Page 20 of The Princesses of Ruin
Crimson waves a dismissive hand. “Fables of Ki’ah Ohn to lure us to the surface. They covet our bodies for their dark magic.”
“I am sorry for the past,” Reina says.
Each representative rears back in surprise, their spines flexing.
“You’ve taught it to speak?” Crimson asks with disgust.
The ga’hanoi flitters closer. The writhing tentacles that encase its upper body peel apart, revealing its large black eyes pinned on my mate. I spin us subtly to hide her from its dark gaze.
“Shecould speak long before I taught her our words,” I say hotly.
“We will not hurt you. I will punish them,” Reina says.
“Ruby Isle will not be party to the destruction of our kind.” Crimson drifts away, using the current to pull him back to the depths.
“Ki’ah Ohn can be trusted again. The new rulers respect life. I would not be here if they didn’t,” I say.
“New rulers,” Onyx says dubiously. “If the goddess is still queen, they do not rule, do they?”
“Theywillrule. They need our help,” I say.
Emerald shakes his head. “And what do they promise? Not to hunt us? We risk destruction for a peace that should be ours by right.”
“We want to appease,” Reina says, her limited vocabulary striking again.
“Negotiate,” I say for her.
Crimson laughs from beside the ga’hanoi. “It cannot even speak. How can it negotiate?”
I snarl. “Call my mateitagain and my fangs will find you.”
“Jasper,” Reina whispers in Fynish. “They are right to be worried.”
I pull my lips back over my teeth, hiding them from her. “It is not their worry that upsets me, but their disrespect.”
She cups my cheek. “Thank you for trying to protect me, but your anger will not serve us.” Her words are slow, the water drawing out each sound.
“We’ve lingered here too long,” Emerald says. “What evidence can you give my king that our ocean is under threat?”
“The word of the Opal Prince is not enough?” I ask.
“Opal clan was crushed by Ki’ah Ohn. Why do you trust them?” Onyx asks.
“Not all Men are made equal,” Reina says.
“Yes, some are made with a warm slit to bury your cock in,” Crimson says.
My body explodes into my octopus form and I’m upon Crimson in a single, furious surge of my limbs. I hold his arms akimbo and bear down on his throat with all my might. I yearn to snap open his guts with my beak and let the sea devour him, but it would be too quick a death.
“Stop!” Blue light flares behind me and the water heats to uncomfortable temperatures. The sharp burn against my rubbery skin snaps me back into my mind. I release the Crimson representative and return to my selkie form.
He holds his neck, glaring at me with a snarl. My spines flex as I feel the disturbance of the ga’hanoi move through the water. I twist around to see the wicked creature floating before Reina. Its thick limbs peel back and reveal its gelatinous upper body. It’s shaped like a selkie’s half form: broad shoulders and a head where it’s perched its large eyes.
I beat my tail and return to Reina, putting myself between them despite the immense heat that sears my skin. Its head elongates, one eye on each side as it stretches to look around me.
“Sunlight,” it says, voice warbling from its gut where its mouth lies.
“Stay back,” I warn.
