《The Sea Witch's Apprentice》


 Front Matter

    The Sea Witch¡¯s Apprentice: Book 1 of the Ink-Crossed Duology


    Copyright 2024 Marisa R. Bowman


    All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form of by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher/author, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by United States of America copyright law. For Permissions requests, contact the author directly.


    Acknowledgments


    To The Plotfather? for the plot, the plan, and the scheme.


    And


    To Specialist 34; expert in arms, legs, and other weaponry.


    Prologue Part 1


    <h2 style="text-align: center">His Excellency, High King Titus of Atlantis</h2>


    The icy water in the throne room dropped a few more degrees in the wake of the king¡¯s irritation, but, swimming before him, the captain of the guard had the good sense not to shiver. High King Titus had dismissed the courtiers, advisors, and even the servants from the expansive hall. The court would gossip about this irregularity, but the good opinion of his people no longer mattered. Captain Kael of the king¡¯s retainer waited at attention until the last flurries of fins and curious onlookers drained from the room, and its great pearl doors closed with their usual well-oiled snnnick!


    He and Captain Kael were alone. The king¡¯s frown hardened. Kael wore a uniform of armored scales, and a professionally blank stare. It was not the expression of a merman with good news for his ruler. Rather, it was the sort of expression that promised a need for punishments worse than kelp-stringing or chum duty. Worser still, the captain was alone. Evidently, none of his compatriots had deigned to accompany this report.


    Titus wrestled between the burning in his lungs, and an irrational urge to delay news of more failure. However, the luxury of time was no longer his. He swallowed the cough that threatened to eat through his throat the wrong way, and lifted a finger to grant his captain the right to speak.


    To his credit, Kael wasted no time in delivering the sorry report.


    ¡°The Erwin Caves were empty apart from a few stragglers, my king,¡± Kael stated; fins rigidly at his side. Jaw clenched. ¡°None of the men were able to read the prophecies on the cave walls, either. Seemed to think they were children¡¯s drawings. Or oddly-shaped lichen.¡±


    ¡°Convenient,¡± the king growled bitterly.


    ¡°We surmised as much, as well, Majesty,¡± Kael agreed, managing not to twitch under the king¡¯s glare. ¡°Unfortunately, some of our men tended to agree with the captives. The prophecies of Erwin do require a more¡­ discerning eye.¡±


    ¡°The drawings emit pulsing light. That didn¡¯t tip anyone off?¡±


    Kael gave the slightest shake of his head. His receding, peppery hair waving about his head with the effort.


    ¡°Bioluminescence has become so widespread in the kingdom since the issuing of witch licenses, that a few glowing drawings hardly raise eyebrows anymore. It is harder to impress when magic can be sold for a few pearls at market, Majesty,¡± Kael offered, almost apologetically. ¡°The fugitives living near the caves had some debate over the meaning of the artwork. Some thought it was a lewd depiction of a sunfish, while others insisted it was a badly written poem. Neither group was particularly attached to those ideas, however.¡±


    Titus grunted. Still, he had to be sure.


    ¡°What about the depiction of the lance-wielder? Has it changed? Did no one notice it?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Captain Kael was visibly uncomfortable, his gray tail twitching beneath him. ¡°¡ªthat would be where the ¡®lewd¡¯ part of the assumption came from, I think. Apparently, a lance-wielder is a rare enough subject for art that the depiction was¡­ otherwise interpreted.¡±


    The king sighed, and immediately regretted it. Deep breaths always irritated his cough, and once again, it threatened to claw its way out sideways.


    ¡°And the fugitives in the cave. Unpapered?¡± The king asked tightly.


    ¡°All unpapered,¡± the captain confirmed.


    For the briefest instant, Titus held his breath. It was possible, then, that they¡¯d found a magic-user among the last fugitives. Perhaps there was even one with enough royal blood to withstand holding a god weapon¡ªone who could fulfill the Erwin prophecies. He could only assume¡ª


    ¡°¡ªBut when examined, none had the magical fortitude to withstand the tests. Our search for the prophesied lance-wielder continues,¡± Kael said, killing that last spark of hope.


    The High King nodded. The last corners of his kingdom had been searched, and the merman prophesied to wield the inkthral lance had not been found. With the realization of what that meant, the burning in his gills and lungs flared. A single cough escaped his throat, and the sound of it was ghastly. Even in the underwater throne room, it managed to sound wet.


    ¡°And the Silent Market?¡± King Titus bit out, gritting his teeth. Anything to avoid losing face in front of one of his elite.


    If he could find the Silent Market, there would be more mages to test. More fugitives. More possibilities¡ªif he could only find it. But, being a market of magic¡ªlots of magic¡ªit managed to evade his men, himself, and even the currents that the bident of the High Throne summoned. The Silent Market was so named because it was just that¡ªa whole town able to elude the high king and the god weapon he wielded.


    ¡°It remains as elusive to our men as the location of the Kingdom of the Depths,¡± Kael confirmed, giving no indicator that he¡¯d noticed his king¡¯s discomfort.


    A stiff silence fell over the empty throne room. One by one, Titus¡¯ plans were dissolving before his eyes. He needed more time¡­ time!


    ¡°If I may, your majesty,¡± oblivious to the king¡¯s desperation, the Captain captain braced himself, rightly expecting to be thrown out of the throne room at any moment. His words were steady as he offered a risky criticism to his king:


    ¡°Majesty. The test subjects rarely survive testing, and many of the citizens in the outer rings are fond of the unpapered. If anything, the practice has only discouraged the migration of mages into our borders. The princesses as well, have voiced concern,¡± Captain Kael swallowed hard, the action forcing water through his lungs. It was dangerous to even hint to the king of the involvement of the royal princesses in internal affairs. ¡°We¡¯ve looked in every corner of the seas, Majesty. It is possible that the wielder¡­does not exist.¡±


    Had Titus been younger, he might have raged at the Captain, given him a good kelp-stringing, or given him a day of de-barnacling the palace in the places that stuck above the surface. However, Captain Kael had voiced the very thing that so heavily weighed on Titus¡¯ mind.


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Titus, a feeling of dread weighing his fins nearly down to the silt. It was time to prepare for the eventuality that the wielder, and the lance, itself, might never be found.


    ¡°Yes, your Majesty. I am aware that I overstep; however, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Call a halt to the search.¡±


    Captain Kael couldn¡¯t have looked more surprised than Titus had informed him that he¡¯d just sprouted a second tail. He stumbled over his next few words, mouth agape.


    ¡°I beg your pardon, Majesty? Call off the search?¡±


    ¡°Open a proclamation. Offer untried papers to anyone with information about the wielder¡¯s whereabouts. Offer papers to the entire reef. Rewards. Anything.¡±


    ¡°What about containment? The other kingdoms will assume we are searching for another heir,¡± Kael asked, mouth agape. ¡°And the sea witches. With papers, anyone could practice magic¡ª¡±


    ¡°License them.¡±


    The order was curt and short, and Kael recognized it for what it was. Fists returning to his sides, the captain snapped back to attention, the movement waving his peppery hair through the water into his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Majesty.¡±


    ¡°And hire mages into my retainer, under your own supervision.¡± Titus added. ¡°Qualified ones.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, majesty.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Titus waited for Kael to protest¡ªto tell him the obvious: that there had never been successful cases of mages working directly for the crown since the Cecaelian war. That the number of mages in the kingdom¡ªnay, in the ocean, had dwindled severely since the Purges by Titus¡¯ own orders. There would be uproar. There would be scandal on both sides¡ªthe citizenry, and those unpapered migrants whose families he, High King of Atlantis, had robbed. The captain, however, seemed to feel that he had pushed his luck with the king enough for one meeting.


    King Titus let his hand fall back to the seat of the throne. Though the order carried risk, perhaps the presence of more magic wielders under palace control would help to regulate what was coming. The tests were never meant to last so long. He gave Kael his final order.


    ¡°Send for Advisor Marlin.¡±


    There was dismissal in every syllable, and Kael would have had to be separated from his senses to mistake it. Titus raised the bident an inch, and a current opened the towering entryway doors enough for one merman to pass through. The captain gave a curt nod, and with a powerful flick of his tail, crossed the length of the throne room, and fled through the doors.


    It is time. Time to tell someone what¡¯s coming¡ªwhat I¡¯ve done, he determined, as the doors closed once again.


    Finally alone, the king released his clenched jaw. Putting his free hand on his throat, as though that would somehow help, Titus let the cough have its way.


    His tail fins shook with the effort. He sputtered and wheezed through every fiery breath he took. It was as though he was trying to breathe above water. Searing pain flared from his lungs and into his throat as he sputtered and wheezed, and it didn¡¯t stop. It could have gone on forever had his energy not waned enough that his chest finally stopped heaving. Salt burned his eyes as he slumped back in the hard shell throne. He would have given his scales for a pillow, but pillows meant comfort. Comfort meant weakness.


    ¡°Alone at last, are we? Poor little king. Does it hurt to die?¡±


    The woman¡¯s voice was derisive, and unconcerned. It belonged to no one, echoing from every shadow in the room from the ones behind each coral pillar to the shade cast by the very throne where he sat. It was a voice that slunk merrily into his bones, chilling and stabbing at his nerves.


    ¡°Eris,¡± the king greeted, hating that his own words came out in a rasp. ¡°Come to gloat?¡±


    ¡°I never kick a man when he¡¯s down,¡± Eris lied.


    ¡°Come out and speak face to face, Eris. Or shall I have a conversation with the shadow under my seat cushion instead.¡±


    ¡°Giving orders? To me?¡± said the shadow under his seat somewhat huffily.


    Titus bit down another cough, waiting.


    A watery sigh danced its way across the room, taking its time, until at last, Eris came out.


    A shadow cast by one of the coral pillars scraped itself up from the silt floor. It floated like silt around the pearly base, and wisped around, forming a set of dark eyes and the hem of a sinewy skirt as Eris stepped out from behind the pillar on long, dark, human legs.


    ¡°You¡¯re out of time, little king. Your debts have come due,¡± Eris purred.


    Eris could have been beautiful¡ªassuming one looked at her from a distance with both eyes closed. Her features were sharp and spindly, all pale skin, and angles, and sneers. Her form coalesced before him, flickering as though she had great difficulty staying in one place. Her hair billowed below her waist, and high above her head, like a cloak caught in a current. Glittering black eyes missed no detail of her surroundings. It was as though she could see his every movement, discomfort, and weakness.


    She paced closer, instead of swimming or floating, and there was something unnerving about the movement, as though the elements themselves didn¡¯t have quite as much pull on her as they did on everyone else. Her expressions mimicked the same emotions that Titus was used to seeing on the other merfolk, with the caveat that they did not transition by means of muscle and intention. Instead, they flitted from one mood to the next like smoke in the water, no part of her ever truly ¡®there.¡¯


    It was with one of these flitty, ¡®other¡¯ sort of motions that Eris extended a hand to him, stepping through the water as though on invisible glass steps toward his resting perch on the throne.


    ¡°I¡¯ve come to collect,¡± she said, her voice at last belonging to just one place.


    ¡°What, no hello, Eris?¡± Titus deflected. ¡°It¡¯s been what? Months? Years? Shall I call for tea?¡±


    Eris stopped in her tracks. ¡°Jokes¡­ How very mortal. So little time left, and still wasting it, Titus.¡±


    ¡°Humor gives time meaning¡ªnot that you would understand, Eris.¡±


    She smiled, a ghastly movement that revealed unnaturally flat, polished teeth. ¡°To the contrary. I find your predicament highly amusing. Did I hear correctly, Titus? You¡¯ve been trying to find the wielder of the Inkthral lance¡ªa weapon not seen in these waters for over a hundred of your mortal years?¡±


    ¡°A king can dream,¡± Titus said, swallowing hard. There would be time for pain later. The coughing fit had abated some of the burning in his lungs, though his voice still had a hard grate to it when he spoke.


    ¡°And dream, you have,¡± said Eris. She leaned conspiratorially on an unseen wall, the picture of graceful indolence. ¡°Have you forgotten the price of those dreams? Your war was won on the backs of others. Now, you pay the price.¡±


    ¡°Tea?¡± the king tried again weakly, but his attempt was rewarded with a scowl that darkened Eris¡¯ glare.


    ¡°You are dying Titus, and when you die, all that precious royal blood in your veins will run out. I am not stupid enough to be blind to your attempts to renege¡ªunless you are planning on leaving the dregs of our bargain to your daughters. I did think even you were so deliciously selfish.¡±


    Titus gripped the cracked bident in his hand, and the god-weapon gleamed under his touch, ready and eager to be wielded. ¡°I have plenty of years left, Eris. Leave me another decade of peace, and you¡¯ll have your due.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, mortal king!¡± Eris¡¯ hair flared behind her, rendering her anger all the larger. ¡°Have you grown so old you can no longer see your own reflection? The depths can only say that this palace has enough surfaces! You do not have years. You have days! I have shown sufferance thus far¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sufferance? That¡¯s not at all what I recall¡ª¡±


    ¡°Enough! Fulfill your end of the deal, Titus. Open the blood seal, and let Cetus free from his prison. Do it now, or upon your deathbed, I¡¯ll have your sweet children do it for you. Your preference. A drop of blood from you, or I carve every ounce of it I can from their little fins.¡±


    ¡°My children are no longer mine,¡± Titus said calmly. ¡°Only I can fulfill our bargain, and I am not yet ready to release a leviathan on my kingdom.¡±


    Eris hissed, but her rage evaporated as quickly as the cold smile returned.


    ¡°It does not matter whether you are ready. You think I haven¡¯t noticed your unfruitful search? Your daughters'' marriages? True, the first several of them are beyond my reach, but you still have three daughters left. Three precious, unwed morsels. Unprotected the moment you leave them.¡±


    Titus did not wince, or beg, or cower. He was High King of all the seas and oceans¡ªone who had paid a terrible price for the tenuous peace those waters enjoyed. However; he was also a father. And, as the burning in his chest, throat, and scales reminded him, he was indeed dying. So, the king held the god-weapon in his hand more firmly, and clenched his jaw tighter, knowing that no one else was to blame for the fate of his kingdom than himself. But he was not quite yet out of time, and there was still one thing left to try. He only needed enough time to let it come to fruition. Time. The one thing he didn¡¯t have.


    His attention sharpened when Eris whirled around, as though sensing his dissension. In a flurry of dark water, she was suddenly floating right before his face, no longer pretending to walk through the water. He could have reached out and touched her, if he thought she was really there.


    ¡°Blood for blood, Titus!¡± she demanded, invoking his name for the first time. ¡°Decades you¡¯ve sat on this blood-soaked throne, forgetting who put you there, and at what cost. You. Weak mortal king. Living on borrowed time. Claiming false glory. Bringing children into this world, as though you thought you could create a world for them to live in. I am tired of your squirming. And I am tired of this draining, tedious wait.¡±


    ¡°You cannot force my hand, Eris. I did not sign this deal with you,¡± said Titus with a regality he did not feel. ¡°We both know you can¡¯t stay in this palace for long. Leave me be until the contract truly has come due.¡±


    Eris'' scowl interchanged with her usual smile, as though she could not decide which one to wear.


    ¡°Just so. I cannot stay,¡± she sighed at last. ¡°But do you think I would not leave¡­contingencies? It is rather poetic, how well you¡¯ve come to trust the traitors in your own walls.¡±


    ¡°No one in my palace is desperate enough to make a deal with a devil,¡± Titus replied. Of that, at least, he was sure.


    ¡°No one?¡± Eris breathed¡ªor at least, something close to it. Leaning back, she returned to her smooth pacing stalk, a movement that took her a more comfortable distance away from his person. ¡°Then you have nothing to be concerned about¡ªuntil you are on your deathbed, that is.¡±


    Just then, the sound of horns met his ears, announcing the approach of a visitor to the throne room.


    Marlin, he thought, with no small amount of relief. It¡¯s about time. I can tell someone. Someone has to know.


    ¡°It seems you have a guest, and I do hate to feel redundant,¡± Eris hummed.


    Without warning or farewell, Eris left. It was as though all the room¡¯s shadows had been released at once, each one flying back into its original place as she dissolved before his eyes. The room was darker, but the darkness was a natural, peaceful one. With her departure, a tense vibration left the water in the room, leaving him with the first sense of calm he¡¯d had since Captain Kael had arrived. However, Titus¡¯ relief was short-lived.


    When the doors opened again, it was not his trusted advisor, who crossed the threshold of the throne room.


    ¡°King Ezra of the Cecaelia!¡± announced the blowfish outside the doors, before scuttling away from King Ezra¡¯s tentacle span as he swooped into the room.


    The cecaelian king was scant decades younger than Titus, though years had touched him just as heavily. His black tentacles were scarred and battleworn from the Cecaelian war. If he noticed the way the throne room drained of any warmth when the king caught sight of him, he gave no notice. Instead, he gave an ironic bow, his black pupils never leaving Titus¡¯ own. As he bent, his scant clothing clinked delicately. A collection of chains and pendants partly covered his brazenly bare torso, doing little to conceal his battle scars. Ezra never hid the evidence of his participation in the rebellion wars for the throne of Atlantis. He wore them proudly, despite the snarls that statement drew from both of his peoples.


    ¡°Rise¡ª¡± Titus said¡ªor at least, he started to say it.


    The sound choked in his throat, and this time, his struggle had nothing to do with that infernal cough. One of the many pendants and jewels that decorated Ezra¡¯s torso had arrested his attention so thoroughly, that he almost didn¡¯t hear the soft, ¡°Excellency,¡± that the lesser king uttered in greeting.


    The pendant was no pendant at all, but a conglomerate of swirling shadows just like the ones that had over the throne room¡ªjust like Eris. They were already reaching for him, seeping into his mind, and filling his eyes and ears like tar, before he could move, before he could even cry out.


    Marlin, he wanted to scream. Marlin! I have to tell him. I have to tell someone¡­what¡¯s coming!


    But, one by one, his senses, his faculties, were draining away from him. It was as though he¡¯d been shoved into a cell somewhere in the back of his own mind. Titus was forced to watch as he, himself, beckoned Ezra forward to a place in his advisor¡¯s seat.


    ¡°I have a proposition for you, Excellency, that I dearly hope you will consider¡­¡± he saw Ezra¡¯s mouth form the words before his vision clouded completely, and his hands were no longer his to control.


    ¡°Proposition? Of course¡­.of course,¡± were the last things he heard, spoken in his own voice.

 Prologue II

    Prologue Part II


    <h2>Chamberlain Marlin, Advisor to the High King</h2>


    Not for the first time, the sea turtle Chamberlain Marlin was toying with the idea of turning down High King Titus¡¯ summons. A summons often meant that the king had found something wrong with Marlin¡¯s work, or wanted to add to his work, or wanted Marlin to drop his current work in the name of working more. Each year, the shell on Marlin¡¯s back got a little heavier as High King Titus added to his duties. The king¡¯s requests of him in recent years could be described at best as ¡®odd,¡¯ and at worst, ¡®unforgivably addled.¡¯ Over forty years of peaceful reign, High King Titus had continued to fortify the reefs for war, and had retained a heavy suspicion of magic, going so far as to devise the ¡®tests.¡¯


    Ever since the introduction of the ¡®tests,¡¯ whispers of the king¡¯s search for magic folk chased Marlin through the court in varying tones of malice.


    The kingdom needed magic to exist, thriving on its cures, construction, tools, the way the very currents were shaped. Mages and witches were vital to the kingdom¡¯s survival. Despite this, the king insisted on pacing any new-coming practitioners with the ¡®tests,¡¯ devised to find those with magical fortitude enough to handle a god-weapon. The king was looking for estranged royal blood. Magical royal blood. It was absurd. It was impossible.


    In recent months, the ¡®search¡¯ had escalated to such a degree that one rumor now persisted above all: that the old king had gone mad.


    The old turtle shook his head. Now was not the time for getting lost in his own head.


    The summoners, a pair of bonefish transfers from the Atlantic, had found him only minutes ago with a message from Captain Kael, but claimed they¡¯d been sent sometime around noon.


    Noon!


    Sparkling glimpses of sunlight in the water overhead told him that it had been at least an hour since the high king had sent for him. It was simply unacceptable.


    ¡°Bonefish,¡± he grumped under the strain of trying to drag his shell along a small back-currant. ¡°More like bone-headed. This is the last time I hire speed over basic sagacity¡ªthe very last!¡±


    Despite his reluctance, Marlin made a decision. With great effort, he turned his shell, and abandoned his current hunt. Though there was an inevitable struggle as he fought through the kelp beds that surrounded the palace gardens, he eventually passed the main gates and made for the throne room.


    For once, he could only hope that Titus had nothing more to ask of him than advice, or perhaps the odd errand. His young charge, the princess Ayalina, had gone missing. His presence with the king might excuse him from an interrogation of his having lost her¡ªagain.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting too old for this,¡± Marlin groaned, casting a last glance for the princess around the palace hallways as he sailed through a bustle of displaced courtiers and servants. The ornate palace was bustling with life as usual, and for the second time that month, the inner facades were being given a fresh oyster wash.


    ¡°King carries on like this, and the whole castle will be one big, ugly pearl, itself,¡± he overheard someone say, and though he agreed with the sentiment, Marlin didn¡¯t appreciate the snide tone. He cast a stern look at the naysayer, and everyone else. Of course, being a turtle, no one paid him any heed as he passed by.


    ¡°Did you see?¡± he heard an extravagantly painted sailfish mutter. ¡°Those tentacles. And the whole place empty. Something¡¯s afoot, and who can say what madness is coming to the palace if someone like that gets a private audience.¡±


    ¡°I heard that he brought an entourage. Just swam in like they owned the place and took the nobles¡¯ rooms and barracks¡ªlike they think they belong!¡± A speech-gifted crab laced in strings of pearls was waving her claws like a kelp bed in monsoon season.


    ¡°First the purges and now the Kuroshio are welcome in the palace uninvited? I didn¡¯t believe it before, but now I might. The king really has gone ma¡ª¡±


    ¡°Out of the way!¡± Marlin grumped, pushing past the gossipers.


    A hush descended on the blabbing group, and there was a flurry of fins and claws when they recognized him. The crowd parted to let him through, though not out of courtesy. Rather, no one in the Atlantean court would want to be seen by the king¡¯s advisor and head chamberlain when committing soft treason.


    Marlin harrumphed as he swam by, the hall parting for him easily, now. There was no sign of Princess Ayalina, of course. That would have been too easy.


    He couldn¡¯t help but wonder, as he easily sailed the last hallways toward the throne room doors, why it was that he could get anyone in the kingdom to listen to his demands¡ªincluding the king¡ªexcept for the princesses.


    In the days when his shell had been much smaller and lighter, Marlin¡¯s first role in the royal family had been as a carriage master. He pulled them, parked them, and escorted dignitaries to and from them. Later, when he was too slow to be of use, he¡¯d apprenticed to the palace chamberlain. Marlin planned events, greeted dignitaries, and organized travel. Simple things. Dull things. So, no one, including him, questioned his position as a spy in the Cecaelian war. After all, who would suspect a sleepy old turtle of listening in on things. Marlin had overheard more than one state secret spilled accidentally when the foreign palaces he visited forgot to treat him as anything other than a large, green piece of furniture.


    At the war¡¯s end, he had won the trust of the king, who shortly kept him on as a nanny-turtle for his nine princesses. Marlin had the ear of the royal family at all hours during those years. Eventually, his position had changed to Head Chamberlain, as his role among the princesses diminished. Of nine grown princesses, some had married into queenships, and others into alliances¡ªgone but for the last three. Of course, Marlin had his flipper in all of those arrangements. The old turtle organized balls, greeted visiting dignitaries, snooped on would-be suitors for King Titus¡¯ offspring, and Poseidon-help-him, occasionally chaperoned their attempts at courting the poor girls.


    This year alone, every eligible duke, baron, governor, and may-Poseidon-damn-the-lot-of-them, princes, had subjected Marlin to enough ear-splitting serenades, and woefully composed poetry to make him consider having the palace chefs end his misery and just serve him up as turtle soup¡ªalmost.


    The truth was, he cared greatly for his little hatchling princesses, though they were hatchlings no longer. And, while the princesses didn¡¯t always listen to him, they certainly sought out his advice more often than their father, a fact which he kept close to his shell.


    ¡°Noon,¡± Marlin repeated aloud before his mind could wander further. Worry threatened to weigh down his shell and plunge him all the way down to the sand¡ªwhich he decidedly did not have time for. ¡°It¡¯s not as if the bony imbeciles don¡¯t know how to find me!¡±


    Fish occasionally got lost just like everyone else. However, it was exceedingly rare that the sense of direction failed that particular species.


    No, Marlin decided. Something was off about the whole affair, as it often was with the Kuroshio visitors.


    Around his shelled head, shimmering patterns of light bounced back at him across the pearly walls and polished statues that lined the corridor to the heart of the palace. Shoals of tiny fish darted about like a tiny ballet, to and from the kitchens, entertainment rooms, and many guest rooms that the palace housed. At last, the carved pillars of coral rose majestically into his field of view, marking the framework of the towering throne room doors.


    The armored guard snapped to attention the moment they saw Marlin. Two swordfish snapping their noses to the ready.


    ¡°Advisor Marlin!¡± one guard cried,


    ¡°We didn¡¯t expect you!¡± piped the other.


    ¡°King¡¯s got a guest¡­¡± said the first, though the way he said the word ¡®guest¡¯ was dubious. ¡°¡ªAnd he¡¯s ordered no interruptions. From anyone.¡±


    ¡°I am not ¡®anyone.¡¯ I was summoned,¡± Marlin grumped. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the king has changed his mind after I¡¯ve come all this way.¡±


    ¡°Summoned, you say?¡± said one of the swords.


    ¡°Well, if he was summoned¡­¡± The other looked down his nose at Marlin. With such a long nose, it couldn¡¯t be helped, but Marlin was in a terrible mood as-is.


    ¡°Just open the doors,¡± Marlin ordered, wishing turtles could growl. ¡°And don¡¯t yell out, I can announce my¡ª¡±


    ¡°Advisor Marlin!¡± bellowed the first guard, before he could finish the order.


    ¡°High Chamberlain to the Palace!¡± chimed the next.


    ¡°Quiet down, quiet down! I¡¯m already half-deaf as it is!¡±


    The announcer¡¯s voice was still echoing around the vaulted ceiling of the chamber when Marlin finally made his way through the doors.


    Marlin squinted through the dazzling reflections of the throne room, ready to tell off the mutinous announcer, until his eyes adjusted, and he saw the reason why they¡¯d insisted on formal protocol.


    Sitting in Marlin¡¯s seat to the right of the plush clam-shell throne, was an entirely unwelcome guest. Suddenly, the crowded hallways and gossip made sense.


    ¡°Marlin, join us,¡± boomed High King Titus from his place at the head of the grand room.


    Marlin obeyed the king¡¯s command¡ªslowly. Something in the throne room felt wrong, somehow. He searched the room as he swam, trying to place what it was.


    There was nothing different about the towering columns that lined the room, nor the untouched tables of food heaped to one side. Errant pearls and bits of sand littered the tile floor, glittering innocently. As for the king, himself: Titus¡¯ white beard would have reached his navel if the gentle currents in the room didn¡¯t keep it floating before his face like an anemone. He wore the weight of both the wrought-coral crown of Atlantis, and the responsibility for all its citizens¡¯ lives, with his usual stiff royal dignity. The king was not the fierce ruler he had once been, but that was not exactly new. His scales had grayed rapidly over the last few months alone, and it was no longer the bright shining silver of a warrior. Once quite the majestic thing, it now drooped off the edge of the throne limply enough that his fins brushed the floor some nine feet below.


    Next to him, his cecaelian guest was certainly larger than the king if one counted the span of his battle-scarred black tentacles. Large enough, certainly, not to fit easily into Marlin¡¯s seat. King Ezra of the Cecaelians had a cropped, silvery head of hair, his natural white coloring aged nearly to gray over his fluid, sunken features. His chest was clothed in enough chains and pendants to fill a treasure chest. If he had been anything but cecaelian, that much metal would have rendered him unable to move. Even so, carrying that much weight was a warning of his strength as much as a royal fashion statement.


    And suddenly, looking at Ezra, it struck Marlin exactly what was wrong with the throne room. The room was warm. Over the past few months, the throne room¡¯s chill had deterred the lazier courtiers from spending much time there, and Marlin could only guess at the reason for the cold. The waters around the king tended to reflect his mood, and High King Titus had been growing anxious about something¡ªsomething that he¡¯d refused to speak about with even Marlin. Now, however, the room was practically feverish.


    Titus¡¯ tail twitched as Marlin approached at a pace that was probably considered ¡®dawdling.¡¯


    ¡°Good day, My King,¡± Marlin greeted, flipping his way toward the throne.


    Even if his comfortable seat was no longer waiting for him, he could see from the annoyance on his king¡¯s face. Marlin had arrived later than expected. Whether or not that was his fault was entirely irrelevant.


    ¡°Your Excellency¡­ King Ezra,¡± Marlin greeted both the king and the guest in his own seat with a bow, trying to conceal his panting.


    ¡°Ah, Marvin,¡± Ezra greeted with a subtly disguised sneer. ¡°What a surprise. Do come along, the king wouldn¡¯t start without you.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s a surprise, then why was the king expecting me?¡± Marlin retorted as innocently as he could manage under the circumstances.


    From the way King Ezra¡¯s black tentacles curled beneath him in displeasure, it was obvious just how much he hated Marlin¡¯s presence. However, as displeased as he was, he did not seem surprised that Marlin was so late. In fact, he looked downright amused.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Marlin frowned. He didn¡¯t blame Ezra for hating him. Although, even if Ezra was the reason his summons was late, Marlin supposed he should count himself lucky that the slimy king¡¯s actions toward him so far had hovered on ¡®ignore-at-all-possible-inconvenience,¡¯ and had not yet tilted toward ¡®utterly-murderous.¡¯ Marlin was a very large part of why Ezra had lost so much.


    During the war, Ezra had led the initial attacks on the palace as General of the rebellious Cecaelian effort. However, at the first sign of defeat, Ezra¡¯s loyalties had turned over like the bottom-feeder he was. He¡¯d sold out many of his own captains in exchange for rule over the Kuroshio territory¡­and a little something for himself.


    Ezra had demanded Titus¡¯ eldest daughter, Adriatta. Adriatta, the first of Marlin¡¯s little princesses.


    Ezra cited many reasons for this alliance: a union with Atlantis, a hand of Atlantean influence forever present among the cecaelia, and an end to the blood disputes. That he claimed to love her, was another, and by far the most absurd.


    Marlin had been the very turtle to provide the information that lead to Ezra¡¯s precarious defeat. He¡¯d watched him in his own lair. Had seen him give the attack orders personally. In the name of Adriatta¡¯s future, Marlin staunchly opposed the union. He¡¯d nearly succeeded, too. Titus was persuaded. Adriatta was grateful for his protection¡­until the princess, in a fit of something he never would have predicted, snuck behind his shell and married Ezra anyway. The whole ceremony was very cloak-and-dagger, and the suspicion surrounding the event prickled the scales on his tail to this day. Marlin suspected that the only reason Titus tolerated so many demands from the Kuroshio region was that occasionally along with those demands, Adriatta would come to visit home.


    The old turtle resisted a sudden urge to shake bubbles out of his head. The longer he stared at Ezra, the more his mind grew murky with images from the past.


    ¡°As I was saying, Majesty,¡± Ezra said through a smile that, in Marlin¡¯s opinion, showed just a few too many of his pointed teeth. ¡°The unrest in the Depths is growing, and I can no longer ignore its effect on my people. Every kingdom in the oceans and seas has the protection of its armament but my own, and I confess we are feeling the lack acutely.¡±


    ¡°Armament?¡± Marlin asked, hoping that Ezra would get to the point.


    ¡°Yes, Merchant.¡± Ezra gestured with a tentacle in Marlin¡¯s direction, as though he¡¯d just said something profoundly dull. ¡°I mean the armaments such as his majesty¡¯s bident that controls the currents. The harpoon of the eels, that can pierce the toughest hide. The Shillelagh of the Merrow for the binding of deals¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am aware of my kingdoms and their regalia, Ezra. We¡¯ve been in this throne room long enough. What exactly is your request?¡± Titus'' gaze flicked to Marlin as he said this, and his head retreated a little into his shell in embarrassment.


    ¡°Of course, my king,¡± Ezra said with a lazy half-bow in his seat. ¡°I mean to emphasize that as the Inkthrall Lance of the Cecaelia is still missing, we are without the defense of our kingdom¡¯s most crucial regalia, and must therefore rely on the grace of your bident¡¯s protection in times of threat. As you know, we have no acting military¡ª¡±


    Marlin almost snorted, but didn¡¯t. The ancient Inkthrall Lance was practically a legend. If indeed it really existed, then it might have been proof of the cecaelian¡¯s claim to royal descent; however, there was simply no such thing. Furthermore, its lack hadn¡¯t kept Ezra and his band of cecaelian sea-witches out of any battles. No. It seemed Ezra was here to ask for more mermen to guard his paltry domain¡ªas though cecaelia were not entirely capable of protecting themselves.


    ¡°What does a kingdom that hasn¡¯t been heard from in decades have to you with your lack of an armament?¡± Marlin interrupted.


    ¡°Ah, I knew your unfailing questions would bring us round, Merlin,¡± Ezra smarmed, addressing the king instead of Marlin. ¡°You see, the problem is, that we have been hearing from the depths¡ªin the form of some rather nasty beasties that keep wandering into my territories. If the symbol of the cecaelian kingdom was still with us, I would not have to ask, but without it, we require outside intervention.¡±


    The king¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°What proof do you have that the Depths are responsible? Have you somehow discovered its location, Ezra?¡±


    ¡°Nothing so revolutionary, my king, which is why I felt the need to report in person. You see, creatures known only to exist in the Depths have appeared in the Monoch caves. My caves, you understand. Perhaps we could have dealt with the issue on our own; however, the kingdoms at our borders begin to push the bounds drawn by yourself. Some of those creatures I suspect were herded to my reefs by the eel merfolk. Skirmishes and territorial disputes from the same eels have arisen over dwellings in my lands.¡±


    ¡°The currents would have informed me, had your people suffered an outright attack, Ezra,¡± said Titus. ¡°Are you suggesting the bident is somehow defective?¡±


    Ezra pretended he didn¡¯t hear the danger in Titus¡¯ tone. Opting at last to rise from his seat, Ezra¡¯s tentacles writhed in frustration as he moved more directly into the king¡¯s line of sight. He was the picture of a put-upon sovereign.


    ¡°Only last week, I lost three soldiers to an escaped vampire squid from the trenches. The eels ignore their borders and traipse into my kingdom under all manner of excuses, and you are of course aware that the Arctic king has never been satisfied with the conditions of his territory. It is only a matter of time, I believe, before he begins to encroach as well.¡±


    Marlin¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits until they were no longer distinguishable from his nostrils.


    ¡°Vampire squid, King Ezra?¡± Marlin asked, keeping flippers politely at his sides. ¡°Vampires eat sea-snow. The damage they cause is¡­well, it¡¯s not exactly a strong species.¡±


    If scowls could kill, Marlin would have been a dead turtle.


    ¡°Calling me a liar, Murchin?¡± Ezra snapped, shaking his head of silvery hair over his face so that the high king wouldn¡¯t see his snarl. One of his more unruly tentacles twitched toward Marlin, and Ezra made an obvious effort to keep it in check. ¡°You think I don¡¯t keep a very close eye on my soldiers as I have so few?¡±


    His tone seemed to accuse Marlin personally, hiding a subtextual thanks to you that Ezra couldn¡¯t say outright in front of King Titus.


    ¡°To the point, King Ezra,¡± King Titus ordered. ¡°What exactly are you suggesting I do about these alleged grievances? You want more of my soldiers? Provisions? Out with it.¡±


    Ezra floated one hand to his chain-ridden chest in a gesture of either haughtiness, or innocence, and resumed his over-wide smiling. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest anything but the continued stability of Atlantis. It has been twenty years since the war, Your Majesty¡ª¡±


    At that, the king¡¯s tail twitched in annoyance, and stirred up the sand at the base of the throne¡¯s pedestal enough to make Marlin¡¯s eyes itch


    ¡°¡ªI am only wondering when the promises made to my people will be fully upheld.¡± Ezra¡¯s tentacles stilled around the base of his¡ªMarlin¡¯s¡ªseat, and a tense pause filled the room. Ezra took to fiddling with one of many black pendants slung around his middle that had hidden well among the inky expanse of tentacles.


    Marlin fought to keep the smile off his face. Ezra had finally overstepped. It was to Marlin¡¯s amazement, then, when the annoyance simply left King Titus¡¯ face as he answered with a bubbly sigh.


    ¡°The alliances I have made with the seven seas came at great cost to me, Ezra. Since then, I have given you soldiers. Dedicated a portion of my forces each year to a search for your ¡®armament.¡¯ I gave you a wife. Are these not enough? Are you not satisfied with my eldest and most treasured daughter?¡± This time, Ezra appeared to catch on to the threat at the edge of Titus¡¯ words, because he furled his tentacles inward and made himself look generally smaller and more respectful.


    ¡°But of course. Your daughter is the only light I have in these dreary days, my king,¡± Ezra replied easily, turning that pendant over in his fingers, which by now seemed to have captured the king¡¯s flickering attention as well. ¡°It is in fact Queen Adriatta who inspires me to ask at all.¡±


    ¡°Adriatta?¡± King Titus mumbled, briefly wistful as he stared down at Ezra¡¯s twisting fingers. ¡°I suppose¡­¡±


    Marlin looked up. The change in the king¡¯s demeanor was unnaturally quick. The scales on the back of his shell prickled as Ezra raised himself to eye level with the king.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Ezra smiled even wider, his teeth catching pricks of the light that shimmered over the columns that loomed at the edge of the throne room¡¯s walls. ¡°If Adriatta can manage in my paltry kingdom so well, I can only imagine how much your other daughters have done to ensure tranquility in their respective seas. I come before you today, My King, to warn you of the threats that I have seen rising up¡ªthreats that may well threaten Adriatta and your other children if not addressed¡ª¡±


    ¡°Your point, Ezra,¡± Titus snapped, though not so fiercely as before, his eyes still somewhat misty.


    Ezra swam straighter before the king, his tentacles curling and uncurling as though he¡¯d already won. He was preening.


    ¡°End the attacks on my kingdom, and all others, my king,¡± Ezra said silkily, ¡°by bringing the last three kingdoms into the alliance. If the eels take it into their heads to ally with the Depths, or the Arctic, or Poseidon help us, both, we would have another war on our hands. Marry your other daughters now, and not only will my lands be safe, but your kingdom will be stronger. It will be the first complete unity the oceans have seen since the reign of Poseidon, himself.¡±


    The silence in the throne room was cut only by the sloshing of waves lapping at the palace¡¯s ceiling at low tide. Marry the princesses? Now? The youngest three were hardly of age, and the peace in the oceans had lasted decades. There was no reason to force other alliances. There was no reason to force Marlin¡¯s little ones¡ªthough they were little no longer¡ªto leave the reefs before they were ready. The only thing clear to Marlin, was that Ezra had an ulterior motive.


    ¡°I have already promised my seventh daughter to the Arctic King Aerus,¡± King Titus mused quietly. ¡°I had hoped to give my last two daughters more liberty in their selection¡­¡±


    Yes! Marlin wanted to shout. Yes, the last two have been promised a choice!


    Ever since his failure with Adriatta, Marlin had dedicated himself to arranging, if not loving alliances for the other princesses, then at least happy ones. In Adriatta¡¯s case, perhaps she felt that it was her duty. Perhaps Titus had ordered her without his knowledge. Even so, he had vowed not to repeat the failure, and so far, had succeeded.


    Unfortunately, Ezra wasn¡¯t done talking.


    ¡°My people have patiently complied with all of the requirements placed on them by Atlantis, and have lived peacefully, and for all our sakes, I wish it to remain that way,¡± Ezra plodded on, rather forcefully, now gripping the black stone around his neck with the same fervor that King Titus held the bident. He faced the throne, wearing a hard, cold expression in his address. ¡°The attacks on the remaining Cecaelia of Atlantis are aimed at the innocent, founded on grudges of the past. They cannot continue. For Poseidon¡¯s sake! How long will Adriatta delay her plans for heirs because she lives in a kingdom that she feels is constantly under threat?¡±


    Titus moved a hand through his beard thoughtfully, his bushy brow coming together in wrinkled confusion.


    ¡°Adriatta plans¡­¡± Titus hemmed. As of yet, there were no royal descendants besides Titus¡¯ daughters, and Titus was no longer young.


    Marlin glanced at the king, alarmed. It wasn¡¯t at all like Titus to drone or trail off like this. In fact, it wasn¡¯t like Titus to do anything but bark decisions and orders. Ezra¡¯s rant had gotten Titis¡¯ attention where it counted. Stability. And if it came with the promise of extending his line¡­For Grandchildren!


    The high king¡­the high king was going to force the marriages.


    Years of persuasion, of subtle manipulation regarding his charges¡¯ future was threatening to wash away from Marlin like so much foam on the tide. The youngest princesses weren¡¯t ready. They simply weren¡¯t. As a point of fact, he was not ready. Marlin could be offered the contents of the palace treasuries and it would still be above his pay-grade to be the one to tell the princesses their fates had changed to this.


    Marlin cleared his throat, and from his perch at the base of the throne, subtly nudged Titus¡¯ tail with one flipper.


    ¡°My king? Perhaps this decision merits some¡­deliberation?¡±


    The king, to Marlin¡¯s relief, seemed to snap back into himself, but not in the way that he¡¯d hoped.


    ¡°Deliberation costs lives, Marlin!¡± King Titus barked the familiar phrase, and Marlin¡¯s head shrunk a few inches into his shell, suddenly wishing he¡¯d chosen any other word. Deliberation had caused the king to dissolve the counsel of advisors appointed to the war. Because deliberation had cost him lives.


    However, that didn¡¯t change that Marlin needed more time, and he needed it right now.


    ¡°Yes, my king,¡± Marlin floundered, casting around for any reason that might delay the king long enough for Marlin to have a chance to speak to him alone. ¡°It is only that Sephina and Seline have not yet returned from the red sea. Ayalina is hardly of age, and she has¡­ she has gone to study the city infrastructure. She is so early in her education, and surely the Arctic can wai¡ª¡±


    ¡°Summon Seline, Sephina, and Ayalina!¡± Titus ordered, before another word could be said. Titus, who had been unusually willing to tolerate Ezra¡¯s lengthy speech, was no longer so forbearing.


    Ezra¡¯s smirk deepened, and, still gripping one of his many pendants, he sailed back into Marlin¡¯s seat. It was the gesture of a cecaelian who knew he¡¯d won.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Marlin flapped his flippers helplessly in the agitated current that was building around King Titus as his grip resumed on the bident. The currents were already opening the great doors, and pushing Marlin away from the throne.


    For decades of his life, Marlin had risked life and flipper for the royal family. The king had trusted him through wars. Through upheaval. And then, through births. However, as the king¡¯s current gathered strength, marlin was beginning to see what those years had amounted to. His shell felt as though it had a sack of stones placed on it as he met Titus¡¯ steely gaze, and knew there was no way out. Marlin would summon the princesses. He would deliver the news of their fate, and then he would deliver them to it. Friend to the king, or no, he was still a sea creature who served the call of Atlantis¡¯ Bident. Despite all of his efforts, the risks of the years, and the careful guidance he¡¯d given, it seemed that when the silt settled and the truth was clear, Marlin was just a turtle.


    ¡°Yes, my king.¡± Marlin submitted to the current.


    Doing his best to ignore the Cecalian king¡¯s victorious smirk, he now had bigger things to worry about than a slippery king who wanted money. Seline and Sephina, despite his protests, would be dismayed by the news, but would come around. Seline was already satisfied with her engagement to the Arctic. Sephina had always kept her feelings close, a quality that would serve her well in the coming weeks. But Princess Ayalina¡­.


    ¡°Poseidon spare me. This is not going to go over well,¡± he muttered under his breath as he was whisked from the room.

 Chapter 1: Kai

    Chapter 1


    <h2>Kai</h2>


    Kai dodged ripped pieces of mast and rotting floorboards as he scanned the bottom of Shipwreck Valley for signs of movement. His limbs and tentacles ached from the pace he was keeping in the debris, but the last thing he wanted was to linger in the dark, unstable ship stacks longer than he had to. As he moved farther in, the hair on the back of his neck prickled unpleasantly. He knew that something was watching him, but at the moment couldn¡¯t afford more distraction¡­oh, but it was so easy to let himself be distracted when he was alone and so bone-tired.


    ¡°Blast it,¡± he cursed under his breath when a sharp throbbing began behind his right eye. He shook his head trying to rid himself of the aching, and succeeded in making it worse.


    ¡°Focus, blast you,¡± he urged, willing himself to keep moving. ¡°Focus a little longer¡­¡±


    Movement in the corner of his eye caught his drifting attention. A piece of seaweed in his peripheral jolted him to attention before he realized what it was. He sighed¡ªsomething he was not prone to doing often. Seaweed wasn¡¯t what he needed, but it also wasn¡¯t someone else¡¯s tentacle, a predator, or a threat. He kept moving.


    Shipwreck Valley was a desolate stretch of shallow trench where the remains of ancient ships lay trapped on top of each other like broken bones. The water was thick with the scent of salt and decay, and the constant crash of waves overhead echoed ominously through the murk and debris. Few merfolk ventured into the valley, as tales of ghosts and curses surrounded the area. All of them were nonsense, of course. Any threats that the valley held were just as fleshy as the next creature.


    One of the few perks of Kai being cecaelian was that he didn¡¯t need as much sleep as other species of mer-folk. He was faster, more observant, and generally more suspicious. He had every confidence that this trip would be just another errand, but even only needing a few hours per day, he¡¯d been pushing his limits. His eyes burned in the saltier water that clung to the rusting metal and sediments of shipwrecks. If he¡¯d had a full night¡¯s sleep, it might have been easier to keep his eyes open¡ªeven so, they were playing tricks on him. There to his side, it looked an awful lot like the shadow in one of the wreckages was moving¡­


    ¡°Got you!¡±


    If he¡¯d had a fraction of a second less rational thought, Kai would have emptied his ink reserves and disappeared. Worse, he might have seized the mermaid who had grabbed his shoulders with his tentacles and throttled her. It was only by grace of his years of practiced restraint that he kept a grip on himself long enough to recognize the dainty fingers gripping his shoulders.


    Princess Ayalina laughed in her mischievous, carefree way as she pounced again, apparently finding his skittishness funny. The truth was that Kai could never be sure exactly who was watching, or when, and the way that Aya pushed on convention was bound to get him in real trouble someday¡­ or worse, herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s cheating when you hide in the shadows like this,¡± Princess Ayalina scolded playfully as she swam over his head into view. ¡°You know I can¡¯t see in the dark like you can.¡±


    Kai felt himself jerk back a few inches when Aya¡¯s nose nearly touched his, and one of his hearts tugged right back. Aya rarely swam so close, and he rarely let her.


    Depths below, he really was tired.


    Now that the princess was in front of him, Kai wasn¡¯t sure how she¡¯d managed to sneak up on him. Her long dark hair blended in with the shadows and seaweed well enough, but it only reached her waist. The ocean-blue scales of her hatchling camouflage were nearly gone, replaced over the last few years with a shining, jewel-red tail. Not even the long woven blouses she¡¯d taken to wearing could hide her. Despite her obvious position, Aya insisted on dressing to match the people she¡¯d seen living on the outskirts of Atlantis: plain woven seaweed, simple fastenings, and no ornaments. Despite her efforts, however, there was just no more hiding who she was. With her bright eyes and smooth skin, Princess Ayalina had become a vision of the beauty that the royal family¡¯s daughters were known for across the oceans. In Kai¡¯s opinion, she had already outpaced her sisters.


    It had been a difficult year, watching Aya begin to drift away from the bonds she¡¯d formed in the outer reefs¡ªor rather, it was difficult to watch Aya¡¯s confusion as her subjects began to drift away from her. That hadn¡¯t stopped her efforts, however. Aya had a way of finding people¡ªsomething that he, himself, was going to have to start to be wary of as he forced distance between them. She was a princess, after all. And she was of age. Her future was inevitable, even if she seemed determined to ignore it.


    All three of his hearts still pounding, Kai ran a nervous hand through his white hair, and effectively messed it up worse than any current could. He kept his eyes carefully away from her intent gazing, and tried as subtly as possible to put some distance between them.


    ¡°I have a job to do,¡± he sighed again, pulling the list of ingredients he had yet to collect from the pouch at his waist. He glowered down at the vellum scroll until his pulse calmed down. ¡°I still have to collect these, and you shouldn¡¯t be here in the wreckages. It¡¯s almost squid season, and believe it or not, I can¡¯t watch for the list, and danger, and you, all at the same time.¡±


    Her grin widened, and she nudged his shoulder distractingly. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to see me. That would be the point of the game.¡±


    ¡°Game¡ª¡± He nearly groaned aloud. The throbbing behind his eye, almost forgotten, came back in full force. ¡°I need to collect anemone buds before I take any breaks. Some of us work for a living, Your Royal Highness.¡±


    Aya pulled a face. ¡°Don¡¯t call me that. And, I do work. What do you think got me out here?¡±


    Kai raised a silvery brow at her, and folded his arms over his chest, where the sadly half-full ingredient pouch hung.


    ¡°Is that what this is?¡±


    Aya frowned, but Kai knew her well enough to know when it was fake.


    ¡°This is efficiency. You get more eyes looking for the things on your list, and at the same time, it can feel like a break. When was the last time you had a break, Kai? You look¡­.you look tired.¡±


    Aya looked as though she might have wanted to say something else, but Kai was far too exhausted for guessing games. He was barely self-aware enough to flinch back when she reached out to trace one of the dark circles under his eyes.


    Honestly, it was like the princess had no sense at all of what he was.


    Most mermaids turned tail and fled at the sight of a cecaelia. Few were the ones who would approach one on the far-out reefs, and fewer still were any who would try to touch one¡ªunless it was some sort of bet. Or dare. Or both. From the day they¡¯d met, Aya never seemed to care, but he knew she couldn¡¯t be entirely unaware of the nervousness he elicited in the eyes that tracked them when they swam down city streets¡ªeven if some days she left him guessing.


    ¡°I am tired,¡± said Kai. He rolled his eyes, and his shoulders to brush her off. Aya pulled back then, but she still looked worried.


    I shouldn¡¯t have told you about that lunar eclipse coming up, should I? You¡¯ve had more work ever since I made that chart,¡± she said with a slight pout. ¡°And here I thought my studies were finally useful.¡±


    The wave of deadlines and potion orders that came crashing through his head at her reminder sent a growling groan through his middle.


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± he said, rubbing at his eyes. As though it had heard her, the throbbing in his head was suddenly worse. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t told me, it would have undone all of the spellwork in the kingdom for the last year. I would have had a lot more work next month¡­and probably the next three months after that.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have done it without your dark-vision,¡± Aya said graciously, with a little performer¡¯s bow. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe how many of the charts you could read in that cave.¡±


    A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he forgot to stop her swimming closer again.


    ¡°And here I thought my eyes annoyed you.¡±


    She poked his cheek, once more just a few inches closer to his face than was strictly polite.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ve bought you a little time to relax,¡± she teased.


    It was as if some sort of spell had been broken as that word sent jitters of adrenaline down his spine. If Cirrina so much as heard the word ¡®relax¡¯ in her territory, he might be scrubbing the sponge beds until dawn. Worse, she may decide to extend the punishment to her second apprentice, in order to call on his guilt. Though the labor she assigned could be taxing, Kai certainly wore it better than young Krill.


    Cirrina, the most infamous witch in the Atlantean borders, was his caretaker and taskmaster¡ªwith a preference for the latter. If not for her, Kai might be prone to taking up Aya on her occasional invitations, but one never knew which pair of eyes Cirrina was using to watch him, and her wrath was a lot harder to dodge than Titus¡¯ guards.


    ¡°Princes¡ª¡± he broke off at Aya¡¯s glare. Kai was tempted to chuckle at Aya¡¯s stubborn resistance to his trying to be more formal. He cleared his throat. ¡°Aya, are you sure you should be¡­¡±


    He paused. How to phrase this? In the shipwrecks? Swimming with a cecaelian? No, there was no getting around the truth. He wasn¡¯t rested enough for niceties.


    ¡°Aya, if your father¡¯s guards see you with one of Cirrina¡¯s apprentices¡ª¡± specifically me, he didn¡¯t say, ¡°¡ªyou¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble.¡±


    Instead of rolling her eyes, Aya turned her whole self over in the water, flashing her glittery scales.


    ¡°The more my father gets used to doing without me, the more likely it is that I can convince him that I¡¯m actually useful to the kingdom outside the palace. More useful than political leverage, anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°What, you¡¯re offering to work every day?¡± Kai couldn¡¯t resist a smirk. ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m more efficient at it than you,¡± she retorted petulantly.


    ¡°You do realize that lunar predictions and astronomy are mostly used for magical opportunities and catastrophes,¡± Kai said dryly. ¡°Especially yours. And there hasn¡¯t been an astronomer position since¡­¡±


    ¡°Since the war? Maybe some things need to come back. It''s not as if every kingdom doesn¡¯t need magic to run.¡±


    Kai raked one hand through his hair. Aya¡ªthe princess¡ªas he was increasingly determined to think of his friend, wasn¡¯t wrong. However, the idea that she could change King Titus¡¯ mind about magic, or the thought that she might try to assist in it herself¡­well, he wouldn¡¯t even want to be in the same ocean if her father decided to blame him for that.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant,¡± he said, instead, dismissing the argument. ¡°You need supervision. Like I said, I¡¯m working, and if any of these ships decide to come crashing down on your royal head I¡¯d rather not have reports out that it happened on my watch.¡±


    She batted at him lightly with her tail. ¡°I am under supervision. I¡¯m pretty sure Adin¡¯s waiting to ambush me from his hiding spot over there¡ª¡± she pointed to the looming mast where Kai had thought he¡¯d seen a shadow moving, earlier. ¡°And if you¡¯re worried about reports getting to my father, Adin¡¯s not really a guard yet¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hey! I am a guard! Enough that they let me chaperone you today, and you two are both cheating!¡± Adin¡¯s bushy blond head and tiger-fish tail came wriggling out from a ship hull from the opposite direction of where Aya had predicted. His black and white stripes hid him among the ruined wood until he moved, but when he did, he couldn¡¯t be missed. His white scales caught the meager light in bright flashes, his voice echoing uncomfortably loud around the ships on the bottom of the valley.


    Kai groaned. Even without the headache, Adin¡¯s voice was grating. Then, just as Adin reached them, Krill appeared, too, and it seemed their little game was over.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to be swimming away from Aya? Is the game over?¡± Krill, a Cecaelian boy of only eleven years, poked his head out of the porthole in one of the wrecks around them. Nearly ten years younger than Kai, his tentacles hadn¡¯t darkened yet, and his hair, instead of white was still the youthful gray of a child.


