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WE STOPPED AT THE TOP of the cliffside, looking down on the beach below and the vast ocean that lay beyond it. To our right was the river that cascaded over the edge in a treacherous waterfall. We would have to go down one by one, since the pathway was so narrow. Bythane and the rest of the hounds could easily transform into their ethereal forms and practically float to the bottom, while Aurena and I could fly over the difficult spots.
“You all start heading down. I need a quick drink and then I’ll follow,” I said over my shoulder. The waterfall may look terrifying but the cool river looked very inviting.
“Milady, are you sure? I will wait for you.” Aurena was incredibly devoted, and I owed her so much that I could never repay.
“I’m sure. I’ll be right behind you.”
Nodding, she descended first, with Moira tucked safely in her arms, Moirae followed closely behind. The rest of the pack had transformed and were making their way down one by one while Bythane looked on.
I kneeled, and with one hand scooped up some of the crisp water to splash it on my face. A second handful went down my throat before I got a small rag and soaked it. I then had handed it to Thane to suckle on for a bit. A rustling in the nearby bushes gave me a start, and I jumped back, clutching Thane closer to my chest.
“I knew I would find you, fy stór.” Gwadei stepped out from behind the trees to face me.
“Gwadei! How did you find me? What do you want?” I asked in horror, attempting to shield Thane from the man in front of me.
“Ha-ha! It wasn’t so hard to track you down, my queen. As to the second, I want you and our son to come home now. You’ve had your fun.” His eyes darkened at that last bit, and I tried to back up, but could only go a step before I’d be in the water.
“No.”
“What?” He took a step closer.
“I said, no. I won’t go back, and you can’t have my son.” I took another step backward, and my foot sank into the silt at the bottom of the river.
“Don’t toy with me, Emalia. I’m done with your games. Give him to me!” He lunged forward and tried to rip little Thane from my grasp.
Just then, Bythane appeared between us and snapped at the king, his blue-green essence dancing like flames. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and I was grateful that he showed up just when I needed him.
“How dare you? I am your king! You swore your allegiance to me. I activated the Stones!” Gwadei fumed at the interruption and perceived betrayal.
“Yes. However, you refused our services. The queen is the one who did not, and since she is bonded to the Stones through you, we are now her loyal Guardians.” Bythane stood his ground, waiting and ready to act should the king try anything.
“Stupid dog. I knew I should have sent you all away instead of letting my wife keep you. Wait. You were planning this the whole time, weren’t you? You were just waiting for the chance to get away from me! You didn’t love me at all!” He paced as he spoke, pointing his finger and glaring at me for plotting against him.
“No, Gwadei. I did love you. I still do in a way. It is the monster inside you I do not love. He is corrupted and needs to be stopped. I can’t keep doing this! I never know which side of you I am going to get!” I cried out, hoping that he would listen, that some part of him was still in there.
His eyes seemed as though they were clearing, that maybe I had gotten through to him. But in an instant, they were dark once again, and I knew that the man I loved was gone, possibly forever.
“Lies!” he shouted and lunged at me again, only to have Bythane, in solid form, slam into his middle, knocking him back. “You will pay for that, dog!”
Gwadei got to his feet and threw his magick at Bythane, knocking him several feet away into a tree trunk. I screamed for him, hoping he’d stand up. The hit from that blast seemed to have stunned him, and he was slow to get up. Turning on me, Gwadei stalked forward. With nowhere to go, I stood my ground. I wouldn’t give up without a fight.
Just before he reached me, another figure flew past me, knocking Gwadei back a step. It was Moirae. She must’ve heard or sensed that we needed her and came to help, thank the goddess. Moirae ran this way and that, distracting the king from us, drawing his ire and lightning her direction. Luckily, in ethereal form, she was practically untouchable.
He must’ve realized this, for he once again came at me. She rushed in to transform at the last second to hit him, but he was quicker. He struck Moirae full force in the chest with a blast of lightning. She yelped and fell at his feet, unmoving.
“No!” I cried out and rushed at Gwadei. I wasn’t thinking, just reacting. He turned quickly and threw another bolt directly at me. The madness I saw there quickly faded as what he’d just done registered in his mind.
I flew backwards with the force of the blast, landing into the river. Desperately clutching to Thane, I tried to hold on as the current took us away. Away from the mad man. Away from the despair. Away from that terrible scene. I barely felt the cold as we were rushed along. My vision faded quickly, and the only feeling I had before my world went black was that I was floating.
I awoke lying on a stone floor inside what appeared to be a cave. It was dark inside. The only source of light came from the top of the cave where a hole had formed and moonlight shone down upon the small pool of water.
Sore all over, I slowly got up. Where was Thane? If I was in here, where was everyone else? I needed to know if Moirae and Bythane were alright, as well. It was late at night now. The last thing I remembered; it was midday. Oh gods, what’s happened? Fumbling through the dark for the exit, I heard a small splash in the water and turned around. There in the pool was the most beautifully terrifying face in the world. That face belonged to a mermaid from the looks of her flashy tail and pale skin.
Her eyes were overly large and as black as the deepest parts of the ocean, and her hair was as white as a blanket of fresh snow. Her smile, though, that was truly gruesome. It extended much farther than any smile should, going nearly ear-to-ear; her teeth were hundreds of long pointed-looking blades. Truly the stuff of nightmares.
“H-hello.” I stumbled on the greeting for my mouth suddenly got very dry.
“Hello, Queen,” she rasped out. She must not talk very of- ten, for it sounded like she had something caught in there.
“You know who I am? How? Who are you?” I asked in amazement and took a small step closer.
“Yes, I feel Stones. All queens and kings do when unite with them. I am Queen Alaeniya of merfolk. I brought you here,” she said, gesturing to the cave.
“If you brought me here, then you had to have seen my son!” I rushed forward, and knelt in front of her. Hope rose in my chest to form a knot in my throat. “Where is he? Did my lady come and collect him?” I nearly choked on the words and looked into her eyes, but they gave nothing away.
“I saw no son. None but you in water,” she said with a tilt of her head like she was trying to figure something out.
“What?! What are you talking about? We both fell in! I was holding him!” I cried out. My panic is rising, and I got up to go look for him.
“Not when I found you. You were alone,” she said matter-of-factly.
“We are not done here,” I said to her, but don’t turn around. I was already heading down the tunnel to what I assumed was the exit. I had to find my son and also Aurena and the pack. I knew that Aurena would have Moira. They all were probably looking for me, too. Maybe they found Thane first, which is why Alaeniya didn’t see him in the water!
I’m sure that’s what happened. They found him and made camp to keep my children warm, then sent the scouts looking for me. I will find them. Then we’ll head back to this wretched cave and deal with the mer-queen. After all, I had a Stone to deliver. But first, my children needed me.