Page 49 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“Huh?”
“Before your sister could kill me in a whirlpool…” He lifts his hands from the water.
Jojo. The jellyfish is now being held up by Daryl. “Pelly dropped off my new best friend,” he croaks.
My elation is immeasurable. “You mean…?”
“He latched on to me until I could get to this cave. Your marine life friends saved me. So now…” He pulls on Jojo, opening him up, ready to put his head in. “Get us out of here, Coral Prince.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Seero
It is not easy moving stone with blasts of water. I may be well-versed in the art of water-bending, but collapsing caves are not exactly malleable. Additionally, I need to look after Daryl. He may have Jojo over his head, giving him oxygen and regulating the pressure in his lungs, but he’s still injured. He cannot swim. As I whip away the tumbling boulders with water pressure, I occasionally glance back at the love of my life. Even in the dark, I can see Daryl, sitting on the floor of the cave, giving me a thumbs-up and a smile. We’ve tied his shirt around his ankle to slow the bleeding and splint the wound. He seems so optimistic despite the bloody gash in his leg and nearly drowning.
When I find my sister again, none of the gods can stop me from hurting her.
So, I focus on pushing as much rock away as I can. The collapsed entrance is impossible to budge. I refuse to give up, though. Not for me, but for Drakey, Pelly, Jojo, and of course, my soulmate. If there was ever a time to prove that I’m the Coral Prince, it is now. I close my eyes and meditate. I feel the thrum of the tides and tune into the natural currents of the ocean. I commune with the seas to give me strength.Guide me, waters of the ocean…
I sense a tenuous current pulling me deeper into the cavern.Success!I float down and tell Daryl, “I am going to need you to hold on to me as best as you can.”
He nods and reaches for me. I raise my hands as he clings to me. I wish I could hold him under different circumstances, but now is not the time for distractions. I nearly lost him once, I will not let him drown here.
With all my might, I spread my hands, and the water current deep down widens into a trench. I thrust myself forward, cutting through the dark water, as Daryl clings to my shoulders, precious cargo if there ever was one. And down we go, deeper and deeper into the underwater tunnels.
But this is my kingdom, my land, and I know the geography of the cliffs off of Port City. I focus with all my might, pushing rocks away as we propel forward. I need to get to the castle. Injustice will not win this day.
Several minutes later, I’m heaving from both the kilometers of swimming and the mixture of rage and panic in my chest. Getting out of the caves was a slight relief, with a literal light at the end of a tunnel leading to our underwater urban pathways. Daryl keeps giving me a smiling thumbs-up, and I return his gestures by clutching him closer.
We’re kilometers underwater and, without stopping, I barge into the palace. The guards try to greet me, but I interrupt them by pushing each door open. “Father! Mother!” I shout in every corridor. Still, if my brother did what I asked, there’s only one place they can be.
I don’t slow down until we finally arrive at the main palace throne room. I catch my breath, letting the water go through my gills, and gently place Daryl down. I point to a guard and bark, “Get him medical attention, now!”
The guards nod and disappear, and my parents and brother approach me.
“My son, what has gotten into you?” Mother says in a reprimanding tone.
“Your brother called this emergency meeting to find your soulmate, but he’s right there,” Father adds.
Before I can reply, my sister calmly appears behind my parents. It was less than an hour ago that she tried to kill me and my soulmate. Suddenly, all I see is red. I grit my teeth. “You…” I growl.
I lunge at her, but before my hands can grab her, Father holds me back.
“Woah!” Father says, and Mother startles.
“You…you did this!” I lean back, pulling myself out of Father’s hold, and look at my parents. “She betrayed us!”
I turn back to Daryl, who’s holding his phone. When I turn around, my brother and parents seem dumbstruck. My sister has a neutral expression, and I want to take an oyster shell and alter her face by hand.
“What are you talking about?” Mother asks.
“How dare you move in such an unbecoming way, to your sister no less,” Father adds.
“How could you stand here and defend her? She tried to MURDER both of us!” I point at her, and I’m nearly shaking with rage. Two guards step closer, but otherwise, the throne room has no other bystanders.
“What?” Oroy yelps.
“What is the meaning of this, my son?” Mother asks.
