Chapter 1
I jumped back to avoid the foot connecting with my chest. Gripping the glowing trident in my right hand, I carved it through the air, nearly taking off the offending foot.
Ford’s eyes widened as he leaped out of the trident’s path, and I couldn’t help the cocky smile swarming over my lips.
“For Vorago’s sake, you’re getting good at that.”
My grin stretched wider. “I learned from the best.” It was only fair to compliment the man who’d taught me everything I knew about combat, as well as the trident’s powers.
In the nine months since I’d been back in Atlantis, I’d been training with Ford every day. So far, I had only mastered three of its powers: water breathing, healing waters, and tidal control. Of the many abilities it could grant me, it had only thought me fit to learn the most basic, as if I wasn’t worthy of acquiring more. Maybe I wasn’t, but my frustration was growing daily.
The moment we’d returned from our fight with Zale, The Mermaid Chronicles had informed us the four dark gods of the depths would be coming. The Denizens. Ancient evils with insurmountable power at their fingertips. They were waiting for their chance to tear apart the world I knew. And loved. I had only ever fought a selachii before. Granted, a selachii with enhanced strength and reflexes—gifted from the very evil gods on their way to cast their dark shadows on my homeland—but still a selachii.
If I couldn’t wield all the trident’s powers by the time the Denizens attacked…how was I going to save my island? My people? Una?
Ford’s foot slammed into my chest, knocking the air from my lungs. I stumbled backward, losing my balance, colliding with the low stone wall and toppling over it to land on my ass, the trident falling from my grip, its golden sheen dimming.
I stared at the blue sky, at the clouds scudding across it. I felt the grass under my back, the warmth of the sun caressing my face. Couldn’t breathe, though.
Ford’s head came into my eyeline. “You okay?”
I nodded. I still couldn’t breathe, but my pride hurt worse.
Ford pulled me into a sitting position. “Never lose your focus.”
He’d taught me that lesson when I was five. And again when I was six. And again, every single fucking year, and I never learned. Too caught up in my own thoughts. Unable to push the emotions away. But it was worry that motivated me. My worry over keeping everyone safe. If I, the most powerful person on the island, couldn’t do that…then what the hell was my purpose?
Ford offered a hand to pull me up. As he hauled me to my feet, his gaze locked with mine. “You need to get out of your head.”
I sucked in a breath. It hurt like hell, but I could breathe again. “Any tips on how to do that?”
Ford crossed his arms over his bulky chest and never moved his eyes from mine. “A few. The trident will give you more power when it deems you ready.”
“So you keep saying.”
“You’re worried about the Denizens.”
“I’m worried about Una.”
I would do anything for Una. I would die for her. I almost had. But there was a tiny part of me that hated her a little bit. She’d made me fall in love with her. Okay, it wasn’t entirely her fault.
Feelings are feelings and they come when you least expect them, they come even harder when you don’t want them. I’d promised myself I’d never fall in love. When my mom died and left my father irrevocably broken, I swore I would never do that to someone. But Una wormed her way into my heart and now it was all too late. There was no way I could live without her. And because of that, I hardly slept anymore.
“You’re not in this alone, Gal,” Ford said.
I sighed, raked a hand through my sweaty hair. “I know,” I mumbled. And yet, no one could wield the power I possessed. I was the Prince of Atlantis. The guardian of the orb of Snow and Ice. The trident wielder. Is this how my mom felt when she became the fire mermaid? So much responsibility. So many people to disappoint. To fail.
Ford put a hand on my shoulder. The tender gesture surprised me, and I glanced up at the burly force of nature once more. “You mother and I worked with meditation. I think it could do you some good too.”
I scoffed. Staring at a candle and muttering kumbaya would not take my problems away, nor how I felt about them.
“You won’t know unless you try,” he said, dropping his hand.
“Okay,” I relented, knowing he wouldn’t give me a choice. “But I’m not dancing around a fire at midnight butt naked or anything weird like that.”
Ford chuckled. “I think you’d find it surprisingly freeing, but no, I won’t make you dance in a circle butt naked. For now, let’s see what we can get out of the trident.”
Grabbing the trident, I rose to my feet. I arced it at the nearby ocean, thinking if I raised the tide high enough, I could soak it over Ford’s head and finally have the last laugh. But as I swung the golden weapon over my head, performing an exaggerated circle, a dolphin leaped out of the water. It performed a flip in the air before splashing back into the waves.
Ford smiled. “You’re doing something right.”
“It’s just a dolphin enjoying the currents.”
I swung the trident once more, and this time, three dolphins leaped out of the water, followed by a surging wave that stretched toward the sky. The water spun itself into a funnel, white foam swirling at dizzying speeds, and disconnected itself from the ocean.
My grip on the trident faltered, and the funnel collapsed back into the water. I gaped at the spot where the funnel had disappeared.
Ford gave me a scrutinizing look. “Try that again.”
