Page 9 of The Kraken Games

“Not Acha?

“Marrick thinks not. And I agree. They won’t put a defeated Kraken back in the ring.”

“That’s a shame. I know you’d really got your head around Acha’s moves.”

Luna huffed. She’d been studying Acha’s game these past few years. Learning his weaknesses, his strengths, talking incessantly to Marrick about it. She reckoned she could almost second guess that kraken in the ring. If it was Acha competing this year, she’d be more confident. She stroked the stem of her wine glass pensively. “The fact is, they can spring a new competitor on you without any warning. Kraken hold all the cards.”

“Well, they do fund the games,” Harper reasoned. “And supply all the infrastructure, so I guess they feel like that’s their prerogative. They must have hated Acha being defeated.”

“At least it proved the event isn’t completely rigged,” Luna added. There had long been rumors that some of the contestants were stooges, paid by kraken to compete, but it had never been proven. And with Marrick’s win, it seemed the games weren’t a total set-up—which meant she stood a chance of winning. If she could employ techniques that the kraken weren’t expecting.

For a start, they wouldn’t be expecting a human to compete.

Not in their wildest dreams.

“If you win, do you think they’ll talk to you?” Harper asked softly.

Luna stifled her sense of uncertainty. “Yes, if I give up the prize money and renounce the title, they’ll have to give me something in return.” She hesitated. “And even if I don’t win, they’ll soon realize I’m not going away. I’ll be there every single year like a thorn in their side until they tell me the truth. They’ll hate that… and the Tween Council of Towns will love it.”

“You won’t talk to them about it, surely?”

“No way.” Luna scowled. “I probably hate high-breed humans as much as the kraken do.” She remembered bitterly how not a single human from the valley towns of Tween or Twill had come to help her when she was down and out as a kid.

They both fell silent, Luna breathing hard, the way she always did when she recalled why she was doing this, the events of that terrible day when she was eight years old. Harper knew about it—at least, the bits Luna had been prepared to tell her over the past few years as her trust had deepened. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you— for competing?”

Her friend shook her head. “It’s just—oh, I don’t know…” Harper spread her palms as if trying to weigh it up. “Kraken areso secretive, and then—maybe the Thedaka krakens, maybe they weren’t the clan responsible for…” Her words trailed off.

“Murdering my family?” Luna tried to keep bitterness out of her voice.

Harper visibly winced. “I’m sorry Luna, I just… worry for you, if your plan fails.”

Luna pinned back her shoulders. “I know it might fail.” In truth, she hadn’t really thought about what she’d do if she lost the games, or worse, won them and still the kraken refused to talk.

“Look, I know I can’t get Mom and Dad back.” Luna blinked away the image of her parents being sucked under the waves that night, gone forever in the wreckage of their boat. But if it had only been that…Only. Bah!Like losing your parents wasnothing. “But a bright blue kraken carried Tomas off, Harps. Blue kraken are Thedaka krakens. It disappeared with him in its tentacles. He was screaming his lungs out. I can’t move on until I know what happened to him.”

Harper nodded, then reached across the table and took Luna’s hand. Luna wrapped her fingers round Harper’s, squeezing hard as she tried to swallow the sudden lump of emotion in her throat.

“You know I’m here for you babe. Whatever happens, I’ll support you.”

“Thank you.” Luna shook her head and forced a bright smile. “I’m going to practice in the mud flats tomorrow. Wanna come and watch? It’ll be funny at least.”

“Sure, why not?” Harper’s face lit up. “Maybe I’ll ask Noah to join me.”

Luna chuckled. “Don’t you dare. I’m not having a selkie tell me how I’m messing up.”

“Noah would never do that.”

“Yeah. I know. Okay, fine, bring him if you like.”

“I’ll probably be too chicken to ask.” Harper hopped off the crate and headed for the door. “Gotta get my beauty sleep. He said he’d be in for lunch tomorrow. That’s the third day this week.”

Luna laughed and shook her head as she saw her friend out.

Goddess above. Falling in love.

What a total waste of time.

CHAPTER 3

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