Page 93 of Midnightsong
“Thank you, thank you. It’s good to have a king who knows their role and acts, isn’t it?” Saeryn beamed and took a handful of spiced seagrass when a server came by. “This tidesday, we celebrate. At the turn of the tide, we will join Princess Calora in Haiping and celebrate with them.”
Another raucous cheer.
Kaden stiffened, his stomach folding in on itself, and a shiver coursed down his spine. He couldn’t stay anymore and he slipped away when another group of sentinels came to offer their congratulations.
Despondent, he stopped by Adrielle and Cyrus’ chambers. Sliding the door open a touch revealed Raina and another healer some tailspans away, and she turned to Kaden.
“I’m sorry, Prince Kaden. We are administering Prince Cyrus his medications, and Princess Adrielle and the children are asleep.”
“I see. I’ll come back.” Kaden turned and left them alone.
His last conversation with Angie stayed in his mind. The tsunami at her school. Zixin injured. She was on her way home to Creston and he wouldn’t be able to see her.
Soon she would be so close and he couldn’t stop the wave of dejection that consumed him.
Forty
Angie
She was home. If only shewere there under happier circumstances. When Angie stepped off her family friend’s jet, cloudy skies and a glacial breeze swiped her cheeks, numbing them, and she wrapped Lulu inside her jacket with her furry head sticking out. Her cat was calm, her body heat warming Angie’s chest.
Late February brought freezing weather and her weather app registered twelve degrees with the sun out.
As a child, winter was her favorite season with the light snow falling from starless skies above. The soft coating of powdery snow in their backyard allowed her to make snow angels, or some crude depiction of a mermaid after wiggling her torso and legs and flapping her arms around over her head, surrounded by ice caps, snow-capped mountains, and powder-dusted forests.
Winter downtown, where there were more buildings and homes that were closer to one another, was different than in her remote village.
The pilot had dropped her off behind Mia’s house in downtown Creston after telling her that Governor Taylor ordered evacuations from any building within five miles of the coast. Ten people had died in the mer attack, six military.
Which meant she couldn’t go home. This was the second time she had to evacuate in the span of one day.
A sad smile tugged at Angie’s lips as she took in the earthen scent of fresh snow and fading jet fuel in the leaden winter air, and she walked to Mia’s doorstep.
The next day, Angie sat in Creston General Hospital’s quaint, busy lobby with Mia at her side. Her two kids flanked them, Rosie holding Jack’s tiny hand. Fluorescent lights bore down on them from above.
“I’m bored.” Rosie spoke up, pouting and fidgeting. “We’ve been here forever.” She swayed back and forth on her heels, falling into Angie. She put her hands on her niece’s small shoulders and pushed her back upright onto her feet.
“We’ve been here for ten minutes, silly.” Mia exchanged a glance with Angie. “Don’t you want to see your gonggong? He’ll be out soon.”
“Yeah.” Rosie dug her heels into the tile.
Angie scrolled through her phone while they waited. A text came in to her, Reesa, and Leo’s group chat:
Reesa: Is everyone okay? That was terrifying.
Leo and Dr. Williams replied they were okay. Angie struggled with what to tell them, her fingers gliding back and forth over her phone screen.
I’m okay. My apartment is flooded. I’m back in Alaska. I’ll focus on finding who’s responsible for the Mer-Queen’s murder and keep you all in the loop.
Beside her, Rosie was sitting on the floor, and Mia, clutching Jack’s hand, had walked to the other side of the lobby toward the vending machines. Another ping on her phone.
Dr. Williams: Take the time you need but wanted to let you all know. SMOSA has discovered humans can get breath from mer, which helps them breathe underwater. The info is spreading to other research facilities, and MDRT recently got hold of it. I don’t know what I can do to stop the news from spreading. Be careful,everyone. Stay away from the sea.
Texts came in rapid succession after that.
Reesa: Wait what? How? That’s insane!
Leo: What does this mean for us?? Does that mean MDRT can fight back against the mer now?
