Page 114 of Oceansong
Though, if there was the miniscule chance of escape, she’d take what she could get.
Desperation clawed at her, and she broke away, kicking and cycling her legs and arms as fast as her fatigued body would allow. Every stroke felt like torture, her muscles screaming in pain, but she pushed through, fueled by adrenaline. Angie had made it three kicks before arms grabbed her ankles and dragged her back down, and she shrieked.
“What are you thinking?” Serapha hissed, flanked by one sentinel while the other brought a still-struggling Angie back to them. One of the sentinel’s arms squeezed around Angie’s shoulders, and he held his trident to her lower back.
Though her mind refused to quit, her body gave up the fight, and she went limp in the sentinel’s strong arms.
She should have squashed the notion, knowing it would never work. They swam much faster than she could ever dream to, and her body remained fatigued from not eating and drinking anything but sips of seawater for a day. Her lungs and skin were tight from dehydration, and she suspected Kaden’s magic was the only thing keeping her conscious.
They stopped briefly when another sentinel swam up to them, her long braid swaying on her back. “Your Majesty. The messenger you sent has been slain.”
“Black trenches.” Serapha set her jaw, and the sentinels moved to surround her, their weapons pointed outward. “Bring me one of the cursed landwalkers, then.”
The mermaid sentinel gave her a single nod, and turned away.
They moved through one tunnel, then another, and then a third, until they were out in the open sea. No fighting, no dead bodies, no blood, no weapons.
Only chilling silence.
Their path took them through a sanctuary, and a melancholy wave draped over Angie’s head as the fish inside darted out of their way.
“Here.” Serapha waved them over once the sanctuary had vanished from sight. She pointed to a giant rock cluster before them, and they ducked underneath, entering the littoral cave from the bottom. Inside was a passage sandwiched between thousands of cenotes, stretching an endless distanceahead.
Vibrant sea sponges and soft coral dotted the walls around them. A sight Angie likely would never have seen if she wasn’t the mers’ captive. Though the situation struck fear, she relished this picture of beauty.
A sentinel held out her arm, barring Angie’s chest when they reached an open space with a single, large, flat rock formation. The male sentinel pointed her to the rock.
“Wait there.” If Angie could sweat underwater, she would have been doing so profusely by now. She swam to the rock and brought her arms upward to lower herself onto it. Clutching at the edges, driving her heels into the sandy ground, and pushing her calves against the rock kept her from floating.
The mer-queen paid them no attention, her back turned to her.
For a tortuous stretch of time, the four remained in silence.
Angie slid her gaze to Serapha again. She had her head bowed, murmuring what sounded like a prayer, or mantra under her breath. Angie’s heart softened, knowing she must be grieving her comatose crown prince and her mer-king.
The mermaid sentinel from earlier returned with a male sentinel, and a struggling, kicking person held by his armpits as they dragged them in.
“Here. We found this one swimming around aimlessly, away from the intruders.” The male sentinel braced himself with his tail, and swung the human around to face them.
Angie gave a small yelp. “Stefan?”
Stefan looked up and stopped his kicking. “Angie? Oh my God, you’re okay.”
“You–what are you doing here? You came to attack the palace?” Angie still couldn’t believe he was here. Wearing only a crimson scuba suit. “You took the mer magic?”
“Oh, so you two know each other. Makes this much easier,” Serapha sneered.
Stefan floated with the sentinels binding his arms behind him. “The others came to siege the mer, and I said I wanted to join them so they’d lead me here. But I didn’t attack. I heard you had been captured. Your dad sent me to find you. Figured with the camouflage, the mer wouldn’t find me.”
“Then you go and tell your leader that they have until low noontide to meet at the shoreline. If they do not agree, or if they attempt to attack us again without speaking, she dies.” Serapha tossed a haughty glance to Angie.
“Okay. Okay. I will. Just, how do I get out of here? I’ll tell your dad,Angie. I promise.” Stefan winced, then gritted his teeth as he rolled his shoulders out. “God, it hurts. My shoulders don’t have that kind of flexibility anymore.”
“Escort him. Make sure he reaches the surface.” Serapha dismissed the two sentinels, and they turned and left with Stefan.
Angie watched after them, and let a stretch of time pass before addressing Serapha. “Your Majesty?”
Serapha turned her head in Angie’s direction, but didn’t bother to rotate her body enough to face her. “Do not call me that.” The sentence came out abrupt and snappy. “You’re not of my kind. You’re a filthy landwalker, and you caused my people to die in droves.” Unmistakable hatred coated her words. “Then you led my son into a trap.”
