Cruel Tides (Queen of Tridents #2)

10

Claira

E ven with the outside air refreshing my face, my cheeks still blazed. Leander clearly saw a string of nightly visitors, considering how quickly he’d thought to conjure up his charm when I’d snuck into his room. Something intense flared up in my chest, and I pushed it right back down.

Why should I care about who Leander invited into his bed? I gave my cheeks a quick smack to bring me to my senses.

My new knife wasn’t the only thing I’d found in the warehouse’s storeroom. A sigh eased through me as I went looking for the bolt cutters I’d hidden in the overgrown weeds next to the door. At least, I was pretty sure they were bolt cutters. The tool’s short blades had been sharpened at an angle, and the handles were lengthy enough to give me the impression that they meant business.

“Gas station?” I felt the deep rumble of Leander’s voice as he breathed the words down my neck. “What’s a gas station ? ”

My eyes rolled as I held out the sizable tool for him to take, passing it to his chest. “Come on now, you can’t keep playing the dumb merman card, Leander. Not when I was dragged all the way out here in the trunk of your bitch queen’s car.” Fury welled up inside me, and I drew my hands into tight fists. Raw energy threatened to burst through my fingertips if only I’d let it.

However long it took, I would get my revenge on those damn harpies.

Leander’s face hardened as he accepted the bolt cutters. One of his brows lifted in puzzlement. “What do you mean, my ‘bitch queen’?”

I stared back at him, wordless. Surely he knew of Aleena’s insistence on one day being crowned his queen—bitch or otherwise?

When I didn’t offer an explanation, he stepped forward.

“My father sent the Turbula twins to get you.” He spoke the statement like it was a question, and I drew in my lower lip, wondering if it was even worth the effort to explain. I didn’t have time for this, and I sure wasn’t going to start playing merfolk matchmaker.

“And you said they dragged you here in—which seat is the trunk? Is it the one next to the shotgun?” he pressed further, looking genuinely curious.

Memories of the nausea-inducing trip intruded my thoughts, and even though my stomach was empty, it stirred. I truly didn’t have time for this. Yanking Leander along by the sleeve of his shirt, I steered us toward the gas station.

“It’s the exact opposite of the shotgun , ” I grumbled, pressing forward. My boots crunched with each quick step as we made our way across the gravel parking lot connecting the vagrant warehouse to the abandoned gas station next door.

My ears caught a hushed grunt of pain, but I dismissed it. Who cared if Leander was barefoot? He was the reason I’d been abducted to begin with—a treachery I wouldn’t soon forget . Honestly, the toughest part in all of this was realizing that he was the one to put me in this position. My chest still ached from the initial shock. Sure, we’d fought after I’d found him, but I’d still saved his life that morning. We weren’t anything to each other—certainly not friends—but still…

When we arrived at the gas station door, warm fingers spread over mine, wrapping over the fist still clenching his shirt. I shook them away.

“Your hands,” he said, insistently cupping his palm under mine. He drew my hand so close to his face I could hardly breathe as the ice from his breath danced across the sensitive skin of my wrist. “How long were you out here before you came to get me?” The rough pad of his thumb skimmed over the raw, blistered surface of my palm, and I flinched.

There was no way I’d admit to how long I’d sought to cut through the chain on my own, fueled by a mixture of rage and anxiety. “Not too long,” I lied, shrugging like the pain from the blisters was nothing to me. “Don’t forget I had to claw my way out of a cage first.”

“Sounds like you’ve had a busy night, Claira.” His lips pulled into a wry grin. “Think you could teach me how to sneak around like you do? Might come in handy one day.”

I scoffed. Like a prince would ever need to sneak .

Releasing my wrist, Leander began experimenting with the bolt cutters by opening and closing the hinge. “But what made you want to escape to this gas station?”

Pretty boy sure loved asking stupid questions. “I don’t just stay where people put me anymore, Leander,” I shot back, remembering how easy it had once been for the merfolk to set me aside and put me wherever they wanted. Not anymore.

Leander rubbed at his jaw with the back of his hand like he was considering my words and gave me a firm nod. “I can see that.” He leaned into the glass doors and squinted, his eyes carefully roaming over the heaps of trash and broken-down cardboard boxes strewn between half-empty shelves. “Doesn’t look like there’s anything inside worth having.”

My eyes took to rolling again—of course the gas station didn’t look like much to him . After spending the greater part of his life drifting through vibrant, coral-encrusted halls lit by literal magic , could anything on land ever really compare?