    ¡°It might be,¡± Adin growled, folding his arms across his middle in a way that showed he was trying to look older than he was. ¡°Aya, isn¡¯t the objective of playing ¡®Squid¡¯ for you to chase us all back to the starting point when you find us?¡±


    ¡°I was going to, but Kai forgot to yell for the rest of you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working,¡± Kai repeated firmly, exchanging glares with Adin.


    Aya wasn¡¯t exactly subtle when she backed away from Kai, but it appeared to be subtle enough to fool a teenage guard-in-training. It had taken Adin this long to realize that Aya was distracted, and nothing in his petulant expression gave away that he had any clue why her face was quickly starting to match her tail. Though, to be perfectly fair, neither did Kai.


    Kai stuffed his fists behind his tentacles, doing his best to appear unaffected by Adin¡¯s tone. He¡¯d been friends with the little merman for a number of years, but ever since Adin turned seventeen, he¡¯d become a special sort of nuisance. Adin had become more stiff and less playful by the day, which would have been helpful if, despite knowing each other for years, his new position had also made him more suspicious of Kai. Kai knew very well what Adin could turn into if he ever sank whole-heartedly into the Atlantean politicoscape.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± Adin complained, rolling his eyes mulishly, ¡°isn¡¯t Shipwreck Valley off-limits for everyone but¡­I mean, off-limits for the princesses?¡±


    Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed, his headache making him more irritated than he should have been. Adin at least had enough tact not to point out that Cecaelia weren¡¯t banned from any of the ocean¡¯s danger zones¡ªprobably in some royal effort to kill the rest of them off¡ªbut only just.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re here!¡± Aya said brightly, giving Adin a dazzling smile that turned Adin¡¯s freckled cheeks pink. ¡°No one will bother us here! Unless you really think it¡¯s too dangerous¡­you said earlier this was where you wanted to come, Adin.¡±


    Of course he did. The little coward¡­.


    It was just like Adin to offer to take Aya somewhere dangerous as a show of bravery, and then not know what to do with himself once she actually agreed. This explained why he¡¯d been so flummoxed once Aya had invited himself and Krill in the name of ¡®working.¡¯ He had no doubt the little eel had realized he wouldn¡¯t be alone with her and spent half his time hiding and sulking.


    The poor fool, Kai almost tsked.


    What Kai had anticipated, Adin would have to learn the hard way when the day arrived that Aya¡¯s royal responsibilities caught up with her. Kai almost wished it would all hit sooner. Despite Aya¡¯s efforts, he doubted anything short of an apocalyptic event would make Titus see Aya as anything but a potential lever for a union with one of the last unallied seas. Perhaps if Adin realized that, then the young guard would try a little harder to keep Aya in the palace. Perhaps he would finally realize that Kai wasn¡¯t a rival. Neither of them ever could be.


    Meanwhile, Adin was looking more and more uncomfortable under Aya¡¯s attention. She was giving Adin a look that belied nothing of his own suspicion. Her looks was full of things like warmth, sincerity, and curiosity. They were all things that, coming from a young mermaid as pretty as Aya had turned out to be, were enough to undo any sense a merman as young as Adin possessed. Though Kai was only seven years older than Adin, the age difference could have been centuries when it came to control. Kai almost pitied him.


    ¡°Are you okay to stay a little longer, Adin?¡± Aya steepled her fingers together in a pleading gesture, completely unaware of Adin¡¯s turmoil. ¡°You know how hard it is to sneak out of the palace¡­¡±


    Adin visibly puffed under her question. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be okay! I came to protect you!¡± he grumped.


    ¡°Excellent! And, Kai?¡± she turned that dazzling smile on him, and he found himself looking away for the second time as his gills fluttered in guilt.


    This area wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous, but with so much flotsam in the water, it wasn¡¯t exactly safe, either. Now that he knew there was still a bit of the boy that would ignore the protocol in favor of impressing Aya, Kai¡¯s irritation with Adin grew. Part of him wanted to dump both of their fins right back on the palace doorstep. The other part knew that he couldn¡¯t both find the ingredients he¡¯d been sent to collect and run another errand¡­.and the days they all had left together were limited.


    ¡°I know that face. You¡¯re thinking about work,¡± Aya said cheekily, managing to touch his arm as she swam past. ¡°Come on, Kai, we won¡¯t be here much longer. Just another round¡­and besides, my idea is working. I spotted three of the crabs you were looking for up in that new wreck.¡±


    Kai followed her pointing finger to where a heavy galleon teetered precariously on the top of a pile of shattered hulls. The galleon was in pristine condition. Were it not for an enormous bite taken out of its portside, the vessel might have still been seaworthy.


    ¡°So high up?¡± he mused, inspecting the painted sails, high enough in the water to catch glimmers of sunlight at the surface. ¡°Blue crabs usually prefer the dark.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re up there,¡± Aya giggled. ¡°And now I know where to find you next round. I¡¯m counting!¡±


    ¡°This is the last round,¡± Kai said with a pointed look at Krill.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Krill had kept quiet through the bickering, mostly because he didn¡¯t understand why it was happening in the first place.


    ¡°Last round!¡± Krill agreed cheerfully. ¡°Good luck finding me, Aya! You haven¡¯t managed it yet!¡±


    Krill would play with Aya all day if he was allowed, and he was too young to see that while this area was safe for cecaelia like them, Adin and Aya weren¡¯t the wisest for coming here this time of year.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you blend in with the wall!¡± Aya cried darting over to him. ¡°Try this round with no camouflage!¡±


    ¡°Nope! Just look harder!¡± Krill grinned, and darted off, his tentacles flashing different colors behind him.


    Kai nearly groaned. Krill was young, but his cracking voice and lack of control over his coloring always drew the wrong sort of attention. He would have to have a word with him about it, later.


    ¡°If you stay there, Adin, there¡¯s no point in running. I can still catch you!¡± Aya teased. ¡°If I¡¯m the squid, then you should get some distance.¡±


    ¡°You make a terrible ¡®Squid,¡¯¡± Adin grumbled, but wandered off in search of another hiding spot all the same.


    As Aya¡¯s counting rang out over the quiet wrecks, the pounding in Kai¡¯s head eased a little. Quiet was rare. Quiet was good.


    As the ruckus died down, the prickling feeling at the back of his neck was still there, but after making sure the waters around Aya were free of floating debris, he felt secure enough to go after the crabs. Focused on the galleon, he sped off toward the surface.


    The corners of his lips twitched when he saw Krill camouflage himself behind a crevice in one of the rocky walls. Krill had plenty of practice at hiding from living with Cirrina. Avoiding her kept him safer, and he had somehow become the only one who could ever avoid Aya¡¯s keen sight.


    ¡°Seven, eight, nine¡­¡± her voice followed him as he moved through the valley toward the galleon she¡¯d pointed out to him.


    The wrecked Galleon creaked in the pull of the waves, wobbling precariously on several much older remains. An ancient trireme supported its stern, where a bronze ram at the bow had long rusted through. Pike darted through its carved horns, swimming in and out of the cracks in the Galleon¡¯s side. Along the Galleon¡¯s hull, bits of longships, cogs, and freshwater ferries leaked brightly-colored paint chips into the waves. Ships from every time and corner of the world ended up here, as worthless as tinder.


    ¡°Ten¡­¡±


    Kai soared over the galleon¡¯s railing fast enough that his tentacles had to snatch at the rigging to slow himself down. He had no interest in children¡¯s games, but he wouldn¡¯t lie that the company, and a few sets of more rested eyes to help him weren¡¯t entirely unwelcome. As usual, Aya was right. Several blue horse-shoe crabs skittered brazenly about in the sunlight on deck. If he caught them all, he would harvest enough hemocyanin for Cirrina¡¯s order.


    ¡°You¡¯d better be hidden! I¡¯m hunting!¡± Aya never counted for long. Somewhere below, she was off to find the others, and yet¡­ the prickling on his neck was getting worse¡ªthinking of Cirrina could do that, he supposed.


    Kai descended onto the deck, scowling in displeasure at the memory of the sea-witch waiting for him to return. With his tentacle-reach, it was easy enough to flip the crabs over and begin the extraction, but the chore itself was odious, stinking work. While he hated the task, he hated even more that Cirrina was making a boy as young as Krill perform these sorts of errands. They had both been apprenticed to her under one of her odious contracts, and if they¡¯d been old enough to know better, they should have refused. Kai credited natural cecaelian durability for how they had survived her upbringing at all.


    Cirrina had no sense of how to raise a young cecaelian, and though Kai did his best to make sure Krill grew up with a few normal memories, he was only one person. If they didn¡¯t deliver her collection order by the end of the day, Krill would have a few more scars on his back to match Kai¡¯s¡ªand those were getting harder to hide from Aya.


    ¡°Squid!¡± Adin yelled from the bowels of one of the stacked ships below. Unsurprisingly, it sounded as though Aya had found him first. Probably intentionally, this time, the little cod.


    Kai ignored the call, supposing that when the round ended, he could pretend he hadn¡¯t heard. Getting the hemocyanin was more important than the game¡ªeven if it was a rare chance to humor Aya.


    ¡°SQUID!¡± warned Krill, just a touch higher.


    Kai listened as they all darted back to the counting point, hoping to out-swim Aya before they got tagged. It wouldn¡¯t matter as much as this was the last round, but it sounded as though they were all giving the round their best. He would have liked to watch, had his agenda not been so packed for the coming days.


    ¡°Squid!¡± Aya shrieked. ¡°M-Monster squid!¡±


    Kai blinked, fatigue slowing his reaction. That wasn¡¯t right. Aya had been counting¡­


    Without thinking, his tentacles were already hurling him over the edge, leaving a trail of uncollected blue blood in the water behind him.


    Kai bulleted toward the sound of her voice, just in time to see Adin pulling Aya by the hand into the jagged shambles of a company ship. Not far behind, and bigger than his tentacle span twice-over was a real squid. The thing¡¯s body alone was at least the length of a rowboat. Its tentacles and beak extended it another dozen feet¡­.And it seemed that Adin¡¯s brilliant solution was to squish them into a merchant vessel so small, they¡¯d be out of rooms to swim through by the time they hit the brig!


    ¡°Krill!¡± Kai called out, just before he dived.


    Judging by the color it had flushed, this squid was in season early. The thing had made a nest of Shipwreck Valley, likely because of the quiet hiding place it provided¡ªa quiet that they¡¯d disturbed. It couldn¡¯t have been long since it had come up from the depths to breed. It needed rest. It needed food. And when it had been woken up by the chattering of young merfolk, it was angry.


    The squid dove into the ship after them, breaking through broken planks and broken colored glass as though they weren¡¯t even there. The squid¡¯s beady eyes fixated on Aya¡¯s red tail. Aya was small enough at least to wriggle through the bars of an old cell. As things were going, she would have had a better chance on her own, but¡ªand Kai growled, as he witnessed Adin¡¯s insistence on not letting her go¡ªit seemed Adin was set on being the one to get her out. It reached them before Kai did, tentacles pinning them into the broken brig bars.


    Kai¡¯s breath seized when its beak snapped inches from Aya¡¯s tail. In the little pre-medieval shipwreck, Adin was only just maneuvering them fast enough to get caught, and he was doing a bad job of it.


    Fortunately, Krill had paid attention to Kai¡¯s yell, and reached the ship before he did.


    Krill threw his tentacles out before him, and slammed himself down hard into the wrecked hull. Though he was small, the force of the impact sent splinters raining onto the creature¡¯s bulbous head. Aya managed to duck and weave behind Adin as the fragments rained down.


    Undeterred, the squid''s long tentacles followed Aya and Adin through the sharp debris with remarkable dexterity, attempting to tangle her fins, when Krill let his camouflage fall, and squeezed through the hole he¡¯d just created. He dropped seemingly from nowhere onto the squid¡¯s upper body in an attempt to slow it down, but with his size, only succeeded in making it angrier. The squid¡¯s thrashing gace Aya and Adin a chance to scuttle away¡ªAdin, through the hole Krill had made, and Aya, fleeing for the corner. Adin, not noticing that they¡¯d been separated, left her behind, and darted toward the surface.


    Kai snarled. He didn¡¯t have the luxury of waiting for an opening. Passing Adin on the way down, he braced an arm over his head, letting his tentacles throw his body through the rotting hull. He smashed through one of the cannon port-holes with a loud CRUNCH!


    The whole ship shuddered as he hit the lower deck, feet from the squid¡¯s head. With a grinding, snapping growl, it bucked under Krill¡¯s grasp, and flung the boy against a wall. Behind him, Aya hid herself behind an old desk that offered no real protection. Kai rounded on the squid, and threw one pair of tentacles around the squid¡¯s body, and threaded another pair into the anchor locks on the floor.


    ¡°Go!¡± he grunted at Krill, who, though he was still trying his best to slow the beast down, couldn¡¯t hold it. He just didn¡¯t have the span.


    Though he shot Kai a worried look, Krill at least didn¡¯t stick around for questions.


    ¡°Take my hand, Aya!¡± Krill gasped. He let the squid throw him one last time, and managed to aim for where Aya was cowering.


    Seeing the flash of red scales as Krill helped her up, the squid pursued.


    Krill pulled her out of the way as the squid¡¯s arms hit the desk with a sound like an axe chopping wet logs. The tang of squid blood hit Kai¡¯s nostrils and tongue. Kai snatched it up right out of its trail of pursuit and slammed it into the deck hard enough to splinter boards. The squid¡¯s yellow eye widened at the sight of him, and he could have sworn he heard a feral whimper rumble through its body. Encouraged, Kai gritted his teeth and slammed it down again, feeling the old wood beneath his tentacles creak and snap.


    Krill kept Aya away from the sharp bits of wood that rained down, but trapped in the back of the hull, he couldn¡¯t do much more than move her away from the squid¡¯s arms as Kai thrashed the beast.


    CRUNCH! Kai threw its head down harder into the deck. The squid sprawled in the splinters, stunned, and Kai didn¡¯t waste a second. He darted behind the desk, and scooped up Aya from her hiding place behind Krill.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± was all he took the time to say.


    Releasing a stream of black ink over the squid¡¯s ugly yellow eyes. With krill in tow, they sped toward the surface after Adin.


    Kai cursed under his breath. He cursed, Adin, himself, the guards, the palace, and the entire squid breed. Titus¡¯s guards were supposed to watch for early arrivals for the architeuthis breeding season¡ªafter all, it was quite the risk to the Atlantean citizens. Adin, as one of the guards, should have been aware of the risks, even if he¡¯d never seen one of the beasts in person before. It was his job.


    He forced himself to focus on carrying Aya out of the valley so that his temper didn¡¯t get the best of him. If one beast had arrived early to the season, then there was a big chance of there being more. Once the wrecks thinned out and they reached the city border, he could breathe again.


    ¡°Are you okay, Aya?¡± Krill, who looked appropriately terrified, murmured to the princess once Kai slowed down.


    Krill had a way of being instinctually soothing, something that had served him well while living with Cirrina. It was something that Kai often forgot, but was just as often grateful. ¡®Soothing,¡¯ was not one of his natural skills.


    ¡°I¡ªAh¡ª¡±


    Kai really looked at the princess for the first time since the attack. Aya was shaking in Kai¡¯s arms, and despite the warm summer waters, her teeth chattered. Hard. His hearts pulled a little at the sound. She wasn¡¯t the sort of mermaid who cried¡ªthank Poseidon¡ªand she wasn¡¯t angry, but she was shaking like kelp-leaves in a storm.


    ¡°Yes, Krill. Um. Thanks. I think I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    Adin swam down, meeting them halfway before Kai completely breached the valley.


    ¡°What were you thinking, Aya?¡± Adin demanded, swimming up closer than Krill. His usually-perfect blond hair was mussed, and his tail stripes were quivering as he tried to hide how much he, too, was shaking. ¡°I told you we¡¯d get out fine if you just followed me, but¡ª¡±


    Kai pulled Aya closer to his chest, spanned his tentacles to their full width, and snarled.


    ¡°No,¡± he hissed, letting his pointed teeth show more than usual. The ridges on cecaelian teeth never failed to make Kai feel ¡®other¡¯ when he spoke to mermen, but in times when he wanted to intimidate, the effect was¡­ satisfying.


    Adin froze as still as if he¡¯d really been iced to the spot. Kai leaned forward, cutting off his view of the princess. This debacle was Kai¡¯s fault as well, but he had trusted Adin to at least take his job more seriously, and less stupidly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to scold her, Adin. Krill, a boy, stayed with her and fought that thing. You, one of her father¡¯s trained guards, just turned tail and left her.¡±


    Whether it was because of Kai¡¯s bared teeth or his tone, Adin wisely clammed up, but he definitely didn¡¯t look happy about it. Kai knew he would have some reparations to do later if he wanted to keep their old friendship, but Adin¡¯s behavior had been getting steadily worse, particularly around Aya. This time, at least, Adin seemed to be aware of his mistake, but that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t glaring spears at Kai and Krill in his angry shame.


    ¡°Keep moving,¡± Kai barked. ¡°It won¡¯t follow us to the sunlight, but it might track us if we stay where it¡¯s darker.¡±


    They swam in tense silence, and Kai had no qualms about leaving Adin struggling to keep up.


    ¡°Thank you, Krill,¡± Aya said, after a pause long enough to allow them to breach the sunlit portion of the waters.


    ¡°That thing would have gotten me before Kai if it weren¡¯t for you,¡± Aya murmured from where she was tucked under his jawline. Krill¡¯s cheeks blushed a light purple at the thanks.


    ¡°You¡¯d have done the same,¡± Krill mumbled. Propelling himself between Kai and Adin, he pointed his tentacles down and to himself a little smaller. ¡°Adin, would too, y¡¯know, if he hadn¡¯t gotten lost.¡±


    Krill meant well, but his words only seemed to make Adin angrier.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Adin snapped, finally. ¡°Just fine! You¡¯re obviously okay without me, Princess, so next time, get another guard to take you to the wrecks!¡±


    Kai was confident that Adin would have swum off right then if his duties didn¡¯t require him to return Aya to the palace that night. Kai¡¯s mouth formed a hard line as he continued to glare at the young mer.


    ¡°Um, Kai¡­¡± Aya said meekly from somewhere at his chest, and he ventured a glance at her expression. She was still shaken, but apart from a few scratches on the end of her tail fin, she was fine. Kai was more frustrated that she¡¯d been in a position to get hurt at all. ¡°Kai?¡± she said again, interrupting his angry inspection.


    ¡°Hm?¡± he responded,


    ¡°I¡¯m okay to swim on my own, now,¡± she said, placing a hand on his chest.


    He almost swore. Her hand was on on bare skin, which meant that he¡¯d left his ingredients bag behind.


    He was reluctant to let her go, particularly when his anger hadn¡¯t yet faded, but at her request, he righted her in the water, and put some distance between them. He folded his arms over his chest, trying to ignore the cold place she¡¯d left there.


    ¡°There¡¯s some blue on your face, Kai.¡± Krill tilted his head curiously, his torso twisting to see him better. Kai would forever be grateful to Krill. He always knew when to break the tension. ¡°Just there on your cheek.¡± Krill pointed. ¡°Is that¡­is that blood?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Kai touched the place Krill indicated, and upon examining his fingers, cursed grievously. His ingredient bag was gone, and he¡¯d left the crabs mid-extraction!


    Adin muttered something about language ¡®in front of the princess,¡¯ as Kai darted back to the ship to find the crabs he¡¯d abandoned.


    Spilling his tentacles over the railing of the precarious galleon once more, it didn¡¯t take long to spot where he¡¯d left his project. He¡¯d managed to extract about half of what he and Krill needed for their day¡¯s mission, but the other half had already been lost to the current, and the crabs had long bled out. He scrambled to gather his equipment, not taking care to watch himself in his frustration.


    Perhaps there were more on board¡­


    One of his tentacles knocked into the mast, hard. It wouldn¡¯t have done anything if a wave hadn¡¯t caught the remnant of the topgallant at the same time.


    The whole ship gave a horrible, crunching CREEEAK!


    Kai scooped up his tools and darted overboard before the suction of the current  of the ship¡¯s fall could pull him back down into the valley. And, fall, it did. Slow and inevitable, the water filled with a cacophony of splintering wood and crunching metal that echoed down the valley. The taste of rust and blue blood trailed after its every clung, clatter, and snap. Somewhere below a large dark shape or two darted away from the ship as it picked up speed, and hurtled into the silt with an earsplitting CREAK! SNAP! CRUNCH!


    ¡°Cod¡¯s gills!¡± he cursed again, before returning to Krill with as much haste as he could muster.


    This much blood in the water would warn away other crabs if the noise, and silt-shaking crash hadn¡¯t already¡ªnot to mention the scents would draw in more predators. If there were other squid in the valley that didn¡¯t know they were there, they certainly did, now.


    Kai groaned.


    It was just one lucky break after another today, now wasn¡¯t it?


    He returned to the group quickly, able to move faster without the concern of a more fragile creature in his arms. Much to Adin¡¯s displeasure, and Kai¡¯s amusement, Krill had his tentacles wrapped around Aya¡¯s tail, and she was hugging him to her like a little brother and cooing over his bravery back at the ship. Adin looked like he was about to try lecturing again, but Kai beat him to the point.


    ¡°Get the princess home,¡± Kai snapped, cutting him off. ¡°Now.¡±


    Aya looked at him, now, with alarm.


    ¡°Wait, Kai; there¡¯s something¡ª¡± she started to say.


    ¡°Well, well, well,¡± said an old, gravelly voice. ¡°I¡¯ve been halfway across the reefs looking for your naughty fins, girl!¡±


    Kai whirled on the newcomer, and relaxed somewhat. Marlin, High King Titus¡¯s advisor, was flipping his way toward them. The old turtle moved slower every year, but that didn¡¯t stop him from covering the distance from the palace to the out-borders in search of his charges. For all his sternness, it was no secret how Marlin cared for the princesses.


    At the sight of him, Krill curled his tentacles back, and tried to make himself look small and non-threatening. Kai almost smiled. It wasn¡¯t the first time he''d run-in with Marlin, and he was generally regarded even in the outer circles of the kingdom as ¡®fair,¡¯ and a ¡®decent sort.¡¯ Even if seeing him rarely meant good news, Kai didn¡¯t mind Marlin most days, but for Aya¡¯s sake, he wished that today he¡¯d shown up an hour or two sooner.


    Marlin propelled himself to eye-level with the group, and though Aya hadn¡¯t let go of him, Krill was already trying to distance himself from her. Marlin seemed too weather-worn to notice, or he didn¡¯t particularly care about the princess¡¯s attachment to a cecaelian, and that was a rare point in his favor in Kai¡¯s book.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina,¡± said Marlin, somewhat out of breath. ¡°Young one, you could learn to leave a note!¡±


    ¡°How did you find us?¡± Aya yelped, her fins fluttering.


    ¡°Half the ocean heard that ship fall! And I thought to myself, where could the princess possibly be? ¡®Inspecting¡¯ the most dangerous thing in the area, as usual! One of these days, these kingdom ¡®inspections¡¯ are going to have to come to an end, Princess Ayalina,¡± Marlin scolded. ¡°Before you do.¡±


    Aya had the grace to bow her head to the turtle, instead of arguing. Kai considered telling Marlin that the princess had nothing to do with the fall, but the reality of why she was in the valley seemed worse. He stayed quiet, wondering  whether or not Adin would confess what happened.


    ¡°You, young mer-man!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Advisor Marlin!¡± Adin snapped to attention, snapping to salute.


    Kai hid a smirk.


    ¡°Good to see you¡¯ve prevented the princess from swimming too close,¡± Marlin addressed Adin once more, ¡°especially with Archeteuthis season so close, although I¡¯d have preferred if you kept her from coming into these waters at all. Shipwreck Valley! I hate to think what would have happened if you¡¯d actually gone in!¡±


    Aya and Adin shared an uneasy glance.


    ¡°And you, young Kai, young Krill! Staying safe as well, are we?¡± Marlin narrowed his eyes at the cecaelian boys, but not unkindly.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Krill announced from behind Kai¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Advisor Marlin,¡± Kai greeted with a small bow. ¡°Glad to see you in good health. I apologize for the excessive journeying we¡¯ve caused you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Marlin gruffed. ¡°No need to apologize young man. I don¡¯t doubt you¡¯ve saved me some trouble today, yourself.¡±


    Kai suddenly suspected Marlin had seen more than he let on. He was old, not stupid. However, Marlin never gave Aya more trouble than absolutely necessary. Despite his well-known history in the old wars, he was perhaps the most encouraging at court of Aya¡¯s interaction with the people¡ªincluding himself. However, though he liked the turtle, that didn¡¯t mean that Kai particularly trusted him. That familiar suspicion resurfaced when Marlin delivered his message:


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s enough of that,¡± Marlin dismissed, and once more, Kai was appreciative of the old turtle¡¯s gruffness. ¡°Your father has summoned you, Princess. ¡®Afraid he¡¯s already been waiting half the day.¡±


    Aya groaned. ¡°I¡¯m already late? He didn¡¯t schedule anything. My sisters don¡¯t arrive until tomorrow.¡±


    Although Kai understood the feeling, he couldn¡¯t help but raise a silvery brow at the order. It was rare for Titus to summon his daughters individually. He wasn¡¯t exactly a terrible father, but he wasn¡¯t a present one, either.


    ¡°He has some...eh, news,¡± said Marlin.


    There was something about the way he avoided Aya¡¯s gaze, the way he tucked his flippers, and the too-casual dipping of his tail when he said the word ¡®news.¡¯ Like it was a sickly, nasty sort of thing better dropped off the ledge of a valley than presented to Aya directly.


    Like it was something he couldn¡¯t say in front of two Cecaelia.


    ¡°Come on, Krill,¡± Kai said quietly. ¡°We have some work to do, and I think it might have just gotten harder.¡±


    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s in trouble?¡± Krill whispered low enough that only Kai could hear as Marlin led Adin and Aya away.


    ¡°If we keep her much longer, she will be,¡± Kai said, feeling an ominous weight to his words that hung strangely in the water as he led Krill home.

 Chapter 2: Aya

    Chapter 2


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Aya</h2>


    ¡°Adriatta!¡± Aya darted out from between Adin and Marlin, and threw her arms around her sister¡¯s neck at full swim once they¡¯d entered the palace gates.


    In the excitement of seeing her sister returned to Atlantis, it escaped Aya how unusual it was for Adriatta to wait for her beyond the entry guard past dark¡ªalone.


    ¡°Oh, and Earl! Brawn!¡± Open confusion took over Adriatta¡¯s expression as Aya lowered a curtsy in greeting to the two guards, a pair of swordfish posted at the doors. ¡°Stationed outside the gates, now? I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d gotten promoted. Well done!¡±


    The guards kept their blades high in the water at attention, but Aya knew they secretly enjoyed the acknowledgement. So many visitors passed by during the work day as though the guards were just more of the statues that lined the palace gardens. It seemed that Adriatta hadn¡¯t noticed them either. She jumped back from Aya as though she¡¯d been stung when Brawn twitched his blade ever so slightly in acceptance of her greeting.


    ¡°Aya!¡± Adriatta coughed sternly, though not unfriendly when she¡¯d slipped back into her usual composure. Adriatta moved back from Aya, away from the palace, and cast a furtive glance over one shoulder. For the briefest moment, her diamond-brown eyes flashed black, but just as quickly, the shadow was gone, replaced with her usual bright gaze. Flipping her tail with more poise than Aya ever could have managed, Adriatta righted herself just in time to get crashed into a second time by one of Aya¡¯s insistent hugs.


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Aya cried into her neck. ¡°The palace isn¡¯t the same without you.¡±


    ¡°Aya, you¡¯re here! You¡¯re late!¡±Adriatta¡¯s furtive glances to the guards were quickly smoothed over by her usual distant smile.¡°Look at you! Your tail! Blue scales all but gone. I always did say you¡¯d go red like me.¡±


    Self-consciously, Aya hid the last of the blue on the end of her fins by curling her tail ever so slightly away from her sister. Though he was looking straight ahead like a good guard, she was overtly aware that Adin was nearby and watching. Even if he felt like a brother to her, it was still embarrassing. The blue in her scales and tail was the last of what was left of her hatchling camouflage. While all of her elder sisters had all changed into their adult scales, for some reason the vestiges of Aya¡¯s childhood still clung fast. Seline and Sephina knew better than to mention the problem to her, but Adriatta had been gone for so long¡­Even the palace physicians were baffled as to why the hatchling stain had lasted so long, and Aya was beginning to wonder if she would forever be marked as the palace child.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Marlin cleared his throat behind them. ¡°Princesses. Your father will have my shell for a serving bowl if Ayalina is any later for the summons.¡±


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re late! Father¡¯s been looking for you, and the planning¡¯s nearly finished.¡± Adriatta exclaimed, and grabbed Aya¡¯s hands to tug her through the palace main doors and toward the throne room.


    It didn¡¯t occur to Aya to ask what ¡®planning¡¯ Adriatta was talking about. Swimming next to her sister, in her regal gown and pearl-trimmed regalia, she was being starkly reminded that the clothes she¡¯d made to blend in with the outer reef, made her stand out badly in the palace. She was travel-worn, and underdressed. She bit her lip as she examined her blouse.


    Was that a tear under her ribs? And not one of the boys or Marlin had deigned to say anything? No wonder Adin refused to look at her!


    Aya fidgeted free of Adriatta¡¯s grip.


    ¡°Do I have time to change? It¡¯s just, it¡¯s really late at night, just now, and I¡¯m not sure if¡ª¡±


    If father knows I¡¯ve been out of the palace so late, she didn¡¯t say. And I¡¯m dressed like the reef-dwellers. And I¡¯m indecent!


    ¡°Not tonight, Princess Ayalina,¡± Marlin answered quite firmly.


    Adriatta was also shaking her head. ¡°You should see him sooner than later. Ezra saw him earlier today, and said that things went quite well. It¡¯s good news, Aya. Don¡¯t fret and just go.¡±


    Marlin made a small strangled sound next to her, but just as quickly hid it with a cough.


    It was subtle, but Aya noticed. Marlin had been oddly quiet on the swim back. It had taken them all day to swim back from the outer reef back to the inner city, and even longer to reach the palace. Aya had pinned his silence on breathlessness. However, there was something strange about the way he wouldn¡¯t meet her eye, and several times he¡¯d opened his mouth as if to say something, but nothing ever came out. In fact, these were the first real words he¡¯d said to her since they¡¯d left Shipwreck Valley.


    Marlin coughed again, clearing his throat with more drama than necessary. Adriatta shot him a fond look, but Aya¡¯s concern was growing. What kind of good news had to be discussed in the middle of the night?


    ¡°Aherm-herm-herm! Is your father still in the throne room, Queen Adriatta?¡±


    Adriatta tutted gently. ¡°Marlin, you don¡¯t need to call me that. It¡¯ll take away the nostalgia of being home.¡±


    ¡°I am coming to realize that one must accept the duties that come with new roles¡­and titles,¡± Marlin said wearily.


    ¡°You¡¯ll always be our nanny-turtle, Marlin,¡± Aya teased.


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll both listen when I say come along!¡± Marlin harrumphed and lead them a little faster down the nearly-empty hallways.


    Giggling and clinging to Adriatta¡¯s hand, Aya followed along. Usually, Aya would have made her way back into the palace through the servants¡¯ corridors to avoid unnecessary attention, but tonight, she entered through the main doorways in full aire of her royal title.


    ¡°There are still servants awake? Shouldn¡¯t everyone but the night guard be asleep?¡±


    ¡°They are probably still¡­ getting ready,¡± Adriatta said, smiling as though she knew some secret.


    ¡°What?¡± Aya tried to get a better look at Adriatta¡¯s face.¡°Do you know what this is about?¡±


    Adriatta only pulled forward faster. ¡°Not yet,¡± she said. ¡°Not for sure.¡±


    Deeper into the palace, they encountered more staff, and though it wasn¡¯t nearly the amount of life Aya would see in the daytime, plenty of fish and merfolk were still darting about by the light of glowing green lamps. Colorful schools of tropical fish darted through the water, carrying messages and tiny parcels between rooms. Graceful manta rays kept their traffic high overhead with heavier parcels, which seemed primarily heading to the kitchens.


    More food, more mouths to feed. They were expecting more guests, then?


    The sea-glass spires and windows up above had been freshly cleaned since that morning, and the moonlight that streamed through the shimmering ceiling made the coral pillars along each wall seem taller. Aya saw cleaner shrimp still polishing the fine details near the floor.


    Pink-tipped anemones that both guarded and hid side corridors were all in full bloom, and were even letting more than just their designated species through. Aya¡¯s eyes widened when several triggerfish that a particularly grumpy anemone had tried to eat not days before let them pass without so much as a sting.


    ¡°Make way!¡± Adin barked in his young, but authoritative voice. ¡°Make way for Advisor Marlin!¡±


    Aya jumped. Adin hadn¡¯t said a word since the squid attack, and his voice was loud and harsh in her ears. With his help, they approached the closed doors of the throne room, two stoic blowfish watched their approach impatiently, as though itching to announce their arrival.


    Aya turned to Adriatta, whose silky dark hair pooled elegantly around her silver dress and dark crimson tail, as she swam. Though their coloring was similar, Aya felt that they couldn¡¯t look more different. Adriatta held herself with usual perfect posture¡ªthere could be a hurricane raging outside, and that posture would never falter. Adin¡¯s efforts were focused on keeping Aya and Marlin clear of tangling fins and moving packages, but Adriatta hardly needed his efforts. She swam calmly and confidently through the mass of fish and runners, her presence alone seeming to clear a path for her. Aya was envious, to be sure, but something else panged in her chest. She hardly knew her sister, Adriatta having married before she was born. If only they were closer, perhaps she would spend some time teaching Aya to look like royalty¡ªand then perhaps someday Aya might feel like one. Aya clutched at at Adriatta¡¯s hands, suddenly gripped with an irrational urge to buy a little more time.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been gone so long, Adriatta. Are you happy? Do you like your marriage to¡ªto Ezra?¡± Aya questioned, carefully inspecting Adriatta¡¯s face for any dissatisfaction.


    ¡°King Ezra,¡± Adriatta corrected gently, and suddenly the black rings around her brown irises were back.


    Aya pulled back and nearly tripped over a lemon shark toting a pile of rolled vellums in her shock. ¡°Adri. Your eyes. Are you alright?¡±


    Adriatta fixed her with an achingly familiar annoyance. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Aya. And you knew King Ezra¡¯s entourage would come today¡ªor at least, the rest of the palace did. If you don¡¯t pay attention to the currents, you''re going to miss things!¡±


    She¡¯d dodged the question. Hm.


    Aya opened her mouth to question her sister again, but only bubbles came out when Marlin cut her off.  They were already at the doors.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Marlin cleared his throat behind them. ¡°Princess Ayalina, answering a summons from the High King!¡±


    ¡°Entering Princess Ayalina of Atlantis!¡± one of the impatient blowfish stationed at the throne room announced as soon as they were in range. The other flung open the door, visibly deflated over the first one having beaten him to the yelling portion of proceedings.


    Adriatta squeezed her hand as they entered, but she and Adin both hung back, as though unable to move beyond the doors. Adriatta gave Aya the tiniest of shrugs in response to her questioning look, and mouthed ¡°wait for you,¡± before the doors closed behind her. Aya couldn¡¯t resist a sly smile, understanding a bit more of why her sister had been waiting so far away from her entourage. Waiting would place her next to the throne room doors where no one could rightly accuse her of eavesdropping.


    With only Marlin as her escort, Aya approached her father¡¯s seat.


    A small crowd was gathered around the throne dais. Captain Kael and the king¡¯s personal retainer were all present¡ªlooking tense¡ªas well as a few high-born nobles¡ªlooking bored¡ªand a few armored Kuroshio cecaelia¡ªlooking menacing and amused.


    She tried not to look at them, and instead focused on the room. Her father. Anything but all of those staring eyes.


    The walls had been polished and given another coat of oyster wash. Even at night, it was the brightest place in the palace. Not for the first time, Aya was impressed at the detail that their mosaiced designs displayed. A history of the wars undersea, from the time of Poseidon to present, was depicted in glittering jewels and shells behind looming pillars that led to the throne. The plain stone floor was decorated with an impossibly long rug woven from kelp and creepvine fibers. The color it brought to the room was in stark contrast with the grave expression on her father¡¯s face. Aya cringed. There were shadows beneath her father¡¯s eyes, and a hard line between his brows. And he¡¯d been waiting for her.


    Adriatta was right. I should have expected a summons today. How did I miss the arrival of the entire Kuroshio entourage? she berated herself. She hadn¡¯t said a word yet, and already, Aya was mortified.


    One might not think that three dozen merfolk was a lot of people, particularly in a room as vast as the Atlantis throne room, but three dozen sets of eyes was enough to make anyone nervous, regardless of room size.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Aya tried to keep her posture as regal as Adriatta¡¯s as she approached, wishing she¡¯d at least brushed her hair that day. Wishing her shirt hadn¡¯t been torn up by a giant squid. Wishing she was almost anyone else. She held her chin high all the same, even biting back the scowl that tried to twist her lips when she noticed that Ezra was in the room¡ªand in Marlin¡¯s seat, no less. Ezra¡¯s black and brown tentacles spilled over Marlin¡¯s usual perch, and though it seemed far too small for him, he didn¡¯t seem to mind as long as he had proximity to the king.


    That arrogant slimy little cod, she thought, though there was nothing ¡®little¡¯ about any cecaelia.


    Ezra was hardly recognizable from the days when she¡¯d first met him. The old scars on his back, shoulders, and wrists¡ªcoward¡¯s scars left over from his turning in the war, had faded, and were hidden by garish chains, amulets, and pendants strung over his chest. His face was paler than usual, and his mien healthy, even for a cecaelia. Aya had no doubt he spent most of his time in the dark caves of his castle in the eastern region. Clearly, marriage to her sister had been good for him, and she felt a curling tendril of annoyance as she wondered if the same could be said for Adriatta.


    For the life of her, Aya had never been able to understand how Ezra had come into power. Considering his dwindling population, he certainly hadn¡¯t been doing a very good job. Aya could only assume it had been Adriatta¡¯s influence that had bolstered his kingdom since their marriage¡ªbut then again, it might have only been the war reparations that she begged their father to extend so regularly. Not trusting her own face not to give away her disdain, Aya forced herself not to look at him.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina,¡± King Titus addressed her when she¡¯d reached eye level with the throne. ¡°My daughter, perhaps you would have more say in the order of your own festivities were you present for their planning.¡±


    Aya curtsied politely to her father, and then to Ezra, forcing herself to smile diplomatically at the latter. Though a whole shoal of excuses for her lateness flitted through her head, she knew none of them would endear her to her father in front of so many.


    ¡°Apologies, father. Thank you for sending advisor Marlin. He delivered me quickly.¡±


    ¡°No matter.¡± King Titus was stern, though his expression softened considerably as he regarded Aya. A quick glance at Ezra told her that he certainly didn¡¯t think this was ¡®no matter,¡¯ and hid a smile from him behind her hair.


    ¡°As we¡¯ve already been waiting for your arrival the better part the day we¡¯ll make this brief¡ª¡± said Titus.


    Aya rose from her curtsy, daring a curious glance at Marlin, who had taken a spot by her father¡¯s silver tail. He wasn¡¯t looking at her.


    ¡°You and your sisters are expecting suitors for the lunar ball. Your suitor Aya, is the Eel Prince Ellian of the Aegean. I am told he will arrive in Atlantis tomorrow. At that time, formal introductions, and a chaperoned meeting will be arranged by Marlin.¡±


    Aya felt the blood in her tail run bluer than a coldwater loach. The remnant blue at the edge of her fins edged all the way up her tail to her scales. Under the gaze of so many, she wanted nothing more than to have the days of her hatchling camouflage back so she could flee and hide. Her father had said ¡®suitors,¡¯ but that word was never used lightly in the palace. This prince was coming to draw up a contract.


    ¡°Ah¡­a suitor, Father?¡± Aya could hardly breathe past her shock. ¡°For me?¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem for a princess? For one of my daughters?¡± King Titus said evenly, but from years of experience, Aya caught the warning in his voice.


    She¡¯d expected suspicion from her father about her surface-visiting habits at night when she made most of her astronomical charts. Even outright scolding had been possible for her many near-misses with the forbidden territories at the Atlantean borders. In fact, she¡¯d thought that somehow her father already knew about her near-miss with the squid. But this¡­suddenly things were starting to make sense, and a sense of betrayal pricked her senses. Marlin¡¯s refusal to meet her eye, and Adriatta¡¯s obvious listening at the door. They¡¯d known, and they hadn¡¯t told her! They hadn¡¯t given her time to prepare!


    ¡°Not at all, father,¡± she gulped, scrambling to collect her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m only surprised, as you see,¡± she gestured toward the blue tips of her tail, ¡°I would hate to disappoint a prince when he finds out his intended hasn¡¯t fully come of age.¡±


    She was grasping at bubbles with that argument, and she knew it, but she had to try, the words spilling out quickly now.


    ¡°And my sisters, Father. Seline and Sephina are older than I. It is their right to wed before me.¡±


    Titus dismissed these protests as soon as she¡¯d voiced them.


    ¡°Worry not, my children are born for rule.¡± Titus said it like an order, as though daring anyone, including herself, to disagree. ¡°Seline and Sephina have their own suitors arriving. Three unions together will demand the full attention of the royal family in the coming week.¡±


    ¡°The coming week¡­¡± Aya said aloud. She would miss the eclipse. Her eclipse.


    Unbidden, an image of Kai flashed through her mind. What she¡¯d really thought was that she¡¯d had more time to prove that she didn¡¯t need to be before her royal birth caught up with her.


    ¡°Will that be a problem, your highness?¡± It was the first time that Ezra had spoken, and the way he was smiling¡­ Aya didn¡¯t have anything against Ezra personally¡ªexcept of course the way he was making old marlin hover about the base of the throne like a servant¡ªhowever, something about that smile was less than friendly. No, it was downright devious.


    Aya squared her shoulders, and, ignoring the warning glances from Marlin, spoke again. Afterall, this was her entire future they were talking about! What did she really have to lose?


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said, her own voice uncomfortably loud in the throne room, as every eye, including the guards lining the columns, turned to look at her. It wasn¡¯t every day that someone tried to defy the high king of Atlantis. ¡°Yes,¡± she repeated. ¡°It will be a problem. One week from today a white eclipse is coming. It will blackout all of the kingdom¡¯s spells¡ª¡±


    ¡°How is this relevant to the upcoming suitor, princess? The high king has given you excellent news. Surely, you cannot be worried that during an event lasting only a few minutes that the bident of Atlantis cannot keep its citizens safe.¡±


    Aya glared. In for a copper¡­


    ¡°That is exactly what I am saying, father,¡± she made a point of looking her father in the eyes, daring him to defy her. ¡°A white eclipse will undo all of the spells not issued by something the bident. Permanently. Afterward, everything from the current guides to the garden lighting will have to be remade. There couldn¡¯t be a worse time to have out-of-sea guests.¡±


    The bored nobles looked up from where they¡¯d been murmuring and gossiping on the room¡¯s lower levels. That certainly had their attention. Spells and enchantments were expensive, and the thought of undoing all of them was downright dangerous. In the lower reefs, farmers, merchants, and workers would use lesser magic for things like cures for scale-rot, and the occasional wave-cleaning spell. Nobles would be able to afford magic such as giant current-proof windows, and seemingly-impossible towers, air-domes, and other showy feats of construction. Any spelled jewelry, clothing, or even physical enhancements they¡¯d purchased could come apart at the seams¡ªliterally.


    That thought almost made Aya laugh, as she noticed exactly where the nobles attention had turned, when Ezra spoke up again.


    ¡°Impossible,¡± he stated smoothly. That smug arrogant twist on his lips riled her gills. ¡°Predictions of this sort have been made before. The sea-witches do so to incite panic¡ª¡±


    She grit her teeth. ¡°This prediction wasn¡¯t made by the sea-witches, or with any ulterior motive other than the safety of this kingdom. It was made by me.¡±


    Ezra actually laughed, and to her disbelief, Marlin joined him. Oddly enough, they were both united in something in that moment¡ªdiffusing the tension that rose in the water around her as the throne room palpably heated a degree or two as the bident in King Titus¡¯ hand glowed.


    Her gaze snapped back to her father, hoping that he, at least, would see the value in the information she¡¯d brought, but any hopes she¡¯d had were quickly dashed.


    ¡°Are you admitting, in my throne room, that you have deliberately disobeyed my orders? You have been practicing seer magic?¡± The king was visibly controlling his displeasure.


    It was bad luck that Ezra was there, Aya decided. His questions weren¡¯t exactly out of turn, but each time he spoke, it goaded her father¡¯s frustration. If Aya had been anyone else, he might have thrown her out on her tail that very moment.


    ¡°Nothing of the sort, father,¡± Aya corrected. ¡°The prediction didn¡¯t come from magic. It came from science. From studying the star-patterns. My predictions have been strengthening the kingdom now for years, father¡ª¡± she paused. This was it. He was letting her speak! She cleared her throat.


    ¡°Father, I can be of use. Here. I can strengthen Atlantis by staying here in the city more than I would in any marriage. I¡¯ve already been strengthening its magic for years.¡±


    There it was, her great secret, and her boldest claim. Aya had been wanting for years to tell her father all of the little ways she¡¯d helped the denizens of Atlantis by reading the heavens and all their riddles. She¡¯d sorted out the direction of road currents, and helped direct tainted water into krill fields for cleaning, and disinfected kelp beds before gill-rot could spread. Little things, but her efforts were worth something. They had to be. Because of the gratitude of minor witches, and farmers, and gardeners along the outer reefs, she¡¯d convinced herself that perhaps, she might someday get those reactions from her own family.


    ¡°Strengthening the kingdom¡¯s magic?¡± Titus said dangerously, not a hint of gratitude, or even favor in the hard glare he was leveling at her as he sat forward in the throne. ¡°Assisting the sea-witches? Unlicensed, by your own admission, for years?¡±


    ¡°Imposible,¡± Ezra repeated, but he was now regarding Aya with something akin to interest¡ªsomething closer to greed.


    Aya was in hot water now, literally. The throne room was growing warm to an uncomfortable degree under his ire.


    ¡°Where were you today, Ayalina?¡± Titus asked bluntly, pulling her from her own swimming thoughts. ¡°Aiding sea-witches?¡±


    If her earlier admission hadn¡¯t garnered the nobles¡¯ attention, Titus anger did, now. If there was anything that caught the court¡¯s attention more than imminent financial danger, it was gossip.


    Aya fought to keep her voice steady as she answered. ¡°I was visiting the citizens in the far reef-district near the borders. I bring them food and castaway materials from the palace once a week. I suspect that was how Marlin knew where to find me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t exactly a lie. Her morning had been spent among the citizens in the slums. It was just fortune that those citizens had been Kai and Krill. And it wouldn¡¯t hurt her argument to let her father know, if subtly, that she¡¯d informed her ¡®caretaker¡¯ where she would be in advance.


    ¡°In the third ring?¡± King Ezra said quietly. Though his voice was also even, Aya avoided his piercing gaze. ¡°A princess of Atlantis in the third ring?¡±


    ¡°I try to be familiar with all of the rings of my kingdom. There¡¯s only so much one can learn from inside the palace,¡± Aya met, though she kept her voice carefully respectful under her father¡¯s glare. Her face burned, and not just from the warmth of the water around her.


    That was another mistake, however. Titus turned his displeasure on Marlin, the bident glowing in his fist under his irritation.


    ¡°What¡¯s this, Marlin?¡±


    Under the scrutiny of the king, the nobles, and now, the guards¡ªwho had probably never seen Marlin make a mistake in their lifetimes¡ªMarlin had retreated so far into his shell that the only part of his head still visible was his little turpine nostrils.


    It was to her great surprise, then, when Ezra was the one who came to their aid.


    ¡°It is a wonder then, that you both made it back so fast,¡± Ezra said, his voice ringing uncomfortably in the throne room as every head, including the king¡¯s turned to him. ¡°It is a wise ruler who considers all her people. And¡­ a generous one. Perhaps though your actions might have been unrefined in the ways of the court, still¡ª¡± He moved a sly hand to one of the pendants on his chest, and tilted it so that the light caught it just so. ¡°How rare to see such potential.¡±


    No one else seemed to notice Aya¡¯s stunned reaction, nor Marlin¡¯s suspicious stare. They certainly noticed, however, when the High King extended an unusual decision.


    ¡°Your methods will have to be more refined when you ascend in title, Aya,¡± Titus scolded gently, ¡°but perhaps your interest in the citizens is more organized than I¡¯d thought.¡±


    That shocked Aya as much as the marriage arrangement. The king hadn¡¯t just given her praise. He¡¯d changed his mind. It wasn¡¯t like her father at all.


    ¡°Considering that your interests are already in line with running the kingdom at all of its rungs, it seems any other concerns are unfounded. You are more ready than I¡¯d thought. And here we find that you have not only decided to hone a skill, but learned to use it in the domain of your future rule.¡±


    The glow of the bident dimmed as Titus grip on its shaft relaxed. The room cooled down, and a palpable relief rested over the guards, Marlin, and even Ezra as things returned to normal. Then, Titus did something she hadn¡¯t seen in ages. He smiled.


    ¡°I¡ªfather?¡±


    Her heart fluttered. Even in her wildest dreams, she¡¯d thought it would take so much more to convince her father that she was useful. That she could stay and work in her own kingdom¡ª¡±


    ¡°If anything, Princess Ayalina, you have proved to me just how ready for this union you are. I am more convinced than ever that you will be a great boon to this union. It will be easier to convince the Aegeans to enter into this alliance than I had dreamed.¡±


    Her mouth fell open, and her joy halted in its tracks and was dragged backwards kicking and screaming.


    ¡°B-but my scales¡­¡± Aya tried again, weakly.


    ¡°Of course the events won¡¯t be rushed, little one,¡± Titus said in what was probably supposed to be an understanding voice. ¡°Although this subject may be too delicate for the throne room, you have changed color a little later than your sisters. However, you have reached nineteen, and are already eligible¡­¡±


    Aya distantly heard herself agreeing to whatever scheduling propositions Marlin made. Whatever brief platitudes her father offered, she couldn¡¯t hear any of them over the sound of her own rushing failure.


    Her life was being signed away, and years of preparing her defense had been worthless.


    How had this happened?


    She¡¯d practically written and signed her own devil¡¯s deal. But then, none of her sisters had avoided this fate. And yet she had thought she might be able to avoid it. Was she really so naive?


    She had waves crashing in her ears and her head had been filled with sand. If someone had told her her tail had been sewn to anchors, she would have believed them.


    When she was at last dismissed from the throne room, Aya found Adin and her sister pretending not to listen at the door. Hardly seeing them, she swam past without a word. Her head was buzzing with desperation, unable to grapple with her new reality. Option after option presented themselves¡ªfrom forced abdication, to running away¡ªnone of which would ever work with her father as king.


    Aya only had one option left. She would have to persuade the Aegeans to back out. She would have to make them hate her. To think that she was the worst possible option for a queenship. And she would have to do it herself.

 Chapter 3: Kai

    Chapter 3


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Kai</h2>


    The homes of cecaelia were notoriously dark and difficult to find. The reason for this lay partially in natural tendency, but mostly in the complex and marvelous world of limited real-estate. The octopus half of cecaelian bodies gave them natural camouflage, and let most of them fit through incredibly small spaces. So, can¡¯t get rid of that tiny home? Entrance to half the caves on your newly-purchased cliffside too small? No natural sunlight in your area, and need to sell to a species who can see in the dark? Cecaelia were the answer.


    Unfortunately, this made visiting cecaelian homes rather difficult¡ªthough why anyone would want to was beyond most denizens of Atlantis. Afterall, it was hard to follow directions like: ¡®it¡¯s the trapdoor under the third misshapen rock to your left,¡¯ or, ¡®middle-ish of the kelp forest. Go down to where you can¡¯t see anymore, and then keep going about thirty feet.¡¯ This was a helpful principle to cecaelia who wanted to be visited¡ªbut not by anyone who wasn¡¯t serious about finding them.


    Quality sea witches were a rarity in the oceans as it was, and the only thing they had in common with each other was trouble. If sea witches weren¡¯t necessary to the nine kingdoms for things like lighting, medicine, and salt-to-freshwater travel, they¡¯d have been outlawed decades ago. Even still, since the purges began, the sea-witches that were so vital to the kingdom weren¡¯t exactly ¡®welcome,¡¯ anymore¡ªespecially the cecaelian ones. Thus, for the sake of business, any cecaelian sea witches who remained didn''t have the luxury of remaining truly hidden, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t have their own ways of weeding out visitors. Dwellings of those witches bordered on the fanatically dark, and ventured into the territory of ¡®horribly creepy.¡¯


    Kai¡¯s contracted mistress, the cecaelian sea witch Cirrina, had put in considerable effort to ensure that her home lived up to both. In a corner of the kingdom¡¯s lowest basins, where the sunlight forgot to reach, a grotto nicknamed the leviathan emitted puffs of smoky light from between the ribs and eye sockets of the creature whose bones formed the ancient structure. It was that light that Kai and Krill searched for every day when it was time to return home.


    Together, Kai and Krill summited the desolate rocky basin of the Leviathan¡¯s Remains. There was no telling how long the beast on the basin¡¯s floor had been dead, but the vast pile of bones still sunk dread into those who saw it rising up from the silt. Despite the skeleton¡¯s age, a scent of death still clung to the water around them, and the clouds of arthropods merrily feasting along the length of the basin never did anything to help that. No matter how many tides circulated through that skeleton, the taste of stagnant water clung like a curse.


    The Leviathan¡¯s ghostly jaws were preserved in the seafloor still agape, as though it had died mid-hunt. The entrance to Cirrina¡¯s grotto nestled between those skeletal maws. It beckoned with sinister allure, giving its visitors the morbid sensation of being swallowed as they tried to reach the witch inside.


    ¡°Doom is coming! Doooom!¡± cried a dungeness crab who had made a home near Cirrina¡¯s cavern. He waved his claws dramatically from the weeds as Kai swam overhead. ¡°Already the currents shift! A lance of ancient power shall rise from the depths! The time of the prophesied hero is nigh! Black of tentacle and royal of blood is its bearer! To defeat the beast that loooooms! To reunite the kingdoms and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªAnd have terrible luck in a game of shinty!¡± A hermit crab was yelling his piece right next to the other crustacean. ¡°Or was it rummikub? Either way! Bad luck! Bad luck in love! Bad luck in cards! Dooooom!¡± Having made his home in a broken rum bottle, with one eyestalk noticeably larger than the other, the hermit was doing a far better job of playing crab-prophet.


    ¡°You¡¯re doomed! You¡¯re doomed! And you, are especially doomed!¡± cried the first, seeming to agree.


    ¡°¡®Afternoon, Frank,¡± Kai greeted blandly. ¡°Herb, you really shouldn¡¯t let him shout like this. You¡¯ll scare away paying customers.¡±


    The first crab, Herb, made a sound that was probably supposed to be a crab¡¯s version of a snort.


    ¡°You kidding, eight-arms? We¡¯re practically your best advertisement!¡±


    Kai tsked. While Herb wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, that didn¡¯t mean ¡®ultimate doom¡¯ was the part of Cirrina¡¯s services that it was wise to announce.


