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Chapter Twelve

Anightmare come to life. A manipulation that would end in more bloodshed.

Aria stopped fighting the kelp. It was no use. The harder she fought, the tighter the bindings held her. There were more tonight than when Dima arrived in Timarra and leveled her home to the ground. Aria had to come up with some other way to escape and help Caspian. As in her nightmare, his eyes blazed with fury and hatred, but his body perched calm and relaxed on the ledge.

Dima floated above her, tapping her claws in front of Aria’s face. “How did you like my sneak peek into the events of this evening? I wish you had seen more. You’d know exactly what my plan for you is.”

Aria started to respond, but her voice remained lost. Dima tipped her head, cupping her ear.

“What was that? I’m afraid I can’t hear you.”

Aria scowled. Dima grinned and shrugged.

“Oh, well. Guess it wasn’t anything important. Let’s get started, shall we? However, instead of starting with your arm, I think cutting your tongue out might be more fitting, followed by your voice box.”

Dima lowered herself to Aria’s side and tugged down her lower lip until she winced. The demon snickered and looked at Caspian.

“If, at any point, you wish to stop this, all you have to do is reverse the curse. The only words you can speak to me are, ‘I will release you.’ In case you wish to have some part of your beloved princess left to cherish.”

Aria clenched her teeth, but the demon snapped her fingers. Aria’s mouth opened against her command. Dima pinched the end of her tongue with two claws, piercing the muscle and delivering a bolt of pain. The sea witch pulled on Aria’s tongue until it became taut and agonizingly stretched.

Aria tried to scream when she felt the razor sharp edge of Dima’s nail against the back of her tongue. She tried to order her mouth closed, but it remained open. She tried to twist her head away, but the demon quickly stilled her fight.

“The more you move, the more it hurts. But who am I to steal the joy of pain from my captives?”

“I will release you.”

Caspian’s monotone voice stopped the demon in her tracks. Dima released Aria’s tongue and swam over to Caspian. His eyes followed her, the storm in them remained hidden behind a mask of surrender. Aria shook her head wildly, trying to get his attention. Panic swelled within her chest, a pressure that spread up to her head.

“You’ve always known how to take the fun out of things, Caspian. It was only her tongue, unless that’s a valuable commodity to you, prince.” She pouted, a terrible look for her, but it quickly turned into her usual malicious smile. She waved her hand in front of Caspian’s face one time. Caspian moved his lips, only choppy words escaping. “You’ll have to repeat the reversal a few times until it becomes clear. Let me warn you, should you try to trick me, my pets are waiting for a treat. Oh, speaking of treat, did you receive my gift? The lavender-haired gift?”

Aria seethed at the mention of her sister. Caspian’s eyes cut to her as Dima twirled around in delight at her own cleverness.

Aria caught the fierce swell of his emotion, the boiling power restrained in his eyes. She nodded once, when Dima wasn’t looking. She understood what Caspian was trying to relay.

The choppy words escaped Caspian’s mouth in rhythm. They grew clearer with each repeat.

“Your sister, princess, was a rebel. She had a problem listening to directions. I warned them all to remain in the cage and not try to escape. What did that one do?” Dima shook her head. “She escaped! The nerve! I had to send my pets to fetch her before she got too far, and when they returned with her, ohh, I made sure the others understood the consequences.”

By the time Dima was through recounting Stacia’s murder, Aria was heaving breaths filled with anguish and rage. An unusual prickle coasted down her arms. She built on that prickle, the heaviness behind her sternum, the expanding well of emotionally triggered power.

She may not know how to use it, but anything to stop Dima and free Caspian would be good right now.

“You sirens have a terrible scream. It can do almost as much damage as mine. I tried to reassure your mother that she still had three children left, but it didn’t seem to help much. I even allowed her the opportunity to hold your sister one more time before I left her for the sailors. She tried to curse me, like Caspian’s father, but I don’t make the same mistake twice. I shut her up, but it didn’t prevent her from conjuring that storm.”

Emotions.

She pulled on the reservoir of emotions, those she’d stifled since she discovered Stacia’s demise. She picked at the seam she’d sewn into place when Caspian calmed her and they had to escape the warehouse. The prickling sensation intensified.

A faint ripple coursed through the water.

Dima stiffened, tilting her head. She twisted, her joyous demeanor turning solemn in a blink.

Another ripple cut through the water.

Aria focused on her grief. Her pain. Her desire for revenge.

A tremor shook the ground.