“We can find it.” My breath came out in short pants as I pushed through the swaying plants. “Where are you?” I hissed, scrambling along the floor.
I winced as my hand brushed against something orange and squishy. Stumbling back, I braced myself to be attacked by another tentacle. But when the violent swing never came, I crawled forward – only to stumble back again at the sight ahead of me.
A few feet away, hidden by a dense patch of seagrass was some kind of odd, writhing creature. Crawling closer, I peeked through the grass to see a much smaller, orange bulbous head – similar to the other beast – along with eight identical tentacles, although these were also much smaller. The entire thing couldn’t have been larger than Sweetie, and yet, while my first instinct was to run, I found myself rooted to the sandy floor.
“Are you its baby?” My words tumbled out while I watched it curiously.
The little beast flinched. Its head spun to face me. But when our eyes met, the fear in its gaze seemed to soften. Cautiously, it raised a tentacle to stroke my face. When it touched my skin, I shuddered, and the beast tilted its head as if curious. But any curiosity vanished as its narrow eyes scrunched shut and the beast writhed again, sending a low growl rumbling through the grass.
“What is it?” I muttered, brushing its orange skin. Wasit in pain? Confused? Scared?
Before I could reach its suckers, the beast’s arm wrapped around my wrist and its eyes wrenched open.Help me, it seemed to say. And for some odd reason, I had the overwhelming urge to do so.
“Naria, what are you doing?” Adriana screeched, dodging a swinging tentacle.
“I found something!” I yelled back.
“The cure?”
“No, it’s…” Letting the beast clasp my wrist, I scanned the rest of its body before shouting over my shoulder, “Do you know if this cave has always been guarded by a monster?”
“What? Why would that matter?” Adriana panted. “No? I don’t think so.” She yelped as a tentacle narrowly avoided crushing her tail. “Before it was just a place merfolk visited to heal their sick, until thisthingarrived.”
“Heal their sick…” I repeated, my eyes widening. I glanced from the baby to the roaring parent, then back to the baby again.
Perhaps these creatures were not so beast-like after all.
“Adriana!” I pulled myself closer to the child, checking his tentacles for some kind of wound or bleeding. Anything. “Forget about the cure. Help Arenn distract the monster.”
“What? Why?”
“Just trust me!” The look I shot her must’ve been convincing enough as she darted up to Arenn and began swimming in rapid circles above the beast.
“Up here, you big brute!” she taunted, while Arenn joined in with jibes of his own. In return, the beast let out a guttural snarl and hurled all eight of its tentacles in theirdirection.
A relieved sigh whooshed out of me. Either it hadn’t noticed me yet or this wasn’t even its baby.Ancients, I really hoped this was its baby.
“Where are you hurt, little one?” I spoke in a soothing voice. “Show me.”
The small beast winced, but after a few hesitant glances, it flopped over to reveal a swollen tentacle with an awful-looking jagged wound. But there was something else, too. Something that made my heart soar.
Thousands of tiny green creatures had gathered around the wound. Over and over, they threw themselves at the gash, letting the split skin twist and stitch itself together only for the wound to reopen seconds later. And immediately I could see why. There was a huge metal spear tip embedded deep into the child’s skin.
“That has to come out,” I said, reaching for it.
With a hiss, the child jerked backwards.
“Please.” I tried again, my voice desperate. “It’s the only way I can help you.”
The little beast whined, but eventually edged the swollen tentacle closer to my fingers.
“That’s it,” I said gently. “I’ll try to make this as quick as I can…” Gripping the rusty spear tip, I tugged like my life depended on it while my patient let out a piercing shriek. “Just a little more!” I growled, heaving with all my strength.
The spear tip shifted a little, but then my fingers slipped, and I tumbled backwards. With the tip still lodged in his arm, the child screamed, writhing and screeching in pain.
“No, no, no, hush!” I panicked, scrambling back over tothe baby in a desperate attempt to calm him before—
Too late. Another growl echoed through the cave loud enough to make me slam my hands over my ears. In the corner of my vision, I caught two giant slit-like eyes glaring at me.
