Page 26 of Sworn to Revenge
“It wasn’t just because of our bloodline. The royal bloodline of Zale’s pod had started to flicker. They were losing their power,” Queen Lora now swims closer to Alin, taking her hand as if apologizing without words for her past mistakes.
“But wouldn’t it have been better for us if they lost their power and their entire pod?” Bay swims up to them and asks.
“This is the harder part I need to tell you,” Queen Lora says, turning her gaze to Bay. “Didn’t you notice during the months you were with the hunters that the Coral of Life kept demanding more and more souls?”
Bay seems to think for a moment before nodding. “Yes, the Guardian didn’t leave me alone, even after I hunted two sailors in the same month. Before that, just one was enough to satisfy it.”
“When a bloodline weakens or is completely severed, its light fades here because a small part of the Coral of Life dies with it. To restore itself, it requires more power—more human souls,” her gaze shifts back to Alin, “and when the Coral of Life weakens, it can also affect us. So as much as wehated the union, both sides knew it was necessary for our survival.”
We all nod in understanding as she suddenly swims toward the familiar crescent moon affiliation mark of their pod on the wall.
“The initial plan was to kill Zale, then his weak son, who still carried his blood, could continue the lineage with you and keep the balance of power. But the day you killed them both, you also killed a part of the Coral of Life, their lineage was done. That’s why you collapsed so quickly after using your powers to wake us,” she adds as none of us utters a word, Bay and Alin still trying to process the chaos in their minds, shock still evident on their faces.
I’ve been lost in this surreal world for a while now, but she still hasn’t answered the main question. “How does this place connect to the mark on my hand?” I ask as the girls remain silent.
She extends her hand toward me, inviting me to come closer. I swim toward her cautiously, watching her every move as she shifts her gaze to the crescent moon mark, which still glows the same blue light from both the wall and my hand.
“There’s something I want to test,” she says, taking hold of my hand and pressing it against the wall above the crescent mark, as if connecting the two. Within moments, I feel a sharp sting in the center of my palm, where the moon mark is, like a burning electric shock. A bright blue light suddenly flares beneath my hand, and a noise echoes from behind me. I immediately pull my hand away from the wall and turn to see what’s happening.
The stones in the center of the room’s floor vanish, creating a circular pit with something unclear at its center. The blue light is so bright that it’s hard to see what it is.
Alin and Bay quickly swim toward it, and I don’t hesitate to join them.
Our jaws drop in unison as we stare at the transparent glass case before us, like a clear coffin revealing the body of a human woman inside.Is she dead?
“What is a human doing here?! Mom, how could you hide something like this from me my entire life?” Alin’s voice rises, crackling with sheer frustration, her gaze fixed on the woman’s body lying inside.
“I’m not sure what she is now, or if she’s still even human...” Queen Lora begins, emerging from behind us to explain.
“Nearly three decades ago, a ship sank in the ocean, and the Hunters’ pod celebrated the gift they received, taking all the passengers who drowned to the Coral of Life,” she begins, running her hand gently along the glass case. “The Coral of Life absorbed every soul, but it wouldn’t take hers. When it returned her soul to her body, she remained… in a state between death and life. The huntresses left her there on the ocean floor, sending a report to our King, Clarion. She’s been here ever since, and we still don’t know what’s happening to her.”
“Why would the huntresses report this to you of all merfolk?” Bay asks, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
“That’s exactly what I wanted to show you,” she replies, and my mind struggles to keep up with all the information I’m being bombarded with today.
She swims to the head of the transparent case where the woman’s head rests, signaling us to come closer with a quick glance.
“Why does she have our pod’s affiliation mark on her forehead?” Alinasks, her voice higher pitched than usual. The shock is getting to all of us for sure.
The mark in the center of the woman’s forehead glows just like mine as I approach the case.
“I wanted to be sure before saying anything, but now I know what this is,” Queen Lora says in a soft voice, almost as if talking to herself.
“I’d appreciate it if you could share your findings with us, your highness,” I say, pressing her with false diplomacy. How long is she going to hold back?Am I going to end up like this woman in that coffin case?!
“It seems this woman also came into contact with potions originating from our pod. When she encountered our source of power, it marked her as if she were no longer human. I believe that’s what’s happening to Pedro as well. After taking my potion, he touched one of our power sources,” she explains, and I’m still waiting to understand if this means I’m going to end up like this woman.
I glance at Bay, who now locks eyes with me, concern evident in them as if she can read my thoughts. I wanted to protect her, and instead, I might have just sealed my fate.
She swims toward me but suddenly stops. A storm brews in her gemstone eyes as she gives me one last look, severing the tension between us before turning to Alin.
“Am I the one who dares to ask the question we all want to know?” I ask loudly, my voice tinged with the anxiety building in my chest.
“No, you’re not going to end up like her, because luckily, you touched ourpower source while you were still a merman. Your body is strong enough to absorb the impact,” Queen Lora answers before I can even ask, and both Bay and I release the tight hold we’ve kept on our gills, exhaling a heavy sigh of relief.
“So you’re telling me that now I’m part of your pod too?” I ask with a mocking laugh. There’s no way that’s happening. This tail will disappear along with me from this underwater world in less than twenty-four hours.
“Yes, once you’re marked, you’re part of the pod until your death. Which means the fate of the pod is now tied to your fate as well,” she adds to the bad news of the day, waving her hand toward all the glowing marks that line the walls above us.
