Page 10 of The Kraken's Queen

However, my fear is quickly replaced with astonishment as the man moves farther out of the water. While the top half of him is strictly man, the bottom half differs. Where legs should be, there are dark purple tentacles that look like they could wrap around a person’s skull and crush it without any effort.

Before I can dwell on that sobering thought any longer, the man disappears under water, and Allarick walks back. I back up from the window and away from view. My mind is whirling with what I just saw, and I can’t help but question everything.

Was the man I just saw a kraken?

And, more importantly, is that what Allarick will look like?

Chapter 7

Allarick

Erin stays in bed for two days. The healer came—finally—shortly after I left her that first night. I did my best to keep my ire in check and not dwell on the fact my healer showed up late to treat her future queen. My people hate coming to the surface, so I try to be understanding, but her lack of urgency prolonged Erin’s pain.

I wouldn’t consider myself a violent man. I have killed, sentenced people to death, and done things the average merperson has never dreamed of doing, but never with malice in my heart. It was out of duty. Duty to my kingdom, my people, and my throne.

However, my healer tested my patience that night.

From what I could understand of her assessment of Erin, she had a mild concussion, bruised ribs, and damage to her vocal cords. She treated all of her injuries, but it will take time for Erin to fully recover. Humans are more fragile and delicate than merpeople and krakens.The medicine the healer gave her would make her sleep. It was the only way to keep her from constant pain.

So, for two days, I wait, checking on her every hour. She rarely moves, and if it wasn’t for the slow rise and fall of her chest, I would have thought Erin was no longer part of the living. I notice the bruising around her face, neck, and shoulders has gone down tremendously. Whatever my healer did is clearly working, and a part of me is glad I didn’t punish her for tardiness. Only marginally, though.

I’ve heard nothing from my sister yet, but I don’t expect to for a few more days. It takes time to explore the ocean on a ship, and although my sister is one of the best sailors I know, she can still only move so fast above the water.

On the late afternoon of the second day, I meet with Delmare. He’s my eyes in the ocean while I’m away. As much as it pains me to be away from my people, I will not subject Erin to the ocean until she’s ready and healed. At the very least, I need her to talk to me.

I meet Delmare on the pier, leaving Erin in the house. It’s close enough for me to still feel confident in her safety. As always, Delmare is methodical as he goes through his reports. A family has reported their grandmother missing, while another family reports hearing strange noises. He has little to report on Kaleo’s claims, though. I clench my jaw, knowing things will get worse before they can get better. If my attention wasn’t split between…

No. I will not blame Erin for this. Not when she could be the key to our survival.

Delmare finishes up by promising he’ll gain more insight for me. Before he leaves, he hands over the water-resistant books I asked him to bring, and I head back inside.

I come to an abrupt halt when I open the door and see Erin standing only a few feet away.

Her hazel eyes widen, and her pretty pink lips form a perfect “O.” She is not the same broken thing I saw when Ender brought her to me. Her hair is damp, probably meaning she figured out the shower. She’s out of the dirty clothes Ender brought her in and has changed into the new set I left on the dresser, a simple pink dress that’s fitted in the bodice and flares out around her hips. It was something Malix’s men brought, but as soon as we are back in my kingdom, I’ll make sure she has the proper attire.

Just a few days in my presence, and Erin has already unwound me.

She rocks on the balls of her feet, and I realize I’ve been staring at her for far longer than appropriate. I clear my throat, trying to dissolve the awkwardness between us. “Erin, I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”

It takes a moment for her to respond, like she’s trying to remember how to use her voice. “I saw…you outside,” she says instead of answering my question. Her voice hasn’t completely healed yet, but it’s a start. Even though it’s a mere ghost of what I imagine her normal talking voice will be, it’s beautiful. Velvet and soft and makes me eager to hear her when she’s completely healed.

“I needed to speak with my captain of the guards. He’s reporting back on our kingdom.” There’s no sense in hiding anything from her. She will be queen soon enough, and there are things I want to show my future queen before she becomes part of my world.

“Tentacles,” is all she says.

Ah, yes. Those. I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I suppose that would be daunting for a human to see. Not all my people have tentacles. Some have tails. You’ll get used to it soon.” Or at least I hope she will.

I will ease her into my own tentacles later, but for now, my only concern is feeding her. “Are you hungry?”

I expect her to shake her head no and prepare to argue. She’s been asleep for two days, which is two days without meals. Who knows when she ate last before that? But my reasoning is not needed because Erin nods, staring at me expectantly.

I entertain the idea of reaching for her hand to guide her to the table, but I’m not sure she’d appreciate being touched yet. Instead, I gesture for her to follow and lead her to the table. As she gets situated, I mull over what to make. Something fast that doesn’t require a lot of skill. I know many things, but cooking is not a skill set I possess. At least not well.

I settle on a tuna sandwich with a seaweed salad, both of which I noticed in my sister’s fridge earlier. Both are soft, something I hope won’t agitate her throat any further. I pray to the sea goddess Erin is a fan of fish. If not, this pairing just became more complicated since the majority of our dishes involve fish. I supposewe’ll find out now.

A few moments later, I place a poorly made sandwich and seaweed salad in front of her. Erin doesn’t even hesitate as she picks up the sandwich to take a small tester bite. She’s slow to swallow, but I think it’s more to do with her throat rather than the taste. My hunch is confirmed when she smiles and holds up two thumbs. I’m not certain what that means, but I’ll take it as a positive gesture.

We sit in companionable silence, both eating a much-needed dinner. Admittedly, food is the last thing on my mind as I sit with Delmare’s discoveries and Erin’s wellbeing.

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