AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Ileana’s eyes narrowed furiously. “You overinflated pufferfish,” she hissed. “You think you’re something special because you passed the first year test? That’s child’s play. You could never pass third year, Tilssted algae that you are.”
“Well, I bow to your superior knowledge of not passing third year,” said Merletta, speaking pleasantly, even as her blood pounded in her ears.
Ileana actually growled. “It’s irrelevant, since there’s no way in the ocean you’ll ever make it through second year.”
Merletta’s false smile faded, as she looked Ileana over thoughtfully. Was it possible she was behind the most recent attack after all? She’d seen how respected the tough trainee was with the junior guards. Had she convinced one or two of them to join her in her vendetta against the unwelcome first year from Tilssted? It would be a relief, in a sense, to think she only had the one enemy after all.
“Was that a threat?” she asked, a dangerous edge to her voice as she shifted her grip on her spear.
Ileana shrugged, lifting her own spear. “If you like.”
They began to circle, but before they could engage in the fight both of them were clearly itching for, a voice from the direction of the kelp forest made them freeze. The water was too murky to see far enough to make out their forms, but their conversation quickly identified them.
“A patrol,” said Ileana, tilting her head to the side as she listened to the approaching merpeople. “How fortuitous.” She gave Merletta a nasty grin. “Seems like you might not get a chance to fail second year, after all. Being caught outside the barrier should be enough to get you kicked out of the program, I would think.”
Merletta didn’t respond, her heart racing. She wasn’t supposed to be out here, and she knew it. The purpose of the patrols supposedly wasn’t to stop anyone leaving, and she was fairly sure they weren’t empowered to mete out punishment for merpeople found outside. But she also knew there were plenty of merpeople in the Center who were eager for any excuse to get rid of her. She didn’t intend to take her chances.
She turned, but before she could make good her escape, Ileana’s hand shot out, gripping Merletta’s arm in an unyielding grasp.
“Over here!” the older mermaid shouted. “There’s a civ outside the barrier without permission!”
An answering shout told them the patrol had heard, and Merletta squirmed in Ileana’s vindictive grip.
“Don’t lose heart,” Ileana said condescendingly. “I’m sure they can find a place for you on the kelp farms.”
It was her sneer that broke Merletta from her panic, hot rage rising up to take its place. This girl had hated her from the moment she laid eyes on her, without any basis beyond Merletta’s origins. Hated her enough to try to kill her. She would not let Ileana ruin her future just because she’d failed in her own plans.
Merletta curled her free hand into a fist, picturing Ileana as the predatory shark that she was. Before the other girl even read the defiance on her face, she drew her fist back, bringing it forward in a blow that landed right between Ileana’s eyes.
The other mermaid released her with a cry, her hand flying to her head as she reeled unsteadily in the current.
“Hey!”
The shout made Merletta’s heart sink, as she realized the patrol had seen her strike Ileana. But they were still too far away for her to make out their faces, which hopefully meant they hadn’t gotten a good look at her. She hesitated for one frantic second, trying to decide which way to flee, before plunging forward across the canyon, further from the kelp forests. She surely had a better chance of losing them if she headed away from the triple kingdoms. She would have the advantage—she knew this area well.
She streaked through the water, aware of Ileana’s shout behind her, but not daring to look back. She twisted her way through coral and seaweed, darting around a school of mackerel to maintain her rapid pace.
A louder shout behind her made her risk a glance over her shoulder. Her eyes widened in alarm as she saw that it wasn’t just Ileana hard on her fins. The newly appointed guard had succeeded in getting the patrol to chase Merletta as well. Merletta flicked her tail, propelling herself through the water with all her might. She had thought she would be able to lose any pursuers in these waters, but they were keeping pace, even gaining on her.
It was only when she caught sight of a familiar reef up ahead that she realized a new danger. If she kept this course, she would reveal Vazula to the whole patrol. She hesitated, costing herself precious seconds. How far into the Center’s secrets were regular guards admitted? Did they know anything about land? She was fairly certain that Ileana not only knew about land, but was actually aware of the existence of humans. But this was a patrol of ordinary guards, not Center guards. Would it be a good thing, or a bad thing to expose this layer of the convoluted truth?
All of this flashed through her mind in seconds, but there was no time to make a confident decision. Merletta had slowed as the water became shallower, and the patrol was close enough for her to see the faces of the closest guards. One of them was glancing at the ascending slope of the ocean floor, his face confused and apprehensive as it passed to the choppy surface, now not far above them.
His obvious uncertainty decided Merletta. These guards probably knew nothing of the lies they had all been taught. And quite apart from her desire to reveal the truth, she couldn’t help but hope she would be able to slip away in the inevitable confusion that would be caused by their first sight of land.
She swished her tail, pushing herself toward the world above. But as her head broke the surface, the rain instantly pummeling her face, she realized she had lingered too long in making her decision. A grip on her fins told her just how close her pursuers had come. She dislodged it with a powerful flick, but other hands were on her in a moment.
She thrashed wildly, panic threatening to take hold as half a dozen grim faced merguards advanced on her.
“Don’t fight,” one said sternly, hanging back as his fellows again attempted to seize her. “You’ll only make it worse for yourself. You’re in hot water as it is.”
“Let go of me,” Merletta gasped, incensed by the sight of Ileana floating next to the guard, her expression smug. Merletta brought her tail around to wallop the guard who had just made a grab at her spear. “You have no right to attack me!”
“None of that now,” said the same guard, presumably the patrol’s leader. “You shouldn’t be this far out, and you shouldn’t be at the surface. We’ll be taking you back with us.”
Merletta hesitated, wondering if it really would be best to accompany them without a fuss. But then one of the guards seized her from behind, and she reacted instinctively, bringing the flat of her spear around to strike him in the neck.
He flailed, sinking deeper into the water and dragging her with him, their tails thrashing as they sank.
