Ventait had switched his hate-filled gaze from Syleen to Zef, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides. His tail continued to flick, as if at any instant he might propel himself through the water and drive his fists through Zef’s sickly form.“You are the one who traded our people to the monsters.”
Zef tilted his head to the side, considering the allegation. The sunshine filtering down from the surface highlighted the scars across his face and torso.“In truth, I was but one of many. All tribes made the decision.”He shrugged as he reconsidered, the distinction inconsequential.“All but two. I was merely the one who discovered the possibility.”
Though, by their actions, the tribe had already believed Zef’s guilt, their tension was palpable at his confession.
“To my knowledge, I am the only one still alive from that period of our history. The rest fell in the wars that occurred after.”Zef’s gaze left Ventait and traveled over the large group of rescued mers that tightened around us.“Are there any remaining?”
“No.”
At Ventait’s words, Zef looked back at him.
“They were used up long before I was taken to them, but they passed down stories. Stories of you. Of the monster who traded them for vampire blood.”
I’d expected the Chromis to recoil at this, but they showed nothing greater than disgust at Ventait’s words. Of course, Syleen and Lelas would have already shared the Scarus queen’s claim.
Zef’s words took on a different tone. Still not unkind, but filled with a pride I’d never heard in him before.“It was not my will, young Ventait.”His gaze flicked to Syleen but quickly returned to the merman.“Do you believe I had the power to overtake a vampire? Do you believe that could come from me?”
Ventait didn’t answer, but confusion cut through some of the fury as he tried to make sense of Zef’s questions.
Not needing a reply, Zef continued, his tone growing more prideful and tinted with something akin to reverence.“I was attacked by a vampire over three millennia ago, nearly killed. I fought him off. With my teeth.”Zef looked around, including all in his story.“Me. A merman, fighting off a vampirewith my teeth. That is the power of Moheetla, not a mere merman.”
It was Syleen who surged forward, not Ventait, and stopped inches from the captive’s face.“You go too far, Zef. This is nothing but blasphemy.”
He sneered dismissively at her.“You are but a newborn, Syleen. You have not seen the power of Moheetla. Only heard tales of olden days. Here is one you have not heard.”All his attention was focused on Syleen, each word told like a schoolteacher enlightening a student who’d grown too full of himself.“It was nearly twenty years before I understood why all others were aging and I was not. Only then did I seek out a vampire and offer the exchange. It was a meager handful of mers in comparison to the vastness of our numbers back then. A handful for the immortality of all, Syleen.”
For the first time since I’d seen her, the queen was struck dumb. Only disgusted horror etched across her face.
“That is Moheetla. His hand was in every aspect in his provisions for his children. In giving them life.”Zef tried to gesture down at his body, but Rulus held his chain too tightly.“I would not be capable of defeating a vampire, much less of seeking another one out so easily. It was the plan and will of Moheetla. His desire. His gift. It was his power and his will.”
Syleen continued to stare at him. For once, she was unable to keep her emotions hidden.“We will see the will of Moheetla.”
“I amnot returning with the Chromis after Zef’s death.”Ventait floated the thirty or forty feet above the ocean floor beside me, his billowing red hair like fire in the sun’s rays.
I had to force myself to look at Ventait. I’d already said good-bye to too many I loved. Somehow, though, it only seemed right as we watched the scene playing out below us. “I had a feeling you were going to say that.”
“I have to figure things out. It is too much. Too much has changed. Maybe my father is still out there somewhere, searching for me.”
I wanted to tell him that the likelihood of that was nearly impossible. However, the same had been said about findinghim, and here he was.“Will you at least return to the tribe and tell Lelas?”
“I already did before we set out on this charade. She understands.”
Of course she did. She’d chosen not to come, saying she’d seen too much death. Only the twins and Greylin had come with Therin, Syleen, Ventait, and myself. Flain and Rulus each held one of Zef’s chains the entire journey. The sisters never even let go of them in their sleep.
I’d expected it to take weeks, like when we’d left on the Great Spirit hunt. It only took two days to find Moheetla’s servants of judgment.
Zef hadn’t fought the sentencing. Nor had he struggled or attempted to get away. Even when Syleen sliced his arms and swam up to join us to observe his fate, he didn’t flinch. Maybe he was that stoic, or possibly after three thousand years of life, he was ready to be done. I was willing to bet, however, that he was delusional enough to believe he was on the right side of things and Moheetla would save him, thus giving sanction to his actions all those years ago.
“Thank you for finding us, for doing what I could not do for my people.”
My heart broke at Ventait’s words, how he continued to berate himself for not being able to save the mers.
I didn’t answer. I couldn’t.
I followed the merman’s gaze down through the fathoms of water.
Zef’s blood rose toward us like smoke.
We watched, suspended above him for so long, I began to fear Moheetla really was going to grant a pardon.
