A sly grin spread across Bernadine’s face.
“I’ve taught you well, Gustave. You’re clever for all that you’re quiet and too polite sometimes.”
Gustave bit his lip, resisting the urge to point out that his grandmother was the one who had insisted he mind his manners as a boy.
“Let’s make a deal then,” Dowager Queen Bernadine said. “I’ll convince the council to devote extra resources to searching for your father.”
“And in return?”
“Nothing at all. Just let me add a few friends to the guest list.”
Gustave considered this. He had no doubt that, given free rein, his grandmother would invite every eligible young lady in the kingdom to his birthday gala. That would be unbearable, but it was only one night.
And it would be useful to have additional support in the search.
Besides, Dowager Queen Bernadine would find a way to invite the girls no matter what he did. Gustave might as well get something out of the exchange.
“Deal,” Gustave signed.
He would dance with the girls. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe he would find someone he liked.
If only it was that simple. Finding love meant losing the last bit of freedom he had. It meant spending the rest of his life in budget meetings.
And it meant scaling back the search for his father while he stepped into his new responsibilities.
As usual, Dowager Queen Bernadine seemed to read his thoughts.
“I’m not giving up on your father, Gustave. There’s no need to look so resigned.”
“You never give up on anything.”
“Not when I think there’s a chance. And there is still a chance, isn’t there?”
She nodded to his ring. Gustave held the ruby to his lips and whispered, “Find King Francois.”
A red beam of light shot out from the enchanted gem and glittered against the wall. Gustave blinked at it.
“It’s changed directions.”
“What did you say? Don’t mumble, Gustave.”
He had not signed the words, and Dowager Queen Bernadine waited for him to remedy this. Instead, Gustave pulled the compass from his pocket and checked the light’s direction.
“Why the blazes are you carrying a compass around, Gustave?”
In case this happened. In case whoever was holding his father captive moved him.
“The light has moved, Grandmother. Father has moved. I need to go.”
Dowager Queen Bernadine raised an eyebrow.
“You can’t just rush off to sea, Gustave. What about your meetings this afternoon? What about preparations for the gala?”
He shook his head.
“I’m taking the Delphinette to look for Father. Consider it part of our deal. If you smooth things over with the council, I’ll give you control of the guest list. You can invite as many ladies as you want.”
He didn’t wait for his grandmother to respond. The gleam in her eyes was answer enough. Gustave stuffed the compass into his pocket and ran out the door.
9
The procession of merfolk swam out of the city and over the gardens, finally stopping at a large ravine near the Montaigne shoreline. Fiora followed her sisters as they wove through a crowd of merfolk gathered above an enormous crevice. The Kraken Heart sat on a coral pedestal at the edge of the ravine, and Queen Gallerus floated beside it.
Fiora swallowed. Her grandmother’s long white hair was still stained from the squid ink. The queen met Fiora’s gaze for a moment. Her expression remained serene, showing no signs of the displeasure and disappointment she doubtless felt.
The royal merfolk took their places floating above the Kraken Heart. Althea and Kathelin used sign language to adjust everyone’s position, moving them so the song would be balanced. Above them, the rest of the merfolk formed a large dome so they could watch the performance and join the song when it was their time.
Fiora followed Althea’s directions and took her place beside Zoe. Then she studied the sleeping kraken while Althea turned her attention to everyone else.
Fiora had seen the dark creatures from a distance when they attacked the capital, but she had never been this close to one. The kraken’s body was silvery purple and filled the entire ravine. If you counted the tentacles stretched along the ocean floor, the sea monster was longer than the width of the mermaid’s summer city.
Its enormous eyes were closed, and its beaked mouth fluttered open and shut. The sleek body expanded and contracted as the creature breathed in a rhythm that matched Kraken Heart’s pulsing light.
“A small one,” Zoe signed to Fiora.
Fiora raised an eyebrow. This was a small one?
Althea glared at them and signed, “Focus, girls.”
Fiora and Zoe nodded back to her.
“Is everyone ready?” Kathelin signed.
Fiora nodded, as did the merfolk around her. Then they all turned to Queen Gallerus. The queen swam to the center of the crowd so everyone could see her.
“This is a joyous moment for all merfolk,” the queen signed. “The Kraken Heart has returned to the sea, and we are safe from dark creatures once again. I would like to thank the merfolk who made this possible.”
She gestured to Kathelin, Althea, and Leander. They bowed, curling their tales towards their chests. Merfolk applauded in sign language, fluttering their fingers in the water.
“The Kraken Heart relies on the magic of our voices to direct it. The royal sisters will begin the song, as is our tradition, then each of you will join in turn. I thank you all for your bravery, and I dedicate this gem to what we lost in the attacks. May we sing with honesty and courage so we never suffer such a loss again.”
The crowd silently applauded the queen. She nodded to Kathelin and Althea and swam back to take her place amongst her royal guard.
Kathelin and Althea nodded to each other and tapped a beat in the air. Then they sang, their voices rising and falling in a soothing duet. The light of the Kraken Heart pulsed to match their music, growing brighter as their voices swelled with song.
