Chapter 6
KYLER
Waves slosh against the rowboat in the early morning.
The sun just peeks over the horizon. A bag of supplies sits across from me as I push the oars through the water with difficulty.
I’d rather swim, but too many dragons have been in the sky lately, and I don’t want to be made as a mer just yet.
I smile to myself, trying to keep the laugh from bubbling out. Freedom is almost mine.
My agreement with Vex has been adjusted. Instead of a thousand silver coins, he wants the phoenix stone. No doubt he wants it for something nefarious, but if it buys my freedom, I don’t care.
Despite being a pirate, betrayal has never sat well with me. To get close to Gavin, to make him believe I’m helping him and not myself, feels like a betrayal. But it means freedom, and I think I can do it for that alone. I can harden my heart if I need to.
The plan is much better than selling the junk I steal from ships, or sucking cock, and much, much better than the few coins and jewels I could steal pick-pocketing.
It’s perfect. Until the prince realizes the truth. But by then, I’ll be long gone. I’ll swim off into the sunset and hopefully find other merfolk to teach me how to be mer.
Of course, if Jessi is right, and the captain has no intention of letting me go, I don’t know what I’ll do. But that’s a worry for another day.
Right now, I relish the bit of extra freedom I have.
The Golden Drake—not the Golden Goose—needs more repairs than the captain anticipated.
It’ll take days for the supplies to arrive and then longer still for the labor.
As per the rules of the binding, I’m allowed to roam to my heart’s content as long as I come back when called.
Waves gently rock the boat, lulling me into a semi-comfortable state, but I want to be in the water.
I have time to take for myself, not wanting to make it to land too early.
According to rumors, the prince is supposed to present his bride-to-be in a parade.
Parades are boring, and I have no desire to watch.
There’s no one around for miles, so I dive into the ocean. I pop up for air and flop onto my back, floating in human form, staring at the cerulean sky. The water feels luxurious against my heated skin.
Not a cloud mars the crystalline vision above me. I close my eyes and enjoy the water keeping me comfortable. It doesn’t matter if I fall asleep; if I sink, my body will become mer, so I won’t drown.
I shut out the world above, letting my hearing shift to listen to the symphony of sounds below the surface.
Whale calls are my favorite, and I’ve learned the sounds of a few different species.
When I have the chance, I follow a pod for miles.
Whales aren’t assholes like dolphins. Don’t even get me started on orcas.
I don’t mind sharks. Most fish are fine, but the ones that are transparent and I can see their innards creep me out.
I don’t know how long I’m in the ocean when the low drone of an incoming ship in the distance infiltrates my head, but it’s the shriek from above water that forces me to take notice.
I open my eyes to see a huge dragon blotting out the sun.
Screams belt out. The red and white flag on the ship in the distance is Reynolds’s.
Which means the screams don’t come from the crew. No—
I know what Reynolds does to the people he steals, and I can’t let the innocents get hurt.
Not when this time I can actually help them.
I rip my pants from my legs, not caring that I’ll never see them again.
My shift rolls through me, though it burns to transform so quickly.
I have a boat. Surely, I can help evacuate people before the ship is destroyed.
Towing the rowboat, I swim faster than a dolphin toward the ship.
The dragon circles above, taunting the ship with fire.
The sails are already burning. It won’t take much to catch the rest.
People have already started to abandon ship. Reynolds, with his red hair, runs around demanding his crew stay, forcing magic to bind them to the ship. Apparently, if he’s going down, so are they.
Once I’m close enough, I call out, then sink beneath the water to hopefully stay hidden from the captives. I watch the battle between dragon and pirates as the innocents say prayers of thanks to gods unknown to me and fill my rowboat. Luckily, it’s not too small.
Above, the dragon swoops and blows flames as it dodges cannon fire after cannon fire.
Reynolds isn’t as adept at magic as Captain Vex is, or even Prince Gavin if the rumors are true. But like all pirates, he has a magic cannon. They finally wheel it into position. The crew stuffs the glowing spell ball in, aims, and fires.
I lift above the water to warn the dragon, but it’s too late.
A blast of orange light shoots at the same time the dragon blows fire. The ball of light hits the dragon square in the chest as the ship ignites in flames.
No!
But the dragon doesn’t go down. My heart races. I’ve stopped paying attention to the rowboat once they’ve started paddling to safety.
