Sereia's POV
Three days earlier
I stood perfectly still in the shadows of the throne room, watching my father cough blood into his hand.
He thought no one saw. He always tried to hide his weakness, even now when half his advisors had abandoned him and the other half were too terrified to speak honestly. The great Sea King, dying slowly from poison, too proud to admit he was losing control.
Perfect.
"Your Majesty." The guard's voice echoed through the chamber. "The Sea Witch Morgessa requests an audience."
My father's face went pale. Good. He should be afraid.
"Let her in," he said, his voice hoarse. He straightened on his throne, trying to look powerful even though everyone could see the tremor in his hands.
I pressed myself deeper into the alcove where I'd been hiding. No one knew I was here. That's how I liked it—watching, listening, gathering secrets while everyone thought I was just the pretty princess who smiled and did what she was told.
Fools. All of them.
The water at the center of the throne room began to darken, swirling like ink in water. The temperature dropped so fast I could see my breath. Then she appeared.
Morgessa.
She was beautiful in the way a knife was beautiful—sharp, cold, deadly. Her white hair floated around her like smoke. Her eyes were black holes that seemed to swallow light. When she smiled, I saw too many teeth.
"Hello, old friend," Morgessa purred, gliding toward the throne. "You look terrible. Have you been sleeping well?"
"What do you want?" My father's voice was hard, but I heard the fear underneath.
"Such rudeness. And here I came to offer you a deal." Morgessa circled the throne like a shark. "Your kingdom is dying, Deepcrest. You must see it. The humans grow bolder every day. Their weapons get stronger. How many settlements have they destroyed this week? Four? Five? I lose count."
"Get to the point."
"Give me half your kingdom's magic—just transfer it to me, nice and clean—and I'll make the humans leave you alone. I'll even throw in a protection spell. Think of it as... insurance."
My father stood, and even dying, he was still imposing. "You want me to hand over half our power to the witch who was exiled for trying to steal it in the first place? Do you think I'm a fool?"
"Yes, actually." Morgessa's smile widened. "Because you don't have a choice. Give me what I want, or I give the humans something they want even more—the location of every mer-city in the ocean, the spells to break through your defenses, and a weapon that will turn your precious water into poison."
The throne room went deathly silent.
"You're bluffing," my father said, but his voice shook.
"Am I?" Morgessa waved her hand, and an image appeared in the water—human ships, dozens of them, carrying strange metal barrels. "These are depth charges infused with my magic. One barrel can kill everything in a hundred-foot radius. The humans already have twenty ships full of them. All they need from me is the final spell to activate them."
I watched my father's face crumble. This was better than I'd hoped.
"You wouldn't," he whispered. "You'd be destroying your own kind."
"My own kind threw me out centuries ago. You'll forgive me if I don't feel particularly loyal." Morgessa's voice turned to ice. "So here's what's going to happen. You have three days to decide. Give me half your magic, or I give the humans their weapon. Either way, I win. The only question is how many of your people die in the process."
"I'll never agree to this."
"Then I'll see you at their funerals." Morgessa started to fade back into the dark water, then paused. "Oh, and Deepcrest? That poison in your system? It's mine. I've been adding it to your food for months. You have maybe a week left, possibly less. So really, you're not making this choice for yourself. You're making it for whoever comes after you."
She looked directly at where I was hiding, and winked.
Then she was gone.
My father collapsed back onto his throne, his whole body shaking. Guards rushed to his side, but he waved them away. "Leave me," he croaked. "Everyone out."
They obeyed, filing out of the throne room one by one.
I stayed hidden, watching my father put his head in his hands. Watching him cry.
I didn't feel sorry for him. Not even a little bit.
This was the man who'd loved Morana more than me. Who'd always chosen her, praised her, given her the best teachers, the best magic training, the best everything. She was his precious daughter who could do no wrong.
And me? I was just the spare. The backup. The one who smiled pretty and kept quiet.
Well, not anymore.
I slipped out of my hiding spot and swam toward the empty corridors, my mind racing. Everything was falling into place exactly as Morgessa and I had planned. My father was dying. The kingdom was in chaos. And soon, very soon, I'd be the only royal left standing.
I just had to make sure Morana stayed far, far away.
My hand went to the small vial hanging around my neck, hidden under my dress. Inside was a single drop of Morgessa's poison—the same poison killing my father. The witch had given it to me as a gift, "just in case I ever needed it."
I smiled.
I turned the corner and nearly crashed into Prince Caspian. My husband. The man who was supposed to love me but spent every night staring at Morana's empty chair at dinner like a lost puppy.
"Sereia." He looked surprised to see me. "What are you doing in this wing? I thought you were—"
"Just taking a walk," I said sweetly, touching his arm. "Couldn't sleep. So much stress with the war and everything."
His face softened. "I know. I'm worried too. Your father looked terrible at the last council meeting."
