Page 64 of Sea and Sky
Silence.
“He’s shown me kindness where hardly anyone else has. I wish I could repay that, but I’ve betrayed him instead.”Fat tears bubbled from Kyler’s eyes. The pearls dropped.
“What is your sacrifice?”
There was only one thing he could offer. The one thing he wished for with his whole being.“My freedom.”
“The deal is struck.”
Pain ripped through Kyler’s body. His palm ached and the binding spell shined so brightly it blinded him. He held his hand away. He couldn’t watch as his fate was sealed against him.
His mouth opened in a silent scream, and as it did, what appeared to be black ink slithered from between his lips. As it left him, so too did the pain. The binding lightened until it flashed and disappeared.
“I don’t understand.”
Silence. The water around him swirled, churning like a vortex sucking him in.
Three merfolk appeared before him. The first he’d seen in some twenty years. More tears pricked his eyes, and the pearls fell to the sea floor. The merfolk’s hair flowed around their heads, no doubt like his own. Fire red, blond, and black. Their tails were so colorful he almost let jealousy fight within him.
“Young Kyler. You offered the one thing you wanted more than life itself as your sacrifice. The one thing you’ve sought your entire life. The sacrifice was designed to give those pure of heart a gift instead of punishment.”
“I’m not pure of heart and haven’t been for decades.”
“Let us be the judge of that.”
The mer in the middle held out their hand, offering Kyler a smooth palm-sized golden stone. That was what all the fuss was about?
“There is power you don’t understand in the unknown, sweet boy. Use it wisely.”
Kyler nodded as he took the phoenix stone. Power throbbed through him, stealing his breath.
“One last gift we give you, young Kyler. Something no other mer has. Ease of shift. No longer do you need sand. Simply will your mer away. No more pain.”
“But why?”
“Why not?”the three echo each other.
“You’re just going to let me take the stone? Just like that?”
“We’ve seen the future. No need to fear it.”
Kyler wasn’t sure he trusted that answer.
“Our time as the stone’s guardians have come to an end.”The mer on the end, the redhead took Kyler’s hand.“When you’re ready to come home. Find us.”
Home.“Thank you.”
“Hurry, young Kyler.”The black-haired mer waved him away.
Kyler did just that, wanting to get away from the thick magic. It clung to him, making him heavy. Making his brain so foggy, he could hardly think.
The only thing he knew for sure was he had to get the stone to Gavin. Not Vex.
Vex could choke on sea slugs because Kyler wasfree.
Chapter 29
“Justalittlelonger,”Gavin begged Basil.
