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For long moments, there was no response at all. Then, Feeling awfully brave today, aren’t we, Prince Kona? She gave a low, angry laugh. Or should I say King? I have to admit, killing your father gave me more pleasure than I’ve had since I watched that bitch Cecily die.
Her voice dropped to a sibilant hiss. And you’re still alive because I thought this would be amusing. But don’t push me too far. She’s already here—I don’t need you as bait anymore. Or that useless human toy of hers …
Kona made a choking sound, like he was in pain. That, combined with her obvious threats about him and Mark, had me jumping the last section of staircase. The water cushioned my landing, and I crouched as close as I could get to the ground considering I was floating. Mahina landed right behind me.
Mark and Kona were sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, backs against an iron pole and heavy chains wrapped around them—just as Kona had warned me. Tiamat was next to them, her back to the staircase as she towered over Kona. Her spiky black tail was curled close to her body, as she leaned over and raked her poison-tipped claws down Kona’s face.
Behind her, facing outward through a variety of holes blown in the bottom of the ship, were bunyip and shark-men galore. Others were focused on a staircase about halfway across the room. Within seconds, I realized that Tiamat was also watching that staircase. Mahina and I had come down a small, back stairwell that led into a sheltered alcove off the main cargo hold. No one was paying any attention to it at all.
Thank God.
We had finally caught a break.
But even then, Tiamat was turning, her green eyes glowing with a maniacal light.
I let loose a bolt of electricity aimed straight at her before ever making the conscious decision to do so. She deflected it easily.
Tempest. Her smile was razor sharp and ugly as hell, despite her beautiful face. I shuddered as I realized she was even better looking than the last time I’d seen her, more proof that she had gorged herself on the blood of the mermaids she had so recently killed.
Let Kona and Mark go, I told her in a voice that revealed none of my fear. And maybe I’ll let you live.
She laughed, and this time there was nothing fake about it. Let me live? Look around, Tempest. Coral Straits and all of its allies are in shambles. Hailana is one small step from death’s door. The selkie empire has been destroyed. Let me live? I think you have that backward. Maybe, if you are very, very smart in the next few minutes, I’ll let you live.
She glanced behind her, to where the shark-men and bunyip eyed me eagerly. But to be honest, that’s not very likely.
My stomach tightened and terror slid, ice cold, into my veins. What do you want?
Want? She shrugged. Nothing. Look around. I have everything I want right now. And if something else comes up in the future, well then, I have more than enough power to take it. Whatever it is.
Then why am I here? If you have everything you want, why do you need me? Or Mark? I deliberately avoided looking at Kona. He can’t help you with anything.
Ah, but he is amusing to keep around. She floated over to Mark, who was watching everything with eyes so wide I could see the whites all the way around his irises. I knew he couldn’t hear anything that we were saying, which must have made this whole thing even more terrifying for him. Tiamat trailed one razor-sharp nail down his cheek.
I wanted to reassure him, to find a way to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but I didn’t know if that was the truth. Every second that counted down was another second wasted of Mark’s precious air supply.
We have to do something, I told Mahina. Mark’s not going to last.
Uh, not to be pessimistic, but I don’t think we’re going to last.
Not helping.
Sorry. She blew out a long breath. Okay, we need to even the odds.
There’s forty of them and two of us. I’m not exactly sure how you plan to make things more even …
We need to get Kona out of those chains.
Yeah.
How are we going to do that? Mahina asked.
I have no idea.
Not sure what else to do, I moved forward. Tried to draw Tiamat’s attention away from Mark and back to me. It worked a little too well, as not only did she focus on me, but so did her huge band of henchmen.
Now that I think about it, Tiamat said as she glided toward me, I do want something from you, after all.
Of course she did. She hadn’t set up this whole nightmare for the amusement factor alone. And what is that, exactly? I shifted so I was between her and Mark and Kona. It left my back vulnerable, but that seemed a small price to pay.
Your blood.
Her hand snaked out and grabbed on to my wrist. She was stronger than I thought, and when she yanked me toward her I didn’t have enough strength to resist. I tried to pull away, but Tiamat was having none of it.
Hold them! she shouted, and a dozen or so bunyip converged on Mahina and me, some restraining Mahina in the corner, the others grabbing my arms and legs, my shoulders and hips. Offering me up to Tiamat like some kind of ancient sacrifice.
Your mother promised you to me seventeen years ago, Tiamat said as she leaned over, her red painted mouth gaping macabrely. And then denied me every time I came for you. That ends tonight. With your blood and Kona’s energy, I will be invincible.
Her grip tightened on my arm as she dragged me—and the bunyip holding me—even closer to her. And then, with one powerful slice of her nail, she ripped my wrist wide open. And began to drink.
Chapter 34
I screamed. I couldn’t help it. Everything inside of me shut down, every thought, every breath, until the only thing left was pure, animalistic fear. My heart raced, my nerve endings burned, my senses blurred into nothingness as endless seconds passed, the most drawn out and frightening of my life. And still I screamed. I screamed and screamed and screamed.
Even as I did, I kept waiting for her to finish, to say she’d had enough or that it was a mistake, that she didn’t really want my blood. Though one of the first things I’d learned down here was that mermaid blood really did give Tiamat power. It gave her beauty and strength and magic, and she drank until the mermaid in question was dry—I had seen enough to know she wouldn’t stop until I was dead. And yet, despite all my knowledge, it had never before occurred to me that one day she would actually come after my blood.
Which made me a total and complete idiot. Kona had said that certain people had more powerful blood than others. Why wouldn’t Cecily’s daughter have blood of incredible strength and magic? Combined with the power of Malakai’s son? Tiamat really might end up invincible.
I screamed louder as the knowledge of my imminent death began to sink in. I’d been prepared to die helping the others escape—but I hadn’t been prepared to go out in the opening battle, as the dumb blonde in the horror movie who everyone knew deserved to die because she was TSTL—too stupid to live.
Well, maybe not everyone.
Behind me, Kona and Mark were going crazy trying to get to us. I could hear them even over the shrieks of protest in my head, yelling and cursing and yanking against the chains that bound them. I knew, in those moments, that if they could have gotten free, they would have torn Tiamat apart with their bare hands. Or died trying.
That knowledge calmed me down somehow, let me think even through the scalding pain radiating from my wrist and up my arm. I was bleeding out pretty heavily now, the world around me beginning to grow fuzzy. A large part of my brain was paralyzed, unable to do anything but screech as she drank from me. But another, smaller part kept telling me to do something besides scream, to somehow find a way to escape.
