EVERLOST
Mer Tales Book 3
by
Brenda Pandos
KINDLE EDITION
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Copyright © 2013 by Brenda Pandos. All rights reserved.
Cover Images Fotolia.com
© Elena Schweitzer - Fotolia.com, © Subbotina Anna - Fotolia.com
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http://www.brendapandos.com
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Pirating books is illegal. If you are downloading books from sites that steal from authors, you are breaking the law. Don’t be that person. Support authors by buying their books.
This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either a product of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond intent of the author. No part of the book may be used or reproduced without written permission of the author. The author holds all rights to this work.
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Also by Brenda Pandos
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The Emerald Talisman (Talisman Series Book 1)
The Sapphire Talisman (Talisman Series Book 2)
The Onyx Talisman (Talisman Series Book 3)
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To all the mermaids who think their tails are less than perfect,
you’re valuable and worthy of a promise.
Choose someone who will treasure that gift.
To Janille Dutton, for being you.
Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Follow Brenda
Books by Brenda Pandos:
About the Author
“If he loved you with all the power of his soul for a whole lifetime,
he couldn’t love you as much as I do in a single day.”
-Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
1
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Bait
Tatiana swam toward the palace, spitting out the bits of flesh that had found new homes between her teeth. She moaned as her head ached, buzzing with a dull grogginess.
Great seaweed! She thought. What possessed me to bite that poor merman’s arm? Gahhh. One kiss and I’m a—a flesh-eating monster? Seriously?
With an extra hard flip of her tail, she propelled herself faster to wash her mind of the horrible act she’d just performed; the webbing of gems interlocked and fastened to the fabric of her promising dress weighed her down in the current. The drugs lingered, still affecting her muscles, and Fin’s pleas to leave Natatoria tugged at her mind. The closer she came to the palace, the more the longing to see Azor consumed everything, taking away all the regret. She loved Azor and her life was here, in Natatoria, now.
She hoped Azor wasn’t injured—of course, he wasn’t dead, she’d feel that—but he could be hurt. Mermaids had doused the interior of the hall with octopus ink just as the rebel who’d grabbed her had dragged her out. She knew what the ink would do—she’d used it when she’d inked Azor’s compound to bust Fin from the dungeon. Like magic, the mermen’s bodies lost awareness and they all fell unconscious, floating like bobbers in the water. Once they all woke up, they’d be mad as a school of hornet fish and ready to continue the fight.
Two of the King’s guards sped in her direction at lightning speed.
“Princess!” one called out.
Tatiana tipped her head to the side. Who was he calling out to? Turning around, she expected to see Princess Girraween or Garnet behind her but saw neither.
The taller of the two stopped first and bowed his head. “Azor is worried and—”
A small laugh bubbled from her lips. He was addressing her—she was a princess now. She almost stopped him from being so silly when Azor’s voice sliced through the water.
“Tatiana! There you are!” Azor hovered outside of the western palace entrance, his hand on his forehead. “What are you doing out here?”
At his glorious voice, she pumped her tail and left the guards in her wake. His sinewy muscles, dark eyes, goatee and raven hair took her breath away—her promised mate. She stretched her arms out, never happier to see anyone in her life. “Azor, you’re safe.”
He remained stiff, not returning the hug. She backed away, confused. “What’s wrong? Were you injured?”
“What’s wrong?” He wrinkled up his face in disgust and turned his shoulder away from her. “Do you even have to ask that?”
She blinked, nursing the sting to her ego as the guards passed and swam inside.
“Are you mad at me?” she asked.
“I don’t have time to explain the obvious and once the ink fully fades, you’ll help restore the palace to its previous splendor with the other servants.”
“What? But—I didn’t do this.”
He swiveled and closed the distance between them. “Are you trying to tell me that that wasn’t your father arguing during our ceremony? That his army didn’t attack the King?”
“Army?” She swallowed down her anxiety. “I didn’t even know he’d returned from his mission. My father is not a traitor.”
“He stormed the palace!”
“I was in the palace with your mom and sisters, preparing for the ceremony all day. I had no clue what my father had planned, let alone that he’d returned. But I didn’t go with them. I chose you. Didn’t you see that merman pull me out of the palace?”
His eyes narrowed as he appraised her for a dark moment. “You expect me to believe a rebel merman, loyal to your father, took you against your will?” he snarled, revealing his razor sharp teeth. “That’s highly unlikely.”
“Yes,” she said meekly with a gulp.
Disbelief lit his face. “Well all I can say is you’re lucky you’ve picked the right side, Princess, and have come back to me—unless you’re a spy.”
“Never,” she said breathlessly.
He continued to scowl, making her stomach ache with dread. “Doesn’t matter anyway. The others won’t last long in hiding, especially with a reward for their capture.”
Her heart squeezed. It would be darn near impossible to track her parents now that they were in Tahoe, especially since most mers were too afraid of humans to go on land. But a reward? This was already going too far.
“What reward?”
