Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.
I raise an eyebrow, not buying her cryptic bullshit for a second, and done with her shit. "Calypso herself sent us to retrieve this key. You know, the goddess of the sea? And call me crazy, but I'm more inclined to trust her judgment than someone who keeps a giant, man-eating sea monster as a pet." I hold up my wrist showing her the bracelet."Not to mention, I am under a Coral Pact—thingy."
Mirella gasps behind me, and Cordelia's features shift from calm and collected to royally pissed in the blink of an eye. She stands up, her shimmering gown flowing around her like a waterfall of rage. "Calypso, you say?" She starts pacing, her voice rising with each step. "Let's get one thing straight. Calypso isnotthe sea goddess of this realm; I AM!" She practically roars the last word, her eyes blazing with a crazy kind of anger.
Water erupts outside, and the sea suddenly becomes furious, mirroring her outburst. It's like her emotions are directly tied to the ocean itself.
Holy shit—looks like I hit a nerve.
I glance over at Rhyland, who looks as shocked as I feel. "Well, that escalated quickly," I mutter under my breath.
"You entered into a Coral Pact with her!?" Cordelia seethes, her eyes flashing with anger and disbelief. "You foolish, reckless child!"
I bristle at her condescending tone, my temper flaring. "Look, lady, I didn't have many options, okay? In case you haven't noticed, Calypso's not exactly the type of mermaid you say no to."
Cordelia sighs, shaking her head in a way that makes me feel like a toddler who just finger-painted on her favorite dress. "You have no idea what you've done, do you? The repercussions of your actions, the gravity of the situation you've placed yourself in?"
She's right. I don't have a fucking clue. I'm flying by the seat of my ass here, relying on instinct and a healthy dose of snark to get me through, but admitting that to Her Royal Mermaidness? Not a chance.
"Enlighten me, then," I shoot back, crossing my arms over my chest. "Since you seem to haveallthe answers, why don't you fill me in on exactly what I've gotten myself into?"
Cordelia's gaze hardens, her lips pressing into a thin line. "A Coral Pact is not something to be entered into lightly, you insolentgirl. It is a binding agreement that cannot be broken without severe consequences. By agreeing to Calypso's terms,you've placed yourself under her control, her power and influence. She will use you as she sees fit, and there is little you can do to stop her."
A shiver runs through me like someone just walked over my watery grave. Cordelia's words echo in my mind, and I can't help but think back to my little heart-to-heart with Calypso.
The Sea Witch had clarified that breaking our pact was a big no-no. She'd sworn up and down that she wouldn't go back on her word, but let's be honest—when it comes to ancient, powerful Sea Witches, pinky promises don't hold much weight.
I try to shake off the feeling of impending doom, but it clings to me like a barnacle on a ship's hull. Calypso may have promised not to break our agreement, but that doesn't mean she won't find a way to twist it to her advantage.
I sneak a quick peek at Mirella, who's been doing her best impression of a mute statue this whole time. Her face is about as expressive as a poker player's, but something in her eyes sets off my internal alarm bells.
I force myself to keep my expression neutral, not wanting to give Cordelia the satisfaction of seeing me squirm. "Okay, so I made a deal with the devil. It wouldn't be the first time. But if it means saving the people I care about, I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Cordelia's eyes flash with something I can't quite read. Anger? Frustration? Maybe even a hint of grudging respect?
"You are either incredibly brave or incredibly foolish," her voice softening. "But I fear that your actions may have consequences far beyond just you and those you seek to protect."
"Watch your goddamn mouth when you speak to my mate." Rhyland growls, a severe warning to the Mer Queen.
I swallow hard, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my gut. I know I've stepped in it this time, but what other choice did I have?
"So, what do we do now?" I ask, my voice sounding a lot more confident than I feel. "How do we fix this mess?"
Cordelia sighs again, and for a moment, I see a flicker of something that looks almost like pity in her eyes.
"I need that key. Calypso cannot get her hands on it by any means necessary. One thing is certain—we must act quickly before Calypso's plans come to fruition. And we must be prepared for the storm that will follow."
Do I hand it over like it's a spare house key and not some mystical artifact that could potentially unleash who-knows-what kind of aquatic apocalypse? I mean, sure, Cordelia's got that whole regal "I'm the queen, do as I say" vibe going on, but her idea of security involves a man-eating sea beast with anger management issues. Not exactly inspiring confidence here.
On the other hand, maybe she's got a point. What if this Siren's Lyre is the underwater equivalent of a nuclear warhead, and Calypso's just itching to push the big red "destroy everything" button?
It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place, except the rock is a potentially world-ending magical artifact, and the hard place is a mermaid queen who thinks "extreme petting zoo" is a valid security measure.
How the hell am I supposed to make this call? My "save the world" resume is pretty thin, and I'm pretty sure "gave the magical key to sketchy sea queen" isn't going to look great on it either way.
Maybe she'll trade me for the stone? All I have to do is recite my role in this prophecy for the umpteenth time and pray to every deity in the sea that she buys it.
I feel like a broken record at this point, constantly hitting replay on the "I'm the Chosen One" mixtape. If I had a dollar for every time I've explained this cosmic destiny BS, I'd be swimming in cash instead of potentially trading this world ending key for a magical rock.
