Page 65 of Of Song and Darkness

I returned the dagger to its sheath. “A stronger being who relies on no one.”

Orm held his ground, and so did I. I fully expected him to attack me for carving a notch in his pretty face, but instead, he swam off in the direction of Aquarius, still cradling his cheek with his hand.

I followed behind him at a distance, still not trusting him not to retaliate. The swim after our encounter was blessedly quiet and gave me a chance to decide what I was going to do. I could try reasoning with my father, but from past experience, that had never gone well. We were too alike and known for our short tempers. He would banish me for treason if I even hinted at the fact that I wanted his trident to save the notorious Blackheart Kai.

I stalled in the water, emotion rising up my throat as I took in all the destruction. Dark Water wasn’t here anymore, but it had left behind its carnage. Everything that once lived, fish and sea vegetation, was charred, blackened with death and decay. My once beautiful kingdom was just a shell of what it used to be.

I continued forward, dreading what my eyes would behold next. The massive kingdom of Aquarius came into view. The smooth, shell-colored towers of the palace that once reminded me of sea glass on the ocean floor when the sun’s rays hit just right were now dull and dingy. Dizziness overtook me as I realized how close Dark Water had come to swallowing up my home.

My gaze sliced to Orm as he looked back at me. “Do you see now why I did what I did?”

“I understand,” I conceded, “but all this does is prove how much of a coward you truly are. You abandoned women and children to save yourself.”

I rushed past him, disgust churning in my stomach. The thought of going through my home’s gates made fear rise inside me like waves in a squall. What I was getting ready to do was treason, and by the looks of it, Aquarius had been through enough.

It was quiet—too quiet. Aquarius used to buzz with vivaciousness and life, and now everything seemed muted and dead. I swam through the once lively village that encompassed the palace, immediately missing the sound of young sirens at play. Debris littered the sandy bottom like everyone had packed up and left in a hurry. As I passed through, a few sirens that had stayed behind emerged from their homes.

“It’s okay. Dark Water is gone,” I promised as I lifted my hand, urging a small female from her home.

She rushed from the interior, looping her arms around my middle. Tears stung my eyes as a tremor overtook her body. I held her close as she released her fears.

“It’s over. You never have to worry about Dark Water ever again.”

“You found her, Orm! What would we do without you?” one of the nearby males said as he ventured from his home, commending Orm’s heroics.

Orm smiled at him, and I had to physically hold back the sneer that pulled at my lips. I plastered on a smile for appearance’s sake. Orm was anything but a hero, but I refused to correct the notion as it seemed to lift morale. More sirens ventured from their homes, crowding the courtyard.

Orm slowed, basking in the glow of the sirens’s praise. I rolled my eyes as I picked up my pace, hurrying through the crystal doors that led inside the palace.

Once inside, the sparse guards's eyes trailed over my body, their scrutiny leaving a sense of unease in its wake. Their stares lingered on the newly acquired scars on my chest and back. I had been through a lot since meeting Kai, but the scars were just physical reminders of when the world tried to break me and failed. I ignored their gawking, focusing instead on the sandy floor that was the purest of white.

“They’re not in there, Princess.” Roland, one of the palace guards, spoke up as my hand reached for the heavy doors that led into the throne room.

I turned to him, my hand drifting back to my side. “Where are they?”

Roland nodded his head to the left. “In the dining hall.”

I slowly swam in the direction of the dining hall. The thought of food had my stomach grumbling in protest, reminding me that I had not eaten all day. I hovered in the water outside the hall, mentally preparing myself for what I had to do. With a trembling hand, I reached up and pushed the doors open.

Time seemed to move as slowly as a sea snail as all eyes turned to me. My mother dropped the dainty piece of fish she had been devouring, and my father sat up straighter.

“Rhea!” Meleea cried, shoving away from the table. She latched her arms around me before I could swim through the doors. I returned her bone-crushing hug, gathering her closer in my arms as she laid her head on my chest. “Where have you been? We thought you were dead!”

I smiled at her. “I’m fine, and it’s a long story.”

Meleea moved aside as my mother swam toward me. Her face was solemn, the perfect mask of a queen, but her eyes betrayed her feelings. They glistened and sparked with disbelief.

“My little sea nymph.” Her voice broke as she opened her arms, inviting me in.

I rushed forward, momentarily getting lost in the comfort of my mother’s arms and her soothing, familiar scent.

“I would like a moment alone with Rhea.” My father’s deep voice broke the serene moment, and I pushed away from my mother’s embrace.

My mother ushered my sister out of the room. “Don’t do anything foolish, Manta,” my mother warned him as she closed the door behind her.

To my surprise, my father eased toward me, cupping my face in the palm of his hand. “I thought I lost you.”

I shook my head. “It’s over, Father. Dark Water is no more. We have nothing else to fear.”

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