The Coral Crown

Chapter seventeen

I woke up the next morning to find the girls in a panic.

"Hold on, Marissa, what's going on?" I asked her

"It's Andrew. He's gone," she said with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay," I said to her. " we'll find him."

With that, we left the cave and started swimming around his favorite places. He wasn't at our little makeshift park or the clam cave. We searched for hours and we were about to give up when we heard a moan from a cave close by. Marissa screamed and was about to dive in when I pulled her back. She saw the look on my face and stopped where she was. I cautiously poked my head into the cave and saw Andrew. I reached in and pulled him gently into my arms, trying not to hurt him more than he already was.

We took him back to the cave and just waited for him to wake up.

When he woke, he just looked around. I wasn't sure how much he remembered. After he had rested and eaten dinner, I sat him up and started with my questions.

" Andrew? Do you remember who did this to you?"

He nodded and then grimaced from the pain.

"Who." I said with my fists clenched at my sides. Andrew was important to me and my family. And whoever did this to him was gonna pay.

" ma- mar- Maria." He managed to stutter out.

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths through my gills.

"Why" I gritted out through clenched teeth.

"I-I saw her k-kil your f-father," he said. The pain must've been too much for him because, with those words, he passed put yet again.

I swam over to the alcove in the cave and sat staring at the wall. Maria was the one who had killed him, but more importantly, Ethan hadn't. Ethan knew he hadn't done it, and he still let me accuse him of murder. I had to apologize, but first, I had to find Maria. I yelled Alexis's name and she was there ( I still couldn't figure out how she did that.) she saw Andrew and swam to him immediately. I gently woke him up, and he told us the whole story.

At the end, Alexis just looked shocked. I was shocked too, but I was closer to tears then anger. I couldn't believe that I had done that to Ethan, and I knew Maria was vindictive but not this bad. I asked marissa and Haley to stay here while I went with Alexis to find Maria. Marissa was old enough to look after her sister and Andrew. She was growing up, and I knew she could handle it.

We went to Alexis's home and found Maria lounging with all the other mermaids. Some of them were up at the surface splashing water at each other, and others were taking naps or talking. Maria was talking to Leanna, her pinkish tail glinting in the sun as she casually flicked it back and forth. I swam up to Leanna and asked her to follow me. We went and woke up Morgan and had her follow us to the surface, leaving Alexis with Maria.

When we got to the surface, Andrea and Kayla were in the middle of a hard-core splash fight. I interrupted and told them the whole story. When I was finished, they all stared at me the way Alexis had stared at Andrew.

"If you don't believe me you can ask Andrew, he's at our cave." I said with tears in my voice.

"We believe you," Andrea said, speaking for everyone.

I looked around and they all nodded in agreement. I smiled and swam down to Alexis and Maria.

"Maria, I'm an orphan, and I finally found my parents. I didn't know my dad for a week, and then he was gone. You did that. You took him from me, and when I'm queen, which I will be, you will not be welcome here." I said with no emotion in my voice whatsoever.

"It wouldn't have worked if your precious fiancé wasn't willing to let me get close enough to get his ring." She scoffed.

With that, I slapped her across the face and she dropped to the ground. She stared up at me and tried to scream, but nothing came out.

"What the--" I started to ask, but Alexis cut me off.

"You, as rightful queen, have the power to do anything you want. Looks like you wanted her voice to be gone, so it is," she said with a satisfied tone.

Maria got up and tried to talk, but nothing came out. I smiled and swam over to Kayla.

"Do you know where Ethan is?" I asked with urgency in my voice.

She closed her eyes and frowned in concentration.

"He's at some beach, it's hidden behind some old rocks. I didn't even know that was there." She said.

By that time I was smiling, and I knew exactly where he was. He was at our beach. I swam up to the surface to look around, and I dove back under and headed towards the beach.