Shattered by the Sea Lord - Starla Night Page 0,86
Lukiyo. “Don’t be crazy. This is my dad. You grew up with him. He was your first trainer, your—”
“Do not call me crazy. I am your prince.”
“They got inside your head. You even sound like them now.”
“Because it is my heritage. Thanks to my king, I have found my true purpose as prince and future ruler of Lusca.”
Nuno shook his head. “You’ve lost it.”
“I have gained everything. Their cowardice kept us on the land. Feelings weakened my father, and I am ruled by honor. Look at me.” He gestured at his tattoos. “A warrior. You will become one too. It is what we always wanted.”
“Not like this.”
“Free your mind, Nuno. The traitors no longer trap you inside the coral.”
“Mom and Dad didn’t keep me inside the coral. Your king did.”
“Because our fathers violated—”
“And they went inside the coral to snatch me. So they violated the rules, too.”
Prince Lukiyo scoffed at him. “My warriors would not do that.”
“Ask them.”
“No, no. I knew you would tire of being pent up on the island. Someday, you would break free, and when that happened, I would teach you. You would become a warrior with me. And it happened just as soon as I conveyed the order to Lieutenant Orike.”
“As soon as he got the okay to swoop in and steal me.” Nuno jutted his chin. “And if you thought I would ever worship an insane, bloodthirsty maniac like your king, you never really knew me at all.”
Prince Lukiyo crossed his arms. “Don’t be stupid, Nuno. Living so long on the surface has baked your brain.”
“Now you sound normal again.”
Prince Lukiyo straightened and lifted his chin. His vibrations lowered to a deeper, more royal tone. “Return to my castle. Enjoy my fruits, my steaks, my bounty. But beware. If you do not pledge yourself to my king, you will join the traitors in feeding the kraken.”
Prince Lukiyo called over two warriors who took Nuno away. He swam in front of the cells glaring at Ciran, a still-prone Itime, and Konomelu.
Konomelu watched soberly.
Prince Lukiyo sneered at him. “You used to say I would never belong here. But look at me. I am a true prince.”
Konomelu vibrated softly. “I regret that I was wrong.”
“Well, I regret nothing.” He slammed his palm on the bars. “You are the ones who should regret. Regret turning against my king! And you’ll get what you deserve, just like my father.”
Itime’s vibrations emerged, calm and placid as always, but with a more ragged edge of pain from the prone position in his cell. “Prince Ankena fell in love with your mother. They were soul mates. It is an undeniable bond. Your grandfather ordered him to kill her.”
“That is the past. You could have crawled back and begged his forgiveness. He would have taken us in and trained us as warriors.”
“We would have stranded your mother.”
“She served her purpose. And now she ruins Hadali, weakening him the same way Angie coddled and weakened Nuno.”
“If Bex heard your words, she would cry,” Konomelu said.
“What are you saying? My mother would never cry. And anyway, she never thinks of me.”
The warriors were silent. Some warriors stopped a conversation when more words were only noise.
Ciran was not one of those warriors.
“Actually,” Ciran said, “Bex wanted to rescue you years ago.”
The prince flew to his cell. “Oh, really, foreign warrior? Then where is she?”
“They stopped her.” He indicated Konomelu and Itime. “Because they feared what your warriors would do if they caught her. And I think you’re afraid, too.”
“Ridiculous. I never think of her.”
“Is that why you told no one about her abilities?”
Prince Lukiyo frowned darkly and glanced over his shoulders, but they were alone. “I do not care. But if you care, do not say it aloud again.”
The lieutenant and the other warriors hadn’t realized anyone besides Dannika could breathe beneath the water, but all the young fry knew their mothers could swim and breathe as mer. Lukiyo surely knew. Which meant he’d kept it a secret all this time.
“Prince Lukiyo,” Ciran said, “most mer have unresolved feelings about our mothers. Mine gave me up as part of the ancient covenant. She bore me, gifted me to my father, and returned to the air world. But yours did not. They took you from her. She has not forgotten.”
Prince Lukiyo shook his head and kicked back. “Well, she should. I do not need her here. I do not care about her.”
“That is a pity because she still cares about you.”