    ¡°Young Masters Kai and Krill!¡± cried Frank the dungeness, his eyes popping from their uneven stalks. ¡°Any news from the big city today?¡±


    ¡°Princess Aya came to see us!¡± Krill said chattily. It was the first words he¡¯d uttered since leaving Aya to Marlin. ¡°And Kai saved her life from an Archeteuthid.¡±


    ¡°Oh-ho!¡± said Frank with a crabby imitation of a bow. ¡°Rubbing elbows with royalty! Always knew you two would go far, I did! Didn¡¯t I say so, Herb?¡±


    Kai shot Krill a hard look. Frank and Herb were the mouthiest crustaceans north of the reefs. For Aya¡¯s sake, the last people who needed to know about the princess¡¯s run-in with a giant squid were these two. Fortunately, the event didn¡¯t seem to stick in their shell-sized brains as ¡®important.¡¯


    ¡°Nope! You never said anything, not once,¡± said Herb with a distracted blink. ¡°Hoy, Krill-boy! You got summa that brine stuff for us?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡± said Krill, pulling out his pouch with renewed enthusiasm.


    ¡°You got crab-treats, but you didn¡¯t collect anything from the actual list?¡± Kai scolded, though his heart wasn¡¯t in it. Krill was oddly delighted as Frank and Herb pounced on the brine-shrimp crumbles he sprinkled on their heads. ¡°Shameless,¡± Kai muttered.


    ¡°So this princess, lad,¡± said Frank between bites. ¡°Sure hope you don¡¯t have the blossoms of romance for the girl. Like we said. Waters are bad for romance and cards.¡±


    ¡°For at least the next week,¡± agreed Herb, not bothering to chew with his mouth closed. ¡°Unless you¡¯re in a bettin¡¯ mood?¡± He raised an eye-stalk at Krill.


    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± said Kai sternly, tempted to toss the hopeful little hermit far enough from the weeds that something might do them all a favor and eat him before he returned.


    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure Aya¡¯s never played ¡®Row Chance,¡¯¡± Krill said brightly. ¡°Neither have I. Is that a new card game?¡±


    ¡°Did the barnacles tell you two anything useful today, or is it all nonsense?¡± Kai quickly butt in. Of all the horrors Cirrina had in store for him that week, having to explain the concept of romance to a budding adolescent wasn¡¯t something he was ready to add to the list.


    ¡°Like we said!¡± reminded Frank, looking affronted. ¡°Hero coming! And when he does, there¡¯ll be a giant-shrimp for every pot, and a nice, big fight to watch! We can feel it in our shells!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your shell a rum bottle?¡± Krill asked, his gray brow furrowing.


    ¡°That definitely seems to be the source of most of their prophetics,¡± said Kai.


    Frank huffed, and folded his claws tersely over his shell.


    ¡°Well, you certainly know how to make a crab feel appreciated! Wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you were the reason for the bad romantics in the silt!¡±


    ¡°Doubtless,¡± Kai said flatly.


    ¡°Hey, we appreciate you. Would we do this, if we didn¡¯t?¡± Krill pointed out, giving the pouch with the shrimp bits one last shake over the crustaceans¡¯ heads.


    ¡°True, it¡¯s rare to have decent pay for our efforts,¡± Frank admitted, trying to beat Herb to the last shrimp crumbles.


    ¡°Well, the guards did try to pay, but what does a crab want with pearls? This is the good stuff!¡± Herb waved a thankful claw at Krill.


    That got Kai¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Palace guards were here?¡± he demanded. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re not the only one who likes our tidbits about the goings on of the to-be,¡± Frank alluded.


    ¡°He means people like to hear about what might or might not happen!¡± Herb clarified, unhelpfully.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure news of a tentacled hero destined for power will absolutely enthrall the Atlantean nobility.¡±


    ¡°Hey, the hero stuff is an oldie but a goodie!¡± said Frank. ¡°Draws an audience, it does!¡±


    ¡°Catchy,¡± Herb agreed, eyestalks twitching.


    Kai kneaded the line between his brows. Everything in the ocean seemed to have its ways of trying to kill him. Even these imbecilic crustaceans seemed to have found a way. At this rate, his hearts would seize up from the stress.


    ¡°Have you considered telling the guards something that will send them on a nice carp-chase far away from here? We don¡¯t need guards around scaring away the clients,¡± Kai emphasized.


    And we certainly don¡¯t need another purge hunting down cecaelian hero prospects, he added silently.


    ¡°Nah,¡± Herb waved a claw in dismissal.


    ¡°New clientele keeps us sharp!¡± Frank added around a mouthful of shrimp bits. ¡°Fresh material¡¯s like fresh produce, lads!¡±


    Herb bobbed his eye stalks unhelpfully. ¡°Gotta sell something!¡±


    ¡°Where do you get these prophecies?¡± Krill asked, innocently unaware of the danger.


    ¡°There¡¯s this real pretty cave with drawings that¡ª¡± Herb began enthusiastically, before Frank shoved him aside and cried:


    ¡°We''re crab prophets! The real deal! The genuine article! How else?¡±


    Kai narrowed his eyes, partially in suspicion, and partially to stave off the worsening headache.


    ¡°You two just like lying to the king¡¯s men for money!¡± Krill laughed in his easy, boyish way.


    Herb had the grace to tuck his claws bashfully. ¡°Well, the job has to have a few perks. But don¡¯t you worry! We tell our friends the real stuff!¡±


    Krill beamed.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kai rolled his eyes. This conversation had taken the pounding in his head from a tolerable rhythmic tapping all the way to what felt like a school of mallet-wielding sardines trapped and bonking around his skull. His vision had narrowed to just the silty, grassy basin¡ªnot that there was much to see other than silt and grass. He sighed in defeat. Better to lean into the pain than try to fight it. ¡°Can you tell me what mood Cirrina is in?¡± he asked, his voice a pained, irritated moan.


    ¡°Probably a bad one,¡± Frank offered, still munching.


    ¡°93% certainty,¡± Herb agreed with a little crustacean shrug.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t need a prophecy for that! Ohohoho!¡±


    ¡°Did you two have anything useful to say?¡± Kai prodded the back of Frank¡¯s shell with a tentacle.  ¡°Or shall we just drain your blood for hemocyanin, and be on our way?¡±


    That sent both the grabs into more rolling guffaws.


    ¡°Oh-ho-ho!¡± Frank chortled, his legs stirring up silt with the force of it. ¡°That¡¯s a good one, lad! As if you¡¯d get any value from Herb¡¯s innards! Ho!¡±


    ¡°Cirrina could probably get drunk off them,¡± Krill said helpfully.


    Kai raised a brow at Krill, surprised. ¡°The boy has a point. Well?¡±


    Frank shook his eyestalks in disbelief, still chuckling. ¡°What, you¡¯d drink the bottom-feeder that eats your own castoffs? I think not, boys! But hey, just for the laugh, here¡¯s a new one we heard!¡±


    ¡°Tellin¡¯ him about the gill rot breakout that¡¯s a coming?¡± Herb asked, waving his claws dramatically in some sort of macabre pantomime of the disease.


    Krill grimaced and put his forearm over his nose like he¡¯d already smelled something bad. ¡°Eurgh. Another one?¡±


    ¡°Bound to happen sometime!¡± Herb shrugged. ¡°No, I meant the one with the mirror monster. Aunt Algae said a barnacle told her that an anemone in the palace told him there was a thing living in the city mirrors what could suck out your soul if you looked at it too long¡ª¡±


    Kai tsked. ¡°Come on Krill, these two are about as useful as silt.¡±


    Krill didn¡¯t argue, giving the crabs a merry wave over his shoulder, and a last shake of the shrimp pouch for good measure.


    ¡°You say that! But I¡¯d like to see you go on without us!¡± Frank retorted to their backs as they swam away. ¡°You¡¯d be doomed, I say!¡±


    ¡°Doooooomed!¡± agreed Herb.


    Krill and Kai glided away from the crabs, who were now loudly proclaiming very lewd facts about salmon, as well as a very unflattering comparison of Kai¡¯s face to a rabid herring.


    So juvenile¡­Kai grumbled to himself.


    If the doomsday crabs didn¡¯t lift Krill¡¯s spirits so often, Kai would have ground them both for potions ingredients ages ago. Frank was wrong about one thing. He could certainly use Herb in a potion. He could cure misplaced attraction, Kai was sure. Or perhaps he could be used in a tincture to cause indigestion or even botulism. His mouth quirked upward as he considered the possible better uses of Herb and Frank as he and Krill entered the Leviathan¡¯s mouth.


    They wriggled carefully between the Leviathan¡¯s teeth, the longest of which spanned more than the length of Kai¡¯s tentacles. Cirrina kept them well-sharpened, and both had gotten their fair share of cuts coming in and out of the place life forced them to call home. Sure that the skeleton¡¯s shape had been somewhat exaggerated by Cirrina, Kai was still grateful that they didn¡¯t live in a time when creatures like this had been real.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Krill mumbled, as they descended along the spine into the beast¡¯s belly. ¡°We only have half the blood she wants, and you know how she gets¡­¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to wait until nightfall before the crabs come back, anyway,¡± Kai soothed the younger boy.


    With a decade more experience with Cirrina than Krill had, Kai was confident he could handle her outbursts. At the same time, if he was present, then Cirrina was far more likely to target him out of habit than Krill. Blood or no, Krill would be fine, Kai was certain.


    ¡°Kai¡­¡± Krill asked softly.


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Do you think Aya will be okay?¡±


    Kai blew a stream of bubbles through his teeth.


    ¡°Aya will be alright as long as Adin stops being an idiot and leading her into forbidden territories.¡± Some of the day¡¯s irritation returning to him, Kai¡¯s words came out harsher than he¡¯d intended. Krill flinched.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Krill started, but then clicked his teeth shut, as though changing his mind.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kai responded through clenched teeth, making an effort to calm himself, as well. He paused before they could exit the throat¡¯s corridor, and selected his next words more careful. ¡°Listen, Krill, Aya might not have time for us in the future, but that doesn¡¯t mean that she doesn¡¯t care, or that she isn¡¯t alright. The princesses have an army to keep them safe. She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Krill¡¯s mouth puckered, and he turned away. ¡°Aya hates hiding, though¡­¡±


    Kai bit back a groan.


    ¡°Krill. Focus on what¡¯s in front of you, for now. Let¡¯s just survive this week, shall we? You can¡¯t to anything you want to do if survival doesn¡¯t come first.¡±


    Krill tentacles turned slightly transparent, but he nodded. Kai knew it wasn¡¯t exactly a speech to inspire the ages, but it would be enough to keep Krill moving. It was also all Kai had the energy for. The adrenaline from the squid attack had long since faded. All he wanted¡ªall he needed, was rest. They were going to swim inside, deposit ingredients, and then, he was going to sleep until Cirrina broke down his door.


    At the exit to the throat corridor, a creepvine curtain kept the outside currents from chilling the beast¡¯s innards¡ªor, at least it was supposed to. Its leaves weren¡¯t thick enough to keep much warmth actually inside, giving the inner cavern an eerie and chilled feeling when the cauldron boilers were off.  Leading Krill through the hanging leaves, the curtain closed naturally behind them. Though he¡¯d just replaced it, it was already wilting in the weak light of glowing algae and potions bottles that peeked out from the brewery¡¯s thin cabinet doors.


    Kai¡¯s senses pricked as they waded carefully into the cauldron room, where the freshly-scrubbed cauldrons and pots of that morning sat waiting for more work. Yet, there was no sign of Cirrina. Unconsciously, he bared his teeth. There was something different about the cavern since that morning.


    For the most part, the Leviathan Grotto looked as it always did. This cavern had seen better days, despite being under Kai¡¯s care. Rib bones the size of roman columns lined the central brewing room, lit by gently pulsating corals. The ceiling at least remained its healthy, lively self. A mosaic of undulating polyps had made their home along the thickest part of the Leviathan¡¯s spine, feeding on the cauldron fumes that Kai and Cirrina produced. The gentle hum of their anticipation when Kai entered the room was the only sound that Kai could detect, and though it was familiar, the little creatures never failed to make him gag. Kai had been tempted many times to clean them off, but after so many years of them ingesting magical residue, there was no telling how toxic they were now.


    In the center of the cavern, Cirrina¡¯s collection of cauldrons sat on enchanted boilers, carefully calibrated not to heat anything but what was on top. A cluster of phosphorescent anemones managed to grow in their shadows. Carefully organized cabinets of ingredients and pre-made potion stock lined every available shelf. As before, nothing looked out of place¡­


    ¡°Kai¡­ you see this?¡± Krill asked, pointing at one of the only open-faces shelves. Its bottles and tinctures had been arranged by color, to emphasize their variety. Efficiency had nothing to do with it. It was blatant showing off.


    At last, it struck Kai what was odd about the room. Nothing had been thrown or smashed. Nothing had been thrown in disarray as Cirrina was wont to do with her experiments. If anything, things were even more organized, and it wasn¡¯t like Cirrina to be helpful¡ªat least not like this. This sort of behavior meant that she was Up To Something, and Kai doubted it would be in their best interest.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said, his lip curling. ¡°I see it. Let¡¯s drop the ingredients and go.¡±


    One of Krill¡¯s best qualities was his ability to read the difference between Kai¡¯s regular irritation, and when he was saying something truly urgent. Krill didn¡¯t question him as they both got to storing and preserving the meager ingredients Kai had brought home.


    As the sea witch Cirrina¡¯s reputation worsened, selling the benign spells had fallen exclusively to Kai. Cirrina herself had deviated from the ¡®helpful¡¯ spells over the years, and had leaned farther and farther into poisons, dark magic, and what she liked to call ¡®experiments,¡¯ which nearly always ended up in someone getting hurt. Usually Kai.


    Cirrina had begun using her own ink to write the contracts of payment as well¡ªa nasty trick. The ink acted like a blood-bind where her contracts were concerned, and her customers often found themselves owing her more than they¡¯d expected. If Cirrina, who had no need of advancing her devious reputation, was showing off, it meant that someone Important was coming, and someone Important wouldn¡¯t be coming over for anything helpful, or simple. The more they saw of the cavern, the stronger Kai¡¯s urge became to not be home when that happened.


    Kai processed the ingredients they¡¯d brought home with an efficiency that would have made a team of trained chefs weep. He would never understand why having eight tentacles wasn¡¯t a more sought-after commodity. Two of his tentacles pressed seaweed and bottled the gel, while another two powdered a sack of pearls. He deposited the live anemone buds into a makeshift habitat under the warm boilers where they¡¯d be happy, and began the hemocyanin extraction for a truly pathetic amount of horseshoe crab blood, all in a matter of minutes.


    Krill was quiet as he handed Kai plain sea glass bottles, all vestiges of his earlier chattiness gone. Kai frowned at the storage supply. Cirrina was nearly out of sponge corks and hadn¡¯t told him. He¡¯d have to collect more that night, or they would catch the blame for it whether they¡¯d known or not.


    He¡¯d said as much to Krill, and all he got from the boy was a surly: ¡°Alright.¡±


    His helpfulness spent, Krill¡¯s tentacles turned white, and he drifted off to hide on one of the colossal ribs as he waited for Kai to finish the work. Under Krill¡¯s sullen gaze, the prickling sensation returned. Kai made a sound between a sigh and a growl.


    ¡°I can feel your worry from here, Krill,¡± Kai said over his shoulder, nearly finished. ¡°Adin will still be friends with you, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s not you he dislikes, believe me.¡±


    Krill was quite a little longer, but eventually croaked: ¡°He¡¯s just been¡­different.¡±


    It seemed the merman didn¡¯t even have to be here to cause Kai trouble.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t like me because I tell him he¡¯s wrong,¡± Kai grumbled. It was a gross oversimplification, and he¡¯d left out several biases and theories that Adin was possibly, even now, embracing, but none of those things would be helpful, and so Krill didn¡¯t need to hear them.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. You only do it because you¡¯re trying to keep him alive,¡± Krill grumped.


    Kai shrugged, keeping his eyes on the blood. ¡°I¡¯m very unlikable when I¡¯m keeping people alive.¡±


    That got a snort out of Krill, and almost against his will, his easy childish smile returned.


    ¡°He¡¯ll still come around, then,¡± Krill pronounced with a confidence Kai wished he still had. Finally, he peeled himself off the wall and came back to help with the bottling. ¡°He¡¯ll still have to have fun with all of that extra work they¡¯re giving him. I think he¡¯s just mad because you looked better than him in front of Aya. I¡¯m pretty sure he likes her.¡±


    Krill wrinkled his nose, and Kai didn¡¯t hold back a snort of bubbles. If Adin was obnoxious enough with his affection that even Krill had noticed, then clearly his own irritation hadn¡¯t been entirely misplaced.


    ¡°Adin will have plenty of opportunities to show off for Aya back at the palace where he won¡¯t almost get her eaten. Just remember not to be so annoying when you like someone,¡± Kai admonished, which only earned him an annoyed shove from Krill. Kai jumped. He hadn¡¯t seen Krill get so close.


    Kai made a small sound of amused disdain to cover his surprise, and poured the blue blood residue into the last bottle. Up until now, it had always seemed as though Cirrina had a bottomless supply of bottles and such, and now they were either all full, or missing. He would have to remember to ask her about them later.


    ¡°Aya thinks you don¡¯t like her,¡± Krill said, swimming over Kai¡¯s head to get a better look at the extraction process.


    ¡°And she would be right,¡± Kai said quickly. Blue blood passed in and out of the refinement tubes. Its constituent parts separated by color and chemical into their vials.


    ¡°You like how much her studies help you,¡± Krill pointed out annoyingly, dripping himself behind Kai¡¯s desk.


    ¡°Hold still. I¡¯m trying to concentrate.¡±


    ¡°Aya¡¯s helpful,¡± Krill repeated, ghosting in and out of his view, and not holding still. ¡°She finds things that are impossible to find, and she¡¯s the only astronomer who¡¯s ever predicted eclipses.¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡± One more vial, and Kai would be done¡­


    ¡°I wish she could be around more often. She¡¯s saved us so much work, and she¡¯s nothing like Cirrina. Well, almost nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± he muttered. This last step of the process was particularly tricky¡­.


    ¡°Why do you keep calling her Princess? You know she hates it.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not a child anymore. She¡¯ll have to get used to it,¡± Kai said curtly. At last, he coaxed the pure material into its vial. Purified and ready for use, there was even less of it than he¡¯d thought, but it was capped, stored, and finished. They could leave.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been there with us today¡­¡± Krill¡¯s face had turned glum once more, a frown very unbecoming of his age wrinkling his forehead.


    Kai reached out a tentacle, and pushed Krill¡¯s gray hair back just enough to tug the lines on his face smooth again. ¡°But I was.¡±


    He would never say it out loud, but he sometimes shared Krill¡¯s worry. Aya had gotten herself in trouble plenty of times that had required Kai¡¯s help. However, he knew that Aya¡¯s future couldn¡¯t keep mixing with theirs. The working class and royalty didn¡¯t mix, and that went triply so for cecaelian sea witches. The little princess had to learn to handle things on her own. As much as she had royal responsibilities to meet, in that gilded world of hers, Kai had his own problems to face.


    Atlantis was dangerous for an unprotected cecaelian. Cirrina offered them shelter, but not a life. Kai¡¯s apprenticeship with Cirrina had only months left on it. He had only a few lunar cycles left to find somewhere to go before she forced him into something worse than an apprenticeship¡ªlike an unpaid managerial position, or a lifesize blood bag¡ªthough of the two, the latter sounded better. At the same time, when his apprenticeship expired, Krill was next for the position, and Kai wasn¡¯t prepared to watch the young cecaelian boy be forced into the same path. However, managing Cirrina¡¯s orders to protect unfortunate souls from her dirty cecaelian-ink-contracts was exhausting and time-consuming than he¡¯d planned. For both their sakes, he had to find somewhere else where two cecaelia could make a living¡ªand he had scant months to do it. Kai was tired. And he was nearly out of time.


    ¡°And just where have you two been?¡± Cirrina appeared, her snarling hiss echoed throughout the cavern.


    As though she could sense him thinking about her, Cirrina appeared, billowing out from the back corridors in a wave of dark green tentacles. Arms crossed, she wore the same mottled gossamer dress and sickly smile she reserved for dastardly deals.


    Kai considered lying, but Krill beat him to it.


    ¡°We found the hemo¡ªthe hemysi¡ª¡± he mumbled.


    ¡°Hemocyanin.¡± To Krill¡¯s visible relief, Kai produced the bottle of extracted blood and tossed it into Cirrina¡¯s open claws.


    ¡°Oh¡­oooooh!¡± she crooned, stroking the bottle. ¡°This is quality stuff, perfect for your little lunar-protection potion, I say, Kai.¡± Then, as expected, her face twisted in annoyance. ¡°But where¡¯s the rest of it?¡±


    ¡°This is what Krill found. Mine still needs collecting,¡± Kai said, crossing his arms protectively, though even he couldn¡¯t do anything when Cirrina¡¯s arms shot out and smothered Krill.


    ¡°Oh, Krill, my baby! My boy! Most older apprentices struggle with this sort of thing¡ª¡± there she glared at Kai, ¡°¡ªand you¡¯re already doing extractions this fine! You¡¯re going to make the best of apprentices when you come of age! What¡¯s this, Kai? Letting the little one show you up already?¡±


    ¡°There was a giant squid in the valley today!¡± Krill defended him¡ªor at least he meant to.


    Cirrina¡¯s white eyebrows shot up her head. ¡°Then, I don¡¯t suppose you boys brought me back some powdered beak? No?¡± She glowered over their empty-handedness. ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to tell me what really happened¡­ do you think auntie doesn¡¯t know what goes on with her boys?¡±


    ¡°Cirrina,¡± Kai said quietly, trying not to look at Krill¡¯s panicked face as Cirrina squeezed him just a little too hard.


    The sickly smirk returned to her face as soon as she saw his concern, and though she loosened her grip a little, Kai could practically see her filing this information away for later. Lying to Cirrina about where they¡¯d been was a gamble rarely worth making. The scrying-pearl in her private quarters was one of the farthest-reaching in the oceans. She didn¡¯t need spies when the crystal could tell her more than just the visual events. A pearl of that strength could see intentions, direction, potential futures, and even sometimes the feelings of those living in its images. Of course, there was no way she could watch all of that information all the time, but Cirrina would have had to be both blind and luckless not to know about their friendship with Aya.


    Cirrina glowered, and he knew she meant to let him know that his scolding her was a mistake. Her tentacles twitched menacingly in Kai¡¯s direction and she drew closer, as though to grab him, too.


    ¡°Returning empty-handed? Behind on orders? Cheek? It¡¯s a wonder you have the time to run about chasing royal tail, Kai,¡± Cirrina hissed.


    Kai fought to keep his shoulders relaxed, and his expression bored and indifferent as she pulled a shaking Krill close enough into her chest to pet his little gray head.


    ¡°I was gazing at the pearl today, and I saw all sorts of things. She¡¯s quite smitten, your little princess¡­ such a shame. The poor dear is in for a rather terrible day¡­many of them, in fact.¡±


    Still in Cirrina¡¯s clutches, Krill¡¯s nose scrunched up in confusion, but Kai needed no more explanation. Cirrina wasted no opportunity to remind him how far beneath the palace-dwellers they were. Trying to make him think that Aya had feelings for him was one of her tactics for trying to make him feel hopeless¡ªor at least so that he would keep up a friendship with her for the sake of the information she provided.


    As though on cue, Cirrina said, ¡°Still, I suppose the palace brat has had some use over the years. I don¡¯t know of any other sea witch who has such a reliable celestial seer. If she were a proper cecaelian, I¡¯d take her on, too! Hah!¡±


    Aya would have hated being called anything other than a scientist, or perhaps an astronomer, but those semantics weren¡¯t something to argue with Cirrina. For one long, tense moment, Kai waited to see if she had forgotten her ire with him when, abruptly, she let go of Krill, swooshed over to a cabinet and pulled out a familiar bottle. Kai watched Cirrina take a long draught of bright pink absinthe, now hopefully too distracted to try to inflict any punishment. He swallowed a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. He could smell the alcohol from across the cavern.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose I need to ask why we need to order more bottles?¡± he said when Cirrina drained one and smashed it against one of the freshly-cleaned bone walls, staining the fibers a tacky shade of pink. No doubt Krill would be up late trying to bleach it from the bones. He¡¯d be sweeping up a fair amount of near-invisible glass shards as well.


    Taking up another odiously-colored bottle, Cirrina ignored the mess and swathed herself over a banister to the outer corridors. One of her mottled tentacles waved the half-empty bottle of pink liquid at him.


    ¡°You do what you must for information, Kai. Believe me, Auntie understands. Besides, I don¡¯t have time to scold you all day, or rather, you don¡¯t have time for me to scold you all day.¡±


    Kai almost sighed in relief. At least Cirrina didn¡¯t seem in the mood for one of her tirades. Instead of ranting, she took another swig of foul liquid, and produced a scroll from her pouch. The edges were gilded, and the script written in cecaelian ink. Krill perked up from his place, becoming a little more opaque as he watched curiously. Cecaelia didn¡¯t just sell ink willy-nilly. This message was personal.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received a message from an old friend. We¡¯ll have a very important customer tomorrow. Be sure to have the other orders done before he arrives. I don¡¯t want the rabble seeing him¡ªnor him, them,¡± she said with a disdainful sniff, as though the Atlantean citizens who bought servile cures from them weren¡¯t their primary source of income. ¡°Neglect my orders, and it will cost you a tentacle, boy. That¡¯s just the contract, I¡¯m afraid. Not. My. Fault.¡± She punctuated each syllable with a sharp slashing motion.


    Both Kai and Krill cringed. Kai wanted to point out that everything in Cirrina¡¯s contracts was very much ¡®her fault¡¯ as she had written them. Kai had had to regrow several tentacles over the years when Cirrina¡¯s indulgent requests resulted in a ¡®breach of contract.¡¯ While it seemed both he and Krill wanted to know who in all the oceans would call himself an ¡®old friend¡¯ of Cirrina¡¯s, the desire to see her leave was overpowering. Neither boy said anything as, just as abruptly as she¡¯d appeared, Cirrina disappeared back into her room in a whirl of tentacles and disturbingly pink alcohol.


    ¡°Krill?¡± Kai said quietly, dreading the words he was about to say.


    Krill blinked, still rubbing his ribs from where Cirrina had squeezed them.


    ¡°Wake me up at midnight.¡±


    *


    The next day was a trial in keeping his eyes open. Cirrina had only emerged from her chambers since the night before to bark orders and add tasks to their already impossible list. When she wasn¡¯t in the brewery, there was at least enough peace for him to prepare extras of the usual orders, but strange smells and smokes were tainting the water that bled out from beneath her door, which made it difficult for Kai to keep his brews pure.


    Krill had offered to help gather the last of the supplies Kai would need, but his work was superfluous, as Cirrina demanded that Kai keep an overstock of all the more vital materials. What Kai truly needed was another mage to assist the brews, but Krill was still vastly untrained. Kai could run a brew in five cauldrons at once on a good day, but today he was pushing eight, and barely keeping up. Still, insisting on doing something to help, Krill left early-morning to chase after the remaining items on Cirrina¡¯s personal list.


    Truly no good lie goes unpunished, Kai thought when Krill was sent out for the rest of the crab blood in his stead.


    Kai¡¯s lie about Krill¡¯s success the day before had certainly saved the boy from punishment, but Cirrina had sent him out for more, which didn¡¯t do anything to lighten Kai¡¯s load for the day.


    Then, at dawn, the Leviathan''s Grotto opened for business.


    Mermen and mermaids of all breeds, tropical fish, and out-of-kingdom visitors alike poured in through the creepvine curtain, making Kai seriously doubt the wisdom of opening the cavern to the public, but there really wasn¡¯t much alternative. Part of what kept their home afloat had been the decision to have one open day per week for pre-made potion sales. Suddenly, their customer base had gone from rare-and-desperate, to plentiful and desperate. Kai could hardly keep up with the demand. Today, Krill¡¯s absence kept Kai swimming frantically between purchases and keeping Cirrina¡¯s favorite cauldrons from exploding.


    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming!¡± he snapped at an impatient angelfish who was making a scene over the direness of his need for a fin-glittering solution.


    Despite the business, some of the customers still had the audacity to swim in on a day like this and order custom mixes. Unfortunately, the financial situation of the cavern was such that he couldn¡¯t say ¡®no.¡¯


    Cirrina had managed to advertise the impending lunar eclipse in the time since Princess Aya¡¯s prediction. Of course, she¡¯d waited until the last minute so that any competition practices would be unprepared. Using the hemocyanin from past collections, Kai had made an additive to the potions that would presumably make magic last through the lunar eclipse¡ªan event that would make any magic not directly summoned by a god-weapon useless. A lunar eclipse like the one Aya had warned them of would break or undo a lot of the magic that normal sea-witches sold. He himself had used the advance notice to make a protection solution that would reverse that effect. Since nothing else like it existed, Cirrina¡¯s cavern was the only one offering such a solution, making the rush of customers today one of the worst days for service Kai had ever seen.


    ¡°I need three cases of scale shine!¡± said a crooked-nosed merman with hideously unmaintained scales.


    ¡°I ordered the skin-softener twenty minutes ago!¡± clamored a wrinkled mermaid-triggerfish conglomerate.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure you can¡¯t get my left fins to grow back? There¡¯s still a stump to work with!¡± argued a finless hagfish.


    And so it went for hours.


    Frantic border-dwellers who lived on the city¡¯s reefs were particularly demanding. Many wanted spells to make the currents around windows more gentle as the moon¡¯s pull strengthened. The palace library wanted him to protect their air-domes and had ordered an entire crate of bubble-strengthener. However, those were the only merfolk who seemed concerned about construction. Everything from safe egg-laying elixirs and cosmetics sold by the crate. Completely unprepared, Kai made more last-minute beauty products than had graced the kingdom since Princess Adriatta¡¯s engagement ball.


    ¡°One lunar eclipse and everyone¡¯s concerned more about looking pretty more than safety? Why?¡± he grumbled, stirring three cauldrons at once, while throwing alligator scales and bubbleroot into two others. He was so busy, he nearly threw a whole bottle of niacin into a cauldron of saline, which would have sent green sludge all over the cavern if he hadn¡¯t caught himself in time.


    The day passed in a tumble of narrowly-avoided catastrophes, and Kai never thought he¡¯d felt more relieved in his life when the last bottle of digestive tonic swam out with a granny grouper nearly too old to move.


    Consumed by the business of what had to be the busiest sell-day any sea-witch of the kingdom had ever seen, Kai didn¡¯t notice who the last customer was when he came in that evening.


    ¡°We¡¯re sold out,¡± Kai called over his shoulder without looking.


    He could tell it was more than one merman, just by the sound. The clanking of armor and rustle of uniforms was enough. He didn¡¯t acknowledge any of them beyond that, however.  Kai had had more than enough brewing that day that he couldn¡¯t have been paid a treasury to serve one more whiny merman, let alone a whole shoal of them. He had cauldrons to scrub. Far too many cauldrons to scrub.


    He was fully prepared to throw the irritating lot of them out on their tails, but before he could do just that, Kai was alerted that something was different about these customers by the appearance of Cirrina.


    ¡°Prince Ellian, welcome. What my servant means to say is that our more inauspicious clientele have all been served. Do come in,¡± she said, pouring herself over the banister when the cavern had nearly emptied.


    Kai bristled. Servant?


    Even the risk of provoking her ire didn¡¯t stop him from glowering at Cirrina who, after neglecting the cavern all day, came swanning out from the back rooms, in a mass of green tentacles and gossamer fabrics. As she did so, he at last saw what she¡¯d been doing in her room all day. Cirrina appeared to have used at least half a crate of their most expensive beauty potions on herself. Her wrinkled purple skin had smoothed back to a lighter lilac, and her hair had been meticulously combed and styled. She had even managed through some miracle to remove the reek of alcohol from her tentacles, and slimed them to a highly-polished green shine.


    She smiled toothily, preening. All of her time had been spent on making herself look more impressive, and she knew exactly what effect her appearance had on the gob-struck guests.


    ¡°Ezra told me you¡¯d be coming. Looking for something¡­special?¡± she crooned, descending with more flourish than necessary.


    Kai glared over at the newcomer flitting about the entrance, and instantly disliked him. One average-looking merman swam in the middle of at least six over-muscled guards. And he was trying desperately to look important.


    Prince Ellian had a long orange and yellow eel¡¯s tail, covered in black spots that dotted up both his tail and torso. His yellow hair and complexion were entirely unremarkable, apart from a lone black spot that seemed to have wandered unattractively onto his cheek. In all, he would have been the most ordinary merman in the world had it not been for the clinking gilded maille he chose to wear, and the orange copper spear he carried far too proudly, painted to match his tail. The effect of all that orange was¡­ eyewatering, Kai decided.


    The most noticeable quality of this eel was the slightly puffed way he held himself as he slithered into the cavern¡ªas though already challenging Kai for the right to his territory. Kai scowled. Tired as he was, he¡¯d like to see him try.


    ¡°Ezra assured me you would be¡­discreet?¡± said the ¡®prince¡¯ Ellian, in a tone of such haughty arrogance, Kai was tempted to fling pink absinthe all over his highly-stainable tail.


    He turned his attentions back to the cauldrons, and resumed his scrubbing viciously. If he could finish the cleaning before Cirrina was done posturing, then perhaps he could avoid dealing with her ¡®special guest.¡¯


    ¡°But of course, Your Highness,¡± Cirrina preened, as she looped past Kai to welcome the eel further into the cavern. Clearly, Cirrina had been busy that morning, and not with work. She¡¯d taken extra care to lace her hair with floating magic so that it trailed behind her in a great white blanket when she moved. Kai might have been impressed by that clever bit of magic if her help hadn¡¯t been so badly needed in the cavern that day.


    ¡°What can we make for you?¡± Cirrina tapped a finger over her mouth. She was doing her best to look innocent, and failing at the effort magnificently. ¡°Ezra mentioned in his letter that your predicament was¡­unique.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say as though I think it¡¯s a dire need. Only, erm, time sensitive, if you catch my drift.¡±


    ¡°Indeeed.¡±


    The eel cleared his throat with a haughty tip of his angled jaw, and seemed to make a decision.


    ¡°Leave us!¡± he ordered.


    Without hesitation or question, the guards turned tail and clanked out of the grotto.


    ¡°Impressive, highness,¡± Cirrina crooned.


    ¡°Yes, well,¡± the eel stuttered. ¡°Well, as I said, time is of the essence.¡±


    ¡°Yesss?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to buy a love potion,¡± he scoffed, as though even he found the idea absurd.


    ¡°Not for a specimen such as yourself, surely.¡± Cirrina batted her lashes with a stomach-turning simper.


    Ah, and there it was. The eel shifted uncomfortably under Cirrina¡¯s gaze, as though the idea were preposterous, even to him.


    ¡°It¡¯s more for, ahm, insurance, you see.¡± The eel-tailed prince swam somewhat agitatedly under Cirrina¡¯s sharpened gaze. Though he seemed smart enough to stay away from Kai glaring over his finished cauldrons, he kept his chest puffed, and his head annoyingly cocked to one side. ¡°I¡¯m more than confident I can turn the girl in question to my many finer qualities, but you see, as I have no choice in the matter¡ª¡±


    More like the poor girl in question has no choice, Kai wanted to growl, but he also needed to get out of the cavern.


    Now that his attention could return to him, Kai noticed that Krill was still missing. With the giant squid in season, the deeper waters were unsafe. How long had he been gone?


    ¡°¡ªI need something fool-proof! Something discreet, easy to use, and of course it should preserve most of the girl¡¯s faculties. I do need her functional for a time.¡±


    Functional? Kai scowled, but his distraction was quickly sinking into worry. Had Cirrina given him an extra task? So late at night?


    Cauldron cleaning could happen later. Discreetly, Kai stowed the stack that he was working on, and began to slink toward the exit.


    ¡°But of course,¡± Cirrina smarmed. ¡°I assume you can afford something that strong? This kind of custom magic isn¡¯t simple.¡±


    ¡°Oh, most assuredly!¡± Ellian primped. Kai rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve come with a fresh bag of Tyrian snails, a rather fetching set of green pearls for you, my lady, and if I may say so, a fine pair of dorsals.¡±


    Kai nearly choked when he saw the display. As usual, his gut feeling had been correct. The snails and pearls were valuable, if that was the sort of thing you liked, but he found himself biting back bile at the dorsals. Someone, somewhere had been maimed by this prince. Mer-folk didn¡¯t just regenerate tentacles like cecaelia. A young adult merman or maid had lost would be stunted for life¡­or worse. He¡¯d seen enough. Turning his dark-colored tentacles the color of the wall, Kai moved around Cirrina¡¯s back, and managed to wade around the cauldron stack without making a sound.


    Cirrina, of course, was purring over the whole set, no doubt having heard from her ¡®old friend,¡¯ of some horrible potion that could be brewed with merman parts.


    ¡°That will almost do,¡± Cirrina was already pulling a black sheet of oiled vellum from a shelf. Her contracts were pre-drafted these days, and Kai, for once, didn''t pity the merman about to sign one.


    This eel was truly foolish to have given Cirrina advance notice of his arrival, and even more so to have offered all of his trinkets upfront. Had he arrived after the rush, Cirrina might have drawn him up a fresh contract¡ªand she might have left the eel some loopholes, perhaps made some mistakes. More importantly, she wouldn¡¯t have an entire crate of beauty potions to make up the cost for.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take these,¡± one of her tentacles cleared away the trinkets he¡¯d brought. Even if the eel left now, he¡¯d never get his payment back, ¡°¡­and one of your spots. Shall we say¡­that one?¡± Cirrina pointed at the black mark on his cheek, a grin spreading over her face.


    Eel-tail coughed, and the yellow bits of his tail paled. Kai couldn¡¯t fathom what she would need his spot for, and concluded that she only wanted it for the sake of making the eel squirm.


    ¡°My¡ªmy spot?¡± Ellian spluttered, slinking back from her half a stroke. ¡°Out of the question, I¡¯m afraid. No, no. You see, this isn¡¯t any spot,¡± he said, indicating the hideous black mark on his face, ¡°This! This is the royal birthmark! A symbol of my right to inherit! A sign of my claim to princehood since birth!¡±


    ¡°Yesss.¡± Cirrina swished around the eel, waving a tentacle distractingly at the contract, and producing a pen from one of the cavern''s dozens of shelves as though the eel had just agreed to her offer instead of his hesitant refusal. ¡°You want the girl to fall in love with you, yes? Not just anyone, I reckon, either. Who is she? Not a peasant, to be sure. Those are too easy a prey for a prince. A wealthy noble¡¯s daughter, perhaps? Another sea-witch to do your bidding? My, my, the possibilities. Therefore, I need a bit of you for this potion, and not just any bit will do, dear.¡±


    ¡®I¡ªI see.¡± The eel cleared his throat nervously. He obviously did not see.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere just yet, dear!¡± Cirrina called over her shoulder. ¡°Auntie sees you trying to sneak off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª!¡± The eel huffed, thinking she was calling to him, but Kai froze mid-swim.


    He¡¯d almost been out of the room, when Cirrina caught Kai around the middle and dragged him back to the brewing station. The eel jumped as Kai let his camouflage drop, and returned to his usual black. To the unobservant prince, Kai had likely appeared out of thin water.


    ¡°Kai, love? One more spell for today, I think.¡±


    Oh, he was Love, now that she needed a favor. He grimaced in reply.


    ¡°Oh, there are two of you!¡± the prince cried, looking from Cirrina to Kai with comically wide eyes. ¡°With the tentacles, I thought¡­I just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Snapper got your tongue?¡± Kai smirked down at the eel, letting all his pointed teeth show. He was unwilling to let the eel have the upper hand, even if he had been trying to escape.


    The eel shut his mouth with an angry click.


    ¡°Now boys,¡± Cirrina shot a warning glance at Kai, ¡°A love potion is tricky business. Now, my handsome fellow, you want your girl in love with you to the point of distraction, but also want to leave her functionally intact? In that case, the best I can do is make her think that she loves you. The mind is much easier to mess with than the heart. An unimportant difference, you¡¯ll find. Trifles! Now, young prince, I can make her fall for you completely in just three days.¡±


    With that, Cirrina waded over to a locked cabinet, and undid the mechanism with the tip of a tentacle. She began pulling out a set of rare ingredients that had taken Kai months to find, and laying them out carelessly on one of her work tables.


    ¡°Three days?¡± the eel demanded.


    ¡°Start the boiler would you, dear?¡± Cirrina said to Kai. ¡°It¡¯s not often you¡¯ll get to brew something this fun. And you,¡± she turned to the eel, not letting him get in a word edgewise. Slack-jawed and floundering under her presence, the fellow never really had a chance.


    ¡°When this potion is done, lovely princeling, sprinkle the potion in the sunlight, where she can breathe it in¡ªgills, mouth, nose, it doesn¡¯t matter. Then, you have until the last light of the lunar eclipse before the spell becomes permanent.¡±


    The eel looked unconvinced, flipping his hair back in a way that communicated he was not used to being ignored, but didn¡¯t know what the protocol was for negotiating with terrifying sea witches without his entourage.


    ¡°Why the sunlight?¡± asked the eel.


    ¡°Sunlight starts the clock, dear,¡± said Cirrina, placing an expensive bottle of sardine entrails next to a knot of hatchling hair. ¡°It also completes the potion. I don¡¯t have every ingredient here locked in a bottle, much as I¡¯d love to.¡± She shot a wicked look at Kai.


    A bit of orange drained from the eel prince¡¯s face as he took in the ingredients.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that more than three days?¡± he asked, apparently unable to tear his gaze from the entrails.


    ¡°Well, I imagine you¡¯ll have to travel to her, dearie. Give you a bit of a buffer, yes?¡±


    The eel hesitated¡ªa wise, but futile endeavor. ¡°What happens during those three days? She won¡¯t love me then?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she will,¡± Cirrina assured, pulling Kai back down to his place behind an empty cauldron. ¡°It will just be more¡­spotty than afterward. Afterall, I¡¯m only taking a spot. Unless you¡¯d rather I took your heart? Or your tail? Those would work much faster.¡±


    Prince Ellian blanched again, shaking his head.


    Cirrina cackled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think so. Begin the brew, Kai. And you¡­sign here.¡±

 Chapter 4: Aya

    Chapter 4


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Aya</h2>


    Aya hardly registered either Adin¡¯s worry, or Marlin¡¯s apologetic glances. According to her father, Prince Ellian¡¯s entourage arrived tomorrow. She needed a plan.


    As the pearlescent doors to her quarters closed behind her, she fought the currents designed to pull her to her sponge-bed at this hour, and began pacing aggressively in the space between her underused vanity and wardrobe.


    She would have to get rid of the Aegeans, and she would have to do it right under her father¡¯s nose. She could act aloof and empty-headed, but that only seemed to endear some of her sisters¡¯ suitors. She could be too scientific, but according to her father, that would make her more desirable as well. She could talk to him outright of her preferences and try to persuade the prince openly. By the depths, perhaps this prince wasn¡¯t so different from herself? Did he even want to marry a stranger?


    She sighed. None of those options were a guarantee of success. The problem was, she didn¡¯t know her target.


    Short of arriving with mud on her face and kelp-sludge on her tail, nothing was sounding convincing, even to her.


    A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, and she froze mid-swim.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she asked. Marlin had gone, and it was too late for visitors out of the palace.


    ¡°A word, Princess Ayalina.¡±


    It was Ezra¡¯s voice.


    Aya froze. She hadn¡¯t spoken to Ezra since his last visit, and even then, only with Adriatta present. She couldn¡¯t imagine why he was here. Ezra had been, well, almost close to her when she was very young, but as the rumors of dissension in the Cecaelian kingdom flourished, so too did their visits dwindle, until she hardly saw her sister, and brother-in-law at all. Still, she¡¯d already answered him, so she couldn¡¯t pretend she had already gone to bed. Hesitantly, she opened the door.


    ¡°As I expected. Still awake,¡± Ezra said. In the hallway lamplight, she could see that he was wearing fewer chains, and had swapped his usual showy regalia with a more comfortable vest to match his black coloring. The span of his tentacles filled the entire view from the doorway, old scars reflecting off the moonlight that filtered in from her window.


    ¡°King Ezra, if this isn¡¯t urgent¡ª¡± Aya started to say.


    ¡°Follow me, Princess. We both know you won¡¯t be sleeping a while yet.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t so much an invitation as an order, and he didn¡¯t give her time to refuse, turning to swim down the hallway before she could argue properly.


    She was tempted to slam the door and let him rouse the guards if he wanted her to follow his orders so badly, but as usual, her curiosity got the better of her, and she found herself trailing down the corridor after him. Afterall, it wasn¡¯t as if scheming alone in her room was doing any good.


    ¡°After you,¡± Ezra said after a few moments¡¯ swim.


    He indicated one of the many palace reception rooms that Marlin kept ready for tea-services, games, and social visits. A circle of plush sponge sofas circled a small dessert table, where three or four game boards sat unused. These rooms were usually bustling with merfolk and fish going in and out, but at this hour, it was completely quiet.


    ¡°Ah, how apt,¡± said Ezra, examining the table. He casually selected a game, and with the use of his tentacles, had it set up in seconds. ¡°Hnefatafl. It sank into my kingdom some centuries ago aboard one of the Norse ships.¡± He gestured to the sea across from himself as he soared over to one of the overstuffed sponge cushions. ¡°Have a seat, princess. I find a game often helps me think when issues get¡­complicated.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed hesitantly.


    She was meant to be planning her escape, not learning a new board game, and she found herself wishing that she¡¯d stayed in her room.


    Moonlight filtering through the drifting drapes on the room¡¯s wide windows provided some light, but not enough to see the board. She was reminded again that cecaelia had better vision. Around Kai, that had always been a boon. He would warn her of things that she couldn¡¯t see, and tell her the position of stars that were too faint to track without a new moon. Sitting next to Ezra, however, that disadvantage was singularly unnerving.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never played. I don¡¯t usually play these games,¡± she said, still wondering what he was trying to accomplish. Everyone was acting strange today, it seemed.


    ¡°Then I suggest you pay attention,¡± said Ezra, waving at the board with a flourish. ¡°Hnefatafl has two sides. A king in the center of the board, and an army surrounding him. The object of the game is either for the king to make it to the board¡¯s edge, or for the army to make it impossible¡ªah, but you¡¯ll need light to see the pieces.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t had to say anything before he realized her discomfort. With a reach far longer than her own, he reached over and tapped a bioluminescent lamp on one of the room¡¯s many tables to wake up the creatures living inside their glass vessel. Ezra was used to caring for a mermaid in that way, at least. Perhaps he¡¯d paid some attention to Adriatta after all. She bit her tongue at the temptation to ask him more about her sister¡¯s life so far from the palace as he demonstrated how the game pieces moved.


    ¡°You will play the surrounded noble trying to escape the board. For¡­ obvious reasons,¡± Ezra said, when he¡¯d finished explaining the rules. ¡°I will be the overwhelming odds you must break through. You¡¯ll humor me, of course, it¡¯s not often I get to play with fortuitous odds.¡±


    Aya almost laughed. ¡°Is this supposed to help me practice running away?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to help you think, little princess,¡± Ezra said, taking the first piece from the board. ¡°I must say¡­that was quite the display in the throne room.¡±


    She sighed, and reached out to move a piece half-heartedly. The curtains drifted peacefully around the room, and the sleepy glow of the lamplight underscored Ezra¡¯s shadowy expression.


    ¡°At least you¡¯re to the point. I think Marlin would have danced around the issue another twenty minutes before saying something like that.¡±


    ¡°Turtles are notoriously slow,¡± Ezra nodded¡°...Especially that one.¡±


    ¡°I do happen to like Marlin,¡± she snapped, shoving her next piece down on the board a little harder than necessary.


    Ezra only smirked, and took that piece as well.


    ¡°You¡¯re letting yourself get emotional. When you let your emotions play a part in your strategy, you get careless. And when you get careless, you¡¯re going to make mistakes, Princess Ayalina.¡±


    She looked down at the board. Ezra wasn¡¯t winning yet, but neither was she. It was only the first few moves.


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m not just playing a longer game?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± Ezra folded his arms, and spread his tentacles in a way that was probably supposed to be a show of comfort¡­or condescension. She wasn¡¯t as good at reading him yet.


    She made a conscious effort to pull her focus back to herself. All cecaelia were snarky. Except maybe Krill. Ezra had a point; she was letting his comments go to her gills. She moved another piece, more deliberately this time.


    ¡°A bold move if I¡¯ve ever seen one,¡± Ezra approved. ¡°It¡¯s not every day someone tries to wriggle out of a direct order from the High King of Atlantis. I was privileged to see it. Although if I may say, Princess Ayalina, revealing all of your cards to a full throne room at once¡­ does not seem to me like playing a long game.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t very ladylike, but she huffed, blowing a short burst of bubbles over the game board.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°I know it was a mistake. What I don¡¯t see is how it could have been different,¡± she admitted.


    Ezra chuckled, not a pleasant sound.


    ¡°And that is precisely the problem, Princess. You need to start looking one or two moves ahead, if you¡¯re going to rule.¡±


    She looked up. Ezra was looking smug, but not unfriendly.


    ¡°You were there. You saw my petition. So you know that I don¡¯t want to rule.¡±


    ¡°Oh but you do,¡± said Ezra. ¡°What you don¡¯t want is to rule in the way your sisters and father do.¡±


    Aya shook her head, all thoughts of the game abandoned for the moment.


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how¡ª¡±


    Ezra leaned back in his cushion. He moved another piece with a tentacle without even looking at the board, eyeing her with a calculating sneer.


    ¡°No, Princess. You don¡¯t see, and yet it seems that you are able to see a great many other things. Such a puzzle. After your petition, as you call it, I took a moment to ask around. I¡¯d wondered at the upturn of healthy magic in your father¡¯s kingdom. In fact¡ª¡± there he barked a short laugh, ¡°¡ªI¡¯d even begun to be quite jealous. I¡¯m almost fortunate your father won¡¯t see the advantage he¡¯s gained in you¡­¡±


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re not offering to vouch for the difference I¡¯ve made,¡± she said sullenly, toying with another piece distractedly. ¡°And if I may say so, you don¡¯t exactly sound like you¡¯re playing a long game, either.¡±


    ¡°By your own word, I do not have the luxury of time for a long game,¡± said Ezra. ¡°Perhaps you can tell me more about this ¡®White Eclipse.¡¯ Will it really cancel all of the kingdom¡¯s magic?¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Yes and no. Astrology is a fame of predictions, but astronomy is hard science. The old spells, like the ones that keep fertilizer balanced, and roads clear, and temperature in the currents balances,  anything made by a sea witch will be undone. But, I gave at least one of the sea-witches forewarning, and she promised to tell the rest¡ª¡± she wouldn¡¯t admit, even to Ezra who that sea witch had been. ¡°¡ªher apprentices have already come up with a way to make spells last through the eclipse, and anything from a stronger power, like the bident will be fully intact.¡±


    Ezra traced the outline of the black pendant hanging at his waist with an unreadable expression, but it was gone as soon as it came.


    ¡°How impressive,¡± he said. ¡°And do you believe this eclipse would affect¡­.other sources of magic?


    Aya blinked. ¡°There are other sources of magic?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, then,¡± Ezra stated, without offering any other information. ¡°Are there any other events pending?¡±


    ¡°No¡­none this year.¡± Aya pressed her lips together.¡°At least none that big. There are lots of things that might affect prophecies, or luck at cards, or the squid season, but nothing that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Prophecies?¡± Ezra wasn¡¯t looking at her, back to examining the board, but she could see by the way his tentacles twitched  her direction, that this piece of news caught his attention. ¡°Surely such a thing is out of the bounds of proper science. You yourself just scoffed at astrology, princess.¡±


    Aya paused before she answered. It was her turn in the game, and she couldn¡¯t tell whether she was winning or losing. She had more pieces, but Ezra hesitated far less in his turns. He clearly had a plan, and she didn¡¯t. She wondered where this conversation was going. If he was just trying to distract her, it was working. No one in the palace really cared for her studies. Without a palace mage, there wasn¡¯t much need for a palace astronomer, and there hadn¡¯t been a need for one since the Cecaelian war¡­.a war which Ezra remembered.


    She placed her next piece directly in front of one of Ezra¡¯s.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be anything new. Maybe something older finally coming around. Nothing exciting,¡± she assured.


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked, a bit too quickly.


    She tucked her chin and changed the side of the cushion that her tail rested.


    ¡°I am. Not that it¡¯s going to save me.¡±


    At last, Ezra looked up. ¡°Save you? Whatever do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Did you not just remind me that I was trying to escape my fate?¡±


    ¡°Escape your Destiny. The two are¡­ very different personalities,¡± he said cryptically.


    ¡°Destiny, then,¡± she said. ¡°Then you can¡¯t do anything to help my predicament. And, forgive me, King Ezra, but you haven¡¯t exactly suggested any ways out, either.¡±


    She was frustrated, to say the least. It looked like Ezra was only pretending to offer help. And if so, then what were they both doing here, playing a game in the middle of the night?


    ¡°Caution, Princess. Emotion will always get in the way of your clarity,¡± Ezra warned. ¡°As for help¡­ it is a pity nothing too important is coming sooner. It seems you really did present all of your cards, then¡­.Your move, Princess.¡±


    Scowling, she moved her attention back to the board. It was a waste of time, but for some prickly reason, she didn¡¯t want to lose to Ezra. He¡¯d left a pawn unguarded. With a nip of vindictive pleasure, she took it¡­only to immediately have her capture another of hers. Bait. It had been bait.


    ¡°The king is nothing without his pawns. Don¡¯t make sacrifices lightly¡­..like that one,¡± he said with a long exhale. ¡°Your problem, Princess, is that you keep blundering into situations believing that if you only work hard enough, you can accomplish your desires on your own.¡±


    Her tail twitched under her in annoyance.


    ¡°I can¡ª¡±


    ¡°No. You can¡¯t. No one can. Haven¡¯t you ever wondered why fish travel in shoals? Why kingdoms are built in the first place? Why even solitary creatures like cecaelia manage to coalesce once in a decade?¡±


    She opened her mouth to argue, and closed it again. Ezra smirked.


    ¡°I thought not. Rulers are not those who work hardest, or break themselves soonest in the name of some honorable duty to their people, Princess.¡±


    Rich words from a king whose kingdom is dissolving as we speak, she thought.


    ¡°And who would you say the best rulers are?¡± she said aloud.


    ¡°I would say that they are those who know how to best exploit the options they have, and who manage to bring in enough flesh that those feeding below them never have a reason to rise back up.


    ¡°Flattering,¡± she bit out, watching him take yet another of her pieces.


    ¡°You are out of pawns, princess. And when you are out of pawns, you will lose.¡±


    ¡°Was there a point to this?¡± It was unlike her, but there was something about Ezra that simply brought out the worst in her. Aya was tired, frustrated, and the weight of her future hung in the water around her, and not on her own terms. Although, Ezra seemed to understand that at least.