Only the crackle of fire makes a sound. The sailors must surely be dead. My stomach lurches. Hopefully, all the captives made it to my rowboat.
The dragon flies listlessly. Squinting, I can’t tell the coloring other than the beast is pale and getting closer.
After a sad whimper, the dragon’s shoulders and wings sag just before it drops. I’m not fast enough to get away. With a splash, an enormous wing drags me under.
I tumble beneath the great leathery appendage for what feels like hours as we go deeper and deeper. The ocean presses into me. I try to will myself to calm, but it’s no use. My arms flail and my tail flops around uncomfortably.
I have to think logically. In my mer form, there’s nothing to fear in the ocean. I won’t drown. As long as the dragon stays unconscious, I simply have to wait.
Finally, the dragon shrinks, losing wing, scales, and talons as it morphs from beast to man and drifts away from me. I’d already planned on saving the dragon, but the glint of silver on the man’s head forces me to work quicker. Prince Gavin.
My heart pounds. If I can’t save the prince, I’ll lose my freedom forever. I won’t be able to afford the high price of it.
I close the distance between us. I wrap an arm around Prince Gavin’s waist. Blood blooms around us from several wounds, and I hope they won’t prove fatal.
I propel us to the surface, but have to go painstakingly slowly.
Prince Gavin sunk us deep, and I can’t risk him getting decompression sickness.
I only know about the problem because of merfolk horror stories I learned as a child.
As we ascend, I note Prince Gavin’s handsome face is surprisingly peaceful.
When we break through the waves, the rowboat is so far ahead of us I can’t see it. The rowboat that has my jar of sand among other things. I pull the prince along, being as gentle as possible, but he’s not breathing.
He has to breathe.
I wrap my arms around Prince Gavin’s chest, working to expel the water he inhaled. It’s awkward; he’s too muscular for me to do the maneuver properly.
Land is too far. Can I get him to the boat without exposing myself or causing more damage?
There’s one thing I can do, but I’ve never tested it before. A kiss underwater should, in theory, allow the prince to breathe underwater for a few hours. That should mean the water in his lungs wouldn’t be a problem. But it’s a horrible time to experiment.
Before I have the chance to worry about it further, Prince Gavin gurgles a gasp before sputtering water back to the sea. He spins to face me. A grin spreads over his face, confusing me.
“You,” Prince Gavin whispers as he lifts a hand.
My breath speeds up. I lick my lips. Instinctively, I drop my head forward, my hair covering the gills on my neck.
I keep my webbed hands to my sides. Temporarily, I forget my plan and will myself not to panic.
I wish merfolk were like dragons and the other shifter types, but they aren’t.
I can’t just shift back. I need sand, and the rowboat is far away now.
My emergency jar of sand is with it. “Are you aware that you’ve been shot?
” I jut my chin towards his back. “Twice.”
Prince Gavin looks down at his gut wound. He tilts his head and squints into the water. “You’re a—” But before he can say anything more, he slumps into my arms. Too much blood is in the water.
I have to get him to land, to a healer. If the prince dies, I’ll be back to stealing from ships, and after the last time, I’m not sure I can trust that method of acquiring coin anymore.
With Prince Gavin out cold, I speed to the rowboat, eating up the distance in minutes.
“Someone!” I gurgle out. My voice is all wrong in mer form. “Prince Gavin needs help.”
The occupants of the rowboat turn toward me.
I wave, hoping they see me. They’re either still too far away or they ignore me.
I don’t blame them if they have. The royals aren’t exactly high on anyone’s list in Lane.
Gavin has been portrayed as a spoiled brat every time I’ve heard anyone talk about him.
But… he was so nice at the tavern. And he saved those people from Reynolds. He can’t be all spoiled.
It doesn’t matter now. I have to get Gavin to land. At least the prince is breathing. In the water, he isn’t heavy, just awkward to hold.
“Am I dreaming?” Gavin mumbles.
Barnacles.
He wiggles in my grasp. “Hold still, Your Highness.”
But of course, the prince is a brat and refuses to listen. I stop swimming and release him.
“Kyler,” Gavin breathes my name like a prayer. He laughs and sputters more water.
My heart thunders so loudly I can feel it in my head. Keeping my gills underwater, I ask, “Can you tread water?”
Gavin nods. There’s so much delight in his eyes. “You are mer.”
“I am,” I admit before sinking until just my eyes are above water. I don’t want to show all my features, not yet.