AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Kaga furrowed his eyebrows, watching me. I started swimming toward the volcano again while he followed. The rhythmic movement of our tails propelled us through the water, adding a sense of adventure to my tale. “The city was a wonder, a hub for knowledge and discourse between all walks of life. Debates were common on the street, and scrolls spilled onto the streets. Every house had their own scrolls, and the library was a realm-wide landmark.”
I peeked at Kaga beside me. His eyes were wide with anticipation, his curiosity evident. I smiled inwardly, knowing I had successfully captured his attention. “Instead of a king or queen, the realm was ruled by a round of judges. Citizens brought concerns daily, and everyone adhered to the laws established.”
I slowed down a little to see his expression. “One day, though, one man thought he should be king. Using trickery, bribes, and who knows what other nefarious devices, he gathered enough supporters and brought his case to the judges. Unbeknown to everyone, though, he’d also made a deal, a deal most dire.”
Kaga leaned in closer, eager to hear what happened, and a smile played on my lips. “He traded his soul for power, driven by greed and rage. The judges refused to give up their power for one man, though, no matter how powerful. Shadows and fire covered the courthouse as a storm raged outside. Then, all of a sudden, the earth rocked. Lightning barraged the city, while the island shook. The city rumbled, then with a giant crash, fell into the sea.”
I paused swimming again to watch Kaga’s face. His mouth opened in surprise, and he floated with me. “It turned out the man had promised to sacrifice the city to the demon, one way or the other. But that wasn’t the end of the city, not at all.”
I paused, letting the suspense build. “Nope. There was one woman, one who had studied with angels, learning the magical ways of light. She stood alone against the man while storm still raged. The city floated for mere minutes, then slowly sank toward the depths below. The man, wanting to keep his potential sacrifices, surrounded the city with black lightning, preventing anyone from escaping. She raised her own hands, light streaming from them, and a duel started, a classic tale of good versus evil.”
We floated there and Kaga’s eyes were on mine as he leaned closer to catch every word. I couldn’t lie. It fed my ego. “Each barrage from the man pushed the city deeper into the ocean faster than it was already moving. The woman created a bubble to keep the water from drowning the innocent. It wasn’t long before the city hit the bottom of the ocean. When the man realized what he’d done, he fell to his knees, crying out in anguish. No one could leave now, but no one could stay. It wouldn’t be long before they suffocated without air. Working together now, they both tried to find a solution, throwing spells out, hoping to save the city and its inhabitants.”
Kaga’s slapped his hands to his cheeks, and I could see his imagination running wild. He was lost in the story, completely captivated by the tale I had woven. “In their desperation, they combined their forces, pleading with the sea. Out of it, formed the first merman and mermaid. Their spell washed over the city, permanently changing everyone forever.”
I sighed, reminiscing about a story that had been told to me at bedtime growing up, one all merchildren heard. “They became the first king and queen.”
Kaga frowned, his eyebrows drawing together. “I know,” I said with a grin. “He got what he wanted. It seemed like that at first, but they both had to navigate being a new species, and learning how to survive under the sea. It was a hard, thankless job that yielded none of the riches he’d expected. But he died with the respect he would have never earned if his plan hadn’t failed.”
His face relaxed, and he nodded, understanding. Then, all of a sudden, his eyes widened, fear flashing through them.
Chapter 16
Iwhipped around, seeing what made Kaga so afraid. There, swimming straight for us, were three great white sharks. Frantically, I scanned myself, looking for any trace of blood. I swore when I saw droplets of fish blood at the bottom of my fin.
Hurrying, I swam to the sea floor, using the sand to scrub it off. The sharks still swam toward us. Gathering my wits, I hid Kaga behind me, facing the predators. He refused to stay put, moving to my side. I fought him on it until it was too late, giving up when they were only a few feet away.
Before I could do a thing, Kaga flipped, swinging his tail up, knocking a shark square on the underside of the jaw. “Flip it!” I yelled, panic in my voice.
Kaga worked on turning the shark upside down while I reached out, trying to get the sharks to swim away with magic. My hand shook when, undeterred, they continued forward. They were too focused on us, as if driven by magic themselves.
My heart hammered horribly as I flipped, swimming so I was above the shark. I grabbed one of the shark’s fins, hanging on tight. I reached down and brushed my hand against its head, willing the creature to calm down and go home.
Instead, it headed for Kaga, jaws open. “They never attack like this,” I said.
Kaga shot over the shark as it rammed into its friend. Kaga swam next to me, as close as he could. I continued to hold on to the fin, trying my magic once more.
“It’s not working,” I said, my voice frantic. I didn’t know what to do.
Kaga nodded, then waved his hands. An air bubble formed right on top of the shark’s gills, effectively cutting off the creature’s air supply. Kaga waved his hands again, forming air bubbles on the other two sharks.
The sharks wiggled and shook, trying to get air. I sensed their confusion. I tried my magic again, and this time, finally, it worked. “Kaga,” I said. “Let this one go. My magic worked.”
He hesitated for a moment, but then took away the bubble. Immediately, the shark started swimming away. I let go of its fin and swam to the others, applying the same treatment.
Both sharks did the same, eventually calming down under my hand. They swam after the other one.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. Sharks rarely attacked merpeople, since our magic deterred them. It only ever happened to someone who was drunk or not paying attention. But now it’d happened twice. Was something else going on? Even the little merchildren had enough sense to use magic to placate the creatures. “I didn’t want to hurt them.”
Kaga reached for my hand and squeezed it. I looked up at him. “It’s not good, though, that my magic didn’t work the first time. Sharks never act like that. I knew the blood drew them, but for them to not calm down at all?” I bit my lip. “We might have to keep an eye out for more. It has to be the evil sea witch’s work.”
Kaga grimaced and squeezed my hand again. He brushed the hair out of my face and stared into my eyes. He opened his mouth, then frowned. “Remembering you can’t speak?” I said with a laugh.
He nodded, a smile in his eyes. Then he threaded one hand through my hair and pulled my head close to his. The air around us hummed with an unspoken longing as Kaga gently cupped my cheek. Our eyes locked, and everything seemed to stop. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips drawing nearer to mine, teasingly close but not quite touching.
My heart thundered. I grasped his wrist. We stared at each other, and my eyes fluttered close. Anticipation built, and finally, the lightest touch. His lips were on mine. I let out a small gasp. He pressed more firmly against me. I wrapped my arms around his waist, floating my body against his. I shivered as his lips caressed mine. Desire pooled in my abdomen. Not for the first time, I wanted more.
A tentacle shot out from underneath my hair and wrapped around Kaga’s wrist. He jumped back in surprise, his eyes wide.
