Page 77 of Midnightsong
She deflated her BCD until she sank deeper, deeper, deeper, stopping periodically to equalize, something she did not miss doing with mer magic. She hit the depth and kicked her way to the palace, her flashlight’s beam illuminating the path before her.
Angie couldn’t see the palace without mer magic, but she searched for patrolling sentinels around the perimeter.
Her flashlight landed on one and the mermaid stopped swimming, staring at Angie with bright emerald eyes, floating.
A merman in the vicinity appeared in the light.
Angie recognized both from her visit here and held up her gloved hands and log rolled, showing them, she was unarmed. The sentinels held up a trident and lance, pointed at Angie. The mermaid’s gaze was threatening, but the merman cocked his head, his visage reflecting curiosity.
She had to show her face, so she removed her mask and hood. Icicles might as well have been stabbing her scalp, and she removed her rebreather for a moment.
The salt stung her eyes, her cheeks and lips numbed, and the painful cold ramming her forehead was an iron fist squeezing it. She quickly put her mask back on with her rebreather and hood. Much better.
The sentinels looked at each other, and the merman approached, putting a hand to his lips. He motioned toward Angie.
She removed her rebreather again, and the merman pressed his lips to Angie’s, exhaling into her.
She could breathe and her vision was clear when she took her mask off. The palace materialized in glittering glory before her eyes.
“Are you here to see Her and His Majesty?” the mermaid asked.
Angie nodded. “I have important news for them.”
“Do they know you’re coming?” the merman cut in.
Angie shook her head. “I tried to contact them, but I didn’t get an answer. Please, I need to speak with them.”
“We’ll see if they’re available.” The mermaid turned to the merman. “I’ll bring her if you’ll stay.”
“I can.” The merman nodded at her and Angie followed the mermaid toward the palace.
“I will announce you,” the mermaid said, once they had arrived at the throne room doors. Angie waited, fiddling with the mask hanging around her neck. If Cassia and Varin wouldn’t see her, she had no semblance of a plan on what to do next. The mermaid returned. “Please wait out here until you’re called in.” She swam off.
The sentinel had left the throne room ajar, and remnants of Cassia’s conversation trickled through.
“...Kaden attacked...divers infiltrated Haibei...”
The Northern Queendom. Kaden was attacked? Was that why he didn’t answer? Was he alright? Was he alive?
Oh, tian.
“...strike before the landwalkers come...discuss plan of attack...”
The color drained from Angie’s face.
Silence.
A sentinel inside the throne room pushed the door open toward Angie, and she kicked herself backward. “Come in.”
Cassia put her seaflute away when Angie entered.
“Queen Cassia, I got good–”
Cassia cut her off with a swift glare, her eyes as icy as the Arctic Sea. “What are you doing here?”
“I have news from my governor, he’s willing to–”
“Thank you for your attempts to help. But you’re no longer needed.”
