Battlefield

Chapter 10

If you'd asked me what drew me from sleep the following morning—after the day I'd had yesterday—I would've told you I had no idea. Something was tugging at me, a deeply buried instinct rising to the surface.

My muscles, tense and sore from the almost nonstop swimming I'd done the day before, barked in pain and protest as I rose and pulled on a shirt. The others were sleeping soundly; none of them moved a muscle as I swam to the kitchen, stuffing my bag with foods that would travel well. Grabbing two daggers, I looked back toward mine and Jay's room, as if I could see through it to the brown-haired merman sleeping there.

I made a silent promise in my head to him: I will come back to you. Now, whether I could keep that promise remained a mystery, but I would do everything in my power to do so.  Aegrem was silent as I swam outside, all the surrounding houses dark as their occupants slept, unaware that their queen was heading into danger. 

The swim from Aegrem to Nepptheas was a lot shorter than I remembered. My heartbeat was a roar in my ears. I was coming up on the outskirts of Nepptheas when a metallic smell stuffed itself up my nostrils. Not a minute later, I came across the bodies. Mermaids and mermen alike, all motionless on the ground with what looked like stab wounds on their chests. I wanted to bury them properly, but I didn't have time.

As I arrived in Nepptheas, destruction greeted me. Worse than yesterday. I didn't think it was possible for it to get worse, but the evidence was right in front of me. Almost every building was in ruins. What was left standing was crumbling and in disrepair. I was having trouble deciding what to do next: check for survivors, or survey the damage.

Before I had time to ponder the decisions, I froze as I felt someone swim up behind me. I spun around, only to meet familiar green eyes. That wasn't what made my heart stop dead in my chest.

It was the dark-blue pendant hanging from her neck that stole the water from my lungs. My hand flew to my neck, panic sluicing through me as I found it bare. If the ghosts haunted her, she didn't show it as we stared at each other.

What do you want, Naia? My hands were surprisingly steady despite the fear and panic swirling around inside me.

She grinned, gesturing to the lines of mermen behind her, all armed with swords and daggers with shields strapped to their backs. They regarded me with cold indifference, their gazes going right through me. To them, I wasn't the queen of anything. To them, I was the enemy.

I took a steadying breath as Naia's smile faded at whatever was behind me. I spun around, a hand going to my mouth as I beheld the mermen in front of me, all armed with identical weapons. Their leader—a merman with kind brown eyes and short cropped black hair—smiled at me, bowing. He scribbled a message on a piece of paper before handing it to me. My name is Dimitri. We're with you, Your Majesty. We will fight until the bitter end.

Emotion swirled inside of me, tightening my throat and making my breath hitch. I smiled back, gently grabbing and squeezing his hand. Another hand on my shoulder made me whirl around. Jay, David, Bella, and Meri were in front of me, armed and ready. They took up their positions beside Dimitri and his men.

Jay nodded at me, his gaze steady. I glanced at David, Bella, and Meri. Their eyes were on the soldiers in front of us, steely determination in their gazes. Before I could so much as signal Jay, I watched Naia turn to her army, hand clenched in a fist, and shout a single word. Attack.

I didn't need to signal. They knew what to do. The smell of blood soon filled the water, fear creating an identical taste on my tongue. I barely had time to move as a sword sliced in front of me, aiming for my head. Ducking the blow, I spun around and met another dagger, grunting at the strain in my arms.