“Dead. He’s dead. The king is dead!”
“How?” whispered Dione.
“King tide,” I said. “We followed him. Meela killed him. We need to meet her—”
“She did? Where is she?” said Dione, peering through the guards.
“And where is the serpent?” said the white-blonde mermaid from Kori Maru.
“Traitors, turn away from this place or we will be forced to fight,” shouted Guenevere.
The guards raised their weapons higher. The merman gripping my hair let go so he could face his opponents.
“Look at the numbers before you,” said Dione. “We are peacefully asking you to surrender and join us, along with the prisoners you keep.”
At the mention of the prisoners, Guenevere’s eyes reddened.
We hung suspended, two armies facing each other—Dione’s several times larger, Guenevere’s better armed.
Those behind Dione examined the mountainside the guards protected, possibly seeking out an entrance.
Though they were my allies, I wished I could have done this alone. I worried what plans Dione had for Queen Evagore.
“Dione,” I said, hesitating. She needed to know how vital it was to get the queen to Eriana Kwai—but I was still reluctant to mention Evagore outright in case the guards did something drastic.
A guard behind Guenevere spoke. “Are all of you a part of this movement?”
I followed his eyes across the Utopian army. The leaders floating on either side of Dione had been chosen wisely. I’d been worried Utopians wouldn’t follow Dione if she went storming into Utopia with a group of South Pacifics. But she’d selected a balance of north and south, mermaids and mermen, young and old, to join her. The message was clear: this was a revolution for everyone.
“We are,” said Dione.
Guenevere hissed. “Don’t believe them. He’s not dead.”
“Even if he’s not—” said the merman.
“You swore to protect this kingdom! After everything His Majesty has done for you—”
“Done for me?” He shook his head. “So he didn’t take away my wife, my children. What about everyone else? My neighbour’s family disappeared. All of them.”
Guenevere leaned back, regarding him like he was a tumour.
“I’ve known it for ages,” he said. “That is not the kind of kingdom I want to live in.”
Motivated by his own words, he dropped his longblade. We all watched it sink. It hit the rocks soundlessly.
“If you join them, you fight against all of us,” said Guenevere.
“If the king’s still alive, I’ll face the consequences. But this—” The merman pointed to the Utopian army. “—is proof enough for me that I’ve been fighting on the wrong side.”
He swam to them. My heart lifted.
There was a heavy silence. I turned my gaze subtly to the dropped longblade. Something beside it caught my attention. A gap in the rocks. It was wide enough for a merman to squeeze through. The way the water rushed in and out told me it stretched a long ways. It was a tunnel.
Dione spoke in clear, ringing tones. “If anyone else wishes to help us bring a new kingdom to the Pacific—”
“Remember your oath,” shouted Guenevere. “Traitors, turn around if you do not wish to fight.”
I glanced again at the longblade, dreading what might come. How quickly could I grab it if a fight broke out?
