7. Allarick
Chapter 7
Allarick
E rin stays in bed for two days. The healer came—finally—shortly after I left her that first night. I did my best to keep my ire in check and not dwell on the fact my healer showed up late to treat her future queen. My people hate coming to the surface, so I try to be understanding, but her lack of urgency prolonged Erin’s pain.
I wouldn’t consider myself a violent man. I have killed, sentenced people to death, and done things the average merperson has never dreamed of doing, but never with malice in my heart. It was out of duty. Duty to my kingdom, my people, and my throne.
However, my healer tested my patience that night.
From what I could understand of her assessment of Erin, she had a mild concussion, bruised ribs, and damage to her vocal cords. She treated all of her injuries, but it will take time for Erin to fully recover. Humans are more fragile and delicate than merpeople and krakens. The medicine the healer gave her would make her sleep. It was the only way to keep her from constant pain.
So, for two days, I wait, checking on her every hour. She rarely moves, and if it wasn’t for the slow rise and fall of her chest, I would have thought Erin was no longer part of the living. I notice the bruising around her face, neck, and shoulders has gone down tremendously. Whatever my healer did is clearly working, and a part of me is glad I didn’t punish her for tardiness. Only marginally, though.
I’ve heard nothing from my sister yet, but I don’t expect to for a few more days. It takes time to explore the ocean on a ship, and although my sister is one of the best sailors I know, she can still only move so fast above the water.
On the late afternoon of the second day, I meet with Delmare. He’s my eyes in the ocean while I’m away. As much as it pains me to be away from my people, I will not subject Erin to the ocean until she’s ready and healed. At the very least, I need her to talk to me.
I meet Delmare on the pier, leaving Erin in the house. It’s close enough for me to still feel confident in her safety. As always, Delmare is methodical as he goes through his reports. A family has reported their grandmother missing, while another family reports hearing strange noises. He has little to report on Kaleo’s claims, though. I clench my jaw, knowing things will get worse before they can get better. If my attention wasn’t split between…
No. I will not blame Erin for this. Not when she could be the key to our survival .
Delmare finishes up by promising he’ll gain more insight for me. Before he leaves, he hands over the water-resistant books I asked him to bring, and I head back inside.
I come to an abrupt halt when I open the door and see Erin standing only a few feet away.
Her hazel eyes widen, and her pretty pink lips form a perfect “O.” She is not the same broken thing I saw when Ender brought her to me. Her hair is damp, probably meaning she figured out the shower. She’s out of the dirty clothes Ender brought her in and has changed into the new set I left on the dresser, a simple pink dress that’s fitted in the bodice and flares out around her hips. It was something Malix’s men brought, but as soon as we are back in my kingdom, I’ll make sure she has the proper attire.
Just a few days in my presence, and Erin has already unwound me.
She rocks on the balls of her feet, and I realize I’ve been staring at her for far longer than appropriate. I clear my throat, trying to dissolve the awkwardness between us. “Erin, I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
It takes a moment for her to respond, like she’s trying to remember how to use her voice. “I saw…you outside,” she says instead of answering my question. Her voice hasn’t completely healed yet, but it’s a start. Even though it’s a mere ghost of what I imagine her normal talking voice will be, it’s beautiful. Velvet and soft and makes me eager to hear her when she’s completely healed .
“I needed to speak with my captain of the guards. He’s reporting back on our kingdom.” There’s no sense in hiding anything from her. She will be queen soon enough, and there are things I want to show my future queen before she becomes part of my world.
“Tentacles,” is all she says.
Ah, yes. Those. I can’t help but smile. “Yeah, I suppose that would be daunting for a human to see. Not all my people have tentacles. Some have tails. You’ll get used to it soon.” Or at least I hope she will.
I will ease her into my own tentacles later, but for now, my only concern is feeding her. “Are you hungry?”
I expect her to shake her head no and prepare to argue. She’s been asleep for two days, which is two days without meals. Who knows when she ate last before that? But my reasoning is not needed because Erin nods, staring at me expectantly.
I entertain the idea of reaching for her hand to guide her to the table, but I’m not sure she’d appreciate being touched yet. Instead, I gesture for her to follow and lead her to the table. As she gets situated, I mull over what to make. Something fast that doesn’t require a lot of skill. I know many things, but cooking is not a skill set I possess. At least not well.
I settle on a tuna sandwich with a seaweed salad, both of which I noticed in my sister’s fridge earlier. Both are soft, something I hope won’t agitate her throat any further. I pray to the sea goddess Erin is a fan of fish. If not, this pairing just became more complicated since the majority of our dishes involve fish. I suppose we’ll find out now.
A few moments later, I place a poorly made sandwich and seaweed salad in front of her. Erin doesn’t even hesitate as she picks up the sandwich to take a small tester bite. She’s slow to swallow, but I think it’s more to do with her throat rather than the taste. My hunch is confirmed when she smiles and holds up two thumbs. I’m not certain what that means, but I’ll take it as a positive gesture.
We sit in companionable silence, both eating a much-needed dinner. Admittedly, food is the last thing on my mind as I sit with Delmare’s discoveries and Erin’s wellbeing.