Fiora pulled water through her gills and watched for the signal. It was almost time. Her chance to prove she belonged here. Until she found more information about the transformation enchantments, this was the only home she had.
And she knew her part. All she had to do was sing.
As the magic of the mermaid’s song filled the water, the oysters clinging to Fiora’s tale began to tighten and loosen in time with the music. Perhaps there was a little darkness in those blasted creatures as well.
Fiora gritted her teeth and tried to ignore the pain. She could do this.
She had to do this.
Fiora was so focused on her tail that she missed her cue. Althea scowled as she took a hurried breath and started singing a beat too late. Her voice wobbled, out of tune with the rest of the mermaids.
She listened to the music around her and quickly adjusted her pitch. Zoe caught her eye and winked. The young mermaid was confident now and singing at full volume. She seemed to be having fun.
Fiora poured magic into her voice as the quartet crescendoed. Her sound expanded as some of the human quality crept into her song. Althea frowned and motioned for her to sing more quietly. Fiora listened for a moment, then nodded. Althea was right. Her voice was sticking out.
The royal sisters, like most mermaids, had voices as clear and pure as flutes. Contrasted again them, Fiora’s was more of a bassoon. Darker and more nasal than it ought to be.
Another downside of being part human.
Fiora listened and tried to match the sisters’ tone. She pulled back, sang at half volume, and rounded her vowels to soften the nasal quality. There. Her voice blended now. She was doing it!
Queen Gallerus smiled as the quartet continued. Even Leander and the other guards looked more relaxed than normal as they stood watch beside her. The Kraken Heart’s blue light filled the ocean with a gentle heartbeat. The song was nearly finished. Kathelin and Althea wav
ed their arms to get the rest of the merfolks’ attention and establish a beat. Soon everyone would join together to sing and complete the enchantment.
The ground rumbled, and Fiora glanced down at the kraken. Was it snoring?
Althea and Kathelin shared a look, then shrugged and kept singing.
Something cast a shadow overhead. Fiora’s heartbeat quickened until she realized it was only a ship. Not a dark creature or anything dangerous.
The ship traveled in slow circles on the surface above them. Were the sailors curious about the light? Could they hear the mermaid’s song?
“Focus, Fiora,” Althea signed.
“Sorry.”
Kathelin gave the signal, and the rest of the merfolk joined the song. Fiora took a deep breath and poured magic into her voice. The other merfolk did the same, and music filled the ocean with a beautiful harmony.
Then the ground rumbled again, and the kraken’s eye opened.
A few merfolk lost focus and gasped in alarm. The rest tried to ignore the eye and stay focused on their song.
The eye opened wider. It glowed yellow, mixing with the blue light of the Kraken Heart until the water was tinted green. Fully opened, the eye was bigger than any of the mermaids. Bigger than the ship that floated above them.
“Switch songs,” Althea signed. “Sing Teuthida Somnum Statim on my signal.”
The merfolk nodded. Althea and Kathelin breathed in unison and waved their hands to conduct the song. The merfolk began a slow, gentle chorus, filling their voices with magic. Fiora followed their lead, pushing everything she had into the lullaby.
The kraken’s eyelid drooped for a moment. Then the rumbling grew louder, and both eyes shot open. An enormous tentacle lifted from the ground and swiped at the crowd.
The song dissolved into screaming as merfolk scattered to dodge the tentacle. Fiora darted backward. Zoe swam down and grabbed the Kraken Heart before the tentacle smashed into the coral pedestal.
“Keep singing!” Althea screamed above the chaos.
She and Kathelin sang a frantic duet as they swooped down to rescue Zoe.
“Teuthida somnum statim.”
A new voice rang above the crowd. Queen Gallerus. The queen had the most powerful voice of all the mermaids. Surely she could subdue the dark creature.
The kraken swayed as the queen’s magic swept over it. Then it pushed off the ocean floor and shot towards the surface.
Towards the ship.
The kraken’s sudden movement sent a shock wave through the water and scattered the merfolk. Leander and the other guards formed a ring around the queen and urged her to swim away to safety. Most of the merfolk followed suit and fled. Those with the strongest voices stayed behind. They grouped together into ensembles and abandoned the lullaby for an intricate song performed at top volume. A song of attack.
Strands of music wove together, creating a counterpoint meant to confuse and subdue the creature.
The kraken ignored them and rammed against the ship, accenting the merfolk’s song with the percussive crack of splintering wood.
10
“Did you hear that?”
Gustave leaned over the ship’s railing. The sea wind rushing past him carried a faint trace of music.
“Your Majesty will fall overboard if you lean any further.”
Captain Whist pulled Gustave back with one hand while using the other to secure his enormous hat against a sudden gust.
“But there’s something out there.”
Around him, the crew shared nervous glances, but Gustave ignored them. This was the best lead he’d had since his father disappeared. He wasn’t going to let anyone stop him from following it.
“Find King Francois,” he whispered to his ring.
The red light shot towards the horizon.
“We’re still on course,” Captain Whist said. “As we were when you checked five minutes ago.”
Another gust of wind swept over the ship. This time the song it carried was unmistakable. Captain Whist’s eyes widened.
