Page 4 of Sworn to Revenge
“Pedro!” Luca’s roar vibrates through the office. “I don’t owe you explanations. I’m giving you an order. End of conversation.”
His words hang in the air like a steel door slamming shut. My fists clench, my nails biting into my palms as I swallow a wave of curses. Without another word, I spin on my heel—the weight of his authority pressing down on me—and slam the door shut behind me.
Out in the hallway, my anger simmers beneath the surface, threatening to boil over. If I take even one step toward Bay, Luca won’t hesitate. He’ll send her back home to the ocean depths without a second thought—and me? I’ll be on the next flight back to Italy, my name erased from this family like it never existed.
And I can’t let that happen.
I lean back against the wall, the cool plaster doing nothing to calm the fire raging inside me. Every instinct screams to fight, to argue, to demand what I want. But then I picture Bay—her laugh when she’s teasing me, the way her purple eyes light up when she talks about her dreams of living on land, away from her family. I think of all she’s endured to get here. The betrayals, the isolation, the sheer strength it took for her to escape her past and try to build something new.
She’s been through hell, and the last thing I want is to drag her back into the flames because of me.
My chest tightens as I think about the future. Could I really step back and watch her move on? Pretend my feelings don’t exist just to protect her from Luca’s wrath? Every fiber of my being rebels against the thought, but what choice do I have?
If I push now, she loses everything. This family, this chance for stability—gone. I’d be the selfish bastard who ruined it all.
Bay
It’s so dark in here, and the only light I see is the faint green glow surrounding me, flickering as my eyes close, then open again. The sharp, burning pain in my ribs is still there from the last hunt a few days ago. As the last one back—of course, it’s always me—I have to fight for a share of food for the month, and I’ve never fought so hard for anything in my life.
The blows from the huntresses’ tails hit so strong, leaving me struggling to reach what little was left of the human flesh they tossed aside. The thought of surviving on scraps of human flesh to avoid starving sickens me, but I have no choice.
“Move!” The eldest huntress, Sonia, snarls from the entrance, and my body tenses instinctively. I’m grateful that, for once, the call isn’t directed at me. It’s Elyr again. She’s the youngest, weakest, and despite me being the target of their hatred, she’s somehow an easier one. I want to help her, but I know that’s a luxury I can’t afford. Not here. Not anymore.
I fake sleep, keeping still as I hear a sudden, sickening thud from behind me,followed by Elyr’s broken scream. Please. Stop it. I pray silently, teeth sinking into my lip as I wait for the brutal sounds to end so I can check on her.
“You took my pink pearls,” Sonia’s voice drips with mock accusation, twisted in amusement. Elyr wouldn’t hurt a guppy, let alone steal, and we all know it. This isn’t about the pearls.
“No, I didn’t!” Elyr’s voice is strangled with terror, but another blow silences her protests. The sound of her scream echoes in every corner, cutting through the water like a blade, and my gills flare open in dread.
“Talking back now, are we? Riel, what do you think we should do with her?” Sonia’s voice is sickly sweet, her tone only getting colder.
Riel’s giggle is sharp and vicious. It never means anything good.
“The cage?” she suggests, practically glowing with glee, like it’s all she lives for. My heart pounds in my chest. No. Not the cage. Please, Sonia, just for once, be reasonable. Please.
“Perfect!” Sonia snaps back, satisfied, and I can’t keep silent any longer.
“That’s too much, Sonia! Even for you!” I shout, breaking the tense silence as I rise, my gaze locked on Elyr’s battered form. Her body glows faintly pink from her tail, casting a halo over the blood swirling in the water. I have to stop myself from rushing over. Not yet.
“Oh, look who’s decided to join us,” Sonia sneers, eyes glinting with cruel excitement.
“Go scare some fish outside, you old hag,” I spit, forcing my voice to stay steady. She’s crossed a line this time, and I can’t just stand by.
“Sounds like we have another candidate for the cage… Now, that’s a fight worth watching.” Her cold, delighted smile cuts through my anger, sending a chill down my spine.
I wake up in an instant, heart pounding as I realize I’m back in Alin’s room. I’m safe. I take a few seconds to shove that painful memory of Elyr back down, burying it with the others. I can’t let myself go there now; I can’t let it pull me under like a dark current, looming over my nights.
Rolling over on Alin’s pink seashell bed, I wonder what they’re doing back home. WhatPedrois doing right now. I miss his voice, his little jokes. With him running things for his brothers and me focused on my plans to take my parents down, we barely had time together before I left.
I push myself up, knowing there’s one more thing to do before I go back. I check the affiliation mark on my arm, feeling my confidence restore with its familiar crescent moon scarred shape. A relieved sigh escapes as I grab the sack Aunt Lora gave me for Alin and head to the place I hate more than even the hunters’ cave—my parents’ home.
It doesn’t take long to reach the back entrance of my parents’ sprawling golden shell house. Second only to the castle in Mal-El’s city, its grandeur has never impressed me. The sharp peak of the shell glints above, catching the gleam of the city’s scattered gemstones filtering through the water. Only two gems remain hanging there now—one red, one yellow, my parents’ colors. The green gem, once proudly displayed beside them, is long gone.
The golden seaweed they use as doors parts, sensing my presence and opening the way. I swim cautiously inside, hoping they’re not home this early; they usually handle their “dealings” in the market at this time. Who would’ve thought the people I despise most would deal illegally with ourpod’s potions? Unbelievable.
The house is empty, just as I thought, and I head to my room to find what I came for. I search quickly until an old treasure chest behind my green coral desk catches my eye. I remember they used to stash junk there—no wonder it’s now in my room. My reflection flickers in the diamond mirror I made myself, and suddenly, I’m back in those first two months with the huntresses, staring at a broken girl until…Elyr.
Bay, get it together. Now isn’t the time.
