To Kill a God by C.S. Wilde

Chapter 10

Mera followedProfessor Currenter into the glass elevator that would take them down to the dungeons.

As soon as he pressed the down button and the doors closed, a square blue screen popped up on the elevator’s glass door, showing a female waterbreaker with a red bodysuit that matched the color of her short hair. She looked at the camera while reporting the news around Atlantea.

“The new waterball stadium is complete,”she announced. “The inauguration will happen tomorrow at six, with a match between the Reef Sharks and the Rainbow Grouts. In other news, Ariella Wavestorm has been captured. We have no confirmation from the palace or the commissioner, but if the reports are accurate, then Poseidon has received a mighty blow.”

“Calling him Poseidon only gives him power,” Mera grumbled.

“Indeed, but it’s great for ratings, and reporters can be greedy bastards. You must admit it’s a rather memorable alias.”

Mera touched the screen, watching the reporter go on. “Well, at least things improved around here. Now the people have a voice.”

“They do, thanks to you,” Professor Currenter offered with a certain pride, though he hadn’t been a professor in a long time.

Commissioner Currenter.

“I remember your wedding to Mr. Maelstrom,” Mera blurted, though she couldn’t tell why.

“You do?” He chuckled silently. “You were nothing but a little fry back then. Quite literally.”

Mera smiled. “I remember an arch of colorful sea flowers. You looked dapper in a white bodysuit and golden war corals. Mr. Maelstrom dressed in the same way, only his corals were silver.”

He stared at his feet. “You do remember.”

“Mister Maelstrom had always been so kind…” The words left her for a moment. “How do you bear looking the queen in the eye, knowing what she did to him?”

Professor—the commissioner—seemed to think about it for a while. “I cannot hate a shark for biting me. It is an animal. It’s simply following its instincts.”

Mera blinked, taking that in, and her eyes tingled with tears she didn’t shed.

“That’s big of you, but Ariella made my life a living hell. She killed my friend Julian, and if he hadn’t been turned into a vampire, he would have been gone. She also blew Ruth to pieces and nearly killed Bast, Commissioner.” Mera swallowed, looking away. “Ariella isn’t just an animal. She’s a rabid beast that needs to be put down.”

“First, you can keep calling me Professor. It feels odd when you don’t.” He watched her through wise, pink irises. “Second, I trust you to do what you must, and I’ll respect your choices, no matter what they are. But could you try to extract some information from her before you, hmm, ‘put her down’?”

Just as he said it, the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened.

The palace had changed, but the dungeons had stayed the same. The cavernous space still seemed carved entirely from dark stone, and the bars closing the cells were made of shiny, smooth silver. The dungeons had no windows that showed the outside, except for small, barred gaps on each cell’s back wall.

Small floating orbs lit the pathway. As they moved ahead, Mera tried to ignore the childhood memories that came afloat. Memories in which she was trapped behind those silver bars for days without any food, only because she’d dared say a word that displeased the queen.

“Are you all right?” her old mentor asked, watching her with worry as he led the way.

“I’m fine,” she lied.

Offering her a supportive nod, he continued his path.

They passed by empty cells, and then not so empty ones. The waterbreakers behind bars gasped when they saw her, muttering Mother’s name. Not a surprise, since Mera was her spitting image.

Most of the prisoners had gray skin, shaved heads, and wore identical moss-green bodysuits. It was odd how similar they looked to one another, like they’d lost everything that made them unique.

“Pay them no mind,” Professor Currenter urged, stopping before a cell just ahead. “They’re Poseidon’s followers. Waterbreakers out of their godsdamned minds.” He nodded to whoever stood inside the cell, and her stomach turned.

The queen must be behind those bars…

Even if Mera couldn’t see her from where she floated, it was as if her entire body had frozen in fear—a natural response when it came to Ariella Wavestorm.

“Make no mistake, Currenter,” the queen’s cruel tone came from inside the cell. “Regneerik is coming. You and my pathetic brother have limited days in this sea. Poseidon will catch you,” she crooned.

“Azinor,” Mera corrected, swimming closer and coming into view. Trying to control the anger rolling down her veins, she faced the queen. “His name is Azinor, and he isn’t a god, you fucking bitch.”

Ariella’s mouth contorted into a bitter curve. “So much spite and disrespect in the way you speak to me, Daughter. I doubt you ever addressed Ruth Maurea in this way.”

Mera’s hands fisted and her gills filtered water madly, but she never broke eye contact with that monster. “You might have given birth to me, but you were never my mom. I wish you had died instead of Ruth. Do I make myself clear, Mother? You don’t deserve respect. You don’t deserve love or adoration, only pain.”

Maybe Mera was losing her mind, but Ariella seemed hurt.

Nonsense.The queen had never cared about what Mera thought of her.