“Try what again? I just did what I always do.” Nevertheless, I swung the trident through the air once more, repeating the circle shape I had made before. Instantly, water leaped into the sky, spun into a large funnel, and sped across the surface until it collapsed onto the rocks. The tang of salt hit the back of my throat.
“Impressive,” Ford said. “Looks like your powers are growing.”
“I have no idea how I did that.”
“Which is why we need to go north. Away from the main populace, where you can practice without drowning the entire city.”
“One funnel isn’t going to drown the city.”
“I think your powers will grow quickly now. You’ll be surprised what you’re capable of.”
I let that digest for a moment. Did the trident finally trust me? Did it sense I would need its full power? Did that mean the Denizens were finally making their approach?
“When do we start?”
“Tomorrow. We’ll go to the forest cabins.”
“I’m bringing Una.”
Ford scrutinized my face, his expression hard to read.
“I won’t be able to concentrate knowing she’s so far away. And if the Denizens come while we’re there…” I pressed my point.
Ford gave me an abrupt nod. “As long as she doesn’t distract you.”
“As you said, she’s part of my team.”
“Who’s part of your team?” Una asked, approaching our grassy spot within the palace gardens. She wore training shorts and a crop top, leaving so many inches of skin available to feast on, that I felt an immediate stirring. But we had a training session to complete first.
“You.” Dropping the trident, I smiled at her and kissed her cheek. My chest swelled, like it did every time I was with her. Her mere presence lightened my dark thoughts, eased the tension that lived in the back of my neck and coiled in my stomach. She was a miracle.
She slung an arm around my waist, then retreated when she found my back slick with sweat.
“Eww.” Una danced away from me, her eyepatch dislodging to reveal a hint of the scarred socket beneath.
“Ohh, you’re going get just as wet as me.” I winked at her so Ford couldn’t see, and her cheeks flamed immediately.
Suppressing my devious chuckle, I grabbed her around the waist, lifted her off her feet, and showered kisses on her nape. Laughing, she wriggled out of my grip. When I placed her back on the ground, I gently pulled her eyepatch back down. She caught my hand as I moved to pull away and kissed my palm, the gesture almost undoing me. I wished Ford wasn’t there because I really wanted to kiss Una then. A proper kiss. And a whole hell of a lot more.
Ford cleared his throat. We both turned to look at him.
“When you two are quite done, can we carry on with the training session?”
The joviality of the moment leached out of me quicker than a receding tide. I gave Una one more light kiss, then turned my attention to Atlantis’ head of security. Ford instructed us to face each other in a patch of grass. I gave a quick glance to the trident, still lying on the ground where I’d dropped it. No harm would come to it there; anyone else who tried to touch it found their skin melted from their palm and a zap of intense electricity stunning their heart into unconsciousness. It would only yield to my command.
But despite its power, I couldn’t rely on it. There could be a situation when I was without it. And so I had to learn to fight with my fists. As did Una. Being the guardian of the orb of Spirit and Soul, she had no offensive abilities. Ever since we’d returned to Atlantis, she’d been joining me in the training sessions.
My job was to learn how to be rough with a woman. One of the Denizens was reported to be a female skilled in seduction, and I couldn’t be taken in by it. Una was the perfect person to harden my feelings to. Except I would never do that to Una. And Una’s job was to learn to take down someone twice her size. She was getting exceedingly good at it too.
Una stood a few paces away, her blonde hair tied back into a loose knot, her single eye fixed on me with that sharp intensity she always had when she was focused. Her eyepatch only added to her aura of quiet ferocity. I wiped the sweat from my brow, trying to ignore the way her lean frame glistened in the sunlight.
Ford circled around us, his hand tapping his thigh, the sword strapped to his back gleaming in the morning sun. “Keep your form tight, Gal. Una, fists raised, balance your weight.”
Focusing on Una’s one blue eye, I narrowed mine at her, trying to put her off her game.
“You gonna stand there all day?” Una called, a teasing grin tugging at her lips.
“Oh, I’m coming for you, babe. But I’m taking my time. Wouldn’t want to knock you on your ass too quickly.”
Her grin widened, a spark of amusement in her eye. “Don’t flatter yourself, prince.”
I lunged, not too fast, giving her a chance to dodge. She sidestepped easily, slipping out of reach. Her movements were fluid, precise, but I could tell she knew I wasn’t going full force. That only made her more dangerous. She hated being underestimated. But it was so much fun riling her up.
I came at her again, this time quicker, throwing a punch aimed at her midsection. She ducked under it, her body twisting gracefully as she aimed a swift kick at my thigh. I blocked it easily, catching her foot in my hand. “Nice try.”
Before I could make a move, her other foot swept out, and I barely had time to react as she twisted in the air and kicked. She caught me off guard, sending me stumbling back a step. Not enough to put me on my ass, but enough to earn her a grin.
“Not bad,” I admitted, dropping her foot and stepping back. Tension simmered between us, that familiar, electric hum that always ignited whenever we sparred.
Una’s grin shifted into something sharper. “You’re holding back.”
