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Mer drifted down until her toes touched the sand and she walked on the ocean floor.

“I heard you again in the bay. Let’s not pretend you don’t exist. What do you want?”

“What everyone wants,” a voice whispered behind her.

She swiveled but there was nothing. So they wanted to play games. She worked her fingers as they slowly turned numb. Not a good sign.

“All I want is a good night of sleep.”

A deep chuckle sounded from her right, but still, she could see nothing.

“Lies. You and I both know you crave blood.”

Mer stiffened. While she was a fantastic fighter in the water, there was no telling what she was up against. Clearly the voice was dangerous. She pushed away from the disembodied voice to the south, but her limbs shook, not wanting to cooperate.

Time to go. This had been a stupid idea. She should have never left that cottage. When would she stop making such stupid decisions?

“Was your craving for blood sated when you took Coven?” she demanded on a hunch.

“Her heart was full of betrayal,” the voice whispered directly in her left ear. “She earned her death.”

Mer gasped, flinging her hand out with the shell. “She was just a child!”

A dark gray clawed hand wrapped around her wrist and squeezed until she felt her bones break. She screamed, dropping the shell. Tears filled her eyes and drifted away immediately, revealing the abomination before her.

A massive Sirenidae stood before her, but he was deformed. He was bulky like the king, with dark gray skin covered with pulsing ribbons of blue light. His waist melded into tentacles that writhed against the ocean floor. He held a black bone trident with wickedly sharp prongs.

His fingers were webbed, and she jerked as he reached for her face. Mer snapped her teeth at him as he caught her chin in his grasp. She punched him in the ribs, but he didn’t even flinch.

She screamed as tentacles slithered up each of her legs and her uninjured arm, rendering her immobile. He tipped her chin up, forcing her to look into his face.

“Such fire,” he murmured, black eyes pinned to hers. His blue lights pulsed. “You’re just what I have been waiting for, Mer Thalassan.”

“I am at a disadvantage here. It seems you know me but I don’t know you.” Her words slurred slightly and the world began to waver the tiniest bit. He was going to kill her. She no longer struggled in his grasp, barely feeling anything.

Her heart beat in her ears, slowing.

He smiled, his teeth all pointed. “That’s a shock since you’ve been looking for me.” The monster leaned into her space and brushed his nose against her own. “Welcome to my domain, Mer. I am Ceto.”

His words echoed in her ears.

Mer summoned one last burst of energy and tore herself from his grip. There was no way she was outrunning the creature, but she could put him in a watery grave.

She lunged for his trident, grabbing it with her uninjured hand.

A tentacle wrapped around her ankle and yanked, pulling the trident from her grasp as if she were a mere child. She spun, slashing at the appendage with her nails, drawing blood.

Silver blood. Sirenidae blood.

Ceto roared, releasing her.

Mer managed to stumble to her feet and flee, but each movement was sluggish.

She tipped her head back and pushed off the ocean floor, determined to get to the surface, get to warmer water. The hair rose along the back of her neck.

Two tentacles wrapped around her feet and towed her backward.

She screamed and fought off another tentacle as it tried to steal her shell.