Silent Mermaid: A Retelling of The Little Mermaid (The Classical Kingdoms Collection Book 5)

by Brittany Fichter

  “This time, however, you have people who will pay the price if you’re not.”

  “Just let me go, Michael!”

  Until that moment, Michael hadn’t realized just how much his heart could hurt. “You’re right.” He let go of her arm and took a step back. “Just . . .” he struggled for words, feeling like a fool. “Just please take care.”

  “Goodbye, Michael.” She didn’t meet his eyes as she turned. “I’ll see you at the palace.”

  45

  Striking the Deal

  Arianna tried to steady her heart as she swam away from the city and into a small forest of kelp. After glancing behind to make sure no one was following her, she swam up to the surface, using the kelp as a cover. Still, when she got to the surface and peeked out from the water, she was disappointed to see how far she would have to swim out in the open above the city to get to the ship, at least four or five fathoms.

  Lucas would put the ship above the most visible part of the city.

  “It wasn’t a lie.” Renata’s smooth voice floated on the breeze. “I told you that he was going to marry one of the royal daughters. And he is. I never said which one.”

  Arianna instinctively ducked back down into the water, leaving only her ears and eyes exposed.

  Drat. Michael had been right. Arianna could just see Renata’s head over the ship’s railing. There were several Protectors with her, men and women all wearing large charms. But how were they able to stay out in the direct sun, even with the charms?

  Unable to stave off her curiosity, Arianna dipped her head back under the water and darted over to the ship’s hull. If you really do care like Michael says, she prayed, please don’t let them see me.

  As soon as she reached the hull, she pressed herself against it and waited breathlessly for some song of alarm from Renata’s Protectors. As she waited, though, she sent up another prayer, this one of thanks. Renata had at least had the decency to order camicetts for her that would work as short dresses if she changed form unexpectedly.

  When there was no song of alarm from Renata’s Protectors after a few minutes, Arianna peeked out slowly until she could glimpse her aunt. Upon seeing her, Arianna nearly gasped aloud. In Michael’s chamber that morning, Renata’s eyes had been underlined by dark circles. It hadn’t looked like anything serious, just a lack of adequate sleep. But where there had been circles there were now visible veins spidering out from her eyes. The veins were black.

  Arianna threw herself back against the hull. So that’s how they were doing it. If she was honest with herself, it frightened her. She’d always known the Sorthileige was strong. But never had she seen anyone wield it so well. What deals have you made to hold such a power that’s not yours? Arianna thought to her aunt. You have the triton. Why can’t that be enough?

  “I still want to see him for myself.” Lucas did not sound happy.

  “And you will. But we have used much of our power to prepare him for life below the surface prior to the wedding. Bringing him back up now would be too hard on his body. He needs to resurface gently. It’s for his health, I assure you.”

  “Well, I’m staying here until he does.” He fingered the cutlass at his side. “And I still don’t understand the deception.”

  “Suit yourself. I’ll send word when he’s ready to ascend.”

  “So you not only lied, but now you’re excluding my mother as well? She won’t be able to see her own son wed? And our Council of Lords? You promised we would all be present.” His voice grew sarcastic. “In case you were wondering, that’s why I’m here. When no ship came to fetch us, as you promised, I knew something had gone wrong.”

  Renata paused. “Plans changed, unfortunately. And the deception was for our mutual benefit, to bridge the rift between our peoples that we knew you would never consider otherwise. But if you wish, we will supply you with enough resources . . . more than enough resources to have a ceremony on land afterward, if you wish. Now, as much as I have enjoyed meeting with you again, I have other pressing matters to attend to. Good day, Prince Lucas.”

  With a start, Arianna realized that her aunt was walking toward the ship’s edge. She scrambled to swim around until she was just under the ship’s bowsprit. Seven splashes sounded, and Arianna scrunched her eyes shut, praying that they wouldn’t see her.

