Chapter 34
Thirty-Four
The days dragged on without further word from Nick or Bàba. Angie stood by her room’s window, staring into the beachfront for nothing in particular.
Lulu meowed announcing her arrival before hopping on her perch next to Angie’s head and stared out the window, tail twitching.
Her tail stiffened, gaze plastered on something Angie couldn’t see.
“What’s the matter, girl? You see a bird?”
The cat jumped from her perch, sprinting out the door in a frenzy. “Hey! Where are you going?” Angie bolted after her.
Lulu darted into the front yard through the ajar screen door.
Bàba must have been out here last night or early this morning smoking a cigar and didn’t close the porch door when he left. The man was certainly not in his right mind—with a house full of women, he never left an area unsecured.
She was a terrible sprinter, and when she found Lulu at the beachfront, she keeled over with her hands on her knees, wheezing and panting.
The sun’s rays bounced off scales underneath the water’s surface.
Fish? How had nobody noticed?
The scales multiplied. Kaden surfaced.
Angie cried out and lost her balance, falling onto her backside.
“K-Kaden? How did you find me?”
He motioned to Lulu, who sat upright with her head tilted to one side.
“You were not exaggerating when you said your cat likes shiny things.” Lulu hadn’t blinked once.
“I used my tail to lure her. I had to get her, and by extent, your attention. I wasn’t about to try to make it to your home overground. ”
Angie looked over her shoulder. Thankfully, her village was so sequestered. “Why are you here? It’s dangerous.”
Kaden laid his chin in his hand. “I wanted to see you. I am sorry for doubting you. About the sanctuaries, that is. The palace guards found cameras near the palace and destroyed them, and we found the two cameras by the sanctuaries where you said they would be.”
At his words, Angie pressed a palm to her heart, and then reached for Kaden’s hands while settling into a cross-legged sitting position.
He clasped them with hers, kissing her fingers, his soft lips a soothing balm on her skin.
“I understand. I can see why you suspected that I had something to do with it.”
“I also wanted to apologize for not being around. I wasn’t avoiding you. I would never. I wanted to tell you about the cameras then, but,” his voice thickened, and he forced a swallow, “my father got speared. My family grieves for him, as do I.” He bit down on his trembling lip.
She squeezed his hands, running her thumbs back and forth over his knuckles.
“I saw the mer-king too. I followed the divers. I wanted to warn you, tell you they were coming. But I couldn’t find you, and I even tried distracting your father.
I’m sorry.” She whispered her apology, wishing it had turned out differently, feeling the sting of Kaden’s loss.
“No, do not say that. You were only trying to help.” He pulled his hand out of hers, his tail making a gentle splash in the water behind him. “I had just spoken with them minutes before it happened.”
“You did?” Angie croaked.
“Yes.” He bowed his head. “They were calm. Reprimanded me for neglecting my ceremonies, but I convinced them that I would not marry a mermaid I did not love and did not want to face their wrath. They listened. Accepted my explanation.” His chest heaved.
“I asked them to release some fish for you, enough for you to cease your attacks, spare our people from more death.” His tongue darted over his lips, wetting them.
“I tried to get them to see it from your point of view. That of course your people would attack, they are starving. My father agreed, and so did my mother, if begrudgingly.”
Shit. Shit. Shit! They were so close, and now, it was all going to the lowest level of Hell.
Any hope of a truce between them and the merfolk vanished.
“I can’t believe this. This can’t be happening.” Angie shook her head, as if what she saw, what she heard, wasn’t real.
“I wish it was not.” Kaden’s tone was emotionless.
“After speaking with them, sentinels came to inform us of a commotion outside. We sent the sentinels to investigate, but they returned, saying the mer outside wouldn’t calm down, and some were fleeing back to the palace.
My father followed the sentinels to help.
” His tail moved back and forth in the water behind him.
“Something didn’t sit right with me. But he insisted, and now.
