But he could also make a choice.
When he’d become a Navy SEAL, he’d sworn to never quit, to never drop out of a fight. This fight was no different—the one defending what he knew was right. He knew in his gut that mermaids had meaningful lives, families, and emotions not unlike his own. It wasn’t their fault they were forced to serve this merman king. They were victims. They were innocent civilians worth fighting for.
Being a soldier was supposed to mean fighting for the value of life. Maybe that oath was not intended to include mermaids—but the technicality didn’t matter to Reeves. He wanted to be the kind of man who valued and fought for all life equally. He had a choice to make, and looking out over the water, the scent of ocean air carrying on the breeze, he realised he had already made it.
CHAPTER TWENTY - Meela
The Effects of Iron
My first instinct upon opening my eyes was to gasp for air—but I couldn’t. I was underwater. The next thing I realised was that I could not move my arms. I pulled and heard the creak of a rope.
The world was dim. I looked around to find the glimmering surface a long ways up.
I was tied to a boulder, lying face down on its rough surface as though waiting for a guillotine to drop. And I was not alone.
A merman floated beside me, staring through blood-red eyes.
Thetis,I thought, recalling his name.
How long had I been out? Had he been staring at me like this for hours? I averted my gaze.
A familiar black longblade rested against another rock. Behind it lay my crossbow and quiver, bolts scattered in the sand.
The events leading up to this situation came rushing back.Lysi.
“Oh, no, no, no …”
My heart seemed to collapse on itself, the agony too much to bear. I pulled hard against the rope.
Thetis moved his lips. Was he talking to me? I heard the sound, but the words and meaning were hollow, not reaching my brain.
Another merman appeared beside him.Nestor.
How were the two of them here, free and unharmed? What was going on?
But I knew. My chest constricted, and I wheezed as though punched in the ribs.
The enormous, all-consuming presence of the serpent lingered, wrapping around me like a cloak.
Adaro was close.
He should have been dead. Instead, he’d killed her. He’d killed both of them. What he was about to do to me, I didn’t want to think. How had this gone so wrong? I’d been so sure of my plan.
A voice in my head roared, scolding me for thinking I could do this.What plan?
I hadn’t listened to her. My whole life, she had been my guardian. My love for Lysi had brought my ship home from the Massacre. It had saved my life when she’d turned me into a mermaid. Love had always led me in the right direction—so why had I let myself become this monster? I’d done exactly what she had been warning against: I’d acted reckless, too blinded by vengeance to consider a better way.
Nestor trembled, his eyes darting nervously.
“He says to leave her here. He’ll be by soon.”
“What’s keeping him?” said Thetis.
“The humans are flying overhead. They must have seen the serpent when he put it ashore. It’s back under now, but they keep circling.”
I strained against the rope, trying to either break it or wriggle free. They’d bound me so tightly, I couldn’t feel my hands.
“So he’s waiting them out?” said Thetis.
