Page 92 of Oceansong
“She fled again with her sister, and on their travels for safe refuge, she met my father in the Arctic Sea. He was traveling and seeking a place tosettle down. They eventually found their home in the Bering Sea.”
“Incredible that they established a queendom so fast,” Angie mused.
“Yes. They took in many refugees who were seeking safety. Tales grew of their kindness and the population exploded, eager to follow my mother and father’s guidance and rule.” Kaden appeared lost in thought for a moment. “You know the wave was meant for the docks. I know that does not make matters any better, but her rage was so intense that the wave grew and grew beyond her control, and caused a chain reaction. It destroyed more than she intended.”
Angie tucked her knees under her. “I’m scared about what’s going to happen now that everything’s gone to shit. Nobody will forgive the mer after the direct hit and destroying another dock.” She kept quiet at the prospect frightening her most, choosing between her alliance to her colleagues and her friends or to the mer she’d come to respect. Choosing between Kaden or her family. “The local government is sending more divers and boaters to hunt the rest of you down.”
Before her, the sea was tranquil, the unnerving calm before the hurricane would crash in.
Kaden trembled, but said nothing, and held her close.
Thirty-Seven
At daybreak, Angie and Bàbastood at the broken gangway with Bàba’s lips thinned, eyes narrowed and hands stuffed into his pockets as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
His mouth was set in a grim line, gaze stuck on the wrecked gangway before him. “This is a huge mess. With this, and how to deal with the mer attack. I’ll have to call in contractors, we can barely afford to pay them. I’ll have to ask Beau to help.”
Angie rested a hand on the back of his shoulder. “I can make a few calls for you, take some of the work off your shoulders. Just let me know who. Or anything else I can do to help.”
Hehmphed. “Beibei, I have a lot to do. I’m keeping Nick in charge of the docks and dealing with the mer. I need you to continue following his orders, okay?”
Angie reeled as if he had slapped her. He hadn’t even considered her offer to help. “You’re leaving him in charge? You really trust he’s not going to do something reckless?”
“I know you and Nick don’t always see eye-to-eye, but I trust you will work together. I’ll still step in periodically, but he knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s not a great idea.”
He looked her square in the eyes. “Angela.” He bore down sharply on her name, and Angie knew his word was final. “I need you to trust me on this. Please.” She said nothing and walked next to him when he made his way back to the dock’s main area. “Beau and I are still in talks with other cities to get us some help.” Bàba rubbed his chin where he had grown a short beard. He stepped over a piece of wood from the gangway. “Now with the trashing of our neighboring port, they could have killed more innocents. Thankfully, that port was empty. And Emily and Beau demand we step upour efforts to destroy the mer for the harm they’ve done.”
“What are you going to do?” Angie jittered a foot against the floor.
“Keep working with them. They’re going to increase our funding.” He gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. “Nick will take care of things here.” He looked to his right, and Angie’s stomach performed a somersault. “Looks like we spoke you into existence.”
“You did.” Nick slapped Bàba’s shoulder with a hearty laugh, and Bàba thumped Nick’s shoulder in return. “Talking about me?”
“Yes, I’m bringing Angie up to speed.”
“I’m still here.” She hated it when people talked about her like she wasn’t standing five feet away from them.
“Sorry, Beibei, but yes, now that you’re all filled in, I have to get started on the long list of things I have to do. Nick, watch over her, okay?”
Angie blanched, and Bàba took his leave.
“Oh, I will.” Nick said the words in earnest, but Angie caught the smug smirk when he turned back around to her. The smirk disappeared once they stood face-to-face. “Oh, Angela. An unfortunate day may come when Bàba isn’t here anymore, and then you’llhaveto listen to me. Why don’t you make the transition a little easier and learn your place now?”
She kept her gaze averted from him.
A wide grin spread over his face. “You can start by scrubbing. There’re dried and leftover blood stains on the floors and walls from the mer we’ve killed so far. But we’ve been too short-staffed to sterilize it. Lots of the cleaning crew are gone. Taken by the mer, those slimy fucks.”
Angie glared at him. “You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.” He pulled a sad face, and she knew he was mocking her. “You’re also going to help the cleaning crew dispose of the dead mer. You can do whatever you want. Burn them, cut them up, leave them by the coast for the mer to see, feed them to the sharks for all I care.”
A web of ice spun through her body, her heartbeat slowing to a crawl. Most of all, she knew Mer-King Aqilus’s body was amongst them, and she couldn’t bear the thought of throwing Kaden’s father away like a piece of trash. “No. That’s not what I’m here to do.”
“Nobody else refused because they all know we need to work together. What’s the matter, Angela? Afraid of a little mer blood? You shouldn’t be, given your close bond with them!”
Her cheeks froze.
