The Mermaid Trials Page 8

  “Dante! I must introduce you!”

  The man floating before me was the one I had mistaken for my father. They had similarly sandy hair and a similar profile. He wore the uniform of a Messenger, with a design that specifically denoted speed on each shoulder, not unlike wings. He was very tall, with the slender, ropey build of a distance swimmer. He stared at me coolly, sizing me up.

  “I know exactly who this is.” After a tense moment, his face broke into a warm smile. “I am friends with your father.”

  I inhaled, not expecting this. But of course, I should have. My father served as a Messenger for half a century before I was born. He was well-liked and respected by his peers. He often called the Mers that he served with his brothers and sisters, but he was especially close with his fellow Messengers.

  “He loves you very much.”

  Hot tears welled up in the back of my eyes.

  “Loved. He is gone, as you must know.”

  He clucked his tongue.

  “I know that’s the general assumption, but I don’t believe it.” He sipped his drink and winked at me. “I’ll be rooting for you, little Tri.”

  I turned my head to stare as Annaruth drew me away. How had he known my nickname? My father must have told him, I realized. I felt a tiny pearl of hope settle in my belly. It sat there, glowing warm and bright inside me. Perhaps . . .

  “Dante is a very powerful ally for you. He is the Senior Messenger. He has served for nearly three hundred years.”

  “He doesn’t look anywhere near that age.”

  “There are perks to being in Royal Service.”

  I nodded slowly, deciding to say as little as possible for the remainder of the evening. I was curious about what she meant, but I was more inclined to avoid making enemies.

  “I see.”

  She laughed, and it sounded like tinkling bells. I’d heard them on one of my trips to the surface. I’d nearly missed the boat floating nearby. It was an odd sort of a boat, more like a dwelling than a seaworthy ship. Hanging from the covered deck was a forged metal crescent covered with tiny bells. I should have left immediately on seeing the two-legger boat, but I didn’t. Instead, I’d swum closer and watched them moving about their boat for hours. They didn’t seem concerned that they were far from land or that there were creatures beyond their imaginations right under their noses. They’d cooked and eaten and talked without a care, as if they were on dry land. Thankfully, it had been on the verge of night, so they hadn’t seen me hovering just below the gentle waves.

  It was one of my most exciting, and reckless, adventures yet.

  Well, until now, anyway.

  So far, the Trials were by far the most dangerous thing I’d ever attempted. And that included squaring off with my witch of a stepmother. Of course, being a witch isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I thought as I gazed around the tent.

  Hanging lanterns floated near the top of the tent. I blinked, not believing my own eyes at first. They were brighter than any bioluminescent glow I’d ever seen. They almost appeared to give off their own fierce light, not unlike the sun.

  “Do you like them?”

  “Huh?” I stopped gawking to look at the Mer floating beside me.

  A young man in Royal garb was talking to me. He had dark blue eyes and tawny blond hair. He was handsome, though not nearly as handsome as Dane. Actually, he looked a bit like him, other than the superiority complex. Dane was nowhere near as smug as this Mer.

  He smirked at me, the arrogance coming off him in almost palpable waves.

  “Do you like the lanterns?”

  I nodded. I did like them. I wasn’t sure how I felt about how close the unfamiliar Mer was floating, however.

  My fins twitched, just enough to move me slightly away.

  The Mer looked down at me and then came closer again. It was oddly aggressive. I didn’t like it and swished my fin in annoyance.

  “They are true flame.”

  “Flame?”

  “Fire. Brought below from the surface in glass jars and made permanent. With magic, of course.”

  I was fascinated despite myself.

  “Fire? It’s hot?”

  He nodded knowingly, leaning in. This time, I didn’t back away.

  “That’s how the two-leggers cook fish.”

  I stared at him, dumbfounded.

  “They always heat up their food?”

  “Oh yes, they almost always char and destroy almost all the flavor. Usually, they chill it first, letting it slowly spoil. Then they burn it to take away the rotten smell.”

