Battlefield

Chapter 4

My dreams are filled with sadness and fear. Instead of seeing Jay and his parents laughing and smiling, I see sadness and grief etched on their faces when they take in Bella and David. Bella clings to Jay's mother, her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. I see the exhaustion mixed with weariness on David's face as he talks with Jay.

I should be feeling sadness for them. Instead, all I feel is anger, deep and blistering. Tiger Shark did this. Tyler (whom I was only just starting to refer to as David's and Bella's father) was only the accomplice.

My head spun as I woke, choking on a sob. Jay slept soundly beside me, not even shifting. I kissed his cheek, barely a brush of my lips, then silently rose from the bed. I scrawled a hasty note for him and the others, then grabbed my bag, quietly swimming outside. The more word of my departure spreads, the more people will start to worry. I needed to leave swiftly and quietly. My heart was a war drum in my ears, beating in time with my breaths.

I reached Aegrem around sunset, surprised to find it still in full swing. My stomach grumbled as I stopped by a vendor, grabbing shrimp and a lobster. I gobbled the shrimp and ate half the lobster, stuffing the other half in my bag.

After getting turned around several times, I finally approached Aegrem's palace, the contemporary feel of it charming me instantly. The exterior was a pretty coral blue, the turrets boasting the royal house colors.

There were two guards posted at the front door, but their eyes quickly widened in recognition as I swam toward them. They bowed, relaxing slightly. Both mermen were tall, one black-haired and blue-eyed, the other blond-haired and brown-eyed. The blond one started to speak, but I shook my head, handing them my notepad. I'm deaf. Did anyone survive? I need information on a Tyler Solomon of Pelathas.

The first guard whispered to the one beside him. They continued the back-and-forth for a minute before the first guard swam away. The remaining guard smiled at me, his eyes kind. My name is Ethan Stanton. I was a lieutenant in the King's Guard. My companion is Jake. Ethan extended his hand.

I took his hand, his grip warm and firm. Did you know the former king and queen?

The sympathy in his eyes suggested he knew about my relationship with the prince and princess. Ethan nodded, his eyes darkening as we swam inside. I was about to follow him when he suddenly drew his sword. I was pushed behind him, struggling to see between his broad shoulders. A flash of black hair caught my eye and I froze, my mouth open in a silent scream.

Tyler Solomon was a merman in his mid-forties, his brown eyes livid. The guards lifted their swords higher, but I quickly realized it was a fruitless effort. Before I could so much as blink, he cut them down like they were stalks of seaweed. The coppery scent of blood filled the water, sending my brain into a frenzy. I choked on a sob as I saw Ethan's extended hand droop into the silt, his brown eyes frozen open.

I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe, my mind stuck on the image of Ethan and Jake, their lifeless bodies hitting the seafloor. I flinched as I felt hands on me, pulling me into the palace and shutting the door behind me. I was too tired to even attempt to resist as I was ushered into a room just off the entrance hall. Dread twisted in my gut as I fought against a swell of nausea.

A mermaid with black hair and kind blue eyes was in front of me, a concerned expression on her face. I wanted to communicate with her, but my hands were trembling so badly, I wasn't sure I would be able to write anything legible. Is... Is he gone? I wrote once my hands had ceased their trembling.

She nodded, her eyes worried. I handed the notepad to her and she scribbled her response. My name is Anna. You're Queen Nerissa, aren't you? As soon as she finished writing, she dropped into a bow.

I quickly shook my head. There's no need for that. My husband, Jay Conway, is from here. Exhaustion, heavy and cold, wrapped around me like a cloak as I finished writing. The adrenaline from the dream coupled with the fear and shock of seeing David and Bella's father was quickly taking hold. How could the citizens of Pelathas possibly support a king so cruel?

Anna gripped my arm, her gaze worried as the notepad fell from my grip. My vision blurred, her blue eyes becoming distorted as I struggled to stay awake. I finally gave in to the pressing exhaustion, my muscles relaxing as unconsciousness overtook me.

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