Page 42 of Sea and Sky
“A little, not the full extent of it all. Just… what he needed to know.” Kyler told her about how Vex said he could have freedom for a price and Kyler was finding the price higher than he anticipated.
“That fool, Gavin should have given you the coin and taken you away from that man.”
Kyler shook his head. “I get it. The payment is for services rendered. There is no way he would have known if I’d follow through if he freed me first.” He huffed out a breath. “That’s if Vex isn’t lying about freeing me.”
Ailey bit her bottom lip. “What color is your scale?”
Why did it matter? His stomach dropped. “Blue.”
“Skies, I might know why he’s allowing this silly game.”
“You know about merfolk?”
Ailey held out her hand and helped him to his feet. “My childhood nanny was mer. I learned everything I know from that woman. But like you, she kept her mer-ness hidden. Kept her safe. What do you know of necromancers?”
“Nothing, only that there was a war and that’s the reason Gavin was eggborn.”
“Do you know why there haven’t been merfolk spotted in decades?”
Kyler shook his head as Ailey led him to the bed. She handed him a cup of water and urged him to drink. When he drained the cup, he handed it back.
“A mer heart, and the blood of the one that heart loves the most, mixed with immortal jellyfish essence, creates an elixir. One that can bring back the dead.”
Kyler had to fight to keep the bile down his throat. It was all too much. An image of his parents laying with their chests ripped open flashed across his memory and he lost his battle. He made it to the pot again in time. He remembered the drag of a knife. Blood from his tiny arm. His parents hadn’t died in the storm. The three of them were heading back to the water when Vex found them. Oh, how Kyler wished he could shove the memory back again, but now it was back he couldn’t. The memory of the scent of blood and ocean air filled his senses.
Ailey rubbed his back as he cried into the pot. Cried for his parents. For himself. For everything that could have been different. “He used us.Stilluses me.” He looked up at her. “What does the color of my scale matter?”
“Has scale started growing in your human form?”
He nodded. That couldn’t be good.
Ailey squeezed his shoulder. “Once the scale starts, blue gill merfolk begin to lose their human side if they don’t find love. Something about needing love to keep their human heart. If that scale spreads, you’ll only have the mind to kill. You’ll seduce people just to drown them and eat their hearts and devour their souls.”
Kyler laughed. “That’s rumors. Mer don’t—”
“It’s the curse of the blue gill. You were probably too young for your parents to talk about it with you. Melba had a close call in her youth. She almost turned into a soul eater. But love saved her.”
That sounded like a fairytale. Love saved her? How ridiculous. But Ailey’s face darkened. She was serious in her conviction.
Kyler laughed darkly, clutching his side. “I get it now. Vex wants me to retrieve the phoenix stone while I still have my wits about me.” He couldn’t stop the laugh. Vex probably already had plans for Kyler to do just that. Then the prince needed a mer and everything fell into place. Vex wouldn’t have to lift a finger or risk his own crew for the job. “I’m the only one that can get the damned stone for anyone. But why do they want it?”
“I don’t know.” Ailey sighed. “And I hate not knowing. No one should have the stone. It’s too powerful.”
That’s what Kyler thought, but what did he know? His mind fell to Jessi. She was there to keep eyes on him. To make sure he followed through with what he’d told Vex. Kyler groaned.
“Come now, let’s get you changed and we can all talk. There’s much to discuss.”
“Thank you,” he whispered. “For being so understanding.”
“Sweetie, no one deserves what you’ve been through.” Ailey stood and turned her back to him while he changed into a matching set of clothes.
After a few more swallows of water, Kyler felt better, and he nodded for Ailey to let the others in.
Gavin rushed inside and looked him over. “Are you okay?”
“Not even close, but I’m better. Thank you.”
Gavin hesitated, so Kyler threw himself into the dragon’s arms. He needed the warmth and comfort, though it made him feel weak. Kyler wasn’t weak. The prince wrapped himself around Kyler and nuzzled the top of his head. “I’ll do my best to make sure you’re never alone, if that’s what you want.”
