Page 32 of Midnightsong
Two tidesdays since his last meetingwith Saeryn and Kaden was finding out what exactly his uncle was up to. In the interim, he had kept Kaden busy with assessing the presence of sea creatures and scoping out the seafloor around the queendom and reporting back to him with any obstacles or potential threats they posed.
It was low noontide and he left Adrielle and Cyrus’ chambers.
Their remarks when he told them about his new position had made his ears ring.
“Use that and make the council listen to you,” was Cyrus’ response. “Speak up for what you feel is right. Maybe you can learn a thing or two from these council meetings if you ever find yourself a monarch.”
“I don’t trust him,” Adrielle said. “He wants you close to him for a reason; I’m not sure I like what that reason might be.”
He still heard their voices when he swam into the throne room where Saeryn was waiting for him. “You asked for me, Uncle?”
“Yes. I wanted to thank you for a job well done with your reports on the past two tidesdays. I have compiled what you told me, met with our sentinels and Shangjiangs, and we have made the decision to build defenses against landwalker attacks.”
The back of Kaden’s neck prickled. “Why was I not asked to go with you? As your high advisor, I should be at your side for meetings with the military, and to know what you’re doing.” How in black depths was he supposed to advise Saeryn properly if Saeryn kept him in the literal dark? So much for valuing his input.
“You were busy,” Saeryn said, pressing his lips into a white slash. “I just informed you of our plans.” Then, slower, like Kaden was a numbskull, “to build defenses against landwalker attacks.”
Kaden gritted his teeth. “Why are you so worried about human attacks? Other than Angie, no human has been spotted around here since my mother’s death.” It hit him. “Wait, you aren’t thinking of retaliating against them, are you?” He dropped his shoulders and loosened them, rolling out his wrists. His uncle looked so innocent that he was inclined to believe him. For now.
“Sentries and sentinels have gone missing. My sister,your mother, gone. The landwalkers started this. They will not get away with it.” Saeryn’s expression hardened.
No, not again. “Starting a war with them will do more harm than good. We’ve experienced that firsthand. At least consider protecting ours, keeping the sentries and sentinels away from the surface. Pull back your patrols and scouts.” Kaden crossed his arms over his chest. “Why not seek answers from them? Find the responsible human and bring them to justice.” Yet, his uncle wasn’t wrong about feeling the way he did and reacting.
Kaden shook with uncontrolled frustration and irritation. He could not let his uncle do this. Couldn’t let him start a war.
“Listen here, Nephew.” Saeryn bit out and clenched his jaw. “I don’t need to seek answers from them. What will they say? You think they’ll admit to killing our queen?” He jabbed an accusing finger at Kaden. “I will keep our sentries patrolling. There have been shark attacks on the rise for us because of a lack of yu, that the landwalkers take from us by the thousands. I don’t need you to talk me out of it and I never said we were starting another war.”
He strongly implied it though, and Kaden recoiled. “You’ve never confronted them. You don’t know what they’re capable of.” His mind flashed to two years ago. Seeing his brethren strewn up on the seaboard. Mermaids and mermen mutilated and thrown back to the sea for shayu. The humans finding their palace and spearing the mer in cold blood. It made his gut churn and roil with disgust and pain. “I’ve seen the cruelty they’re capable of. Look what they did to Cyrus.”
“Cyrus will be fine because Raina is one of thebesthealers I know.” Saeryn cut in.
“Both our sides suffered too many casualties. It’s not worth it.”
“Then what do you suggest? Have a nice chat with them? You think they will learn their lesson that way?”
“We should work together with the humans and find out who’s responsible. Not all of them are hostile toward us.”
“They. Killed. Your. Mother.Andyour father.” A flush the color of Saeryn’s tail spread over his neck and cheeks. “We must keep our people safe. Do not let your feelings for a landwalker get in the way of what’s right.”
“I know. I understand why you want to retaliate,” Kaden whispered. “I want justice served too. But there must be another way that doesn’t involve sending our sentinels and sentries to their death.”
“It’s what the people want.” Saeryn’s words bounced off the rounded ceiling and stained-glass windows. Kaden jerked his head and shoulders back. Saeryn’s dark expression shifted as quickly as it came and he relaxed his posture. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I know you’re trying.” He waved Kaden off. “You’re dismissed. I have other matters to deal with.”
“What matters?” Kaden’s eyes narrowed.
Saeryn didn’t respond and gave him the briefest gesture of farewell as he left.
Kaden’s stomach rumbled when he left the throne room, his gut clawing at him with hunger pangs. He’d been so consumed with his tasks the past tidesday, he hadn’t taken a moment to eat.
He swam to the pantry, two halls down from his quarters, and swiped a handful of candied sea peaches, and with his free hand, a palmful of salted, jellied seaweed. The sea peaches were soft and chewy and the tart sweetness danced on his tongue.
On his way out he stopped mid-chew.
A group of sentries from the training quarters, guarded by four sentinels, brushed past himwith nothing but a single nod of acknowledgement from two of the sentinels Kaden recognized, all eight of their faces stony.
He took a bite of jellied seaweed and followed them.
They moved like they had someplace important to be, and with Saeryn’s words lingering in his mind, he wanted to know where.