I leaned in, glancing at the gas station interior as well. Honestly, he kind of had a point. It looked like a band of raccoons had dug through the roof at some point for a trash-throwing rave party catered by snack cakes and granola bars by the look of all the empty wrappers laid about. But even raccoons couldn’t stop me. I needed to get inside.

The gas station miraculously still had power, and I could clearly see the phone sitting askew at the checkout counter. My pulse quickened with a sudden longing. If I was lucky, there would still be a dial tone, and I could get in touch with Dad and Gram.

I’d spent hours sneaking through every inch of the warehouse I could get to, thinking of nothing but finding a phone. The anxiety had practically gnawed through me. They had to be so worried.

Dad would have already torn through every storefront on the strip, asking around for me and alerting the entire town. Every single one of them would be out looking by now, combing over the streets and maybe even on boats out at sea. And Gram, she would be raising hell. She’d probably already gotten out her pirate pistol and—

“Hey, are you okay?” Leander’s deep voice cut through my thoughts, snapping me back to the present.

“I just really need to get inside.” I croaked, letting out a slow, shaky breath.

“Then tell me what I need to do,” he said gently and straightened out his grip on the bolt cutter’s handles.

“Well, I tried cutting through the lock, but the metal is way too thick here,” I said, pointing to where the deadbolt hung. “Then I tried the smaller links, but I couldn’t cut through them because they kept slipping. So I thought if I held on to them, then maybe you could—”

My eyes followed the tip of the snips in Leander’s hands as they went for the curve of the heavy lock holding the chains together. With one casual flex of muscle, the edges of the bolt cutters sliced through the metal like a fillet knife through the guts of a fish.

“And—and I could—” I stuttered, but the lock had already fallen loose. Leander went to jiggle it the rest of the way free as I frowned. “That’s really not fair, you know.”

“Sorry, but I thought that’d be the fastest way,” he chuckled, giving the door an experimental push. When it didn’t budge, he gave it another shove, this time using the force of his shoulder.

“Uh huh,” I said, pulling the other side of the door open with the handle. It swung right toward me, and Leander looked over just in time for me to flash him a sardonic smile. At least there were still a few things a prince couldn’t do on the first try. “Thanks for your help.”

I stepped into the gas station, shuffling boxes across the floor with the side of my boot to make a path. “Now feel free to go on back to bed,” I called behind me. When I slipped behind the counter, a certain pretty boy met me on the other side.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Ugh. There he went again with the questions.

“Making a call,” I said and snatched up the phone. I held it hopefully up to my ear and… silence.

I drew it back, mashing the buttons, then checked the cable underneath. Everything seemed to be plugged in and seated as it should be.

“A call? What kind of call?” he continued, and I shot him a warning glance. The look that met mine wasn’t one of dumb curiosity, but of genuine concern , sending a pang of regret shooting through me. Maybe I was being too unfair. He did help me get inside, after all.

“I have to let everyone know I’m okay,” I confessed, returning the phone to its stand. “I, uh, don’t exactly spend the night out, well, ever, so I know they’re worried about me.”

I could feel a blush coming over my cheeks, and I followed the length of the cord just so I wouldn’t have to look back over at him. Had I really just practically admitted to never getting laid?

When I reached the end, I examined it in the light. Something had chewed through it, severing the line and my best chance at getting in touch with my family. I let out a heavy sigh. “Damn raccoon rave party…”

“What was that?” Leander called from behind me, but I just shook my head.

“Where am I going to find another phone?” I groaned, asking no one in particular. I knew Mr. Dumb Merman Card sure wouldn’t be any help.

“My father keeps going on and on about his phone,” Leander said, and I snapped back to look at him.

“Wait. King Eamon has a phone?”

I gasped as the image of him perched on his new throne flashed to mind. Even with legs, he looked too enormous—too feral—to pass as a human. My eyes wandered over the tight fabric of Leander’s shirt, wondering if the weighty power of the trident would one day turn him into his rapacious father.

“Yeah, he won’t stop talking about it,” he said, casually poking through a display of lighters sitting next to the register.

“Do you think you could get your hands on it for me?” I asked, watching as he picked up one of the more colorful lighters and shook it. He held it close to his ear, listening to the fluid swish around. “You kind of owe me.”

“ Me? Oh no. He hasn’t put the thing down since he got it,” he chuckled, putting the lighter back and digging into one of his back pockets. “But you can have mine if you want.”

Pulling out a black square from his pocket, he waggled it out in front of me with a grin.

My mouth gaped as he laid it down on the counter.

A cell phone.

Despite my trembling fingers, I snatched the phone up without a second thought and dialed Dad’s number. The phone barely got out half of a ring before the line connected.

“Is that you, Claira?” a familiar voice rumbled through the speaker. He sounded more cautious than anything else, like he was admitting an unfulfillable wish rather than asking a question.