  I wrinkled my nose, aghast at what I’d just been told.

  “They all do that?”

  “Well, no. There are those who eat only vegetables. Mostly from the soil. They usually only eat seaweed when it’s been dried. Some eat raw fish, but mostly on the other side of the planet.”

  I gulped. That sounded awful. Being a Sea Spark was going to be harder than I had imagined. Not because of the actual challenges of saving the sea and navigating an unfamiliar world on legs, but because of the horror of human food!

  “Eww.”

  He laughed and held out his hand.

  “I’m Waverly.”

  I shook it slowly, still reeling from what he’d told me. I noticed that he didn’t use a title. Not that it meant he didn’t have one. But I doubted he was the Prince or any of the lesser Princes.

  “I’m Katri—”

  He cut me off.

  “I know who you are, of course. Katriana, daughter of Oma. You’re heavily favored for Spark.”

  I stared at him, my hand going limp in his. He didn’t let go though.

  “I am?”

  He laughed.

  “It’s early days, but yes. I’m not sure who I am betting on yet. That’s why I wanted to meet you, other than the obvious.”

  “The obvious?”

  “You are very beautiful. Surely, you know that?”

  My jaw dropped. I was, for the first time in my life, actually dumbfounded. Me? Beautiful? Surely, it was the lighting . . . or the magic! Of course. That was it. The gown must be confusing him.

  “Hmm. Okay, if you say so. Anyway, I think it’s time to eat.”

  It wasn’t an excuse to get away. Servants had appeared with trays of delicious smelling food. I caught Annaruth’s eye and she gestured to the table. Mers were taking their seats along it. I was to be seated near the head of the table, I realized with a jolt.

  I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw that Annaruth would be sitting beside me.

  I took my seat, noticing Waverly staring at me from further down the table. It was hard not to notice him—his eyes were practically boring into me.

  “Do you like him?”

  “Who?”

  Annaruth just laughed. She wouldn’t allow me to play dumb. I sighed, taking another sip from the sparkling beverage in my goblet. The bubbles tickled my throat. I doubted I would ever get used to it.

  “You would be surprised what you can get used to.”

  “If you can read my mind, why do you bother to ask me questions?” I grumbled. Annaruth had been kind to me thus far, but I wasn’t crazy about having my mind invaded.

  “I can feel emotions, but your thoughts are more complicated that that. I’d like to hear them in your own words.” She laid her hand on mine and we locked eyes. “I value your perspective. It’s singularly unique!”

  Beautiful and unique, two words I’d never imagined would apply to me. And yet, I’d been called both in less than an hour.

  She opened her mouth and then stopped herself, shaking her lovely head ruefully. I knew well that she’d been about to argue with my inner critic.

  I couldn’t help it. I laughed. She laughed with me.

  I groaned softly, laying my hand on my swollen belly. I was stuffed. More than stuffed.

  I felt like a beached whale.

  I’d quite literally never been so full in my life. Not even close. Annaruth leaned in and asked me if I was all right.
They were just taking the desert away, and she wanted to know if I wanted seconds. I shook my head vehemently and she laughed.

  “The humans have an expression that I think will apply.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Your eyes were bigger than your stomach.”

  “Don’t you mean my mouth?”

  She stared at me then broke into a belly laugh. I giggled along with her. Annaruth’s dignity had swum out of the tent, leaving her chortling like servants who had eaten too much fermented seaweed.

  Finally, our laughter slowed. She wiped her eyes and held out her hand.

  “Allow me?”

  I nodded, and she laid her hand on my midsection. I felt the pressure inside me ease. I was still satiated, but that horrible feeling of being about to burst was gone.

  “Thank you.”

  “Let me escort you to the door.”

  I nodded, swimming gracefully behind her. I wondered if I would need to return the dress now. I wondered what tomorrow’s trials were.

  I wondered if Dane was still angry at me, and why.

