Page 125 of Midnightsong
The sentinels beside the young woman hooked her arms and swam her up to face Kaden and the council.
“This young woman, currently nameless to us, is accused of murdering the queen and inciting war,” Alasdair began. “What is your punishment for her crime, King Kaden?”
He caught a quiver in the woman’s lower lip, and before he answered Alasdair, the question he had been wanting to ask to burst forth.
“How did you do it? How were you able to get into the palace that tidesday?”
She squirmed in the sentinels’ grasp and shot a heated glare in Saeryn’s direction.
“That merman helped me get to the back of the palace, into the queen’s bedchambers. We found her vulnerable and alone there, an easy target. And I never saw him again,” the young woman ground out.
Saeryn. The rotten-kelp-for-brains. His betrayal stung even more than the human attacks. That he would purposely help humans break their truce and murder his mother.His own sister.
“He manipulated her,” Angie, who had swum to the front of the group, added. “Used her to get the throne for himself.”
An audible scoff from Saeryn, who had his arms crossed and shook his head. “Kaden was not fit to take his mother’s place,” he sneered. “I did the right thing, and I do not regret it.” Though he spoke with conviction, an air of defeat lingered in the undercurrent of his bold statement.
“We’ll deal with you next, uncle.” Kaden balled his fists at his sides. Did Aiereka know of her father’s plans, and didn’t—or couldn’t—speak up? He returned his attention to the young woman before him, his next words tugging at his heartstrings. He didn’t wish this, did not wish to order death even with the worst of his enemies, but if he didn’t, the mer would never rest. And someone needed to pay for taking his mother’s life. “If the council is in agreement, she will be executed for her crimes,” he choked out.
“By your will.” Darya carved into her stone slate.
Kaden bowed his head. “What is your name? Why did you do it?”
“For my mother,” she said quietly. “I’m Celia. My mother, Eva, was killed by the mer. I didn’t intend to start another war.”
For a moment there was only silence, and a small school of what Angie called Pacific herring sailed over her head, exiting through an opening somewhere above her. Angie was focused on Celia, her lower lip jutted out, and then she hung her head.
Kaden lifted his gaze to meet Celia’s, and then to Cassia and the sentinels. “Let it be done.”
Celia shut her eyes. Angie looked away, and Kaden lowered his gaze.
A sentinel held her spear at chest level, and with a slight bow of her head to Kaden, the council, and then to Celia, drove her spear through the young woman’s chest.
She held on to a small shred of her life, her hands flew around the spear’s shaft, and she paled. Angie swam for her. Celia drifted into her arms, and Angie held her close as life drained from her. She glanced up at Kaden, her expression downtrodden.
“I’m sorry,” Kaden mouthed. Celia had committed an awful crime, yes, and it was her spear that took his mother from her family, her queendom. Yet at the same time, she was grieving, and he knew full well how Saeryn’s charming words were an earworm, a parasite in the brain that refused to leave, whispering its deadly toxins in the back of your mind.
“I understand,” she mouthed back, before turning back to Celia.
“Hi, Mom,” Celia said weakly, an oddly content smile crossing her lips as she looked to the distance, above Angie’s head. She collapsed, her head falling onto Angie’s bosom. Despite himself, Kaden couldn’t stop a stream of tears pooling in his eyes and escaping into the sea. Angie bowed her head and brushed floating locks of Celia’s hair away from her face.
From his corner, Saeryn watched as Celia’s life drifted away, his expression emotionless.
Oryma’s voice broke the silence. “What of Saeryn? He has committed attempted murder and corroborated with a landwalker to murder Queen Serapha. What is your order for his punishment?” Oryma carved something into her slate with a thick conical piece of rock.
Saeryn watched him like a shayu targeting their prey, staying mum.
Kaden sneered at his uncle. “It was you who betrayed us, led the humans to my mother. How dare you.”
Saeryn only gave him a serene smile. “I will not repeat myself again. I did what was right for this queendom.” He leaned in. “You will never be half the king I was, fry.”
A pang of hurt struck, and he clenched his jaw. “Celia may have incited the war and broken the treaty. But Uncle, if it wasn’t for you, we would not have lost so many. We could have simply sought out her killers. But now, we’ve lost hundreds of ours here, more in the Central Queendom. The palace is in shambles. Not to mention you used mer to kill me, to blame humans.” His stomach performed a nauseating flip at the memory of nearly being killed.
Saeryn turned his head away, showing no outright reaction, and Kaden was sure his words fell on deaf ears.
“Your order, Your Majesty?” Allie piped up, rock pen poised over her slate.
“Execute him. He’s done too much harm to this queendom to be allowed to live.” Kaden shook his head sadly; gaze pointed at his uncle.
