Page 72 of Midnightsong
“Uncle, I would like to–” Kaden’s jaw ached from clenching his teeth.
“That will be everything for today. Thank you, noble counsel, for your time.”
“If His Highness wishes to express his concerns, please allow him to continue.” Darya glared at Saeryn.
Kaden had it with this meeting. What was the point? For all he knew, he might as well be as invisible as a microalga. But all eyes were on him, and he rubbed his forehead. “I think we should seek answers from the humans instead of attacking them. We’re not blameless. We’ve also captured and killed divers and people at the shore, both here, and in Haiping.”
“King Saeryn, would you consider seeking answers from the humans?” Oryma asked.
Saeryn forced a smile, the skin around his eyes perfectly smooth even as his lips curved upward. “I will consider it.”
“How will we go about it?” Kaden asked. Saeryn sounded like he was done with answering, but Kaden would be damned if he didn’t get his uncle to speak of a plan, rather than make vague statements.
“We capture a few. Get them to talk.” Saeryn’s tone was nonchalant.
“And release them afterward?” Kaden pressed. “I could also contact them. Let them know we’d like to talk to them.”
“Yes, we’ll release them. And concerning you, there’s no need. Allow me to take care of this.”
Kaden had nothing more to say.
“If there is nothing else?” Allie eyed Saeryn and Kaden, and the other councilors. When there was no response, she put her slate down. “Then the meeting is adjourned.”
As they made their way out one at a time, Kaden swam after his uncle, who stayed ahead of him at warp speed. Normally, he could gain on him, but keeping his condition in mind, he lagged behind. “Uncle, wait a moment!”
“Not now, Kaden. I have to meet with our sentinels.” He tossed Kaden a cursory glance over his shoulder.
The patient, empathetic Saeryn from a tidesweek ago was gone, and Kaden’s gaze clouded, body heat rising at the king’s hot and cold behavior.
This was the third time in a tidesweek Saeryn had rushed off to a military meeting, never once inviting Kaden as his supposed high advisor. He was tired of waiting for Saeryn to invite him to where he could make the most difference and appeal directly to their sentinels and their Shangjiangs. It was his only hope. The council tended to stay neutral and on the monarch’s side by default. But if the majority of a queendom’s Shangjiangs collectively dissented the monarch’s command, the council would reconsider the king or queen’s orders.
“Uncle!” he called again, and this time, Saeryn slowed down, still several tailspans away from him.
“Whatis it? You’ll forgive my abruptness. The meeting went later than I anticipated.” He stared at Kaden, as though it was his fault for lengthening their meeting. “I do not wish to be late.”
“Am I not supposed to go with you to these meetings? Mother and Father took their high advisor to every single one.”
“I promise next time I will have you along.” Saeryn stopped long enough for Kaden to catch up to him. “But you look so down. It might help you to take a swim and clear your head, and we will reconvene after my meeting. I’ll let you know what we discussed and will hold nothing back.”
Kaden didn’t feel like going for an aimless swim, but Saeryn darted off again, leaving him alone. But he could stop by the cavern where the relocated mer families were and check on them.
He hadn’t made it a quarter of a seamile before two human-shaped shadows, one larger one and one smaller one, came into view, and he stopped swimming.
What in the treacherous deep were divers doing here? How did they find the palace? Did they have mer magic?
They were moving closer, and faced him head on, holding spearguns. In the deep, Kaden could only see their masks, the rest of them hidden in the dark behind them, and he braced himself. They hadn’t fired yet, nor had they raised their spearguns. Time slowed and the currents whirled around him in a blur. He inched toward one side, heart ramming against his ribcage, and he struggled to maintain his composure. His best option was to try to lose them, wear them out, or scatter them enough so he could take them one on one. He could outswim humans, even if he couldn’t exert himself the way he normally could.
“How did you get here?” Kaden hissed. If they had the mer magic, they would be able to speak. But then again, they were fully masked, rebreathers and all.
No reply.
In unison, they raised their spearguns, and Kaden darted beneath them. The cold metal of one spear grazed his shoulder and thank the Goddess it wasn’t enough to draw blood. Reflexes kicking in, Kaden pumped his tail and kept his body in a straight line, propelling upward and out of their reach.
He made for the direction of the palace. Whether he would make it there was another story, but the closer he was, the better off he would be.
A look behind him revealed they were hot on his tail, the fervent swirling of the currents behind them. The smaller human was in sight. Their chase took them past a rock wall full of spiky haidans and bony, studded haixings.
How was this possible? How much magic had they extracted from the captured mer, and how were they able to keep pace with him? Even Angie, with mer magic and experience swimming and diving, couldn’t keep up with a mer.
