the Little Mermaid (2023) [H.S. x J.C.]

Chapter eighteen

The sun hangs low in the sky, nearly touching the sea at the horizon. Zayn sits beside Harry on the rock. Louis watches sadly from the water below.

"This all has to be some sort of misunderstanding," Zayn says. "I watched both of you. You're meant to be together." He has never seen Harry connect so easily with another merperson or sea creature the way he has with Prince John over the last few days, and that was without being able to use words! Zayn knows it wasn't that long ago that he was singing about life under the sea, trying to convince Harry that there was nothing good for him up in the human world. He will admit that he was wrong. He has truly found something special. He can't allow him to let it go now.

But Harry just shakes his head. I can't do it, his eyes seem to scream. That boy has always been too stubborn for his own good, Zayn thinks.

Before Zayn can say anything else, Sabrina swoops down beside them. He nearly falls over in exhaustion.

"There you are," she says, half wheezing. "I been lookin'—and I thought I found you, 'cause I heard . . . but then I saw it wasn't you, it was him–but it wasn't . . . in the mirror. Except he had—he had your voice—"

"What are you talking about?" Zayn yells. Why can't this bird ever just say what she means?

Sabrina gets right up in his face. "Don't you get what I'm telling you?"

"No!"

"The prince has been tricked! That man who showed up is actually the sea witch in disguise!"

Harry looks up, his lips parted in shock. His expression mirrors Zayn's feelings exactly.

"Are you sure about this?" he asks. He almost doesn't want it to be true, but at least this means Prince John didn't fall in love with someone else.

Sabrina squawks in mild offense at any potential doubt. "Of course I'm sure. Have I ever been wrong?" She cocks her head and frowns. "I mean, like, you know, when it counts?"

"Well, what are we gonna do?" Louis asks, swimming nervously among them.

"Well, we have to do something before Prince John ends up with that—that slimy squid!" Zayn says.

At this, Harry dives into the ocean and swims toward the castle. Finally! Zayn knew there was some fight left in that boy.

"Yes, boy—go! Louis, go tell the sea king what's happened. He has to know everything." Michael will probably be mad that Zayn has hidden this from him for so long, but this is no time to worry about that.

If anyone is powerful enough to stop Taylor, it's definitely the sea king. Zayn has a feeling they will need all the help they can get.

Louis accepts his mission with a nod. "Okay," he says before he disappeared into the water.

"W-what do I do?" Sabrina stammers.

"You give me a lift to the castle. We got to find a way to stall that engagement," Zayn says. Sabrina gives a determined nod, and Zayn keeps himself from balking when she grabs him in her beak. They don't have a single moment to waste. Sabrina carries him off. They've got a wedding to stop.
—————
The engagement party is well underway. Beautiful harp music floats through the air as people mingle. Luke stands with Ashley, and they watch from a distance as Nick talks with various members of the court.

"'Heroism' is too strong a word for it," they overhear him saying. "But I suppose I did save John. After all, it's what anyone would do."

Ashley leans to whisper in Luke's ear. "Hard to believe he'd fall for that." Nick looks beautiful, of course, but his personality, on the other hand. Well, Ashley is sure she's never met anyone else capable of uttering so many bragging statements in a single breath.