Tears swelled against my lashes at the sound of his voice, and I pressed the phone even closer to my ear. “It’s me.”

“Was—was it the…?” Dad’s voice wavered as he struggled to find the right words. He didn’t need to finish. I already knew what he wanted to ask.

“Yeah, it was them,” I confirmed, and a sharp sniffle crossed over the line, followed by the abrupt, deafening sound of Dad blowing his nose.

“ I knew it ,” he whispered and blew his nose again. “I knew they’d come for you. Jeanette kept saying it was damn picaroons —well, you know she don’t know everything there is to know about where you came from, but you’re doing okay? They didn’t hurt you or nothin’, did they?”

Eyeing my bloodied knees through the rips in my jeans, I swallowed down the lump forming in my throat. “Nope, they didn’t hurt me. You don’t need to worry, Dad. I’ll be back home as… as soon as I can.”

“Holy heck, Claira, you know we can’t not worry.” My words sank in, and he panted out an exuberant breath. “You mean they’ll let you come back home to us?”

“Yeah, Dad. I—I know you can’t help but worry, but just give me some time. They want my help, but it isn’t something I can actually do, you know? You… you know how I… how I can’t…”

“There’s nothing you can’t do, Claire-bear,” his low voice soothed, and my chest tightened. I cupped my hand over the phone and turned away from Leander’s probing gaze. Dad always thought the best of me, but even he didn’t know how useless I was in water. I’d always been so careful not to let him see.

“Y-you’re right, th-thanks, Dad. Tell Gram I’m all right and that I’ll be home soon, okay?” I chewed my lip a moment and added, “And please tell her I’m sorry I lost her slow cooker.”

Dad’s muffled laugh echoed through the speaker, and I couldn’t help but crack a tiny smile myself despite my tears.

“You know she ain’t worried about that damn slow cooker, Claira. And don’t you worry about it, either. Just be safe out there, kiddo.”

“I will, Dad. I love you both. Don’t let Gram shoot at any boats while I’m away,” I said and glanced over my shoulder. Leander was leaning against the counter, his arms folded casually over his chest. An inscrutable look blanketed his face.

“We love you too, Claire-bear. You be safe now.”

“I will.” The phone clicked off, and I let out a heavy breath. “Thank you,” I mumbled, holding the phone out to Leander.

“So that’s a call? ” He took the phone and slipped it back into his pocket. “Interesting. I wondered why Queen Javalynn gave us these little boxes. She said they were only to be used in the event of a calamity, but Father won’t stop messing with his. He’s determined to figure out how it works.”

“What?” My brow quirked, my eyes narrowing. “So, you’re saying you don’t even know how to use your phone? Uh-huh, sure. Then why even keep it in your pocket?”

“You never know when a calamity might strike. Or should I say, a Claira mity.” He grinned, and I groaned as satisfied amusement lit up his annoyingly pretty face.

Merfolk with cell phones? Really? I supposed that was one way for them to keep in touch while stuck up on land. But was some merqueen really out there paying a giant family plan just so their kingdoms could keep in touch? Whatever—it didn’t matter. They’d survive on land on their own, just like I had.

“So, I heard you say you’re staying?” Leander asked, and his arms tightened back over his chest. “Sorry for listening, but I half thought you were trying to find help to get back home. That means you’re gonna accept my father’s deal? Endless fish is, well, endless.”

Leaning on the other end of the counter, I collected my strength. “Leander, if you were paying any attention, you would have heard that there’s no possible way for me to do what you’re asking. You get me out in the water, and I’m sinking to the bottom. And then what? It’s not like you can swim down there to save me, my dear prince. ”

Leander’s eyes lit with a fiery interest at that little designation I’d added on to his title, and I threw a scowl at him in return. He clearly didn’t understand an insult when he heard one. “I’ll be fish food, sunken like an anchor, then all of us are screwed.”

“I don’t believe it. You haven’t even tried in—how long?”

Irritation swelled through me, and I fought a losing battle of personal restraint. “ Fine,” I growled through bared teeth. “You want me to show you, Your Highness? Let’s go see just how useless my tail can be!”

I went for the door like a bolt, my boots kicking through the heaps of trash and possible raccoon villas as I went. When I pushed through the door, I didn’t even stop to see if Leander was following me. A brisk wind hit my face as soon as I passed the threshold, but I set my jaw in the air and pressed forward.

Earlier, I’d recognized the ocean air the moment I’d slipped out of the warehouse. The light from the streetlamps did little to illuminate the open surroundings, so I squinted out into the night and took in another deep whiff of the air. The ocean was near, all right. Choosing the most probable direction, I went for it. I could barely make out what looked to be a strip of docks in the distance, but I kept on until gravel turned into pavement under my feet.

