Page 17

Beyond the prison walls, open water stretched endlessly, and the entrance to the mines towered in the distance. I’d never ventured in the other direction. But the guards pulled me along, entering a strong current that sped us away from Saltgrave.

Water rushed past, warming the closer we got to the palace. The fast-moving current blurred my surroundings, but I caught sight of coral buildings emerging from the mountainous terrain. Then the current slowed, and the palace emerged.

My eyes widened.

A shimmering fortress rose before us. Colossal towers topped with coral spires jutted from the glistening sand. We passed through golden gates capped with giant black pearls. Merman guards flanked the entrance, clutching iron spears in their grip.

It was almost exactly how my father had described it years ago, on that distant beach where I’d once dreamed of becoming a mermaid.

That whimsical child was long gone. But awe still filled my chest. For a moment, I let myself imagine the shackles falling away.

In my mind, the plain kelp wrap transformed into a jewel-encrusted bodice.

My riotous hair was tamed and swept up with a comb made of tiny pearls.

A mermaid princess, instead of a prisoner.

I marveled as we entered a majestic hall. A glass-like dome appeared overhead, revealing an array of brightly colored fish darting past. The walls glowed, and fluorescent jellyfish hovered like shining lanterns in the water.

The guard forced me to the ground, and I landed prone in the shifting black sand. He jabbed a shockwave stick into my back, and pain radiated through my ribs. My shackled hands left me floundering. I blinked, and the dreamy wonder shattered.

This fake princess wore a tarnished crown.

I lifted my head, peering through the floating strands of my hair. At the far end of the hall, a crystal throne rose from the floor. Slithering sea creatures coiled around it, and seated between them was a stunning mermaid with gleaming ebony hair that flowed all the way to her scales.

They were a deep blue, glistening under the lights. Pearls and tiny shells adorned her chest, along with twinkling gemstones, rubies, and sapphires glinting behind gold filigree.

The queen’s voice was cold when she spoke, her obsidian eyes narrowing on my prone form.

“You are a prisoner accused of aiding Tivara. What could you possibly offer me besides lies?”

My five minutes had begun.

I clenched my shackled hands into fists. “You’re right, Your Majesty. I helped Tivara. But she tricked me and used me to start her war. I can’t undo what’s been done, and I don’t deserve mercy. But my penance isn’t best served in your mines.”

The guard pressed the shockwave stick between my shoulder blades. I braced for pain, but it didn’t come. So I kept going.

“I know where the shard was taken. That’s not a lie. And it’s true that you need someone with human blood to retrieve it. Send me. I’ve spent years hunting lost relics. Let me serve my sentence by saving your kingdom.” I raised my chin. “I want Tivara dead as much as you do, maybe more.”

The queen’s lips curled faintly. “Insolent mermaid. I know who you are, Marin—of the sea. Your bloodline is mixed with ours. You may have been tricked, but you’re not innocent of the damage she’s caused.”

An advisor leaned close and spoke in her ear. One of the sea creatures hissed, flicking a long, slithering tongue through the water.

I looked away and waited for judgment.

The queen’s silken voice rang clear. “And so, your skills determine your fate. I will release you to the surface. You have three weeks to locate the shard and earn your freedom. Fail, and your curse will consume you. You’ll die, gasping for air, unless you return to the sea.”

I shuddered. Death on land was preferable to life in the mines .

“But know this, though your curse is my leash, Tivara’s magic will fight mine. I can’t break her hold on you completely. The closer you come to your deadline, the harder it will be to breathe. Her magic will try to kill you. Speed is your only ally.”

A knot of dread formed in my gut. “Understood. But when I return with the shard, I want to be made human again. Permanently.”

“You tire of being a mermaid?”

“I want my life back. The one that was stolen from me.”

The queen gave a curt nod.

“And one more thing. I want Sirena Cook’s freedom, too.”

“You ask for a lot, mermaid.”

Sirena’s voice whispered in my mind. Know your worth, Marin .

“I’m your only chance,” I said quietly. “You know that. All I ask is a pardon for my friend. A small price for a kingdom.” My voice hardened. “I won’t go otherwise. You can send me back to the mines, right now.”

The queen studied me. We both knew she had no other choice.

With a thin smile, she waved her hand, golden rings flashing in the light. “Very well. I agree to your terms. Come to me, Marin—of the sea.”

The guard hauled me up and dragged me toward the throne. My shackles fell away, and I bowed my head.

The queen drifted closer, water stirring with her movement. Her gaze landed on the streak of violet in my hair—Tivara’s mark. Then, as fast as an eel, she snatched the strands at the top of my head and pulled them tight.

I winced, tears stinging my eyes. She closed her fist over my hair and dragged her hand down the length of it. The purple strands faded into a rich aqua-blue.

“You belong to both of us now, a witch and a queen. But only the shard will set you free.”

I nodded.

Her hand closed around my throat. My eyes flared, lips parting in shock.

She squeezed, fingernails digging into my neck.

My throat spasmed as she leaned closer. Her lips formed a circle, and bubbles poured from her mouth as if she were breathing air into my lungs.

My heart pounded and my vision wavered. The bubbles thickened, swirling until they were all I could see.

Then the current caught me, and I was gone.

The queen’s eerie warning wrapped around me like chains.

“Three weeks, Marin. Return to the sea… or die.”