Shattered by the Sea Lord - Starla Night Page 0,90
shelter from storms, how to stoke the fire, and how to access the stores of food. She would be fine for a few weeks.
Bex held out her arms to form a huddle with Angie and Meg, and they motioned to Dannika to enter the huddle as well.
“Feelings.” Bex nodded at Dannika. “You said it. It’s the diesel for our engine. So, I’m angry. Angie?”
“Well, I’m highly displeased.” Angie sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a glare that personified trouble. “No, I am angry. I’m slow to anger but they managed it. Oh, yes, they actually did.”
“Mom’s angry now,” Meg said. “Watch out.”
“You?” Bex prodded Meg.
“Oh, me? I’m way beyond anger. I’m one safety violation away from an explosion at the fireworks factory.”
Yes, that summarized Dannika’s feelings nicely.
“They took our husbands,” Bex pointed out. “Invaded Sanctuary. Violated their own sacred church.”
“They violated everything,” Meg said.
Angie said what they were all thinking. “This cannot go on.”
And now it was time to do something about it.
“Can we lean into this feeling?” Dannika asked. “We’re angry but focused. Sort of a calm rage.”
“Isn’t that an oxymoron?” Meg asked. “But you’re right. That’s exactly what’s going on inside.”
“Yes, I am enraged, and I am also calm.” Angie seemed to be feeling her way into acceptance for the strong emotions. “Because this will not stand. We will not allow them to take our husbands, take our children. We will go to Lusca and we will get them back.”
Everyone nodded.
Bex released the huddle and stood. “Right now.”
They started in unison toward the water.
“I hate to just invade a neighboring city without warning. That’s like attending a sit-down wedding dinner after you’ve neglected to RSVP.” Angie pulled back her shoulders and straightened her spine. “But, it is what it is. We don’t always get what we want.”
Dannika stopped. “Why not??
“Hmm?”
“Why can’t we have everything we want?”
“Well.” Angie frowned. “Because there’s no way to send a warning that we’re coming, is there?”
Meg and Bex both turned to Dannika. Realization dawned on their faces. It broke over Angie’s a moment later. “Oh.”
Dannika nodded. “The bell.”
“Yeah…” Bex mused. “‘Red skies at morning, sailors take warning.’ That’s their thing. ‘Bell of the brides…’”
“Better run and hide?” Meg tried to finish her rhyme.
“Join our cause with pride,” Angie said.
“That works too,” Meg said.
War or peace. The bell had both meanings.
“But we can’t ring it too soon.” Angie tapped her index finger against her chin. “If we ring it now and show up a week later, they might not realize it’s linked.”
“True,” Meg said. “Oh, but we can ask Val. It’ll be a struggle, but she can do it.”
“What are you all talking about?” Val asked, still shaky. “You’re on your own mystical wavelength over there. I mean, whatever you want, I’ll do it.”
Bex returned to Val. “When we’ve been gone…a week. Ankena said it takes a week to reach Lusca. We’re not experienced travelers…”
“But we’ll go fast.” Meg flexed her ankles, shifting from feet to fins and back again. “At least as fast as the warriors. We’ve got superpowers.”
Bex considered it, then sketched out the plan for Val. “Seven days from now, exactly, go down into the crater and shove the long pipe. You’ll see it. That will ring the bell.”
“Okay.” Val sniffed. “You want me to ring the bell?”
“As hard as you can.” Bex nodded to Dannika. “It will warn the Luscans we’re coming. It has two meanings. They can decide which one they want. A celebration of peace—”
“And they’re welcome to join us.” Angie opened her palms in invitation. “They really are.”
“Right.” Bex hardened. “Because the second meaning is a declaration of war.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Something was happening.
Ciran peered up through the coral prison.
The tone of the patrols sounded different. Anticipating. The first lieutenant of the city flew from unit to unit overhead.
Both teams with squids had left some time ago. They were continuing their reign of violence, sinking ships on the surface, and it was too soon for either team to return.
This was something different.
He flexed his hands.
They moved easily. He’d been feeling stronger and healthier for some time. Ever since he’d realized his mistake at the island kidnapping, he’d sensed Dannika in his soul, filling his body, flooding him with strength. Konomelu and Itime, in the other cells, had also healed—and more than he would have expected, given the normal rates of healing for the mer.
This was different.
“What do you think it is?” Itime asked, calmly, in the cell beside his. “Atlantis warriors discovered you imprisoned?”