  She opened the tent flap and I felt something swirl around me. I glanced down and found myself wearing my own clothes, right down to the borrowed armor.

  “Having magic must be nice.”

  She smiled at me.

  “I’m sure you will find out.”

  “Good night, Annaruth.”

  “Sweet dreams, Katriana.”

  Chapter 14

  I screamed, water rushing into my lungs. I thrashed wildly, feeling the tentacle wrap around my torso. I was not going to make it. This was it.

  I was going to lose.

  The elongated head floated above me, giving me the stink eye with one of its enormous black pupils. I’m going to eat you, that eye said. You’re dinner.

  Like Typhoon I am!

  I struggled as I tried to get a handle on what I was fighting. It was even bigger than the octopus I had faced in the opening race, and I didn’t have my weapons. Icy terror filled my veins when I saw what it was. It wasn’t even just a giant squid. It was a behemoth, a legend of the deep.

  And I was merely a young, mostly average Mer. Not particularly strong. Not very big. Not used to fighting for my life, despite all my time practicing in the cave.

  I didn’t stand a chance and I knew it. But that wouldn’t stop me from trying. Every instinct I had came rushing to the fore.

  I kicked out, one leg landing a solid blow against the squid’s head. I tried again, my feet hitting it again and again. I was losing air, but if I could just get away . . .

  Feet? Legs?

  I woke up and sat upright on my cot. I looked around without recognizing anything. It took a few minutes for realization to set in. I wasn’t under attack after all. I’d been dreaming. And yet, my heart continued to pound.

  Gradually, my heartbeat slowed.

  Beazil was snoring, upside down on the other side of the tent. Even half-asleep and disoriented, I saw the humor in the situation. At nearly twenty feet long, he was the other side of the tent.

  I turned my head to see Starla sleeping peacefully on the pallet next to mine.

  A dream. It was just a dream, Tri.

  But . . . legs? I could still recall the shock of staring down at the pale ivory limbs, so foreign-looking. So odd. And yet, they’d felt entirely real.

  What kind of dream was that? It made no sense at all. A Sea Spark regained their tail in sea water. It was the most treacherous part of their journey. Magic or no, we simply could not hide what we were when the sand met the sea. From what I had heard, returning to the water was best done by jumping off a cliff, far from people, or rowing yourself far from shore before submerging.

  So even if I became spark, there was no way I could have legs underwater. Only natural-born humans did. I was pretty sure that even taking a shower, another odd human habit, would cause a Spark to change.

  But if I were a true two-legger . . . what would I do to survive? My mind went into problem-solving mode. Going limp sometimes confused a predator. They’d let their guard down. Relax. Get ready to eat. Never mind that they were about to eat you. Getting them into chill mode was vital.

  I shuddered at the thought.

  And as for air . . . the underwater caves near the cliffs were full of air pockets. I’d even found some in shipwrecks and inside artifacts. There were strange shimmering pools of air under coral and inside giant shells.

  None of that was easy to find and not the best solution, but it was a possible way to survive underwater without gills. And as for weapons . . . I stared at my fingernails. They weren’t wickedly sharp, but they weren’t nubs either. And my teeth, not to mention my elbows, fists, and bottom half, be it legs or tail.

  I did have weapons, two-legger or not.

  I shook my head. It was only a dream, though it had felt incredibly real. Trying to solve the dream after waking was an old habit. It made me feel better about whatever I’d dreamed about. But this felt different somehow. I’d never had a dream so vivid or realistic.

  Well, realistic other than the whole ‘having legs’ part.

  It must be from eating all that food, I decided, staring at the ceiling and feeling the time tick past. I was restless, keyed up from the dream battle. Maybe a quick swim around the camp would help me fall back asleep.

  I slipped outside, careful not to wake my bunkmates. The water was dark, but not too dark with the waxing moon above. I could see well enough to take a quick swim.