    ¡°Emotions, Princess Ayalina. You are on the precipice of a great change. It is full of opportunity for both your greatest success, and your greatest misery. I want to make sure that you come out for the better. For my kingdom¡¯s sake. For your sister¡¯s sake.¡±


    Her breath caught. Was that what this was about for him? Suddenly she understood why he used that argument to such effect on her father.


    ¡°What does this have to do with Adriatta?¡± she asked bluntly.


    ¡°Did it ever occur to you that in the event of Titus¡¯ decision to marry off the remainder of his daughters, that having you as close to my kingdom as possible may have been a special request? One that Adriatta would have exacted great risk in making?


    ¡°You will be living in the kingdom bordering my own. Close to your sister. Close to a kingdom on the verge of stability, or collapse. The cecaelia have the most sea-witches of any race in the oceans. Put your skills to use in rebuilding something with them, and your skills will be far more lauded¡ªeven appreciated, among them.¡±


    Ezra leaned forward, speaking deliberately as he addressed her. It was the same way he had explained the rules to the game.


    Because, she realized, he was still explaining the rules of a game. One that she had no desire and no choice in playing.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina, you are on the horizon of a new beginning. You might see this as your entrapment, but in truth, it is your way out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­.I don¡¯t even know the eel prince,¡± she said weakly.


    Ezra clearly didn¡¯t see the concern in that.


    ¡°Then you need to take a look at your circles, and know who your pawns are. You have the opportunity to build something. So build it to look like how you want¡ªbefore someone else decides the design before you. Don¡¯t waste it.¡±


    ¡°Is that what you did?¡±


    He huffed a cloud of bubbles, and for the first time, she got the feeling he wasn¡¯t concealing anything at all when he said:


    ¡°Clearly not. Your move, Princess.¡±


    A quick glance at the board told her that the game was falling apart. Her pieces were nearly all taken, and her king was at knife-point to several of Ezra¡¯s.¡±


    With a deceive flick, she pushed her king over, and yielded.


    ¡°I think I could do it, if we have another round,¡± she offered.


    Ezra pushed the board away with one tentacle, and blew a string of bubbles out before his face.


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing, young princess. In life, we only have one chance to make the right decisions. So don¡¯t hesitate.¡± He even sounded as if he meant it.


    She carefully bit back the desire to call him something truly unflattering.


    ¡°Then this is good night,¡± she huffed. Once more failing to hold back her annoyance, she allowed Ezra to escort her back to her room, head swimming even moreso than when she¡¯d left it.

 Chapter 5: Adin

    Chapter 5


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Adin</h2>


    Earlier that day¡­


    Adin wanted to sink through the silt as he escorted Marlin and Aya back from Shipwreck Valley, wishing with every flip of his tail that the old turtle was enough protection to take her home himself. His superiors at the palace had warned him and the other palace guards about giant squid migrating to the surface. Shipwreck Valley wasn¡¯t on the list of breeding spots for them, though¡ªor at least, he thought it wasn¡¯t.


    The squid that had attacked them had arrived far too early for its mating season. Early, and not where it should have been, and¡­.and it wasn¡¯t his fault!


    But¡­ but Kai seemed to think it was, he thought grumpily.


    Adin first met Kai on one of his outings with Aya several years back. By then, Aya and Kai were already friends, and she¡¯d never told him how she¡¯d managed to fall into such close company with a cecaelian. So much of Adin¡¯s training was learning to fight cecaelia who entered the kingdom upapered, or who tried to practice dark magic, or who wantonly murdered speech-gifted fish in the outer reef that he¡¯d nearly had a heart attack when he¡¯d first seen him.


    It had taken him months to really be assured that Kai wasn¡¯t going to hurt Aya¡ªAya, who never minded the suspicious ingredients that Kai was always collecting, and didn¡¯t find it ominous when he spent so much of his time ferrying magical items between kingdoms overnight.


    He didn¡¯t even try to hide it!


    As a palace guard, Adin was required to be up to speed on all of the kingdom laws¡ªand the ones concerning cecaelian citizens could fill books. If benign magic ever went bad, or if dark magic popped up to cause trouble, the death toll for regular mer-folk started counting, and the fault, was nearly always them. For that reason, justice regarding cecaelia had to be steep and swift¡ª


    ¡ªFor the citizens'' sake! For safety!


    However; Aya, who spent so much time in the reefs befriending anyone who would talk to her, couldn¡¯t understand why the laws had to be so harsh. Nothing he could say would convince her that Kai was dangerous, even if he was her friend. Adin would bet his month¡¯s pay that even watching Kai slam an adult Architeuthis through solid wooden boards¡ªalone¡ªand then live wouldn¡¯t convince Aya of the danger.


    But if Kai hadn¡¯t done it, then Aya might be¡­.


    Adin shook his head hard. If he was honest with himself¡ªsomething he¡¯d rather drink jelly-stings than do¡ªthe shame of what happened was eating him alive. Aya would have been badly hurt or worse if Kai hadn¡¯t intervened. The problem was that when Kai had told him this whole thing had been his fault¡­ he¡¯d been right.


    You almost got her killed, you idiot! he wanted to yell at himself.


    Adin trailed sulkily behind Aya and Marlin as they swam toward the palace. The turtle was heavy, old, and slow. He grit his teeth. At this pace, it would take them until nightfall to reach the palace. Next to Marlin, swimming in happy, circling patterns, was Aya with her flighty red fins and easy laughter. Aya¡¯s tail shimmered in the sunlight behind her like a vibrant, crimson streamer.


    Aya was¡­well, she was glorious. The other royal princesses might have more poise, more manners, and conduct themselves more regally at balls, but Aya had a way of throwing herself into her passions in a way that benefited everyone around her.


    She had always been that way, but ever since she discovered the star charts in her father¡¯s library, that passion had expanded. Adin himself had gone with Aya to the surface more than a dozen times when she insisted on adding to those charts. Though his skin dried out uncomfortably with those visits to the surface, Princess Ayalina wanted nothing more than to help her people with every new discovery.


    What began as a fascination with the pretty lights in the sky had turned into Aya being able to predict weather, storms, and threats. Eventually, she had enough of her own records to be able to foresee meteor showers, alignments, and eclipses¡ªand that pushed her dangerously into the realm of being useful to the kingdom mages. Although he didn¡¯t like it, Adin had to admit that the information Aya brokered freely had saved lives. Though she had no magical power of her own, Aya brightened everywhere she went, and lightened the burdens of everyone she met. In Adin¡¯s eyes, Aya wielded a magic of her own.


    Unfortunately, her skills had also further endeared her to Kai. Kai, who, with his weird purple eyes and grumpy aloofness from Aya somehow managed to make her smile more than Adin did. Kai, who was forever making him look incompetent.


    ¡°Marlin, are you sure you don¡¯t know why father is summoning me? He didn¡¯t have anything scheduled.¡± Aya¡¯s voice cut through Adin¡¯s angry sulking.


    The city of Atlantis lay in the center of the Atlantean kingdom¡¯s three rings, and they had a long swim from the border of the second ring to the palace. He couldn¡¯t blame her for asking. It was a long swim.


    The first ring around the inner city contained the merchants, craftsmen, and smiths who produced the bulk of the city¡¯s needs and trade export. The second ring¡ªand the most misshapen of the three¡ªheld all sorts of shoal farms and fruiting crops. The third ring was home to the protective reefs that kept out the frigid currents from the trenches, housed the slums, and occasionally was home to traveling species and designated hunting grounds. It also was where most of the cecaelia chose to live for its hidey-holes and dark caverns found naturally in the larger chunks of reef.


    Shipwreck Valley had been near one of those reefs on a part of the outer ring closest to the city. Had it been on the far end, it might have taken them days to get back to the palace. As the currents were blowing; however, it was actually only an hour to the city, and from there, just minutes at full-swim to the palace, provided one was not stuck behind a turtle as slow as Marlin.


    At its widest point, the kingdom could take days to cross from end to end, and it was staggering to think that this much of the ocean was under just one merman. Although High King Titus ruled over all of the oceans and seas, his heart kingdom, and his primary responsibility was the inner city, as well as the reefs and fields that surrounded it. Lesser kings, generals, and princes ruled the other seas around it and answered to the High King, as no one merman, particularly one of Titus¡¯s age, could manage the grievances of all the world¡¯s waters alone¡ªor at least, he couldn¡¯t do that and not die an early death from the stress. If it weren¡¯t for the status that allowed the nobility to court the attention of the princesses, Adin wouldn¡¯t have a speck of envy for the upper ranks.


    ¡°Marlin?¡± Aya prompted again, when she¡¯d only had silence from both of them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Aya¡¯s confusion at the summons hurt his heart, and reminded him of one of the reasons he¡¯d convinced her to swim so far today. Looking back now, he realized he¡¯d been childish. In hindsight, making the princess late for a summons he and the other guards knew would come had not only been unfair, but would only worsen the impact when it came.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say, Princess¡­¡± the turtle trailed off, but Adin supposed it could have just been because he was out of breath.


    Adin opened his mouth to tell Aya about the summons, and perhaps even to apologize, but before he could finish forming the words, the old turtle gave him a firm shake of his head.


    He closed his mouth again. Marlin knew. He knew¡­ and he didn¡¯t want to hurt her, either.


    ¡°Is it trouble?¡± the princess asked again.


    ¡°The king didn¡¯t seem angry, princess. I wouldn¡¯t worry your fins over it. Only, worry enough to get us there quickly. As this old turtle gets older, I get more threats to get turned into soup by the day!¡±


    Adin would have laughed had he been in a better mood. The High King would never hurt his most trusted advisor, and aside from the feral turtles from the outer reef, no turtle in Atlantis was in real danger of being eaten by anything but deep sea predators. All the same, he swam a little faster, and Aya pumped her fins a little harder to keep up.


    Titus definitely wanted Aya home. Every current that ran through the kingdom was pulling them toward the palace strongly enough that Adin was surprised they didn¡¯t just jettison them through the palace gates when they arrived.


    Instead, Adriatta, the eldest of Titus¡¯s daughters, was waiting for them, eliciting a groan from Adin. It wasn¡¯t as though he disliked the eldest princess, but her presence meant that her husband was somewhere in the palace, and something about King Ezra of the Cecaelia always made his scales shiver¡ªnot to mention, that meant he would have extra bunks to prepare for that night. Ezra¡¯s cecaelian escort would be sharing their quarters that night. The only perk there was that cecaelia never needed much sleep.


    ¡°Adriatta!¡± Aya darted out from behind Adin, swishing past Marlin nearly fast enough to flip him over.


    ¡°Earl, Brawn,¡± Adin greeted sullenly.


    The swordfish who guarded the palace gates doubled as the guards¡¯ fencing instructor, and although they¡¯d always been fair to Adin, he certainly had received his fair share of bruises and nicks from them. They saluted him minutely with their fins, which perked him up a little. He only hoped he¡¯d be seen as the guard who brought the princess back, instead of the one who kept her late in the first place.


    ¡°Ahem,¡± Marlin cleared his throat when he¡¯d righted himself, and managed to interrupt the sisters'' cooing. ¡°Please, princesses, I know you need to be doing this eventually, but Titus will have my shell for a serving bowl if Aya is any later for the summons.¡±


    Getting through the main corridor took longer than swimming through the whole of the citadel. Cooks, cleaners, and every event planner in the kingdom could be seen bustling about from corridor to corridor. Adin didn¡¯t have to be a full-fledged guard to see that the lessened wariness among the servants was going to make the upcoming ball a security nightmare for him. The anemones posted at the entrance of the corridors had been overfed, and instead of keeping unregistered species out, were letting anyone through.


    It was taking so long to get through that Adin had to growl and snap at the servants to make them let Titus¡¯ own daughters get to the throne room. Two blowfish watched their approach impatiently, wearing an expression that Adin would know anywhere¡ªthey were late getting off their shifts.


    ¡°Entering Princess Ayalina of Atlantis!¡± one blowfish announced loudly, and a little early when they were finally near enough the throne room not to worry about tripping over something venomous. The other flung open the door, obviously put out that the first one had beaten him to the yelling portion of proceedings.


    Good luck, Aya, he wanted to say. I¡¯m here if you need me.


    I¡¯ll wait for you.


    You can always refuse if this isn¡¯t something you want.


    You should refuse, Aya!


    I¡¯ll guard you wherever you go.


    However, Adin said none of these things, instead waiting at his dismissed place with Adriatta as the doors closed before them, and the blowfish abandoned their posts with relish.


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    Adin didn¡¯t want to eavesdrop, but there was really no other way to wait for Aya¡¯s exit and be able to meet her. He heard every word from Titus as he gave Aya news that would change her future.


    Waste her future, more like, he thought bitterly, although deep down, he knew that wasn¡¯t true.


    There would be nothing stopping Aya from seeing the same skies in the Aegean that she did in the Pacific, and once she was married she would have access to things like her own guards, her own law-making, and her own authority. She could make a difference for the people in the Aegean sea in a bigger way than her meager charity trips to the reefs. Of course, while it would be a large change, he understood Titus in some ways. The younger she was married, the more she would be able to grow into her new kingdom. It was a wise match. Everyone in his contingent said so. Apparently this Eel prince¡¯s father was the sort of general any soldier or guard could respect, and yet, Adin couldn¡¯t bite back the pain that threatened to stifle his gills.


    Adriatta watched him curiously as he cringed at Aya¡¯s answers to her father¡¯s questions, and then moreso at Aya¡¯s paltry attempts to delay the suit.


    When the throne room doors were opened once more, Aya swam out ashen-faced and alone.


    He cleared his throat.


    ¡°Congratulations, Aya,¡± he said, throwing on a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve probably been waiting for this news for ages!¡±


    She still didn¡¯t answer, drifting past him into her room without a sound. Queen Adriatta didn¡¯t try to stay with her as long as he did, seeming to recognize her despondency for what it was. Still, Adin had to try.


    ¡°There might be an escort from the kingdom to take you to the Aegean once the suit is done. I¡¯ll be sure to volunteer!¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like me to collect from the reefs?¡±


    Still nothing.


    ¡°Your friends there will be so excited. They¡¯ll write. I¡¯ll write, too, if you want.¡±


    Silence.


    When she closed her bedroom door to him, it was as though she was looking right through him.


    Beside his fins with worry, Adin found himself unable to leave. He swam back and forth wondering why protection hadn¡¯t been posted outside her room with the security in the palace so low. Sure, there were other priorities with the out-of-sea guests arriving, but forgetting to protect the princess that the celebrations were for?


    Adin was still the lowest-ranking of his contingent, but in that moment, he vowed to have a word with his captain.


    *


    By the time Adin had returned to Aya¡¯s room¡ªthis time with orders to guard it himself, if he was so concerned for the princess¡¯s safety¡ªhe found it empty. He was about to swim through the palace looking for her, when he heard voices coming from down the hall.


    He should have stationed himself outside her room and just waited, but he didn¡¯t. Upon hearing the low, unmistakable timbre of Ezra¡¯s voice, Adin turned and hid. He tucked himself behind one of the long seagrass curtains that had been hung over the glass walls to darken the palace at night.


    To his horror, he saw Aya¡¯s unmistakable red and blue tailfins right next to King Ezra as he escorted her to her room, and waited until the door closed. Adin held his breath, hoping against hope that the black king would just swim away.


    Ezra turned to go, and Adin willed his heart to stop beating as the king passed the curtain where he was hiding¡ªand stopped. For a few frozen heartbeats, Ezra paused, the furl of his tentacles just in view from under the curtain, when he let out one low, guttural chuckle, and swished away. The curtain fluttered in the current that Ezra left behind.


    Adin¡¯s face burned. He hated Cecaelia; the monsters who could see in the dark. He hated being played with! He hated that he¡¯d hidden, when he¡¯d had every right to be stationed here. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He would also do no such thing, when his job was to push aside the curtain, and post himself by Aya¡¯s door like the lucky guard he was, who got to stand by his princess.


    He was about to do just that, when another voice echoed down the hallway.


    ¡°Princess Aya?¡± Marlin was floating down the hall. Adin froze a second time. Marlin had already seen him make enough mistakes that day, and he didn¡¯t feel like running into him again.


    ¡°Aya?¡± the advisor called again.


    Why were so many people keeping Aya from sleeping when she was so clearly upset? Could no one else see it? Adin growled to himself.


    Slowly, as though the door were three times its actual weight, Aya opened her room to Marlin.


    ¡°Evening, Marlin,¡± she said limply, and the sound broke Adin¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Might I come in, princess?¡± Marlin asked gently. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know when you¡¯re upset, and this one¡­well today was a big one for any princess. I remember how your sister Adrea took things when she went to her first suitors¡¯ ball. You¡¯re not the first of your sisters to be disappointed.¡±


    Marlin swam into her room, already yammering about old memories, and Adin could hear his attempts at cheering her up.


    At least she listens to him, he thought.


    ¡°I might be old, Aya, but I can see heartache when it swims in front of my shell, and your cecaelian friends there, well, I might not like it, but they certainly treat you better than some of the suitors I¡¯ve seen come for your sisters.¡±


    Adin¡¯s ears pricked.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t told my father about them, have you?¡± Aya blurted.


    Adin felt his jaw drop as a laugh rumbled through Marlin¡¯s shell from the other side of the door.


    ¡°Poseidon¡¯s beard, no, child! Just like I didn¡¯t mention your little trip to the shipwrecks today to save both our heads! But you shouldn¡¯t assume that he doesn¡¯t know. All I¡¯ve told him is who keeps escorting you home when you run off. He might not like it either, but even he won¡¯t turn down responsible work.¡±


    Of course, Marlin would only tell the king about the good cecaelia who protect his daughter¡­ Adin gritted his teeth. ¡ªEven if he¡¯s not wrong, he added guiltily.


    Adin stopped gritting his teeth, realizing that he was missing what was being said, just in time to hear Marlin say:


    ¡°What I can do, princess, is give you an extra set of invitations for the suitors¡¯ ball.¡±


    Adin¡¯s heart skipped a beat in hope. He hadn¡¯t received his orders yet for the ball, and there was still time to get the evening off. If he could dance with Aya before her engagement was announced, it would be a dream come true. Perhaps after all these years it could even spark something, and if his luck was good enough, it might even be enough to get Aya to deny the prince¡¯s suit.


    ¡°How will that help? Aya said miserably, and as she spoke, Adin got himself in check, although his youthful heart still hoped. Before he knew it, he was creeping out from behind the curtain, and pressing a shameless ear up to the door.


    ¡°Engagement balls are open to all the eligibles of the kingdom. Surely you can think of a few mer-folk from the outer rings who would want to come.¡±


    Adin wanted to burst through the door and offer his services immediately. If Aya wanted a friend at the ball, he was here. Right here! But, he could already hear the doubt in her voice when she said:


    ¡°The last time Kai went to a ball, he was escorting the merchants. He was grumbling about the stuffiness of it all for a week, and Krill¡­I don¡¯t know if Krill would even like it. Something makes me doubt Kai ever taught him how to dance.¡±


    Any childish hope Adin had let bloom was abruptly dashed.


    Of course he wasn¡¯t the first one on her mind¡­


    ¡°Show up to the suitors¡¯ events, Princess Ayalina. Meet your prince and behave properly tomorrow. Do that, and I¡¯ll deliver their invitations myself.¡±


    There was reluctance in Aya¡¯s voice, but the temptation of seeing Kai and Krill in the palace was enough to get her to agree to those terms.


    She was being bribed not to resist! Couldn¡¯t she see that!?


    He could have cried out in frustration, and found himself wiping away salt from his eyes when tears threatened to form. He was one of the High King¡¯s guards, he told himself disgustedly. Crying over a princess that he¡¯d known for years would be promised to another kingdom was ridiculous. Absurd. And then just like that, Marlin was leaving Aya¡¯s room.


    ¡°Adin?¡±


    Adin stopped rubbing his eyes, and abruptly snapped to attention, but it was too much to hope that Marlin hadn¡¯t seen what he¡¯d been doing. Again, he felt his face burning in shame, and he nearly choked on his anger. He hadn¡¯t exactly meant to eavesdrop, but here he was again, being caught by the king¡¯s advisor doing something no guard should ever do.


    ¡°Marlin,¡± Adin greeted hoarsely, hating how his voice cracked. ¡°Stop!¡± he cried, when Marlin began to chuckle.


    Adin turned away aggressively, not wanting the crab to see anymore, he was about to swim away, when Marlin caught his tail gently with his claw.


    ¡°Swim with me a bit, won¡¯t you?¡± Marlin asked. ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, boy.  Don¡¯t you know you have to laugh in the face of heartache? If you don¡¯t it will claw at you from the inside out, and I know a thing or two about claws!¡± the turtle brandished the end of a flipper at him where his tiny brown claws shone in the moonlight.


    Adin gave him a weak smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m on duty tonight, Marlin.¡±


    ¡°The king¡¯s advisor can relieve any guard he likes. Come along, it won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Although he wanted nothing more than to be alone right now, even he knew that would only make him more miserable, Adin followed. Marlin waited until they were several windows down from Aya¡¯s room before breaking the silence.


    ¡°You know, when I was a young turtle, I was in love with a blue-shelled leatherback with the loveliest eyes in the Pacific,¡± said Marlin with a far-away look. ¡°I sent her every blue shell I could find. Conches, periwinkles, dyed ammonites. Spent a fortune on the loveliest ones at market, and let me tell you, she was worth every one.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­I suppose that¡¯s romantic,¡± Adin said, as they wandered through the sloping, empty hallway as the palace prepared to sleep.


    ¡°I thought so!¡± said Marlin with a happy grin. ¡°She, however¡­well, turns out she thought I was making fun of her coloring. Hated me more with each passing day.¡±


    Adin choked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. She eventually moved out of the capital with the rest of her family. I never saw her again.¡±


    ¡°Marlin, that¡¯s¡ªthat¡¯s¡ª¡± Adin had no idea what to say.


    Marlin nodded, as though he understood. ¡°See, the thing is, even though a heart might take a crack or two from the waves of experience, understand that love is a vast ocean, and sometimes we must navigate through turbulent waters before finding the right current. For me, my current brought me into new friends and into new positions here at the palace. Finding all of those shells for Azule brought me connections I never could have dreamt of, and eventually put me where I am now.¡±


    Adin shook his head. He never pictured the old turtle in love, much less envisioned him willing to send a near-stranger a copious amount of gifts. He wouldn¡¯t be above trying that tactic himself if it so clearly hadn¡¯t been effective.


    ¡°I thought you were going to give me advice on how to win,¡± said Adin, feeling the tiniest bit betrayed.


    ¡°Lad, even if this position gives me more stress than an old turtle can stand some days, one current brought me to another current. Just like that, with time, you emerge from the battle against the elements stronger and wiser, and ready for more,¡± Marlin said with a sage twinkle. ¡°If this venture doesn¡¯t work, then there will be another thing in your path. Just wait for the current.¡±


    ¡°Your love advice is terrible, Marlin,¡± said Adin grumpily.


    Marlin gave an incorrigible laugh. ¡°That it might be, but did you feel a little better listening?¡±


    Begrudgingly, he gave a grunt of affirmation. Listening to the old turtle¡¯s woes actually had made him feel better about his own. Aya had a royal suitor, but at least she didn¡¯t hate him.


    Adin looked around the hallway, realizing that he¡¯d automatically swum his way toward the bunks. The bulletins for the palace guards were already in view. Was Marlin¡­ was Marlin trying to put him to bed?


    ¡°Young Adin, Mer-folk mate for life,¡± said Marlin seriously, ¡°If the love is one-sided, then she isn¡¯t it for you. It might be the hard truth, but you have yet to find your mate. Until you do, it¡¯s a whole ocean of possibilities, and as a good friend, if you stay one, you can rest assured Aya will never forget you.¡±


    Adin opened his mouth to protest that he hadn¡¯t had enough time to persuade Aya to love him¡ªthat if he¡¯d only had more time¡­but he didn¡¯t have the words. Something in him was telling him that Marlin was right. He tried hard to stuff that part of him down where it would be muffled and hopefully disappear.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­completely what I¡¯m worried about,¡± Adin grumbled. ¡°I want to find a way to make her notice me. I mean, she notices me, but I want her to look at me like¡­¡±


    Like she looks at Kai, he thought, and then: She¡¯s practically engaged. To a prince.


    Marlin had a knowing look in his eye as those truths sank their way into his stomach. ¡°It won¡¯t hurt so much sooner than you think. In fact, I believe she hasn¡¯t realized how much she will miss you because she gets to have more time with you than other friends. Give her time to process the surprise of today. I suspect she will need as much support as she can have in the coming week, no?¡±


    Adin¡¯s conscience tweaked a bit at that. He¡¯d really made a cod of himself today.


    Aya¡¯s reaction today told him that she was struggling with the news more than he, and the changes coming to the royal family would affect her future far more than his own. His fins turned down in shame as he realized that he hadn¡¯t thought of her feelings at all. Perhaps Marlin was at least right about one thing¡ªthe currents were changing. Although he wasn¡¯t exactly ready to jump up and celebrate, he could at least support Aya in her coming alliance as the guard he was trained to be.


    ¡°Now, if you¡¯d like to be relieved of your duties, I can certainly¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, Marlin, thank you.¡± Adin drew himself up to his full height. ¡°I signed up for that post tonight, and like you said. She needs support.¡±


    Marlin waved a flipper in acceptance.


    Adin darted away, back to his post. Marlin was right. Aya did need support, and he was ready to sign himself up for any shifts that might put him near her.

 Chapter 6: Kai

    Chapter 6


    <h2>Kai</h2>


    After dealing with the infuriating eel prince, who had demanded no less than three layers of packaging for the water-tight bottle of potion Kai gave him, Cirrina immediately reminded Kai of his missing hemocyanin order and sent him after Krill with strict instructions not to return empty-handed.


    This time, Kai left the cavern without complaint. Between his concern for Krill¡¯s absence, and an itching need to put as much distance between himself and that arrogant eel as possible, he welcomed the chance to escape.


    It wasn¡¯t the first time Krill had gone for ingredients alone, but with so many unfamiliar faces in their waters, and Archetuithis season making the outer ring unsafe at night, it was best to go out in pairs until the danger passed. Kai hoped that Krill had been wise, and had hidden himself somewhere. He wasn¡¯t likely to get the blue crab blood that Cirrina needed, and there was no telling how far he¡¯d wandered to find them.


    Dragging his collection pouch, Kai drifted tiredly through the seaweed gardens that marked the trench dropoff. This sale day had been the culmination of a month¡¯s work, and yet this one work day had felt like a month on its own. Kai was sorely tempted to fold himself in the kelp beds and sleep, if only for an hour, when he caught sight of a flash of red following him through the leaves.


    ¡°I can see you, Aya.¡±


    The water rolled smoothly over her tail as she flipped through the last of the seaweed and joined him in his clearing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t usually,¡± she didn¡¯t meet his eyes, swimming just a bit above his head.


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m looking for other things,¡± he rebutted, debating on pulling her down to a less dizzying angle. ¡°What are you doing out past the borders in the middle of the night? Isn¡¯t it ¡®forbidden¡¯ for you to¡ªwait, where¡¯s your guard?¡±


    He only just kept his lip from curling when he brought up Adin, but Aya didn¡¯t seem to mind¡ªor notice.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had the guard¡¯s rotation memorized since I was three, Kai,¡± she said, by way of explanation. ¡°I wanted to bring something to you without being watched. You¡¯re always working like you think it will kill you to stop, and you¡ªare you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, gritting his teeth to wake himself up, suspicious that she was keeping such a distance. Aya was usually comfortable swimming right up to him¡ªtoo comfortable for her own good. This flightiness felt¡­odd.


    He inspected her face from the brief glimpses she gave him of it. Her cheeks were puffier than usual, and the veins in her eyes had run red, as though she hadn¡¯t slept either. It wasn¡¯t uncommon for her to slip out at night to head to the surface for charting; however she never looked like this. It took him a moment to realize that she must have been crying, but Aya¡­ Aya didn¡¯t cry. Not for pain. Not for insults. Not ever.


    ¡°I¡¯m not blind Kai. Did Cirrina do something? Is there anything I can help you find?¡± Though she smiled at him, it felt forced. It was ridiculous. Just as he¡¯d said to Krill, Aya was a princess with a veritable army of servants and guards to protect her. So, what was she doing turning to him? ¡°I¡¯m good at finding things, so let me help. Got a list?¡±


    She¡¯s looking for a distraction, something in him whispered.


    She is a distraction. Find Krill, he argued back, but the idea of leaving her out here in the dark didn¡¯t sit well with him either.


    He reached out to her, and instead of taking the hand she offered, turned her face in his fingers to see her better. Her eyes were all the way dilated to the dark, reminding him that her vision, though keen, would never be much use past sunset. A small puff of bubbles left her lips when he touched her face.


    ¡°We both know you won¡¯t be finding anything when it''s this dark out,¡± he murmured as he searched. ¡°I¡¯m shocked you made it out this far as-is.¡±


    He inspected her with a clinical eye¡ªKai wasn¡¯t a mage for nothing. He could cure restlessness, itchiness, red-eye, dry scales¡ªpretty much anything but hunger. But Aya didn¡¯t seem to need any of those cures, and she certainly didn¡¯t need cosmetic potions, either. Her skin, her hair, and her mouth. They were all perfect.


    ¡°I have a lamp, but I put it out before I could blind you,¡± she explained. ¡°It¡¯s just the glow-beetles, and they don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    Babbling? Well, he supposed that wasn¡¯t exactly out of the ordinary for her¡­


    Stymied, he pulled back, earning himself the oddest expression rom her. Was it irritation? No. Disappointment? Odd.


    ¡°Princess, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She caught his hand before he could pull back fully.


    ¡°Only that you insist on calling me ¡®Princess,¡¯¡± she said, tucking her fingers beneath his palm.


    ¡°Aya, you are¡ª¡±


    ¡°And that I would give so very, very much not to be one,¡± she added in a whisper.


    He surprised them both with an incredulous snort. ¡°Shall we trade, then? I¡¯ll swim around waving and giggling, and you can find my ingredients and chop and powder things until your tiny little fingers fall off.¡±


    She laughed then¡ªa real laugh, if a bit half-hearted. ¡°Yes. Shall we have you fitted for dresses tomorrow? You can have mine.¡±


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Not funny.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little funny,¡± she said, but at least now, she was smiling.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Aya? Why are you several hours¡¯ swim away from the palace in the middle of the night¡ªand, hang on, how did you find me?¡±


    ¡°You and Krill look for ingredients near the basin almost every night,¡± she said, giving his fingers a squeeze.


    He jumped, pulling his hand back before he could think. He was so tired, he¡¯d forgotten he was still holding her hand, and the jerky movement of him pulling away knocked her forward. His tentacles caught her before she touched his bare skin, thank goodness, but his attempts to subtly pull away from her had only put them closer.


    Of course they did, he nearly groaned, but as tired as he was¡­ he truly didn¡¯t have the energy to care.


    So, when Aya looked at him as though she might cry over who-knew-what, he let his tentacles nudge her forward enough to hug him, and he wrapped his arms around her, feeling warm for the first time since he¡¯d left the boilers. The sensation of hugging her was cozy, and peaceful, if one didn¡¯t mind the occasional faceful of hair. Kai wouldn¡¯t have minded going to sleep like this¡ªbut then, as he was, he might not have minded sleeping on a pile of sharp rocks, as long as he got sleep.


    ¡°Nothing¡¯s truly wrong,¡± Aya mumbled into his shoulder eventually. ¡°I¡¯m not in danger. I don¡¯t have to worry about survival¡­ For now, at least. It¡¯s just¡­ Whatever is back there is just not nearly as important as whatever you¡¯re facing right now. And I¡¯m just so useless at the palace, so let me help whatever you¡¯re doing. Just for a while.¡±


    Kai¡¯s fingers slipped down the back of her blouse as he pulled away. Aya had confirmed his concerns. This wasn¡¯t just another midnight star-gazing trip. She was running from something specific¡ªwhich meant that her absence would be noticed.


    ¡°I¡¯m just tired, Aya,¡± he said distantly, and suddenly the moment between them¡ªa moment that he was hardly awake enough to register¡ªwas gone.


    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll let you get home¡­¡± Her smile wavered as she swam back a little, and a voice in his head warning him about propriety made him let her. ¡°But before I go, I came to bring you these.¡± From the pouch at her waist, Aya produced two pearlescent papers, and brandished them before his nose with such regality that he was almost tempted to sneer. ¡°These are invitations to the royal ball next week. One for you, and one for Krill. Each one has a plus-one, so you can ask Cirrina if you like¡ª¡±


    When she saw his expression, she laughed for real.


    ¡°¡ªOr not. But even if you do bring someone, please save me a dance.¡±


    He raised a silvery brow, but humored her all the same, examining the date on an invitation.


    ¡°That¡¯s three days before the eclipse. I have a lot of work to finish before then, and Krill¡­Poseidon¡¯s toes, Krill!¡±


    He¡¯d dallied long enough. It was time to resume his search for Krill.


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    Kai didn¡¯t mind being cutting and sarcastic to Cirrina, or any of his customers, for that matter, but with Aya, he tried his best to preserve her feelings. But, this request¡­. from his experience in his travels, a royal ball full of condescending nobles was only an opportunity for abuse for a cecaelia as small as Krill. And, Krill was still missing.


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m not sure how much he¡¯d enjoy this sort of thing,¡± he finished lamely, suddenly aching to leave.


    Her disappointment was immediate, and more severe than he¡¯d expected, but for once she managed not to rant or argue.


    ¡°Please, Kai,¡± she pleaded instead, looking at him properly for the first time. ¡°There are things happening at the palace, and I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯ll be able to do something like this again, so if you could come¡­even just for an hour¡­¡±


    This was also suspiciously unlike her. Aya usually presented rational arguments, or tried to sway him with excessive reminders and reasons why he ¡®might¡¯ enjoy it, but for once, she didn¡¯t seem to have the energy for any of those things. Her simple plea moved him more than any of those things would have, and again something was nagging at his overworked mind¡ªthe notion that something wasn¡¯t right.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± he said tiredly, watching puzzled as her brow furrowed, and then fell limp. She nodded, giving him another of those strained smiles.


    ¡°Aya, if something is wrong, you can tell me. There might be something I can do.¡±


    ¡°Nothing¡ªnothing is wrong,¡± she said. Kai couldn¡¯t help but feel there was some underlying not yet clause to this claim. ¡°Just come if you can. I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    Whether it was the fatigue or an urge to get her home before the sun set and the city borders got much more risky, Kai heard himself agreeing:


    ¡°If it is at all possible for me to be there, I will,¡± he said hesitantly.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Aya pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. A spark of something more instinct than awareness tingled its way down his spine.


    How did she¡­?


    Kai always kept a distance from Aya, and not just for the sake of her reputation. The much bigger, and more important reason was that he could never say when Cirrina was using her scrying pearl to watch him. As Cirrina got more angry over how her business was being restricted by Titus¡¯ laws, there was always a chance that Cirrina would think to use her against the high king¡ªand order Kai to help her do so.


    Because of Cirrina¡¯s orders, Kai had few friends among the reef fish, the merchants, and even fewer in other kingdoms, but none were ever as constant, or provided as much novelty as Aya. Later, when Krill joined himself and Cirrina living in the cavern, she¡¯d given Krill a connection free of disdain and danger, and the much-needed occasional lesson in manners. The princess and her bright smile had brought him connections, information, and books¡ªeach gift which inexplicably flashed through his fatigue-addled head.


    It was because of those reasons, and all the years of careful distancing that the kiss took him so off-guard. In his tired, overworked state, he didn¡¯t see it coming. Didn¡¯t resist. Didn¡¯t jump back. In his surprise, he could only stare dumbly after her when, just as suddenly as she¡¯d appeared, Aya darted off in the direction of the palace.


    It was too much. If his reaction time was so bad, he was clearly a danger to the reef, and himself. He¡¯d simply pushed himself too long. As Aya disappeared, her glowing lamp in hand, Kai¡¯s eyes refused to readjust to his surroundings. With a pang of frustration, he knew his attempts at finding ingredients, let alone Krill, would be useless. It took all of his willpower to move to a nearby crevice in one of the outer reefs to sleep, hoping nothing too dangerous found him in the night.


    *


    Kai awoke to voices, which was never a good sign. He froze, trying his best to blend into the shadow beneath the rock that concealed him, until he recognized that neither of the voices were Cirrina¡¯s¡ªthen again, neither of them were Krill¡¯s.


    ¡°It starts in three hours!¡±


    ¡°Why is it so early in the evening?¡±


    ¡°Who knows with those royals? The princes probably want to show off for the princesses. I heard they¡¯ll be announcing engagements tonight.¡±


    ¡°Already? I didn¡¯t think the princesses had even left Atlantis yet. How could they have met?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me the details, but I don¡¯t envy the one who gets married off to the arctic.¡±


    There was an ungainly snorting sound. ¡°Will he even want her once she¡¯s frozen her fins off?¡±


    ¡°Hah! No return policies on princesses, I hear. That eel was handsome, though! He¡¯s bound for Titus¡¯ youngest. She has all the luck¡­¡±


    Kai didn¡¯t care what the gossipers had to say, but he certainly wasn¡¯t in the mood for a run-in with strangers out on the reef. The last thing he needed was some jumpy scrounger to call in the guards.


    He waited until the voices passed to venture out of the coral enclave where he¡¯d slept. It looked a lot different by daylight. At night, there was no telling what spiny, or venomous thing he¡¯d be disturbing by crawling into the cramped space, but the rock he¡¯d hidden under was so barren, not even polyps had deigned to make a home there. Two seaweed-green tails of the unnamed busybodies disappeared through the kelp, and by the sound of things, no more were coming.


    Just kelp-bed weeders, then, he realized with some relief.


    Kai shrunk into himself when he realized that everything around him was visible. Sunlight streamed through the leaves of the kelp forest that surrounded his hiding place. The currents were blowing warm around his ears. It was past noon. He¡¯d been boiling the seaweed at both ends, and now this¡­He¡¯d fallen asleep outside, unprotected, in the middle of a known tentacle-hunting season. It was breathtakingly stupid.


    He couldn¡¯t keep doing this. If he carried on with this schedule, it could quite literally kill him. Gritting his teeth, he made himself a grim promise. As soon as this eclipse was over, he would use the lull in customers to find himself a cave¡ªsomething big enough for a shop. He would forge his own cauldrons if he had to. Once he¡¯d saved enough, he would take Krill as an apprentice and get them as far from Atlantis as their tentacles could take them¡ªsomewhere warmer, with fewer guards and hungry teeth.


    Peering around the kelp bed, he ran a hand over his head with a yawn, scrunching his face when it came away with two pieces of paper that had lodged in his hair. Eyes narrowed over the pearly script, Aya¡¯s request the day before came bubbling back into his memory.


    Please come, she¡¯d said. I¡¯ll wait.


    He would have to make his apologies later.


    Then, the date on the papers caught his eye. It had to be a misprint. If the gossiping kelp-weeders were swimming off to this event, meaning that the ball was today¡ªthe thought was frankly horrifying. He¡¯d been asleep¡ªdefenseless¡ªin this crevice, for two days!


    He¡¯d been asleep so long that Krill may have returned to the cavern already, but without the hemocyanin, he would have been turned right back out again. Either way, the time posted on the tickets was only three hours from now. There just wasn¡¯t time to find Krill, complete Cirrina¡¯s order, and then make it to the inner palace. Then, the issue of his merchant¡¯s vest being allowed into a royal ball was too much of a headache to consider. Aya was forgiving, and there would be other balls.


    Kai stuck to the shadows of the kelp farms as he headed toward the nearest blue crab nest. His path led him through a labyrinth of towering kelp forests, their long fronds swaying gently with the currents. Everyone had left, it seemed, for the ball. The quiet emptiness in the lush farms was calm and peaceful. The second ring contained farms of sargassum and creepvine, all carefully cultivated to contain the algae blooms that fed so many of Atlantis¡¯ citizens. The dense strands gave him cover as he made his way back into the third ring, tracing the path Krill should have taken.


    When he exited the foliage and made his way over the rougher portions of reef in the third ring, Kai found several horseshoe crabs skittering about the rocks. The odd thing was, these crabs were obviously undisturbed. His keen nose could find no hint of blue blood in the water, as there would have been from Krill¡¯s sloppy attempts at bleeding crabs.


    Yet, as he coasted over the shadowy stretch of reef, there began to be a horribly familiar scent in the water that sent prickles up his spine.


    He hissed, peering sharply over the rocks and toward the source of the scent¡ªa place where the rocky reefs dropped completely off into shadows.


    ¡°Where did you swim off to, Krill?¡± he growled. It was no wonder there were so many crabs active in this area. There was death in the water.


    Moving far more silently than the chatty mermaids from earlier, Kai followed the scent over the reefs, and just past the outer dropoff, where something dark red flailing below the ledge caught his eye.


    Thinking it was one of the squid nests, Kai quickly backed away, but the scent was far from what he remembered from shipwreck cove, and there was something disturbingly familiar about the dark shape drifting just below the ledge. Kai¡¯s stomach threatened to twist itself in two.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± he growled, picking up speed. Already knowing what he would find, Kai rushed over the lip of the drop-off.


    There, stuffed into a crevice too small for his body, lay the shape of a small, pale cecaelian boy. His camouflage had long since failed him, and his natural brown coloring stained patches of his tentacles, as though he had tried so desperately to hide that it had permanently stained pieces of him. Except for his gills that flapped in the current drifting up from the abyss, Krill¡¯s body wasn¡¯t moving.


    His face was covered in scratches, and sticky dark fluid oozed from a wound in his stomach, his sides, and¡ªand Kai stopped breathing when he saw where three of Krill¡¯s feet had been hacked from his body.


    He had been so close to saving Krill from this place. A few more months. So close!


    And then he thought:


    This is my fault. Asleep two days? I should have been here.


    Kai bit back anger and bile, and forced himself to breathe.


    He reached two of his tentacles into the tiny space, and slowly coaxed Krill¡¯s body out into the open water. The boy¡¯s head lolled back as Kai pulled him close. Kai had seen more resistance from jellyfish. There were so many wounds and gashes along Krill¡¯s tentacles that it was a miracle that there was so much of him left. Whatever had done this, Krill was not a fighter. He had clearly run away til his last breath. Other mer-folk died from less abuse, but all the same Kai was unwilling to accept that krill, that his only family in this world, might be gone. Trying not to shake, he gritted his teeth, he lowered an ear to Krill¡¯s chest.


    He held his breath, willing his ears to discern between the pounding of his own hearts, and the faint sound coming from under Krill¡¯s ribs. It was faint¡ªvery faint¡ªbut it was there. Kai blew a relieved stream of bubbles over Krill¡¯s body when the distinct thudding of at least two of Krill¡¯s hearts met his ears. He was so relieved he could have shouted. Then, he was panicked. How much blood had Krill lost? How long had he been wedged into this rock? Then, as something on Krill¡¯s body caught his eye, the blue waters around the field of his vision pulsed red. Like blood in the water, anger took over all of his other emotions.


    The tip of a hunters¡¯ spear, painted a gaudy orange, had broken and stuck in the bone of one of Krill¡¯s ribs. Looking abysmally painful, the wound leaked a tiny trail of blood, just above his third heart. The boy was so tiny, that that slip of aim had saved his life. However, that wound was high enough that his attackers would have seen that Krill was cecaelian, and not a squid. He wasn¡¯t even the right size. Kai bit down another growl. Whoever had done this, it had been intentional. If Krill didn''t have three hearts, he¡¯d be dead. The idiots didn¡¯t even know how to kill him, and judging from the color of the weapon, Kai knew exactly which idiots had done this.


    Gathering Krill into his arms, Kai felt every one of his years under Cirrina, like lead sinkers weighting his limbs as he rushed him back to Leviathan''s Grotto. Krill still had a chance.

 Chapter 7: Ezra

    Chapter 7


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Ezra</h2>


    The quarters set aside for Queen Adriatta¡¯s visits were designed for perfect comfort. Situated within the sea palace¡¯s grandest wing, the room glowed softly in the light of the coral lamps embedded in the walls. The domed ceiling, crafted from shimmering pearlescent shells, reflected dappled light, creating the illusion of stars rippling through the depths. A large, circular window overlooks the vibrant coral gardens outside, offering views of swaying kelp forests and shimmering schools of fish. Flowing, translucent curtains made from delicate sea silk flutter with the gentle currents, letting in still more light.


    The centerpiece was an opulent bed, its frame inlaid with intricate patterns of oceanic motifs¡ªsea serpents, waves, and creatures of the deep. To one side, a chaise lounge in the shape of a smooth, elongated seashell sat near a vanity of coral and polished driftwood. The vanity¡¯s mirror, surrounded by small, glowing sea pearls, reflects the light in soft, shimmering waves. A wardrobe, fashioned from the dark, ancient wood of shipwrecks, stands in the corner, its handles resembling delicately carved tentacles, the lone tribute to King Ezra¡¯s part in ownership of the space.


    The room was always open and bright, even in the garish, sleepy hours before sunrise, and so, despite the architectural perfection, sleep never came for Ezra. Next to him, Adriatta also rested fitfully. Flashes of her red scales peeked through the sheets as she mumbled and groaned in her sleep, trying to hide from the light pouring into the room. They were used to the shaded palace of Kuroshio, where the outside glare never woke them until they were ready.


    Ezra didn¡¯t have to get up to hang another sheet over their curtains. He reached out with his long black appendages, layered the fabrics, then drew the bed curtains tightly closed, casting them both back into shadow.


    And then, the shadows spoke.


    ¡°Affection? How sweet,¡± Eris purred from the shadows all around him.


    ¡°I thought devils liked when mortals have motives to protect,¡± Ezra said diplomatically.


    Slowly, deliberately, he made a show of slipping away from Adriatta and out through the curtains. He waited until her breathing slowed to address Eris again.


    ¡°Who would make deals with you if not for personal interest?¡±


    The shade beneath the bed sighed¡ªa harsh, guttural sound that rippled through every shadow in the room¡ªbeneath the vanities and wardrobe, from under doors and inside the keyholes, and from beneath the tiny chips in his wife¡¯s favorite old paintings on the walls. It was a sound that slithered up his dark limbs and through his spine.


    ¡°It confuses me,¡± the shade beneath a service stool complained, ¡°that beings of such a short lifespan can hold so¡­profound an attachment to anything.¡±


    Ezra sailed over to the chaise-lounge and made a show of biting into a ripe samphire from the fruit bowl there.


    ¡°Yes, I imagine it does,¡± he said languidly, outwardly unruffled, he wanted Eris¡¯ attention as far from his queen as possible. ¡°However, if you could enjoy those sentiments on your own, would you ever make deals with mortals?¡±


    ¡°Mortal sentiment is not what I bargain for, little king.¡±


    ¡°Then I take it you¡¯re not here to discuss my wife,¡± he said, chewing slowly, as though eating samphire and sea grapes with a devil from the depths were no different than any other negotiation¡ªas though her increased visits of late didn¡¯t set his teeth on edge.


    Fortunately, Eris didn¡¯t linger on the distraction. The shadows around the wall hangings seethed as she pounced on the proffered topic.


    ¡°I am here to discuss your high king,¡± she whispered, rattling the shade beneath his seat. ¡°And why is he not dead, Ezra?¡±


    Ezra reached for a handful of sea grapes, but didn¡¯t eat them. He pulled them apart from the stems one by one, letting them fall back into their bowl.


    ¡°Titus is not dead because you need him alive¡­ though I cannot fathom why,¡± Ezra responded, the samphire turning sour in his throat.


    ¡°Precisely so,¡¯ she whispered. ¡°Then why is it that his tinctures this morning were poisoned?¡±


    He heard the threat. The suspicion.


    Instead of defending himself, he sighed, dropping his handful of fruit, and stretching his tentacles over the shade where she hid. It hadn¡¯t been him to make the attempt on Titus¡ªthis time¡ªbut he knew there was no love lost between the high king and Eris.


    So why was she upset about a routine assassination attempt?


    Instead of defending himself, he chose to be intentionally vague.


    ¡°Occupational hazards exist in every profession, Eris. The merman is a king, after all. Did you not try to kill me just last decade? Water under the bridge, as they say.¡±


    The scratching of claws grated beneath the vanity. Three long gashes appeared beneath the vanity, running through the fibers of the kelp-strand rug. The ripping rent the water close to one of his tentacles, sending a shudder up the limb.


    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy, little king. You tried to have him killed. Do it again, and I may have to pay closer attention to your mortal sentiments.¡±


    Eris¡¯ words slipped away from the vanity, creeping closer through the shadows beneath the bed where Adriatta still slept. He curled his tentacles around the base of the chaise-lounge. The frame of the heavy oak furniture splintered under the pressure.


    When he had signed their original contract, Ezra believed that he and Eris¡¯ aims aligned. Ezra wanted the princesses married and out of the palace¡ªfar away from where they could make any claims on the throne. Adriatta could have her rightful place, instead of his backwater kingdom where a species never meant to live in groups was forced into the tiny Kuroshio borders¡ªa kingdom where infighting and territorial disputes threatened his people more than famine.


    Eris wanted the king gone, and didn¡¯t seem to care who or what took his place¡­but that was then. It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Has something changed, Eris?¡±


    ¡°The princesses need to be out of the palace before anything happens to Titus, Ezra,¡± Eris spat. ¡°I want him weak. I want him vulnerable. I want him desperate. Neither of those matter if he is dead. We had a deal, Ezra. The princesses are still here and unwed. Why is it taking so long?¡±


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    ¡°Three days is actually quite fast for mortals to throw a ball.¡±


    ¡°A revelry?¡±


    ¡°This ball is a crucial step. Mortals rarely wed without proper persuasion and fanfare.¡±


    ¡°I tire of mortals,¡± Eris hissed, though the tone made Ezra wonder if he was meant to hear. He continued as though he hadn¡¯t¡±


    ¡°The king is already persuaded. Let the royals play out their farce. Let the princesses feel they have a choice. Some things are more guaranteed if the princesses don¡¯t get flighty fins.¡±


    Eris scoffed. ¡°You are threatened by the little seamaids?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like complications. Do you?¡± he rebutted.


    ¡°The time limit on our deal grows short,¡± she snapped. ¡°And I grow impatient.¡±


    Ezra gracefully and wilfully refused to roll his eyes.


    ¡°The next few days will hold the arrivals of the princes, their enteurages, and whatever disma courting they choose to inflict on the princesses. There will be fanfare and bluster, but ultimately, the course is already decided. Two weeks, Eris. Perhaps one. Hardly a moment to someone of your lifespan, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°You guarantee?¡± There was skepticism in the way the fading dark teint behind the wardrobe writhed.


    Ezra held up the shadow-melded pendant that he had bargained from Eris in their deal. Of the many chains and cords that King Ezra kept as part of his regalia, it was by far the most valuable. The plain crystal was unassuming at first glance, but the longer one looked, the more the clouded shadow shifted in its dull interior. With it, Ezra had forced his unruly subjects to accept order during his rule. He had wiped away the worst of his prisoners¡¯ memories of violence and rebellion. He had turned his greatest offenders into empty shells¡ªpawns for his use. Most importantly, he had used it to keep his people alive. Now, he would use it at court. He could hypnotize and control whomever he needed¡ªand the price?


    The price would be his to pay only if he failed.


    ¡°As long as this works as promised, the result is indeed, guaranteed. Be patient a little longer,¡± he urged.


    The water in the room seemed to wobble around him. The shadows stirred and flickered, and then with a stillness like a sigh, the shades returned to their natural positions, and the eerie tension in the room began to fade. Ezra waited a heartbeat. And then another dozen while the sea devil made up her mind


    ¡°Have your ball, Ezra,¡± Eris breathed at last. ¡°Parade through your mortal traditions¡ªbut do it before Titus loses what he has left of his good sense. I cannot afford, as you say, complications.¡±


    Each syllable grew fainter as Eris spoke, until at last, her final hissing ¡®s¡¯ hung in the quarters in lieu of her farewell.


    Ezra rose from the chaise, fingers gripping at the shadow pendant around his neck.


    He blew a stream of bubbles, letting his head hang back as the tension left him. He returned to the bed, parting the curtain on the more shaded side of the room.


    ¡°Twelve years, and you think I don¡¯t know when you¡¯re really asleep, Adriatta?¡± Ezra inquired smoothly.


    To her credit, Adriatta didn¡¯t fight the pretense. Instead, she opened her large blue eyes without a hint of sleepiness or bleariness, and not for the first time, he had the impression that she was staring into his soul. He fought the urge to look away as she pushed herself to sit in the black gossamer sheets, her red scales flashing like a warning.


    ¡°You knew¡­ then you wanted me to know what that thing said?¡± she said quietly.


    He said nothing, instead taking the risk of climbing back onto the blankets with her.


    ¡°Would it not be easier to keep me in the dark than tell me the truth and risk me running off?¡± she asked evenly¡ªfar too evenly. There was no levity. She was angry; that was sure, but she was still deciding how angry to be. He almost smiled.


    ¡°You are my queen. And you¡¯re a crafty little slink. What in the depths makes you think I could keep this from you?¡±


    Her mouth twitched downward. ¡°You kept me from leaving the palace yesterday. You thought it would find me?¡±


    And then, she asked a more dangerous question.


    ¡°It was you who kept me from leaving, yes?¡±


    He didn¡¯t lie.


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°How? Why is my memory of that day shadowed? ¡±


    He held up the pendant. ¡°I made a deal.¡±


    Adriatta didn¡¯t need an explanation. She¡¯d lived in his kingdom long enough to know what a deal with a sea devil meant.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to ask me?¡± she demanded, still quiet, but the emotion boiled closer to the surface.


    You would have said ¡®no,¡¯ he knew. You never would have taken the risk.


    However, Ezra, having a modicum of self-preservation, did not say those thoughts aloud.


    ¡°Foreign entities are coming to the kingdom, my queen. We have no other defense.¡±


    ¡°We have me,¡± she argued hotly. ¡°There was a reason you could never get your defenses through the bermuda barrier, if you recall.¡±


    He barked a laugh, running a hand through his already sleep-mussed hair.


    ¡°I will never forget,¡± he said fondly. ¡°And I will never put you on the front line, as your father did.¡±


    Her anger finally boiled through.


    ¡°Is that what this is?¡± she snapped, pushing herself on her tail to hover over him. The currents around their bed curtains trembled as she lost control of her voice. ¡°Petty revenge? After all these years, all this time, I thought you¡¯d come to terms with the past, Ezra, but this? Deals with a devil? Trying to kill my father? Getting rid of my sisters? I should eviscerate you where you are! I should¡ªwhere is my knife, Ezra! Where is it?¡±


    Ezra caught her hands where they scrambled under her pillow for the blade he¡¯d gifted her.


    ¡°This one?¡± he asked, pulling her on top of him. One black tentacle dangled the obsidian knife next to his head. She snatched at it and missed, bringing her crashing down into his arms, where he held her fast.


    She thrashed, and made another grab for the blade, but he held her fast, limbs curling around her tail. She knew him well enough to know that it was futile, and he knew her well enough to know she would try anyway, until she¡¯d tired them both. But today, she calmed faster, wriggling until she was eye-level with him once more.


    ¡°What are you doing, Ezra. How much of this was a lie, and whom are you lying to?¡± She demanded the answer like the queen she was, and just like every other day in their own palace, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at her.


