I race back to Solwyck, desperate to find Halla and explain. I can hardly bear knowing that she believes I betrayed her and that I am engaged to another after giving my heart to her.
When I reach the shoreline, I survey the castle. A light burns on her balcony, so I call out her name. “Halla!”
She does not answer.
I try again, but the strong wind swallows the sound of my voice. It is futile. She will never hear me from down here.
Not for the first time, I curse that I am not human. If I were, I could easily make my way to her, but my tail complicates everything. It does me no good at all on land because it is so cumbersome.
I swim close to the cliff wall. The tide is high and has swallowed the shoreline until no beach remains between the sea and the wall. I gauge that the climb to her balcony would be difficult but not impossible. My people are possessed of great strength.
The rock wall is jagged but has plenty of handholds I can grasp. Drawing in a deep breath, I grip the rock tightly and begin to ascend. The climb is not an easy one. Each handhold is slick and shallow, and my lower half is completely useless as I scale the wall. However, I refuse to give up. I need to speak with her and let her know I am not betrothed. My heart belongs only to her.
After what feels like forever, I manage to reach the shallow ledge beneath her balcony window. When I glance down at the water, I swallow thickly as I realize just how high I’ve climbed.
I close my eyes, my nostrils flaring to detect her delicate scent on the breeze. I listen carefully, training my ears for any noise she might make, but the roar of the sea is so loud I can hear nothing.
“Halla?” I call then wince, worried one of the guards might overhear.
When she doesn’t respond, I try again. This time, I hear her answer. “Errik?”
“Yes!”
“Go away.” Her voice trembles. “I don’t want to speak to you.”
“Please, Halla. I’ve climbed all this way because I need to—”
“Where are you?” Alarm creeps into her tone.
When I crane my neck, I notice her long, red hair swaying back and forth in the ocean breeze near the balcony railing. She peers into the darkness as if searching for me.
“I’m below you. On the ledge,” I mutter, taking care not to startle her.
She looks over the edge and gasps. “Are you mad? If you fall, it will be to your death!”
I smile because her concern means she still cares for me. All hope is not lost. “I would rather risk death than allow you to falsely believe that I do not love you.”
“I trusted you, Errik.” Her voice trembles and breaks. “Your brother told me about your engagement. I loved you, and you betrayed me.”
“I am not betrothed. My father wants me to marry Princess Luriel, and I’ve refused. I already told her about you. My father was holding out false hope that I would eventually agree to bond with her—to keep the alliance between our kingdoms. Where my father is concerned, it is sometimes easier to just ignore him than to argue. He took my silence as assent when it was not.” I pause. “I do not want anyone but you, Halla.”
Her brow furrows. “Toren said you’re a prince. Heir to the throne. All this time, you never told me. Why?”
“Because I wanted to know you as simply Errik, nothing else. I hoped you would love me for who I am instead of my title. I’m sorry, Halla.”
“How can you claim to love me when you kept so many secrets from me?”
“I was a fool. Please, forgive me. I cannot bear to live without you.”
Her silence worries me. After a moment, she finally speaks. “You will have to learn to live without me, Errik.” Panic tightens my chest. “We can never truly be together. We are too different. I realize this now.”
“We can be, Halla—you said so yourself. You said it did not matter that you are human and I am Mer. You live by the sea. We will always be near each other—”
“Near each other,” she repeats soberly, sadness plain on her face, “but never truly together, Errik. I can see that clearly now.” She pauses. “Did you know we could have conceived a child? If we had—”
“I have heard this,” I reluctantly admit. “It is why I did not bind you to me last night on the rocks. I have heard that children born of mixed unions are either Mer or human. I… did not want to risk conceiving a child without—”
“Telling me first? Yet another thing you concealed from me.” She pulls back from the balcony until I can no longer see her. “Henrick may have been blunt, but he, at least, spoke the truth.”
Jealousy pours in like bitter acid at the mention of his name. “His ship is still docked. Do you mean to bind yourself to him now?”
“No, Errik. He gave me the truth: he could offer everything but love. Ironically, I believed you could offer me that. Little did I know I would have to surrender honesty; it seems you cannot offer both. At least… not to me.”
Her words stab my heart. “Please, Halla. Forgive me.”
“I want to, Errik, but I—”
Alarms begin blaring from the city. I twist toward the docks, and notice people racing back and forth.
Through the fog shrouding the inky darkness, something moves. Even with my superior night vision, it is difficult to make out. I squint my eyes as if that will somehow help me to see.
At least a dozen dark-gray sails emerge from the mist, approaching the harbor.
“Who is that?” Halla asks, her voice laced with quiet fear. “What are those ships?”
Fear steals through me. Not for my safety, but for Halla and her people. I have heard tales of ships with gray sails—horrible stories of cities left in ruin, people taken forcibly and sold into slavery.
“Pirates.” The word leaves my mouth before I can catch it. I climb the remaining, short distance to her balcony and pull myself over the railing.
She inhales sharply, her eyes wide. “What are you—”
“I need to get you to safety, Halla.” I extend my hand. “Please, come with me before it is too late.”
She shakes her head. “I cannot just abandon my brother or my people, Errik.”
“Halla,” I plead, desperate for her to see reason. “Listen to me. I have heard stories of these ships. I will not allow them to take you. You must come with me.”
Her door bursts inward, slamming against the wall as her brother rushes in. His jaw drops when he sees me on the balcony.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, his voice thunderous.
“I came to speak with Halla. There are pirate ships in your harbor. I’m trying to convince her to flee to safety with me.”
King Gerold turns to his sister. “Halla, he’s right. You must go with him.”
“I won’t leave you, Gerold.”
His eyes flicker frantically with panic and indecision before steeled resolve hardens his gaze. “You must. Our defenses cannot fight them off. Once they dock, we will be forced into a battle on land. If they breach the castle, they may kidnap you—or worse. I will not allow that to happen.”
“I can fight, Gerold.”
“No, Halla, you cannot. Not as you are. I’m sorry. You must go with him.” His gaze shifts to me. “Before it is too late.”
An explosion splits the air behind me, and I whip my head toward the harbor just as King Henrick’s ship fires a cannon at the closest invading pirate vessel.
Gerold rushes to the balcony’s edge. “Henrick took one down, but there are dozens.” He spins back to Halla, gripping her shoulders. “Please, Halla. Go. I must know you are safe.”
Her eyes swell with tears. “I do not want to leave you, Gerold. You’re the only family I have left.”
“You must, Halla. If I fall in battle, you are Solwyck’s queen. You must live. Do you understand?” He searches her eyes. “You must live, Halla.”
Another explosion sounds from the harbor. Panic tightens my chest. “We have to go, Halla. Now.”
She nods and turns her attention back to Gerold, hugging him tightly. “I love you, Gerold. Please, whatever you do… you must survive, my dear brother. Please.”
He drops his forehead to hers. “I will do my best. Now go.”
Reluctantly, she wheels closer to me. I wrap my arm around her and peer over the balcony. I am familiar enough with this part of the sea that I know where the rocks lie below and where we must aim when we jump.
“We have to jump.” I look back at her. “That is the fastest way.”
Fear bleeds into her eyes as she looks over the balcony at the water below.
“You have to trust me, Halla. Please.”
She nods shakily. “I do.”
My heart clenches as I place her on the edge of the balcony, readying to jump. I cast one last glance at her brother, who watches us intently. “I am Prince Errik of Atena. I will gather my people,” I vow. “We will do what we can to help you. I swear.”
He dips his chin, then we drop over the side.