  As she waited, Michael’s words came back to her about the others who could suffer for her failure. Suddenly, she wished she hadn’t come.

  Still, she was there now. She might as well find out what she could. When a few moments had passed since Renata’s group had reentered the water, Arianna swam to the opposite side of the ship. Finding a handrail, she pulled herself up high enough to where her tail was out of the water. This time, her transformation took only a few moments. As she climbed the rest of the way up, Arianna was again relieved to see that the camicett reached just below her knees. She’d almost worn one of her old short ones that morning instead.

  “It’s another one!” a man shouted. “She’s snuck aboard!”

  Before Arianna could finish righting herself, she was surrounded by a circle of sailors. Unlike the pirates, these men all wore light brown shirts and trousers. As she stared warily back at them, however, she decided that they looked just as angry as the pirates ever had.

  “Arianna.”

  Lucas stood on an upper deck near a large wheel. He wasn’t smiling, either.

  “I’ve come to warn you,” she said, eyeing the men’s swords as she did. “My aunt is lying to you.”

  “So I gathered.” He hopped down to their level. “Would you like to explain why you never told us who she was? Or,” he raised his eyebrows, “why you suddenly have a real voice?”

  “She used the Sorthileige to disguise herself. I didn’t know who she was either. And my voice is . . . a long story. But,” she lifted her chin defiantly, “as I saved your brother from Tumen’s king, I think the least you can do now is listen.”

  Lucas paused for a moment then nodded at his men. Slowly, they lowered their swords. “How is my brother?” He came closer. “Is he well?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Arianna began to describe for him the intricate web Renata had crafted, and with each twist, Lucas’s eyes grew wider. When she finished, he shook his head.

  “I’m going down there to get him.”

  “And how are you going to do that? The palace where he’s being held is far deeper than the one my family used to live in. Even if I could get you a charm, you’d never go unseen.”

  “Well, I’m not going to let my brother be married off to some lecherous mermaid. I never liked the idea of sending him off in the first place.” He put his hands on his hips and took a breath. “Who is he marrying anyway?”

  Arianna wanted to laugh and cry. “According to my aunt, me.”

  Lucas had turned to whisper something to one of his crew members, but at this, he stopped and stared at her. “Oh.”

  Arianna almost smiled. It was the first time she’d ever seen Lucas speechless. “Please,” she said, taking advantage of his temporary silence. “Don’t make any rash decisions. Let me see what I can do, and wait for my signal. As soon as I can, I will bring him up to you and you can get him back to land.”

  “I’ll keep the ship here,” he said, but Arianna was already shaking her head.

  “You’re right above the city. Everyone knows where you are.” She looked over at the distant shore. “Is there some port nearby that you can take shelter in? Close enough that you can see my signal when I send one?”

  Lucas folded his arms and let out a gusty breath. “That depends on your signal. There is no port, but there is a cove not far off that we can sit in for a bit.”

  “Good. Stay there until I send a messenger of some kind.”

  “I have to say, I don’t like waiting around, wringing my hands and hoping my brother will survive.”

  “Please,” Arianna said again as she walked back toward the edge of the ship. “Promise me you won’t do anything ras
h.”

  “I’ll wait for your signal,” he said. “But if I get the chance . . . if I see an opening, I’m taking it.”

  Arianna nodded. That was the best she could hope for. Quietly she let herself fall back into the water and then made her way back to the kelp.

  Did she have a plan? Not in the slightest. All she knew was that Michael was an essential thread to Renata’s tapestry of schemes. If she could get that one thread unraveled, maybe the rest would start to fall apart as well.

  But what then? a small voice asked. What happens after you send him away? What will you do?

  She didn’t need him, she argued with the voice as she swam back down through the kelp to the market. What she needed was to focus on Renata. Besides, he had made his need of Arianna perfectly clear.

  When she arrived in the market, their sleigh, driver, and Michael were gone, just as she’d suspected they would be.