    ¡°I know what it seems, Adriatta,¡± he breathed, inches from her mouth. ¡°But believe me, I am not trying to hurt your family. I am trying to save it.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Her accusations hurt, but it was deserved pain. He¡¯d hoped that after so long, that she could trust him, much as he realized how unfounded that hope was.


    ¡°Then if I fail, you may eviscerate me to your heart¡¯s content,¡± he promised, running a hand through the hair floating at her waist. ¡°For now, rest. Sleep, my queen, and forget what happened this morning¡­we have a ball to attend tonight.¡±


    ¡°I will find out, Ezra,¡± she hissed, fins rising angrily along her spine. ¡°You can¡¯t keep these memories from me forever.¡±


    Ezra swallowed.


    ¡°I know,¡± he replied hoarsely.


    He sealed the order with a tap of his pendant, and, with a guilt that threatened to swallow him whole, Adriatta¡¯s bright blue eyes faded into shadow for the second time in as many days. The memories of everything she¡¯d overheard, of his promise, of his explanation, shrouded themselves from view.

 Chapter 8: Kai

    Chapter 8


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Kai</h2>


    ¡°Cirrina!¡± Kai bellowed when, panting, he burst through the tangled kelp at the back of the cavern¡¯s throat. ¡°Cirrina, stop your filthy imbibing and get out of that room!¡±


    There was a muffled slamming sound, and what sounded suspiciously like a bottle shattering against the door as Cirrina slithered out of her hole. But if there was one thing that Cirrina loved more than drinking alone, it was the prospect of a fight. She billowed over the railing of her quarters¡¯ balcony and descended into the brewery like a tentacled cloud of malice.


    ¡°It has been some time since you¡¯ve dared talk to me like that, boy. Gone for days, and come back thinking you own the place! I should take your entrails for¡ªmy¡ªwhat have we here?¡±


    The creative use of his entrails was interrupted when Cirrina saw the bundle of pale skin and patchy, bleeding limbs in Kai¡¯s arms.


    The way Cirrina looked over Krill¡¯s limp form was probably supposed to be her look of motherly concern, but through her fermented brine-touched eyes only managed to look as though she¡¯d just found something rotted in her cupboard. All of those beauty potions she¡¯d imbibed were already wasting under the effects of the horrific absinthe she so loved. She¡¯d been celebrating for some time now.


    Though her vision was clearly clouded by the pink that edged her pupils, Cirrina wasn¡¯t so blind that she couldn¡¯t see what Kai had. An obvious attack. And Krill, a member of their little enclave, a member of Cirrina¡¯s business, was dying.


    Instead of snapping-to, as Krill or Kai would have, Cirrina floated lazily over the body, the picture of unconcern.


    Kai growled. ¡°Heal him.¡±


    ¡°Testy,¡± she chuckled drunkenly.


    Kai could practically feel the seconds of Krill¡¯s life slipping through his hands.


    ¡°Now!¡± he yelled, trying to keep the desperation from driving him to do something drastic¡ªlike throttling his mistress. ¡°If you don¡¯t save him, you¡¯ll have lost your errand boy, and you won¡¯t see a profit like today for the next century.¡±


    Cirrina put a hand to her head at his noise. Tapping a finger to her temple, and looking distinctly annoyed, she swirled over the cauldrons to reach for something in the cupboards. Kai nearly bit a hole in his lip when he saw her reach for the bottles of hangover cure, instead of the healing ingredients. Though Kai could mend and even regrow his own tentacles, he had no idea how to fix wounds of this severity. That was the sort of information that a potion-master like Cirrina kept closely guarded in order to keep her charges on a leash. He needed her.


    ¡°Oh, do stop shouting,¡± Cirrina chided, taking a deeper swig from one of the crystals than necessary. ¡°He needs a flesh-mender, a blood thickener, and a week of sleep, and he¡¯ll be better than new. Whoever did this clearly doesn¡¯t know how to kill cecaelia. Imbeciles. Probably got him caught in a squid-hunt or something equally frivolous.¡±


    Cirrina waded through the room to Krill¡¯s body, and Kai could see the moment that she saw what he did. Taking in the broken orange spearhead now leaking blue copper poison into the wound, she hissed angrily.


    ¡°Not so frivolous, then¡­¡± she snarled, raking one curved hand over her rubbery black waist.


    Kai winced when she reached down and ripped the hook from Krill¡¯s side. Krill gave a small shudder as a fresh spurt of poisoned blood floated up from his side. Once the weapon was free, Kai realized that he didn¡¯t just know where the weapon was from, but he knew exactly who was responsible.


    ¡°The eel,¡± he whispered.


    Cirrina hurled herself back to the cabinet and while examining the spearhead, began throwing detoxifying ingredients into the cauldron.


    ¡°That arrogant little snake,¡± she snarled under her breath, dumping half the contents of the cabinet on the floor. ¡°Cheating me of my errand boy once he¡¯s used us for his own gains¡­Where are the crab entrails? WHERE!?¡±


    Laying Krill inside a patients¡¯ shell, Kai retrieved the missing entrails from a pile of vials Cirrina had tossed to the floor.


    ¡°Just tell me what I have to find,¡± he said¡ªanything to keep his murderous urges in check. Krill didn¡¯t have time for that.


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    ¡°Limpet feet. Selkie fur. And, do I use the gigas pearls? They¡¯re expensive¡­¡±


    Before she could make up her mind about whether Krill was worth the ingredient cost, Kai had thrown them all into the cauldron. He stirred as Cirrina did the actual magical legwork, and when the chanting began, hoped that she hadn¡¯t drunk so much brine that her power was tainted. When the lumpy mixture of guts and powders began to glow a pure blue, however, he admitted to himself that even at her worst, Cirrina was a master of her craft.


    At last, she waded over to Krill, and poured the mixture, still sizzling, into the biggest gash in his middle.


    Krill¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t a conscious one. Every muscle seized. His little body bent impossibly far back and he writhed as Cirrina visited each hole, scratch, and bloody smear on his body. Kai hardly noticed his own tentacles clench and unclench as he watched. Krill was deeply unconscious, and even the pain couldn¡¯t bring him fully back. It was eerie to watch him thrash, all the while without making a single sound.


    Once the blue potion ran out, Cirrina produced a bottle of brown sludge that bubbled and oozed around its container. Even Kai wanted to gag as she poured it down Krill¡¯s throat. That potion looked alive. Alive and menacing.


    When the potion hit the back of Krill¡¯s mouth, there was a horrifying gurgling sound, as though the potion didn¡¯t want to be swallowed. Krill stopped breathing. Kai actively resisted rushing forward and tipping Krill upside down to clear the stuff out, but Cirrina only tutted at it. With a twist of her curved fingers, she did something with her magic that Kai couldn¡¯t see. A few gut-wrenching heartbeats passed; the potion went down, and Krill breathed again.


    All at once, the poisoned flesh started to pull together on its own. Krill didn¡¯t wake, but slowly, a healthy lilac tint returned to his cheeks, and the sticky black and red oozing from his side slowed.


    ¡°Now all that¡¯s left to do is wait!¡± Cirrina said with a satisfied sigh. The anger and use of expensive ingredients seemed to have sobered her somewhat, but there was still a tinge of pink clouding her irises.


    ¡°You know who did this to him,¡± said Kai, bringing her attention back to the source of this trouble before she could forget, or worse, turn on him.


    Though it was hard to forget a customer as arrogant as the orange eel the day before, Kai ultimately knew nothing about him, and it would be difficult to find a single merman with that description alone. For once, he wanted to get to him before Cirrina did.


    ¡°That slimy little prince! I should have his tail for potions!¡± Cirrina snarleid. Rage was one emotion that always came easily for her. ¡°King Ezra recommended him personally, so I thought that at least he knew when not to cross a cecaelia¡­evidently not. I¡¯d have that boy on a hook if he weren¡¯t under Titus¡¯ eye right now. Who knows, maybe his princess will spurn him before he manages to use that potion, and I¡¯ll deal with him quietly.¡±


    The possibility of vengeance put a dull light in her briny gaze, and Kai¡¯s eyes narrowed at her.


    As his faculties returned to him through the murk of his earlier panic, he began putting together what she¡¯d said. Bits of information were coming clicking into place. Aya¡¯s odd behavior. The empty kelp beds. The unreasonable excitement over just another royal ball.


    The love potion we gave the eel yesterday. It¡¯s intended for one of the princesses?¡±


    ¡°A princess, a mistress, does it really matter?¡± Cirrina huffed. ¡°With Titus¡¯s protection, he¡¯ll get away with this like the little whelk he is¡±


    ¡°Which princess?¡± Kai asked, but with a sinking feeling in his gut, but, the conversation he¡¯d heard in the kelp farm flooded back through his thoughts as the final coup de grace.


    In place of an answer, Cirrina only raised one of her mottled greenish brows at him. She knew, and she expected him to, as well.


    Aya¡¯s anxiousness. She was getting married, and unaware, was going to be stripped of her choice before she had a chance to get to know her future ¡®suitor.¡¯ With a horrible pang of guilt, he realized that he¡¯d made the eel the potion to do it¡ªwithout question. He had brewed the new bit of dark magic to technical perfection¡ªincluding the solution that would make it last through the eclipse. If anything, the eclipse would make things stronger. Aya could be stripped of herself completely.


    ¡°Agh!¡± he cried aloud.


    While he didn¡¯t usually have the power to interfere with Cirrina¡¯s personal work, he tried his best to make sure that deserving clients didn¡¯t get tied into horrible contracts, or that they at least felt as though there were other options. When he was younger, he¡¯d had to turn a blind eye to some of her darker endeavors, but as his skills grew, he knew how to sabotage the worst of the potions she made. However, with the Eel, he hadn¡¯t. Now, Aya, his friend against all odds, was slotted to pick up the tab for his error. Kind Aya, who helped him in more ways than she knew, keeping Krill out of trouble, keeping himself from some of his jaded fatigue, and guarding his existence from becoming too dark with the way she saw the world.


    His decision was made before the fullness of the consequences could play themselves out for him.


    ¡°I can get into the palace. If I¡¯m caught, I¡¯ll deny any connection with you. You¡¯ll be safe from Titus,¡± he said quietly, reaching for the bag of basic potions he kept near the door and fastening it to his waist. Making an effort not to bend them, he moved the invitations to the palace ball where they wouldn¡¯t fall out or get further wrinkled. From one of the cupboards, he pulled out his merchant¡¯s vest. It wasn¡¯t anywhere near the sort of finery that would be at the ball, but it was clothing, and it was ink-dyed, which would help his camouflage¡ªor lack thereof¡ªwhen he needed it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean to say you¡¯re going after the snake?¡± A nastily amused crawled its way over Cirrina¡¯s lips. ¡°Is that for justice for your dear family?¡± She put a hand on her chest, as though proud of his anger. ¡°...or is it for your princess?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him die.¡± His blood fizzled uncomfortably, as giving Cirrina an order was very close to a breach of his blood contract with her. If he got any worse, he might forfeit his life¡ªor his soul, depending on how Cirrina felt at the time, and he didn¡¯t want to give her any time to either realize that, or give him an order to stay.


    Fisting a hand around the pouch at his waist, he bulleted out of the cavern and toward the palace, praying to Poseidon that he wasn¡¯t already too late.

 Chapter 9: Aya

    Chapter 9


    <h2>Aya</h2>


    ¡°Another glass of brine, Princess Aya?¡± asked a kuo-toa servant from somewhere near Aya¡¯s tailfin. He approached from the side of the balcony balancing a tray laden with glasses of all colors and sizes.


    The still-full cup of brine-gel in her hand forgotten, she tore her eyes gaze from the ballroom floor below, surprised to see it still there. Careful not to spill it on the long red skirts of her cotehardie that she suspected had only been chosen to hide the blue on her fins, she handed the vessel to the Kuo-toa with a polite shake of her head.


    ¡°No, thank you. I¡¯ve only just finished,¡± she said, not noticing when she missed the tray with the cup. The kuo-toa tutted softly as he caught the falling glassware, and swam off the balcony and down into the ballroom, proper, to serve more attentive mer-folk.


    Guests had been pouring into the palace for several hours now, although the foreign dignitaries hadn¡¯t yet arrived. Aya¡¯s sheltered view of the ballroom was hidden behind a curtain on one of the dozens of upper balconies that surrounded the architectural masterpiece of a ballroom. Unconsciously, she fidgeted with the droopy fabric on her sleeve, growing nervous. The hours of the ball ticking by felt like days as she searched for any hint of white hair and high cheekbones.


    Citizens of every rank mixed and flowed throughout the room below on every level, the most flamboyantly dressed posturing high above the floor, and others staying low, where lavish foods were laid ready. Amidst the crowds, and noise, and gossip, her own guest wouldn¡¯t want to be seen, and that was only making her search harder.


    Every few minutes the kuo-toa offered her drinks that she didn¡¯t need. Her sisters, the only ones likely to help, were nowhere in sight. Now as she struggled to see past the crowds, the grandeur of the palace ballroom was beginning to pull at her attention as well.


    The room¡¯s towering walls stretched upward from the ocean floor, adorned with patterns made from thousands of softly-glowing pearls. Sparkling lights above and below gave the room a sense of verticality that drew guests in a multi-dimensional social dance throughout the space.


    A transparent air dome at the top of the ballroom allowed visitors to enjoy warm above-water cooking. Where most cooked foods were made with underwater boilers, vents, or alchemical processes, the simple fire-cooked food of the above was enough to tempt the pickiest eaters. Kuo-toa, one of the rarer amphibious species, gathered in the air dome around an elevated cooking station. Likely with the help of the kingdom mages, they conjured flames through a mix of magic and alchemical processes, crafting fires that burned without extinguishing in the limited air space. With an efficiency that would have made any chamberlain proud, they turned out servings almost as fast as they were eaten.


    Beneath the frenzy of cooking, graceful nereids performed distracting dances before the Table of Kings¡ªa table that was currently empty. Indentured asteroidea had been left in seats to the left and right of King Titus¡¯ throne to mark the places of royal guests. Smaller pedestaled shell seats, decorated with the shed scales of the princesses¡¯, awaited Aya and her sisters¡¯ formal presentation. The only place that still remained completely empty was the place set for the Angler King Cetus of the Depths. Neither an entourage nor even a response had yet arrived from his ambassadors, and Sephina, though miffed at the lack of purpose she would have that evening, didn¡¯t seem as disappointed as duty demanded to be delaying her suit.


    King Cetus wasn¡¯t the only one who hadn¡¯t arrived for his summons to the palace. The last two days, Princess Seline had spent being courted by the entourage from the Arctic. She¡¯d been trussed into a myriad of dresses, and sent on garden and city tours with their ambassadors and king, where they showered her with more magically-stabilized ice-jewelry than she could wear in a lifetime. A similar schedule had been prepared for Aya and the Crown Prince of the Eels, and for Sephina and King Cetus, however, when the time came to call, both were missing.


    Marlin had been assured by messengers that when the time came for the introductory ball, that the ¡®real¡¯ processes would begin, but after two days, Aya was beginning to nurse a secret hope that neither of them would ever arrive.


    Now, every time Aya caught the flash of black clothing on a guest, or a flaring tentacle from one of  King Ezra¡¯s personal guard, her heart leapt; however, the opening dinner had already been served, and the announcements made, and Kai was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°He might still come.¡±


    Aya jumped. Marlin¡¯s quiet approach over the din of conversation thrumming through the ballroom couldn¡¯t have been more gentle, but it startled her all the same.


    ¡°You should be with your sisters, it¡¯s almost time,¡± he reminded softly.


    Aya blew a stream of frustrated bubbles out through her nose in a way that would have her etiquette instructors comparing her to things like sulfur vents and blowfish, and other unladylike things.


    ¡°He¡¯s¡ªthey¡¯re not coming, Marlin! And even if they did, it would still only be to say goodbye. I¡¯m starting to think it¡¯s better this way. I¡¯m not sure if I want Kai here when the Eel prince starts making advances. What was I even thinking? I think I¡¯d rather¡ªI don¡¯t know¡ªpretend I can always go back to my friends on the reef, instead of¡­of whatever this is going to be.¡±


    ¡°I doubt anyone can stop you from returning, Princess,¡± Marlin replied in the sort of infuriating fatherly tone that couldn¡¯t be argued with. ¡°Even so, nothing is final, yet. There is time to negotiate. To arrange other options. You have always been your father¡¯s favorite, even if he¡­has unusual ways of showing it.¡±


    Aya snorted, wrapping her arms around her middle. ¡°Very unusual.¡±


    ¡°Introducing the Princesses Seline, Sephina and Ayalina, daughters of High King Titus¡­¡±


    As the blowfish announced their many titles to the room, Marlin urged her away from the balcony with an insistent flipper.


    ¡°Hurry down, Princess. I won¡¯t be able to help you if you miss your own introduction.¡±


    Aya didn¡¯t need telling twice. Bolting down to the corridor behind the throne, she smiled apologetically at her sisters¡¯ silent stares before, like them, she plastered a calm and regal look on her face, and took her place at the Table of King¡¯s.


    ¡°The daughters of the High King!¡± The blowfish bowed along with everyone else in the ballroom as they sat, and nodded to the crowds.


    Seline and Sepphina always made it look easy to perch in their halves of a jeweled clam and wave, but Aya was having trouble perching, and keeping her blue fins covered. The last thing she wanted was for the whole of Atlantis to know she still had hatchling coloring.


    Since the beginning of introductions, the rest of her sisters and their husbands had joined the table, and even amidst her nervousness, Aya relished seeing how many of her sisters had come to the palace at once.


    Queen Adriatta now shared her throne with King Ezra to the direct left of their father. On Aya¡¯s other side sat Queen Nina with the Unagi King of the Yellow Sea. Then there was Queen Corinne with her new husband, King Ketea of the Indian ocean, and Queen Arianna with King Vodyanoi of the Black Sea. She longed to hear how their lives had changed in their new homes, although she knew she likely wouldn¡¯t get much time alone with her sisters with Marlins scheduling. She made eye contact with each one, hoping they understood how happy she was to see them, brief though it would be.


    Two of her sisters were missing, Rina of the Merrow, and Rosalinde of the Caribbean Sea were missing, each caught up in the troubles of their kingdoms enough to have stayed away. Aya frowned. If Rina and Rosalinde had been here, at least they¡¯d have taken some of the attention away from herself.


    Too soon and not soon enough, the applause had hardly died down when the blowfish continued, turning the attention away from Aya.


    ¡°The Selkie King Fain of the Arctic Sea!¡± the blowfish announced.


    Seated next to their father, the princesses had the pleasure of watching the foreign entourages make an entrance¡ªand what a display it turned out to be.


    King Fain, a middle-aged, white-tailed selkie with broad shoulders draped in seal-skins entered through the main doors. He wore a simple crown of enchanted ice, and his face, though sun-streaked in a way that made him look older than he was, was pleasant enough. The ballroom guests gasped in delight when he was flanked by a flock of penguins, zooming out and tracing designs in bubbles around the rest of his entourage¡ªa stern-faced otters, each bearing a clamshell dish overflowing with ice-jewels that tumbled into onlookers¡¯ open hands.


    Aya gasped along with the rest. This king certainly knew how to get into the good graces of a crowd.


    ¡°High King Titus,¡± Fain greeted with a bow to her Father, ¡°Gentlemen¡­Princess.¡± He nodded to Seline with just as much reverence as he¡¯d shown their father. His cold, blue eyes locked with Seline¡¯s as he rose, and Aya smiled when her sister¡¯s cheeks went very pink.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed in her rush, but Seline already wore several of the gifts she¡¯d received from the Arctic. Her wrists dazzled with white ice gems, and her skirts had been sewn with dozens of blue ones. The effect was lovely, and certainly not unnoticed by Fain.


    ¡°Welcome, Fain!¡± Titus boomed from his throne, more warmly than Fain had. ¡°Sit down, sit down! It¡¯s been years!¡±


    ¡°Time moves a little differently in the north, my king,¡± Fain said unapologetically, the tines on his crown looking a little sharper as he spoke. ¡°The care of the Arctic seas is complex since the Gyre shifted the shoals away from our territories.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t be too dire, Fain!¡± King Ketea snickered. ¡°That entourage looks plumper than my guppy nursery!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you, thank you!¡± chimed a chorus of the penguins flying about King Fain¡¯s head. Fain dismissed them with a wave, not dignifying Ketea with a response, which earned him a round of disappointed ¡®oooh¡¯s¡¯ from the princesses when the penguins disappeared up to the upper air-dome to investigate the smells of dinner. Silently, Fain followed Titus¡¯s suggestion, and took his seat next to a very pink Sirena.


    ¡°The entourage of Angler King Cetus of the Depths!¡± the blowfish shouted an honorary announcement.


    There were gasps and curious whispers as heads turned toward the entry door, but it was no king who entered. The representative of the depths arrived without anything more than the obligatory fanfare, swimming stiffly and alone up to the thrones, although his unworldly presence alone was enough to keep the room¡¯s attention.


    His tail was unlike anything Aya had ever seen¡ªover fifteen feet long by her estimation, murky brown and black sinew formed an undulating black tail that ended in a point like a whip. His dorsal fins were torn as though he¡¯d spent most of his life swimming through craggy rocks. His upper torso, all wirey muscle, and angles, was ghostly pale, and clad only in hundreds of strands of beads and teeth¡ªthough what had grown that shape of tooth, Aya didn¡¯t know. It was impossible to guess at the merman¡¯s age. With a jaw so rigidly set, it could probably crush bone, he might have been twenty or fifty years old. Eyes narrowed practically to slits, he approached the king.


    Every ear trained on the lone merman, and Aya doubted she was the only one who had never seen someone like this, before.


    ¡°I am Djeval, ambassador to King Cetus. I hope you will forgive the King¡¯s absence, I¡¯m afraid there weren¡¯t quite enough¡­means for his visit on such short notice.¡±


    Djevel punctuated his greeting with a swig from a hip flask of what looked like spoiled tar. Sephina turned her eyes away politely, but Aya could see her shudder. Creatures from the depths needed special potions to change pressure when they traveled, but wherever they went, they always looked¡­otherworldly. The potions required for the pressure-changes they underwent were notoriously rare¡ªhence, why so few of the citizens of the depths visited Atlantis¡ªthat, and no matter who she asked, no one could tell her where the kingdom of the depths actually was. This begged the question likely on the tip of every whisper in the room¡ªhow had the high king summoned him here?


    Below the table, something brushed Aya¡¯s tail, and she looked down to find Sephina handing her a long, billowing sea fan. Grateful, Aya took it.


    Sephina hid her face from the stares behind her own fan. Face partially concealed, Aya leaned over to her sister.


    ¡°You alright?¡± she mouthed.


    Sephina didn¡¯t move, as though caught between a head shake and a nod. Aya knew how she felt, suddenly regretting not spending more time with her sister in the last two days. Eventually, Sephina¡¯s head dipped, just a fraction, and Aya fluttered the fan to show that she understood. Sephina would make it through this dinner, and when they were done, she was going to take the time to properly hear her out. After all, the Angler King Cetus¡¯ absence, and lack of evident interest could only give her hope. That¡¯s what this meant, right?


    ¡°What, not enough potion? Even for their king?¡± Ketea scoffed half-heartedly, and not quietly enough, as Ambassador Djeval took his seat next to Sephina. There would be no more communication between them, for now.


    ¡°It is not wise to mock deep-dwellers,¡± scolded Vodyannoi quietly enough that Titus wouldn¡¯t hear. ¡°Even we have tales, Ketea.¡±


    It was unclear if Djeval heard them. Next to Sephina, he said nothing¡ªonly smiled.


    Looking at Djeval¡¯s¡­.everything, Aya wanted to ask Ketea if he really wanted the depths to have enough potion for large entourages to the surface. Luckily, before she could make herself an enemy in her sister¡¯s husband, the last of the guests was announced.


    ¡°Crown Prince Ellian of the Red Sea, representing his father, the former General Elias!¡±


    Prince Ellian¡¯s entourage exploded through the doors in a way that to Aya could only be described as impatience, although the answering ¡®ooh¡¯s¡¯ and ¡®aah¡¯s¡¯ from the rest of the guests spread over the floor were impressed.


    An escort of ten brightly-finned mer-guards spiraled into the room in perfect formation around Prince Ellian, whose eel¡¯s tail was an impressive display of orange and yellow scales. Each guard wielded an orange-painted harpoon, doubtless painted to match the prince¡¯s natural coloring. What made the group truly impressive, was the occasional orange and green snaps of electricity from the electric eels that curled around the spearheads. A particularly mean-looking cave-eel decorated Ellian¡¯s orange harpoon-head, and Aya wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed that it wasn¡¯t particularly happy to be there. The guests backed away from its snapping teeth as Ellian swam past. As he approached the throne, the bulk of the electric eels dismissed themselves and were heeled in by the guards.


    Not speech-gifted fish, then? Aya wondered.


    Then, she noticed that the biggest and meanest of the eels hadn¡¯t left the prince¡¯s side, and he was bringing it close to her. Cringing away from the thing, each of the queens and princesses tucked a little further into their husbands¡¯ protection. Even Sephina leaned instinctively toward Djevel when she caught sight of its snapping teeth.


    ¡°Kings and Princesses!¡± Ellian announced with an overly-wide smile when he¡¯d reached the foot of the thrones. ¡°And which of you would be Ayalina¡ª?¡±


    ¡°Prince Ellian, if you would, feel free to dismiss your¡­.people before addressing the High King,¡± Marlin guided near the foot of Titus¡¯ throne, as he pointedly regarded the eel.


    ¡°Who are you to addresss the princccce?¡± snarled the cave-eel as it stretched out its horrible green head.


    Aya couldn¡¯t help the sharp intake of breath. That eel was speech-gifted, and it sounded as nasty as it looked.


    Prince Ellian only chuckled, giving a flippant toss of his bright yellow hair and a portrait-worthy smile.


    ¡°Not to worry, not to worry! Happy to do so.¡± With a wave of his hand, the guards dispersed among the waiting guests, much to the delight of any single mermaids on the floor. ¡°Now, as I was saying, which of you lovely mermaids is the Prin¡ª


    ¡°Welcome to you and your men,¡± King Titus said officially, ¡°I trust your father is well?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªyes. High King,¡± the prince stammered, his face going orange.


    Aya reopened her fan, and tucked her face behind it like a shield against second-hand embarrassment. It was the closest thing she could do to dropping her forehead into her palm, and even then, she thought if she did, her father might excuse it for this. What kind of crown prince forgot to greet his host, when his host was the High King?


    The eel around his harpoon clacked its teeth menacingly at the king, and the prince at last seemed to recall some decorum.


    ¡°My father sends his greetings¡ªer¡ªregards, my king.¡± Prince Ellian dropped into another outrageous bow that nearly tipped off his gilded crown.


    ¡°And your birthmark? I thought your father was so proud of your royal markings.¡± Titus began to chortle. ¡°Not surprised he was exaggerating. Not to worry, not to worry. It shows a father¡¯s pride all the same.¡±


    Across from her seat, Aya had a full view of Ezra¡¯s disdainful sneer when he heard that bit of praise, but the look vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and no one seemed to notice, apart from Ellian¡ªthough that could have just been an embarrassed scowl.


    ¡°Well then, young Ellian, take your seat! Marlin! Music! Let this ball begin!¡±


    ¡°When you have dismissed your¡ªer¡ªcompany,¡± Marlin enunciated once more, before Ellian could take his seat. ¡°I will be happy to show you to the Princess Ayalina¡±


    With some of the bubbles taken out of his gills, Ellian dismissed the eel¡ªto the visible relief of nearly everyone there. Oddly, Djeval and Ezra seemed the only ones miffed to see it go. Aya suspected that Ellian was only willing to comply in order to get seated more quickly, which was another absurdity. She was the only princess left sitting alone.


    How could he have missed that?


    Somewhat deflated, and with Marlin¡¯s help Ellian did manage to find his seat¡ªthe only empty one left.


    Aya risked another glance at Selina and Sephina. Seline seemed entirely content, if a bit agitated, next to King Fain. All of Sepphina¡¯s nervousness had evaporated, however. She was now giving Aya a look of ultimate pity.


    Aya did her best not to look at Ellian, who was now shifting and posing himself in his seat for the benefit of the guests watching them.


    ¡°We welcome the seas to Atlantis!¡± The blowfish concluded the introductions to polite applause from citizens eager to return to the ball¡ªand to meeting the foreign guards.


    The music began again; a symphony of coral flute players and shimmering jellyfish harpists and drums. The lively melody beckoned the earlier arrivals¡ªalready fed and eager¡ªto the dance floor beneath the half-circle of throned seats. King Fain and Djeval were unfazed when the thrones began to rise toward the air dome where their own air-cooked dining table awaited, but Prince Ellian jumped and hissed when the seat below him began to move, too close to Aya¡¯s ear for comfort. The fingers on her hand closest to his seat tingled with an unpleasant shock as a vein on the side of Ellian¡¯s tail began to spark.


    It was only by the grace of years of forced etiquette that she didn¡¯t groan aloud. She could only hope that ¡®sparking¡¯ was something the prince would be able to control as he got older.


    Once the royal family was comfortably seated above-water, the kuo-toa set dishes of steamed halibut and roasted sea-lettuce and bladderwrack before them, to the obvious enthusiasm of any of the north-dwelling diners.


    ¡°This is a treat,¡± Djeval said appreciatively before following Titus¡¯ example and eating with relish. Then, to Aya¡¯s surprise, he quietly and politely started to speak with Sephina who, though she was clearly still disturbed by his one-too-many rows of teeth, visibly relaxed into whatever topic he¡¯d offered.


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Air-cooked food. Only in Atlantis,¡± King Fain made a salute of thanks toward Titus before eating.


    ¡°Well, not only in Atlantis,¡± Ellian bragged next to Aya as he made a show of stirring his steaming filet about his plate unappetizingly. ¡°My father has revolutionized the air domes in our kingdom. This meal would be a paltry appetizer in our kitchens.¡±


    ¡°This is the appetizer, highness,¡± said the kuo-toa serving him, bringing the next dish. ¡°Is it not to your liking?¡±


    Ellian flushed orange once more. ¡°And in my palace, the servants never speak unless spoken to.¡±


    The kuo-toa moved to set the next plate in front of Aya, and scurried away at the first opportunity. Aya could hardly blame him. As the courses passed her by plate by plate, she was ready to volunteer for a place in the kitchens all week if it would get her away from the table.


    Ellian peppered her with questions about the kingdom and palace functions, all of which she tried to answer before realizing he was really only making openings to talk about his own kingdom, which, though much smaller than Atlantis, seemed to be far more important in his eyes.


    ¡°¡ªin fact, we were on a squid hunt only this morning! What a season! We found some beauties in the wrecks, but of course it¡¯s still too early for a real hunt¡­¡±


    It was difficult to keep ahold of Ellian¡¯s stories, and Aya found herself scanning the ballroom hopelessly. She wanted to run from this conversation where every question was its own sinkhole. She wanted to feel as though her future wasn¡¯t circling some invisible drain. She wanted to be rescued. She wanted¡­ someone to trust. And suddenly she was desperate for even a glance from Kai. If he were here, then somehow, this would all turn into some marvelous joke. He did say he would try to come, and Kai¡¯s ¡®try¡¯ was better than most nobles¡¯ vows.


    Though she knew chances were still slim, she searched. The cecaelia present were given a wide berth by the other Atlantean citizens. He wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°¡ªof course, it wasn¡¯t a wasted trip,¡± Ellian was saying. ¡°So many gorgeous shipwrecks in this corner of the ocean, and we caught a cecaelian of all things near the border trying to sneak into the city. Of course we did the palace soldiers a favor and took care of the whelp¡ª¡±


    Aya snapped to attention. ¡°What did you say?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Really, Princess, you will have to learn to listen if you plan to rule with me,¡± he smiled condescendingly, taking the opportunity to brandish his spear in her face. She was cross eyed before she realized he was trying to show her a place where it had broken off.


    ¡°It really was a fun little hunt, even if I did lose a tip¡ª¡±


    Aya gasped. Kai and Krill weren¡¯t here, and Kai had said¡­ Kai had promised¡ª


    ¡°The cecaelia you mentioned. What did he look like?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing impressive,¡± he fixed her with a falsely humble sneer. ¡°Nothing as terrifying as the Architeuthis we¡¯ll see in the coming weeks once the currents bring in the males for season. Thought the boy was a squid at first. They do look so similar from a distance.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, you ¡®took care of him?¡¯¡± she asked, dreading the answer, and trying to keep her gills from hyperventilating. Although she didn¡¯t want any of her cecaelian friends who made their homes in the Atlantian reefs to be hurt, she guiltily knew she would feel better if Kai and Krill had shown up, and tried desperately to soothe herself with the thought that Ellian could never have beaten Kai¡­not fairly, at least.


    Ellian preened under the attention, and started off on some unimportant detail about how they¡¯d found the outer farms quite difficult for the hunt.


    She gulped, taking in just how many guards he¡¯d brought with him. ¡°You couldn¡¯t have killed a cecaelia,¡± she said hopefully. ¡°I¡¯ve seen one take on a giant squid on his own.¡±


    ¡°Of course I killed him,¡± Ellian scoffed, as though to him the life of one cecaelia was worth far less to him than the state of his harpoon. ¡°I never leave a task undone. It would be unprincely! And of course you didn¡¯t see one take on a squid,¡±


    She could feel her eyebrows rising as he continued.


    ¡°It was likely just a squid you thought you saw. They¡¯re in season soon! You do know about the creatures¡¯ seasons, don¡¯t you? It seems I¡¯ll have to teach you about more than just history.¡± At that, he winked at her lasciviously, and Aya had no doubt as to what kind of ¡®things¡¯ he thought she didn¡¯t understand.


    Any remnants of her appetite were long-gone. ¡°You said he was young? Short hair or long?¡± she demanded, realizing she wasn¡¯t going to get him to change his mind, but might at least give her some information.


    Ellian brushed off her comment with another flip of his wrist, more concerned with rewrapping the eel¡¯s body to hide the broken tip of his weapon, and the leering smile didn¡¯t leave his face even as he turned away from her to do so. ¡°Does it matter? They all look the same.¡±


    Aya felt sick. The pool of worry curled in her fins, and she could swear she could feel the blue creeping back up the length of them.


    ¡°No. No, they don¡¯t. And they are citizens of this kingdom,¡± she emphasized. ¡°And they don¡¯t sneak in. Many of them live on the reef¡¯s edge. Did you even ask for his papers?¡±


    Righteous anger was beginning to build in Aya¡¯s stomach.


    What would happen if I took that spear out of his hand and ran him through? Definitely no more marriage¡­ Aya considered the plan briefly before letting the thought pass. Harming the crown prince of a kingdom was tantamount to a declaration of war, and many more of her citizens would die if she let that happen. Ezra¡¯s warning flashed through her mind. Are you playing a long game? Emotion clouds judgment, he¡¯d said.  If she was going to be forced to be a ruler, then she wouldn¡¯t be a careless one, at least.


    ¡°After what the cecaelia have done to my people, I¡¯m happy to rid you of an interloper. They would never be allowed in the red sea, of course. Come with me to see it. Not a tentacle in sight. You¡¯ll never want to leave,¡± Ellian carried on, oblivious to her discomfort.


    ¡°I thought you were allies with King Ezra,¡± she interrupted, fighting the emotion that threatened to grip her tongue once more.


    ¡°Yes, well, royalty is royalty,¡± he sighed, as though that explained everything. ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll tell you the history of the Cecalian people and the war with this very kingdom! I promise you¡¯ll feel the same as I do when you¡¯ve learned more.¡±


    Her fins curled angrily under her skirts. ¡°I¡¯m quite familiar with my own kingdom¡¯s history,¡± she grumbled, but apparently not quietly enough.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Adriatta leaned toward them from across the table, flicking a wrist in a way that reminded her of her husband¡¯s tentacles. ¡°Perhaps, you two should dance. You can show us the style of the Eel Kingdom, and Princess Aya can tell you some interesting tidbits about the inner city. You wouldn¡¯t believe the things the royal family can tell you about the palace,¡± Adriatta, who to Aya¡¯s knowledge hadn¡¯t been paying much more attention to Ellian than she had, chimed in the moment Aya¡¯s tone had slipped into anything less than regal.


    Aya¡¯s lips tightened, and she willed her smile toward Adriatta to communicate future retribution.


    ¡®How could you?¡¯ it said.


    The way Ezra was pointedly ignoring Prince Ellian the Insufferable, Aya suspected that this was Adriatta¡¯s plan for getting Ellian away from the table¡ªprobably at the cost of Aya¡¯s own sanity.


    ¡°An excellent idea! I happen to be highly trained in all the latest styles!¡±


    Once more oblivious to the more subtle cues around him, Ellian rose from his seat and offered a hand to Aya.


    At least it¡¯s offered. He could have speared me and then dragged me onto the dance floor, she thought angrily.


    Aya would rather have eaten silt than take his hand, but with her sisters, uncle, and father¡¯s eyes on her, she didn¡¯t have the option to refuse. Casting a desperate glance at Marlin, who could do nothing more than shrug his flippers, she took his hand and let him pull her out of her presentation shell, and into the fray of dancers.


    To her horror, the lively drums and flutes of the initial dance died down nearly the moment they took the floor, and were replaced by a heart-rendingly romantic piece from the strings. Ellian fixed her with a soft, sickly sort of gaze that she knew all too well from the bottom-feeders Kai and Adin had done so well at keeping her away from in the slums. She shuddered as he pulled her too close, and yanked her around the floor in what he seemed to think was the ¡®latest style.¡¯ In the Eel Kingdom, it may have been, but in Atlantis, this sort of odd, slow jig hadn¡¯t been in fashion since Titus courted her mother. At every turn, they garnered more stares, which Ellian found deeply flattering, and made Aya want to hide. The only benefit of their positioning was that she could see nearly every face at the ball, though once more, Kai¡¯s wasn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°Oof!¡± Aya grunted when Ellian steered her right into another dancing pair of groupers. ¡°Do excuse me,¡± she apologized quickly.


    The groupers took things in stride, but Ellian once more turned haughty.


    ¡°You don¡¯t dance well, do you, Ayalina?¡±


    ¡°Princess Ayalina,¡± she corrected, taking both of them aback with her vehemence.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina,¡± Ellian rolled his eyes, ¡°I said, you don¡¯t dance well. It¡¯s alright to admit it. It¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be trained.¡±


    Aya wanted to scream. She danced very well, thank you very much. However, she didn¡¯t doubt by now that if a jellyfish had him in its stings and was in the act of eating Prince Ellian that he would take the opportunity to criticize its technique.


    ¡°How fortunate,¡± she bit out instead. ¡°For now, try steering me away from the other couples? I have the great hardship of living without eyes in the back of my head.¡±


    Ellian flicked his hair back and fixed her with a dazzling smile that was entirely wasted. He spun her around his orange tail and threw her into a dip that her back would be recovering from for weeks.


    ¡°Certainly!¡± he said, some of his princely flair returning. ¡°But do take care to do your part as well, darling.¡±


    Before she could protest at being called anything but ¡®Princess¡¯ by this royal cod, he¡¯d swung her in a mad spiral in the middle of the floor. She held onto his hand and shoulder in the name of self-preservation as he bobbled her around the dance space. They bonked rudely into other couples, until she was sure that the reason the collisions stopped was simply that no one else wanted to dance near them.


    At the end of the most torturous love song ever inflicted on two people, the music at last picked up its pace, and Aya might have liked staying to dance had she been with any other partner¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Prince Ellian, thank you for the dance, but I really have to¡ª¡± she tried to excuse herself.


    She would order one of the guards to dance with her if she had to, to spend a few songs away from Ellian, but he still had a hold on her wrists, and wasn¡¯t letting go.


    ¡°What? But this is the best piece yet!¡± Ellian cried, snapping his fingers horribly off-beat.


    ¡°Prince Ellian, thank you for the offer, but¡ª¡± Aya did her best to pull away, but he either didn¡¯t notice or didn¡¯t know how to take a soft no. That realization helped her resolve. ¡°Prince Ellian, I know we haven¡¯t known each other long¡ª¡±


    He interrupted again.


    ¡°Oh, I feel the same!¡±


    She blinked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Incontrafibularitily so!¡± At last, Ellian pulled her away from the dance floor, right through a disgruntled group of elegant, brine-sipping mer-grannies. They squawked and some made obscene gestures at the prince until they noticed how handsome he was, and the noise was replaced with uncomfortably silent stares.


    ¡°That definitely isn¡¯t what that word means¡ª¡± She shook her head, getting back to the point. ¡°Right. Feelings. Well, I suppose I wasn¡¯t exactly subtle.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t despair, Princess. You were plenty reserved! I am simply well versed in the art of.. Feminine subtlety.¡± There, he gave her another of those lascivious smiles, and any notion that she wouldn¡¯t have to be anything but cudgel-blunt with this prince vanished. ¡°But forgive me, I should let you continue. Tell me, what was it that made you fall for me? My legendary skill with the spear?¡±


    I bet that¡¯s what half the mermaids on your staff told you, she bit back. Cowards.


    ¡°You carry a harpoon,¡± she said, instead.


    ¡°The dancing? Being here in my arms¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sorry, not that,¡± she interjected. ¡°Listen, Ellian, I really¡ª¡±


    ¡°The thought of my marvelous kingdom? I suppose¡ª¡±


    ¡°I am not trying to rule.¡±


    ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t going to bring up my face, but what mermaid could resist¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve managed so far. Ellian¡ª¡±


    ¡°My hair? Who doesn¡¯t like a blond?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really not my¡ª¡± she paused there, a particular head of perfectly white hair coming into her mind. ¡°¡ªI suppose blond is a decent color,¡± she conceded.


    ¡°Ah-ha! ¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you at all, Prince Ellian.¡±


    He still hadn¡¯t let go of her, but was at least far backed away enough from the dancefloor not to hit anyone¡ªuntil he pushed her into a kuo-toa holding an entire tray of serving ware. She clattered into him, and apologized profusely.


    ¡°Now, princess, no need to apologize to the servants. Let¡¯s stay on topic, shall we? My looks and mannerisms have won over many a heart of¡ªa moment, did you say, ¡®not interested?¡¯¡±


    She could have cried. She was finally getting through to him.


    ¡° Did you mean to say ¡®not interested, because you are in fact ¡®captivated?¡¯ ¡®entranced?¡¯ ¡®eager?¡¯¡±


    Or not. Although she was impressed he knew so many words.


    With a frustrated flip of her tail, Aya yanked her hands out of his.


    ¡°Ellian, I am the worst match for you in the oceans. My closest friends and some of my family are cecaelian. I eat eel on the regular. And, I don¡¯t want to rule.¡±


    ¡°Why, that¡¯s just marvelous, darling!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t for the life of her understand why he looked so delighted.


    ¡°It is? Does that mean you¡¯ll help me end the engagement suit?¡±


    He was suddenly selectively deaf again. Heads were turning, and not just because of the noise. Apparently Ellian had garnered an unseemly attention from the room¡¯s mermaids. Maids young and old were watching them with different flavors of interest. The attention made her want to flee, but this was a battle that had to be fought.


    ¡°Of course not! Don¡¯t you see?¡± Ellian preened, as though puffing his chest anymore, and stroking various places on his armor would make her change her mind. The mermaids closest to them giggled, and she wanted to gag.


    ¡°What don¡¯t I see?¡± she asked, an ominous feeling settling in her fins.


    ¡°That we¡¯re a perfect match! You don¡¯t want to rule, I don¡¯t want to be ruled with. We can marry and you can do whatever you like in my lovely kingdom while I take care of all the heavy matters. As for the friends and family, you¡¯ll make new ones! That is what marriage is for.¡±


    He made a morbid kind of sense, and the dread only got worse. She clenched her fists.


    ¡°I hate indiscriminate hunters,¡± she tried to growl. The growl came out like a whisper, and Ellian leaned in to hear her, earning her even more unwanted attention from jealous onlookers.


    Take him! She wanted to scream. He¡¯s all yours!


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing if not discriminate!¡± Ellian beamed.


    That is true, a small part of Aya rued.


    Reading her hesitation poorly, Ellian beamed.


    ¡°You see! We¡¯re off to a grand start, already!¡±


    ¡°Ellian, what do you gain from an unwilling marriage? Why do you want this?¡±


    The prince leapt at the chance to talk about himself. Aya subtly swam them away from people until they were all the way up against a wall. At least there, they wouldn¡¯t be as well overheard.


    ¡°Marriage to a princess just suits a crown prince. I am the only crown prince. You are the only princess of age. It¡¯s destiny, I say!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± she asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Indeed! And, as I cannot rule until I am properly bonded, I feel that this is¡ª¡±


    She¡¯d heard enough.


    ¡°No.¡±


    She put as much vitriol and anger as she could into the word. Ezra had been right. This eel saw her as a pawn.


    She and Ellian stared at each other a few moments. The music in the background was still lively and mirthful, as though laughing at them, but it no longer mattered. Servants passed by, and the buzz of conversation, eating and drinking, and frivolity pricked her ears. Penguins and otters and eels darted in and out of her vision, but nothing pulled her focus from Ellian¡¯s open-mouthed floundering.


    ¡°No?¡± he spluttered at last. It was as though he was seeing her for the first time.


    She dropped her voice again, and glared.


    ¡°No. Politics can pressure me, and my father can rage, and your father can write his empty declarations of hostility, but nothing in this ocean can force me to write my name on a contract next to yours. I refuse your suit, Prince Ellian.¡±


    She folded her arms tightly against her chest, in case Ellian tried grabbing them and begging.


    The prince opened his mouth and closed it several times, until something subtle in his expression shifted. He resigned himself to something, and at last, straightened himself and dipped into a shallow bow.


    ¡°I understand, Princess Ayalina. There¡¯s nothing for it. This must be done.¡±


    She blew a stream of bubbles in relief. He understood. He was retracting the suit! She didn¡¯t think it would be nearly so easy.


    ¡°I won¡¯t try to persuade you any further, Princess,¡± he said, and her gills fluttered in relief. ¡°But¡­¡±


    She nearly groaned.


    ¡°¡ªBut I have come a long way to meet you, and if my suit is being denied, well then.¡± He offered her a hand. She didn¡¯t take it.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she responded in a smooth, measured tone.


    ¡°Princess, we¡¯ve nearly lost the sunlight from the upper dome, and before all we have is coral torches to see the room in, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to¡­to show you.¡±


    Ellian was fidgeting with a small parcel on his waist.


    A bribe?


    ¡°No, sorry,¡± she shook her head, swimming back a few feet. ¡°Like I said before, I really have to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he smiled, the horrible leer creeping over his expression once more. ¡°You do have to.¡±


    He swam forward and took her hand without waiting for her to accept his offer. If not for that, she would have bolted, but his hold didn¡¯t let her move another inch. She considered shouting for a guard, but what would she say to them? That her suitor wanted to give her a gift against her will? The scene that it would make alone would have her locked in her quarters until the wedding day, and she would never say goodbye to her cecaelian friends¡ªor be able to check if they were alright.


    ¡°Come now, Ayalina, this is efficiency! If you¡¯re not interested, I¡¯ll leave at first light, so at least let me give you my welcome gift before I go.¡±


    ¡°Prince Ellian, you¡¯re hurting me. I¡¯m sure you could show me this¡­thing tomorrow.¡±


    Ellian scoffed. ¡°What and have every moment chaperoned by that old turtle? I think not, Princess.¡±


    With that, Ellian yanked her toward one of the alcoves at the side of the ballroom.


    Aya looked around frantically, trying to catch the eye of someone she knew, but not only did she not see any of her friends among the guests, but the mermaids watching her actually looked jealous.


    I¡¯ll trade places with any of you! She wanted to scream.


    There was a barrage of giggles from a group of young noble mermaids collected around the base of one of the ballroom¡¯s columns as they passed. Ellian even smiled and tossed them a wink before swimming right by.


    At first, she thought he was going to pull her out onto one of the curtained balconies¡ªall of which had guards posted by the windows. To her horror, she quickly realized that it wasn¡¯t an alcove that he had in mind. With a tail much stronger than hers, he was pulling her down a corridor¡ªaway from the ballroom.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t proper!¡± she protested weakly. Was this some attempt at persuading her¡ªagain? ¡°If you¡¯re seen taking me away from the ball early, it isn¡¯t going to help your suit.¡±


    ¡°Ah, because you¡¯ve been so receptive to my suit, princess.¡± Ellian rolled his eyes. ¡°Come along.¡± He winked at her with the first sign of real understanding he¡¯d had since they¡¯d started speaking that evening, and it was a crying pity that this was the first of her that he really seemed to notice. ¡°I really do have something for you to see. Surely you don¡¯t want to hurt my feelings right before sending me off?¡±


    As he dragged her toward a curtained side corridor, she realized they were already far enough from the dance floor that if she called for a guard, none would hear her over the jaunty music.


    Aya made the mistake of laughing nervously, which he took to mean that she was finally willing to play along, and only pulled her harder and faster away¡ªaway from any help. To her relief, however, he did release her arm once they were far enough down the hall that the music allowed for a regular speaking volume, and instead of trying anything unpleasant, as she¡¯d fully been expecting, he pulled the purse from its place around his tail, and pulled a fragile-looking coral pendant from the material.


    The last of the light from the dying sun that filtered through the curtains in the vaulted corridor made the chain sparkle, and on the clasp sat a tiny carving of the Sunfish, her favorite constellation.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s really lovely,¡± Aya said honestly, glancing between Ellian and his gift. ¡°I¡¯ve always liked the Sunfish,¡± she offered again, when he didn¡¯t do much more than smile that infuriating smile.


    ¡°I thought you might,¡± said Ellian sweetly.


    He held out the necklace. When she didn¡¯t move to take it, his tail gave an irritated flick, but his grin only widened, and he swam round her back.


    ¡°Like me to fasten it for you? No need to ask, love, I am already well informed on what will make you happy,¡± he said suggestively.


    She rounded on him with a glare.


    ¡°What are you talking about, Prince Ellian?¡±


    Tail thrashing angrily beneath her, she put as much distance between them as she could manage before he caught her and forced her around again. He strangled the words from her as he forced the necklace onto her neck. The chain bit into her skin, cutting into her throat. She cried out. Droplets of blood formed where he snapped the chain shut.


    ¡°Still so formal,¡± he sighed around her struggles. ¡°And here I thought a little solitude would help you be less¡­ well, I suppose it isn¡¯t the worst thing to have you already respecting your betrothed. It¡¯s only a formality, all these tedious meetings they have planned, don¡¯t you see? These tours and luncheons and balls. Wouldn¡¯t you rather avoid them, too? After all, there are so many more exciting things we could do. We¡¯ll just announce our betrothal while the guests are here this evening and have done with it all.¡±


    Aya felt something inside of her snap.


    ¡°Let go!¡± She jerked in the prince¡¯s grip. ¡°I. Said. No! Unlike what you may think, you do not impress me, Prince. Like I said before, nothing in this ocean will force me to marry you. Not you. Not my father. Not threats. Nothing!¡±


    Ellian¡¯s leer at last dropped from his face, but instead of looking down-hearted, he was outraged. With a speed that Aya couldn¡¯t have matched, he slithered forward, and snatched her arms painfully. He shoved her against the wall, where the last rays of sunlight streamed through the curtains, blinding her. Aya yiped as Ellian snarled into her face.


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped to give you a choice, Princess. I¡¯m honorable. Any mermaid would give their senses to be with me¡ªand you will!¡±


    With that, Ellian snapped the coral pendant he¡¯d just put on, in half. For a moment, it hung uselessly on the chain, until, in the last dying rays of the sun, an iridescent powder shot out, filling the waters in front of her chest like a silt haze.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she heard a familiar voice bellow, as the dust rose.


    Abruptly, Ellian let go of her and shot back.

 Chapter 10: Kai

    Chapter 10


    <h2>Kai</h2>


    ¡°Halt!¡±


    Security was strung tighter than a noose just in time for the arrival of out-of-sea guests, Kai realized as he arrived at the palace.


    Two fearsome swordfish patrolled the palace¡¯ main doors, glaring down at Kai.


    ¡°I have an invitation,¡± Kai panted, running his hand through his current-swept hair in a way that he hoped made it look posh.


    He hadn¡¯t taken the time at the cavern to dress, and in his haste to get to the palace before sunset, probably looked more than a little ragged with his unbuttoned merchant¡¯s vest, and tide-ripped coif. His tentacles twitched agitatedly. A reddish hue touched the waters as sunset approached. If that idiot eel prince was going to succeed in potioning Aya, it would be any minute now¡ªif he hadn¡¯t done it already.


    ¡°Right,¡± the bigger swordfish said, scowling sharply down his nose at him. ¡°All of the proper-papered citezens and¡­¡± He looked him up and down. ¡°¡ªMerchants, arrived at their scheduled times. Didn¡¯t you read the invitation?¡ªif you even have one.¡±


    ¡°I do have one.¡±


    Kai produced the papers Aya had given him, and grimaced as he handed them over. They were crumpled and a little water-torn from the night they¡¯d spent in his hair, but the seals they bore were no less official.


    ¡°And no, it doesn¡¯t have an arrival time listed for merchants. Private guest only. I¡¯m a personal guest of Princess Ayalina.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Kai¡¯s first ball. As a merchant apprentice of one of the laziest sea witches in the Atlantic, Kai had spent some of his early years at nearly every kingdom and outpost taking turns running errands and making connections with ingredient vendors, cauldron blacksmiths, and, very occasionally, actual buyers. Everywhere he went, the merchants he worked with had expected him to already be trained, and so most of what he knew about etiquette, and formalities had been learned through painful error. Tonight, his error was showing up late, dressed as a merchant, wearing black tentacles.


    ¡°Hah!¡± barked the second sword. ¡°Now that¡¯s a story for you, Earl! Princess? I bet this whelk¡¯s one of Ezra¡¯s guards late on his shift. Well, you¡¯ll just have to take the stripes for missing work this time, boy! Don¡¯t you know we have important people here tonight?¡±


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gotten that invitation from Princess Aya,¡± Earl reasoned dumbly. ¡°She¡¯s one of them getting hitched!¡±


    Kai gritted his teeth hard enough it was a miracle they retained their points. ¡°I am not a guard; I¡¯m one of the kingdom mages. I am papered. I have a personal royal invitation. Let me through.¡±


    The fish scoffed, barring his entry with their blades, when he tried to march past them.


    ¡°Well, no magic allowed tonight, either!¡± barked Earl.


    Kai crossed his arms, glowering. ¡°Then why are the potions that the depths and the arctic staff use allowed? Or the lighting, the cooking fires, or the airdome, for that matter?¡± he argued, desperation for entry starting to make his tentacles curl. ¡°This event is riddled with so much magic, it¡¯s making my ears buzz!¡±


    ¡°How do you know about the potions? Are you a spy?¡± The second fish pointed his blade a little too close to Kai¡¯s middle, and on instinct Kai seized with a tentacle, and shoved it to the side before he could get skewered.


