Page 24 of Sworn to Revenge
Roel? Our uncle who was murdered when she was ten?
Aunt Lora swims toward him quickly, taking both sides of his face in her hands and scanning his body with her eyes. Her body stiffens as she returns her gaze to his eyes. “Roel...” she whispers as if she’s looking at a ghost. I wonder if they really do look so alike—I was only four when he was killed. I don’t remember him well. I just recall that his tail was also blue.
“Aunt Lora, this is Pedro,” I remind her, noticing she isn’t letting go.I’m sure if we weren’t underwater, tears would already be filling her now pained-looking eyes. Pedro remains still, seemingly waiting to see how the queen reacts before making a move, quietly observing her every action.
“I also immediately thought of Roel, especially when I saw his golden eyes,” Alin shares with her mother, who now releases her hold on Pedro’s face and offers him an apologetic look.
“Roel was my younger brother. A traitor murdered him years ago. I don’t know how this is possible, but every scale and fin of yours looks like they were specially duplicated, even your eyes...” she explains, reaching her hand out toward his cheek again as he nods in understanding, but she quickly withdraws it, turning to swim toward Alin. Aunt Lora never bothers to explain herself to anyone except Uncle Clarion, especially not to humans, even though she has already accepted them into the family. That is too weird to watch.Aunt Lora is getting softer, while Alin’s getting scarier…
She now takes Alin’s hand and leads her into the castle. Pedro and I follow them without unnecessary questions. We don’t have much time as it is.
We swim to the upper floor of the castle, where her mother’s office is located. My heart pounds in my chest—I’ve never been allowed inside before.
I carefully swim after them, scanning the room with curiosity. It’s smaller than I imagined but overlooks the bustling city market below, where merfolk swim from place to place, handling their shopping, spending time with family, while I’m here in the castle planning my suicide mission.
Aunt Lora sits on a large, pointed conch shell with a base filled with seaweed, serving as a soft, inviting seat but leaving no room for anyone else but her. Alin, Pedro, and I sit on a nearby greenish coral as she begins rummaging through a large, old golden treasure chest—probablyfound on a sunken ship in the ocean—that now serves as her office desk.
Aunt Lora knows far more about spells, potions, and mer history than any other merfolk in the city. If she can’t help me, no one can.
I slowly open my gills, allowing the water to flow in and out, along with the tension building in my chest. This could very well be my last day in this world.
“Here it is,” she declares, pulling out a large yellow flat stone with wave symbols engraved on both sides and a crescent moon engraving above it.
“What is that?” I ask curiously, swimming toward her as Alin and Pedro remain in their seat.
“This,” she says, holding the stone out in front of me, “will return the powers that were taken from you when you were sent to the Hunters’ pod.”
Did I hear her right? I’m going to get my powers back?!
Pedro
I’m still convinced I’m imagining all of this. It’s like I’ve been sucked into a fantasy novel, and now I’m rubbing my eyes to make sure I’m seeing this correctly.
A blinding golden light is emanating from the round flatted stone now held in Bay’s hands, and I’m fighting the urge to close my eyes against the intense glare filling Queen Lora’s office.
Damn.Did I just call her Queen Lora?I’ve really turned into a fish...
I try blinking hard to catch a glimpse of Bay within this shower of light, shielding some of it with my hand. Before I can fully grasp what’s happening, Bay’s scream tears through my ears. Without a second thought, I swim toward her, stopping just behind her. The light burns my skin the closer I get.
“Aunt Lora, it’s burning my whole body!” Her voice is hoarse between screams of pain, but she doesn’t let go of the stone in her hand, as if it’sglued to her with an unbreakable bond.
“Bay, let go of the stone!” I shout in her ear as water currents start to swirl around us, sending every ornament and gemstone in the office flying.
It doesn’t seem like my voice reaches her. Her amethyst eyes are now casting a strong purple beam toward the ceiling, like a laser, as she throws her head back in agony, her eyes opened wide.
“Let go of the stone now!” I command, roaring as my heart pounds wildly in my chest. Her body looks like it’s about to explode along with all this light, scattering into the water around us.
I have to do something. I won’t let her die like this! Isn’t this why Alin brought me here?
I swim in front of her and reach for the golden stone. If I could just separate them—
“Pedro! Nooo!” Alin’s scream echoes behind me, but it’s too late. My hand makes contact with the stone, and I’m instantly hurled backward, crashing hard against the golden wall of the office. A sharp cry escapes my throat as searing pain ignites in my palm, like gripping a burning coal, while an excruciating jolt tears up my spine from the impact. Before I can even process what’s happening, a powerful water current grabs me, spinning my body in a chaotic spiral.
“Pedro, are you okay?” Alin swims toward me anxiously as I drift slowly downward with the water’s pull, her control over the currents keeping me from hitting the floor too hard, saving my ass. Nausea churns in my stomach, and an unfamiliar burning sensation rises in my throat, like fire ready to erupt any second.
“My whole body is burning,” I manage to grit out as the blinding beams of light from the stone gradually dim, along with Bay’s screams, and the only sound now is the relentless pounding of my heart.
“Why do you always act without thinking? That could have killed you! You never interrupt a spell once it starts,” she scolds me, settling beside me on her tail as she scans my body,seemingly assessing the damage.
