Even though Tova was still healing, she was helping Soren with one of the groupers. In her fully-healed state, Asta knew the sea dragon could easily take down one of these fish despite their size, but with one leg being weak, it slowed her.
Kaid continued to swing his chain toward the grouper specifically coming for the pair of them, wrenching scales from the fish’s body with the iron links. The creature retreated, but Asta had grown accustomed to its attack pattern by now. Each time it pulled back, it returned by rapidly charging them.
Her hands shook, but it wasn’t from nerves. She was starving. There was no time to think about that, however, because she was the only thing standing between herself and Kaid, and death. The male could only do so much with a chain.
The grouper rushed her, its mouth opened wide to strike. The only advantage these creatures had on their crew was the sheer size of them.
Asta held her sword up in front of her, letting the fish come dangerously close.
“Asta! Move!” Kaid roared.
At the last second to spare, Asta dug her sword high into the roof of the grouper’s mouth and rolled out of its path. The fish tried to snap its jaw down, but the sword was now lodged into both the roof of its mouth and underneath its tongue.
The fish tried forcing its jaw closed, shaking its head and slamming itself to the sea floor.
Something took over Asta when she saw the beast weak and vulnerable. Her siren nature, her half-finfolk heritage tugging at her.
It is a weakling. Eliminate. Eliminate!
Asta dove forward, sinking her teeth into the side of the grouper. Her siren fangs bore deep into its flesh, striking veins and filling her mouth with warm blood. This was not like the selkie blood she had ingested upon turning. It was gritty and earthy, but not unpleasant. Not like the black color would lead you to believe.
Her entire body relaxed as she drained more and more blood, pulling deeply and feeling the warmth of it slide down her throat like aged wine. Hands gripped her shoulder, squeezing lightly, but not pulling her away. They were comforting.
Asta drained every last drop from the grouper and pulled her face away. Its mottled body was limp and drifted away.
She turned to see who was holding her, but she already knew. Kaid pulled her into a tight hug, stroking a gentle hand down her hair.
Asta was not hungry anymore.
Chapter 34
Kaid grew anxious as they approached Naltania. He had been in the Ventarin Sea for over a week now and had not once seen the kingdom that was his. Nor had he met his own mother.
The crew moved quickly after the morphling grouper attack. The final fish had retreated completely once Asta drained its companion, likely frightened to meet the same end.
After an onslaught of questions from Asta, Soren and Revna managed to explain that morphling groupers were actually finfolk. Finfolk all had the option to complete a transformation referred to as the Morph, changing them into beastly, gargantuan groupers. Historically, this form was utilized inbattle, seeing as the groupers were incredibly difficult to take down. However, once the Morph was initiated, the finfolk only had three days to live. Again, well utilized in battle as most of those warriors did not expect to make it home anyway. It was a last-ditch effort to fight for their cause.
If the finfolk were dispatching morphlings, they were getting desperate.
Soren did mention that he had never seen anyone drain a morphling grouper in order to defeat them, and he suspected that the one that got away returned to the finfolk kingdom with what little time it had left to report the new weakness that had been discovered. Asta very well could have changed the war in her hunger frenzy, and Kaid was so incredibly mesmerized by her.
He didn’t know how to talk to her after the way they had parted on the beach. It did not help that they hadn’t had a moment alone since his rescue and he suspected they would not once they arrived in Naltania, either. First things first, he needed to meet his mother—the Empress. That wasn’t intimidating at all.
“Just over this embankment,” Soren shouted over his shoulder.
Kaid didn’t know what to do with his hands. He tightened his fists, then released them. A calloused hand slipped into his and squeezed. Asta gave him a soft smile, her bioluminescent eyes practically glowing in the morning light underwater.
The kelpies rushed over the hill, followed by Annika and Tova. Soren and Revna went up and over together, the tops of their heads disappearing as they went down the slope on the other side.
Kaid saw a tall tower first, pointed and bright. The tower drifted down to shorter belfries, then a full opalescent castlesurrounded by a thick coral reef illuminated with every color of the rainbow. It took his breath away.
Asta grinned at Kaid and signed to him. “Welcome home, Lost Prince.”
Kaid was quickly whisked through the castle upon entry, more sirens bowing and sea creatures darting out of his path than he could imagine. Kaid and Asta came to a large set of etched pearl double doors, which were pulled open by two siren guards on either side of them. In front of them sat a large golden desk, grand windows made of sea glass shards making up the walls to their left and right.
Behind the desk sat a fire-haired female siren with the same eyes as Kaid.
Queen Arielle rose and Kaid couldn’t help but notice they had the same royal blue fins. She clasped her hands together and Kaid swam forward, unsure how to greet the woman who birthed him, but also whom he’d never truly met.
