A Mermaid's Cry

Chapter 29-A Hunting We Shall Go

Ares

They were all lucky I did not lurch off the bed and throw them out of the room. For the scent and the feel of Corintha underneath me, dulled my rage and senses. I had explicitly told everyone to stay away from my quarters, from the room that Corintha and I shall share until she decides her own path. A choice that I could not take away, not after I silently vowed to Elder Isolde that Corintha will always have a choice. Whether I like it or not.

I must say, that only one of the fiends not smiling, was Arcus, and I can understand why. I knew he was told of what was going on between me and his cousin, but I guess he did not expect one of his oldest friends to have her pinned down beneath him. I trust that he will be demanding a very thorough explanation soon, possibly at knife point.

A pleasant thought compared to the seething glare of Corintha, staring me down across the low table while digging her nails into the embroidered cushion of my mother's favorite chair.

"How long was I asleep?" Corintha asks, direct and to the point. Almost as if the desire that had laced her voice a few moments ago, had never existed at all. Irritation leaves me silent, paving the way for Arcus to take the brunt of her new found fury.

"Three days," Arcus replies, scratching his neck with a bandaged hand. "The bastard hit you hard, and Isolde just took off your bandages this morning. In that time, Chief Ikar has brokered an agreement between the Northern tribes, in exchange for the young males and the prince. One that can not be changed cousin, and for that I'm truly sorry."

A haze falls across Corintha's eyes, silently summoning Adila and Octavia to her side.
"What about Lucas?" she asks, wrapping her arms around herself as her mouth sets into a grim line.

I turn to Zola, a silent command for him to relay what he has found. Nodding his head Zola stands up, slightly stiff from the sling encasing his left arm, and takes a map tube from his belt. Removing the map from its leather case, he places it on the low table and spreads it out for all to see.

"Our scouts tracked the ship as far as they could without being spotted. Though we did lose them past the Volcanic Isles, we believe they are headed for Port Valor. A holding of the Dakarian Empire, and the perfect place for anyone wishing to go unnoticed. Unfortunately for them, we have an advantage there that they do not. Allies, humans that owe our pod their very lives."

"So it's settled then," Octavia utters, standing up from Corintha's side and walking over to the table.

We watch her pale blue eyes gaze over the map. Picking out the detailed coastlines of islands, cliffs, and hidden bays. Until she sets her sights on Port Valor, a coastal fortified city bordered by lush jungle and a ravenous sea.

"I believe it's long overdue for the hunters," she drawls, pulling out a knife and sinking the blade into the very center of Port Valor. "To become the hunted."