” He trailed off. “I was not close to him. Still, he was my father. And he listened. He just wanted to protect me, and Cyrus, and my mother.”
Angie remembered the gruesome scene. How blood puffed out like a cloud from Aqilus’ mouth, and she dry-heaved. She let Kaden continue on, remaining silent.
“The one time my father decided to leave the safety of the palace to calm our people. We thought it was simply a sea pig or giant isopod infestation. We never expected humans. I will never know why he did not let the sentinels take care of it.” His voice grew thick, and Angie reached over, cupping his cheek.
His bright amber eyes shone with unshed tears, and he squeezed them away.
“Kaden, I’m so sorry for your loss. Cry if you need to, alright? I’m here.”
“I forget that tears fall on land. They wash off underwater.” Kaden took in an audible breath. “But we will grieve for him properly when the time comes.” He set his lips in a tight line. “I also came to deliver a warning.”
“A warning?” Angie’s eyes sprung wide open, a chilly bolt piercing her core.
“Yes. My mother is distraught over my father’s capture and death. She will grieve, and then anger will consume her, and there is no telling what she will do in her rage. I urge you to stay away from the seas and the shoreline in the meantime.”
She nodded, mute. Those damned cameras. If only she investigated the cameras the first time she saw the red light near the sanctuary. If only she had moved or destroyed them. Told Kaden.
Then maybe their sentinels could have looked for others and found the ones near the palace, and the mer-king would never have died.
If only, if only, if only.
Her belly knotted up. Kaden’s voice broke into her spiraling thoughts. “I will let you know where to meet me in the future, at a spot which is safe for both of us.”
She looked at him in earnest, and moved closer to him.
“You and your people should be careful where you go, too. They captured one of your mer recently. Discovered the blue tinge on his breath, and he’s being studied as we speak.
They won’t stop until they find out what it is.
If my father and brother-in-law get wind of the magic, they’re going to sack your queendom.
They found the mer-king, so they know the general area to look. ”
“Yes, my mother has sentinels stationed everywhere, and we have reinforcements coming from the central queendom. Thank you for the warning.” He gave her hands an affectionate squeeze. “I do feel we are overdue for a proper meeting.”
Footsteps trouncing on grass approached behind her, and Angie dropped Kaden’s hands. “You have to go.”
“Beibei?”
Kaden’s eyebrows went up, like he was questioning this name of hers she hadn’t told him.
“It’s my dad.” Angie racked through her upcoming weeks’ schedule in her mind. “Thursday night? Three nights from now. I’ll be working a shorter shift.”
“I will look for you. Come to our regular meeting spot.” Kaden blew a kiss at her before returning to sea.
Angie stood as soon as Kaden left. “Over here.”
Bàba jogged to her, his eyes creased with worry.
“I got worried when I didn’t hear you in the house after I woke up.
Thought you had left for work, but then I saw the porch doors wide open.
” He rubbed his eyes. “I realized I hadn’t closed it fully this morning, but I knew I didn’t leave them like that. ”
Her voice pitch heightened. “Lulu got out.”
Bàba raised his eyebrows, and Angie waved a hand in front of Lulu. Finally, Lulu noticed her.
“Come on, girl. Let’s go home, okay?” She made a psst psst sound, and Lulu rose to her feet, running ahead of them to the house.
Angie remained silent as she walked beside Bàba.
“I wanted to let you know.” Bàba held open the porch door to let her enter the house first. “That I’m going to be back and forth from the docks and mayor’s office this next week.
We’re going to strategize about what else we can do.
We have the owners of the Anchorage, Kodiak, Bethel, and Unalaska docks coming throughout the week, too.
They still want to help us even if their own docks are shut down. ”
“So, you’re not going to be at the docks most of the week, is what you’re saying.”
“I still will be, but I’ll be in a lot of meetings.”
Which meant—
“I’m leaving Nick in charge of operations in the meantime.”
Angie gave him a halfhearted nod of assent. She planned to be as far away as possible from Nick until Bàba returned to work full time.