    ¡°Because I brewed them,¡± he snarled. ¡°I have important news for the princess. Let. Me. Through,¡± he snarled, snapping his teeth in the guard¡¯s face.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s assault on a guard, that is!¡± cried Earl, over Kai, although he clearly regarded Kai as more of a threat than before when he saw how easily Kai parried his companion. ¡°Can we get some backup here? Backup! And a lockbox!¡±


    Kai snarled again. Neither he, nor Aya could afford any more time wasted with these fish¡ªnor with any of the actual guards if they decided to throw him in a lockbox before someone could realize that these swordfish had been at the brine. He had only minutes¡ªif any time at all.


    ¡°Nevermind,¡± Kai grunted, throwing down the second fish¡¯s sword into the ground hard.


    The swordfish blubbered and wheezed, trying to free itself from the muck beside the but before he had, Kai was long gone.


    It had been a long time since Kai had been to the palace. Titus had managed to construct entire towers, and several airdomes since he had last visited. More importantly, the palace security looked nothing like when he and Aya would sneak in and out when they were younger.


    There were ostentatious species of guard at every open balcony, window, and parapet. The only place there weren''t guards posted was the air-dome above the ballroom. He grimaced. Kai had no doubt that breaking into a dome full of dignitaries would get him hunted first, and his papers checked post-mortem.


    Out of view of the gate guard he slunk into a kelp bed in the palace gardens where security wasn¡¯t in active patrol, and watched for signs of movement. Outdoor, there was the gate guard, ground-floor sentries, and a rotation of garden patrolmen. It was easy to see that after a long day of being on duty just for show, many of the guards were bored, or even dozing. Sunset would bring a shift change, but whether that would be before the light died down, there was no guarantee.


    The eel was here with Aya¡ª


    Princess Aya, he mentally corrected himself.


    ¡ªand Princess Aya had no idea of the danger she was in. The mind was a tricky thing to alter. That potion could cause Aya to lose herself, her feeling, or her sanity if he failed.


    The memory of Krill¡¯s pained writhing was fresh and raw in Kai¡¯s mind. His plan for exacting justice on the prince was hazy, and depended entirely on him reaching her in time.


    Aya would be in the ballroom, in the middle of all of the security¡ªpossibly even inside the air-dome itself. He sighed, wishing he¡¯d thought to put on something that at least made him look like he belonged. The best he could hope for would be to get close to the ballroom via one of the side-corridors, and then try to spot Aya before any knights or patrol spotted him. At worst, he could grab a tray of drinks and hope to pass as a servant¡ªand that none of his upper-tier clients recognized him.


    There wasn¡¯t time for deliberation. Kai carefully controlled his camouflage to mimic the kelp fronds. Then, as soon as he touched the shadow of the palace far wall, he shifted to the blues and golds of the palace walls, and ascended as fast as he dared to a curtained window that opened into one of the outer corridors. He passed six windows in the climb, all with a pair of bored sentries watching the drama of nobles out on walks in the palace gardens. Some picked sea grapes and pondweed flowers when they thought no one was looking. Others were engaged in more distracting activities in corners where they thought no one could see.


    There! Kai saw the window he was looking for. Barring any internal changes to the palace, the fifth floor corridor would take him to a servants¡¯ passageway right under the ballroom thrones.


    The only obstacle to his entry was a pair of blennies on the edge of the balcony beneath his entry point. Clinging to the palace wall, he hung upside down just above the window frame, and colored himself the same as the curtains. All he could do was wait for the changing shift, and hope that either the eel hadn¡¯t made his move, or that the princess was surrounded by too many people for him to be able to.


    Eying the blennies, waiting for a moment of their inattention, Kai was both relieved and horrified to hear the voices that drifted up from the corridor below.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you could show me this¡ªthis thing, tomorrow,¡± Aya was saying.


    Relief pounded through his veins. Aya¡¯s senses were still her own, but what was she doing in a servants¡¯ corridor alone with the eel?


    He had little doubt as to what the Eel prince was about to ¡®show,¡¯ the princess. He looked down. The blenny sentries stood at attention half asleep, and leaning heavily on their spears. Careful to keep himself nearly clear with his camouflage, he reached down and felt for the window¡ªand swore silently. It was a true window. Thick sea glass covered the opening so that anyone posted this high up would have to swim up to be there, and there was no entry through a window so thickly cemented in.


    ¡°What, and have every moment chaperoned by that old turtle? I think not, Princess,¡± the eel scoffed. Although he wasn¡¯t low enough to see through the overhead window, Kai could practically see the arrogance dripping off the eel¡¯s ugly orange tail.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t proper! If you¡¯re seen taking me away from the ball early, it isn¡¯t going to help your suit,¡± Aya protested.


    ¡°Ah, because you¡¯ve been so receptive to my suit, princess,¡± said Ellian. ¡°Come along¡­¡±


    An angry shiver rippled through Kai, and it took all of his will-power to control his camouflage and stay blended. He could attack the blenny guards and have them unconscious on the balcony in seconds, but the death warrant that would come from actual assault on a palace guard would take away both his and Krill¡¯s chances of escaping this kingdom.


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s¡­that¡¯s really lovely, I¡¯ve always liked the Sunfish.¡± Aya¡¯s voice was timid, and he could hear her desire to escape strong enough that it pulled on his hearts.


    This was it. The potion was in that sunfish pendant, Kai knew, because he¡¯d put it there, himself, in an old carving he¡¯d done.


    Then, Aya made the mistake of laughing nervously, which the eel no doubt took as some sort of encouragement.


    ¡°Like me to fasten it for you? No need to ask, love. I am already well informed on what will make you happy.¡±


    Kai heard the threat in Ellian¡¯s voice at the same time as Aya did. The question was, why hadn¡¯t the guards? The window panes were thick, but not so thick that they shouldn¡¯t be aware of the threat. But then, Kai¡¯s senses had always been more sensitive than most species.


    Aya yiped in pain, and it was all Kai needed to decide that being spotted by the blennies, or even the whole palace guard wasn¡¯t worth more of this.


    He dropped his camouflage.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± he snarled, and the blennies jumped so high that if they hadn¡¯t been underwater, they¡¯d have flown straight off the balcony.


    ¡°Crikes!¡± shouted one.


    ¡°M-Monster!¡± exclaimed the other.


    Not too bright, then. That was fine.


    Kai shifted his coloring to match Captain Kael, hoping that in the stress of things, the creatures wouldn¡¯t recognize his lack of belonging until it was too late.


    ¡°Your princess is being assaulted in the room below. Respond! Save her!¡± he ordered as briskly as he could manage.


    ¡°Swim around, then!¡± said one of the blennies.


    They left immediately to find a palace entrance.


    ¡°Are you both insane, that¡¯s too far!¡± he yelled after them. He rounded on the window in time to see the prince and Aya at last. Ellian was forcing the necklace onto her neck, and she was struggling valiantly against the bigger fish.


    ¡°It¡¯s only a formality, all these tedious meetings they have planned, don¡¯t you see? These tours and luncheons and balls. Wouldn¡¯t you rather avoid them, too? After all, there are so many more exciting things we could do.¡±


    Kai¡¯s blood boiled, and just like back in shipwreck valley, instinct drove him to use the few seconds that he had. Kai slammed himself into the window. It rattled in its cement frame, glass cracking.


    Good.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Aya jerked in the prince¡¯s grip. ¡°I. Said. No!¡±


    Too little, too late. Aya had always been too sweet for her own good. The idiot eel had probably taken her politeness all evening as some sort of go-ahead for his advances. Aya¡¯s greatest strength was often her downfall. She was too kind. Too soft. And though he treasured the things her kindness brought him, the world was none of those things. It was going to eat her alive.


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    He slammed into the window again. More cracking. Iron filaments in the window panes sprung apart, releasing some of their panes onto the balcony floor, and cutting into his limbs¡ªbut Kai was used to pain.


    ¡°Nothing in this ocean will force me to marry you. Not you. Not my father. Not threats. Nothing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hoped to give you a choice, Princess. I¡¯m honorable. Any mermaid would give their senses to be with me¡ªand you will!¡±


    ¡°Coward!¡± Kai snarled, and with one more push, shattered though the cement, filaments, and glass with a muffled crunch!


    He shot over the lip of the curtains. Black and lilac coloring returned to his limbs as he dropped his camouflage in one hot rush of blood. He descended just in time to see Ellian snap the pendant in half, and in the last dying rays of the sun, its iridescent powder soaked the waters around Aya¡¯s gills. Ellian flapped his tail hard, sending it in her direction as he, himself, backed away from the stuff.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Kai heard the word ripping from his own chest. Though he sped down to where they stood with a speed that would make a sailfish envy, he already knew there was nothing he could do.


    ¡°Stop, Aya¡ªdon¡¯t breathe!¡± he cried.


    Aya gasped.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡ªwhat?¡± she inhaled, and the potion latched onto her gills like water into a dry sponge, drawn into her blood and lungs with the natural speed of magic.


    Aya blinked hazily, shaking her head as she glanced between the eel and himself.


    Kai¡¯s chest seized as he watched the silty green haze creep over her irises. No one but a sea-mage or witch would be able to see the potion¡¯s effects, and although he proudly watched her fight the potion¡¯s effects, as the last of the sunlight winked out, the potion¡¯s effects were sealed.


    ¡°Aya.¡± Kai took her shoulders gently, ignoring the eel who had been blown back several feet by the current of his arrival. ¡°Aya, how¡¯s your head? Can you remember me?¡±


    ¡°Kai?¡± Aya stared dreamily at him. ¡°Kai, why does my head hurt so much when I look at you? You¡­you¡¯re so late!¡±


    A roil of conflicting relief and guilt danced an unwelcome mambo through his middle. Aya was right. He had been late¡ªto everything, and it seemed those dearest to him were paying the price.


    ¡°I¡¯ll thank you not to touch my fianc¨¦e!¡±


    Without any conscious thought of his own, one of Kai¡¯s tentacles brandished itself like a whip at the prince, letting Kai keep his focus on Aya. Holding her arms gently, he could see where Ellian had cut her neck with the chain. Tiny rubies of blood floated out and simmered into the water, sharpening his senses with the scent. Little fingerprint-shaped bruises were starting to form on her shoulders and wrists from where the prince had grabbed her.


    Why hadn¡¯t she just screamed? Did she truly believe that she was so trapped here that no one would come to help? With a pang of disappointment, Kai spiraled further down in his guilt. Well, no one had come to help, had they?


    ¡°Your head hurts?¡± he found himself saying. ¡°Do you remember why? You¡¯re not dizzy, are you?¡±


    ¡°Dizzy?¡± she slurred. Putting a hand on her eyes, she leaned forward, almost falling into him. ¡°Yes, now that you say¡ªhas the room always been this crooked?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he was going to say. Then, he was going to ask a dozen more questions about the suspicious headache, when of course, the Eel¡¯s grating voice cut in.


    ¡°Do you always try to stop a paying customer from using your products? Consider yourself lucky. I¡¯d report you and your little business if it wouldn¡¯t ruin my little ploy here. But then again, you can¡¯t exactly report me, either, without confessing what you¡¯ve done can you?¡±


    Kai snarled, holding Aya upright in the water as he rounded on Ellian, showing every one of his pointed teeth.


    ¡°Titus¡¯s pathetic guards are the last thing you have to worry about, eel.¡±


    First Krill, and then Aya. Kai was going to kill this prince and then string him out for his men to find.


    Ellian blinked. Blinked and then smiled. ¡°Oh, but you do, don¡¯t you?¡± The prince had the good grace to plaster a false, terrified look on his face before he screamed: ¡°Guards! GUARDS!¡±


    The blennies had at last come to their senses and come through the window after him, but along their way, had gathered at least six more guards.


    Kai briefly wondered where all of these mermen had been when their interference would have been useful for their princess¡¯s safety.


    ¡°Saw the whole thing!¡± one of the blennies was claiming already. ¡°Yes, yes! Just sped right on past us!¡±


    ¡°Fought past us, more like!¡± corrected the other blenny, clearly trying not to appear as lax on the job as they¡¯d both been.


    Kai fought the urge to roll his eyes.


    ¡°Princess Aya! Are you alright?¡±


    That got Kai¡¯s attention. From behind the small contingent pouring in through the destroyed window, was Captain Kael himself.


    Kai didn¡¯t move from Aya¡¯s side, keeping himself firmly between her, and the eel prince.


    Aya put a hand to her head, her face bloodless and pale. All at once, she lost herself and began to tip over. Kai caught her before she could stumble into a wall, and was immediately informed of his mistake.


    ¡°Cecaelian! Stay back from the princess!¡± ordered Captain Kael. He headed the guards with a look on his face that could have soured grapes. ¡°What are you doing away from your post? Cecaelian guards aren¡¯t permitted out of King Ezra¡¯s escort!¡±


    Kai glanced from his vest to the armor the guards wore. Did he really look like a Kuroshio guard? Opening his mouth to give the captain the same failed speech he¡¯d tried at the gate, the prince beat him to the punch, and, being a prince, was actually listened to.


    ¡°The cecaelian did enter rather suddenly. I believe it¡¯s sent my betrothed into shock¡ªas you see¡­¡± Ellian put forth slimily. ¡°My, my, I did think that the high king¡¯s guard would have a tighter hold on security, especially when there are such important guests in attendance.¡±


    Captain Kael ruddied a little, and his meaty hand moved to the blade strapped to his white-and-black striped tail. Kai doubted anyone had ever questioned Kael¡¯s authority in his life, and had an inkling that things would get ugly if Ellian was allowed to continue.


    ¡°I am a guest,¡± Kai explained tightly, holding his hands in a peace gesture. ¡°A personal invitation from Princess Ayalina. Here¡­¡±


    A glance at Aya told him that she was in no condition to defend him from a Captain that she, herself, feared. Sighing, as though very put out, Kai reached for his pouch where the invitations had been, and recalled with a twinge of irritation the swordfish who had taken them from him¡ªand kept them. His tentacles curled and uncurled in frustration. This looked very bad.


    There was nothing for it.


    ¡°Aya, do you think you could tell Captain Kael that I¡¯m just here on an invitation?¡±


    And perhaps tell him that this eel just tried to poison you? He mentally added. It would be incriminating to already know what the eel had just done, but if Aya told him herself¡­


    ¡°Is this true, Princess Aya?¡± the chief asked suspiciously. ¡°You invited this¡­guest?¡±


    Aya was turning from pale to pale-green. Could no one see that she was close to fainting? Or worse?


    ¡°I did invite him¡ªI think¡ª¡± Aya stuttered, hand over her eyes, she raised her head at last to look at the scene. ¡°Kai?¡±


    ¡°The princess isn¡¯t feeling well¡ª¡± Kai tried to say, but the guards¡¯ ears were trained on the prince.


    ¡°What my beloved is trying to say is that this interloping cecaelian is bothering her. He seemed to have objections to our betrothal, and chose a most inappropriate time to voice them. Wouldn''t you say so, my dear?¡±


    When Aya¡¯s gaze landed on Ellian, her confusion melted into a dreamy, dull smile.


    Oh no¡­


    Kai could see the moment that the potion took full control. Aya¡¯s hands fell to her sides, then clasped in front of her, wringing, as though her natural sureness had simply evaporated. She righted herself in the water, but only just barely, and the green in her face faded into a pale, artificial flush. Her tail took her toward the prince, and under so many eyes, Kai had no choice but to let her go.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± she said, clearly having no idea what she was agreeing to. ¡°Yes, he did!¡±


    Anyone who knew her could see that there was something wrong with her. Unfortunately, the guards neither knew her, nor knew that anything was out of the ordinary here except for himself. Kai folded his arms tightly, scowling. As he examined the guards¡¯ faces, he knew there was nothing he could do without making the situation much, much worse.


    ¡°In fact, we were just on the way to announce the betrothal, and we wouldn¡¯t want anything more to get in the way,¡± the eel continued, giving Kai a smile that Aya seemed to find dazzling, and that the guards either didn¡¯t see, or didn¡¯t care, was dripping with malice.


    ¡°Right, Prince Ellian,¡± Kael was already agreeing, no doubt pre-informed by Aya¡¯s father this sort of thing might happen during the eel¡¯s visit. ¡°We¡¯ll provide you with an escort back to the ballroom¡­¡±


    This was it. The moment where the Captain could realize there was something wrong with Prince Ellian having moved the princess so far from the ballroom, but evidently Ellian being foreign, was enough to excuse any behavior out of custom.


    Hands on their blades, the half-dozen guards moved to salute beneath their helmets when it became clear that the Captain had made a decision.


    ¡°Right,¡± the chief addressed the royals, first. ¡°Since you have an important announcement to make, best to make it before the evening final¨¦. Some of the early arrivals are already starting to make their farewells.¡±


    To Kai¡¯s horror, two of the guards moved to flank Aya and the eel, who let Aya drape herself over one of his arms. The eel shot Kai another nasty grin.


    ¡°And you, boy. Invited or not,¡± the chief said in a way that told him he very much believed he had not, ¡°you¡¯re going to have to see King Ezra later. He¡¯s responsible for all of his people. You¡¯ll have to stay in the guard¡¯s quarters until after the ball,¡± he added in a way that implied ¡®lock-box,¡¯ or ¡®prison quarters.¡¯


    ¡°Like I said, I¡¯m here by invitation, and I am certainly not¡ª¡± Kai started to hiss, when one of the smaller guards jumped forward with a disgusting amount of enthusiasm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take him there personally, Captain!¡± said the young guard.


    Kai glowered at the impudent little soldier. It didn¡¯t take long, however, for him to decide that it would be easier to slip away from one guard, than seven.


    To his surprise, the captain agreed, the large merman¡¯s tail already jerking in the direction of the ballroom.


    ¡°Be quick then, ah¡ª¡± the captain paused. Kai would have scoffed had the situation not been so dire.


    The captain didn¡¯t know his men¡¯s names?


    ¡°If you hurry, you might even make the announcement.¡± Then, addressing Kai, he said; ¡°Consider yourself fortunate, lad. I don¡¯t know what trouble you were trying to stir here, but it looks like a non-incident. In the name of the festivities, you might even get a lighter punishment.¡±


    With that, the captain and his men simply turned and left, giving Kai no chance for further explanation, and effectively blocking any other chance he¡¯d have had to swim after Aya. Although now, he didn¡¯t know what could be done¡­ what he could possibly do to change what had been done to her.


    Letting the young guard lead him down the hall, Kai loathed the palace more with every statue and vaulted corridor they passed. He loathed the bias shown by the palace guard toward foreign princes over their own people. He loathed the eel prince for the slimy way he¡¯d let his hands wander on Aya¡¯s arms and back. Even more, he loathed himself. Aya would never be in this repulsive position had it not been for him.


    Consumed with his own thoughts, Kai paid little attention to the guard beside him except to search the corridor for any doors that might lead to cupboards or smaller quarters¡ªsomewhere where he could leave an unconscious merman long enough to sneak off the palace grounds.


    The guard, however, didn¡¯t seem to be guiding him toward where he remembered the guard¡¯s quarters being, or even the prisons. Kai tsked.


    It was possible that the young guard was so new to his contingent that he didn¡¯t know the way around the inner palace yet¡ªthat would certainly explain his enthusiasm, and his eagerness to please the captain of the guard.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the prince either, but I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d go this far,¡± said the guard conversationally. ¡°Come on, Kai, we¡¯ve both lost. At least I can do it gracefully. We always knew it would go something like this. Why are you acting so surprised? At least Aya seems happy with the guy¡ªeven if he is an eel.¡±


    Through his anger, it took Kai longer than he¡¯d have liked to admit to recognize Adin¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Adin!¡± Kai exclaimed.


    He couldn¡¯t see Adin¡¯s face beneath the guard¡¯s helmet, but the crooked stripe on Adin¡¯s back fins was unmistakable. If he¡¯d been paying more attention, he¡¯d have noticed far sooner.


    ¡°Look, Kai, I won¡¯t be able to get you out of trouble like this again. Call it¡­call it payback for the squid last week,¡± Adin said quietly. ¡°But really, Aya needs support! Not¡­.not whatever tonight was!¡±


    With that, Adin rounded them to face a scullery door at the end of the corridor, so well-seamed into the craggy walls that Kai wouldn¡¯t have noticed it had Adin not pointed it out.


    Kai gaped between Adin and the door.


    ¡°When Aya makes her choice, I¡¯ll happily respect it, but Adin, she sure as barnacles didn¡¯t choose that eel! He¡¯s potioned her!¡±


    Unfortunately, Adin didn¡¯t have nearly the reaction he¡¯d hoped for.


    ¡°Really, Kai?¡± Adin popped the visor of his helmet.


    His eyes were bloodshot, and Kai could see that the young merman had been crying, or at least not sleeping.


    ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t like to believe that, too? But hey, I can take it like a man. He¡¯s a prince! He¡¯s what she¡¯d been waiting for. It isn¡¯t right to interfere.¡±


    Kai shoved an exasperated fist through his hair, and rounded on Adin. ¡°I¡¯m telling you he¡¯d potioned her because I watched him do it,¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Aya is in real trouble, and you¡¯re her guard! Where were you, by the way, when she was getting dragged, alone, out of the ballroom!?¡±


    That made Adin pause¡ªbut not for the right reason. His hands balled to fists at his side, and he glanced back down the corridor, as though reconsidering the idea to not shut Kai in a room for the night.


    ¡°You know, Kai,¡± Adin huffed, snapping his visor shut. ¡°You really should go. If I¡¯m caught doing this, I¡¯ll lose my job. But hey? It¡¯s the right thing. The sunset shift-changes should still be happening, so you can get out through the kelp-beds. Poseidon¡¯s toes, Kai! Just¡­just don¡¯t make me regret this. We probably won¡¯t see each other so much anymore now Aya won¡¯t even be in the kingdom. Think of this as a goodbye favor. I really¡­I really will miss you and Krill.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t the goodbye that Kai wanted to give Adin, but for the third time that day, he just didn¡¯t have enough time. What Adin had said had given him an idea. Regretfully, he swam through the door, and let Adin close it behind him, hoping against hope that this wasn¡¯t how their childhood friendship would end. Kai didn¡¯t leave through the kelp beds, however. In the dark waters around the palace, he hid under the bioluminescent lights that winked along the palace walls, trying to shut out the booming voices that echoed through the currents from the air-dome:


    ¡°Announcing the formal betrothal of Princess Aya of Atlantis, and Prince Ellian of the Red Sea! Wedding to be held in three days hence! Long live the Kingdom of Atlantis! Long Live High King Titus! Long Live the Future Kings and Queens!¡±

 Chapter 11: Aya

    Chapter 11


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Aya</h2>


    Aya passed the evening feeling as though her head were under seven hundred more feet of water than it was. She had been looking for¡­something¡ªno, someone.


    Kai? Something within her whispered his name.


    However, whenever she thought of Kai, the pressure in her head got worse. The ache pushed at her from the inside, pounding at her when any of her sisters or guests kissed her hands and offered congratulations. The hurt only got better when she was looking at Ellian. Even then, there was something about him that seemed wrong somehow, but for the scales of her, she couldn¡¯t think what. But, looking at him, the pressure didn¡¯t seem to matter so much. In a sea of faces and fins, he fairly radiated with color. That was what she had been looking for¡­wasn¡¯t it?


    In the blurry haze, Ellian offered an arm to her, and she clung to it. The moment her skin touched his, happy warmth flooded her veins, and the water around her went cold. She wanted to wrap herself in him¡ªwanted him to touch her¡ªfar more of her.


    ¡°Get out of the way,¡± Ellian snapped at a kuo-toa that crossed their paths as he escorted her back to the dance floor under the lull of celebratory music.


    How regal, she thought dreamily, watching the servant scuttle away.


    She¡¯d never had so much authority over the servants in her own palace, and Ellian simply commanded it¡ªit was the kind of influence her sisters and father had. When he wanted something, it happened. The very thought sent goosebumps down her arms. She didn¡¯t mind the jealous looks she was getting from all the mermaids in the ballroom, either.


    Wherever he swam, heads turned. He was all chiseled jawline, and bright scaling¡ªwas there any better color in the world than orange? The skin of his face was smooth and flawless, even though King Ezra had given him a hard time about it being too clear, which was ridiculous.


    As they swam through the music of the ballroom, she enjoyed the envious stares of the nobles around her. Even the kuo-toa serving that night all looked as though they desperately wanted to be in her fins, and yet, as the announcements, the songs, and the congratulations passed through her ears, something was so very wrong.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina?¡± Marlin called her from her musings. ¡°Princess, the high king wishes a word with you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± she agreed dreamily, pulling Ellian along.


    Marlin said, holding up a flipper to stop Ellian from following her. ¡°If you will, Princess? Ah¡ªalone with his daughter was specifically requested, Prince Ellian.¡±


    Aya disentangled herself from Ellian¡¯s grip, noting with a small smile that he was as disappointed as she when she pulled away. She shot him an apologetic glance over one shoulder, and a confident grin spread over his face as he inspected her hesitance.


    ¡°Not to worry! A prince is patient by nature!¡± he proclaimed, running a hand through his perfect yellow hair.


    Marlin¡¯s expression was unreadable as Aya giggled at Ellian¡¯s gallant bow.


    She was delighted at how carefully Ellian watched them as they swam off toward the throne room through the dregs of the ball¡¯s enchanted final¨¦.


    The main ballroom, adorned with its glittering bioluminescent jellyfish chandeliers gently brightened as the sky faded to black. At Marlin¡¯s signal, dancers, nobles, merchants, and royals alike mirrored the gentle sway of the currents as couples paired off for one last song. A last round of cheers and applause followed her, the only of her three sisters who had announced a betrothal that night.


    Aya turned to blow one last kiss to her people, catching Sephina¡¯s attention as she did. Her sister danced with the Depths¡¯ ambassador, glaring over his shoulder directly at her. Concern and disappointment riddled her brow as she watched Aya go.


    Jealousy? From Sephina? Aya thrilled. She had always been second to Sephina. In age, in their studies, and in losing her hatchling color. It was the first time she¡¯d ever beaten Sephina to anything. And there she was. Sephina was jealous!


    Not jealous, the little voice in the back of her head struggled to be heard. Worried.


    Aya ignored it.


    Music and smiles drifted after as Marlin led her into the throne room where, for once, her father waited for her alone.


    Aya couldn¡¯t remember the last time High King Titus had asked to speak to her privately. The last time had been when she¡¯d broken into a human ship to steal star-charts¡ªin the middle of its winter voyage. Through her murky bliss, every instance she¡¯d broken palace rules in the past month flitted through her head. She¡¯d been out past curfew nearly every night to visit the surface, visited forbidden waters, pranked the guards with pufferfish pillows, and publicly disrespected her fianc¨¦ over dinner. Perhaps then, this wasn¡¯t another congratulations? Gills fluttering nervously, she approached the looming tridacna throne where her father sat with a limp tail and sagging eyes.


    ¡°Leave us, Marlin,¡± Titus boomed.


    Has he always looked so tired?


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Ayalina,¡± Titus breathed, his graying irises locked on her. ¡°Ayalina¡­ come a little closer. My daughters are always so distant from me¡­¡±


    There was real regret in his tone as he reached for Aya¡¯s hands.


    Though the gray in her father¡¯s skin pulled at her heart, Aya couldn¡¯t help but wonder when she was going to get to see Ellian again. Looking at her father¡¯s face, and not Ellian¡¯s, was making her head pound.


    ¡°Father, you called for me?¡± Aya said gently, hoping that her father would tell her what he wanted and let her go. Irrational annoyance prickled through her head.


    Ellian wouldn¡¯t wait forever.


    ¡°A gift,¡± he said, placing a cord of pearls and rubies over her head.


    She balked. It was a kingly gift. Something like this would cost as much as the western tower.


    ¡°Your mother¡¯s,¡± the king said by way of explanation. ¡°Perhaps I should have bestowed it on one of my children long ago, but¡­ I couldn¡¯t bring myself to part with it then.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, father,¡± she said, doing her best to sound sincere.


    ¡°I thought that perhaps it could persuade you to reconsider your declaration this evening.¡±


    What? She¡¯d done what he¡¯d asked, hadn¡¯t she? Then why wasn¡¯t she allowed to be with Ellian? Was nothing right, in her father¡¯s eyes?


    So, it was to her great surprise when Titus asked:


    ¡°Ayalina, are you¡­.alright, my daughter?¡±


    Titus pushed himself higher in his throne, his once heavily sinewed shoulders shaking with the effort. He held the bident with two hands as he steadied himself in his seat which she didn¡¯t remember him ever doing.


    Titus looked¡­ sick. Sicker than she¡¯d ever seen him, and he certainly hadn¡¯t looked so haggard at the ball. Unless¡­unless she hadn¡¯t noticed. Aya cursed herself, shaking her head for some semblance of clear thought, and in the rays of moonlight illuminating Titus¡¯ graying scales, her thoughts cleared a little.


    ¡°Father I feel¡­I feel foggy, like my head is full of silt!¡± Aya surprised herself with her own honesty. ¡°I don¡¯t know if an evening has ever gone faster.¡±


    ¡°Love can feel like that,¡± Titus said, a wisp of a smile playing across his mouth. ¡°When I was courting your mother, the days felt like months, and the minutes passed like seconds. There was never enough time with her, and you, precious Aya¡­.of all your sisters, you look so much¡­ like her. The Aegean is¡­so very far.¡±


    It was as though speaking took a toll on the King, and his chest heaved with the effort. As her sensibilities returned to her, Aya could feel her brows knitting together on her face taking in the changes in the king.


    ¡°Father, are you alright? This isn¡¯t like you.¡±


    He held up a hand to dismiss her concern.


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± he said, blowing a weary stream of bubbles, and suddenly, she understood why he may have wanted to speak to her alone. What ruler would want to be seen like this?


    ¡°But this is not love, is it, Ayalina?¡± he asked, gently pulling her closer as he sunk a little into the throne.


    Aya pulled her arms from her father¡¯s hands and swished her tail angrily.


    ¡°Ellian is everything a prince should be. He is¡­he is¡­.¡± but suddenly, Aya found that she couldn¡¯t find a single defensible quality about Ellian.


    He had been insufferably rude, and apart from his dancing, and the feelings she¡¯d felt earlier that evening, she¡¯d disliked him because¡ªAya gasped as the memory of dinner came flooding back into her head like the rising tide. He¡¯d killed a cecaelia, and she didn¡¯t yet know who. Aya knew most of the citizens hiding along the border, and kept their secrets well. There was no way an unpapered would have been caught in the open. Suddenly doubt crept back into her chest. She¡¯d flirted with Ellian. Their engagement was announced!


    How had this happened?


    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem to like him much over dinner, not that I can blame you,¡± Titus spoke through her pause. ¡°Although, if he turns out like his father, he will protect you.¡±


    Aya nodded. ¡°So that¡¯s why you chose him.¡±


    ¡°I had hoped he would have turned out more like his father at his age, but he seems to be¡­ well¡­.¡± Titus chuckled weakly. ¡°Agreeing to his proposal, you must have seen something I have not yet had the chance to. You always were so perceptive¡ªjust like Aria. I can only count myself lucky that she saw something in me¡­I just want to see you taken care of, Ayalina.¡±


    He was rambling. Aya raked her eyes over her father, though still sitting proudly, was still gripping the bident¡ªnot to wield it, but to support himself.


    ¡°Father, something must be wrong. You should have another century at least! I can call the physician.¡±


    ¡°Calm yourself,¡± Titus hushed, dismissing her concerns with another regal wave, though this one held less rigidity than the last. ¡°I have a few years in these oceans yet. I only want to see my daughters protected before I leave them. So, Ayalina, are you happy with Prince Ellian? I might have promised a bride to the kings of the oceans for their assistance in the civil war, but I never said in contract that those brides were to be of my own sire. And of course, several of those kings, like Ellian¡¯s father, chose to take different mermaids when the time came. There is still time to find other noble options.¡±


    Her mouth fell open in a very un-princess-like fashion, and she found her already-unbalanced head swimming again.


    ¡°Then I could be¡­I could be free to choose? You¡¯d let me?¡±


    ¡°Within certain parameters. Of royal blood, of course. Honorable. And, Ayalina¡ª¡± his smile was weak, but stern, ¡°¡ªyou cannot wait forever.¡±


    Aya could hardly believe her ears. ¡°You seemed so¡­. Things just seemed different earlier.¡±


    ¡°You really must learn to be diplomatic in front of foreign guests, Aya,¡± Titus scolded gently. ¡°What is decided before advisors or even other kings is not the same as what is between family. If you haven¡¯t learned this as well as your sisters, then perhaps you¡¯re not quite ready to be married after all.¡±


    Aya hung her head in dismay. ¡°The engagement is already announced, father. Is there anything to be done if I¡¯m not?¡±


    ¡°So you don¡¯t want him¡­ I thought not.¡±


    At last, the last of the silt fell from her thoughts. Pulling herself upright in the moonbeams that filtered in from the dome above, she was absolutely sure. She shook her head, firmly.


    ¡°I am High King,¡± Titus said imperiously, not a trace of the tremors in his tail reaching his voice. ¡°It may take some time: a few delays for your ceremony, and when the excitement of it all dies down, it could be canceled completely. You were accepting him out of duty, then? What you tell me now, you must be absolutely sure.¡±


    Aya paused, considering¡ªnot whether she wanted to marry Ellian, but Ezra¡¯s words those few nights ago. ¡®Keep your power close,¡¯ he¡¯d said. ¡®A ruler is only as good as how well he uses his pawns.¡¯ Personal grievances aside, Ellian was not an ally that she wanted. She already couldn¡¯t trust him.


    ¡°I will accept the royal marriage duty when it comes, Father,¡± Aya said carefully. ¡°But I can¡¯t accept Prince Ellian. I don¡¯t see the potential in him like you saw in his father,¡± Aya said finally, and Titus¡¯ face, if possible, grew more grave.


    ¡°I will order a delay then, to your wedding. If you change your mind, Ayalina¡­¡±


    She shook her head, fins unfurling with resolve, she curled a hand around the necklace, feeling more connection with her parents than she had since her early childhood. It gave her assurance. It gave her resolve.


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± she promised.

 Chapter 12: Aya

    Chapter 12


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Aya</h2>


    Aya clung to the patches of moonlight that dotted the outer corridors as Marlin escorted her back to her room. The moonlight cleared her head, dismissing the last of the throbbing in her skull. She¡¯d danced with Ellian long enough that her sisters had long since retired, and even then, she didn¡¯t think she could stand hearing another round of congratulations over a wedding that she thought of with such revulsion.


    Her worry for her father still had her gills agitated, and though relief flooded her fins that she wouldn¡¯t be forced into a marriage¡ªat least one with Ellian¡ªshe still couldn¡¯t understand how the evening had gone so badly.


    The more she remembered of Ellian¡¯s treatment of the staff, of his haughtiness toward her, and of his bragging about the pain he¡¯d caused someone out there on the reefs, the more the thought of him disgusted her.


    She could only conclude that the seaweed gel she¡¯d had before dinner was somehow rancid. Nothing else could explain the way she¡¯d felt looking at Ellian¡¯s too-square jawline, or possibly-diseased yellow and black hair. She¡¯d even laughed at his stories¡ªthe ones about disemboweling, and barmaids, and petty theft. She hoped the three had never coincided. Looking back on her memory of the ball was like trying to see through an algae bloom, and as she sorted through the murk, her headache returned.


    Caught up in confusion and a strong desire to scrub her skin where Ellian had touched her, Aya hardly noticed when Marlin bid her goodnight at the doors of her room.


    ¡°Thank you, Marlin,¡± she felt herself mumble, as she clicked the lock shut.


    Someone had been in her room since she¡¯d last been in it. It seemed the kuo-toa had already come by to feed the glowing plankton in her room¡¯s lamps. On her vanity and nightstands, the agitated light they let off reminded her of the waxing moon above the surface. Although Aya never kept her room bright after sundown, there was enough to see her driftwood bed and a faint glimmer of its mother-of-pearl inlays. Its blue and green canopy drifted in the current that wafted in. Her sheets, made from soft seaweed fibers, beckoned invitingly, and though all she wanted was to curl up under them and sleep the vestiges of her headache away, it was a rare night that the waters above the palace were clear enough to see the moon and stars from the window. At the same time, though fatigue pounded through her head, she was eager to keep her mind from re-living the events of the evening by doing something normal.


    Aya began collecting her supplies. The giant spiny conch that served as a vanity had been selected more for show than function, but over the years, Aya had carved the jewels out of its surface and turned the piece into a work desk¡ªmuch to some of her sisters¡¯ horror. The surface was still cluttered with the sea glass vials and cases of cosmetics her sisters had forcibly applied to her face just hours ago¡ªhours that now felt like days. By some miracle, the mess of powders and creams hadn¡¯t stained the papers below.


    Scooping the makeup unceremoniously onto the floor to get to her charts, it was hard to avoid her reflection. Her polished brass mirror showed her that her unruly red dress had a torn sleeve. Beneath it, finger-shaped bruises were coming into their color along her arm.


    When had that happened?


    The matching red pearls in her hair had shifted, and her eyes were as blotchy as a dribblepox epidemic. Only the careful rouge that her sisters had painted on her cheeks looked as fresh as when she¡¯d started this disastrous evening. Although Aya could admit her sisters had done well, she wished they hadn¡¯t bothered. Perhaps if she¡¯d arrived looking like her usual wave-swept self, Ellian would have lost interest¡ªher usual appearance certainly seemed to keep the mermen on the reefs indifferent.


    Sighing in residual embarrassment, she reordered the vanity¡¯s usual fare: a stack of star-charts, sextant, cross-staff, a pack of pencils, and the lunar charting she¡¯d been working on since she could remember. Ready at last, she lifted the largest chart from the stack and slipped through her bed¡¯s curtains and spread the vellum on the windowsill.


    The water was clear enough that she wouldn¡¯t even have to swim to the surface to mark the shifts. Rechecking the constellation charts, she made some minor changes in her calculations, and some of the stress of the evening melted away. Come tide or highwater, Poseidon¡¯s dolphins would always across the sky. There, the Kanaloa that appeared every squid season was center-sky to the north. The Great Wobbegong made his nightly appearance in the southernmost corner of the horizon, and Lysander the Unfortunate Lover was bright enough to be visible through the surface waves.


    However, despite the clarity, nothing looked the same as it had last night...


    She blinked. Then shook her head. Then blinked again.


    The constellations weren¡¯t just visible, they were connected with threads of blue light¡ªand not entirely in the patterns that she was used to. Beneath her sill, tiny points of blue shadow lined every ray of moonlight hitting the objects in the garden, as well. The path most walked by the patrol in the gardens glowed faintly, as well as the magically locked gates, and alchemical plants¡ªbut only those. Anything else, anything untouched by the royal botanists, anything untouched by magic, looked much the same.


    She set down her pencil. Her head was pounding, and now she was seeing things. Clearly, she needed sleep.


    Wishing the kuo-toa had stayed to help her out of the complex gown, she began tugging at the buttons with a tired sigh. Then, she tugged harder. Had she been sewn in?


    This was ridiculous.


    Snatching up her pencil knife, she began to carefully work at the back of the dress, and was making decent progress when she heard a sound like a throat clearing from the shadow behind her wardrobe.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    The hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end.


    Aya was through with surprises that week.


    Her hand flew to the instruments she¡¯d brought with her, and missed. Fingers finding the lamp, she threw it at the shadow, hard, then brandished the pencil knife at the shadow, which snorted at her.


    To her great relief and shock, Kai melted out of the corner, camouflage dissolving as he laughed.


    ¡°And what are you planning to do with that?¡± he chuckled, wading into the light.


    ¡°Kai!¡±


    He held the heavy lamp in one hand, tossing it once like it was a toy. Looking at him now, the pressure in her head cleared, and the remaining silt that clouded her thoughts fell away in one crashing wave. Without thinking, she lunged forward and threw her arms around his shoulders. It didn¡¯t occur to her that she might be breaching some unspoken boundary between them until she felt him stiffen at the touch. After a breath, however, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and patted her head gently.


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯ve seen spoons more deadly than that trinket.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a knife!¡± she protested.


    ¡°Your tiara is pointier than that knife. What were you planning on doing with it?¡± he teased into her hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s for pencils,¡± she half laughed, half-groaned onto his shoulders.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯m not a pencil, then,¡± he muttered.


    Not ready to let him go yet, Aya pulled away just enough to see his face. He was the first truly welcome sight she¡¯d had in days. Kai looked better-rested than she¡¯d seen him in ages, but there was an edge of something in his gaze that commanded her attention. His hair smelled of boiled spices, and fresh open water. He was wearing his formal merchant¡¯s vest, which, though worn, was plenty fine to attend a ball. It was covered in hidden pockets and ribbons, marking his proficiencies in his craft, and there were more of them sewn on than the last time she¡¯d seen it. The vest left his arms bare, but his neck was partially covered in a modest collar. It was a sign that she hadn¡¯t missed spotting him at the ball. Anyone looking like Kai did in this uniform would stand out. Seeing the familiarity of his furrowed brow as she inspected him, she couldn¡¯t help but relax a little.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke,¡± she scolded lightly. ¡°I thought something had happened to you when you didn¡¯t come tonight. Did Cirrina do something to you? Did Ellian?¡±


    An angry rumbling sound echoed in his chest, and he glowered down at her. Unlike with others, though, his irritation didn¡¯t frighten her. If anything, his reaction made her feel that she might have an ally, at last.


    ¡°Ellian now, is it?¡± he said blackly.


    She chuffed the back of his head gently, laughing genuinely for the first time that evening.


    ¡°I¡¯m amenable to other names if you¡¯ve got a good one.¡±


    He raised a brow, and though the glower didn¡¯t leave, the hard line of his lips relaxed a little.


    ¡°If Cirrina did do something, would you go to her cavern and beat her with your sextant?¡± he asked, diverting her from the topic. ¡°Sorry to say, but blades designed to sharpen writing utensils won¡¯t do much to a sea witch.¡±


    She shook her head, enjoying the feeling of tension releasing


    ¡°I have it on good authority that a tiara would work better.¡±


    ¡°Bribery is fairly effective with Cirrina,¡± he said approvingly.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±


    A gust of current flew in from the window, making them both jump. Kai jumped to block the billowing bed curtains from smacking into their faces, and Aya jumped closer to Kai, so that when the current calmed, and Kai¡¯s tentacles had shut the window, she was tucked under his chin, and his hands were wrapped less awkwardly around her spine¡ªuntil they realized at around the same time that half of the skin at her back was exposed.


    Suddenly self-conscious, she pulled back, not realizing until she moved away that he¡¯d wrapped a tentacle around her tail to keep her from falling. Instead of helping, she stumbled right over it. He caught her wrist to keep her from tripping over the vanity stool, and instead guided her so that she plopped down on the mattress¡¯ edge.


    ¡°Th-thanks,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°My fault,¡± he shrugged. That distant stare was back.


    He cleared his throat again, and looked away. She was suddenly conscious of whatever boundary he kept between them being put back up. Despite being surrounded by water, her throat felt dry, and she did her best to ignore the tingles where his fingers had touched her, and the way he clenched his fists and stuffed them under his elbows as he angled himself away.


    ¡°When you didn¡¯t come, I was worried,¡± she said, breaking the pause. Hearing it aloud, she realized how silly it sounded. Kai was one of the more competent cecaelia. Of course he¡¯d had a better reason than something having happened to him. He may not have wanted to come at all, and was here to pass along his regrets. His being here now was¡­ well, it was unusual, and suddenly, whatever the reason, she was frantically guilty for having caused thim the trouble.


    ¡°Happy to hear you care,¡± he said softly, leaning on one of the bedposts.


    Her guilt stopped in its tracks.


    ¡°Aya, do you remember what happened tonight?¡± he asked, equally soft, as though afraid of the answer.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Aya¡¯s head fell into her hands. She didn¡¯t remember everything, but her mood changed quickly when she remembered the conversation at dinner. ¡°It was¡ªKai it was awful! Someone told me there¡¯s a cecaelian somewhere in the reefs, hurt or killed. When you didn¡¯t come, I thought it might have been you or Krill! I know that¡¯s silly¡ªI know you¡¯re busy. It was just coincidence¡­¡±


    ¡°Looks like you at least have your head back, then,¡± he said ambiguously, ¡°Do you remember anything else?¡±


    ¡°I remember having to dance with my new betrothed.¡± Her voice went quiet, and she felt herself go pale. ¡°Kai, I got engaged tonight.¡±


    Kai¡¯s expression was entirely unreadable, though his usually curious tentacles stilled, making him look like a large, looming shadow.


    ¡°I got engaged tonight,¡± she continued, when he said nothing to stop her, ¡°but I don¡¯t remember how. I picked a fight with him over dinner. I insulted him. I tried so hard to get rid of him¡ªactually, no. That¡¯s unfair,¡± she grimaced. ¡°He picked a fight with me. That spoiled, scum-sucking bottom-feeder treats his own people like toys, and he treats mine like¡ªlike¡ª¡±


    ¡°Never heard you use that language before.¡± Kai¡¯s mouth quicked in amusement, the way it did when she managed to surprise him, but was still watching her like she was a particularly difficult potion recipe. ¡°So, there¡¯s no love lost between you and your betrothed,¡± he prompted.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how it happened,¡± she repeated. ¡°I actually remember saying no¡ªseveral times! But then¡­¡± she shook her head. Telling Ellian ¡®No,¡¯ was the last thing she remembered clearly before speaking to her father. ¡°Everything is so foggy. It was like I was trapped inside my own head, listening to him brag about how many barmaids and servants wanted him, and how many fish he¡¯s gutted alive, and all of his insults¡­and I just sat there, Kai, going along with everything anyone said, like I had kelp for brains! I was sort of hoping to spend less time with him if you¡¯d been able to¡­¡±


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Aya shut her mouth before she said something truly disastrous. It was wildly unfair to Kai to expect him to save her from something as silly as a few dances with a prince she might have been spending the rest of her life with, especially when he¡¯d had something important to do.


    ¡°That¡¯s why you invited me tonight,¡± he said bluntly, his mouth forming a hard line. She got the feeling there was something he wasn¡¯t telling her.


    ¡°Are you alright? Something happened tonight, didn¡¯t it?¡± she pressed, when Kai spent a little too long in silence. He got up from where he leaned on her bedpost, and then sat down on the stool in front of her, as though coming to some decision.


    ¡°It did,¡± Kai folded his arms back over his vest, looking agitated. He glared at her bedroom door, avoiding her gaze, and his voice went rough. ¡°I did come, Aya. I¡¯m only sorry I didn¡¯t come in time. Now, you weren¡¯t done telling me how you feel. Headaches? Memory troubles?¡±


    Aya straightened in surprise, gripping her sea-grass sheets in one fist as she adjusted her fins on the floor. He knew?


    ¡°I have this headache that comes whenever I think about what happened after dinner, and ever since I got back from the ball, I¡¯ve been seeing these blue lines in the moonlight. It might have something to do with the eclipse coming, but that doesn¡¯t make any sense, and¡ªwait. You came? I didn¡¯t see you once!¡±


    ¡°The door guard didn¡¯t believe me when I showed them the invitations you¡¯d given me,¡± said Kai, holding up a hand to quiet her outrage before she could start. ¡°No, no. I should have expected something like it. I didn¡¯t exactly dress for the occasion.¡±


    She gulped, noticing for the first time the threads that pulled from their places in his vest, and the way his collar wilted. At first glance, all she¡¯d seen were the ribbons, and his collection pouch strapped over one shoulder¡ªthe hallmarks of a working potioneer. His lilac skin, so unlike any other species of Atlantean citizen, in combination with his purple eyes and white hair, made him look otherworldly. To her, it was respectable, but to the guards who had spent the day watching painted nobles swim through the gates, the clothing might have looked suspicious, and his strength would have marked him as a threat.


    She should have left specific instructions for Earl and Brawn.


    Kai was¡­ a lot stronger than he¡¯d been when they¡¯d met, and she wondered how she¡¯d never seen it before. How many trips had he had to take? How much distance had he had to cover? What was Cirrina making him do that had turned his once boyish figure into something so¡ª


    ¡°Aya, I know it¡¯s hard, but you need to hear what I saw tonight,¡± Kai said, evidently noticing her loss of focus. She swallowed again, and forced her attention back into herself. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± he said gently. ¡°Aya, when the guards didn¡¯t let me in, I went around through one of the balconies, and saw the Eel Prince pull you into that corridor. Do you remember what happened there?¡±


    Aya shook her head.


    ¡°No¡­¡± she said, letting her face fall into her hands. ¡°I can recall being there¡­ but it''s fuzzy, and any time I do, my head feels like I¡¯m trying to use it to crack open barnacles. I know I was there, but¡­ but I don¡¯t remember you at all.¡±


    ¡°I thought as much,¡± he sighed. ¡°Your prince used a potion on you to get you to agree to his suit. I was too late to stop him, and when the guards arrived, they assumed I was one of Ezra¡¯s contingent, and dismissed me.¡±


    ¡°That¡ªthat snake!¡± she cried when he¡¯d finished. ¡°That¡¯s why I let him announce our engagement? Why I thought he was¡ª¡±


    Beautiful? Funny? Utterly divine? She cringed.


    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t know what I thought! Anyway, it¡¯s not like the engagement will last. Father spoke to me alone tonight. It was like he was an entirely different person, Kai! He¡¯s going to delay the wedding until I don¡¯t have to go through with the suit. The eel prince didn¡¯t exactly make a good impression tonight.¡±


    However, Kai¡¯s reaction wasn¡¯t what she expected. ¡°Entirely different¡­¡± he groaned. More agitated than before, he shot up from the stool, and set an anxious pace before her door, swimming the length of her small quarters several times as he spoke. ¡°Of course he is¡­ of course this could get worse.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, worse? I¡¯ll just tell the guards. I¡¯ll tell my father! Prince Ellian will be escorted out of the palace in disgrace!¡±


    But Kai shook his head, raking his hands through his hair frustratedly. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to tell the guards¡ªno, not even Adin believed me, Aya, and if your father is acting strange, telling him may only make things far worse. Frankly, it sounds as though he¡¯s under someone¡¯s influence as well, which I can probably help you with, but right now, we don¡¯t have time. We need to get this curse off you before it becomes permanent!¡±


    ¡°Permanent,¡± she said, taking in the seriousness in Kai¡¯s icy-purple gaze. ¡°Kai, what does this potion do? What becomes permanent?¡±


    ¡°Cirrina sold it to him as a love potion.¡± Once more, Kai was doing everything he could to avoid meeting her eyes. He was up from the stool, unable to stay still, pacing, pulling at his hair, even straightening the instruments on her vanity, and checking the door over and over again, as though convinced someone could be listening, or about to burst through and arrest him.


    ¡°In actuality,¡± he continued, ¡°it''s more of a mind-altering potion. Nothing in magic can make you fall in love, but it can simulate very strong feelings that will take you over. This one, Cirrina set on a timer connected to sunlight. He got you alone in that corridor because the first person you saw once the potion hit your gills in the light of the sun, you would think you¡¯d fallen in love with. Every time you see him, and every time you¡¯re exposed to sunlight, his hold on you gets stronger. Then, in the light of the moon, it looks like things get weak enough for you to have your own mind again. It will get stronger in the day, and weaker at night, until on the third day after sunrise, its hold on you becomes permanent.¡±


    He started to straighten her star charts for her, but before she could tell him to leave them be, set them down, and went back to pacing.


    ¡°As for the lines you¡¯re seeing¡­that¡¯s interesting. Only mages can see those¡ªand even then, not all mages. If you can see magic now, that¡¯s one side-effect that I didn¡¯t foresee¡­¡±


    Any other day, the ability to see magic would have excited Aya out of her fins, but the details of the curse had already sent her reeling.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying, as soon as the sun rises tomorrow, I¡¯ll be back in love with Prince Ellian? I¡¯d do whatever he says.¡± Aya¡¯s mouth dropped open in horror. All of Ellian¡¯s off-color insinuations came dribbling through her thoughts like tar.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t remember that you¡¯re under a spell,¡± Kai added, unhelpfully.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Aya exclaimed, hope swelling in her chest as she rose from the bed and moved closer to him. ¡°You said that the eclipse can ruin a lot of magic when it passes. Won¡¯t it make this potion just fizzle out like the rest of them?¡±


    She¡¯d never been so grateful for her tracking charts. So that¡¯s what Kai was telling her? She just needed to spend a few days in her room until this was all over? She had textbooks to read. She could do that.


    ¡°Ah, that¡ª¡± Kai looked truly uncomfortable, tentacles tapping on the floor as though he had been trying very hard to avoid this particular question. ¡°Perceptive as usual,¡± he sighed, and she felt a pang of disappointment when he turned his face away from hers, still unwilling to meet her eyes. ¡°Since you told me the eclipse was coming, I invented a brewing method that seals magic and makes it stronger under the eclipse. If Ellian had gone to any other sea-witch, then once the eclipse happened, yes. You would have been free.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you¡¯re so clever,¡± Aya teased dryly, though she couldn¡¯t manage to convince her mouth to smile anymore.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Aya. It¡¯s my fault you are in this trap, and it can¡¯t be undone by anything the sun has touched¡ªor anyone. I can¡¯t fix this.¡±


    Timidly, she reached out for his hand... His chin snapped toward her, then, and he regarded her as though she¡¯d gone insane. Her heart broke a little when she read in his expression that he didn¡¯t think she would want to be close to him, now.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t curse me,¡± she said quietly, slipping her fingers into his. ¡°You certainly don¡¯t choose to work for Cirrina. Despite everything, you¡¯re always protecting me and Krill¡­You¡¯re also the best connection to magic that I have. I¡¯m lucky to have you.¡±


    Her blue eyes met his purple ones, and though she could see his obvious guilt, they both understood that if there was a chance at all, Aya needed Kai.


    Kai was the only person who would never coddle or grovel to her for the sake of her status. While she¡¯d always known she¡¯d have to leave the palace for a suitor eventually, her father had given her hope that she might not have to go so far, that she might even be able to choose¡ª


    She stopped that thought in its tracks. Kai was a friend and a protector, but he had never shown anything but polite respect for her, and he certainly never tried to get as close to her as Ellian had¡ªor at least she thought so. Her memories of the dances were still somewhat fuzzy. At the same time, Kai was a clever, powerful Cecaelia, and the chances of him being interested in a mermaid whose only talent was astronomy, and whose tact never measured up to her sisters¡­


    She might be desperate and worried, but she was overstepping.


    She began to pull her fingers from his, but he held them fast, drifting out of his anxious pace to face her. She felt color stain her cheeks and felt for once grateful for the cosmetics that concealed her skin. Fins and limbs included, Kai was much taller than she, and had he leaned forward, could have put his chin on her head.


    ¡°You do,¡± he said resolutely.


    ¡°Hm?¡± she asked, blinking up at him.


    ¡°You do have me,¡± he said.


    Her breath caught in her gills and under her fingers, she could feel the pulses in his wrist going faster than a shoal of mako.


    Which is normal, she scolded herself. The man does have three hearts, after all.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fix this curse on my own, but I do know who can,¡± Kai said urgently. He kept hold of her fingers, which made hearing him difficult over the hammering of her own pulse. ¡°After I was thrown out of the hall, I broke into the palace library, and ransacked the vaults for information on this spell.¡±


    She gasped. ¡°How did you get into the vaults?¡±


    ¡°Princess Sephina,¡± he said simply.