  She made her way quickly back to the palace, wondering what kind of trouble was in store for her as soon as her aunt got wind of her disappearance.

  To her relief, no one spotted her as she snuck into the palace and up to her room. Arianna’s room was lavish. Surprisingly so. Renata hadn’t withheld any expense when it came to the gold-edged furniture or the jewels that sparkled from every surface. According to Arianna’s mother, Renata had begun decorating the room as soon as she’d arrived, though she hadn’t told anyone whom it was for. From the grandeur of the room, Renata truly seemed convinced that Arianna’s cooperation was sure, and that the two of them would live happily ever after.

  A rolled waxy leaf stuck out from the edge of her writing desk, and Arianna hurried over to read it.

  I’m not sure why you sent the letter directly to me. Do you know how much trouble I would be in if the letter had been intercepted? Don’t bother contacting me again or any of our mutual acquaintances. The contest is over. You lost. Best to keep our heads down from here on and hope to escape notice.

  Arianna tore the note up and threw the pieces to the floor. It had taken her the better part of an hour that morning tracking Elda down to send a note to Mae asking for advice. Now that they had lost, surely Mae could be persuaded to come up with an alternate plan. As it was, they had two more days before the coronation was permanent. But, it seemed, Arianna had assumed wrong.

  As Arianna fumed over Mae’s letter, her door clicked shut by itself. Arianna nearly screamed until she realized it was her father who had closed it.

  “Where have you been?” he shouted in a whisper. “Renata is furious that you didn’t return with Prince Michelangelo.”

  “I talked with his brother,” Arianna said, bending to gather the pieces of the note. “We’re going to get Michael out.”

  “Your mother and I are doing everything in our power to protect you. But you cannot keep gallivanting off! You’re not a child any more!”

  “I’m gallivanting off because I’m not a child! Someone has to do something about Renata.”

  He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “I haven’t seen her this angry in a long time.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  Amadeo took a deep breath before taking Arianna’s face in his hands. “You mean more to your mother and me than you will ever know. That is why I was so hard on you when you were little.” He sighed. “And even after. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Father, she’s planning on using the Sorthileige on all of us. She’s using it even now on herself. In the Deeps . . . I’ve seen it!”

  “I know.”

  “You do?”

  “She may be the future Sea Crown, but I’m still her brother.” He gave her a wry smile. “Which is precisely why I am going to help you in whatever way I can.”

  “Arianna!” Renata’s voice echoed down the hall and sent a shiver up Arianna’s spine. Before Arianna had a chance to respond, however, her aunt had thrown open her door. “You will never learn, will you?”

  46

  All You Can Ask

  Michael could still recall who he was and why he was in the Sea Palace at least, but the pain was so bad sometimes that he really wished he couldn’t. After being dragged back to the palace by their irate guide, Michael had been tossed in his room again. This time, large, thick, multilayered netting had been thrown over his balconies, and the door would not budge. After an hour of fighting to be free, demanding to talk to Arianna’s parents, he’d been unable to do anything more than crawl back to the sponge bed and lie down, praying for unconsciousness to take him.

  Just as he was about to fall into another state of half-sleep, the door burst open, and Renata dragged Arianna in behind her.

  Michael stared as rudely as possible, but he couldn’t help it. Renata’s eyes were no longer ringed by the effects of a few sleepless nights. Rather, they were surrounded by inky webs of veins that were beginning to stretch down her face. Renata herself, however, paid him and his gawking no heed.

  “If you didn’t believe me before,” she snapped at Arianna, yanking her over and pointing at his legs, “then here’s your proof. Keep making foolhardy choices like that, and I assure you that his legs will be the least of your concerns.”

  Arianna bit her lip, but said nothing as she stared down at Michael’s legs.