Crossing her arms, Ariella looked away, showing the hole in her cheek as well as the tendons and teeth behind it. Her hair floated lazily around her. “What’s the point of this visit? Is it to boast? You caught me, congratulations.” She craned her neck left, watching the professor, who floated behind Mera. “Rejoice in your victory, Currenter. It won’t last.”

Mera turned to him, wondering the same. What was the point of this visit? The queen clearly wouldn’t talk.

Recognition flashed in his eyes, and he seemed to catch her silent question. “I figured Ariella would be more willing to cooperate if you were here, little fry.”

Mera chortled. “You’re losing your memory, Professor. She won’t tell me a thing. She despises me.”

Professor Currenter cocked his head to the side. “Does she?”

Was he going senile? Had he forgotten everything they’d been through?

Rolling her eyes, Mera turned to the queen. “Tell him. Tell him that out of all the children who had the misfortune of leaving your womb, I was the one you hated the most. Tell him my presence here makes no difference; that it never did.”

Ariella stared at her own feet. “I killed your brothers and sisters because they came from bored lords and humble servants who adored me. They were created out of love, even if one sided, and thus, they were weak.” The queen appeared lost in her own thoughts. “I was their whole world. They were nothing.”

The fucking monster...

Mera turned to the professor, raising one eyebrow that silently said she’d proved her point.

“She told me how wrong that was, back in the world beyond,” Ariella muttered absently. “She said your love was a miracle, and that she was sorry I only knew your hate.”

Mera frowned. “Who are you talking about?”

The queen blinked, coming to herself. “Hate fuels us, Daughter. Love is for the weak.” She winced, as if her own words were hard to swallow, which made no sense whatsoever. Hate had always been the driving force in that monster’s life.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mera narrowed her eyes at her. “Did your boyfriend put your pieces together backwards?”

“Maybe he did, just to spite me. He needs me, but the order of factors doesn’t alter the result.” Mad laughter cackled out of her lips.

What in the seven seas had happened to her?

Back when the tsunami hit, Ariella had seemed mostly sane, though to her own credit, she hadn’t spoken a lot. The queen didn’t seem to be very talkative when Azinor was near.

“Where is he right now?” Mera pushed. “Why does he need you?”

“I’m his soulmate. I help him channel his power, and he hates and loves me for that.” She nodded to herself, swatting the water as if swiping away a nagging seahorse. “That’s why he brought me back. It was out of love, but mostly, it was out of need.”

A certain horror took over Mera as pity grew in her chest, something she’d never imagined she could feel towards Mother. The bitch didn’t deserve her compassion, and yet, she had it.

“Even your soulmate doesn’t care about you,” she muttered.

The queen shook a bony finger at her, ignoring the remark. “Your power, your hate… they are stronger than Poseidon’s. Stronger than mine. I raised you well.”

“You did what?!” Fury took over Mera’s pity, and she swam forward, clawing at the bars. “When I was little, I craved your approval, your love, but you hammered me with your fists and your cruel words day in and day out, until you destroyed me. You didn’t raise me, Mother! Ruth did. She saved me from your fucking shadow!”

By the old gods, how Mera wished she could snap the bitch’s neck right there and then.

The queen stared at her as if she was proud, which made no sense. “I did something, child. Your siblings were weak, yet you… you are the product of Poseidon’s assault on me. You were made of pain, sadness, and rage; you were a sharp blade that I never saw coming. Unlike your brothers and sisters, you survived me, and maybe, you’ll survive him, too.”

“To hell with you.” Mera turned to leave, unable to stand there any longer. “She will never betray him. Azinor is more important to her than her own life. Her own sanity, too.”

Professor Currenter watched her intently. “What about rabid animals and the need to put them down?”

Mera shrugged, refusing to think about it, at least for the time being.

“Wait!” Ariella called after her.

Mera stopped in her tracks, but didn’t look back.

“Return another day, child. Entertain me with your presence, and I’ll tell you where to find him. He’s weakened. You’ll never get a better chance.”

“Pass.” Mera turned to her slowly. “You won’t tell me shit.”

“I promise you. Come see me again, and I’ll tell you where he’s hiding.” She offered Professor Currenter a tiny grin. “Your best officers haven’t been able to locate his remains, yes? He will regrow, it’s only a matter of time.”

The professor didn’t need to confirm it. The look he sent Mera said it all.

Troubled, she watched the queen for a moment. Mera didn’t believe a word that came out of her mouth, but it wasn’t like she had any choice. “If we’re doing this, you better have more to offer.”

Ariella bit her thin, bottom lip. “The voices. You can hear them.” Not a question, but a statement.

“How do you know—?”

“Come back and I’ll help you understand.”

Mera’s hands fisted, anger bubbling up again. Taking a deep inhale through her gills, she steadied her nerves. “Tell me now. Why wait?”

The bitch simply waved her goodbye.