“What?” Dane gasped.
“She’s real?” I asked, clasping my hands together. It was as if something inside of me rang out and told me it was true. Leanna herself was inside me.
We exchanged a glance as I realized what Dane was thinking. Were we . . . cousins? That would make the fact that we just kissed for the better part of an hour kind of gross.
“Don’t worry, you are not related. Not really.” He gave me a funny look. “Actually, Katriana’s claim to the throne is much stronger than yours.”
“What?” Now it was my turn to gasp.
“Not the throne of Oceana. That is your birthright, Prince Pollux. The throne of all the Seas. Leanna is the Queen of us all, and you are her granddaughter.”
“Grand . . . me?”
“Yes. In fact, you are nearly identical to her. It confused me at first when I saw her as a young woman. I wonder . . . did your mother look like you?”
“I . . . barely remember her. I don’t even have a painting of her.”
“Hmm,” Marcum said, not saying anything more.
“My mother was Leandra’s daughter?”
“Yes, her child with Allisander. And yes, they are both still alive, if you could call it that. All three of them are. Such unhappy souls.”
I felt a spurt of pity, but I needed to know what he meant.
“I don’t understand.”
“Leandra was pregnant when she was changed. The baby changed with her.”
I gasped and stared at Marcum.
“That would mean my mother was thousands of years old!”
“Yes. You may very well live that long as well. I suspect you are closer to immortal than any of us. I don’t truly understand what killed her after so many years under the Sea. Perhaps you have vulnerabilities.”
“Like swords,” Dane added sarcastically.
“Yes, well, that would kill her most likely, but barring a direct attack, I suspect that Tri will outlive us all.”
I stared at him, then closed my eyes.
Triton, it can’t be true. Can it?
“It’s true, Tri. Can’t you feel it? You were always more than . . . what other Mers thought you were.”
My shoulders relaxed, relieved by the way Dane was looking at me. Like I was normal. Like I wasn’t a freak.
He was looking at me like I was awesome.
We sat there, the three of us, waiting for the sun to go down. Marcum didn’t have any more information on what to expect or who the cloaked traitors were. But he assured us again that all three of us would survive the immediate future and meet again.
I held onto that. It was enough. It had to be.
“Are you ready?” Dane asked, threading his fingers through mine. I nodded, not feeling ready at all. I kissed Beazil’s snout and rested my cheek against his rough but velvety skin for the longest time.
“Look after each other for me. And Starla. And Lila. Tell Annaruth to get her out of my stepmother’s palace, okay?”
“I will, I promise,” Dane swore.
“And don’t let them stop looking for my father.”
He nodded solemnly, and I took both of their hands, squeezing them one last time.
It was time to go.
I turned and swam alone out of the cave.
I swam upward and to the south, where there was a rare stretch of sand in the craggy coastline. I didn’t stop to think about the enormity of what I was doing, the uncertainty of where I might sleep tonight, or all the wonders I might see.
Or the dangers I might encounter.
I didn’t think about how woefully unprepared I was.
I just swam. As soon as I saw the golden hue of sand ahead, I transformed. I’d been practicing and had it down cold. Except, I had forgotten how bad human legs were at swimming.
Or how often human lungs needed air.