He does as I ask. We lead the king out of the palace and into the city square. “I need to rest,” the king says.
“We can’t stay here. Just a little farther,” I say.
“Over to the clam.”
“We should head for the coral,” Ryn suggests.
“Stop where you are!” someone shouts.
A deafening explosion erupts through the water, and I’m blown away from the king and Ryn. Bits of rock float by, and I cover my head, hoping I won’t be hit. Unfortunately, with the second explosion, I’m covered by the rubble and I pass out.
* * *
The throb in the back of my skull is agonising. I wince in pain. When I try to get up, I can’t. My tail is pinned by a large rock, and even though the dust has settled, I can’t see much.
When the chaos broke out, I was with the king and…
“Ryn,” I call out.
Please let him be okay.We’ve had an intense love-hate relationship, but I don’t want anything to happen to him. It’s hard to think straight because of my injuries, and my heart hurts. I can’t lose Ryn. Through the good and the bad, I still love him. Please, Gods, let him be alive.
“Ryn!” I shout again.
Trying to sit up, I start to clear the rubble off my body. The large column pressing on my tail won’t budge however hard I try. There’s an iron rod nearby from inside one of the building structures. I reach as far as I can, but it’s too far away. My eyes feel heavy, and I’m losing hope of being able to escape.
“Ryn,” I say weakly before closing my eyes. A few minutes later, the column on my tail starts to rock. When I look up, Ryn has the rod and is trying to free me. “Ryn,” I whisper.
“I’m here,” he says, coming towards me.
“What happened?” I ask.
“The rebellion stopped the merfolk from taking back the city. They’ve taken the king.”
“Oh, hell.”
“We need to get you out. Do you think if I move the column, you’ll be able to push it?”
“Let’s try. Have you heard from my mum?” I ask.
“She’s okay.”
“Thank the gods.”
“Hey. We won’t let Neptune win. Maris will be back soon, and we’ll take back our city.” He cups my cheek and I pull him close. We kiss softly. “Come on. Let’s get you free.”
He returns to the rod, and I sit up so I can push the rock. It isn’t easy, but eventually, I wiggle free. We embrace each other, frantically kissing and squeezing each other tightly.
“I thought I’d lost you,” I say.
“I’m here. I’m not letting go.”
My body is bruised and battered, but I’m glad to be in his arms. An overwhelming feeling of love washes over me as I realise how much I need this merman. I’m frightened and don’t know how we’re going to get out of this mess, but I know I need Ryn by my side.