Panic stops my heart. “He’s losing too much blood, Toren. We have to get him to shore and staunch the bleeding.”
He grabs Errik, pulling him past the burning ships to the shoreline. Mangled bodies float amidst the debris, but I push through the corpses as we make our way to the beach.
A white bear rushes across the sand. My heart stills for a beat before I realize it must be Henrick. He skids to a halt in front of us, his eyes black as his nostrils flare. “Your Merman?” he asks, and I note his voice is a rumbling growl in his bear form.
Toren watches him warily as he holds his brother’s limp form in his arms.
“Can you find Healer Althea and bring her here?” I ask.
He nods his massive head and starts back toward the castle.
Other white bears lumber along the shoreline, mingling with Solwyck’s humans. Henrick and his men must have been preparing to defend the harbor and the city in case the pirates docked.
In the distance, I notice a flash of red hair. “Gerold!” I cry out.
His head whips toward me, and he races down to the beach. He drops to his knees before me, gathering me into his arms. “Thank the gods you are safe.” His eyes sweep to Errik, and he gasps. “What happened?”
“One of the pirates stabbed him while we were lighting fire to the ships. Errik’s people—”
“Saved the city,” Gerold finishes my sentence. He hugs me again. “And so did you.”
Tears stream down my face as I study Errik. “We have to help him, Gerold.”
I cup Errik’s cheek, turning his face to me. I press a tender kiss to his lips. “Please, Errik. You have to live, my love.”
Several Mer gather around us, bowing in mourning as they observe their prince.
The crowd parts to allow a Merman wearing a golden crown through. He stops on the shore beside Errik. Toren’s eyes are full of tears as he addresses him. “Father, Errik’s been hurt.”
Another Merman approaches behind him. He rushes to Errik’s side, laying his hands over his injury as he studies him. “What happened?”
“One of the pirates stabbed him while we were trying to sabotage the ship,” I explain, unable to hide the quaver of my voice.
A collective gasp moves through the crowd, and I look up to find Henrick running to the shore with Althea on his back.
“It’s all right,” I tell the Mer. “The bear is King Henrick. He will not harm you.”
Althea slides off his back and drops to her knees beside Errik, her brows drawn as she assesses his wound.
“Who are you?” the Mer already examining him asks.
“I am Healer Althea. Who are you?”
“Healer Dorin.”
Together, they run their hands over him while the rest of us look on anxiously. After a moment, Althea pulls back, sorrow in her voice. “His wound is fatal.”
The king levels a dark glare at her. “Who are you to make this determination?”
She tips her chin up. “I am a Healer, and I am half Mer. My father was one of your people, and my mother was human.”
Dorin’s face pales. “You are the child… your human mother took you away.”
“Yes.”
Errik’s father studies her a moment, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement before he turns his gaze back to me. “This is the human you told me about?” he addresses Toren.
“Yes, Father. Errik says she is his fated one.”
Clenching his jaw, he faces me. “This is true? You love my son?”
I drop my gaze to Errik. “With all my heart.” I draw in a deep and steeling breath, then lift my eyes to him again. “I am going to save him.”