“I’ll offer my sister Garnet’s hand, of course.” His conniving smile turned her stomach. “My sisters can finally promise now that I’m no longer unmated.”
She stared at him, confused. Natatorians didn’t value money like humans did. The ocean provided shelter, food and the occasional sunken treasure, and there was very little one needed to barter—beyond a few luxuries like fruit, an air bubble, a lava stove, or a finely crafted garment. Title and importance, however, was an entirely different story.
“They’ve had to wait? For you?”
Azor puffed out his chest. “I’m the only male heir to the throne and without a queen, I couldn’t secure my rightful place. My father made them wait just to be sure. Royal blood needs to take the throne, not some guppy spawn from a bottom-feeder my sisters would pick.” He sighed, a contented smile full on his face. “And now that I’ve got you, the title is within reach—that is, once I have a male merling to ensure the blood line continues.”
He pulled her in close and kneaded her stomach, mussing the fabric tangled on the gems of her promising gown. The warm water from his mouth washed over her stunned expression. She’d just become a princess an hour ago and now he’d have her leading the mer world as queen. She wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. Surely they’d spend years as prince and princess, taking trips and purchasing things for their home in exotic places, before having to take the throne. But with his swagger, he acted as if he’d rule tomorrow, which was preposterous. As far as she knew, King Phaleon was in terrific health and the title would only be passed upon his death.
Azor’s bravado faded and he let go of her upon spying Badger.
“Sir, sorry to be a botherin’ ya, but I have some news ya might fancy,” said Badger as he approached from the direction of the Tahoe gate.
Tatiana’s mind swam, anticipating what he’d say. Hadn’t he been in the ceremony room moments ago? His niece, Lily, was there to promise Fin, after all. Or was he a rebel, too? The drugs made her memory fuzzy until the kiss. Azor’s glorious kiss.
Badger’s eyes focused tightly on Tatiana and his concern snapped her from the blissful thought.
“And …” Azor finally said, twitching his tail impatiently. “We don’t have all day.”
“Yeah. So, I got me Lily girl outta harm’s way, when I been seein’ yer lass, I mean, the Princess, bein’ dragged off by one of those vermin, so I tried to swim after to stop ’em. But she do right nice fightin’ ‘em off herself, and all—”
Tatiana held her jaw stiff in an effort to keep her mouth from flying open. Did Badger see she’d bitten the rebel? And what about her parents? Fin? They were there, watching before they escaped to Tahoe.
“Get to the point, Badge,” Azor interjected.
“So, I thought you’d be wantin’ to know she’d be quite loyal to ya, and all dat.”
“Well, isn’t that nice of you.” Azor perched his eyebrows upward, eyeing Tatiana with surprise. “Is that it?”
“Yes.” Badger held up his chin, remaining straight-faced.
Tatiana looked away. Watching Badger’s conflict confirmed her own slippery predicament. Loyalty to Azor and the kingdom meant she’d need to disown her parents, that they were the enemy now. Her shoulders sunk. How could she do that? They were her family.
“Come, Tatiana,” Azor barked.
With her tail trailing low, Tatiana followed slowly, unprepared for what she’d see. The ballroom was in shambles—holes in the walls, statues missing appendages, others toppled on the floor in rock heaps. Healers attended to shaken-up guards scattered around the room. On the other end, Queen Desiree, in her regal purple gown with glorious white hair floating about her, barked orders to the servants to clean the mess. Girraween and the other princesses hovered behind their mother, startled and aghast at Tatiana’s arrival.
She tried to ignore them and searched for Azor, who had disappeared in the mix of mers. But the princesses weren’t the only ones gawking. All eyes had found her, staring with condemnation and anger. This had been her father’s fault—her fault. Tatiana fidgeted in the current, moving to a space in a darkened corner.
Nearby, Uncle Alaster swam in with her cousin Colin, in a mad rush, calling for Azor. Her heart lurched, knowing they’d report back about her parents, about Fin.
“My good-for-nothing brother stormed the basement with spears. Threw a punch at Colin and then tried to impale me.” Alaster gestured to Colin’s perfectly good eye. “Nearly killed us. Then the son of a bass pushed us through the gate and disabled the release lever. We couldn’t get back in. We’re lucky to be alive.”
Azor’s quiet fury at their news terrified Tatiana while Alaster mumbled apologies. Would Azor try to go after them now that the gate was sealed? This would give her parents time to leave on foot in the morning. She secretly wished she knew about this lock. It would have come in useful when she’d broken Fin free from the dungeon. As it was, they’d spent the entire night, unsuccessfully, avoiding capture from Azor and his goons.
Azor yelled at the group of nearby soldiers to assemble. “We must go now, before they get anywhere on foot!”
Panic coursed through her as his men swam past with spears and tridents. If they got through, would they injure her family? Kill them? She moved her tail, intent to follow—all the way to Tahoe if she had to.
“Tatiana!” yelled Queen Desiree.