I shrugged, trying to play it off. “I’m giving you a chance to—”
She didn’t let me finish. She shot forward, faster than I expected, her fist aiming straight for my chest. I blocked it with ease, but she wasn’t done. She spun around me, her elbow connecting with my ribs, and then, before I could take the offensive, she hooked her leg around mine and swept my feet out from under me.
I hit the ground hard, the impact causing my lungs to seize for a second time. Grass stuck to my skin as I lay there for a minute, stunned.
Ford’s deep voice rang out from the sidelines. “You let your guard down, Gal.”
I groaned, propping myself up on my elbows. “Thanks for the insight,” I muttered, but my eyes were on Una, who stood over me with a victorious smirk.
“Thought you weren’t going easy on me,” she said.
I laughed, shaking my head as I got to my feet. She had gotten the best of me once, but that wasn’t happening again.
“Alright,” I said, rolling my shoulders. “No more playing around.”
“Finally,” she said, eyeing me with a hint of suspicion. “Show me what you’ve got.”
This time, I moved with purpose, closing the distance between us in an instant. She tried to block, but I was quicker, stronger. I shot out my hand, grabbing her wrist before she swung, and I twisted, spinning her around until her back was pressed against my chest, her arm pinned between us.
“Now what, Una?” Ford called. “Remember what I taught you. Use his height against him.”
She struggled, but I held her tight, leaning in so my lips brushed her ear. “Not so easy now, is it?”
Her body tensed against mine, her breath hitching. I felt the heat of her skin through her clothes, the way her pulse raced beneath my fingers. The tension between us hummed, sharper now, more dangerous. Triumphant, I couldn’t help the way my grip tightened just slightly, and also the way my heart pounded in my chest at the feel of her.
Una let out a low growl, twisting in my hold. “Don’t get cocky, Gal.”
“Do not get cocky, Gal,” Ford repeated, his face a picture of disappointment.
With a sudden burst of strength, Una wrenched her arm free, spinning around to face me. Her fist swung toward my face, but I caught it, my fingers wrapping around her small hand. Fire ignited in her lone blue eye.
She pushed against me, but I didn’t budge. Instead, I pulled her closer, so close that our faces were only inches apart. Her breath came in quick, shallow bursts, her chest rising and falling against mine. I felt her heart racing, and something else—the same tension that had been simmering between us since the start of the fight.
“You do not want to bring a Denizen closer, Gal!” Ford’s voice dripped with disapproval, but I was barely listening.
“Still think you’re faster?” I asked, my voice low.
Her eye flicked to my mouth, and for a moment, I thought she might kiss me. But instead, she grinned, that wicked, teasing grin I loved.
“You might be stronger,” she admitted, her voice soft but edged with challenge. “But I’ll always be one step ahead.”
Before I could respond, she slipped out of my grasp, ducking under my arm and twisting away. She was quick, faster than I had given her credit for, but I wasn’t letting her escape again. I lunged after her, catching her by the waist and pulling her back against me.
“This is not foreplay 1-0-1,” Ford yelled at us.
We tumbled to the ground, rolling in the grass, our limbs tangled together. She fought to get free, but I was stronger, and this time, I didn’t hold back. I pinned her beneath me, my hands on either side of her head, holding her down.
She glared up at me, panting, her chest rising and falling with each breath. “Let me go, prince.”
I smirked, leaning closer so our noses were almost touching. “Not a chance.”
Her eye narrowed, but there was no real anger there. Just that familiar fire, the same one that always burned between us. Her lips parted, her breath warm against my mouth. I hovered there, teasing the line between us, waiting to see if she would push me away.
Instead, she stared up at me, her body stilling beneath mine, her lips curving into a slow, dangerous smile. “You think you’ve won?”
I leaned in, close enough that our lips brushed. “Haven’t I?”
I pinned her wrists to the ground. Her pulse raced under my fingers.
“Not for long.”
And then she was moving again, her legs wrapping around mine, flipping us over until she was the one on top, her knee pressed against my chest, her single eye gleaming with victory.
“Damn it,” I muttered, breathless.
Ford’s voice cut through the moment. “Considering I felt like I’d intruded on a private moment, that wasn’t awful. But next time, Gal, don’t get distracted. We’ll work on that when we go north.”
I grinned up at Una, still pinned beneath her. “I am working on it.”
“North?” Una asked, still straddling me.
“We’re going to go the cabins in the north to practice the more…difficult powers of the trident. I need to make sure no one’s around while I learn its more dangerous abilities.”
Una’s eye softened and she dipped her adorable, elfin chin. “How long will you be gone?”
“We.”
“We?”
“How long will we be gone…You’re coming with me. I can’t fight without you.”
Una planted a kiss on my lips, a soft, lingering touch that had me wrapping my arms around her even though Ford was still standing there. “You’ve finally learned that teamwork makes the dream work, eh?”
“Or the nightmare,” I muttered, considering that’s exactly what the Denizens were.
