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Chapter 28

My stomach knots and I spin around. Bash and his uncle are in a fistfight—the last thing he needs given all his swelling. The good thing is that Shane’s sword is nowhere in sight.

Something strikes me on the back of my head. I whip around and shove the trident’s tips to Coral’s throat.

“You going to tie me up with it again?”

“I’m going to kill you with it, you heartless sea urchin!”

“How do you think I got free?”

“I don’t really care.” I focus all my energy on the weapon, which warms instantly.

“Bash let me go.” She smirks, though obviously in pain from the tips.

“You expect me to believe that?” I slice her from her ear to her mouth. “Try again!”

She gasps and reaches for her wound. “What have you done?”

“Shut up and take me to my dad!”

“Bash did free me. Family first. He just met you. What do you really expect? Especially given you’re only the heir to the throne because of murder. You should be on the surface still, leaving us all alone!”

Bash cries out behind me. I turn around. Shane has his sword again, and he has it pressed against Bash’s throat. The water around it is red. Blood. Bash’s blood.

In a blind fury, I surge toward Shane and shove the trident into his middle, not aiming for anywhere in particular. Just need to get him away from Bash before the psycho kills him. The points dig into Shane, spraying blood in every direction. He drops the sword and lets go of Bash, who rushes past me. Coral cries out, right next to me.

I yank the trident from Shane and his eyes roll back. He slowly floats down to the ground. The water all around him is red, and his skin is quickly paling.

Gasping and gurgling sounds pull my attention away from him. Bash now has his aunt in a chokehold. “This is for Marra!”

I aim my trident for her chest. “Watch out, Bash!”

“Wait!” Coral pulls one of Bash’s hands off her neck. “Let me live, and I’ll take you to your father!”

“I’m done playing nice.” I shove the tips toward her.

“You’ll never find him without me!”

I freeze, the points almost touching her. “Are you telling the truth?”

She nods. “Not even Bash knows about the shed.”

“Shed?” Bash asks.

“See?” She struggles against his other hand, which is still around her neck. “You need me.”

I clench my fists. If she’s lying, we can still kill her. And even if she isn’t, she’ll likely be executed for treason. She’ll pay for all of this one way or another. “Where’s the shed?”

Coral glares at Bash. “You’ll have to let go of me first.”

He glances at me, and I nod. Then he lets go, but his nostrils flare. “One wrong move, and you’re going to end up like Uncle Shane.”

She rubs her neck. “Understood.”

I shove her with the trident. “Take me to my dad. Now.”

“You have to grant me immunity.”