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My mother always said I had to be strong for the ill children. That I could never show them my fear, pity, or sadness. She’d said that if I did, I’d be delivering the kiss of death to them. So, I always kept my smile bright, letting my joy and my love shine on them and keep them in good spirits. I decided to do the same for Nemo.
“Yes?” I asked.
“We’re going to get you home safely, okay?”
Nemo’s promise kept rolling around inside my skull. I held on to it with all my hope. Ending up as some rich merchant’s slave was not going to be my fate. I had more to give to the world. If Poseidon chose to save me, I swore this very day, I’d take my duties as a princess more seriously.
Out of the stillness of the night, a loud noise, like a siren, blared. The first time, the sound caught the pirates’ attention. The second time, their expressions tightened with fear.
Poseidon had heard my prayer!
“What the fuck is that?” shouted the head pirate.
“Dunno,” replied the one who had slashed Nemo. “But my whiskers are twanging with danger. We better clear out real quick-like.”
The horn blasted again, and this time, the timbre was deeper and lasted a bit longer. All the shifters in the other wagons growled or moaned. Some stalked along the edges of their cage, suddenly alert and on edge. Even the horses whinnied nervously, fidgeting and pawing at the ground.
Tension coiled around my lungs like one of the Sea Witch’s eels. What in Haven was going on?
The head pirate climbed back onto the cart, sat in his seat, and whipped the reins. Tossing their heads back and chewing at their bits, the horses stomped forward. The wagon creaked as it jolted forward, rolling across the well-worn path in the forest. I braced myself, holding on to the bars.
Something shrieked in the canopy above, startling me, and I jumped. Nemo wrapped one arm around me, crushing me to him, but not even his warmth could chase away my mounting concern.
The shifters’ complaints grew louder. Tigers chewed at the bars and scratched at the wood. Wolves howled, as if calling to someone. Panthers kicked at the bars, as if trying to bust them down.
“Shut them up, would ya?” barked the head pirate.
The other pirates took out long sticks and beat at the cages, trying to scare the shifters into submission, but this only made them go crazier.
My heart pounded from all the commotion. Something was setting them off, but I couldn’t see or hear a thing. Merfolk’s hearing wasn’t the best. I sent out a sonar blast into the forest. The echo returned, telling me we were surrounded by a group of hostiles coming at us from every angle.
Then I heard it. Hooves. Footsteps. Giant wings flapping. To my left, fire exploded, setting a pirate alight. He screamed and fell backward off his wagon.
Fin and Gill leaped to their feet, searching the canopy, no doubt looking for the source of the flames. They stood on weak, shaky legs. Gill’s stance was wide and ready for attack. Both had clearly seen war before. Instinct must have told them another was on its way.
My muscles tensed. Something was about to happen.
A shrill scream cut through all the commotion, silencing everything. Something heavy thudded on the ground in front of us.
The wagon suddenly swerved, and we all lost our balance, rolling onto each other. Shrieks flew from the horses. They bucked, trying to get free from their restraints. The wagon jolted all over the place, sending me crashing into Fin. He wrapped a muscled arm around my shoulder to hold me steady. My whole body buzzed from the connection.
My heart constricted for them. I hated seeing animals in peril.
My gaze flew to the source of their terror.
Shellfish.
A dragon.
Despite its frightening appearance, it was one of the most beautiful creatures I’d ever beheld—covered in green and aqua scales like the merfolk. Two horns protruded from its skull. It opened its mouth and shrieked, revealing bone-crushing teeth. A man in a dark cape rode atop the beasts back.
Shifters whined. The pirates cursed.
The merman holding me pushed me behind him. Fin. I held on to his arm. His pulse raced beneath my touch.
“Get him,” ordered the man in the cape, pointing at the head pirate.
The dragon stomped forward, snatched the pirate in his teeth, and crunched on his body before swallowing it in one gulp.