Tatiana ignored her and chased after the weapon-wielding mob. She pounded her tail harder, unable to keep up due to the heaviness of her gemmed dress. The cave opening leading to Tahoe eventually grew closer, and her heart sped up. Why did her old home feel like enemy territory?
Azor’s head flicked back and upon seeing Tatiana, he slowed, turning around with a scowl.
“Go back to the palace, Tatiana!”
“No, please. Don’t do this.”
Azor glared. “Go home, now!”
As she grabbed his arm, determined to latch onto him like a starfish, a wall of churning white water ricocheted from the gate’s opening and blasted into them, pushing Azor’s body into hers. They clung to each other as another earsplitting boom rocked the water and shot fire all around them. She watched in horror as the cave mouth crumbled and collapsed shut.
“Holy crawfish!” she yelled, gripping to him tighter. “What was that?”
The sand ballooned around them and slowly settled down like fine snow. The other mers were floating haphazardly, clutching body parts and their heads.
Azor mouthed something as childlike fear crossed his face, but she couldn’t hear him or anything beyond a loud buzzing.
“What?” she asked, realizing she couldn’t even hear herself. Warm liquid poured out into the water—blood. Her blood. She shrieked, or at least she tried to, as knives carved pain through her scull starting at her ear.
Azor pulled her tighter into his body and rocked her gently. She sank into his chest, filled with pain, yet enthralled to be encased in his glorious touch. She could feel his body reverberating, one from his escalated heartbeat and the other from something he was saying. She assumed they were words of love and thankfulness they’d survived. She imagined he’d apologized, and vowed to call off the hunt now that the gate wasn’t traversable. Most important, she imagined he told her he loved her with all his heart—and would forever.
Bits of silvery material floated down from the cerulean ceiling like falling stars, as the crystal ball freed itself and glided gently down behind a group of mer houses. Half of the sunlight tunnels dimmed, leaving them in the dark. Her eyes adjusted as bubbles bounded upward from the collapsed gate and escaped through new large fissures.
They held onto one another for a second longer, then Azor pushed her away. She watched his features darken when green-cloaked Dradux guards swam up with scythes in their hands.
They were all speaking with large hand gestures, but she heard nothing. Only incessant ringing. Blood vessels popped out of Azor’s neck as he motioned to Tatiana and the damaged gate.
Then reality hit. If she hadn’t have stopped Azor, she would have lost him. The thought pulsed a shiver up her spine. From nowhere, tears poured uncontrollably from her eyes and she couldn’t stop the sobs. The men gawked.
“What?” she said, embarrassed. “Azor almost died.”
Azor shook his head, said something to the men, then tugged at her arm. The men gathered the injured and swam off in the other direction.
“Can you hear okay?” She pointed to his ears.
He nodded, but
pursed his lips and latched his arm around her torso, pulling her through the current. Why didn’t the blast affect him? Were his eardrums thicker? Mermen and mermaids were so different.
She let him lead her away into the darkest corner of Natatoria—his compound. The silvery spires came into view first. Something was different, though. The huge stone pillars, that contained the great whites between the mouth of the Pacific gate and Azor’s compound, had crumbled into piles of rock in his yard.
The sharks were free.
2
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Sea Sponges
Azor shoved Tatiana into the entry of the compound and slid the heavy stone door shut. She whirled around, stunned he’d left her side, and tugged at the iron handle in a panic, unable to lug the monstrous thing open.
“Azor!” she screamed, fearing he’d become shredded into chum if he stayed outside too long. “Get back in here!”
She scrambled over to the window and wrapped her fingers around the bars, scanning the outer corridor for him. The tail of a great white whipped in the current, disappearing in the direction of the palace. She held her breath, waiting for Azor to reappear. Sharks, mindless zombies of the water, craved mer flesh, especially their blood.
A hand gripped her shoulder from behind. Tatiana squealed and jerked away. A girl with black eyes and onyx hair held up gloved hands as if Tatiana had pulled a gun—a servant. Her lips moved and her smile faded into distress. In sadness, she studied Tatiana’s torn promising dress.
Tatiana held her ears, the pain maddening. “I can’t hear you. There was an explosion.”
A concerned frown covered the girl’s face before she slowly swam closer. Filled with uncertainty, Tatiana lowered her hand and allowed the sweet girl to shift her tresses aside and assess for damage. At the edge of her long flowing nightgown, Tatiana saw one of the flukes on the girl’s tail was missing, indicating the reason for her servitude.
Typically, only the severely maimed—or worse, the orphaned—were royal servants. Though sacrificing your life to the royal family was deemed honorable, everyone knew the real reason why they’d been volunteered to serve—no one wanted to promise their “perfect” child to the maimed for fear their genes would carry on to their offspring. And orphans, the lowliest of the mer, whose mothers weren’t discussed and fathers were unknown, had no one to petition their hand. Gloves hid the fingers of servants as a symbol of their commitment not to promise.
Everlost (Mer Tales, Book 3) Page 1