    ¡°So Sephina knows?¡± Aya whispered. Somehow, the thought of her closest sister knowing that she¡¯d gotten cursed was both comforting, and painful. Sephina never did anything rash, but if knowing could put her in danger, then Sephina would find a way into that danger. It was just who she was.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t. I told her that I needed to find something for you, and she found what I needed in less than a minute. The locks didn¡¯t seem to matter that much.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s scary that way.¡±


    Kai snorted, and muttered something that sounded a lot like: ¡°she¡¯s your sister.¡± Then, a little louder, ¡°the only sea witches better than Cirrina don¡¯t work in Atlantis. The ones who could leave fled to the depths when the purges started.¡±


    By your father, he left unsaid.


    ¡°Then we¡¯re going to the depths,¡± Aya said. It wasn¡¯t a question.


    ¡°Not to the depths. Even your libraries don¡¯t have its location recorded.¡±


    He held up a long white finger before she could despair. ¡°We don¡¯t need to make it to the Depths. We need to find the Twilight Market. The craftsmen for dark magic¡ªsunless magic¡ªwill be there.¡¯


    ¡°And we have to go before the sun rises, or else¡­I probably won¡¯t go with you.¡±


    Kai swallowed and nodded.


    ¡°Alright.¡± To Kai¡¯s visible surprise, Aya agreed.


    ¡°Excellent. The guards change shift again in half an hour. That¡¯s the only time I¡¯ll be able to get you out of here before dawn.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Ten minutes. They change the patterns after high moon.¡±


    Kai pushed his fingertips to his forehead where a faint line was prematurely etching itself between his brows. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the gardens now. I¡¯ll buy anything you need on the way.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡ªwell¡­¡± Aya fidgeted, tugging on the end of a sleeve that was barely clinging to one shoulder. They were about to swim who-knew-how-far, and who-knew-where. She wasn¡¯t a fussy princess, but even she thought it was reasonable to not want to do that in a dress she¡¯d tried to cut off her body. ¡°I¡¯m ready, I just need something I can travel in, if that¡¯s alright,¡± she said, hoping he¡¯d get the clue, before she had to ask.


    No such luck.


    ¡°Do you have something that will cover your tail? The red is noticeable,¡± he said, tapping a finger impatiently.


    ¡°I do, it¡¯s just¡ª¡± She took a deep breath. Aya had taken the possibility of living with a permanent mental curse in stride¡ªsomewhat desperately, but in stride. ¡°Can you help me with the buttons on this thing? I was going to just cut it off¡­¡±


    She turned around and gestured to her dress, still half unbuttoned and clinging stubbornly to her torso.


    Cheeks staining themselves a light purple, Kai¡¯s jaw snapped shut.


    ¡°You were making fine progress before.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t reach,¡± she said, flipping her tail in frustration. ¡°Just be fast.¡±


    Aya tossed him the pencil knife before he could argue further, and he caught it with a hiss. Stubbornly, she presented him with the back of her dress.


    He hesitated, and she thought she heard a small huff, before the seconds ticking away seemed to catch up with him. He pulled her close enough to reach, and two of his tentacles steadied her waist while he worked.


    Like any good potioneer, Kai was really good with a knife. What had taken Aya a considerable amount of reaching and struggle, he managed in seconds, hardly having to touch her. Once the tightness on the lower half of the bodice was cut away, Kai tossed the knife back to her vanity, and whirled away from her to face the wall.


    ¡°I trust you can manage from here,¡± he said to the wall.


    ¡°Can I put a blouse on myself, you mean? Who knows?¡± she teased, trying to bring the levity back. ¡°Just don¡¯t look.¡±


    He snorted, and didn¡¯t dignify that comment with a response.


    Aya only needed a minute. Throwing the dreaded red dress on the bed, she redressed in a long, ocean blue blouse designed to hide the bulk of her red scales. Then, she snatched a matching purse, and stuffed it with her jewelry. Her mother¡¯s necklace was still around her neck, and she considered leaving it there, but after some thought, decided that she could use all the luck she could get.


    ¡°Ready?¡± Kai asked, when he heard the pull of ropes as she tied the purse strings around her waist.


    ¡°Ready,¡± she said.


    The signal for the shift change went up in the garden. Under her newly magic-sensitive eyes, the sparks he sent up looked more like a flare-gun.


    She let Kai pull her from the windowsill, and into the kelp beds at the base of her spire. They passed through the gardens unnoticed tracing the usual path Aya took to the surface. Aya was impressed with how well Kai was able to blend in with so many surfaces. Once, they were nearly spotted, but Kai threw his tentacles over her, and blended himself so perfectly with the flowering plants around them, the guard swam right past.


    It was of course right at the most crucial part of the escape¡ªactually leaving the palace grounds where they would be recognized¡ªthat they were spotted.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    Pastian, chief of the night guard, and direct subordinate to Captain Kael came swimming toward them, summoning the rest of the night guard to him. Immediately, twelve guards, fresh, attentive, and still nearby, responded to the disturbance. Aya¡¯s fins seized as it became clear they¡¯d never get away cleanly.


    ¡°Silt,¡± she cursed under her breath, feeling Kai¡¯s hand immediately curl around her arm.


    ¡°Princess Ayalina?¡± Pastian said a little more loudly. ¡°Stop! The Princess! The princess is being kidnapped!¡±


    ¡°Swim!¡± Kai ordered under his breath, already pulling her along with him at a speed she could never manage on her own. Hopefully that meant that neither could the guards. Together, they sped over the garden wall, and practically flew over the marked paths to the inner city.


    As they turned the corner into the winding streets of Atlantis, Aya had time for one last glance backward, and instantly regretted it. One of the guards had predicted their path better than the rest, although even he couldn¡¯t keep up with Kai. He watched them as though he couldn¡¯t believe what he saw. The look of utter betrayal that Adin gave Aya and Kai as they escaped boiled in her lungs, under this pursuit, every second could decide her future, and this time, there was no time to explain.

 Chapter 13: Adin

    Chapter 13


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Adin</h2>


    Earlier that evening¡­


    Adin¡¯s curses were getting more creative by the minute as the evening went on. He¡¯d seen Aya¡¯s suitor, and he was so¡­.perfectly princely¡ªeverything that he would never be. However, he could also see the desperate glances she cast around the crowd as she was forced to dine, talk, and then dance with him. No one, not even her own siblings, seemed to notice her distress. What was worse, was that he was forbidden from moving from his post on the wall without witnessing some kind of true emergency¡ªon pain of dismissal.


    It was killing him.


    He watched the Eel prince lead the princess into the dances, pushing her far closer to himself than propriety demanded. He ground his teeth, flexing and unflexing his tail. The prince was dreadfully behind on his dance education, bumping Aya into every obstacle that passed, going against the current that pulled couples around the room. Then, after what felt like hours of watching Aya endure his abuse, he saw the eel lead her through a curtained hallway, and his suspicion spiked.


    That balcony led to a servants¡¯ corridor¡ªhardly a place for a princess. Adin swallowed hard, and discreetly leaned away from his post. Flitting along the side of the dessert tables, where Chief Pastian and Captain Kael were speaking to King Ezra, and gesticulating somewhat dramatically at one of Ezra¡¯s retinue.


    The timing was terrible. Adin knew he was risking his tailfins, and perhaps a barrack-cleaning assignment for the next month, but the princess¡¯s disappearance was making him nervous¡ªand no one else in the room knew her like he did. With a deep breath, and a panicked glance toward the corridor where she¡¯d disappeared, he abandoned his post.


    ¡°Chief,¡± he muttered quietly, once he¡¯d reached the tables.


    ¡°King Ezra, I must protest,¡± Chief Pastian pointed at an armored cecaelian that had fastened himself high on a wall, as though gravity were an optional courtesy. ¡°If you could keep your men on a tighter leash! I¡¯ve seen at least three¡ªno, four of them out of bounds in the corridors. If this persists, I¡¯ll be forced to make a report¡ª¡±


    ¡°Pastian, Pastian.¡± Ezra smiled nastily, and threw an arm around the Chief¡¯s shoulders. All the color from the chief¡¯s face drained into his tail, and Adin didn¡¯t envy his position. ¡°At ease! Your soldiers have done¡­.marvelously. Not a suspicious soul in sight! Is this not a party? Eat a crab cake. Take one of these lovely mermaids to the dance floor. No need to be so¡­.stiff.¡±


    Chief Pastian could have been carved from marble. Only he could avoid flinching when Ezra patted his shoulder with one long, black tentacle.


    Adin suppressed a shudder, and cleared his throat.


    ¡°Ah, Chief?¡± he said, trying his best to be discreet. ¡°A word?¡±


    The chief gave him an irritated grunt, but seemed content to use Adin¡¯s approach as an excuse to pull away from King Ezra¡¯s grip.


    ¡°King Ezra, if you would please reign in your men,¡± the chief said in parting. ¡°Ah, yes. Asher, was it? Appen?¡±


    ¡°Adin, sir,¡± Adin rushed. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve just seen the princess being escorted out of the room to a servant¡¯s corridor. I believe she may be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Escorted? By whom,¡± the chief ordered. He drew further away from the dessert tables, where Ezra turned away with a sly smirk that Adin did not like at all. He kept his voice low, trying his best to avoid being overheard.


    ¡°The Eel prince, sir,¡± Adin all but whispered.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± the Chief huffed, folding his arms down at Adin in a way that communicated things like disapproval, and the burdens of discipline. ¡°Young Adin, I recognize you are¡­new to the guard; however, I must insist you keep up with the movements of the palace. The Eel Prince of the Red Sea is Princess Aya¡¯s suitor. It¡¯s only normal that he might want to have a word with her at the commencement of his suit.¡±


    ¡°The princess was highly uncomfortable, and it looked coerced¡ª¡± Adin protested.


    ¡°The Prince has done nothing untoward the whole evening,¡± Pastian scolded, looking more stern by the minute, and Adin could tell the chief thought he was wasting his time. It was all he could do to keep his fins from curling under him and scuttling back to his post.


    ¡°Sir¡ª¡± Adin tried to explain.


    ¡°Did the princess call for a guard? Did she give any order at all?¡± Pastian demanded.


    Adin shook his head slowly. ¡°No, sir. But¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then we wait for an order! The royal family will summon us when needed. That¡¯s basic training, young Abin! Learn that well if you ever want to be promoted to full rank. Back to your post! Dismissed.¡±


    Aya and the prince hadn¡¯t returned, and Adin¡¯s worry was worse than ever, but there was no arguing with the chief. All he could do was return to his post, though as he repositioned himself, he couldn¡¯t help wiggling closer to the corridor where Aya had disappeared, where perhaps, if an order came, he could hear it.


    Why didn¡¯t you call, Aya? he thought desperately. I¡¯m right here!


    But, even though he¡¯d sacrificed his free evening to be on this post, Adin had realized too late that he¡¯d effectively bound himself to the same spot the whole night. No dancing. No letting the princess know that he was here.


    Call for me, he pleaded again, silently.


    But, her call never came.


    *


    When at last a summons did come for guards, Adin wasn¡¯t the first to hear it.


    ¡°Algae! There¡¯s an intruder in the servants¡¯ corridor! This way!¡± One of the other guards in Adin¡¯s contingent swam past him as the rest of the guards near the corridor assembled, and the movement happened so fast, he didn¡¯t bother to correct his name.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It was to his great relief that the order took him down the same hallway where Aya had disappeared, but what he saw there was¡­ confusing.


    It didn¡¯t surprise him as much as it should to see Kai there, forever appearing where it was least convenient, but what did surprise him, was that the Eel Prince seemed to have made some sort of effective apology. Aya seemed entirely comfortable with him now, even¡­.even in love.


    As Aya sank onto Prince Ellian¡¯s arm the Adin couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d seen Aya so relaxed and happy. In fact, she seemed so swept away by the happiness of the moment that she could barely look at him, or any of the other guards.


    His breath hitched at the dreamy, content expression on her face. He had never been able to make her look like that, and, he realized with a sinking heart, he never would.


    Adin blinked hard, willing the tears to stay in his head. The last thing he needed was for his barrack mates to see him crying over a girl¡ªor Kai, for that matter.


    Marlin was right. Aya wasn¡¯t right for him.


    This Eel had only had one evening with her, and Aya was already so obviously smitten. Aya could be headstrong in her first impressions, but whatever the Eel had said or done, she was genuinely and truly happy. It was that expression that helped Adin make up his mind to support her decision, even if it wasn¡¯t him. Even if he was feeling this way. He would carry her until the end, no matter what story Kai came up with to interrupt the evening.


    So, he stuck his neck out for Kai. Because he owed him. Because he was Aya¡¯s friend, and got the attention of his superior to do it¡ªit was a risk that Kai would never appreciate.


    ¡°You¡¯re her guard, Adin. Where were you?¡± Kai demanded, once they were alone.


    Where was he? Where was he?


    It was then that Adin had had enough. They had both lost, and Kai didn¡¯t seem ready to accept that, yet. Kai had no idea the sort of night Adin had had, but he was thoroughly sick of being second-guessed¡ªeven if he had evidently been wrong about the Eel¡¯s character.


    For the second time that night, he¡¯d stuck his neck out for a friend, and for the second time, he was being dismissed for it.


    ¡°Look, Kai, I won¡¯t be able to get you out of trouble like this again. Call it¡­call it payback for the squid last week,¡± Adin said quietly, trying to make Kai understand. ¡°But really, Aya needs your support! Not¡­.not whatever tonight was!¡±


    With that, Adin rounded them to face a scullery door at the end of the corridor. If Kai was smart, he could make it off the palace grounds in a matter of minutes¡ªAdin of all people knew how fast Kai could be, but Kai wouldn¡¯t just go!


    ¡°When Aya makes her choice, I¡¯ll happily respect it, but Adin, she sure as barnacles didn¡¯t choose that eel! He¡¯s potioned her!¡± Kai said, staying stubbornly where he was.


    ¡°Really, Kai?¡± Adin popped the visor of his helmet. ¡°You think I wouldn¡¯t like to believe that, too? But hey, I can take it like a man. He¡¯s a prince! He¡¯s what she¡¯d been waiting for. It isn¡¯t right to interfere.¡±


    Kai protested again, but the stress of the night was too much for Adin, and he had heard enough of Kai¡¯s excuses. This was the palace, and in the palace, there were rules. This wasn¡¯t the reef where magic was uncontrolled and unmonitored.


    ¡°You know, Kai,¡± Adin huffed, snapping his visor shut. ¡°You really should go. If I¡¯m caught out here letting you go, I¡¯ll lose my job. Here¡¯s the back door, and the sunset shift-changes should still be happening, so you can get out through the kelp-beds. Poseidon¡¯s toes, Kai! Just¡­just don¡¯t make me regret this. We probably won¡¯t see each other so much anymore now Aya won¡¯t even be in the kingdom. Think of this as a goodbye favor. I really¡­I really will miss you and Krill.¡±


    Then, thank Poseidon, Kai went.


    Adin waited until he could see Kai swimming off in the direction of his creepy cavern¡ªPoseidon¡¯s beard, how he hated that place!¡ªand made it back to the ballroom in time to cheer with the rest when it was announced:


    ¡°Announcing the formal betrothal of Princess Ayalina of Atlantis, and Prince Ellian of the Red Sea!¡±


    Adin passed the rest of the evening ushering over-excited guests out of the palace, and when footmen were in short supply, assisting well-to-dos into their fancy fish-drawn carriages. By the time he returned to the bunks, he¡¯d had quite enough of being mistaken for a foot-servant, or a fetcher.


    I can¡¯t wait until I get that rank promotion, he thought to himself, hanging his uniform by his bunk. Then at least the duties will be more predictable.


    In his distraction, he almost didn¡¯t see one of his fellow guardsmen come bursting into the shared quarters.


    ¡°Abalone! There¡¯s a skirmish by the outer wall!¡±


    ¡°Probably just a guest who got lost, but the chief¡¯s watching,¡± muttered Brine, another of his bunkmates.


    With a groan, Adin left his visor where it was. It was too dark to be wearing headgear, anyway. He followed them quickly, wondering when his own fellows would bother to learn who he was.


    ¡°West garden?¡± he asked. ¡°That¡¯s nowhere near where the guests come in.¡±


    Brine and the messenger were already halfway across the courtyard. ¡°Best hurry, the rest are already out the gate. Not sure why you¡¯re in here!¡±


    Adin knew better than to waste time explaining the other assignments he¡¯d been given, and rushed off toward the west garden. He had a bad feeling about this. Kai¡¯s cavern was toward the west, and though Kai was usually more prudent than this, if he was causing trouble again, he was going to personally strangle that cecaelian.


    *


    It took nearly an hour to search the west gardens. With all of their exotic flora, there were plenty of places to hide. While they didn¡¯t find any suspicious characters, they certainly did find a lot of couples who had paired off in the caulerpa bushes.


    After many encounters that began with him swimming in on some scenes that made his heartache worse, and others that he really would rather have not seen, the gardens were cleared of guests, and his contingent called the false alarm back to report to the chief. Adin could only hope that his extra work that evening would assuage any ire Chief Pastian still held toward him for the earlier scene with Ezra.


    ¡°All clear, men?¡± Pastian barked, when they¡¯d assembled near the far gate.


    ¡°Yes sir!¡± Adin responded in a chorus with the other guards.


    The night had long gone dark, and the shadows cast by the glowing jellyfish over the quiet gardens were making him sleepy. This wasn¡¯t in his duties, anyway. Whoever had thought they¡¯d seen an intruder at this hour had probably been at the brine.


    ¡°Alright then, men! Dismiss¡ª!¡±


    But something had caught the chief¡¯s eye. Adin followed his gaze, and over the wall, he saw it, too.


    Of all nights, why in the oceans did Kai have to choose this one to be such a pain?


    ¡°Stop! The Princess!¡± Chief Pastian yelled, though the guards were right before him. ¡°The princess is being kidnapped!¡±


    Adin sighed. Aya was likely swimming off for one of her nightly chartings, although having Kai accompany her was new¡ªand was terrible timing. Adin fully expected Aya to turn around and explain everything to the guards¡ªand hopefully dismiss them so they could all go and sleep, but she didn¡¯t.


    Instead, Aya sped up and Adin could see from the way Kai grabbed her, that he had no intention of letting her turn around.


    No.


    Kai might be cecaelian, but Adin never would have expected this from him. The years of friendship they shared were sporadic, and brief in many ways, but this? This was the sort of thing that had long-lasting consequences. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that Adin could get him out of¡ªand he¡¯d just stuck his neck out for Kai, too!


    The two sped off, and as though in slow-motion, Aya turned back, a look of panic on her face that pulled Adin toward her faster. Kai pulled her into the first ring cityscape where he knew the chief would have no chance of catching them, but Adin knew that couldn¡¯t be his destination. He had a feeling he knew where to find them, but knew he¡¯d have a devil of a time explaining that to the other guards. Silently breaking off from the rest of Pastian¡¯s men, Adin set off in the other direction.

 Chapter 14: Aya

    Chapter 14


    <h2 style="text-align: center">Aya</h2>


    ¡°What in the trenches do you mean ¡®you don¡¯t know where the twilight market is?¡¯¡± Aya demanded when at last, panting, they reached the edge of the city limits. ¡°I thought you¡¯d been there before!¡±


    It had been a very long night. The inner city of Atlantis was a veritable caddis nest of streets, towering estates, air domes, and gaudy houses of the arts, making it impossible to navigate without practice. Both Kai and Aya knew more about the back alleys of Atlantis than the half-blind palace night shift. Disappearing into the winding streets and seaweed beds had been a matter of course. Kai had gotten the chief¡¯s contingent off their tails in the first few minutes; however, not half an hour later, the waters of the whole kingdom had stirred in the precursors to an unnatural storm.


    There was no doubt the guards had reported her alleged kidnapping to the high king. Aya could feel her father¡¯s anger in the riptides that hunted them through the city, snapping driftwood signs, and uprooting seaweed strands around the path of their escape. Without Kai¡¯s strength to pull her through the currents, or his ability to see through the churning waters, she would have been dragged back to the palace as easily as flotsam caught in a whirlpool before they¡¯d even made it to the city¡¯s outer rings. The fact that Kai had been able to take her halfway across the kingdom to the reef¡¯s edge in one night, despite the obstacles, was both comforting and concerning. Yes, it spoke well of Kai¡¯s strength, but even he shouldn¡¯t have been able to fight currents summoned by the bident of the high king. Her father was getting weaker, and she could feel it.


    ¡°The twilight market is an offshoot of the Depths¡¯ territory. Didn¡¯t you wonder why your father was having such a hard time getting a hold of Cetus when he sent courtship messengers?¡± Kai panted, his pale face flushed with purple blotches once they¡¯d finally exited the reach of Titus¡¯ storm.


    Their swimming had slowed to a crawl, Kai still tugging Aya behind him. Her arm was sore from the buffeting and pulling, but she was far too tired to let go. At last free from the buildings, businesses, and farms, Kai navigated them toward an open reef, where stone and coral formed natural arches, and there would be plenty of hidden alcoves safe for rest.


    Picturing what her geography instructors had taught them about the other kingdoms, Aya couldn¡¯t recall much at all about the Depths. The palace tutors didn¡¯t emphasize the location of the Depths as much as the types of creatures that were down there¡ªand those creatures were used to fuel the nightmares of mer-children and keep them in bed at night. Realizing she¡¯d never questioned what was really true or false about the seventh of her father¡¯s fief kingdoms, Aya couldn¡¯t help feeling stupid.


    ¡°No,¡± Aya answered Kai simply, embarrassed. Truth be told, she hadn¡¯t paid attention to the courtship messengers at all.


    Kai grunted, unsurprised. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a shock that Titus won¡¯t teach you a witches¡¯ tale¡­¡±


    Aya winced. Kai was usually so careful never to mention Aya¡¯s father. Aya knew her father¡¯s laws made things difficult for Kai and the other cecaelia, but it was very rare moments like these, glimpses of his tone and expression, open criticism of his rule, that gave her glimpses into how much he hated him.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know where it is, and if most of the merfolk in the palace don¡¯t know where it is, then how do we find it in three days?¡± she asked more bluntly.


    At last selecting one of the few spots free of anemones and urchins, Kai drifted them down onto a rocky protrusion covered from view by one of the larger stone archways. It was illuminated only by faint shafts of light filtering down from the distant city, but it was enough to see a short distance into the blue and black that loomed in every direction away from the city. Around them, sea ferns swayed gently in the slow current, providing cover.


    Aya sank onto the rock with a grateful sigh.


    ¡°The way starts beyond the dropoff.¡±


    ¡°Starts?¡± she moaned, pulling her fingers from his grasp.


    A shoal of silver fish darted by, drawing his attention.


    ¡°Aya, the location of the kingdom of the Depths has been hidden for centuries. Whatever the tutors told you about who lives there, it¡¯s all probably true. In fact, it¡¯s probably all worse. There are reasons it¡¯s hidden.¡±


    ¡°Reasons?¡±


    He ran a hand through his hair with a huff. ¡°How to put this¡­Imagine you¡¯re a king, and there''s a certain quota of trouble that you have to deal with from every class. From the nobles, its politics and treachery. From the merchants, greed and treachery. From farmers, it¡¯s territorial disputes and treachery¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you going to tell me the working class is involved in treachery, as well?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a worker currently involved in a princess kidnapping, so yes.¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m a king, and I have a bad case of treachery. Go on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your majesty,¡± he gave her a mock bow. ¡°Considering you run a kingdom of treacherous citizens, all plotting to overthrow each other for survival and the general fun of it, now throw in the idea that your people might have access to every kind of magic. To creatures who seem put in this great ocean for the soul purpose of scaring guppies, hatchlings, and the occasional grown merman. Say that it becomes some right of passage for every young idiot to try and get to this kingdom, and strike bargains with these creatures, in exchange for advantages here above?¡±


    Aya tapped her tail on the rocks, and stared into the waving sea-fans a moment.


    ¡°I would have petitions for rescue parties to this kingdom every other week, which would be a political nightmare. Tax-payers don¡¯t want to pay a king who doesn¡¯t keep them safe¡­.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± Kai prompted approvingly.


    ¡°And, I¡¯d eventually have to deal with a kingdom overrun with magic and creatures, possibly at a pace that I couldn¡¯t control.¡±


    Kai tapped her nose with one finger. ¡°There you are. One of the reasons for the purges in Atlantis, for the ostracization of the Kuroshio, for the lack of contact with the Arctic, and for magical exile in the Aegean, is all the same. Control.¡±


    She cocked her chin at him. ¡°So why do you somewhat know how to get to the twilight market?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, the market is just an offshoot of the Depths. I have no doubt that each of the kingdom¡¯s rulers have some idea of how to get there, which is how messages can travel to Cetus. The thing is that no one kingdom can exist completely cut off from the others. Likely the market is full of Cetus¡¯ spies who act as a filter for supplies and refugees who are able to travel in and out.¡±


    Aya chewed on her lower lip. ¡°Refugees?¡±


    Kai had gone back to studying the fish. ¡°Lots of sea witches left the kingdom when your father announced the purges, Aya,¡± he said softly. ¡°The city watch was indiscriminate in who they tested for magic, and they did it with Titus¡¯ bident.¡±


    Aya scoffed, brushing her arm against his. ¡°That¡¯s not funny, Kai. There are lots of ways to test for magic. My father wouldn¡¯t have had the time to do it personally.¡±


    Kai stopped breathing.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t tell you? No¡­ no, of course they didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The purges were just for people who didn¡¯t have a magic license living in the borders,¡± Aya said, giving him what was supposed to be a soothing smile. ¡°It was supposed to be for business. You know, to help them as much as it helped the census.¡±


    ¡°Anyone suspected to have strong magic was tested personally by your father, Aya,¡± Kai said softly. ¡°I saw a lot of them being escorted in. Old mermaids. War veterans. And then, some were just hatchlings. They would have taken Krill in as well were it not for Cirrina.¡±


    ¡°And like I said, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Aya insisted, her fins twitching agitatedly. ¡°No one can touch the bident without royal blood, and magic. It would give you a heart attack if you did. You¡¯d die.¡±


    He stared at her, blinked, and then looked away.


    ¡°The purges were a paperwork trail. Nothing more. Well, maybe some banishments were issued for the illegals¡­¡± she trailed off.


    Kai wasn¡¯t saying anything, only staring at her with a mixture of sadness and relief.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know, then¡­.¡± he murmured. ¡°How many others didn¡¯t¡­?¡±


    She cleared her throat, unwilling to argue with Kai, and terrified that he was about to say something that would prove his claims beyond doubt. If what he was saying was true¡ªand it wasn¡¯t¡ªthen she would be desperately furious with her father, and with herself for being so blind. Before she could spiral into wondering what her ¡®friends¡¯ in the reefs really thought of her for her blood ties to the royal family, she gripped her fingers so hard that her nails bit into her palms. One desperate situation per day, thank you very much.


    ¡°You were talking about getting there,¡± she reminded.


    Kai snapped back into himself much the same way she had, by clenching his fists, and focusing on what what right in front of him, which for now, was her.


    ¡°There were clues left behind for cecaelian refugees who wanted to find the market. I think some of the sea witches even go there on the regular for ingredients. Cirrina used to¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Cirrina told you where it is?¡± she said with faux-brightness.


    ¡°I know the path starts just beyond the dropoff.¡±


    Her fins fell to her sides, and she caught a sea fan that blew into her face, almost ripping it out by the roots in her panic.


    ¡°We have a trailhead that leads into the trenches?¡±


    He nodded.


    ¡°The trenches off of the dropoff¡ªright at the start of squid season, that leads into a kingdom filled with worse things than Archeteuthis squid?¡±


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    ¡°Now she¡¯s understanding,¡± he muttered, using one tentacle to flick a piece of sea fan out of his own hair. ¡°We don¡¯t need to reach the depths, just its filtering village that will be plenty cut off from the actual thing. All of the peddlers, magic, and hopefully, a cure, should be there.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just that, then,¡± she said flatly. ¡°I¡¯m doomed, aren¡¯t I? I suppose if this is the family I come from, then it was always coming.¡±


    Kai rolled his eyes, and pulled himself up off the rock. ¡°If you have the energy to mope, then you¡¯re clearly ready for more swimming.¡±


    She ignored him.


    ¡°¡ªIn fact, there are all the precursors of doom. We have a curse, an impossible time limit, half the ocean is going to be after us by sunrise, and I can¡¯t imagine Cirrina is too happy with your disappearance either, so add one annoyed sea witch into the mix.¡±


    Kai offered her his hand in an imitation of an invitation to dance. Distracted, she barely noticed when she took it; it was just like every other time she¡¯d gone through that motion.


    Kai gently pulled her up to speed, heading for the edge of the reefs.


    ¡°Oh, and I forgot, come sunrise, you¡¯ll be fighting me, too! I¡¯ll be head over heels for a spoiled, randy, psychopathic eel!¡±


    ¡°What, is that all? Where¡¯s my cheery princess?¡±


    As Kai led her further along the rocky archways and lingering bits of reef, the dropoff menaced into view. Both were careful to keep even a fin from crossing the border-lines back into Atlantis where Titus¡¯ currents would sense them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± she grumped at the back of Kai¡¯s head, following as best she could. ¡°What about Cirrina, Kai? You don¡¯t think she¡¯d help the guards track us?¡±


    ¡°Cirrina has other things to deal with for the next few days¡ªat least, she had better,¡± Kai said darkly enough that Aya didn¡¯t pry further. ¡°As for helping the guards? There¡¯s not a chance in the trenches.¡±


    Then, Aya didn¡¯t have the breath to question him further as they sped toward the open emptiness of the dropoff.


    The dropoff shelf was a dramatic transition from where the lively reefs and rocky structure simply ended, and dropped into a nearly vertical slope. The familiar light blue hues of the waters she was familiar with deepend into rich shades of indigo and navy as any light left from the setting moon struggled to penetrate open ocean. Far too soon, they were swimming over the lip of an endless chasm, the walls of which would dwarf even the tallest mountains on land.


    Something about this place made her feel small and weak, and desperate not to be spotted. A cold shiver rippled down her spine and tail when they reached the edge, as the first tendrils of icy waters reached her scales. Instinctively, she shrunk closer to Kai¡¯s warm torso, wondering how he could be so unaffected, when a dark thought occurred to her.


    ¡°Kai, I¡¯m a mermaid,¡± she said, quieter than necessary. They were, afterall, completely alone out here.


    Kai barked a surprised laugh that echoed oddly over the empty water. The water before them swallowed sound as well as it did light. ¡°Yes, I¡¯d noticed. Something about the tail gives it away. The tail, the fins, the talent for cheek.¡± He poked the side of her face with one of his tentacles.


    Aya found herself rolling her eyes at him in an impetuous fashion.


    ¡°No, I mean, I¡¯m a mermaid. I can¡¯t survive in deep water. Even if we knew where to go, the pressure would kill me.¡± She put a hand to her ribs, her breath speeding up at the thought of miles of water crushing her, if the oxygen imbalance didn¡¯t do it first.


    ¡°Oh, do calm down, Aya. That¡¯s the least of our problems.¡± Kai didn¡¯t hold himself back from an eyeroll. ¡°Yes, there is a way for you to get to the depths. It¡¯d be pretty hard for Titus to marry off his daughter to its king if there wasn¡¯t a way for her to live there.¡±


    Kai was right. Sephina had an engagement contract already written up with King Cetus.


    ¡°The ambassador from the depths had to drink a potion just to come up so far from the surface¡ªand,¡± she recalled aloud, ¡°he had to keep drinking it throughout the ball. There¡¯s no way we could find ingredients to brew something out here, though¡­¡±


    As she stared into the abyssal blackness, her gills were finding it harder to take in water. If Kai hadn¡¯t pulled her back to his side, she might have stopped breathing altogether.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get suffocated and crushed, and then eaten by the monsters¡ª¡±


    There, Kai really did laugh. ¡°Monsters? What have they been teaching you in the palace? I said the depths were dangerous, Aya, not mythical.¡±


    She squirmed against the side of his vest enough to glare up at him.


    ¡°Okay, o great master of magic. How do you plan on getting us down there?¡±


    Kai raised one lofty silver brow. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, it wasn¡¯t a potion the ambassador was drinking, although he certainly didn¡¯t have to drink it all night. He¡¯d have been fine with a taste or a breath of it, and that should have lasted him the whole next day. I suspect he was doing that to be dramatic.¡±


    ¡°You think he wanted everyone to think his journey was much harder than it was.¡±


    ¡°Quite possibly,¡± said Kai, looking impressed. ¡°And, don¡¯t worry, any cecaelian can get to the depths. It¡¯s really the last safe haven for us.¡±


    Aya¡¯s heart twinged a bit at that.


    ¡°I will change that someday,¡± she promised without thinking, but even she didn¡¯t know if that promise really held water.


    Of her sisters she held the least power in the palace, and the thought that she would someday be able to change anything for real would have been laughable to anyone else, but Kai only accepted her claim with a solemn:


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that.¡±


    ¡°¡ªIf I¡¯m not in love with a sodding eel,¡± she amended.


    ¡°And I will change that,¡± he vowed with equal conviction.


    ¡°Right, well, I¡¯m still not cecalean,¡± she said, swimming closer again and nudging him with her elbow, ¡°so if you want to get rid of me, there are easier ways. How are we getting down there?¡±


    Kai made an odd puckering expression, and then blew a stream of black ink into the water from his mouth. Aya coughed when the dark cloud hit her face, swatting at him annoyedly, but Kai dodged and fixed her with a mischievous grin.


    ¡°Did you just spit on me?¡±


    ¡°Cecaelean ink will let your body adapt to any pressure, and let you breathe¡ªand as long as you have me near you, it¡¯s in relatively infinite supply. You should react to the pressures with as much natural protection as I do.¡±


    ¡°And here I thought it was only good for binding dubious magical contracts,¡± she cleared her throat, her gills struggling a moment with the black water, but as she breathed it in, her body warmed, and she grew more comfortable, and even without entering the pressured water, she already felt lighter.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know it¡¯s good for all sorts of dubious things,¡± said Kai, observing her progress with some satisfaction.


    At last, she smiled with him, and he let go of her entirely. On her own initiative, she leaned over the edge of the dropoff. Even with the new warmth surging through her veins, the looming darkness was intimidating, and she found herself edging back toward Kai. He was the only other thing besides her in the vast, open expanse. Something about the gaping trench reminded her of a colossal jawbone, ready to swallow her up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she breathed.


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d find you two here,¡± growled a voice from the arching reefs.


    Kai rounded on Adin much more calmly than Aya did.


    ¡°Adin, how did you find us?¡± Aya took in Adin¡¯s irritable scowl, and official regalia.


    He¡¯d chased them in the full uniform of her father¡¯s dayguard, complete with the green tunic of the Atlantean palace, protective breastplate and pauldrons, and a narrow spear the length of one of Kai¡¯s tentacles. He wasn¡¯t pointing the weapon at them¡ªbut only just. Adin¡¯s eyes were red-rimmed from too much salt exposure, and exertion.


    ¡°Just let her go, Kai¡± Adin snarled so viciously that Aya jumped back in confusion. She¡¯d never seen Adin this angry. ¡°And for that matter,¡± Adin continued, picking up speed in his rant. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just call for the guards, Princess Ayalina? I would have come? Do you know how easy it would have been to keep anyone you didn¡¯t want around from approaching you? We could have come! I could have come. All you had to do is shout! You didn¡¯t have to go and get kidnapped!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidnapped, Adin,¡± Aya scoffed in disbelief. Adin knew her. He knew Kai! ¡°You think that Kai would kidnap me?¡±


    ¡°I think Kai would do a lot of things,¡± Adin said dangerously.


    ¡°I¡¯m swimming here telling you that he didn¡¯t! He¡¯s helping me, Adin!¡±


    ¡°There you go, you¡¯ve heard it from the princess, herself,¡± said Kai, holding his hands up. He was still, even-toned, and controlled in the face of Adin¡¯s rage.


    ¡°I also heard you announce in front of hundreds of witnesses, just hours ago, that you were excited for your engagement! What¡¯s this change of heart? So soon? It¡¯s suspicious,¡± Adin growled. ¡°Aya, just come with me, and I¡¯ll return you to the palace. You can explain to the others what happened, and they¡¯ll call off the hunt. If we both vouch, then maybe Kai can get off easy.¡±


    With that, Adin made a grab for Aya¡¯s arm and tried to pull her away, but Kai quickly moved in front of her.


    Adin lowered his spear toward Kai.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t want to fight you, Kai, but I will.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not being kidnapped,¡± Aya repeated from behind Kai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And, I can¡¯t go with you! Kai¡¯s helping me break a curse the prince put on me! We don¡¯t have time for this!¡±


    ¡°You know what I think?¡± Adin¡¯s hands shook on the spearhandle, but he held its aim true toward Kai¡¯s upper heart. ¡°I think Kai is a mage, and Prince Ellian is from royal blood. If anyone potioned you to change your mind like this, Aya, who do you think is more likely to have done it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re accusing Kai?¡± Aya was starting to get angry.


    ¡°Adin,¡± Kai growled in front of her. It was a sound that vibrated through his torso under her fingers like a sliding stone. There was something wild about the sound that made Adin and Aya both flinch back. ¡°Be careful what you say. I¡¯ve been patient, but Aya really doesn¡¯t have time for this. Sunrise comes any minute, and the prince¡¯s spell takes hold again. We have to go.¡±


    Aya saw something steely and unfamiliar flash in Adin¡¯s expression, and the only warning for his actions was the grip he tightened on his spear.


    Adin lunged for Kai¡¯s chest, who neatly dodged, jerking Aya away with him.


    Adin let out a scream of frustration and swam for him again, faster this time. Aya gasped as Kai shoved her out of the way. Then, he caught the weapon and swatted Adin away as easily as if he were redirecting an errant salmon.


    ¡°If that blow had landed, you would have skewered through me, and Aya, too,¡± he said, his voice low and quiet. While I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a chance of you getting through me, I don¡¯t like risks, Adin,¡± Kai said again. It was a warning¡ªone that Adin ignored.


    He ripped the spear out of Kai¡¯s hand and lunged for him again. Aya stifled a gasp. Kai, however, hardly had to move. One of his tentacles shot out to grip the spear, inches before it could graze his skin, and another caught Adin around the waist. With a sleek flick that hardly seemed to cost him any effort, Kai flung Adin over the edge of the dropoff into an unseen current.


    ¡°Aaagh!¡±


    Before Aya had the time to breathe again, Adin was being dragged down into the murky darkness below.


    She stared after him, dumbstruck.


    ¡°What was that?¡± she stuttered.


    Kai tilted his head, as though it were obvious.


    ¡°Our trailhead.¡±


    The trailhead is a violent magical current, she thought. Okay.


    ¡°He is your guard. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t mind scouting ahead,¡± Kai said, following her gaze.


    ¡°I saw the blue lines show up when the current took him, but they¡¯ve all disappeared. I can¡¯t see any magic there, now. How did you know that current was there?¡± Aya said quietly, still staring at the spot where Adin had disappeared.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± said Kai.


    Folding her arms over her blouse, Aya willed her glaze to do the scolding for her.


    ¡°I guessed,¡± he amended. ¡°I did say I knew where to start, yes?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said with a shaky laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s find Adin.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find you a cure.¡±


    Kai fastened her to him with one arm before the current could take them, gentlemanly enough to protect her face and eyes from the pounding waters. Together, they entered the current, and let it spin them downward, sucking them down into the blackness.

 Chapter 15: Kai

    Two hours past sunrise¡­


    It seemed that even in the eye of a magical current, vestiges of sunlight could still reach them, because at the moment of dawn, the love-potion took down Aya¡¯s sensibilities like a shark in a carp-fight.


    ¡°You son of a lop-gilled trout!¡± Aya shrieked, trying her best to swim away from him, and though her efforts weren¡¯t much more than an inconvenience to him, he was somewhat relieved when she seemed to be running out of energy.


    ¡°I¡¯m cecaelian,¡± he said dryly.


    ¡°That¡¯s worse!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± he said, his voice sounding bland, even to himself. Two tentacles fastened firmly to her tail, he didn¡¯t have to do much to keep her moving forward with him, but the screeching was beginning to grate on his sensitive ears. Two hours after the sun¡¯s ascent, and Aya still hadn¡¯t run out of insults to throw at him. It was actually rather impressive. Not twenty four hours before, he wouldn¡¯t have thought her capable of the things she¡¯d been saying¡ªnot that he was paying her much attention anymore.


    After the sunrise, she¡¯d been confused:


    ¡°Why are we here? You¡¯re helping me? Are we going to see my Ellian?¡± The questions had been endless.


    Then she¡¯d been love-lorn:


    ¡°Wait until you see him, the way he swishes his tail¡ª¡±


    ¡°He hardly has one,¡± Kai had said, unable to help himself.


    ¡°His eyes look like treasure,¡± she¡¯d cooed.


    ¡°They are a virulent, diseased orange,¡± he¡¯d said.


    ¡°Every bit of him looks delicious. I could just¡ª¡±


    ¡°Spare me,¡± he¡¯d pleaded, something in his lower stomach curdling at the thought of what she might say on that subject.


    Then, probably because of his comments, she¡¯d been mopey:


    ¡°We¡¯ve been in this current for hours,¡± she¡¯d whined.


    ¡°One hour, forty-seven minutes,¡± he¡¯d corrected.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired¡­ Why am I so tired? Will you please just carry me?¡±


    ¡°Princess, you are perfectly capable of swimming on your own,¡± he¡¯d said.


    Then she¡¯d tried to be charming:


    ¡°Please? You look so strong. I bet you¡¯d hardly notice.¡± She¡¯d stopped fighting his pulling her along, then, and tried climbing into his arms on her own. His innards gave a nasty tug as he forced her away.


    ¡°Princess, a gentleman would keep his distance from you as much as possible while you¡¯re under the influence of this curse.¡±


    And after that, as much as possible, forever, he¡¯d promised himself, although there was some internal dissension at that thought¡ªwhich he promptly ignored.


    At last, she was angry¡ªoh, so angry. It would have been highly entertaining had his ears not been quite so sensitive, and in such close quarters to the noisy little mermaid.


    ¡°I was offering you an honor,¡± she snapped, all pretense of charm evaporated like so much cauldron steam. ¡°My prince would die for the opportunity to do the same!¡±


    ¡°I do so hope he does,¡± Kai muttered fervently.


    ¡°Who would say that sort of thing, you horrible tentacled minnow!¡± she exclaimed, having overheard him.


    His mouth quirked.


    ¡°I¡¯m a bit bigger than a minnow. We¡¯re going to have to work on your insults.¡±


    She rose to the occasion.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had better company that crawled out from under shipwrecks! You¡¯re the kind of scum even crabs avoid!¡±


    ¡°If only,¡± he said, his thoughts casting back to Herb and Frank. ¡°Try again, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Hagfish wouldn¡¯t swim through your messes!¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°That was better. The messes I make would probably turn a hagfish all sorts of colors. Cauldron fumes do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re slimier than an eel in heat!¡± she snarled.


    He rolled his eyes. ¡°The irony.¡±


    Words nearly failed her in her rage.


    ¡°Bring me to my prince! Where is Ellian? Let! Me! Go!¡±


    Dragging her by the tail with a pair of tentacles as she struggled, the other six propelled them forward, and his arms kept them balanced only through great difficulty. At this rate, he was actually considering devoting two of those six to plugging his ears as they swam.


    Aya tried with admirable effort to get free. Eventually, they were going to catch up with Adin, who seemed to have been sucked much farther along the direction of the curving, tunneling current. It was lucky for the young merman that they¡¯d been so close to the current¡¯s entrance when he¡¯d decided to interfere. Kai didn¡¯t have the time for a drawn-out fight, and he would have hated to actually harm Adin¡ªeven if he was acting like a complete loach.


    After what felt like an eternity, the current at last spat them out onto a barren sandy bank. It wasn¡¯t as deep as the Depths would be, and, to Kai¡¯s eyes, certainly wasn¡¯t as dark. Very faint sunlight still streamed from overhead. If Kai had to guess, he would say they weren¡¯t more than one or two leagues down. Squinting in every direction, there was nothing in the way of interest. Every few feet or so, scattered dead seaweed lay lifeless in the still sand, and there was the occasional pebble, but there were no other signs of life in the empty, shadowy waters.


    Aya muttered something that sounded like another insult.


    ¡°Yes, Princess,¡± he said absentmindedly, searching the ground before them, and towing Aya in the direction the current had spat them. It wasn¡¯t long before his efforts were rewarded.


    ¡°Castrated over-baked catfish!¡± she said a little louder.


    ¡°Language, princess,¡± he chided distantly. ¡°We have company.¡±


    ¡°What is that?¡± She took a break from her scalding remarks for the question.


    Kai spotted Adin near the base of a lone monolith looming thirty feet out of the silt. It was dim enough that he was surprised Aya could see, until he remembered that his ink would have adjusted more than just her blood and her breathing¡ªand Adin was clearly in need of the same.


    The merman clung to the rocky structure for dear life, eyes darting in every direction. The poor guppy probably thought he¡¯d gone blind.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Kai said quietly, as they approached the statue and Adin.


    Adin, still gripping his spear for dear life, flinched back at the sound of Kai¡¯s voice, and Kai fought an aggravated sigh as he summoned enough ink to fill Adin¡¯s gills. Likely, Adin wouldn¡¯t appreciate what he¡¯d done, but he also wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of here on his own without it. Annoying or not, Adin was a friend to Kai¡ªat least, he had been.


    Ejecting enough ink to darken the water around Adin¡¯s face, Kai waited through the young merman¡¯s coughing and spluttering until at last, his eyes refocused, and his breathing grew less labored.


    ¡°Better?¡± Kai asked.


    Adin shuddered, and nodded.


    ¡°Convinced I¡¯m not trying to hurt you?¡± He pulled back from Adin to give him room to take in their barren surroundings.


    It seemed that though his vision had returned, Adin still had to squint to see Kai and Aya right in front of him.


    No, Kai realized. That was just suspicion.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Adin said, though he still gripped his spear in terror.


    ¡°Adin?¡± Aya gasped, changing direction as she struggled in Kai¡¯s tentacles. ¡°Adin is that you? You¡¯re a guard! What are you doing? Get me away from him! Can¡¯t you see he¡¯s trying to keep me from my fiance?¡±


    ¡°I am, indeed,¡± Kai admitted bluntly.


    Adin looked between Kai and Aya,, gripping his spear to his chest as though scandalized.


    ¡°Um, Aya¡­¡± Adin stammered.


    He was clearly still shaken from the twisting, writhing waters of the current that had brought them down here. Without sight or decent instinct, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to balance himself as well as Kai, and was probably nursing a dizziness headache. Though his confusion made Adin less aggressive, he wasn¡¯t exactly friendly, either.


    ¡°Well?¡± Aya snapped again. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there, Adin! Distract him! Fight him! Get me back to the surface!¡±


    Kai hadn¡¯t heard Aya this angry since she was much younger, and had tried to confront a group of bullies on her own¡ªthey¡¯d backed off of course, once they¡¯d learned who she was, but that didn¡¯t stop them from laughing and jeering at her tears.


    ¡°Not like her to order you around like this, is it?¡± Kai said dryly, watching Adin blink at the sight of her. His surprise was on full display as Aya¡¯s agitation grew worse.


    ¡°He¡¯s my guard! I¡¯ll order him around if I like!¡± she snapped. ¡°And he¡¯ll obey like a good citizen¡ªunlike you, Kai! Have you forgotten who I am?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­at your service, princess,¡± said Adin obediently, but he didn''t try to attack Kai again, even on his princess¡¯s orders.


    Slowly, Kai sat down next to Adin where he still clung to the base of the rocky monolith. Adin tensed at Kai¡¯s proximity, and he found himself raising an imperious brow down at him. Even up at the dropoff, Kai had never hurt Adin, and the guppy didn¡¯t have any reason to believe he would.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not convinced I don¡¯t want to hurt you, I¡¯m sure you can at least believe that something¡¯s been tampering with her head. Believe me, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to make her like this while we were in that current,¡± Kai said quietly. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t think it was the prince who did, you have to know it wasn¡¯t me, Adin.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with me! I¡¯m just tired! Take. Me. Home!¡± Aya insisted again, waggling a weak finger at Adin¡¯s nose. She thrashed her tail hard, but since Kai¡¯s tentacles still had ahold of her tailfins, all her efforts only served to throw her hair in her face, which she swatted at indignantly.


    Kai ignored her, wondering just how badly the potion was affecting her if she thought the trembling young guard before her could do anything about her situation in these dark waters. It wasn¡¯t just ridiculous, it was completely unfair to Adin, who, considering his worship of the royal positions, probably thought he actually could do something. Kai pushed his fingertips to his forehead, feeling a familiar throb in his temple.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find her a cure.¡± Against his better instincts, Kai kept his voice gentle, willing Adin to understand him. It wouldn¡¯t kill the guard if Kai just left him here and came back for him, but there was the distinct possibility that he would wander off¡ªwhich certainly would kill him so far from the city. The last thing Kai needed was more damage to his conscience. ¡°In three days, whether or not this is fixed, I will return you and Aya to the surface waters safely. You have my word. However; it will be fixed,¡± he said fiercely. ¡°Then, whether or not Princess Ayalina wants to marry the eel, it will at least be her choice.¡±


    Adin¡¯s grip on his spear tightened like he was planning on strangling the little weapon. He cleared his throat, and put on a naively brave face.


    ¡°Sorry, Kai, but I still don¡¯t believe you. Why does something tell me you had something to do with this?¡± The merman must have been neglect of his senses, because he decided scowling at Kai was a good idea.


    Kai ground at the rock under his tentacles, fighting for patience.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do it anyway, Adin, because you need me alive and willing to give you ink if you want to survive the pressure and the darkness in these trenches¡ªlike it or not. And Adin,¡± Kai warned, baring his teeth a little closer to Adin¡¯s face than necessary. ¡°If you could barely touch me with that little stick, what on earth makes you think you can fend off the things that live down here?¡±


    That at least had an effect.


    Adin paled, and though he didn¡¯t let it go, he shot a panicked glance between his spear and the endless open water around them. Evidently getting wrung out by a magical current hadn¡¯t robbed Adin of all sense.


    ¡°Are you even listening, Adin? I didn¡¯t want to report your negligence to Pastian, and I won¡¯t, but only if you get me out of here¡ª¡± Aya started again.


    One of Kai¡¯s tentacles shot out and wrapped itself around Aya¡¯s mouth. He winced when she bit him, but her little teeth couldn¡¯t do much damage, and it hurt less than listening to her protests another minute.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that, Princess,¡± Kai growled. ¡°Adin?¡±


    Adin rose shakily from his seat on the murky sand, and steadied himself on the statue. ¡°Looks like I have to go with you. More the better, actually,¡± he said at last. Still trembling, he straightened himself. ¡°Princess Ayalina, I can¡¯t get you out of here alone, but I promise to escort and chaperone you both until we¡¯re safely back to Atlantis.¡±


    Adin punctuated his pledge with a fist across his heart in salute.


    ¡°Many thanks,¡± said Kai, resisting an eyeroll. He pushed himself up as well, disting the silt from his vest. ¡°Now that we¡¯re all on the same lovely quest, let¡¯s figure out where we¡¯re going, shall we?¡±


    As Adin and Aya both gave him a welcome¡ªalbeit forced¡ªsilence, Kai rose several feet in the water to see the whole monolith, which he now saw wasn¡¯t made of rock at all.


    He shivered as he circled the statue, and it took the shape of a colossal, twisted tentacle, frozen as if reaching out from the abyss. At its peak, it was tall enough to reach the waters where the sunlight just struggled to reach, somehow pulling just enough light down its surface to reveal sucker discs the size of dining tables. Carved with meticulous and almost lifelike detail, the stone tentacle¡¯s surface was marred by colonies of barnacles and gnathlids that might have taken centuries to build up.


    Nothing Cirrina had told him hinted at anything like this, and though he knew there was a possibility his information had holes, he¡¯d trusted in his ability to follow the scent of magic like those that had pointed him to the first current. This statue was ominous and cold, so devoid of magic or life aside from the colonies that dotted its surface, that Kai was thoroughly flummoxed. The tentacle pointed straight up, so that wasn¡¯t the clue. It faced the opposite way of where they¡¯d came. That seemed too direct, somehow¡­


    Why would this path need to be traveled by a cecaelian? Where was the clue?


    ¡°Princess, I¡¯ve been bitten by things with sharper teeth than you. I¡¯m not letting go, so stop that; it¡¯s distracting,¡± he muttered, swimming another lap around the tentacle statue¡¯s circumference.


    It wasn¡¯t until Aya switched from biting to poking him that he glanced over to her, and saw that she was pointing at the upper side of the statue, where odd shapes were stuck out from beneath a particularly thick colony of barnacles.


    ¡°Cirripedia and Sessilia, Princess,¡± he said, with a sigh. ¡°Those barnacles aren¡¯t anything like you haven¡¯t seen before.¡±


    Mouth still covered, the princess responded with a huff and folded arms.


    He swam another lap. She poked him again, pointing to the same place.


    ¡°Fine,¡± he groaned, reaching for a branch of the crusty creatures.


    With considerable effort, Kai scraped off a thicker chunk of the barnacles, and handed some to the princess, who cringed away from them, still pointing. Then, he saw why.


    Kai didn¡¯t want to know the sorts of things she¡¯d say about his intelligence at the moment. Now that he saw it, it seemed so obvious.


    A carved set of letters that had been hacked into the stone, and Kai knew they¡¯d found their clue. The trouble was, that none of the letters were legible, all too faded to be read.


    Aya poked him again.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Aya mimed blowing something onto the letters, and he understood. Screwing up his lips, he blew a stream of ink onto the words, and they lit up on contact, glowing a faint blue. They didn¡¯t have their own magic, then. They¡¯d needed some of his.


    Clever.


    Each word awakened with a brighter glow as he read them aloud:


    Alle ye who seek saftye, follow my hands, eight.


    I pointe for those who new lives make.


    In shadows cast by moonlit skies,


    Beware deceit in friendly eyes.


    In depths below, I lie unseen,


    Where siecrets of the seas convene.


    Start your path, my arm to mark,


    Leave me, and embrace the dark.


    ¡°What in the trenches does that mean?¡± Kai hissed aloud. ¡°Cirrina said any cecaelian could find the Depths. This should be magical¡ªintuitive! It¡¯s anything but!¡±


    ¡°It sounds like it¡¯s trying to get us to just¡­swim into the dark,¡± Adin said nervously from below. He hadn¡¯t yet left his perch at the base of the statue. ¡°Maybe another one of the currents will pick us up if we just swim into the blackest part?¡±


    ¡°I think that sounds like a great way to die,¡± Kai growled. ¡°Currents like that don¡¯t just take you. You have to enter them on purpose.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t enter it on purpose!¡± Adin pointed out.


    ¡°Oh, there was purpose,¡± Kai growled under his breath.


    He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and almost didn¡¯t notice the exasperated bubbles snorting from Aya¡¯s nose.


    There was nothing for it.


    ¡°I suppose you have something to say, Princess?¡± he asked.


    Under his tentacle, she nodded.


    ¡°How tragic. You¡¯ve already said enough for a week, I think,¡± he grumped, and turned away, setting back to his pacing.


