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Chapter Nine

MER

It was all Mer could do to not get into the water.

It had been almost three weeks since she’d been in the ocean. She didn’t fear disobeying her grandfather, as they’d long since left the warmer waters of her kingdom. Sirenidae couldn’t survive the cold waters of the north, so no one would be following them to report back.

Yet Mer still stayed on the deck of the ship despite how the healers took a short dip now and then. Just long enough to be refreshed even though they returned with blue lips and shaking limbs.

She’d done a lot of things she wasn’t proud of, but her honor wouldn’t let her break her word on this. She was a banished one. The sea would spit the likes of her right back out or swallow her whole.

Misery clung to her as she strained her eyes south, as if she could still see her home if she squinted hard enough, but the turquoise waters of Thalassa were gone. Along with part of her heart.

A raspy laugh escaped her at the thought, and she squeezed the smooth railing.

Mer didn’t have a heart left.

It had been torn from her chest when Ream died and then again when her grandfather had shackled her to her husband’s murderer. Only three things kept her going when despair threatened to drown her.

First, that she’d protected Sin and the rest of their kin.

Second, she finally had a lead on Ceto thanks to Sin.

He’d managed to smuggle himself onto the Methian ship.

A merchant had seen two of the missing girls on a ship bound for Methi.

It wasn’t a lot to go on, but it was something.

Two missing Sirenidae girls from different cities on the same ship?

It wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t proof of anything, but at least it was a direction to go in.

Mer didn’t know what she would find in the forest kingdom, but hopefully soon, she would have some answers.

And third, she kept imagining the Methian king’s demise. He’d pay for what he’d done.

Just like you have?

Her gaze dropped down to her hands, and she ran her thumb over the pads of her fingers. They seemed slick, as if covered in blood. There were things she’d done that would haunt Mer for the rest of her life, but she couldn’t go back and change the past. Only move forward.

Determination filled her. Mer would do anything to fulfill her husband’s last wish.

Even if he was a traitor. Even if he had lied to her. Even if he had done horrible things.

It was her secret shame.

She still loved the man who’d betrayed her and their people.

He didn’t deserve her kindness, but she would do this one last thing.

Especially if it helped others.

It would put his memory to rest, and she could find some peace if such a thing existed.

A vibration went through the ship, and she frowned as the water rippled unnaturally across the waves.

What the devil?

Sailors began cursing around her. Mer tore her attention away from the odd ripples and glanced over her shoulder to see the crew fly into a flurry of movement.

Captain Velicu barked orders as she dropped down onto the deck, her sleeveless long coat flapping in the wind. Her reflective brown eyes met Mer’s.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

The stern female captain frowned, her golden face a mask of bad news. “Danger, my lady. You must get below.”

“Danger from what?” Mer asked, fully facing Velicu.

“Kraken.”

“A kraken?” Mer’s brows rose. They were the stuff of myths—old fish tales told to scare little tadpoles into going to bed early and to never wander too far. “You cannot be serious?”

“Deadly,” Captain Velicu deadpanned. “Let’s pray it’s not hungry.”

Her first mate, Jelei, joined the group, his attention on the captain. “There should be none this far south. We’re not even in their territory.”

“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.

The kraken was larger than the merchant ship. Larger than most homes.

The giant beastie clung to the bottom of the ship like it was trying to devour it. Sharp ivory teeth hovered right in the center of its tentacles, like it was ready to pierce the bottom of the ship. The kraken hummed again.

Mer palmed her dagger, her fingers aching because of the cold. Killing the creature wasn’t impossible, but it wasn’t easy. The kraken clicked, and the translucent fringe around its head began to flutter. It reminded her of the squid of Thalassa. Was it trying to communicate?

Try singing.

It couldn’t hurt.

She licked her lips and began to hum. Mer didn’t know the language of this creature, but it couldn’t be that different from the squid and octopi of the south. They were highly intelligent creatures. Surely it would understand she was trying to communicate.

Unless it thinks you are prey.

Every inhale she took burned, but she kept singing. The dark eye of the kraken latched onto her, and Mer could tell she had its attention. Its tentacles began to writhe angrily, thrashing harder.

That wasn’t the right tone.

Mer grimaced, treading water and adjusting her tune, trying to match the kraken’s hums and vibrations. Her heart raced as its tentacles slowed their jerky movements. It was listening to her song.

That’s it. Be calm.

Her stomach dropped when the kraken started to release the ship and drifted away.

It was too good to be true. It didn’t swim away or sink into the glittering emerald water down to the dark trench below that gaped like a giant mouth.

Instead, it faced her, looming so large, it was almost like a mountain.

She held steady as it gracefully glided toward her.

Mer held her hand out, her fingers screaming at how tightly she gripped the dagger. The beast paused, just listening as she continued to sing. A thread of panic tightened around her chest as one massive tentacle reached toward her.

Don’t run.

Ever so gently, it explored her hand and the blade, the tentacle wrapped around her forearm.

It would be so easy for the beastie to kill her, and yet.

.. the kraken was infinitely gentle in its exploration.

Her breath caught as the kraken hummed and light illuminated the circular markings on its body and the fringe outlining the crown of its head.

She’d never seen something so beautiful.

A faint trill reached her ears.

The beast released her and drifted away.

Mer watched it move toward the trench. She squinted as a creature darted into the dark. Mer swam a few paces forward, but it was gone. The kraken gave one more vibrating hum before stuffing itself into the trench and disappearing as if it had not been there at all.

She stared after the beast until her feet touched the sea floor.

Startled, she glanced toward the surface and back to the trench.

Mer had just interacted with a myth. A living legend.

Her heart raced with fear and a bit of excitement.

Shivers started to rock her body, and each movement seemed a little bit slower than the next.

Pushing off the rocky bottom, Mer swam for the surface, the cold water sucking all her energy. It was like swimming through syrup, each movement stiff and difficult. Mer gritted her teeth as her head swam. This was how Sirenidae died in the north.

They froze to death.

With all her remaining strength, Mer struggled back to the ship. She popped up beside the ship, shivering as her gills purged the water and sealed shut. Her first breath felt like inhaled needles, sharp and painful.

Shouts from above cut through the air, and soon a rope was dropped down. Mer slipped her arms through the loop and hung as the crew pulled her up and over the railing.

Captain Velicu glared at Mer as she shivered on the deck. “That was one of the most foolish things I have seen in my life,” the captain chastised, tossing her long coat around Mer’s hunched shoulders. “But we owe you our lives.”

“It was nothing,” Mer chattered, feeling like her eyelids were too heavy.

The captain rubbed her hands up and down Mer’s arms. “Your lips are blue, and I’m assured that is not a natural state for Sirenidae. It seems you maybe have hypothermia. Best be off to bed before you catch your death.”

“What could a little cold do when I tamed a kraken?” Mer chattered, her teeth clacking together.

Velicu rolled her eyes. “There will be no living with you now. The next two weeks are going to be miserable, aren’t they?”

“Perhaps.”

A Sirenidae healer took her arm. “Let’s get you settled, my lady.”

Mer let herself be led away, but she overheard Jelei saying, “Just wait until the king hears about this. With a queen who can control the kraken by his side, Methi will be unstoppable.”

Disgust filled her along with a healthy dose of dread at the thought of seeing the Methian king. It was quickly followed with the rage she kept kindled especially for him.

She wouldn’t let him make use of her in any way. The time was coming for retribution. Mer glanced out at the horizon.

He’d pay for what he’d done, and she’d take everything important to him.

And maybe, just maybe, she’d use an army of krakens to do it.