The queen’s silken voice rang clear. “And so, your skills determine your fate. I will release you to the surface. You have three weeks to locate the shard and earn your freedom. Fail, and your curse will consume you. You’ll die, gasping for air,unless you return to the sea.”
I shuddered. Death on land was preferable to life in the mines.
“But know this, though your curse is my leash, Tivara’s magic will fight mine. I can’t break her hold on you completely. The closer you come to your deadline, the harder it will be to breathe. Her magic will try to kill you. Speed is your only ally.”
A knot of dread formed in my gut. “Understood. But when I return with the shard, I want to be made human again. Permanently.”
“You tire of being a mermaid?”
“I want my life back. The one that was stolen from me.”
The queen gave a curt nod.
“And one more thing. I want Sirena Cook’s freedom, too.”
“You ask for a lot, mermaid.”
Sirena’s voice whispered in my mind.Know your worth, Marin.
“I’m your only chance,” I said quietly. “You know that. All I ask is a pardon for my friend. A small price for a kingdom.” My voice hardened. “I won’t go otherwise. You can send me back to the mines, right now.”
The queen studied me. We both knew she had no other choice.
With a thin smile, she waved her hand, golden rings flashing in the light. “Very well. I agree to your terms. Come to me, Marin—of the sea.”
The guard hauled me up and dragged me toward the throne. My shackles fell away, and I bowed my head.
The queen drifted closer, water stirring with her movement. Her gaze landed on the streak of violet in my hair—Tivara’s mark. Then, as fast as an eel, she snatched the strandsat the top of my head and pulled them tight.
I winced, tears stinging my eyes. She closed her fist over my hair and dragged her hand down the length of it. The purple strands faded into a rich aqua-blue.
“You belong to both of us now, a witch and a queen. But only the shard will set you free.”
I nodded.
Her hand closed around my throat. My eyes flared, lips parting in shock. She squeezed, fingernails digging into my neck. My throat spasmed as she leaned closer. Her lips formed a circle, and bubbles poured from her mouth as if she were breathing air into my lungs. My heart pounded and my vision wavered. The bubbles thickened, swirling until they were all I could see.
Then the current caught me, and I was gone.
The queen’s eerie warning wrapped around me like chains.
“Three weeks, Marin. Return to the sea… or die.”
Chapter 14
The vortex swirled, twistingme through the water as colored lights appeared behind my eyelids. I lost the sense of time, slipping in and out of consciousness until pressure squeezed my chest, forcing my eyes open when a panicked convulsion rocked my body.
I sealed my mouth shut, thrashing my arms to propel myself to the surface. Lungs on fire, I broke through and gulped in a breath of air. The sun seared my vision, and I dipped below the waves, letting the tide pull me closer to shore.
A wave sent me tumbling onto a sandy beach, and I clawed my fingers through the wet sand, dragging my shivering body out of the surf. Air wheezed from my throat; my chest shuddering as my greedy lungs sucked in air for the first time in three years.
I rolled onto my back, staring up at a blue, cloudless sky. Seagulls sailed overhead, their squawks melding with the crash of waves against the shore. I tasted salt and the grit of sand. It clung to my skin, warming beneath the rays of brilliant sunlight.
Tears spilled down my cheeks, dripping off my chin and onto the beach—salt mixing with salt.
I made it.I’m free.
Almost deliriously, I wriggled my toes. A laugh bubbled in my throat. I had legs! Knees! They felt rubbery and leaden, but they moved when I curled them toward my chest. My shimmering scales had transformed into a turquoise gossamer cloth that hugged my wet skin from my hips down to my ankles. The fabric was torn and tattered in places. A glaring reminder of the damage the mines had done to my tail. The kelp wrap still bound my chest, and my long hair tangled in sandy clumps around my shoulders.