An empty warehouse next to a harbor. I supposed it made sense for a group of misplaced merfolk to settle close to the ocean. I slowed my steps, walking along the pier front, and let the salt air blow through me. The unease in my shoulders practically melted as breaths of misty sea spray sank into my lungs, but I shook my head.

“I don’t belong in the water,” I whispered out to the night, clenching my eyes shut. Now that I’d seen Papa again, looking down at the dollops of foam as they fought up the side of the pier was like reliving the moment he’d dragged me up from the depths. The unbearable agony of being cast away. My arms trembled.

“Oh yeah?” Leander chuckled, suddenly appearing at my side. “Didn’t you storm out here to prove it?” His wide hand slid down the small of my back, the gentle press of his fingertips urging me to the edge of the pier. “Well?”

“Just give me a second.” I eyed the water and thought about the best way to go about proving my point. Idiot . Even the waves hit more than a few feet from the top of the pier, and I sure wasn’t going to dive in. Maybe I could swing my legs over the edge until they transformed? Then I’d show him how my tail refused to move. I’d look ridiculous, but—

“If you’re having second thoughts about jumping, I might have a better idea.” The hand on my back tightened, closing around my waist, and we both turned. My gaze slid down the sinewy lines of his muscular arm as he pointed down the unlit stretch of the harbor. “There’s a boat.”

“A boat,” I repeated, and he nodded firmly.

“Yeah, I’ll show you.” He took off down the pier, and I followed the dark path, not quite convinced. From what I could see, the harbor looked empty. Actually, the entire area seemed eerily abandoned. From the outside, one wouldn’t be able to guess that hundreds of merfolk were squatting inside the warehouse. On my quest for useful items, I hadn’t even been able to find the car that had brought me here.

Leander stepped off the edge of the pier, and I gasped, lurching forward to catch the back of his shirt before he fell into the ocean below.

Too late.

“Leander?” I said, scouring the spot over the edge where he’d vanished. A small fishing boat bobbed in the water below, and Leander was already back on his feet on its deck.

“See?” he said, smoothing down his shirt and bracing one knee on the side of the cockpit. He extended a hand like he expected me to take it. “Don’t worry, it’s seaworthy. You can trust me.”

“Trust you?” I scoffed and took a step back. “Do you really think I could ever trust you? After you sold me out to your father?”

Even in the shadows, I could see his expression turn dark. “That wasn’t my intention. I was… betrayed.”

Betrayed? Him? Right, like I’d believe that. The only way someone would have been able to betray him was if he had told them in the first place. “Uh huh. Sure you were.”

“It’s true,” he called up to me. “After that day, I wrote to you. A letter.”

“A letter?” I eased forward, watching the boat gently bob in the water. “Just a strongly worded letter trying to convince me to come break some mysterious curse for you, right? A brilliant plan.”

“You’re wrong,” he answered with staid calmness. “It was to apologize.”

Apologize? I hadn’t expected to ever hear that from him. “So, what, you just gave the letter to those mermaids to deliver?”

“No,” he corrected, and a chill hung on the edge of that one sharp syllable. “It was a gull.”

“A gull,” I slowly repeated, my mind swirling. “A seagull? ”

His dark silhouette gave me a single firm nod, and I was nearly too exasperated to speak. Nearly.

“So, just so we’re clear, you gave a highly personal letter to a seagull and expected it to just fly it over to me?”

He nodded again.

“You’re an idiot, Leander. Even a child knows better than to trust a seabird.”

“He gave me his word,” Leander said, a sudden anger lighting his eyes even in the night. “I gave him my entire week’s worth of bread and nut cream!”

“You what? ” I nearly fell off the pier. “Please don’t call it nut cream.”

“That’s what’s written on the jar!” Leander fired back, and I failed to bite back my laughter. Poseidon’s fury. I really hoped he’d misread the label for peanut butter .

“You should have just screamed it out yourself,” I said, motioning out to the ocean in exaggeration. “You know gulls gossip about everything!”

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry, okay?” He huffed. Even in his anger, he managed to exchange a small smile with me. His hand lifted, beckoning me to him again. “So, are you getting in the boat or what?”

Had he really not meant for me to end up here like this? “Fine,” I said, shaking my head. I kneeled at the edge of the pier, and Leander’s wide hand locked over mine. Water licked at the side of the boat, but he hadn’t transformed yet, so hopefully neither would I.

Pinching my eyes shut, I let his strength draw me down into the boat below.