My laughter stopped. It was not a branch of coral. Nor did the cave end anywhere near where the pearl had stoppedrolling.
Huge blood orange tentacles. Thousands of giant suckers, each pulsing on their own like a trove of beating hearts. One bulbous head hiding a razor sharp beak and two slit-like eyes. They were closed eyes, thankfully, but whatever the beast was, it was clearly still alive.
“That’s the real dangerous part.” Adriana gulped before the pearl she’d thrown flickered out and plunged the cave back into darkness.
CHAPTER 29
“The cure is being guarded bythatthing?” I panted once we’d all sprinted back to the coral forest. We could still see the cave, but we weren’t as dangerously close as we were before. Though we would’ve run farther had Adriana not insisted on staying to fight the beast.
“Well currently it’s asleep so it’s not reallyguardinganything,” Adriana pointed out.
A low growl rumbled through the coral forest, shaking the eels from the trees.
“I think it’s woken up,” Raena squeaked as the colour drained from her cheeks.
My limbs turned to jelly. “Are you certain this is theonly place we can find the cure?”
Adriana grimaced. “Afraid so.”
“Why didn’t you mention the beast until now?” Arenn’s features had darkened with fury, but there was fear there too. Just like the rest of us.
“As if you would’ve still come.” She threw her hands down, exasperated.
“But why would you care?” I narrowed my eyes. “You said it yourself, you don’t care for the Ryntook royal family.”
Adriana laughed nervously as she rubbed the back of her neck. “I may have my own reasons for finding this cure.”
“What reasons?” My jaw tensed.
She shot a glance towards her shark who had drawn back further into the corals. “It was Sweetie he…” She shook her head, swallowing the words. “But he didn’t mean to! He was provoked. I’m sure of it.”
“What did he do?” I pressed.
The mermaid shrunk back like a sea creature retreating to its shell. “He… umm… ate someone.”
“Hewhat?” both Raena and Arenn blurted in unison.
“Or at least he tried too, but he didn’t mean it!” She ran a hand through her ruby hair. “It was the first time I brought him to the palace. I’d been training him for months and I thought he’d finally be fine around merfolk, but then one of mother’s husbands spotted him and the silly man justoverreacted.” Sighing, she threw her hands up. “If he hadn’t gotten so scared when Sweetie came over to sniff him, Sweetie would’ve never panicked and opened his mouth so wide. I don’t even think he meant to bite him. The foolish human probably just impaled himself on my shark’s teeth beforemy innocent Sweetie even realised what was going on. It all happened so quickly.”
Raena and I shared an unconvinced look as the mermaid let out a sob.
“Right…” Arenn said, eyes narrowed. “But what’s this got to do with that beast in the cave?”
“Oh, yes.” Adriana composed herself, smoothing the scales of her tail. “Well, fortunately Sweetie didn’t actually kill the foolish man, only scratched him up a little. The palace healers have managed to keep him stable, but he’s been bedbound ever since.”
My brows lowered. It would take an awful lot of scratches to confine a patient to their bed, but I let her continue.
“And I just know that if I return to the palace with the magic algae from that cave and use it to heal my mother’s injured husband, all will be forgiven, and she may even welcome me permanently back into the family!” Adriana’s face lit up, her gaze bouncing around the three of us.
“So this is why you were banished from your mother’s court?” I tilted my head as she nodded.
“Unfortunately yes.” She tucked a floating curl behind her ear. “Bringing Lukas to her birthday party won me back some favour, but it’s clear I’m still not welcome there.” Determination flashed in her eyes when she turned back towards the cave. “So that’s why we need to get that cure.” She nodded. “For Prince Raphael and for Petrov – my mother’s most muscular sailor.”
Arenn huffed out a frustrated laugh. But before he could demand we return home, I pushed past him andmarched towards the mermaid.
“Let’s do this.” I held out my hand. I didn’t care for her ‘story’, but bringing up the prince reminded me of the real reason we were here – the reason we couldn’t leave without that cure.
Hesitantly, Adriana took my hand before giving it a firm squeeze. “You’re actually going to try?”
