Page 24 of The Kraken's Queen

I watch as Erin’s chest begins to rise and fall in asteady rhythm as she discovers her ability to breathe. A hesitant smile crosses her lips. “How long will this work for?”

“Until death.”

“Oh.”

I touch my throat where my own gills are. “These will stay with you while you’re under the water. But when you surface, you’ll go back to breathing normally. It’s all part of the magic from the potion,” I explain.

For all the changes Erin has seen in the last few days, she takes this in stride. Any normal person would have broken long ago, but not Erin. She’s stronger than she gives herself credit for.

“Are you ready to go, sweet girl?” I try to hide my eagerness to get back to my kingdom, not wanting to sway her. My eagerness comes from checking in on my people, yes, but there’s more to it than that. Showing Erin Tetria and watching her—hopefully—fall in love with what she sees is ultimately the real prize here.

“Will you hold me while we swim there? You know, so I don’t get lost? I’m also not a strong swimmer.” Her cheeks turn an adorable shade of red, and if I were a betting kraken, I’d guess she liked her nickname. Perhaps even likes being praised.

Interesting. Noted.

“Would you be more comfortable with my hand, or is my tentacle around you okay?” I ask, though I suspect I know the answer. My hands remind her too much of the man she’s trying to forget.

As if to prove my point, Erin caresses my tentacle again, and I do everything in my power not to groan. Itfeels damn good to have her touching me. Part of me thought she’d be repulsed by what she saw. “Tentacle please. They’re soft,” she hums.

I keep one secured around her waist, and another I dangle in front of her in case she wants to hold on to it. She does, reaching out with her small hand to wrap it around me. “Ready.”

Immediately, I take off. We aren’t far from Tetria, but it is still a complicated route for those who aren’t familiar with it. It’s one of the ways I can assure the safety of my people, by making the entrance a labyrinth.

The waters are calm. The occasional fish swims past, paying us little mind. Erin’s shocked scream has me turning my head. It takes me a moment to figure out what startled her until I see him. The nearly translucent sea wyrm, roughly the size of a large shark, scary-looking creatures with horns protruding from their skulls and webbed wings on their back, but actually quite friendly if they deem you worthy enough.

“Don’t be alarmed. The sea wyrm will not harm you if you do not harm it.”

“Wasn’t planning on it,” she mutters, unable to take her eyes off the creature.

“I gather the sea wrym is an animal you don’t have back in Grym Hollow?” I ask.

Erin laughs and shakes her head. “We don’t have any sea animals in Grym Hollow. No ocean. There’s a lake though. But, no, at least to my knowledge, we do not have a creature like that. We don’t have krakens or mermaids either. We have water snakes and frogs.”

“What about sirens? They’re like mermaids, but their voices hold power.”

“Definitely none of those,” she says.

I don’t say it, but her home sounds miserable. Living above the sea sounds like my own personal hell. I can survive on land if I have to, but my first preference will always be Tetria. This is where Atina and I are different. I’ll never understand her desire to be on land, and she won’t ever understand my love for living in the sea.

I swim further down until I see the underwater cave. It’s easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it, which is precisely why it’s the best entrance to Tetria. Erin kicks her feet, swimming closer to me. Despite her disdain for human hands, I feel her hand slip into mine.

“It’s so dark,” she whispers by way of explanation.

I forgot that human eyesight is weak. Even taking the potion, Erin won’t be able to see as well as sea people. “I can see just fine,” I assure and slowly take her through the cave. It’s spacious, large enough for two people to swim side by side.

Erin curls into my side, and I preen. She’s leaning on me for comfort. I’m thankful she can’t see the boyish smile on my lips, which widens once the first sounds of voice and music from Tetria filter in. My chest fills with longing. I haven’t been gone terribly long, but I’m still homesick.

When we reach the exit of the cave, instead of looking at my home, my attention is trained on Erin. I watch the emotions run across her face upon seeing Tetria for the first time. Awe, wonder, curiosity, and excitement. What would my home look like through hereyes? I find I envy her for experiencing the beauty of Tetria for the first time.

We are at the edge of my kingdom, just outside the main city. My crystal palace rises above all other structures, shining in the ocean light. The castle's exterior shimmers in the depths like a ghostly apparition, constructed from materials that glow internally. The walls are made of coral and pearlescent shells, each formation shaped with deliberate artistry, giving the appearance of delicate filigree and intricate mosaics.

The castle towers rise like jagged spires. Glass-like crystal formations sprout from the walls, the phosphorescent glow of deep-sea creatures. The entire structure feels alive, as if it is grown from the sea itself, pulsating with the rhythm of the ocean. Vines of glowing seaweed snake around the columns and archways.

Erin tears her eyes away from the impressive castle to the other buildings that make up the city. Most are made from a mixture of crystal, coral, and stone. The structures stand about three stories tall. The bottom floor is typically a restaurant or shop, while the other two stories house families.

It’s mid-afternoon, so the waters are full of merpeople swimming in and out of brightly colored buildings. A young siren child scrambles for her mother, who picks her up before the current can pull her child farther away.

Some sunlight reaches down here, but not much. Although we are able to see in little light, it doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate it. Thankfully, bioluminescent jellyfish linger above our city, providing lightto our skies. The guppies of our kingdom appreciate it the most since their sight doesn’t fully develop until they hit maturity. It also makes for a majestic waterline.

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