Page 61 of The Kraken's Queen

Seeing the stunned faces of guards and merpeople around me, I’m not alone.

Siren mages rush to the front line, singing their own magical songs to strengthen the barrier in hopes to buy us some more time.

Nori shoves something in my hand. “You’ll want to wear these.”

In my hand are two sound cancelers, different from the ones I issued. These are made with a different, firmer material and better shaped for ears.

“From above land. Should be stronger,” Nori answers my unasked question. I shove them in my ears. They block out a lot of the noise, but not all of it.

Crying and screaming merpeople push their way to the doors, demanding their release. Sharks of all sizes and species ram against the invisible barrier. It’s not meant to withstand attacks, meaning we are living on borrowed time. It will soon fail.

And everyone around us will be in danger.

“Nori, gather a few guards and issue noise cancelers to people who don’t have them,” I bark out, knowing Nori doesn’t answer to me. He answers to Atina. Still, the man nods and rushes off to do as I say.

So much is happening at once. The screams from my people. The barks to “get back” and “calm down” from the guards. The guppies crying. The constant attacks by the sharks.

Through all of this, I hope Erin is okay. Delmare is a good man. I know he’ll take care of her until his dying breath.

A new sound assaults my senses: a terrible ripping sound, like a limb being separated from the body. It’s so loud, it makes everyone stop in their tracks.

I jerk my head up just in time to see the last of the barrier fail, no longer able to hold its magic from the shark attacks. It blinks once and then crumbles out of existence. Mage sirens slump to the floor, exhausting all theirenergy.

And then, for one glorious second, silence.

Until the song starts.

Even with the noise cancelers Nori gave me, I can still hear the low thrum of sound and the nagging pull to listen to their cries.

All around me, people scramble to block out the song. Guppies scream as if in pain. It’s a harrowing sound. Death itself has paid a visit to us today. The real question is how many he’ll take with him by the time this is all over.

Without further stalling, I rush to the nearest guard and take his sword from his sheath. He can find others in the armory, but I don’t have time to make the trip myself.

Sharks swarm the castle, breaking through windows and crashing through doors. We live in peace with all creatures of the sea. A coexistence we have cultivated over millennia. But tonight, we are forced to be enemies. The Leviathan’s song is growing impossibly strong if they can control these massive beasts.

I try to reach out to them, but my call is blocked. Again and again, I can't get through. Then a shark lunges for civilians. Its large, jagged teeth bite into a merman’s arms. He screams, flailing, but it only makes things worse.

Later, I will beg the sea goddess for forgiveness.

Later, I will atone for the atrocities I will commit today.

But right now, I plunge my sword through the shark's rubbery skin. It’s tough and not easy to cut through. I muster all my strength to push the sword in deeper until it comes out the other side.

Someone screams.

I think it’s me.

The shark twists in my direction, causing my sword to slice through him. Blood colors the water around us until I can no longer see through the cloud of red.

The shark stops struggling and sinks to the floor.

Dead.

Because of me.

Because I killed it.

More sharks attack, and screams of pain nearly drown out the Leviathan’s song. Nearly.

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