Page 14 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“Get him in the tub.” I do as she says while she helps move his feet.
I bump his head on the back wall and mutter, “Sorry, man.”
“We need salt, now,” she commands with an authoritative voice.
I shake my head, unsure of why we need that, but I’m not here to ask any questions. “The restaurant?”
“Too many witnesses. Can you ask someone at the café?”
I nod, recalling that Justice is probably working with our manager, Sam, right now. They would let me in. “Okay. How much?”
“As many jars as you can carry.” She turns on the water. “Time is of the essence, Daryl. You need to move.”
“On it!” I bolt out of there, ignoring the burning sensation in my lungs. I’m no athlete, but this is a literal life-or-death scenario, and Seero needs me.
I dash across Renversé Plaza and make it to the café in record time. I skip any pleasantries and head to the back. I crouch down to one of the metal drawers and start grabbing all the containers of salt I can find.
I sense Justice to my right. “What are you?—?”
“No time to explain.” Not that I can explain. “It’s an emergency.”
“A…salt emergency?” Justice asks.
“Yes, as per Layla’s instructions.” I hold up at least ten mini barrels of salt in my arms. “Also, I was never here, you got that?”
“Um, yeah, but?—”
I don’t stay to hear my best friend talk, opting to run again. In two minutes, I’m back in the random hotel room with Layla. My heart is beating out of my chest, and I can barely catch my breath when I say, “Here.”
“Good. Dump ’em.” She points to the tub, now filled, and I don’t need to be instructed twice.
The two of us get to work creating a salt bath for Seero. He doesn’t appear to be dead—his chest is heaving as he lets out stuttered gasps—so that’s good news.
“Are you sure this will work?” I continue to unload more salt than I’ve ever seen into the tub.
“It’s the only idea I have. This is an emergency. The Corali need ocean water to survive, and this should help until we can get him to the beach,” Layla replies.
Of course she knows that; what doesn’t she know? With the tub filled with all the salt I could grab, Layla shuts off the water. I stare at Seero’s beautiful face, still so dry and frail. The oil has washed off into the bath, and his breathing is slowing down. Still, his appearance hasn’t changed, and I pray to the heavens our intervention worked.
“Now what?” I ask as I catch my breath.
“Now it’s a waiting game.” Layla wafts her hand through the bath, and I do the same. As I stare at his limp body, the events of the afternoon catch up to me.
My drive home after work is now officially postponed. I ought to be mad at him, furious that he seemingly sabotaged my truck. But seeing him here on the cusp of death, I know I could never wish him unwell. My life continues to be upended by this gorgeous, magical stranger, and I have a feeling the story of us is about to hit more rough water.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Seero
My dreams take me back in time to years ago. I once walked along a shore with Father, far away from the Coral Kingdom. We were somewhere in North America, and fortunately, no surface-dwellers were around. As we stepped on sand and pebbles, we stopped near what he called a waste site. A large metal tunnel jutted out from the rocky wall, and paper and plastics were strewn about the ground.
It was litter. All of it was land-dweller garbage, left to be absorbed by the tide.
“Do you see, my son?” Father picked up a metal can and handed it to me. “Do you understand why we need the Corali Court to rule in our favor? We need to protect the ocean from the plundering and destruction of all other countries.”
I looked out at the water and frowned. My heart ached watching the waves swallow little pieces of trash that would surely harm some poor creature swimming out there.
“Then why can’t you do it?” I asked in my timid, teenage voice.