  Michael followed their gaze down to his feet, the only part of his legs sticking out from beneath his trousers. He had taken his shoes off earlier to relieve the pressure on his aching feet, but now he wished he hadn’t. Gingerly, he pulled one foot up to examine it more closely, and his stomach lurched. Tiny blue-green scales were beginning to grow on the tops of his toes. When he tried to wriggle them, he discovered that thin layers of webbing were starting to tie them together, too.

  “The wedding will be held at sunrise in two days.” Renata tossed Arianna at Michael. He barely had time to hold his arms out to catch her. She shouldn’t have fallen so quickly underwater, but with the speed at which she hit him, Michael realized just how very strong Renata was becoming.

  “I’ve tried to make you happy!” she said, turning and throwing her arms up. “My goal in life from the moment I met you was to ensure that you didn’t turn out like me . . . alone.”

  Arianna peeked out at her aunt from underneath Michael’s arm.

  “Do you remember when you were bitten by that poisonous eel?” Renata bent so low that she was nearly on Arianna’s level. “We had to hold you down while your mother sang to get the poison out. You tried with all your might to wriggle free. We had to grip you so hard that it hurt. But we did it because we loved you, and we wanted you to go on thriving. We hurt you then because we knew best. And this is no different!” She paused and pressed her hands to her face.

  “It is the same now,” she continued in a lower tone. “You are flailing and pushing back, but if I do not hurt you now, you will never know your potential.”

  Arianna stared up at her but did not reply.

  Renata threw her hands up, whirled around, and headed for the door. “You have one day to convince her, Michael! Really convince her! Or you are mine, and she will be alone forever.”

  With that, she was gone. After the door locked, Michael looked down to see Arianna still tucked under his arm, curling into him like a lost kitten. Despite the pain that was moving in waves through his legs, Michael found considerable pleasure in the sensation of being her protector. Even if he couldn’t do a thing to help her.

  After a long stretch of silence, he finally pulled back enough to study her face. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She blinked a few times before nodding, but her eyes flicked back to the door several times.

  Now is just as good a time as ever, his conscience prodded him. You may never get another moment alone.

  Michael almost groaned. Words he should have said long before were burning a hole in his tongue. All the ways he had failed her had been haunting him since Arianna had brought him back from the siren song.

  Well, since he had agreed to marry P
rincess Ines, really.

  “Arianna—”

  But she shook her head and pushed his arm off her shoulders. “Please don’t.”

  “No. I need to.” He slowly pushed himself into a higher sitting position, making his lower back scream in agony. “I have no excuse for what I’ve done. I just thought . . . I was a fool to think that marrying for convenience could save my kingdom.”

  “Just stop.” She closed her eyes.

  “Nothing I say or do will ever make up for the way I have wronged you, but—”

  “What do you want from me?” she cried out.

  “I want you to fight!” he shouted back as loudly as he dared. “Without taking me into consideration! I want you to pour every ounce of life into escaping her grasp and never looking back.”

  Arianna ran a hand over her pale hair, clutching the knot tightly at the back. “No one deserves what she has planned for you.” She spoke to the ground, not meeting his eyes. “Your brother is waiting for my signal in a cove nearby. As soon as I find the chance, I’m going to send for him. My father will help me create a diversion, and we’re going to get you out of the water.”

  “Arianna.”

  “The shore isn’t far.” She ignored him. “As far as I know, there aren’t any human settlements nearby, but you’ll at least be safe. The farther you get on land, the less her song will touch you. Without you, her entire plan falls apart.”

  “And what about you?”

  Hand still in her hair, she gave him an ancient look. “My family is willing to sacrifice everything to stop my aunt. My plan is nothing less.”

  He crossed his arms. “Then it seems we are at an impasse.”

  “As if you’re in much of a position to do anything about it.”

  Michael needed time to come up with his own plan, so he changed the subject. “What did Renata mean when she said you would live the rest of your life alone?”

  She gave him a wry smile and sat down on the edge of his sponge bed. “You might not have noticed, but down here, I’m somewhat of an anomaly.”