Seduced by the Sea Lord

Chapter 34

The cold walls of the undersea prison echoed with yells of warfare.

Kadir swam to the coral lattice separating his cell from the tunnel. Until now, only the growl of the trench volcanoes spewing their sulfur into the black depths had broken his isolation. This was the dark hole where the All-Council sentenced warriors who had blasphemed before them. His webbed fingers were pale and gaunt from weeks without food; his bones felt like chalk in his loose skin.

Now, the impenetrable prison echoed with unfamiliar noises.

Could it be?

There, at the far end of the underwater tunnel, a new light shone.

Soren!

"He is here!" Soren called over his shoulder as he swam into the dead end toward Kadir. "This one!"

Prison guards hid in the shadows.

Soren swam past them, his broad back an easy target as his black-lined, indigo eyes lit on his old friend. "Kadir—"

"Behind you," Kadir vibrated weakly.

One guard burst forward, his trident out and his fins pumping. Soren turned in time. His trident met the guard's thrust and he smashed his attacker into the wall. Chips flew off and the cave echoed with shings of blades. The second guard engaged.

Kadir pushed at the coral prison door. He should be assisting his friend. Never mind that his strength had withered with his body.

His assistance was unnecessary. The powerful black-tattoooed warlord speared his enemies with their own tridents. Blood splashed scarlet in the water.

The guards backed up, disarmed, and seemed to be weighing their options as they looked behind them. In the main prison tunnel, more lights approached, and the sounds of fighting increased.

"Give up," Soren ordered the prison guards, shrugging off his own injuries. "We outnumber you. There is no honor in this fight."

One guard held a gaping wound at his side. "Why should we listen to the warlord who threw away his strength and lost all his honor?"

"Attack me again and find out," Soren growled.

The prison guards snarled but held back.

Soren collected one of the guards' lost tridents into the gap between stone and coral. He flexed. Despite the power rippling across his iridescent black tattooed muscles, the lattice did not budge.

Kadir drifted, exhausted from merely watching. "The lattice requires ten guards and a special fulcrum."

Soren's bloodied lip curled. He had been fighting ferociously for some time. "I have assembled your army. We are worth double that number."

Truly? Many times these past weeks, Kadir had been certain he would die, but this gave him new strength. "You are a true friend."

"Don't release him, you fool," one of the guards snarled at Soren. "There is no going back from disrespecting the All-Council like this. You will be outcasts. All of you. Outcast from your cities, attacked and with your balls severed off, you will falter and die."

"We have our own city," Soren snapped back. "Atlantis will rise with Kadir as our king."

King? "You planted my Life Tree seed where I showed you, in the shadow of ancient Atlantis?"

"And it took root. The exiled mer of the seven cities have united behind you. I have merely led them to your side." His friend grinned with sharp teeth. "Your message has traveled far."

Yes. Finally. There was hope for a new generation.

But it might be too late for him.

"The All-Council will never allow you to expose our existence to humans," the guard wheezed.

"It is too late for them to protest," Soren replied. "We have already been exposed. And a warlord from the city of Sireno has joined with a human woman who is now his queen."

The guards looked at each other. They had apparently not known this either. "You lie," one growled.

"I do not." Soren grunted as he strained against the rock, but his chest vibrated with certainty. "Kadir's message inspired this warlord, Torun. His words have freed our warriors, and now, we will free him."

Kadir swelled with Soren's faith. They had grown up together and spent many happy times on patrol arguing over whether Kadir's vision was anything more than a youthful dream.

But now Soren, the eternal cynic, believed in him. The mer must throw off the shroud of secrecy, seek brides from among the mainland women, and raise their young fry together in harmony.

The exiles who shared his ideas now appeared at the mouth of the tunnel.

The prison guards limped into the corridor, heads bowed to show they were no threat, and swam unevenly away from the fight.

Kadir's loyal exiles swam down to the cell and grabbed the trident behind Soren. They heaved. The boulder pinning the coral lattice rolled away.

Cheers rang out as Soren swam in and gripped Kadir's forearm. Kadir tried to return the happy gesture and instead collapsed into his arms. Soren's triumphant expression dropped into shock and then barely-controlled fury. "Kadir. What have they done to you?"

"A favor." Kadir's bones ached, and he could no longer hold onto his strength, but he pressed his hand to Soren's glowering chest. "The All-Council has proved they cannot kill this idea. We are stronger than they. We will prove Atlantis can be rebuilt and mer warriors can live with humans in harmony. Soon we will find women who choose to join with us and rebuild the mer race."

The assembled warriors blazed with determination. Yes, they had all been beaten down and ridiculed. They had watched other warriors joyously received brides, then tragically been forced to return them to the air world after the birth of the precious young fry--or worse, growing increasingly anxious as no brides came, while they grew older and waited, childless, and without hope.

Now, they had hope. Hope for finding a modern bride who would stay underseas and raise their young fry together. They turned to each other and gathered strength.

But it was too late for him. His body was ruined. How could he offer himself to a bride? He had held on just long enough to inspire the warriors. That was all he could do. Better now to die. Soren had planted his Life Tree seed, so he would choose a strong, healthy, new king to carry on Kadir's mission...

"Kadir?" Soren shook him. "Kadir! Your light is fading. Your soul...someone...a healer? Find the healer! Now!"

The world went black.

A vision filled his mind.

Waves crashed against a white bow. A slender female on the surface looked right into him with sparkling eyes. The sight of her sparked something new in his chest. Colorful gemstones decorated her fingers and adorned her windswept brown hair. She seemed to be looking out, across the water, seeking him just as hard as his soul sought hers, anchoring him to this world. And those sparkling eyes turned dreamy as she gripped the railing of the boat. Tell me about Kadir, Torun, and Atlantis. What can I do to help?

His chest warmed. The vision faded, stealing away the details so he could no longer even imagine her face or her body, but a new strength seeped into his bones. His soul gripped onto the belief that somewhere, his bride was waiting for him, wanting him, trying to reach him. He must stay alive, wrecked or not. He must not die today.

"...nothing I can do, Soren. His soul is gone. Look at what they've done to him. It's incredible he lived this long--" The mer broke off as Kadir's eyes opened again and focused. His brows knitted in consternation. "King Kadir, your soul has returned and brightened into a fierce light. How did you shake off death?"

"My soul mate is waiting for me."

The cell grew silent. His warriors gathered around, awed by his recovery as much as by his words. But the truth was that he hadn't saved himself. His soul mate, whoever and wherever she was, had called him back to life.

Kadir lofted his fist. "Let us go forth and claim our brides!"