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“I know,” the captain bit out.

“What can I do to help?” Mer felt panic in the air. Even the Sirenidae healers looked terrified, huddling near the mast.

Velicu pushed the gray-and-brown braids from her face, lips thin. “Call on whatever God you worship that we make it out alive.” The vibration came again, almost rattling Mer’s teeth. “Man the harpoons!” the captain roared.

Another harsh tremor, along with a hum that came from beneath Mer’s feet.

The ship lurched to the right, and Mer launched for the railing.

“Fire!” Captain Velicu shouted.

The hum paused for a moment before a massive tentacle shot from the sea and slammed onto the deck. Mer gaped at the milky limb covered in bright blue-and-gold circular markings. A sailor stabbed at it with his sword. The tentacle slammed into him, grabbed the screaming man by the foot, and yanked him into the sea.

Mer yanked the dagger from the sheath at her thigh and peeked over the edge of the railing. The screams slowly faded as her heartbeat took up cadence in her ears. Three more tentacles as thick as the mast were crawling up the port side of the ship.

How was any creature that large? Just what kind of monsters did they raise in Methi?

Mouth dry, she watched the tentacles explore, their translucent suckers the size of dinner plates kissing the side of the ship as if looking for any weakness.

“My lady!”

Mer tore her gaze from the horror below as the captain strode through the chaos on high-heeled boots like she battled monsters every day.

The captain glared at Mer and pointed toward the mast. “Get away from the railing. We’re abandoning ship.”

Mer shook her head as if she didn’t understand her words. She caught sight of two dinghies the men were trying to get into the water. “We can’t.”

“We must, princess. The kraken has chosen this ship as its own. It will sink. No one will survive. We need to leave now while the beast is busy. This ship belongs to Ceto now.”

Mer startled. “Ceto?”

“Sea.”

She’d have to revisit this conversation later. Mer eyed the two small boats again, then the crew and the healers. One thing was abundantly clear.

There wasn’t enough room for everyone.

“You plan to get everyone off this ship?” Mer shouted over the chaos.

Velicu grimaced. “We will do what we must, and you are my priority, tasked to me by the queen.”

That wasn’t good enough. Mer’s palms grew sweaty as she glanced down at the creeping tentacles nearing the deck. No one should have to die because they were transporting a traitorous princess.

She swung over the railing just as the captain lunged for Mer. Velicu held her wrist in an iron-tight grip.

“Get back over here,” the captain growled.

“I am saving us all.” Mer met the woman’s steely gaze. “Tell your men to stop shooting. I’m going to draw it away.”

Captain Velicu studied her for a moment and then released her. “If you die, I’ll bring you back and kill you myself.”

“Deal.” Mer grinned at the captain and then turned her back to the railing. She tightened her fingers around the hilt of her dagger. The seeking tentacles had almost reached her bare feet. She took a deep breath and then dove.

Air whistled through her ears a second before she sliced through the water. Mer gasped as her gills immediately flared open. The shock of the cold water bit into her tender flesh and caused the scales along her arms to slightly shiver. Mer put space between herself and the ship and blinked her eyes hard to clear her vision.

The water felt... denser, as if it sought to put her down.

She spun around and gaped.