Page 2 of Prince of Tides
“Laurie!”
The exclamation at the door was unexpected, and I spun to see my father standing in the doorway, arms outstretched.
“Father,” I said, going toward him.
His eyes darted around the room as he entered, clearly looking for Eric. “So happy to see you!” he said, sweeping me into a hug.
“Of course you are,” I said, still sour after my interaction with Winston. “I’m all alone.”
My father stood back, hands on my shoulders as he smiled broadly, not rising to the bait.
“For now,” I added, watching his face fall. “Eric has been away on business. He’s coming from the airport. He’ll be here soon.”
“Good,” my father said, his face tightening. “I have some questions for him.”
“Get over it, Father,” I said a bit harshly. “He loves me, and I love him.”
“I’m not so sure he loves you,” my father said. “He’s using you. I’m just not sure what for yet. Maybe it’s your money.”
“Yourmoney,” I said unhappily. “And Eric comes from money, too. He doesn’t need it.”
My father made sounds of disagreement and seemed ready to renew the argument.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll be down for dinner in a bit, okay?”
He bit his lip but nodded and withdrew, leaving me alone.
“A whole week of this?” I half-moaned to thin air. It would be difficult.
The sound of heavy footsteps on the stone outside my glass balcony doors interrupted my complaint, and I frowned. Who would be on my balcony? Unless some of the grounds crew was doing work out there. I went over to investigate, wondering what they were up to.
But the man standing on the balcony wasn’t anyone I was familiar with.
Chapter Two
Rip
Silver flashed, and I buried the spear deep in the creature’s skull. Then, yanking my weapon back, I kicked my feet together, the thick webbing between my toes propelling me through the water with ease as I searched for my next opponent.
My spear throbbed with power, pulsing a sonar-like echo into the darkness of the Sea of Oblivion that allowed my people to hone in on my location.
Water bubbled, and two other sea dragons emerged from behind an outcropping, battling a vicious-looking monster of the depths larger than most. I steered toward them, moving in for the kill until the beast flung one of the young dragons back and lunged for its throat.
I was there in a flash, impaling it and stopping its charge while the other youngster latched on, his claws and teeth ripping the beast to shreds in seconds with feral intensity. The water itself heaved, the pressure around the beast increasing until it collapsed inward.
Nodding at the young dragon, respecting his brute strength and strong bond with the sea, I swam on, listening in the deeps for the sounds of sonar-trumpets signaling trouble or, more likely, victory.
Twice more, I came upon scattered creatures of the darkness, my spear making short work of them. Soon, the sonar bleats were signaling the all-clear. I focused my mind, and the spear sent out an overriding ping that whispered into the depths, telling everyone to turn, head for home, and regroup at my location.
We swam on easily, the sea working with us to propel our forms while our webbed feet and hands added speed. Everyone was eager to get home. The Bay of Summoning awaited, and we made good time, the tides hurrying us on our way.
I led the way as we rose to the surface, the seafloor sloping up to a broad beach. Breaching the surface, I inhaled the crisp, clean saltwater air while a grin spread across my snout as I took in the sight before me.
The bay was shaped in a half-circle. Two fingers covered in impressive coral-colored fortifications created a barrier across the opening, just peeking above the water line. Flags and banners streamed from the top while smartly armed sea dragons guarded the entrance of the bay and the precious cargo it contained.
Around me rose other dragons, floating on the surface while our legs churned silently underwater to propel us forward, past the guards, and through an opening in the barrier into the calm waters of the Bay of Summoning.
“An excellent victory,” I said to the nearest dragon, Flash. He was one of the Lords of the Deep, my commanders. “The dragon lands are safe once more.”
