Blood On The Altar

Chapter 17

Faces. Both familiar and unfamiliar, they crowd me, swooping in and out of my peripheral vision. The only reason I know this is a nightmare is the mermaid with red-gold hair floating a few feet away from me. I squeeze my eyes shut, sure that once I open them, she will disappear. But even when they are open, she remains.

She isn't a ghost. Her hair floats loosely around her shoulders, brown eyes wide as she looks at me. "A-Aunt Meri?" My voice is barely a whisper, yet I can tell that she hears me.

She swims towards me, clasping my hands. "I can't stay long. I only came to warn you."

Fear replaces the joy in my eyes as the words leave her mouth. "You need to keep an eye on Jay's parents. I don't think Ronan is done with them yet. He may have another plan up his sleeve, one none of you can anticipate."

Her words, so similar to my own thoughts, send a shiver down my spine. I nod, projecting more confidence than I feel. "I will. We miss you."

Her gaze softens at my words as she swima to me, pressing a hand to my cheek. "I miss all of you."

My head begins to spin, my eyelids fluttering. I can feel my body starting to stir, which means I'm waking up. But I don't want to leave. I want to stay with her as long as possible. "Please! I need more time." My voice breaks as tears stream down my cheeks.

"Sweet Isadora. I'm always with you. Go back to your family. Enjoy the time you have with them." Her words got fainter and fainter the more I woke up, until my eyes popped open and they faded completely.

I felt more lost and confused than ever. Kai rolled over as I sat up in bed, but didn't move. Needing something to distract me, I quietly got dressed and went to visit Dad. I left a note for Kai so he wouldn't worry.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dad's limp body in the water. Saw his chest struggle to rise and fall as he breathed. The agony in Mom's eyes as she saw him for the first time after the accident.

I was crying by the time I swam inside the hospital. One of the doctors that worked on Dad recognized me, swimming over to me. "Isadora, right?" Her blue eyes were kind as she looked at me.

I barely managed a nod before the words burst out of me. "How is he?" I kept my voice as steady as possible, which was difficult thanks to the torrent of emotions inside me. Anger, fear, anxiety, depression. They all smothered me, threatening to pull me into their trap. All I wanted was to climb under my covers and block out the world.

She inclined her head toward his room, gesturing for me to follow her. Introducing herself as Dr. Saralynn Miller, her voice was soothing, calming my racing heart. "Your dad has been an amazing patient. As I'm sure you already know, we were able to remove the dagger without any further injury. We'd like to keep him overnight for observation, but as soon as we clear him tomorrow, he's free to go home."

We stopped in front of the door to his room. She glanced at me over her shoulder, blue eyes fixed on my face. I nodded, taking a shaky breath. Dad was sitting up in bed, his eyes clear as he looked at Mom, sitting in a chair beside the bed. He glanced up as the door opened, eyes lighting up as they landed on me. "Hey, Izzy." Even his voice was stronger.

As I looked at him, the eyes that had regained most of their light, a lump formed in my throat. I knew I should tell him—both of them—about the nightmare and Aunt Meri's message, but I didn't know how. I opened and closed my mouth several times, faltering every time. I ran a shaky hand through my curls, wishing Kai was here with me.

Just as I'd gathered my courage and was inhaling to speak, a scuffle and raised voices could be heard from outside the room. Dad's eyes were wide, fear replacing the exhaustion on his face. I was already up and moving, my daggers clutched in my hands.

Mom had a concerned look on her face as she glanced from Dad to me. I quickly shook my head, raising my hands to respond. I'll go see what's going on. Stay with Dad.

I could sense her hesitation, but she reluctantly nodded. Fear had my heart slamming against my chest, but I forced myself to be steady and alert. I knew better than anyone that enemies could—and most likely would—be hiding in plain sight.

The shouts got louder the closer I got to the waiting room, along with the sound of metal on metal as daggers clashed. I swam right into the fray, barely managing to dodge a stray dagger. Doctors and nurses alike fought mermen in green-and-blue uniforms, the sight sending waves of fury through me.

Adrenaline coursed through me, making it nearly impossible to focus. Everywhere I looked, there was chaos. I wanted to go back and check on Mom and Dad, but part of me knew I was needed here. I drew both of my daggers, barely managing to dodge a dagger heading for my chest. I quickly parried it, slicing a gash along the merman's arm.

He roared, advancing on me, eyes ablaze with fury. I adopted a battle stance, dagger poised and ready. A flash of green caught my eye, momentarily distracting me. The pause cost me, allowing the merman to get in a successful hit, this time a straight line across my shoulder.

I barely felt the ripped fabric, the slight sting as he broke the skin. I was unable to tear my eyes away from the mermaid—queen— in front of me, dressed in an opulent blue gown with green accents. Aunt Naia stared me down, her eyes filled with cold fury. She, too, had daggers clutched in her hands. "Isadora," she said, voice low with barely-restrained anger.

When I looked at her, I didn't see a queen, beloved by all her subjects. I saw a scared, uncertain mermaid thrust into a role for which she wasn't at all prepared. Anger quickly overrode any common sense, my daggers glinting in the sunlight as one of them sliced through the water, embedding itself in her shoulder.

She cried out in pain, blood quickly trickling down her shirt. "Who conspired with Ronan to kill my father?" I shouted, my words confirming what I'd already known. That hadn't just been a random attack. It had been coordinated.

The grin she gave me stopped my heart dead in my chest. It spoke volumes—more than words could ever say. I knew then that the answer would destroy me. Swallowing hard, I was barely able to keep my hands from shaking as she spoke, voice filled with smugness. "You really aren't as smart as everyone says you are. Otherwise, you would have figured it out by now."

"Figured what out?" I growled, hands clutching my daggers so tight my knuckles were white.

Her next words sent bolts of fear into my heart. "Your father wasn't Ronan's initial target. Jay was just a ruse to distract everyone from the real target." She smiled as the words left her mouth, as if she hadn't just given me life-altering information.

My eyes were filled with confusion as I turned her words over in my head. "But, who..." I froze, all the strength leaving my body as realization dawned on me. "King Drake. Ronan wants to kill him and take revenge for his sister." Fear like I'd never known slammed into me, stealing the water from my lungs.

She nodded. By then, the sounds of battle had stopped, silence surrounding us. I opened my mouth—not that I had any idea of what to say—but before I could so much as utter a sound, she was gone. My first thought was of hauling tail to Beltmare, warning Kai and his parents.

When was Ronan planning to make his move, I wondered? Did we have enough time to get them out before he decided to attack? Those questions tangled up in my mind, creating knots in my stomach.

I collapsed on the sea floor, my body trembling. Somehow, I made it back to the palace and our suite. Mom, Dad, and Kai were thankfully uninjured, having found shelter in the servants quarters. I just stared blankly, not hearing anything they said. Only when we were finally in bed did I let myself cry.

Kai wrapped his arms around me, his grip gentle but firm. Sobs wracked my body, grief and shame coursing through me. Aunt Naia's words ran through my mind on repeat. As exhausted as I was, I laid awake for hours before finally falling asleep.

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