Page 70 of Oceansong
“Please, tell me.” A pleading note coated her voice.
Kaden’s gaze was fixed on the space between them. The lower part of his tail tensed, as if hugging the sandy ground. He fiddled with something in one closed fist. He didn’t look up at her. “I didn’t see it happen, but the mer-king and mer-queen spoke of it and praised our sentinels for capturing and killing two humans the day before. The woman you speak of was left to drown, the sentinels striking her down when she attempted to swim to the surface. They watched her struggle until she no longer drew breath.”
An uncontrollable shudder swept through Angie’s core. “They couldn’t at least kill her quickly? To think she suffered like that.” Her hands curledinto fists. She knew her own people hadn’t shown mercy to the merfolk, but it tore at her innards to know Eva died a slow, agonizing death.
“I wished they had delivered her a merciful death, as well.” Kaden wet his lips. “It makes me sick hearing the proud swell of the mer-king’s voice when he praised them for their barbarism.”
Angie drew her knees to her chest. “I know we’ve done terrible things to the mer, but still. It’s awful. Her poor daughter had to see her, too.”
Kaden visibly softened and put his hand over hers. “I can only imagine the horror she experienced. I hope she’s able to take the time she needs to grieve properly.”
“I called her this morning to check on her. Some of her friends and family are going to stay with her for a while. She’ll have support.” She rested her chin on the tops of her knees, thinking back to what Kaden said. It stuck out to her that he called his parents by their royal titles. She questioned him about it.
“Cyrus and I asked once why we could not call them Mother and Father like our peers referred to their parents. They shot the idea down. Told us they were our superiors and the rulers of their territory, and we would respect them as such. It’s how we’ve lived.” His tail swept across the sand, creating a gritty arc. He slid one arm around her, and she pulled in closer to him.
“Interesting. I can’t imagine calling my mom and dad anything else besides Mama and Bàba.” She changed the subject, “Boats aren’t going out anymore, unless they’re boats that can do some damage to the mer. They brought another merman back last night.” Her words faded into silence.
“Your people sent a boat full of spear fishers. They came hunting us yesterday. I heard they found a family of wayward mer in the southern seas. They fled, but the father stayed behind to defend them and was killed. That was likely the one you saw.”
“Did you know him?” Her voice lowered, blunting her words. Angie lifted her gaze to meet his.
Kaden shook his head. “Not personally, but he was of my queendom. Lived in a rural town far from the palace.”
“I’m sorry.” Angie pulled away from him, fingering her ponytail until it fell over one shoulder. “The people in my village are getting skinnier by the day. The docks are losing business, and soon my bàba will be struggling to run it.” She stopped short. Was this too much information? Would Kaden take this and go to the king and queen? Her guilt was a dagger in her abdomen. Here she was, talking about how her people suffered, revealing how weak they were, while cozying up to the mer’s prince.
Yet she didn’t want to stay away from him.
“The humans do look skinnier,” he agreed. “I think of you each time I go to the sanctuaries.”
She cast a side-eye at him. “How do you get those fish to go there? It’s like they willingly trap themselves.”
“It’s not a trap.” Kaden sounded defensive. “We don’t force them to go. They live in harmony with us and trust us because we treat them as equals.” A distant, unfocused smile stretched across his face. “They know they are well fed and cared for when they are close to us.”
A series of frenzied splashes emerged and faded into the distance, like someone pranced through a puddle, diverting his attention. Kaden froze, and Angie whirled around, eyes wide, her hand to her mouth.
Her heart jumped at the thought that they had been spotted. She tensed. “Y-you think there are mer here?”
Kaden’s guard held strong, but he wanted to comfort Angie. He kept a lookout around them. “Likely not a mer. They don’t usually come around this area.”
Angie yelped when, from behind Kaden, a tall wave rose from the sea and rushed for them.
Twenty-Nine
Their quick reflexes were nomatch for the wave’s fury. Forceful water swept them off to the side, hurling them like two cannonballs back into the sea. Loose debris from the island followed, twigs and rocks and dirt assaulting and splattering onto them.
Grimacing, she plucked a plastic bag with a smiley face on it off her head.
“What in the black depths?” Kaden clutched Angie’s wrist and led her back to the shore.
“What happened?” Angie exclaimed as soon as they were back on dry land.
A mermaid’s head emerged above the water.
Oh, she was what happened.
The mermaid followed them, swimming like she was in a sprint, and caught up before they reached the island. The pearls around her neck and bust shone like they were brand new. Her ivory tail glistened beneath the sunlight, a tendril of dark hair falling on the side of her face while the rest of her long braid fell down her back.
Angie recognized her. The mermaid she’d seen with Cyrus while scuba diving, what felt like years ago. She seemed more familiar than that.
