Page 45 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“Thankyou, Daryl Tishman. May the ocean gods protect you for all that you have done for the sea this week.” He kisses his palm, then maneuvers his arms. In the next moment, Drakey is lifted up as Seero summons a small tidal wave.
I brace the reins of the coral saddle and stare at my fists. Pelly flaps above, a pelican sentinel in the clouds. Drakey swims toward the great blue ocean, and the moisture on my face is definitely from the sea, nothing else.
All of this is for the best. Our worlds are too different; it never would have worked out if I stayed. If I keep chanting those words, then maybe I’ll believe them one day.
Drakey and I have only been sailing for half an hour when a massive fog patch sets in. Behind me, the rainstorm that shrouds the Coral Kingdom is a tiny blip in the great blue ocean. The sky has been clear this whole time, and the fog seems to have appeared from nowhere.
“Woah,” I say, as Drakey starts braying and bucking. He’s never been more than calm on the water. Why is he acting up?
I brace myself and grip the reins harder. Drakey moves back and forth, causing me to sway. I think I hear Pelly squawking above, but I certainly can’t see her. The fog is so thick, I can barely see the dragon underneath my feet.
Before I can even consider whipping out my phone, my whole body is slammed.
Pain. No Air.Darkness.I’m overwhelmed with salt water. A massive tidal wave has hit me, and down I go.
Panic sets in as I flail underwater, and my lungs feel constricted in shock. On instinct, I swim up. When I breach the surface, the fog has lifted somewhat. I take several gasping breaths, but I don’t have time to relax before a new threat emerges?I spot an honest-to-goodness whirlpool to my left.Ocean gods, no.
The force of nature pulls me in, so I try to swim in the opposite direction. I cough as I desperately try to stay afloat. My lungs are burning with effort and panic.
I’m overjoyed when I spot Drakey approaching me with determination in his eyes. Before he can reach me, however, he’s lifted into the air. Supernatural rings of water shackle him, binding him up above, and he brays in panic.
“Dra…Drakey!” I shout while treading water. The whirlpool is pulling me in, and my sea dragon protector is being held in the air by magic. But where did it…?
There.
A robed figure is standing on a type of brown-and-gold canoe several yards away. The stranger’s hands are raised up, and they’re turning their wrists in a circular motion. I look up and see Drakey gasping and struggling as he’s bound to the sky.
“N…no!” I shout, wishing for the sea creature to be spared. But I can’t say another word, as the whirlpool finally catches me.
The torrent holds me down, and saltwater floods my nose.
The pressure on my chest grows, and my life flashes before my eyes. I see my dad, my buddy, Justice, and my life at the café and the hotel.
And Seero’s precious smile. He made me feel complete, he made me feel loved.
The stormy sky howls above me. The last thing I see before I’m pulled under is the stranger pulling back their dark hood to reveal her long black hair. Then, I’m completely lost underwater.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Seero
Breathing has never been this difficult. Daryl has been gone for merely an hour, and I’m sitting in the dining room of our surface house. My shoulders hunch as Imelda pours me a cup of tea. When she disappears, I run my fingers through my hair and gaze at my reflection in the dark liquid. I look awful, and I think I know why. Part of my soul feels blighted, like a piece of me has dissolved, ashes cast out onto the sea. Why didn’t I enjoy his body last night, knowing it was our final hours together?
Better yet, why didn’t I ask him to stay?
Oh, that’s right, because he’s a foreigner. He was never my true soulmate, just a man I met while escaping to America. My duty is to that of the Coral Kingdom. My destiny belongs to the Corali people, including, one day, an appropriate life partner from my country.
Then why do I see his face when I close my eyes? Why did saying goodbye feel like barnacles scraping against my throat?
I sip the bitter liquid, and it warms my mouth. Perhaps the Corali Court will not pass my bill. Then I can craft another excuse to bring Daryl here. He can stay with me, in my bed, and he can tell me all about surface life. We’d make love at night, and I could take him around the kingdom during the day. He wouldwant for nothing, all so I could have him by my side. That would be…an amazing life.
I huff and tap the teacup. It would also be selfish. Daryl has school, a job, and a life back in Princedelphia. Plus, when word got out that his family was a destroyer of fish, the public may not look kindly on him. This was all just temporary, and I need to resume my duties as the Coral Prince.
Before I can wallow any further, my phone vibrates. Almost no one has this number, so it must be urgent. I stand up and swipe the green button.
“Hello?”
“Brother, where are you?” Oroy’s voice sounds panicked.
