Page 17 of Midnightsong
Angie turned to Kaden after Mia and Bàba left. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, let’s go.”
Angie leaned in to receive breath from him, and after raising to a partial stand, left her jacket and shoes ashore and jumped into the sea, swimming beside him.
A dense viridian and ruby kelp forest greeted them, brightened by slivers of moonlight piercing the water’s surface, and swaying leaves brushed against her bare arms and cheeks.
Kaden plucked off a piece of kelp while pinching the holdfast with his other hand. He ran the bright, emerald kelp strip through his fingers to remove sand and soil, appearing to be deep in thought as he nibbled on it. Angie cast a sideways glance at him.
She always wondered what fresh raw kelp tasted like, and she did the same as they descended. After rolling the piece between her fingers, she took a bite. She appreciated the subtle umami flavor, but not so much the briny taste and squishy texture.
Sand bounced on her tongue and upper palate before escaping down her throat, and she coughed it out, releasing the kelp piece from her hand and letting the currents take it.
“Not a fan, I take it?” Kaden asked with a slight, sideways smile.
“This is, uh, well, I like it better dried,” she said, after she dislodged the last speckle of sand from her throat. “And seasoned.”
“I can see how it might be an acquired taste.” He reached for her hand and squeezed it.
She waited for him to say more about giving up the throne, but he stayed mum.
Deeper, they met with bioluminescent jellyfish and fish emitting gorgeous sapphire, green, and amethyst hues, and Angie stopped to watch, awestruck, forgetting for a moment where they were headed. She was so focused on them that she hadn’t realized she outswam Kaden. He was gaining on her, his tail kicked slower, and he was using his arms to help him propel forward.
How did she overtake him? Even with mer magic, she could never swim as well or quickly as a mer. She swam back to him. “You alright?”
“Yes.” He stopped. “Fatigued. I feel like I have been swimming endlessly since I got home, too much to do.”
She thought he spoke too quickly, but he said no more and beckoned her to keep following. The jellyfish and fish dispersed when they swam through them, enveloping them in blackness once more.
Before they reached the palace, its silver glint within view among rock beds and formations, a group of mer approached at rapid-fire speed from the direction of the majestic structure, stopping before them.
“Adrielle?” She was flanked by three sentinels, and Angie moved to greet her. But the hesitation in the Mer-Princess’ expression stopped her from moving any closer.
“Angie.” Adrielle greeted her with a small wave before turning her attention to Kaden. “You need to take her back.”
“Why? What do you mean?” Kaden’s head jerked back, his gaze narrowing. Kaden’s fingers curled around Angie’s hand in a protective squeeze. “I want her here.”
“I know you do.” Adrielle rubbed at her temples, her long braid floating around her head.
“What’s going on?” Angie looked from Kaden to Adrielle, and back to Kaden again. Why had Kaden asked her to come if she wasn’t allowed near the palace?
“At high noontide, the examiners found some wayward spears from spearguns littered around the seafloor and found a match to the Mer-Queen’s wounds.” Adrielle folded her arms over her chest, the distal part of her rose tail twitching. “Saeryn has ordered that any humans found in our territories will be apprehended. And he’s declared anywhere past seventy fathomspans a danger zone for mer.”
Angie’s heart sank into the abyss.
Damn Kaden’s uncle. Now she wouldn’t be able to be with Kaden when he needed her most—wouldn’t be able to pay her respects to the late Mer-Queen. And Kaden couldn’t go to the surface.
Of course, the new Mer-King wouldn’t tolerate their enemy in their space. A sense of hollowness expanded inside her. She could not do or say anything other than offer a dejected nod of understanding.
“I’m so sorry. This is my first time hearing about this,” Kaden said, hoarse.
“We just received the order.” Adrielle clasped her hands loosely in front of her, wearing a solemn mask.
“No, I understand,” Angie croaked. “I’ll go back.”
“I’ll go with you—” Kaden started.
“No, one of the sentinels can take her,” Adrielle interjected. “You don’t look so well. Might want to see a healer after the funeral.”
