close to mine, a snarl revealing his pointed teeth. That black crown topped his head, seeming to grow from matted hair that was just as dark, and framed his face like a lion’
s mane.

  A roar burst from deep in my chest, so loud and furious I wasn’t sure it even came from me. Nothing seemed connected. My senses, my body, the screams coming from my mouth, all of it was a part of something scattered, a universe I was not a part of.

  My reactions were too slow. Adaro’s arm came up, a stone mace in his hand.

  He swung it at my head. My teeth cut into my lip as I threw one last punch.

  There was a sickening crack as the mace hit my skull.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN - Ben

  Sworn Oath

  “We’re calling it sonic charges.”

  Reeves stuffed his hands in his pockets, hoping the plan wasn’t as ominous as it sounded. Miller’s voice was muffled by the activity in the warehouse, full of gear, artillery, parts, and a dozen trainees. A high, rhythmic whirr sounded somewhere near the amphibian plane as the mechanics worked.

  “You know how those environmentalist types have been saying ship noise is harmful to marine animals and all that crap?”

  “Yeah,” said Reeves, frowning.

  “Well, this gave us an idea for two potential paths to victory. First, we can take out the merman and all the other sea demons with a high-powered blast of sound. Burst their eardrums, drive them insane, whatever it is the noise does. Second, maybe that serpent’s indestructible, but that’s not to say we can’t incapacitate it. You get a high-intensity, low-frequency noise, and even a blue whale would rather beach itself than endure it.”

  Reeves stared, not knowing what to say. He was saved by a faint buzzing sound. Miller took his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen. He typed something and put it back.

  “I gotta go. Sensors picking up seismic activity. Might be related. Don’t know what they want me to do about it. A tremor’s a tremor. Not like we haven’t been expecting the Big One to—”

  “Sir, what about everything we talked about?”

  Miller leaned back, giving Reeves a once-over with narrowed eyes. Reeves ran a hand over his mouth, aware of how his face had tightened in horror.

  Lowering his voice, he said, “How control is passed, sir. Targeting the merman?”

  “I’ve spoken to the Secretary of State about this. We have official orders to go forward.”

  “Did you tell him everything I told you?”

  “Of course I did. But we discussed it in detail and we agree we can’t get to the merman without being attacked by the serpent. We need something to incapacitate one or both of them.”

  A battle raged inside Reeves’ head. Half of him wanted to shout at Officer Miller for ignoring the facts he’d pulled straight from the only historical document ever recorded on the serpent. The other half of him knew his place.

  “Sir, the serpent is indestructible. This won’t—”

  “If the legend is true—” Miller paused, letting Reeves know that he did not, in fact, believe the legend was true. “—we’ll still get the merman with this. If power is passed as you say, then that’s not a bad thing, is it?”

  Miller clapped Reeves on the back, a grin on his face that plainly suggested Reeves needed to take a vacation for his mental health.

  A group of trainees passed by, heading to dinner. They acknowledged Miller and Reeves on the way, forcing Reeves to keep his rising panic in check.

  He waited until they left the warehouse before continuing.

  “Can’t you take out the merman with something that won’t hurt or kill everything within a several-mile radius?”

  Miller gave Reeves a long, searching look. “You’re concerned about the environment?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  “I’m more concerned about what’ll happen to humanity if we don’t stop this.”

  How could he convince Miller that mermaids could be talked to and negotiated with? These insane tactics could be avoided.

  “Sir, we need to protect the innocent. The mermaids who are no more than victims of—”

  He wished he hadn’t said it as soon as the words were out.

  Miller crossed his arms. “Protect?”

  Reeves tried to think of a way to explain. He needed Miller to know some mermaids could be trusted—but his every instinct was telling him to zip it.

  “Bagh,” said Miller, not raising the volume of his voice.

  Across the warehouse, a clanking noise stopped. Bagh appeared from behind an amphibian plane.

  “Sir?”

  “Bagh, tell Reeves what you told me the other day.”

  “About what, sir?”

  “What you heard about Reeves’ mission last year.”

  Bagh glanced between them, forehead wrinkled. “They passed a pod of mermaids, sir.”

  “And?”

  Bagh looked down and mumbled something inaudible.

  “What’s that?”

  “They opted not to attack, sir.”

  Miller turned back to Reeves. “You told your team to spare the mermaids. Tell me, does this sound like the kind of behaviour I’d expect from you, chief?”