  I wove silently through the rows of tents for a little while, not going fast enough to create waves. That was a real skill, to keep the water from moving around you. Predators could sense movement, so I had learned to glide when I wanted to keep a low profile. I was mindlessly heading back toward the far side of camp when I saw them.

  Annaruth. Her tall and slender figure was unmistakable, as well as her dark burgundy hair. The person she was talking to was familiar as well. He shook his head and I recognized him immediately.

  Dane.

  I stopped short, sliding sideways to conceal myself behind the edge of a tent.

  “ . . .irresponsible, reckless, dangerous . . .”

  Annaruth was taking Dane to task, scolding him like a mother might. Or a teacher taking a naughty student to task. Not a lovers' quarrel then, I thought with a surprising blast of relief. Were they related?

  Her head jerked as if she’d heard me. She held her finger to her lips, and I cursed, swimming swiftly away. How could I forget her magical abilities? She had sensed me. Of course she had.

  I slid back into our tent, wondering at what I had just seen and if she would tell him I’d been listening. There was a chance I’d accidentally made an enemy of either, or both, of two people I’d already come to care about. Dane had already seemed angry at me. Could I really blame him for hating me?

  I lay down, staring at the ceiling until just before dawn. The camp was just beginning to stir as I finally fell into a fitful sleep.

  The horns woke us early, just as they had the day before. I yawned and stretched, not even remotely close to rested. I moaned, realizing the disadvantage I’d put myself at with my midnight excursion. If I hadn’t seen Dane with Annaruth, I would have eventually fallen back asleep. As it was, I’d be facing who knows what on a handful of hours of sleep.

  “Typhoon, I forgot about breakfast. Now there’s no time.”

  Starla shrugged. I’d brought her a piece of cake last night. And for once, I wasn’t all that hungry either, considering I’d stuffed myself silly at the banquet in my honor.

  “We’ll get something later. Between the trials. I heard they were individual events today.”

  I opened my eyes wide.

  “Who told you that?”

  She smiled.

  “Your boyfriend, who else? He treated me to dinner too.”

  “Dane?”

  “Who else?”

  “He’s not my boyfriend. He doesn’t even like me,” I muttered, remembering ho
w he’d glared at me when he saw me in my dress.

  “Sure, his eyes popped out when he saw you last night because he doesn’t like you.”

  “By Triton, I’m tired!” I stretched with a yawn. “I barely slept.”

  “Indigestion? You aren’t used to rich food.”

  “That’s an understatement,” I said, not answering the question directly. Yeah. I wasn’t used to eating well to begin with, especially not that well. But it hadn’t been indigestion. More like worrying about the people I thought were my allies, thinking about my father, praying to do well enough to become Spark, and fear about some of the deadly challenges that would most certainly lie ahead.

  I just forced a smile and watched Starla comb her hair with a carved shell comb. I glanced at Beazil.

  “You should stay out of sight. We’re a real target now.”

  He gave me a sour look.

  “I’ll bring you food. Or you can go out through the trench.”

  His eyes widened. The trench was a scary place. But sliding under the tent wall was the only way out of here without drawing undue attention.

  “Okay. I’ll sneak back as soon as I can.” I glanced at Starla, who was donning her armor and sliding her knife into her belt. “Ready?”

  She nodded, a Mer of few words. I liked that about her. I grinned, feeling hopeful again.

  “Let’s go.”

  I lifted the throwing spear provided, trying to get a feel for the weight of it. We were not allowed to use our own weapons today, and it was a good thing too, I thought as I looked around. Many of the Mers had weapons of a caliber I had never seen before. Even though we couldn’t use them, hardly anyone had actually taken them off.

  Weapons of every sort were strapped and tied to the young Mers milling about. Human-made weapons that had been salvaged. But I could have sworn that some even looked as though they’d been made by humans for Merkind. Deliberately. But it was forbidden to expose our secrets to two-leggers. Perhaps they were forged by powerful magicians instead.

  I grimaced at that thought. Something new to worry about. I had to wonder how many weapons were infused with deadly magic.