    This riddle¡ªthis instruction¡ªwas designed for someone like him. Even if it wasn¡¯t intuitive, he should be able to figure this out with enough time. Having Aya insult him more would be a noisy distraction, and while that wasn¡¯t directly harmful, her shrieking could summon all sorts of creatures to this place, now that the words had been activated.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­¡± he muttered. ¡°There¡¯s a warning in that first part, but that¡¯s pretty much a given down here. It doesn¡¯t seem to give any directions until the last part, but none of them actually make sense.¡±


    Aya had drifted close enough to poke him in the side, and he swatted her away.


    ¡°Unseen, where the seas convene? Some kind of oceanic border? But we were hundreds of miles away from the nearest one¡­that can¡¯t be the entrance. It has to be closer than that¡ª¡±


    She poked him again.


    ¡°It couldn¡¯t just point the way? Everything is dark down here!¡± said Adin.


    He wasn¡¯t fighting Kai anymore, but his whining wasn¡¯t helpful.


    At this rate, Kai was going to fail the first test, and they wouldn¡¯t even make it an eighth of the way there. Cirrina had never mentioned anything like this in her journals and drunken rants, which meant she¡¯d never been down here before, and if that was the case¡­he didn¡¯t know anyone who could help them.


    Aya¡¯s poking was getting more insistent.


    ¡°What, Princess?¡± Kai finally snapped at her. Before she could make a permanent indent in his ribcage, he caught her hand, and gave her his full attention.


    Aya was pointing from the last verse of the rhymes to the base of the statue, then to the left, and back again. Kai squinted at her.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sitting here until your guards come looking. You do realize that unless your father personally visited this trench with the bident, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sense you down here?¡±


    Aya only rolled her eyes at him and pointed to the tentacle over her mouth.


    ¡°I think not,¡± he said wryly. ¡°As much as I enjoy soliloquy, I¡¯m afraid I still have a headache from your last batch.¡±


    She glared, and resumed her pointing.


    At last, he sighed. ¡°What, you think you could do better?¡±


    She matched his glare, and for the first time since the sunrise, she looked like herself¡ªbut not enough for Kai to want to uncover her mouth.


    ¡°Where seas collide¡­¡± Kai muttered, and immediately, Aya pointed straight down. ¡°You think it¡¯s a direction? We can¡¯t swim into the silt.¡±


    She pointed down again.


    ¡°South?¡± he guessed, and she nodded. ¡°South, as in where the oceans convene¡­the abyss. I suppose that make sense. And the rest?¡±


    She pointed left.


    ¡°West,¡± he said flatly. ¡°Why west?¡±


    She indicated the faint sunlight above, and pointed left again. It took him longer to understand her motions this time. He gave some serious consideration to ungagging Aya, but the thought of having to re-gag her, or the danger they¡¯d be in if she did start yelling again was something he planned on saving as  alast resort.


    ¡°West as in¡­.away from the sun? That would be toward the darkness,¡± he mused, but nothing happened.


    At that, she jabbed him again in the ribs.


    ¡°Ach!¡± He jumped, and pulled her tail as far away from him as she would go¡ªnot far enough that she wouldn¡¯t be able to reach him, but enough not to do any more damage. ¡°That finger could do more damage than your guards¡¯ spears,¡± he complained, swatting at her hand.


    She caught at it, and slid her hand into his palm and up his pointer-finger. Guiding him by the hand, she traced the directions again.


    ¡°South¡­west,¡± he said, following her finger. ¡°South-west.¡±


    At his words, there was a horrible grinding sound, and with a great shudder, the stone tentacle began to move.


    Kai flinched back, pulling Aya with him before the statue could knock them sideways as it changed shape, belding and twisting in the water like it really was alive.  He didn¡¯t hear Adin¡¯s cries of alarm until the stone stopped moving.


    ¡°What was that?¡± he was shrieking. ¡°It moved! The whole statue moved!¡±


    Kai examined the statue¡¯s new position.The tip of the tentacle had gyrated on a pivot both mechanical and magical to point at what Kai could only assume was south-west. As he watched, a single blue line of magic traced its way through the darkness, marking the way.


    ¡°Can you see that?¡± he voiced.


    ¡°The new direction? Yes,¡± Adin said, clearly not seeing their new beacon.


    Aya, however, nodded, and made another attempt at pushing off the tentacle over her mouth.


    He gave her a wry smile. ¡°Not until sundown.¡±


    Adin darted back and forth from the base of the tentacle, apparently looking for seams, or mechanical workings. He even slapped the statue ones or twice, as though still unconvinced that it was real.


    ¡°How did that happen? The statue moved, did you see it?¡± Adin asked, gasping.


    Kai tugged the drifting princess back, and ushered Adin around toward the light, grimacing.


    ¡°It was hard to miss. Come on, Adin. The instructions said there are seven more of these, and we have days to make a journey that should take weeks. I can¡¯t imagine they¡¯re going to get any easier.¡±


    ¡°Instructions?¡± Adin was the picture of shock and confusion, and for once, he didn¡¯t argue with him. Kai could live with that.


    ¡°Hm.¡±


    Kai led the way forward along the trail of light a dozen feet, and then a hundred. Swallowed by the blackening water, they were just out of sight of the statue when Kai saw it¡ªthe end of the beacon was marked by a single, shining bead. Just like before, he grabbed Adin by the tail the way he had done with Aya, and he grabbed it.


    In a much more violent pull than the last current, it took them.

 Chapter 16: Ezra

    The Palace Throne Room, Hours after Princess¡¯ Ayalina¡¯s Escape¡­


    ¡°No, your highness, I have no idea where Princess Ayalina might have been taken. The cecaelian who took her certainly wasn¡¯t one of mine.¡±


    Ezra met the steel in the High King¡¯s wrathful glare with bows and curled tentacles¡ªthe picture of innocence. It was usually so easy to ease the king¡¯s mind into submission, but tonight¡ªtonight he had never seen the king so angry.


    The vast throne room was almost claustrophobic in the darkness of night, its usual grand elegance haunting, which Ezra found quite to his taste¡ªminus one murderous, senile old mer-man. The marble columns looming over the throne cast shadows under High King Titus¡¯s eyes that underlined his fatigue, though a spark had returned to them that Ezra had been working so carefully to dull.


    ¡°My currents can no longer reach her! There has to be some spell involved!¡± Titus bellowed, clanging the bident on the floor. It shot sparks at Ezra¡¯s tentacles, sending them, and himself skittering back. There was accusation in the king¡¯s eyes. Ezra tugged on the chain around his neck, urging the black pendant to reach into the High King¡¯s mind.


    This wouldn¡¯t be the first time he would wriggle out from under the king¡¯s temper unscathed; however, with a little good fortune, and a little magic, it might just be the last.


    Ezra smiled ever so slightly at that thought, turning his face away from the king to avoid provocation.


    ¡°A spell that could circumvent the power of your bident, highness?¡± Ezra drawled, polishing another of the amulets on his chest so as to not draw attention to the one that mattered. ¡°Such a spell does not exist.¡±


    ¡°Every cecaelian left in this ocean is one of your subjects!¡± Titus snapped. ¡°My guards say that her kidnapper wasn¡¯t much older than the princess, herself! Who is he?¡±


    Ezra bowed his head, hating every moment of reverence he was forced to show this tyrant. Granted, there were only a few thousand cecaelia left in the oceans, but the High King expected to know them all? By name? The hypocrisy was almost laughable.


    ¡°My sources say that he was trying to enter the palace as a citizen of Atlantis, my king. He has no connection to my kingdom.¡±


    Titus growled. ¡°Convenient all this, wouldn¡¯t you say, Ezra? You¡¯ve placed yourself within my palace, and the night my daughter rejects your proposed suitor, she also disappears? With what looked to all of my guards like one of your men.¡±


    Ezra reeled, swallowing a snarl of his own. He of course knew that the princess hadn¡¯t been keen on the prince at dinner¡ªanyone with ears would have known that, but that she was considering rejecting him after the engagement was announced was news to him. If there was anything Ezra hated, it was receiving crucial details too late.


    He supposed he should have been more suspicious. He¡¯d sent young prince Ellian to Cirrina as a favor. In his letter, he¡¯d instructed the sea-witch to remove that disgusting blemish from his face, and perhaps pour him a glass of liquid charm. Clearly, Cirrina had succeeded on at least one of those counts. When the engagement was announced, he¡¯d assumed he¡¯d finally followed her instructions. Suspicions piqued, now unfortunately wasn¡¯t the time to speculate. He would have to question the prince, later.


    ¡°I was under the impression that the engagement had already been announced, my king,¡± he said through clenched teeth. For a shining moment, he¡¯d thought that Princess Ayalina had either listened to his advice and gained herself a valuable pawn.


    Losing your strategy again, princess?


    ¡°The princess rejected the proposal? How can that be?¡± he asked instead.


    ¡°And isn¡¯t that suspicious as well, Ezra?¡±


    Ezra¡¯s eyes widened, noticing that none of the guards in the room dared look his way. He placed a hand on the black amulet on his chest, searching for the magic he¡¯d bargained for. It was still there, pulsing and jittering normally under his palm. He pushed his magic into it, directing it at the king¡¯s ire, at his rage, at his suspicion, but Titus didn¡¯t back into his throne. He didn¡¯t allow the fatigue to take him like before. Instead, he gripped the shaft of the bident, and the temperature in the room rose a few degrees.


    It wasn¡¯t working¡ªand this had never happened before. In his desperation to find his missing daughter, the king was fighting the pull of his persuasion, magical and otherwise.


    ¡°I am at your service, my king,¡± said Ezra. ¡°I simply don¡¯t know¡ª¡±


    Chief Pastian entered the room, sparing Ezra from the invention of a weak excuse. For once, Ezra was happy to give way to the noisy soldier.


    ¡°My King!¡± Pastian announced, clanking in his armor as he gave a bowed salute. Three of the night guard followed in his wake, heads held low. By the looks of Pastian¡¯s drooping fins and  bedraggled uniforms, they¡¯d been out half the night. Ezra scowled.


    Perhaps, he thought disdainfully, if they hadn¡¯t given up so quickly, then they would have succeeded in tracking her down. And perhaps if they¡¯d condescended to ask for help from his own men, they¡¯d have had a chance of catching the princess-thief. Pastian¡¯s incompetence knows no bounds¡­


    ¡°Pastian!¡± Titus barked, momentarily distracted. ¡°What news?¡±


    Ezra did his best to melt into the shadows as the night guard chief gave his report.


    ¡°Since our return, I have rallied a larger search party from the militia, and city watch. Captain Kael is ready to deploy with your permission, my king.¡±


    ¡°Permission given,¡± said the king. His anger melted into simple intensity as his attention shifted to Pastian and the evident fatigue of his guards. ¡°Any other news? Do we know nothing of her kidnapper?¡±


    ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± Pastian said, looking uncomfortable.


    ¡°Speak!¡±


    ¡°During the ball, we arrested a cecaelian who seemed to have objections to the Prince Ellian and Princess Aya¡¯s union. He was escorted out of the event, of course, and presumably down to the lockboxes.¡±


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t I informed of this?¡± the king demanded, voicing the same question that was on Ezra¡¯s mind.


    A cecaelian intruder? Who would have the brainless guts to break into a royal event for so little reward?


    ¡°Bring the intruder to me!¡± Titus ordered, bident glowing in his fist.


    Pastian shrunk under the order. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s not possible, my king. The intruder is no longer in the palace.¡±


    ¡°How is that possible? The lockboxes should be inescapable!¡±


    There, Titus shot an accusatory glance at Ezra, who deftly avoided his gaze in favor of glaring at Pastian.


    Indeed, how had the prisoner escaped?


    ¡°The guard who escorted him, presumably to the prisons, has been missing since the initial chase. I¡¯ve just been informed by the doorguard that the cecaelian in question was never incarcerated.¡±


    Titus¡¯s frustration was starting to boil the water over his crown.


    ¡°Release a warrant for him too, then. Where is Marlin?¡±


    Ezra hadn¡¯t noticed his absence before, but now that the king mentioned it, the whole conversation had been devoid of the old turtle¡¯s annoying remarks.


    Oh, how much more refreshing he¡¯d be as a soup, Ezra pined briefly.


    ¡°Still out searching,¡± Pastian reported.


    It had been reasonable for Pastian to return to the palace for more guards to expand his radius, but while Titus was lucid, his rage was heating up the water in the throne room, degree by uncomfortable degree. When his tentacles began to burn at the ends, Ezra tapped at the pendant again, urging it to calm the king down¡ªto make him more reasonable. Again, no response.


    Eris!


    ¡°Then follow him!¡± Titus ordered, the picture of the warring king he¡¯d been so many years ago. It was truly impressive how quickly the guards fled the room at his words. ¡°And you, Ezra! Take your guards and join them! Search every shadowy hidey-hole and under every rock! I don¡¯t care what force you need to use against the one who took her. Find them. Now!¡±


    Ezra tipped the king an ironic bow, and as the king ordered, summoned his own men from the shadows of the throne room. Although the High King knew they were there, it never failed to amuse the way he jumped when they appeared¡ªit was Ezra¡¯s only recompense for the silt mire that this night was turning out to be.


    Ezra didn¡¯t waste time getting himself and his men out of the boiling throne room. The moon had set, and the waters around the palace were at their darkest.


    ¡°Find the turtle, first,¡± he ordered the five cecaelian guards he had been able to spare from the retinue at the Kuroshio palace. They spilled first into the cool hallways, quiet, and ready for a hunt. ¡°He¡¯ll know more than Titus¡¯ imbeciles.¡±


    ¡°And you, my king?¡± There was no ranking system among the cecaelia like Titus¡¯ guards managed. There were no captains, chiefs, generals, and commanders. Hierarchy was determined by power, and by combat. The guard who addressed him was bigger than Ezra, and probably had more natural magic, therefore he felt comfortable questioning his ¡®king.¡¯


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Ezra scowled. ¡°I have an errand to run.¡±


    ¡°An errand?¡±


    Ezra twisted a finger around the pendant and channeled every scrap of rage, betrayal, and desperation he had left through the little bit of metal. Days, or even hours before, that much effort would have been enough to make his men scuttle away begging for mercy. Now, it only silenced them, leaving the sparks of rebellion and bloodlust in their cold stares entirely intact.


    ¡°Find the princess before she gets taken in by Titus¡¯ men, and our kingdom falls to shambles,¡± he demanded. ¡°Now.¡±


    Ezra¡¯s retinue left him, teeth bared and hissing, but they left.


    ¡°Oh my¡­¡± whispered a voice from the curtains in the vast hallway. ¡°How the High King has been angered. You seem to have failed, Ezzzra.¡±


    ¡°The only one who has failed is you, Eris.¡± Ezra whirled away from the shadow and flung himself down the hall, searching for the ambassadors¡¯ quarters.


    ¡°So touchy¡­¡± the voice laughed at him from a window adjacent to his path. It followed him from under a decorative chair, behind a statue of Titus that decorated the passage, and then the little shades cast by a chandelier, until every nook and shadow was mocking him.


    ¡°Are you going to admit to that blatant, petty bit of sabotage in the throne room, Eris?¡± he snapped at one of the curtains as he billowed past. ¡°Is this how you tell me you¡¯ve reneged on our deal?¡±


    ¡°Your power depends entirely on progress, little king. If it is slipping, mayhaps your plans are as well.¡±


    ¡°Nothing about this slows down my plans,¡± Ezra growled to the nearest shadow.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± the shadow hissed back. ¡°The little princess is missing, not dead. However will you claim the bident now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m working on it,¡± he promised darkly, and with that, turned the final corridor, and swept himself quietly into his own rooms.


    King Ezra ghosted past Adriatta¡¯s sleeping form as he moved through his own accomodations, and into the luxurious private wash room. Between the large, sheeted mirrors and the coral commode, a large claw-footed bathtub waited for him. Lighting a small flameless fire under the bathtub, he began to produce bootlegged ingredients hidden around the room. From under tiles, vanity drawers, and among the many perfume bottles his wife never used, everything he needed was sorted in moments. There were times that having ten arms had its advantages. His solution needed to be brewed before dawn, and there were mere hours left.


    As he worked, he had the distinct feeling that he was still being watched. Ezra tracked the slippery shadow¡¯s unnatural movement as it shifted under the sheets and towels, making even innocuous bathware seem sinister.


    ¡°I had clearly underestimated the dunderheadedness of my pawn. However, I assure you he is not the only pawn, nor is he crucial to our success,¡± he said conversationally, careful to keep his voice low enough not to wake Adriatta.


    Eventually, the whispering voice that followed him through the hallways spoke to him from a dark stain in the back of the linen cases.


    ¡°Our success?¡± the voice had moved to a shadow behind one of the mirrors, sounding as though it were spitting angrily. ¡°This plan of yours is springing leaks, King Ezra.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to come out so we can speak face to face, or will I be brewing this and talking to my spoon?¡±


    The shadow seemed to deliberate a moment before responding.


    ¡°The mirror,¡± it said at last.


    The bathroom mirror immediately flooded with writhing gray and blue shapes, and in them, the image of the sea-devil Eris took form. Her body was a distorted amalgamation of leathery skin that absorbed any trace of light that came near it. Instead of hair, Eris¡¯ head had a mass of tendrils, twisting and writhing as though they had some sinister agenda of their own. Long, spindly fingers gave the nightmarish impression that she was a moving, living fishing lure¡ªthe kind designed for nighttime hunts. From a distance she could have passed for a beautiful human woman. Up close, she was an otherworldly nightmare, designed to unsettle and deceive.


    ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Ezra said, carefully avoiding her eyes as he poured vials and powders into the heated tub. ¡°Having a nice evening, Eris?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me¡ªnot tonight!¡± Eris raged, her voice no longer a whisper. Her voice slithered through the washroom like a living thing, making the tips of his tentacles stand on end. ¡°The Aegeans are ripe for an uproar. This prince is the last of their hopes for a peaceful alliance. An eclipse is coming that will undo much of the ocean¡¯s magic, and you are not prepared for the chaos. The last white eclipse nearly undid all of the work I¡¯d slaved for in the Kuroshio region. Why do I sense you are about to repeat the mistakes of the first war?¡±


    ¡°I am aware of the eclipse,¡± Ezra said cooly, reaching for a perfume bottle in which he¡¯d smuggled blue-ring toxin.


    ¡°Are you? That is surprising.¡± Eris actually sounded impressed.


    Ayalina¡¯s predictions might be the thing to save him.


    Ezra kept his fingers purposefully relaxed on his ladle¡¯s handle, but inside was seething.


    The Aegean bordered the Kuroshio territory, and over the years relations with its king had been tense at best, and murderous at worst. It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d caught Ellian on an unauthorized hunting party in his territory that he¡¯d had any hope for a future with the Aegeans.


    The future king of the Aegean sea had proved more malleable than its present ruler. Ezra had stricken a deal. In exchange for rule over all of the Kuroshio territory once Adriatta inherited the Atlantean throne, Ellian would persuade Princess Ayalina to marry him. Princess Ayalina, the last princess unspoken for in Titus¡¯ plans, and the last princess standing between himself, and his wife¡¯s inheritance. With her name siphoned away from the kingdom and bound to another, Adriatta would be the first choice of the ¡®bound¡¯ Atlantean daughters to inherit.


    Ezra hadn¡¯t just come to the palace to convince High King Titus to allow Ellian to begin a suit for Ayalina. He had come to speed along Adriatta¡¯s inheritance. Two decades had passed of the ¡®purges,¡¯ begun by Titus, but only last year had Ezra been informed how many cecaelian lives those purges had claimed.


    Titus was killing magic folk at a prodigious rate.


    Ezra turned murderous at the thought. After so much sacrifice, it was as though the war had never ended.


    Now, instead of witnessing the signing of a marriage contract, he was in the precarious position of convincing a sea-devil that his deal with her was still valid¡ªsomething that was going to be difficult if his emotions got away from him.


    ¡°My purpose was to have the princesses out of the palace before the eclipse. I have done it. I might add that I¡¯ve done it with the added bonus of removing Titus¡¯s protection from the bounds of the inner city,¡± he said confidently.


    Ezra paused to lower the heat burning under the tub¡¯s claw-feet.


    ¡°As for repeating the mistakes made during the war, if I had received the Inkthral lance from you as we¡¯d discussed, I¡¯d have taken power much sooner. A broken pendant is hardly a fair trade.¡±


    ¡°The lance belongs to Fate, not I¡± Eris scolded, twisting around in the mirror. Though she stayed in view, she was clearly restless, moving from one pane of polished glass to the next. ¡°If an heir of Poseidon were to reveal himself with that lance, your people would follow him, it¡¯s true, but the bident is powerful enough to combat it. You can still be the hero of prophecy. You can still claim the throne.¡±


    ¡°You believe in the hero, then.¡±


    ¡°Belief is inconsequential. What is far more important is what people will follow.¡±


    ¡°I fit every description. My blood is royal. My tentacles are black as the abyss itself. When I claim the bident, my people, and every other renegade, outcast, and refugee will rise to follow me. Then, once my people have rallied, the Kingdom of the Depths will be yours.¡±


    ¡°Sweet promises,¡± Eris said with a saccharine drip to her tone. ¡°But you¡¯ve lost the key to your control.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have it back when you restore the pendant,¡± Ezra all but snapped.


    ¡°No¡­¡± Eris enlarged herself to fill all the mirrors, making Ezra nearly drop the stirrer. ¡°You might have married the eldest of Titus¡¯s daughters, but until the last princess ties herself to the Ageans, you will never claim this throne. The pendant is not the key, Ezra. She is! You¡¯ve left a loose end.¡±


    Ezra¡¯s tentacles twitched in annoyance, but beyond that, he was careful not to let his emotion show.


    Whether or not the mind-meddle potion was undone by the eclipse, Ayalina would marry the Aegeans. Still, it was such a shame. Even if the eclipse did reverse some of the magic¡¯s effects, Ayalina would never be the same¡ªthat was just how mind-potions worked.


    Ezra realized he was once more wasting time on his personal concerns. If he was to save his people, and bring about justice for the mer-people who so unjustly had taken Atlantis, the next week was crucial, and he could afford no more mistakes or distractions.


    ¡°Restore the amulet, Eris. I am about to send our prince off to correct his mistakes. He will find the princess for us, and cut a few corners in the process. A problem that solves itself.¡±


    There was a long, sickening pause as Eris stroked her nightmarish hands through the tendrils on her head, considering the option.


    ¡°You expect the foolish prince to actually find the princess?¡± she said at last. ¡°Even I cannot enter the Depths since it was sealed.¡±


    Ezra looked up, a trace of surprise slipping through his facade. ¡°You believe she¡¯s going to the Depths? Why?¡±


    Eris sighed the sigh of a sea-devil running out of patience. ¡°Once more, I do not believe. I know. She may even have the bad fortune of running into one of my¡­old friends on her way.¡±


    After their years of dealing and planning together, Ezra knew Eris too well to ask for information she would not give. Extinguishing the boiler beneath the tub entirely, he heaved a sigh and pulled a light copper sphere from his personal cabinet. He would have to remember to warn Adriatta not to use this washroom until he¡¯d collected the cleared away the potion residue.


    ¡°Why not have this friend deliver her back to the palace?¡± Ezra asked innocently. Wrapping the sphere in one tentacle, he sunk it into the sheets covering the potion, and watched as the solution seeped through the fibers, and sunk into the metal.


    Eris only chuckled. ¡°Not that sort of friend, little king. Now¡­how will you ensure the foolish boy returns successfully?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s going with my personal guard,¡± said Ezra, realizing the full extent of what must be done. If Eris was warning him that there was even a modicum of possibility that Aya could undo what he¡¯d been working toward for so long, he would have to make every assurance. Aya had never been susceptible to his magic, nor his pendant, and though Eris would never tell him why¡ªnot without demanding some sort of price for the information¡ªhe didn¡¯t want any other unpleasant surprises. ¡°And he¡¯s going with this.¡±


    Ezra picked the sphere up from the cloth, every drop of the bathtub having pulled into its surface. Now a dull brown, he held it up to the mirror.


    ¡°How very fine,¡± she purred.


    ¡°This won¡¯t take him to the Depths¡­as you know, the kingdom is magically untraceable. However; it will take him to Aya as far as the twilight market if needed¡ªfor a price.¡±


    ¡°The little king does learn¡­¡± Eris purred, and though he would never call anything she did approving, this might have come close if there were.


    ¡°Indeed. For new information, he must give up one of his own memories. His annoying escapades. Bits and pieces of his childhood. The reason he wants to rule in the first place. All gone one by one. I suspect that by the time he reaches the princess, he will be¡­.much changed¡ªor at least, a merman can hope.¡± Ezra sneered.


    ¡°The boy doesn¡¯t have much depth to lose.¡±


    The king looked up, meeting Eris¡¯s eyes for the first time, noting how their eerie depth seemed to track him without moving. The eel would lose every part of himself that he had tried to take from his own princess.


    ¡°Restore the pendant. You know my plan has a chance.¡±


    Eris did nothing. Said nothing. But after a few seconds, Ezra felt a familiar humming warmth return to his chest where the amulet rested. He gave a small, regal bow.


    ¡°Marvelous. If you¡¯ll excuse me then,¡± he glanced from the mirror to the curdled poison at the bottom of his makeshift cauldron, only just starting to stain the tub walls. ¡°I have some questions for my pawn.¡±

 Chapter 17: Ezra

    The door guards outside of Ellian¡¯s quarters were among the ones recruited to Pastian¡¯s search. To Ezra, their absence only meant that there would be no guards to overhear this particular conversation.


    Ezra had no need, and no desire for stealth. He didn¡¯t worry about the locks, instead ripping off the doorknob with a loud grinding snap!


    He poured himself into the prince¡¯s room, ready for fear and confusion, only to be met with the prince¡¯s sloppy snores.


    It seemed the young imbecile hadn¡¯t seen fit to share the luxury quarters with his escorts, leaving him entirely unprotected. Ellian was arranged in an anatomically impossible position on the sponge bed. He made odd whimpering grunts in his sleep at the noise, but did not wake, even when Ezra lighted above his postered bed. Waiting like a spider ready to pounce, he watched a stream of drool waft from the prince¡¯s mouth over a peaked night cap that lolled halfway off his head.


    Ezra curled a lip. What are you, still a hatchling?


    A guttural hiss sound from somewhere in Ellian¡¯s pillows.


    ¡°Not so unprotected after all,¡± Ezra muttered, as a lemon-colored moray raised its head from its place snuggled on Ellian¡¯s pillow. ¡°But still, just a pet.¡±


    Ezra strangled the creature¡¯s hiss with one of his tentacles before it could take another breath. Then he descended on the prince before the eel could so much as bare its teeth.


    Ellian woke with a gasp when Ezra¡¯s tentacles seized his tail, and his hands wrapped around his throat.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± Ezra enunciated every syllable by knocking the prince¡¯s head against the headboard¡ªhard.


    ¡°Gah¡ªguards!¡± Ellian choked out when his eyes managed to focus on what was in front of him.


    Ezra blew a stream of hot bubbles into the prince¡¯s face through his sneer.


    ¡°What guards, boy? You¡¯ve given them away to the service of Titus¡¯ barracks like a trusting hatchling fool!¡±


    Ellian¡¯s eyes darted to the empty doorway, where one of the doors hung loosely on one of its remaining hinges. He swallowed against Ezra¡¯s loose grip.


    ¡°Release me, King Ezra,¡± Ellian said with all of the imperial force of a backwater clam. ¡°King Titus¡¯s guards will hear you, and then where will you be?¡±


    ¡°Right here to snap your neck,¡± Ezra growled. ¡°Titus¡¯s guards are off searching every corner of the ocean for Ayalina. You¡¯ve managed to lose the princess I practically served you in wedding tresses¡ªand you¡¯ve done it in less than one night.¡±


    It took several long, dull moments for Ellian to understand what Ezra was saying. Then, it took another few pregnant pauses, and a whole weighted minute for the fear to register as he realized how completely alone he was with an angry cecaelian king.


    ¡°Princess¡­Princess Aya? Gone? But you said before¡ªyou told me she would¡ªWhere is she?¡± he spluttered.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯re going to tell ME, you irritating little slug!¡± Ezra let go of Ellian¡¯s chin, and threw him back down onto his sheets, where he would have landed on his pet if it hadn¡¯t scuttled away under the pillow.


    The pet is smarter than his master, Ezra fumed, seizing the prince again.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ask again! What. Did. You. Do?¡± This time, he let his lower limbs do the work, folding his arms coldly above the rattled prince as he knocked him against the wall.


    Ellian¡¯s mouth gaped like a fish out of water, but came out of his rattled state quicker than Ezra expected.


    ¡°I proposed to the princess. She promised to marry me.¡±


    ¡°What else?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, what else? I did what was requested of me! No more! So you can take this¡ªthis whatever it is, and go and find my princess! Are you absolutely sure she¡¯s gone? Mermaids flit about for all sorts of reasons. Bragging to their friends. Daydreaming. Shopping¡ª¡±


    Ezra growled, showing a mouthful of pointed teeth to their fullest.


    Ellian swallowed.


    ¡°Chief Pastian was under the impression,¡± Ezra snarled, ¡°that you¡¯d had a run in with a cecaelian intruder just before the engagement was announced. This just after you bragged to the whole ballroom about murdering one of mine in cold blood. Now, your lovely fianc¨¦e¡ªa highly valuable magical seer¡ªis missing! Somehow, I fail to see the room for coincidence.¡±


    ¡°The intruder was carted away to the palace cells!¡± Ellian protested, wriggling for room under Ezra¡¯s grip.


    ¡°You believed that one merman could lock away a cecaelian?¡± Ezra spat. ¡°The intruder never made it past the door guard to the holding box! The guard in question has disappeared.¡±


    At last, Ellian seemed to grasp the full scale of the danger he was in.


    ¡°It was the cecaelian apprentice!¡± he gasped. ¡°The sea witch had him brew the potion that you told her to make, and he came to stop me from using it. Nothing but seller¡¯s remorse¡ª¡±


    Ezra¡¯s eyes widened in horror at his blatant stupidity.


    ¡°Do you mean to tell me that the cecaelian boy, the one that I told you specifically not to antagonize, was here in the palace?¡±


    Ellian shrugged, trying to seat himself in a more dignified position on the bed, and only managed to make himself look trapped. He nodded, glaring.


    ¡°And that he is somehow, completely unconnected to the boy you bragged to the whole ballroom about killing?¡± Ezra clarified.


    Ellian blew hot bubbles at that.


    ¡°Of course not! There was a cecaelian on the reefs who heard me asking directions to the Leviathan¡¯s Grotto. I killed him so that no one could track what I was doing¡ªon your orders, by the way! There¡¯s no way to trace it back to me. I left a squid hook in his side and made it look like a service hunt! One of my masterpieces. You might be comfortable leaving loose ends, but I am not,¡± the prince huffed.


    Ezra shook his head. ¡°Titus says that Ayalina rejected your proposal. Why was the betrothal announced at all?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I used the potion the sea witch made.¡±


    ¡°Clearly there was something wrong with it if the maker tried to stop you from using it. Had you considered that?¡± Ezra snapped. Cirrina was a professional. She would not have interfered in her own product usage for the sake of reputation, alone.


    Ellian crossed his arms over his chest, and might have been trying to look stern, or royally overbearing, but only managed to make himself look like a petulant guppy in his floppy sleeping cap.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°The potion worked fine.¡±


    The king glared. ¡°Clearly.¡±


    The eel prince struggled briefly against the hold of Ezra¡¯s tentacles.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you all I know!¡± he protested. ¡°There was an eavesdropper. I dealt with him. I bought a potion to make the princess love me. I used it. There was an intruder. I had him arrested. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°What kind of potion?¡± Ezra tightened his grip to push Ellian¡¯s limbs farther down into the mattress. He stropped struggling. ¡°My advice to you was to buy some relaxer tonic to make the princess receptive to your nonexistent charm while you made your suit. Don¡¯t lie to me! Potions don¡¯t make you fall in love. What did Cirrina really give you?¡±


    The eel prince shrunk into himself. ¡°The witch gave me something to make her think she loved me. It accomplishes the same purpose as any tonic. I don¡¯t see how that¡¯s much different.¡±


    His jaw fell open. ¡°You purchased a mind-meddle? What in the trenches did that cost¡ªno, don¡¯t tell me, I should have wondered where that hideous royal birthmark had gone. And now Cirrina can plaster a mark on the face of whatever merman comes her way as the true birth heir of your position. Did you think of that? No?¡±


    Ellian only shrugged and yawned, and Ezra had to fight the very real temptation to knock him into a wall.


    ¡°She won¡¯t have the time. Once I¡¯m married, the love potion will be permanent and so will my hold be in both kingdoms.¡±


    Ezra raged. All this spoiled brat thought about was himself, and not even in the right way!


    ¡°Losing your position is the least of your worries, boy! In the same week, you¡¯ve lost your royal marker and managed to muddle the mind of the most intelligent tool who ever could have served your kingdom¡ªpermanently.¡± Something deep in Ezra felt the loss of Princess Ayalina as keenly as he would any family member¡ªand he had so few of those left. Adriatta would be devastated and confused, if he could ever summon the gills to tell her why her sister was so different. The princess herself would have lost all autonomy. Forever.


    The future queen had let herself become a pawn against his own warnings, and it was partially Ezra¡¯s fault.


    ¡°I can run my own kingdom,¡± the prince huffed obstinately, pulling Ezra¡¯s attention foolishly back on himself. ¡°The princess would have served her purpose and larked about with the rest of the palace women¡ªand she still will.¡±


    Ezra had suggested Prince Ellian as a suitor primarily to get Ayalina out of the kingdom, but at the same time the bright-eyed little princess would have handled Ellian just fine. Without question, she was his intellectual superior. It would have only been a matter of time before she ruled more than Ellian did. Then, she could have won over her prince as well as she did anyone else. She might have been happy. She might have been many things. Ezra was angry at the imbecile¡¯s blatant misuse of his princess. He was angry that he felt the pain of her loss. He lost what was left of his control.


    He snatched Ellian up with one tentacle, and clotheslined him around one of the bedposts as easily as throwing a dishrag. The prince flopped to the floor with a pained grunt.


    Ezra loomed over him, pinning him to the sharp mosaic tiles he seized the prince¡¯s tail again, twisting him so that the tiles chafed his scales just-so. Ellian screamed like a newborn hatchling, and started to call for his pet eel before Ezra clamped a tentacle down over his mouth.


    Ellian¡¯s eel maintained its frightened position under the pillows, hissing uselessly.


    ¡°Your pet is smart enough not to save you,¡± Ezra hissed, seething. Ellian¡¯s eyes bulged under the pressure. ¡°Why did the princess run away then, if she was under the influence? Pray. Tell?¡±


    The prince looked as though he was trying to say something, and Ezra lifted his tentacle from his mouth just long enough for him to spit it out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why,¡± Ellian half-gasped, half-snarled. ¡°She was in love with me all evening. Believe me, I know the signs.¡± With that, Ellian gave an almost compulsory flip of his perfect golden hair, managing to knock his night cap off in the process.


    Suddenly, Ezra felt the tiniest bit of remorse for Ayalina¡¯s experience the prior evening.


    ¡°She was in love with me, and then we announced the engagement. It doesn¡¯t matter if she likes me or someone else¡ª¡±


    In the name of self-preservation, Ezra tuned out of Ellian¡¯s ramblings. Something about what Ellian had told him pricked at his senses as the pieces of the eel¡¯s disastrous actions fell into place.


    ¡°A moment,¡± Ezra held up a finger to silence the prince. ¡°An apprentice of the witch came to stop you. The potion didn¡¯t work as it should. This more than a day after you visited the cavern.¡­Did you say you left a squidhook in the boy you killed? As evidence? On purpose?¡±


    Ellian gave a pained nod.


    The king gave a pained breath.


    ¡°And what did this boy look like¡ªnot the apprentice who came to stop you, the eavesdropper.¡±


    Ellian screwed up his face unattractively, evidently tyring to remember.


    ¡°He was a cecaelian.¡±


    If murdering this prince wouldn¡¯t immediately start a war with the Aegean, Ezra would have done it right then.


    ¡°Green tentacles. Then clear. Then red. Quite fast. Had gray hair¡­¡±


    Ezra groaned. There weren¡¯t many Cecaelia that young on the reefs, and only one whom he knew.


    Ezra moved his face closer to the prince¡¯s, sure to give him a view of each of his pointed teeth.


    ¡°What if I told you, young imbecile, that no one in this kingdom uses squid hooks, and that practice is solely the practice of your lovely Aegean?¡±


    Ellian took a pained breath.


    ¡°And?¡±


    ¡°Meaning that you couldn¡¯t have made it clearer who was responsible for the cecaelian boy you murdered¡ªyes, murdered!¡ªif you had danced naked at the scene, shouting ¡®murderous-bastards-are-here-again!¡¯ That boy was of no consequence as an eavesdropper because plenty of mer-folk have to ask directions to that blasted cavern. Now, however, he is of great consequence, because he was the ward of the sea witch you just signed a piece of yourself over to in a magically-binding deal. You¡¯ve killed a boy she has raised as a son!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why her first apprentice was in the palace and not herself,¡± Ellian argued pointlessly.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have to!¡± Ezra bellowed into the prince¡¯s face, spitting. ¡°Thanks to the information he would have gotten for her, the sea witch you dealt with now knows not only your face, but your weaponry, your origin kingdom, and your purpose here in the palace, with enough blackmail to get you thrown into a box for the rest of your miserable existence. That cecaelian who came to collect the princess was hers, and that doesn¡¯t tell you anything?¡±


    He lifted his tentacle once more for the prince to speak.


    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t attack me,¡± the prince scoffed when Ezra removed the tentacle. ¡°The witch would only implicate herself!¡±


    ¡°Which is why she won¡¯t, and didn¡¯t,¡± Ezra felt as though he was having to explain bubbles to barnacles. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have to! Cirrina won¡¯t go through Titus or his methods at all. Do you really think she¡¯ll be content to see you humiliated by the High King?¡±


    ¡°She would never¡ª¡±


    ¡°The things that woman can do to you, boy, would confound the chief ethicists for centuries to come, and since she already has a piece of you, you can only pray that she never finds you again.¡±


    ¡°You still need me,¡± said Ellian confidently, jutting his chin up at an uncomfortable angle. ¡°Cirrina said that the potion would take full effect in three days. I still used it properly. Ayalina love me. She¡¯ll still marry me. You need me to.¡±


    ¡°Then where is the princess, now?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can find anyone. The wedding will still happen, on my scales as a tracker!¡±


    ¡°It had better, little prince. Because if it does not, you lose my protection. And when Cirrina gets her tentacles on you, there¡¯s nothing I can do for you.¡±


    With a final cathartic slam of the prince into the floor, Ezra knocked the air from Ellian¡¯s gills long enough for a parting instruction.


    ¡°Since you like to play with magic, take this.¡± Ezra forced the tracking sphere into Ellian¡¯s hands.


    ¡°What¡ª¡±


    ¡°This very valuable trinket will take you to your princess. Do not lose it. Pastian¡¯s and Kael¡¯s men leave for the official search at dawn, the sightless inbreds. You¡¯ll be leading them, if you have a spine in your gut.¡±


    Ezra flew from the room. Behind him, the sounds of Ellian collecting his weapons clattered after him.


    Good.


    Guards nearly all removed from the palace. Princesses all slotted to leave, or already gone¡­ Ezra would have had to be blind to miss this opportunity.


    Princess Ayalina was one pawn of many. Unfortunately, Ellian was the best he could offer her at the moment. For now, there were other, bigger pieces that needed to be moved before Titus¡¯ greater forces returned to the palace.


    As quickly as the opportunity presented itself in its fullness, a plan was forming in Ezra¡¯s grasp. If he acted now, he still had a chance to get the bident of Atlantis away from its tyrant for good.


    King Ezra had panic to stir in the ambassadors, a pair of princesses to evict, a king to kill, and some unlucky soul to implicate¡ªall before the white eclipse in three days.

 Chapter 18: Ellian

    Morning of the First Day, just before dawn¡­


    Prince Ellian the Orange, Hunter of Monsters, game-tracker of the highest order, and heir to the Aegean throne raged out of his quarters like a sea-slug shot out of a pressure tube as soon as he regained his senses from Ezra¡¯s beating¡ªno, his torture! His disrespect!


    This was why Ellian hunted. Why he loved to hunt. Living so close to his borders, cecaelia like Ezra could do what they wanted with his innocent people. Even the thought of them made his skin crawl. Dangerous creatures needed to stay under the proper control¡ªhis.


    ¡°False king¡­Speaks to me that way,¡± he growled under his breath as he shot past the statues in the Atlantean palace hallways. ¡°How dare he! As if it was my fault the princess of his recommendation was a flight risk. As if the sea-witch of his recommendation didn¡¯t do this! Ellis, come!¡±


    Ellis the lemon-green moray eel, and Ellian¡¯s closest advisor, caught up to Ellian in the halls, although he couldn¡¯t keep up for long. Ellis wrapped himself around Ellian¡¯s spear, once more arranging himself to conceal the broken tip.


    ¡°You called, prince Ellian,¡± he hissed, clearly still displeased with his treatment during Ezra¡¯s visit.


    ¡°I thought Ezra was going to strangle me. Why didn¡¯t you tear his throat out? Where is your loyalty?¡± Ellian snapped.


    ¡°You ssseemed to be doing well enough, my prince. The cecaelian king did not want you dead.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that!¡± Ellian snapped.


    Ellis flipped his tail in annoyance.


    ¡°He did not want you dead,¡± the eel repeated blandly.


    Ellian scowled, but even he could see when there wasn¡¯t time for arguing. However, Ellis would certainly be hearing about this later.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Ellian grumbled. ¡°We¡¯ll have either his head or his land soon enough,¡± Ellian tried to soothe, but the effort was hollow. Ezra had made him look like a guppy in a tidepool. ¡°You did well to stay quiet. I¡¯m not sure I want Ezra knowing you can speak.¡±


    ¡°If the princess is missing, our position in the palace is precarious, princcce,¡± Ellis grumbled.


    ¡°I am aware,¡± Ellian snarled back.


    ¡°You should not trust Titus¡¯s men to find the princess,¡± Ellis warned in his nasally scold. ¡°They can ssserve, but clearly cannot hunt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to,¡± Ellian promised.


    Stirring an agitated wake as he swam, Ellian threw himself through the main doors of the palace, angrily clutching his spear, and the orb Ezra had forced into his palm.


    ¡°Pesky octopus.¡±


    Ellian pulled back his arm to throw the object away, when an image in its surface caught his eye.


    A witch with living tendrils for hair and a smile of seduction and pitch leered at him, before vanishing into a whirl of intangible smoke. It was like nothing that Ellian had ever seen.


    He froze.


    ¡°What was it the octopus said before storming out?¡±


    Ellian was distracted from his flight from the palace and its grounds, and in his surprise, bumped into the side gate with a hard grunt. The palace barracks weren¡¯t far. Perhaps he could spare a moment¡­


    ¡°The tentacled one said this artifact will guide you to the princess,¡± Ellis reminded, giving the thing a nasty sneer. ¡°I would not trust it, princcce¡­¡±


    Ellian recalled. Ezra had peppered his message with more explicatives and insults to his intelligence than the one line, but the meaning was communicated. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t exactly provided instructions.


    ¡°How do you work?¡± he demanded of the orb.


    The orb, unsurprisingly, remained silent.


    ¡°What do I do to operate you?¡±


    As if more stubborn than before, the orb¡¯s non-compliance seemed to mock him.


    ¡°Perhaps an order, my prince,¡± Ellis suggested with eelish sarcasm.  Ellian knew he was being laughed at, but was never one to resist giving commands.


    ¡°Show me my princess and that wretched tentacled aberration!¡± Ellian ordered.


    At the order, the orb actually snapped to.


    Immediately, an image of a mermaid appeared in the dull brown surface. She was wearing a bland sea-grass blouse that made her look far less fetching than her crimson ensemble at the ball, but she was still worth chasing. Her long hair swirled alluringly around her shoulders, framing her face, neck, and waist as the currents moved. The circles under her eyes recounted a fatigue she hadn¡¯t had when they¡¯d danced; but of course the poor dear was tired. A kidnapping could do that to a girl.


    Then, next to her, appeared a second figure, and he snarled when he realized the cecalian from the day before had his tentacles around his princess¡¯s waist and tail.


    As the view adjusted to include both Ayalina, and the cecaelian apprentice, Ellian¡¯s scales writhed in agitation, then fury. His princess was practically wrapped around him.


    Worse, she wasn¡¯t trying to flee or gouge his eyes out, as would be sensible. Instead, they appeared to be talking¡­and getting closer. In the background, one of Titus¡¯s guards was present, which would have been useful if he had been doing his job. Instead the merman¡¯s eyes were closed, intermittent bubbles floating from his nostrils.


    Asleep? Useless!


    After a particularly large spurt of bubbles from the guard, Aya fell over the cecaelian apprentice, her face far too close to his.


    Ellian¡¯s blood boiled.


    He clenched the vision in his fist hard enough that if the orb had been made of anything less than A-grade quality Cursed Metal, it would have shattered.


    ¡°Where do I find these traitors?¡± he demanded of the orb.


    Dawdling a little, the orb then flashed him a scene of the dropoff, out by the reefs where he¡¯d taken his hunting party not days before. Although he knew where to find it, it wasn¡¯t where the orb had shown the princess. As though sensing his doubt, the scene shifted, and then guided him over the edge, and downward. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was certainly enough to follow.


    ¡°Well, then,¡± he hissed, fighting the urge to hurl the orb through the head of the nearest sea-glass garden statue. ¡°It seems things are more complicated than Ezra let on. Of course they are. And of course, it¡¯s all left to me.¡±


    He gave the palace doors a good hard shove, and switched course to the barracks where his men would be awaiting orders, no matter what Ezra claimed. Ellian¡¯s guards were loyal to their prince. Judging from the emptiness of the halls, leisure rooms, and now, gardens, he¡¯d gleaned that he was perhaps the last to learn of the princess¡¯s disappearance¡ªbut of course his men didn¡¯t need to know that.


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    Ellis held on to the prince¡¯s spear as Ellian propelled them both through the entryway.


    So much trouble over one boy. He shouldn¡¯t be too hard to track down, much less catch. Why hasn¡¯t he been caught already?


    Ellian grumbled under his breath as he circled the palace grounds, picking up speed as he flew over the statued gardens.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the octopus¡ªboth of them!¡ªthis would all have gone off without a hitch. My princess would have been the happiest she¡¯s ever been by now. We would have swam off together into the fishing sunset¡­.¡±


    Ellis wisely remained silent for the ride.


    The Atlantis barracks came into view, tucked appropriately away from the palace behind the boundary wall. The building were impressive enough, he supposed, although not nearly as impressive as the Aegean ones. The barracks themselves were a series of imposing stone arches and tunnels. Towering, spiral-shaped shells flanked the entrance, serving as ceremonial trumpets. He rushed through them before any sentinels could announce his presence, and noticed a disturbing lack of personnel in his path until he came upon the central courtyard.


    A wide yard contained racks of meticulously organized weapons and scale-linked armor in practical grabbing distance in an emergency; however, many of the racks were already empty.  Nautical and kelp banners displaying the kingdom''s emblem decorated statues of long-retired heroes. In the quiet courtyard, those statues outnumbered actual mer-men present.


    In the center of the courtyard, was the search party that Captain Kael had collected. A dozen somewhat-rested guards, the few that had not spent all night looking, were dozing in their armor, waiting for their captain to return. Chief Pastian was nowhere to be seen.


    Ah, Ellian realized, with a well-practiced smugness. A power vacuum.


    ¡°You there!¡± he barked, catching the attention of two very tired-looking night-guards next to the practice dummies. ¡°Rouse the Aegean party, and bring out every last soldier, guard, and mer-man down to the very last footman you¡¯ve got left who¡¯s decent enough to swim!¡±


    The two mer-men blinked at him sleepily, as though they thought he was some sort of specter. Ellian summoned his full coloring, and his tail snapped with electricity. The spark certainly got their attention.


    ¡°Well? Move!¡±


    That time, they responded, darting off in the direction of the sleeping quarters. It wasn¡¯t long before his own men came pouring out, and to his great satisfaction, he found that they were somewhat forcibly escorting another dozen of Titus¡¯s men, and two of Ezra¡¯s monsters¡ªno doubt trying to duck duties.


    He pushed down a smile. Day-break was already on them, and these mer-men deserved a little less sleep for failing in their duties. At least he wouldn¡¯t be the only one suffering in the daylight hours to come.


    ¡°Gather and see, men! I, Prince Ellian of the Aegean Sea have located your princess¡ªand it is worse than we all have feared!¡±


    Some of the more tired faces turned up to look at him.


    It was at that moment that Kael deigned to rejoin them.


    ¡°You¡¯ve found her?¡± he demanded, as though he hoped to stay in control. ¡°Where? Pastian searched the city!¡±


    One of his eels moved to silence the disrest, but the prince stopped him with a hand. Dealing with an incompetent captain was something that required time and discretion. For now, his authority would be best undermined by taking his men¡¯s attention far away from his orders.


    Ellian raised the orb over his head.


    ¡°Show me the princess!¡±


    The orb obeyed, and Princess Aya fluttered into view. Judging by her hair, she seemed to be moving quite quickly, as though she was hurtling down some violent tunnel. Her mouth and limbs were bound and gagged by a set of long, black tentacles. The evidence was better than he could have asked for.


    ¡°A rogue citizen of Atlantis, and a guard, one of your own, have taken her! See this beast how he has her, and see how this mer-man brings shame to the colors of your king!¡±


    A murmur of anger rippled through the crowd.


    ¡°Look at the darkness around them. The currents! The ledges of the abyss! Men, he¡¯s stealing her away to the Hidden Kingdom as we speak! The only place in the oceans where she will be unreachable to us forever.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s more dark water in this ocean than the depths, boy! What proof is that?¡± Kael barked.


    ¡°Feel free to take a closer look,¡± Ellian said, tossing the orb into Kael¡¯s hands. Apparently, the sight of one of his own guards helping to drag the princess down a dark tunnel, no matter where, was enough to buy Ellian a minute¡¯s silence.


    ¡°Mermen of the Atlantean alliance! Long has the hidden city been the bane of the capital¡ªlurking in our shadows, protecting the creatures that threaten our children, hiding our criminals, and stealing our peace. Now, they¡¯re bold enough to take our princess, even enlisting the help of one of you!


    ¡°How many of us have ever wanted to stamp out these threats? How many of you are willing to sponge out the shame brought upon you by one of your own?¡±


    It worked. Any fatigue the returned soldiers might have shown from their night¡¯s escapades was gone, quickly being replaced with pinched brows, twitching fins, and half-drawn weapons. Careful not to dislodge Ellis, Ellian raised his spear over the throng, matched by his own hunters, who returned the salute.


    ¡°Together! Today! We sally forth to kill the monsters, and retrieve our princess! Follow me and we will return with tales of glory, and the heads of those who would threaten her! For though they are strange, they are cowards! The light of day will find them down there in the dark, glinting off our steel!¡±


    His ears were met by a roar of familiar approval.


    ¡°Gather your weapons!¡±


    Ellian had never seen so many tails flee so quickly. The sound of clanking clasps, sheathing swords, spears, and harpoons clattered over the courtyard. Ellian knew watching their efficiency that the lot of them could be ready in minutes. Perhaps Titus¡¯s discipline wasn¡¯t entirely lacking. Kael had taken to supervising his men, speaking to them as they prepared.


    ¡°Prince, the trenchesss are difficult to navigate, but I sssense something strange from that orb.¡±


    Ellis, who up until then had remained silent curled around his spear, spoke, baring his teeth at the sphere in Ellian¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nothing has happened so far,¡± Ellian argued. ¡°Do you suggest a different way?¡±


    ¡°You are a tracker, princcce,¡± Ellis pointed out. ¡°Surely the usssual methods will do.¡±


    ¡°Not with a crowd like this,¡± Ellian spoke from experience. ¡°These men aren¡¯t mine. They¡¯re going to need a little¡­show of power to know that I¡¯m in charge¡ªat least at first.¡±


    ¡°I suggest using it sssparingly.¡±


    The warning was logical, reasonable, even, but the longer Ellian looked at Ellis, the further a tendril of doubt curled through Ellian¡¯s middle. It stretched, black and yawning into his chest, making Ellian gasp. Ellis had already betrayed him once that day.


    What happens to this journey if he does it again? Ellian thought. Why am I hesitating? I am a prince!


    Ellian made his decision, avoiding Ellis¡¯ unblinking gaze as he ordered.


    ¡°Ellis, I need you to stay and keep an eye on things in the palace. Someone needs to watch Ezra...¡±


    ¡°Ezra did not strike me as one who waits¡­.but I will have no way to convey information, Prince.¡± Ellis curled his lips back when he said Ezra¡¯s name, as though trying to regurgitate something vile.


    ¡°You doubt I will return swiftly?¡±


    Ellis did not respond to the acid in Ellian¡¯s tone, though by the way he scowled there was no mistaking he¡¯d heard it.


    ¡°The guards are ready, prince. May Poseidon protect,¡± Ellis hissed, in place of complaint.


    Ellian turned away from the eel to survey his men, already in formation by the barracks gate.


    ¡°So they are.¡±


    *


    It took Ellian only a few hours to lead his eager rabble to the place he¡¯d seen in the orb. In fact, they arrived so quickly, he could hardly remember the journey there. Finding the exact spot it had shown; however, was proving difficult.


    ¡°When I saw it in the orb, I remembered it, so where is that bident-blasted spot?¡± he grumbled under his breath, searching the twisting archways and bleached coral of the outer reef.


    He had to keep the mermen at his back moving at a pace that maintained enthusiasm, or risk Kael splitting authority before the search had even begun. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t long before the prince¡¯s instincts kicked in over his memory. He was, after all, a leader, and leaders never did any of the work themselves on principle! It was simply principle!


    ¡°Fan out men, and search for anything out of the ordinary!¡± Ellian directed, as the looming dropoff came into view.


    His instinct was rewarded in due course. It was mere minutes before one of the guards approached him carrying a damaged pauldron like the one on his own shoulder.


    ¡°Prince Ellian!¡± the guard reported. ¡°We found this by the ledge over there!¡±


    Ellian¡¯s gaze followed the guard¡¯s pointing finger. The silt at the lip of the dropoff¡¯s shelf had since been stirred in strange, swirling patterns, and if there was anything that Ellian knew about strange findings, it was that investigation was the privilege of peons.


    ¡°Well spotted¡± he praised curtly. And I should know spots, he added with a silent smirk. ¡°Are there any anomalies over that ledge?¡±


    Evidently the peons hadn¡¯t considered that possibility. Ellian ignored Kael¡¯s scowl as the dayguards edged over the lip until, with surprised cry, all of them who had gotten close enough to the ledge to see over the shelf were caught by a vortex of force just like the one Ellian had seen carrying Ayalina. The guards were around violently, and to the audible horror of the guards scattered on the reef, were sucked downward into the abyss.


    Ellian gave the orb a fond pat.


    Valuable, indeed.


    ¡°Well men? After him! Downward!¡±


    Then, like a true leader, Ellian let the vortex claim him as well.