Page 85 of Midnightsong
Saeryn spun around, his tail trailing behind his upper body. “The landwalkers have shown that they are not trustworthy. That they will betray us. Enough is enough. Now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s something I must do.” With that infuriatingly, vague statement, and another abrupt turn, he propelled down the halls.
A sense of despair struck, and Kaden picked up speed, following, ignoring the aches and pains in his chest, spreading to his arms, but he couldn’t let Saeryn leave.
“Uncle!” He was lightheaded and dizzy by the time he caught up to Saeryn, and he squeezed his eyes shut, repeatedly until the seas stopped spinning.
Saeryn turned again. Gone was the genial, charismatic uncle he always thought he knew. In its place was a merman who personified a dark, stormy sea. Saeryn’s eyebrows drew together, jaw clenched, and a violent tsunami raged in his glare. “You will address me as King.”
Kaden jerked himself backward. “Wh-what?”
“I know what you’re trying to do. I have eyes and ears everywhere, and I know you’re planning to usurp me. I no longer want you as my high advisor, or on my court.” He stared Kaden down. “The citizens are right. You are a traitor. To the mer and to your own family.” Saeryn said nothing more, leaving Kaden staring after him, limp, spots exploding in his vision at his uncle’s volcanic accusation.
The currents carrying Saeryn’s voice snapped Kaden out of his shocked state.
“We attack now.”
Attack? No, no, no.
It was the voice on the other end of the seaflute that sent Kaden’s mind into a tailspin.
Cassia.
“On your command, brother.”
Silence.
Gathering his strength, will, and power, Kaden kept following Saeryn’s path outside the palace. There, nearly a hundred sentinels and ten Shangjiangs, each commanding a military unit, surrounded Saeryn, who floated above their heads. Two hujings surrounded them, specifically bred and trained by their military as pups to fight with the mer.
“Uncle, don’t!” Kaden bolted forward, carried on a burst of adrenaline.
Saeryn stopped talking to his troops and turned to face Kaden. “Take him away.” He gave a dismissive wave in his direction and the mer traveled upward.
Toward the surface.
Kaden gave chase, but two sentinels swooped in front of him, grabbing his arms, pulling him back toward the depths.
“Let go of me. I’ll leave. I won’t interfere.” Kaden wiggled his arms in an attempt to break free. He needed to get back to his chambers and warn Zixin and Mia.
A blast of water shot downward in his and the sentinels’ direction, and Kaden kicked his tail, faster, faster, to dodge it and prevent the massive water funnel from pulling him into its vice grip. The sentinels followed suit.
The scene before him was a waking nightmare.
Kaden floated, as if stone manacles bound his wrists together, his tail frozen and refusing to move. The sentinels, now in his peripheral vision, stayed put, their lance and trident held in front of them. Human bodies, some dead, some flailing, killed by the sentinels and hujings as they sank. The hujings snapped up two of the bodies, both well protected by a circle of sentinels.
Kaden made a dash for the humans. Where did they come from? Were they on the ships and caught up in the attack? If he hurried, he could grab some of them, bring them to safety.
He decided against it. That wouldn’t be good enough. He’d have to give each of them breath.
Wooden crates came down with another water funnel, and he curved his body and swam downward, circumventing the funnel. The harsh sound of rushing water filled his ears.
Shards of ships followed, some donning the wordsMDRT.
A snapped hull with the wordsMV Castawaycame down.
Two ships were destroyed. He knew theCastaway; had seen it during the moments he spent ashore with Angie after the war.
His eyes felt like they were sealed open, unable to look away from the destruction. An uncontrollable shudder racked his limbs down to his tail at the knowledge that Saeryn struck the docks.
As quickly as they had come, the water funnels disappeared, the seas calm once more. But the seafloor was covered in ship parts and a smattering of human corpses.
