Page 5 of Entangled

She heard her sisters crying out to her again. From her position, she could barely make it out, since their voices were becoming softer. That meant they were moving away from her. She was sure now that there must be a second ship in the water. Her sisters were caught in a net, as well. There was no doubt in her mind.

“Whose ship is the other one?” she asked, seeming to surprise the king once again.

“How do you even know there’s another ship?” he asked in suspicion.

The last thing she wanted was for him to realize she could communicate with her sisters by mind alone. “I’m a mermaid as you call me. I was in the water, was I not? I assure you, I know all that happens in the sea.”

“Of course, that’s how she knows.” A man with scraggly brown hair standing next to the king nodded forcefully.

“Hitch, don’t be a fool,” the king answered. “She’s lying.”

“Sebastian, do you really think so?” whispered a blond-haired man standing on his other side. He was tall and lanky. He had facial hair that was short and trimmed. Merrow figured he was a close confident of the king to address him by his given name.

“Of course, she is,” said the man they’d called Sebastian. “Because if she was truly so aware of everything that happens in the water, she never would have gotten caught in our net in the first place.”

Merrow’s eyes closed and she wet her lips with her tongue. This king was too sharp. It was almost as if he could see right through her, knowing if she spoke the truth or not. She longed to get away from him. She had to escape to find and help her sisters. Panic started to set in.

“My king, The Spectrum is hoisting up their net, so can we go back to shore now?” asked the captain.

“Did they catch anything?” asked Sebastian.

Merrow’s eyes sprang open and she held her breath, waiting to hear the answer.

“Their net is on the other side of the ship and it is raining too hard to tell,” shouted another of the crew.

“Then return to the castle,” Sebastian gave the order, causing Merrow to release the breath she’d been holding. Even if she hadn’t been able to help her sisters at the moment, at least the ship she was on decided to go back to shore. She was sure whoever caught her sisters was heading back as well. And once she got her land legs, no one would stop her from finding Melite and Galene. Nothing and no one was going to keep her away from her sisters, not even this arrogant king named Sebastian. Not if she could help it. As soon as they reached shore, she’d be gone before they knew what happened.