Page 2 of Of Song and Darkness
Orm slowed his breakneck speed and stared at me. “I don’t know.”
His honesty was refreshing for once, putting a crack in his know-it-all demeanor, but it did very little to ease the quaking inside my chest. Poseidon’s shocking death sent the Seven Seas into turmoil. There was no protection, no advisory for the creatures that dwell below the ocean’s surface, and no one to contain the evil Dark Hydra that resided in the deepest part of the ocean. Without the might of Poseidon, the Dark Hydra had been unleashed, and its deadly Dark Water was spreading throughout the seas. A rumor I had just proven to be true.
“What should we do? Surely, my father will listen to me now that I have proof.” I studied Orm’s profile before looking around to the other males who swam alongside us.
“You shouldn’t worry about it, just like you shouldn’t have ventured out looking for trouble.” He cleared his throat and swam faster to get ahead of me. Half the soldiers followed after Orm, and the other half crowded around me as if they feared I would disappear again if left unchecked. Given the chance, I probably would.
I stopped swimming, and Orm paused with a look of frustration.
“Shouldn’t worry about it? How do you not worry about Dark Water? The entire existence of the ocean and all who live in it are in jeopardy!” I desperately looked around, staring into the faces of the other sirens, but they quickly downcast their eyes, refusing to meet my worried gaze.
Orm inhaled like he was trying to school his response. “I’ll talk with the king. I don’t want you worrying about it.” He raised his hand as if he intended to touch my face, but I pulled back so violently that his hand stilled in the water before dropping back to his side.
I floated there in stunned silence, my mouth gaping open like a codfish. He couldn’t be serious. How does one not worry about Dark Water? I was too shocked to speak to him again about it. What good would it do anyway? Obviously, neither he nor the soldiers intended to discuss the matter further with me. Anger surged through me like a raging storm. I continued toward Aquarius without another glance in his direction. He wasn’t in charge, even though he liked to think he was. The one I needed to speak to was my father, King Manta. He could no longer dismiss Dark Water as mere gossip. It was real, and it was coming.
Fatigue settled in my bones like an anchor, but fear and concern for my people made me push through my exhaustion. The faster I could get home, the sooner we could form a plan to keep our people safe. Orm and his army had to increase speed to keep up with my intense pace. Relief washed over me like a calm tide when my home finally came into view. Orm left me behind and rushed through the shell-encrusted gates of Aquarius. That slimy eel was probably racing to inform my father about my discovery, but maybe that was for the best. He seemed to listen to Orm better than he did me. Stupid male egos.
As I entered the palace, a hushed silence greeted me. No one dared to meet my gaze as I quickly swam toward my father’s throne room. The weight of shame gnawed at my insides, a reminder that my disappearance had stirred up turmoil throughout the entire kingdom. Well, they could be angry with me all they wanted. Now that we knew the threat was real, we could find a way to protect our people.
I threw the throne room door open without being summoned inside. I was already in trouble; what did the neglect of formality matter at a time like this? I eyed my father and mother as I rushed forward. Their faces were harsh and unforgiving. Orm was tucked close to my father’s side, observing me intently as I approached the throne.
“What have you to say for yourself?” My father’s voice boomed and echoed off the sand-colored rafters that held up the ceiling of the massive throne room.
My throat bobbed, irritation settling in my chest at his question. “Father, please. I had to know if the threat of Dark Water was a myth or not.” My voice rang a little louder than I had intended, and the mere mention of Dark Water had the officials and court attendees gasping.
My father’s eyes widened to the size of a dwarf pufferfish. Schooling his anger in the face of onlookers, he rose from his throne and approached me. He gripped my upper arm and pulled me closer so that he could whisper in my ear. “My patience with you is running thin,” he warned. “You will not speak of Dark Water again, and if you dare to go close to land again, I will do much worse than simply taking away what little freedom you have.”
My gaze shot to Orm’s. The little seaworm had already squealed on me and told my father I had been close to land.
Tears leaked from my eyes as I yanked away from my father’s grasp. “Someone needs to speak about it! We are in danger! Something has to be done! I saw it with my own eyes. It’s real!”
I was near panic. Why could no one see the jeopardy we were in? Did my father truly believe ignoring the problem would make it go away? I glanced around as whispers broke out among the sirens at court. The wrinkles around my father’s eyes intensified, and a vein throbbed on his forehead. His gaze bore into me, a silent storm brewing in the depths of his irises. The court hushed into an uneasy silence as he floated before me.
“That’s enough, Rhea.” My mother rose from her seat, casually interrupting the spectacle my father and I were about to make. “We are preparing a feast tonight to welcome you back home. The entire kingdom is looking forward to this celebration, and I will not allow you to be tardy.” My mother pulled on my arm and ushered me out of the throne room, away from the piercing, disapproving glares of my father and Orm.
I bit my tongue so hard to keep from arguing with them further that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. This conversation wasn’t over, but quarreling with my father in front of his court was disrespect of the worst kind.
How could they even entertain the idea of a party with Dark Water threatening everything in existence? I shoved the rising tide of my emotions back down as I rushed toward my room. I gently pushed my bedroom door ajar, hoping for a few moments of peace to figure out what I would do next, but my little sister pounced on me, leaving me with no respite.
“Where have you been? I have been worried sick,” Meleea yelled, latching onto my arm and dragging me into the room.
“I…”
“Never mind,” she interrupted, pushing me in front of the vanity mirror crafted from delicate conch shells and proceeding to shower me with her feminine wiles. She skillfully wove a comb through my auburn locks. Then she focused on enhancing my features, adorning my lips with a deep shade of crimson, and artfully etching intricate patterns on my skin using our celebration ink. I sat there, enduring her relentless attention, confused as to why she was so concerned with my appearance.
After she was content with her efforts, I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. My hair cascaded down my back in flawless waves, and the makeup and intricate skin art she applied were truly exquisite. I looked like a princess on the outside, but on the inside, I was a fraud. I wasn’t like Meleea, who reveled in the glam and attention of our court. She embodied the word princess, and I, the rebel who never did as she was told and never lived up to my father’s hopes.
As I sat there, the weight of expectation pressed upon me like an invisible pearl crown. The court would soon be filled with nobles and sirens of import, all expecting the poised princess they believed me to be. Little did they know that beneath all these layers of shimmering paint was a spirit yearning for freedom.
“You look beautiful.” Meleea smiled, brushing her hand against my cheek. “Even I can see that you do not want this, but we can’t choose the life we are born into. It’s time you lived up to your duties and stopped running off.”
My eyes rose to meet her emerald ones, and then swept over her beautiful sandy-colored hair, so much like my mother's and Valeria's. “You sound just like father.”
She nudged me playfully. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
A knock at my door brought my head back around. “Enter.”
Our mother floated in, looking every bit the queen she truly was. She stopped behind me with a sad smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “You are going to be the death of me,” she said, her words wrapped in a mixture of concern and affection. Running her fingers through my hair, her laugh lines became even more evident with her smile, betraying her years and wisdom. “When will you learn that these little excursions of yours are foolish and dangerous?” She offered me her hand, and I took it, letting her pull me from the chair.