Page 89 of Oceansong
On the gangway ahead of them, a smattering of dock workers yelled outand ran toward the docks proper, and Angie’s chest tightened with a sense of impending doom. Above them, the skies hadn’t cleared. The quiet made her arms and legs tense.
“Run!” she yelled to Stefan and to the workers below her.
Following the tsunami, a funnel of seawater rose over the seas, surrounded by splashing, frenzied mer tails at its base. She stared in awe and shock, praying she wouldn’t see a hint of Cyrus’ or Adrielle’s, or worse, Kaden’s tail colors in the mix. They weren’t there. Only a prism of blues and greens and browns and violets. The beauty in the beast of their creation.
“Angie! Let’s go!” Stefan grabbed her wrist.
It rose higher until she had to extend her neck to see its peak. A second, smaller tsunami charged at them. The wave’s loud roar thundered in her ears as it raced in their direction, surging fast and powerful as it moved onshore.
Another mer tail, this one maroon and larger than the rest, flipped above the water and swept the wave, surging it forward.
Angie’s heart sank, the world moving around her in a slow, agonizing blur.
The tsunami dropped, smashing the gangway in two. A group of dock workers fell with it, sucked into the liquid vortex as it retreated. Two of them escaped, sprinting and screaming.
The banister Angie and Stefan were holding onto broke when the giant wave did, sending a jagged segment flying into their backs. Stefan lost his footing and fell backward, and Angie followed, wincing as the rocky ground dug into her bottom. The last remnants of the wave dotted their heads with seawater, and she climbed back to her feet.
The waves withdrew soon after they came ashore, dragging loose debris out to sea and yanking Angie’s footing out from beneath her. The water’s force tugged her backward before she climbed back to her feet. She cried out and dragged herself forward, clawing at the ground with futile hands, digging her toes in to stop the pull. Her pulse smashed against the veins in her forehead and behind her eyes, and she coughed after swallowing seawater.
The wave carried her to the broken gangway. Her breathing quickened, and she made one last attempt to jolt forward before she reached the gangway’s sawtooth ends.
A hand secured itself around her wrist. The person lost their footing and crashed down next to her, coughing but keeping their grasp on her. They scrambled to their feet before Angie could and hauled her out of the retreating surge.
“Stefan,” she choked out. “You—” Angie’s words died mid-sentence,and she bolted beside him. Eventually, they were joined by the two dock workers who escaped before the gangway broke. Another wave crashed behind them. The rushing water was deafening.
Once they made it to higher ground and were safe for the time being, Angie collapsed to her hands and knees, taking in a shuddering breath and struggling to rein in her emotions.
She couldn’t, and a sob broke from the back of her throat.
Thirty-Six
“It’s a mess at thedocks. Complete chaos this morning,” Angie lamented, putting her chin on top of her knees. She had dragged herself to her and Kaden’s meeting spot that night, too close to the docks for her comfort. “Nick wanted our workers to construct a seawall, but we can’t afford the materials right now. To defend against further attacks while moving our operations further inland.”
Beside her, Kaden shifted.
At eleven at night, the sun was starting to take its leave and make way for the moon.
“I’m not sure a seawall or moving further inland would help. Give the mer, especially my mother, enough time and energy and they will find a way to create a bigger, stronger wave that will bypass any defense in their way. Though, the wall may work to stop an initial attack.” Kaden tapped his tail up and down in the water, creating ripples. Angie blanched at the sound, the smallest of splashing noises reminding her of yesterday’s two tsunamis and of the funnel. Kaden seemed to recognize her squirming, and he stopped. “The queendom is rallying around her. Your people killed our king, and they seek vengeance.”
“I figured, but some defense is better than none, right?” She blew out a raspberry, putting a hand to her forehead. “There’s nowhere safe for us, is there? Is that why we’re so close to the docks? Hiding in plain sight?” She rubbed her face in her hands. “When is this craziness going to stop?”
“It should have been tidesdays ago, before my father was speared through his back and side.” He clasped his fingers together, squeezing them so tight that Angie thought he might crush his own hands. “I don’t know what will end this now. Until one of us is wiped out or one side surrenders. My mother will not. Will your father and mayor surrender?”
Angie shook her head, unhappy. “If I know them, no. Especially not the mayor.” Her mind flickered to Beau and Emily, who were still trying to grieve the loss of their son. “Nick’s not helping the situation either, my sister’s husband. He’s the one who ordered the dive team out that murdered your father, though I’m not sure who actually speared him.”
She couldn’t stop herself from mumbling “stupid jerk” when Nick intruded her mind. Just her luck, he was her boss this week.
“Agree. And you dislike him.” Kaden said it like a fact, not a question.
“I do. I don’t think he’s ever liked me, either,” she grumbled.
“Why is that?”
Angie sighed. “We were never close, even though he was with my sister for so long. He didn’t really bother me when we were younger, but a few years ago, he mocked my choice of graduate school. Told me I was better off finding some rich guy to marry, that I had the looks, and I might as well not let them go to waste.” Ire rose at the memory. “He said I’d never make a decent living as a marine biologist. He’s wrong.”
Kaden shook his head, his expression flat. “Even if that was truly his belief, he was wrong for saying that to you. What a terrible thing to say to your lover’s sister.”
“Oh, that’s not all.” Angie was riled up now, and it felt good to get it out to someone who would take her side on this. Mia had asked her once what her problem was with Nick, and when Angie relayed the story to her, Mia had defended him, brushing it off as him being young and dumb. The second snipe he made at her, Mia couldn’t brush off as easily, and had solidified Angie’s intense dislike for the man. “When I came home after my mom died, I lost a lot of weight. He called me a twig, and asked me if I wanted a burger or something.” She put the “or something” in air quotes, and a surge of emotion rose. Angie gritted her teeth. “He only apologized because my sister yelled at him that our mom passed.”
