sometime after she’d captured you. We didn’t know that then, but we do now. Anyway, she came to Atlantis with that fucking Trident in hand like she owned it.” He shuddered saying the words. “She was like a golden god come down to rain hell on all of us. And that was exactly what she did. She waved the Trident here and there, destroying things. There was a kind of beauty about her violence. Something wild about it all. Of course our shock was short-lived. We scattered to hide where we could, but after that woman was done there was nothing left to the kingdom your father once ruled. Shards of what was littered the ocean floor. Pieces of his throne were taken by the current. Like a gruesome wreckage.”
“She had the Trident? She used it?”
Dimitri turned to look at me over his shoulder. “I used to revere that thing. I would be in awe when I was in its presence and now…” Raven had scared the shit out of this guy, that much was clear. “She’s going to use it to kill all of us. It’s just a matter of time, Princess Zaniah.”
“I’m not going to stand around and let her. Anyway, I’ve got the Trident thing covered.”
“What do you mean you have it covered?”
I stood, dusting my ass off. I walked over to him and tried to push the power into my words. “I said I have it covered. I’m not scared of that over-glorified fork anymore.”
He stepped back and diverted his gaze down to the sand. “I understand, Princess.”
Now I was princess again.
“We can’t just stand here talking about it. We have to make a move on this bitch before she does.” I looked around, trying to get my bearings and wondering where in the fuck to start. We certainly needed more people, that was for sure.
“I say let’s finish this bitch off, once and for all.” Caspian stood and helped Kai to stand, even though Kai didn’t seem like he appreciated the gesture very much.
“What? Are you nuts?” Dimitri practically screamed, whirling on the weakened Siren.
“Probably. But crazy is what it’s going to take to end this.”
Dimitri threw his arms in the air. “No, what we need to be doing is running. Scattering like the others. They are at least safe somewhere. If you go against her, there will be nowhere to run. Our kind is already almost extinct. It’s not worth it, Princess Zaniah.”
Kai groaned as he shifted from one foot to the other. “You’re right, Dimitri. It is the end either way. If we don’t fight this bitch, we’re dead. If we run, we do what? Hide and live in fear for the rest of our lives? We might as well be dead. Or we gather our courage and meet this enemy head on.”
Caspian huffed out a laugh. “And maybe we still die. But at least we didn’t die as cowards.”
Kai and Caspian agreeing on something? Must’ve been the end of the world, for sure.
“You don’t understand. You’re crazy. Anyway, who is going to fight with you? The four of us against all of them?”
“We have to gather the Mer.” Kai looked to the sea like he was ready to leave immediately. I had the same idea.
“They won’t come,” Dimitri snapped.
“They will. They just need to be given a glimmer of hope. Raven gave them fear. We will show them there’s a chance to beat this enemy. Come on, Dimitri, even you can stop being a stick in the mud for three seconds and believe in hope.” My heart swelled to hear Kai’s hope.
Dimitri hung his head and kicked up more sand. “Fuck. I never should’ve saved you guys.”
17
Caspian
After the way that little asshole acted on the beach, I thought that Zaniah would leave him there, but no, she decided that the best course of action was to pair him with me. She and her knight in shining scales, Kai, went to gather troops. Fuck, he put on such a good show, still pretending to be that innocent Bloodsworn, only looking out for Zaniah’s best interests, but I knew better. He wasn’t to be trusted. He only wanted Zaniah for her title. He only wanted a shot at that throne, not that there was a throne anymore. Raven had taken care of that.
“It’s not like this is even going to work. We could be spending this time fleeing like smart Mer instead of going to find Poseidon-knows-who with a Siren.”
Fuck. Since the time he