49. Pedro
Pedro
“You can no longer be part of our city, Bay.” Queen Lora’s voice echoes from inside her office, and Alin quickly pulls me against the wall near the entrance—clearly wanting to listen in on the conversation.
“I knew that from the moment the dragon bonded with me,” Bay’s voice shakes in response. Is she crying?
‘What’s happening here?’I mouth silently, catching Alin’s attention as I touch her shoulder. She spins around, putting a finger to her lips to silence me.
“The dragon said this would save you all from the Doomsday Elixir,” Bay continues, her voice trembling.
What is supposed to save us from the Doomsday Elixir? My heart starts pounding as the emptiness in her voice strikes a nerve. Something feels off. Why is she here in the city instead of coming back to us?
“You are Black Blooded now. You no longer belong to the royal bloodline. I have no knowledge of Black Blooded, and we—the royal lines—cannot, under any circumstances, interfere with anything to do with your kind. It’s certain death,” Queen Lora’s voice is distant and cold, as if she’s speaking to one of her servants.
“She’s what?!” Alin can’t contain herself and swims forward, shouting, the shock evident in her voice. I follow closely behind, needing to understand what’s happening as Bay’s terrified eyes lock onto mine.
“What are you doing here?” Bay clears her throat nervously as she asks.
“You’re not changing the subject. You’re Black Blooded? How could you do that, Bay?” Alin scolds her, Bay’s gills open in a deep sigh.
“Alianna!”Queen Lora’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, halting the storm that was brewing. The small whirlpool that had begun to form behind Bay vanishes as Alin turns her gaze to her mother.
What is going on here? For the first time in my life, I’m speechless. What has Bay done? Black Blooded?
“Mom, you can’t silence me on something like this!” Alin suddenly raises her voice at the queen. “She’s bonded with the Guardian! She’s taken on the role of the Sacred Bride if she’s become Black Blooded!”
“She did what?!” I snap, shock coursing through me as the familiar tingling begins in my hands.
“You bonded with the dragon?” My voice is filled with venom as I turn toward Bay, fury spreading through every part of my body.
“It was the only way to save all of you,” she finally speaks after what feels like an eternity.
“The dragon made it clear—the only way to save all of you from the Doomsday Elixir was for me to become Black Blooded. Nothing else would’ve worked.
” Her voice trembles, but there’s a firm resolve in her words.
“You can’t know that!” Alin screams now, her voice shaking. I can’t tell if it’s from anger or tears—the water makes it impossible to see clearly. “My mother could’ve found a solution! You didn’t give her enough time!”
“She wouldn’t have found a solution...” Bay whispers, her gaze dropping to the floor as if she’s arguing with someone we can’t see. As she turns toward us, my eyes catch sight of the glowing purple dragon mark on her chest.
That bastard dragon marked her chest?!
“Pedro!” Alin snaps at me as the sound of shattering glass fills the space.
I quickly rein in the electric currents coursing through me, just as Alin taught me.
My gills open and close slowly as I force myself to think clearly.I glance around and see the damage I caused—few shattered vials on the floor.
“How could you betray us like this?” My voice cracks, betraying the anger and pain twisting inside me. “We trusted you—trusted that you had a plan! Luca tortured himself for your safety. We captured the sacrifices for you. And now you bond with the dragon?”
The betrayal sears hotter than the cursed currents pulsing through my veins.
Bay swims toward me, but I back away, my hands trembling.
”Don’t touch me right now, Bay. I’m barely holding back enough power to not burn us all alive,” I grit through clenched teeth.
Her hurt-filled eyes meet mine, tearing at the edges of my resolve.
She doesn’t try again, just turns and swims toward Alin instead.
I fight the urge to grab her by the arm and rip that filthy mark off her chest.
“You’re all misunderstanding the curse,” Bay says quietly, her back to me now. Her voice is calm, but there’s an unsteady edge, as if she’s bracing for the fallout. “I’m not his bride. He’s not looking for a bride. I am him, and he is me.”
What is she talking about? My thoughts swirl in confusion. Her words are the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard, and they do nothing to calm the storm inside me.
“You are him, and he is you? Bay, now you sound like you’ve lost your mind,” Alin snaps, her voice mirroring exactly how I feel.
“I already explained this to Queen Lora—the heart of Morlay wouldn’t have worked even if we had tried.
The Guardian doesn’t want to bond with me—the Guardian is me, a part of me.
He’s inside me now, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.
” Her voice is distant, and now she turns slightly, glancing back at me, making sure I hear every word.
“The moment I bonded with the Dark Magic, I became Black Blooded,” she says, almost reading the questions racing through my mind.
“And what does that mean for you? What does it mean for us?” I ask, unable to hold back the first questions that crosses my lips, ignoring Alin and Queen Lora’s concerned stares.
“I don’t know exactly how things will go from here, but I no longer belong to any pod—I belong to a dangerous, unknown breed of Black Blood ed now,” she explains, her voice calm, though the war in her eyes betrays her.
“I need someone here to explain what the hell that even means!” I raise my voice, but I never break eye contact with her.
“We don’t have much information on Black Blooded. The only ones we know of in our ocean are Jocelyn and the Guardian. And now Bay,” Queen Lora answers, swimming closer to us.
“I’m sorry, Bay, but I can’t risk the safety of our entire city by letting you stay. You don’t belong to the royal bloodline anymore. Even your affiliation mark has turned purple,” she says, addressing Bay. The words ignite a fire in my chest.
“Why is it that every time I come here, I have to watch you all throw away a family member so damn easily because of your idiotic beliefs?” I snarl, swimming toward the queen, though I manage to control the electricity coursing through me this time.
The queen’s face falls, hurt flashing in her eyes, but she doesn’t respond, only holds Bay’s hand as if offering an apology.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” I growl. “You’re all playing with Bay’s life like she’s just another piece of metal you can toss away when you’re done with her!”
Alin and the queen both turn to me, mouths open in shock, but I don’t let them get a word in.
“None of you deserve to call her family! Unlike all of you, I’m not giving up on her that easily!”
“Pedro, none of us are giving up on her,” Alin tries to reason, her voice softer now, though there’s still frustration.
“But we can’t just bring her into the city like this.
You don’t know what this means for her powers—for all we know, this could drive her insane.
She could become another Jocelyn at any moment! ”
Her words match the cold logic that runs through this damn family, and I can’t stand it. I narrow my eyes in anger as I swim between her and Bay, grabbing Bay’s arm and pulling her behind me protectively.
“She can lack morals, she can lack control, she can lack fucking common sense for all I care, but she’ll always have me!” I snarl, feeling the currents surging in my chest, but I force them down just in time.
Without warning, Bay’s arms wrap around my chest from behind, her face pressed against my back as she starts to cry.
I clench my fists hard. “I’ll see you in New York,” I say coldly toward Alin before I break Bay’s hold on me and turn to face her.
I cup her face in my hands, pulling her close, and kiss her hard, staking my claim. When I pull back, I lock eyes with her. “We’ll finish this at home— our home. I’m not leaving your side,” I say, my voice low and firm, making sure she feels every word.
“I love you,” she whispers just as I push her out of this damned room.
She’s not staying here. Not ever again.