The Rising

by Terra Harmony

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  "Halt!" Serena hears through the bushes. It is Ervin's voice, deeper than usual, and loud.

  Oh no.

  Serena pushes her way through, rogue branches grabbing at her hair and scraping down her scales. When she stumbles onto the beach, her eyes go wide and her breath catches in her throat.

  Ervin pins Liam to the ground with one foot on his chest, and another guard has his trident at Liam's throat.

  "Pull back your trident!" Serena yells at the guard. She turns to Ervin. "Release him."

  Liam scrambles back, getting on his feet as the two guards loosen their hold.

  "Back off, just stand down," Serena hisses at Ervin and two other guards. The rest must have left with the king.

  Glancing at Liam, Serena can see short, stiff hairs pop out, bristling along his neck. She steps toward him. "I'll take care of this. Just—trust me."

  Serena crosses in between Liam and the armed Undine to stand at Ervin's side.

  "Is this one of them?" Ervin asks through gritted teeth. "He smells like dog."

  Liam sniffs. "You smell like fish. There is no denying the mermaid, or…mer…man?"

  "Undine!" Serena and Ervin say together.

  Ervin steps forward, gills flaring.

  "No." Serena puts her hand on Ervin's arm. "Let him go."

  Ervin tenses even more, and the men behind him do the same.

  "Show him mercy? Like he did the night of the maiden massacre?" Ervin isn't backing down.

  "Look at him, Ervin. He isn't even old enough to have been there. Killing him would only spark a war. One for which we aren't prepared." Serena looks at Ervin. "Let me do my job."

  Ervin shakes his head. "No, I'd rather see his pelt on the end of my trident."

  "What shall I tell the king, then?" Serena asks, glancing at Ervin out of the corner of her eye, then returning her gaze to Liam. "That you interfered with the Werewolf Liaison's duty? That you willingly sabotaged a direct order from the king himself?"

  Ervin stops moving forward, but refuses to break his gaze from his enemy.

  "Besides," Serena says. "You no longer have a trident. Remember?"

  Ervin flinches and turns, eyes full of fury. At least if his anger is directed toward her, Liam will be left alone.

  After a short stare-down, Ervin brushes past her, toward the water. He shoulders her in the process, causing Serena to stumble back a few steps. Ervin splashes, very Ungainly-like, into the ocean. The two others back up from Liam, only turning when their feet hit the waves.

  Serena lets out a shaky breath. With a quick glance at Liam who is still standing at the tree line with his hands hanging at his sides, Serena turns away, following Ervin.

  She waits until she is fully submerged to cross her legs, transforming them back into fins. She can feel Liam's eyes on her, and his words are still ringing in her head—You smell like fish. The slight stings worse than scales poking through her skin.

  Ervin swims fast, taking sharp turns and occasionally glaring back at her. Her best friend is angry, but that she can handle. It is better than having Liam upset with her. He could tear her to bits. Shredded, bloody, fish bits.

  Serena swats a lone jellyfish out of the way as she swims, trying to keep up with Ervin. He is going straight to the Great Hall—Serena won't have a chance to ask the king about his conversation with Alaric right away.

  Besides the four of them, there isn't a single Undine spotted on the way to the Great Hall.

  No, Serena thinks, they are all already in it, ready to watch me take center stage. She'll have to report her findings to the council.

  Ervin reaches the steps first, fins transforming back into feet. He does so slowly, as if he is waiting for Serena to catch up. When Serena does, moving to stand beside him, she glances at his heaving shoulders.

  The quick swim, strong as he has become, still takes a toll on him. He isn't meant for the King's Guard.

  Oyster farmer, Serena thinks. She remembers how excited he was, returning from the oyster farms on the trip with his caste. The usefulness of oyster farming, the productivity. Serena wonders how productive he finds guard duty, doing the same rounds day after day.

  When she looks at him, Ervin doesn't return the favor.

  "Come on," he says. "You're late."

  Not my fault, Serena aches to argue. But it would just come off as petty, so she stays quiet.

  A few strides of bitter silence, and breathes out through clenched teeth. "You didn't have to belittle me in front of him."

  "How did I belittle you? I was standing with you," she said.

  "You pointed out that I didn't have my trident—like I lost it."

  "So?" She brushes back a wet strand of hair plastered to the side of her face.

  "So?" Ervin makes a fist, slamming it into the side of one of the corridor walls. "I looked like a fool. No King's Guard is ever caught in front of the enemy without his trident."

  "For Poseidon's sake, Ervin—he doesn't know that."

  "Doesn't he?" Ervin stops walking, the entrance to the Great Hall just ahead. The other two guards pause as well, but give Serena and Ervin their space. Ervin crosses his arms and turns to Serena, lowering his voice. "I think there is too much that you don't know. You are going to put yourself in unnecessary danger."

  "This job is an unnecessary danger," Serena hisses back at him. "And you heard the king, conferring with the wolf himself. Why does he even need me?"

  Unless I am the sacrifice…

  Serena turns back to Ervin, distracted. "If there is something you think I should know, tell me now. Because neither you, nor any of the King's Guard," Serena makes a pointed look at the other two, keeping their distance, "will be accompanying me to the beach again."

  Ervin uncrosses his arms, hands squeezing open then closed, and finally rubbing the back of his neck. Serena rolls her eyes. He honestly has no idea what to do without his trident.

  "Well?" she asks.

  Ervin sighs. "Has it ever occurred to you to ask for permission to the King's Library?"

  "Of course," Serena says. "Mariam always denies it."

  "Because you need express permission from the king."

  "The king has also denied permission." Serena narrows her eyes at him. "Why would his library help me anyway? Have you been in there?"

  Ervin shrugs. "Part of the training. We have to know every nook and cranny of the kingdom. We were allowed in once under the watchful eyes of Mariam. There is a whole section on werewolves."

  Beside him, the other two are nodding their heads. "A section on Ungainlies, too," one says.

  "And mating and birthing," offers the other.

  Serena widens his eyes.

  "Excuse me, gentlemen?"

  Everyone turns, snapping to attention at Nerin's voice. She stands at the arched entrance, chin high, hands clasped in front of her.

  "We have been waiting for the presence of the Werewolf Liaison to report her findings. So if you are finished with your discussion about mating and birthing..." She gestures to the entrance. "You may escort Serena in."

  Each guard offers a short bow to the King's Second, then shuffles into the Great Hall with red cheeks. Serena follows.