Page 100 of Oceansong
More curses wove through her mind, and she didn’t have the first thought of what she should do now. She circled the pillar, hiding on the other side and pressing her back to the curved surface. Compared to the neutral temperatures this far below, the building radiated a dull warmth on her back.
A disturbance in the water alerted her, and she lifted her head. Kaden approached, and Angie relaxed her shoulders and arms.
Except Serapha and one of the sentinels were in hot pursuit, faces marred with fury. “Landwalker.” The word was notched with hate. “A spy? How did you—”
“Mother!” Kaden grabbed her arm when she passed him, preventing her from advancing further, and signaled the sentinel to hold back.
“What?” Serapha jerked her arm from him, her tail twisted upward and pointed at his chest, as if she were going to jab it at him.
“Wait! I have information you’ll want to hear. And you, too.” Angie raised her voice. “Let me say what I have to say. If you find that I’m lying, kill me. I won’t try to escape.”
“You will not be able to escape.” Serapha’s voice was cool and emotionless.
“It’s about Cyrus. And the humans are stealing your magic.”
“Did you say Cyrus?” A soft lilting voice joined the fray. Adrielle, with her rose-colored tail matching Cyrus’. Her voice quivered, but rose with hope. “Where is he?”
“How in the black fathoms do you know Cyrus?” Serapha barked.
“That’s what I came to tell you. No one is listening to me, and I need you to hear me out.” Angie kept moving her arms and legs to keep in place against the currents swirling around her.
“You can trust her, Mother,” Kaden said quietly.
Now Serapha looked as if she would murder them both. “How do you know?”
“Because I–I love her.”
Angie stared in shock, though a rush of heat jolted through her to hear Kaden say it to the queen.
“You. What?” Serapha spoke through a clenched jaw. Realization flashed. “That’s why you were going to the surface? For a landwalker?”
“Yes. I didn’t expect it to happen, but she’s been trying to help us. I swear to Sanyue.” The words shook, but Kaden held himself upright.
Adrielle nodded quickly. “Please, hear her out. If she has news about Cyrus, it may be our only chance to save him.” She looked to Angie, and put a hand over her belly. “I can vouch that she can be trusted.”
“Both of you?” Serapha looked like she was going to implode, and Angie didn’t blame her. It was a lot of news, all at once, and Angie was technically her enemy.
The mer-queen’s fists were clenched at her side, and her cheeks and neck flushed red. “Fine,” she said finally. “You get one chance. You’re lucky Kaden and Adrielle convinced me not to kill you where you float.”
When they reached the throne room, Serapha moved to wrap her tail around her throne, and Kaden, Adrielle, and the sentinel flanked her on both sides.
It looked so ominous, like she was facing judgment for a heinous crime.
She supposed that wasn’t too far off.
“How are you here?” Serapha asked, leaning forward, her tailfins grazing the coral pillar.
Angie took a deep breath.
Stick to the facts.
“Cyrus gave me his magic—”
“Why would he do that?” The queen’s eyes narrowed.
Angie wiggled her fingers and toes, growing uncomfortable. Serapha must suspect that Cyrus knew her, given Adrielle and Kaden’s defense of her. Still, she didn’t want to be the one to implicate him.
“They are familiar,” Adrielle spoke up.