I sent word with the merpeople shortly after Erin arrived for Delmare to bring history books with him upon his visit with me. These books are magically protected in water and detail the history of Tetria, or, as the people of the land call us, Kraken Lagoon. I never corrected the people of the land when they called Tetria such a simple, idiotic name. The less they know about my world, the better. Knowledge is power, and even if my relationship with the other kings of Mescos is amicable, they are still outsiders I keep at arm's length.
“There’s something I want to show you,” I say after a moment, producing one of our history books from the chair next to me. Erin watches me curiously, eyeing what I have in my hands.
The book smells of the sea, handbound in leather. It’s in perfect condition—thanks to the magic keeping it safe from the water—and holds pictures and history of Tetria. Very few people have access to the original copies, just me, a few trustworthy guards, and the scholars of Tetria. As future queen, Erin has access to all the original books and scrolls of our history.
When I place the book in front of Erin, she reaches out and fingers the golden script on the cover. “Tetria,” I explain. “That’s the name of my kingdom—our kingdom.” At my use of “our,” Erin tenses, but only for a second. Her brown cheeks darken in a blush.
There’s so much we need to discuss and put into motion, but I can’t in good conscience force her into a life she knows nothing about. So, I’m willing to take it slow. At least until she’s more comfortable around me. My people aren’t in immediate danger, and with Delmare and Atina searching for answers, my time can be spent getting Erin acquainted with me and my kingdom.
She opens the first page to a castle made from white pillars and stone, adorned with jewels of the sea, pearls, diamonds, peridot, and serpentine. The castle stands high above the rest of the city, shining like a beacon in a vast ocean. It’s a symbol of our power and perseverance. I can’t help but feel a sense of pride each time I see it.
“This is our home.”
Something like admiration crosses her features as she takes the image in. Just like the title, she touches the page, running the pads of her fingertips along the outlines of the castle. My chest tightens for reasons I can’t explain. I’ve ruled alone for so long, and now that I get the chance to show Tetria off to someone else, it feels…good.
“Do you want to know more?” I ask.
Erin nods with more vigor than I’ve seen her capable of. Her curls bounce with the movement .
So, I try my best to describe our people, the warriors all the way down to the smallest of guppies. How each person plays a pivotal role in our community. I share our values of loyalty, trust, and family. Of celebrations Tetria has throughout the year. But my words and stories don’t do Tetria justice. I can’t capture the feeling of complete peace or the sheer vastness of my world. I can’t describe the humility it brings, knowing you are but a small part of our goddess’s ocean.
You can’t bottle that feeling. It’s something you can only experience within her depths.
Erin takes in all the information, curiously flipping through the pages of the book. She pauses when she reaches a darkened figure depicted on the page and points to it. My blood runs cold when I notice what she found.
The Nephilim.
Erin peers up at me expectantly. I can’t lie or shield her from these creatures. They are the reason she’s here. “Those are Nephilim.” I point to the distorted creature with broken wings on the page. “They are creatures of chaos and destruction. They roam the land, set on ruling Mescos.
“They are a danger to us, but the more prominent danger are creatures called the Leviathan,” I say, searching her face. She’s giving little away, and I don’t know if my words are scaring her. I don’t mean for them to frighten her, but she still has a right to know what we are up against.
“In a lot of ways, Leviathan are like the Nephilim, but we know even less about these creatures. Right now, they are locked away in an underwater prison. There have been rumors, though, that the prison is weakening.” A weakening prison means freedom for the Leviathan—the beginning of the end for the ocean and our safety.
But Erin is trying to heal and doesn’t need to burden herself by learning all about these hellish creatures. I certainly don’t want to make her recovery any more difficult than it has to be. We can talk more about them at some other time, but for now, she knows the basics.
Before we can go any further down this dark path, I turn the page and show her more of the beautiful history and landscapes of Tetria. Thankfully, Erin doesn’t seem to mind—or notice—I’ve skipped over the Leviathan and Nephilim.
I speak for what feels like hours. The sun makes its descent, and soon night will come. Erin’s eyes start to droop, and I know she’s hit her limit for today. It’s more than I could have hoped for.
“We should get some rest,” I suggest and reach for the book. Erin pulls away, clutching the book to her chest. It’s the first move of rebellion against me. A glimpse of the fire behind her sad eyes. After a moment, shame colors her features.
“Sorry,” she croaks, raspy and low. The simple word costs her because she winces. It must still be painful. Erin reaches out and tries to hand me the book, but I don’t accept it and push it back toward her.
“No, keep it. It’s yours to read and look through.” I try to keep my voice even, but inside I swell with pride. Erin wants to know more about Tetria. More about us. It’s a damn good feeling.
Erin cradles the book once again. I watch as she leaves the table and walks back to her room, closing the door behind her. Was there a new lightness to her step?
My human surprises me. She’s full of layers I want to peel back and expose until she stands bare in front of me. I want to know her secrets. Her fears. Her desires.
More importantly, I want to watch as she puts her broken pieces back together again and finds her strength.