  Anger battled with the hot shame filling his gut. Who did Bagh think he was, telling Miller something like this?

  “No, sir. I was trying to keep my team focused on the task at hand.”

  “I hope so. Because I would hate to have to relieve you of command.”

  There was a heavy silence. Reeves nodded stiffly. Miller pushed past him and walked away. Before leaving the warehouse, he turned.

  “Go help the boys clear the beach. The tide is supposed to rise higher than usual tomorrow, and I don’t want to lose anything.”

  The door slammed with echoing volume.

  Reeves stood facing the friend who’d betrayed him. His heart hammered. Sweat dampened his palms.

  Relieve you of command.

  The words rang in his head. He would never let that happen. He would not let everything he had dedicated his entire life to be discarded so easily.

  “Man, I didn’t think—” said Bagh, but Reeves turned away.

  Bagh grabbed his elbow. “Look, I’m sorry!”

  “What did you hope to accomplish by telling him that? Trying to tattle on me like a little kid?”

  “No! It was about the mermaids, not … I didn’t think Miller would care.”

  “Of course he’s going to care!”

  Reeves tried to pull away but Bagh gripped his arm tighter.

  “We’re done, here,” shouted Reeves. It was with enormous effort that he did not hit Bagh. An apology would not erase the fact that Bagh had treaded on his career—his life.

  “I said I’m sorry!”

  “I don’t want to hear it!” The anger burst from him, ricocheting through the warehouse.

  Bagh stepped back. Recovering, he set his jaw and nodded.

  “Fine. See you around, chief.”

  “Yeah. Maybe.”

  Reeves stormed outside, fists clenched. He had not worked this hard to be demoted because of Bagh’s careless words.

  But what was he supposed to do? Just let these sonic charges happen? It was Operation Perseus all over again.

  He stood at the edge of the beach, facing the water, and crossed his arms. The tide swished against the rocks. The glistening head of a seal poked out of the waves, bobbing slowly. This beach was so pure, so alive. What would happen to it in a few days’ time?

  The man he’d sworn to be would accept Officer Miller’s decision. Reeves knew his order to spare the mermaids had been a betrayal—and that was why Miller had cared so deeply. As Team Chief, it was Reeves’ duty to obey, to protect his country. He had to do whatever it took to stop this outside force from harming the American people. Sometimes, harsh actions had to be taken, and this was one of those times.

  But he could also make a choice.

  When he’d become a Navy SEAL, he’d sworn to never quit, to never drop out of a fight. This fight was no different—the one defending what he knew was right. He knew in his gut that mermaids had me
aningful lives, families, and emotions not unlike his own. It wasn’t their fault they were forced to serve this merman king. They were victims. They were innocent civilians worth fighting for.

  Being a soldier was supposed to mean fighting for the value of life. Maybe that oath was not intended to include mermaids—but the technicality didn’t matter to Reeves. He wanted to be the kind of man who valued and fought for all life equally. He had a choice to make, and looking out over the water, the scent of ocean air carrying on the breeze, he realised he had already made it.

  CHAPTER TWENTY - Meela

  The Effects of Iron

  My first instinct upon opening my eyes was to gasp for air—but I couldn’t. I was underwater. The next thing I realised was that I could not move my arms. I pulled and heard the creak of a rope.

  The world was dim. I looked around to find the glimmering surface a long ways up.

  I was tied to a boulder, lying face down on its rough surface as though waiting for a guillotine to drop. And I was not alone.

  A merman floated beside me, staring through blood-red eyes.

  Thetis, I thought, recalling his name.

  How long had I been out? Had he been staring at me like this for hours? I averted my gaze.

  A familiar black longblade rested against another rock. Behind it lay my crossbow and quiver, bolts scattered in the sand.

  The events leading up to this situation came rushing back. Lysi.

  “Oh, no, no, no …”

  My heart seemed to collapse on itself, the agony too much to bear. I pulled hard against the rope.

  Thetis moved his lips. Was he talking to me? I heard the sound, but the words and meaning were hollow, not reaching my brain.

  Another merman appeared beside him. Nestor.

  How were the two of them here, free and unharmed? What was going on?

  But I knew. My chest constricted, and I wheezed as though punched in the ribs.

  The enormous, all-consuming presence of the serpent lingered, wrapping around me like a cloak.

  Adaro was close.

  He should have been dead. Instead, he’d killed her. He’d killed both of them. What he was about to do to me, I didn’t want to think. How had this gone so wrong? I’d been so sure of my plan.