Sacrifice the Sea: An MMM Little Mermaid Retelling (Beautiful Nightmares Book 3) by Anna Fury & Amy Pennza

Author:Anna Fury & Amy Pennza [Fury, Anna & Pennza, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Ari

I hang back for a while, trailing Triton and Ursan as they hop from current to current.

Initially, I planned to stick to Ursan’s side. I was reluctant to leave him alone with Triton after the test in the garden. But seeing them together changed my mind. At first, I indulged myself for the sheer pleasure of it, swimming in their wake with my eyes glued to their powerful bodies.

Then I saw the rays.

Triton has always attracted them. Stingrays are nosy fuckers. They’ll streak off at the drop of a hat if they sense danger. But the moment they feel comfortable, they’re up in everybody’s business, galloping playfully and hoping for head scratches.

I’m used to seeing a few rays here and there, especially when I swim with Triton. But this is different.

They came slowly at first—harmless nuisances sweeping their big wings through the currents on either side of me. I rolled my eyes and ignored them as I flicked my tail hard to keep up with Triton and Ursan.

Then more rays came. Then more. Their numbers swelled, growing impossible to dismiss. They surrounded me—and ignored me, soaring around my tail like they might avoid a piece of flotsam. After a few seconds of confusion, I realized why.

They came for Ursan.

Up ahead, Triton veers left and dips into a blue lagoon. Ursan follows with a swish of his tentacles.

And the stingrays follow. Thousands of them wheel in a big arc, their broad wings curled up in flight. Little mouths curved in contented smiles.

They continue following as Ursan and Triton dive into a deep, verdant valley. The sunlight is sparse down here, but my night vision is excellent—one of the few advantages of being born in the Deep. The valley comes alive with electric color that illuminates the valley’s walls, which glow with red and purple algae. On the opposite side of the valley, a broad, flat rock overlooks a cliff.

As I slow, the stingrays wheel again, their broad bodies angled like the kites humans sometimes fly when I perch on my rock in the harbor.

At last, Triton turns, his powerful tail beating the water. Ursan turns with him, and his brown eyes go wide as he glimpses the rays. He spins slowly, tentacles waving as he watches their flight. They form a big circle around him and Triton, their wide, flat bodies arranged in an elegant formation as they fly in a holding pattern.

I hover on the outside of the circle, my chest swelling with something that feels like awe. It takes a lot for me to feel this way about the ocean. It’s not that I don’t appreciate its beauty. But it’s hard to stop and admire pretty things when you’re constantly watching for knives aimed at your back.

I’m not watching for knives now. The awe keeps pumping as I turn, tracking the rays. Various subspecies make up the fevers, which have to number in the hundreds. For as friendly as they are, stingrays don’t typically gather in large groups. But they’ve come together for this.

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