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“Hurry—get into the water, Princess,” Fin ordered. He grabbed Nemo, wrapped an arm around his chest, and dragged him in deeper until they were both floating.
I stumbled into the lagoon to join them. My shaking hands reached for Nemo’s face. I held it tight, forcing him to focus on me and not his pain.
“Leave me, Captain,” Nemo mumbled. “Check the princess’s wound.”
Fin grabbed my arm and inspected the slash one of the soldiers had given me.
I pushed him away. “It’s not that bad. Nemo needs our attention.”
Blood darkened the crystal water. Sea god. My knees weakened at the sight. The liquid glimmered as Nemo’s transformation took hold of him.
“Fuck,” he said, scrunching up his face and groaning. A few moments later, his eyes widened. “Poseidon. I just swore in front of the princess.”
Fin chuckled. I glanced in his direction and frowned. Sometimes, he scolded others for their language or vulgarity; other times, he laughed at it. His inconsistence drove me crazy, but in this case, he’d probably decided to give his wounded friend a break.
Nemo floated over to me and grabbed my hand. “Shit, I’m sorry, Princess.”
I brushed the sweaty hair from his eyes. “Shh. I don’t care. Just heal.”
The water would make him well again soon. But would Nemo recover before Faraall and his soldiers regained their senses? Fear burrowed under my skin like a thousand sea parasites.
“Stay with him,” Fin told me as he climbed out of the water to grab a trident. “I’m going to hunt down the two that got away.”
My stomach turned to stone. What if Faraall was still alive? Surely, that was why the mersoldier had taken him—to get him into the water, as we’d done with Nemo, so Faraall would have an opportunity to recover. But a wound like the one Faraall had sustained would take days, maybe longer, to heal. Dread built in my chest. The longer he was alive, the worse off my father and kingdom were.
“Back soon,” Fin shouted, then he dove into the water, leaving the surface shimmering from his transformation.
I hoped it never came to that. Stomach churning, I dove under the water and retrieved the trident Fin had removed from Nemo’s leg. Just in case any of the other slime bags were still alive. I’d finish them off if I had to. On my way back to the surface, I took a quick glance at Nemo’s thigh. The wound no longer bled, and the water was working its magic, slowly healing him. I broke the water’s surface and floated beside him.
“Oh, mighty sea god,” I started, pulling Nemo close. “Please do not take this merman from the sea so young. Fill him with your merciful healing power.”
Nemo’s arm found my back. “Don’t talk like that. Everything’s fine.”
I wasn’t sure I subscribed to his sunny outlook. He might bleed to death with a wound this serious. But I prayed that wouldn’t be the case.
Each moment Fin was gone, my blood pressure spiked. A burning sensation, like molten lava, churned in my gut. I clung to my merman’s arm and waited for Fin’s return.
“It’s okay, Princess,” Nemo assured me. “They’re dead.”
I wasn’t too sure. My gaze darted between each of the motionless soldiers littering the once beautiful, lagoon cave floor. Pain stretched through my hand from gripping the trident too tight.
“Talk to me,” Nemo said. “Distract me.”
“Err,” I said, scrambling to think of something to say. “I like red sea blooms. I sneak out of the palace to go exploring. Dolphins are my favorite animal. I have a pet flounder.”
Sea god, I was blubbering.
“Keep going,” Nemo said through gritted teeth.
“My favorite food is lobster,” I continued. “I love wearing silks made from the sea spider.”
“Fancy taste,” he said.
“My favorite color is orange,” I said.
“Orange?” he scoffed. “Only weirdoes like that color.”
I chuckled and squeezed his arm. “Well, what’s color do you like?”