“Who could possibly be singing out here?”
“It could be mermaids.”
“Perhaps we should go back to shore,” Captain Whist said. “The last time I heard a mermaid sing, she seized my ship with a kraken.”
“If you’re afraid, I suppose we have no choice but to turn back.”
Gustave’s words had the desired effect. Captain Whist and every sailor within earshot stood taller and glared at him.
“We’re not afraid.”
“Then we keep going?”
Captain Whist nodded to the sailors, and the Delphinette continued on its course.
The singing grew louder, filling the wind and dancing across the waves. Gustave couldn’t quite make out the words, but they reminded him of the ancient language that Kathelin and Althea had used to control the kraken and activate the Kraken Heart.
“Find King Francois.”
The red light shone behind him, stretching past the ship towards Montaigne. Gustave grabbed Captain Whist’s arm.
“Turn around! We passed him!”
“That’s not possible.”
The captain and Gustave sprinted to the stern of the ship and stared at the open sea.
“There’s nothing there,” Captain Whist said. “How could we have passed him?”
The mermaid song swelled around them, and the water glowed green. The captain swallowed nervously.
“We should leave, Your Majesty.”
“But my father is here.”
“If he is, he’s under the waves. We can’t do anything about that at the moment.”
Gustave pulled Kathelin’s seashell from his pocket, tossed it into the air, and caught it in his palm. That was how Princess Carina had activated her golden ball. Perhaps it would work with mermaid magic as well.
“Kathelin, are you there? Kathelin? Althea?”
Something rippled under the water. Gustave stuffed the shell into his pocket and leaned over the edge of the ship to get a better look. Had a mermaid finally heard him and decided to talk?
“Your Majesty, be careful!”
Captain Whist was too busy turning the ship around to pull him back, so Gustave ignored the warning. The Delphinette circled slowly as it changed course. The setting sun added red to the green glow of the ocean, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. The light under the water flickered against the waves, and a group of shadows scattered, moving away from it. Mermaids? Or simply a school of fish?
Gustave leaned further still. The answers were under the sea. His father was there.
One of the shadows broke away from the rest and moved rapidly towards the surface. It grew larger and larger. Closer and closer.
“Kathelin, it’s me! King Gustave!”
Something large and silver shot out of the water. A tentacle. It smashed against the Delphinette, and Gustave tumbled overboard.
He heard Captain Whist cry out in alarm, then Gustave plunged into the water and heard only chaos. Screams mixed with a choir singing at full volume. The music faded when his head broke through the surface. He gasped for air.
“Your Majesty!”
Captain Whist’s voice was faint. Gustave kicked and turned until he found the ship. Somehow, the Delphinette had floated away from him. Its sails were limp, but it was quickly fading into the horizon.
“Wait! I’m here!”
Gustave waved his arms, but the ship was already too far away for him to see the people on the deck. That meant they couldn’t see him.
A wave knocked him under the water, and he heard the singing again. It was stronger now. An unworldly harmony laced with magic and desperation.
The sea churned as another kraken tentacle broke through the waves. It crashed into Gustave and knocked his breath away.
He gasped for air and got salt water instead. The cut on his head stung as the wound reopened. As he sputtered, a solo voice emerged from the choir. It was more piercing than the others. More powerful somehow.
>
If his men couldn’t save him, maybe a mermaid could.
The next time a wave pushed him under, Gustave screamed for help as loud as he could. The sound dissolved into the water, lost in the mermaid’s song.
He tried to swim back to the surface, but where was it? Panic built in his chest as it occurred to him that he might not make it out of this alive.
No, he couldn’t die here. He wouldn’t.
Gustave forced his eyes open and swam as hard as he could towards the brilliant red light of the sunset. He broke the surface of the water and gasped for air. It came mixed with salt spray, and he sputtered.
Something shot past him. Another tentacle?
Gustave kicked to avoid it, and his foot connected to something solid. Pain shot up his leg. It was like kicking a rock.
The rock turned and crashed on top of Gustave. The mermaid song grew louder as he sank deep into the water. Then something crashed into his head, and everything went silent.
11
Kathelin swam closer to the surface and pushed the ship to safety with a magical current. Zoe and Althea held the Kraken Heart and desperately sang a lullaby. The rest of the merfolk continued their song of attack.
Queen Gallerus and her guards floated a distance away, out of tentacle reach but still close enough to contribute to the song.
None of it did any good.
The queen sang a high sustained note. The oysters clipped to Fiora’s tail shuddered and let go.
Fiora revised her thought. The magic had done some good, but it hadn’t stopped the kraken.
She shook out her tail and gritted her teeth. Surely she could do something to help. She didn’t know the song of attack, but at this point the music was chaos anyway.
Fiora pulled water through her gills and sang a single note as loudly as she could. She didn’t worry about blending in or not sounding human. She simply poured everything she could into a pitch that was more of a scream than a song.
When she had released her frustration, she transitioned the note into a more aggressive form of the lullaby, commanding the kraken to go to sleep rather than coaxing it.
Princess of Mermaids Page 6