"He's very sick," I said, letting my voice break a little. "The healers say there's nothing they can do. He might not last the week."
Caspian pulled me into a hug. "I'm so sorry. I know how hard this must be for you."
If only he knew.
"There's something I need to tell you," I whispered against his chest. "Something about my father's condition. But not here. Too many ears."
I pulled him into an empty room and closed the door. We were alone.
"What is it?" Caspian asked, concerned.
I took a deep breath, preparing to deliver the lie I'd practiced a hundred times. "My father didn't just get sick on his own. He was poisoned. And..." I let tears fill my eyes. "I think I know who did it."
Caspian went rigid. "Who?"
"Before she was exiled, Morana spent a lot of time studying forbidden magic. Dark magic. The kind that could poison someone slowly so no one would notice until it was too late." I grabbed Caspian's hands. "What if she planted something before she left? What if she's been killing him from afar this whole time as revenge?"
I watched the doubt flicker across Caspian's face. He wanted to defend Morana—he always did, even after three years. But I'd planted this seed carefully over months, reminding him of every suspicious thing Morana had ever done, every strange interest she'd had.
"That's... that's impossible," he said, but he didn't sound sure.
"Is it? She was accused of treason. She stole the Tidecaller's Pearl. Maybe poisoning our father was part of her plan all along." I squeezed his hands. "I'm scared, Caspian. What if she comes back? What if she tries to hurt more people?"
"She won't come back. She's been exiled to the outer reefs. She probably didn't even survive—"
"She survived." The words came out sharper than I meant them to. I softened my voice. "I mean, I've heard rumors. Sightings. What if she's out there right now, planning something terrible?"
Caspian looked torn. Good. Confusion made people easy to control.
"I'll increase security," he said finally. "And I'll tell the council about your suspicions. If Morana is somehow involved in your father's illness—"
"Thank you." I kissed his cheek. "You always know how to make me feel safe."
He smiled, and I smiled back, and neither of us mentioned that he'd never once looked at me the way he'd looked at my sister.
I didn't care. I didn't need his love. I just needed his loyalty.
After Caspian left, I swam to the highest tower of the palace—the one place no one ever came because it was too far from everything else. I pulled out a small shell from my pocket and whispered into it.
"It's done. The King refused your offer. The final phase can begin."
Morgessa's voice whispered back, carried through the magic in the shell. "Excellent. And the girl?"
"She'll never help him. I made sure of that years ago when I destroyed her life. She hates us all too much to come back."
"Don't be so sure. Desperate times make people do desperate things. If your father sends for her—"
"He won't," I interrupted. "He's too proud. And even if he does, I'll make sure she never makes it to the palace alive. I have guards loyal to me stationed everywhere. One word from me, and she disappears forever."
"Good girl." Morgessa's laugh echoed through the shell. "You're so much smarter than your sister ever was. She had power but no ambition. You have both. Once this is over and you're queen, we'll reshape this kingdom into something truly magnificent."
I smiled. "I can't wait."
"One more thing." Morgessa's voice turned serious. "The human captain—Theron Ashcroft. He's entering your waters tonight with his fleet. Let him hunt. Let him capture merfolk. The more chaos, the better. But under no circumstances can he die. Not yet. He has a role to play in what's coming."
"What role?"
"That's not your concern. Just make sure your guards don't accidentally kill him if they encounter his ship. Is that clear?"
"Crystal clear."
The shell went silent.
I crushed it in my hand, letting the pieces fall to the ocean floor. Then I swam to the window and looked out at my kingdom—soon to be mine alone.
Everything was going perfectly.
My father would die. The kingdom would panic. They'd turn to me—the perfect princess, the loyal daughter, the one who stayed when Morana ran away. And with Morgessa's help, I'd be the most powerful queen the Deepwater Kingdom had ever seen.
All I had to do was make sure Morana never came home.
A messenger swam past my tower, heading toward the outer reefs. I frowned. That was odd. No one went to the outer reefs unless—
My blood ran cold.
My father was sending for Morana. Even dying, even after everything, he was trying to bring her back.
"No," I whispered. "No, no, no."
I had to stop this. Had to make sure that messenger never reached her, or if he did, that she never made it back alive.
I grabbed my communication shell—a different one, connected to my personal guards—and sent out an urgent message:
"Capture or kill any exile trying to enter the kingdom. Royal order. Especially one named Morana."
Then I waited, my heart hammering.
Everything depended on Morana staying far away. Everything.
But deep down, in a place I didn't want to acknowledge, I felt something cold and dark spreading through my chest.
What if she came back anyway? What if she and my father talked before he died? What if he told her the truth—that I'd been the one who framed her, poisoned him, and worked with Morgessa?
What if my perfect plan fell apart?
I looked at the vial of poison around my neck.
If Morana came back, I'd have to kill her myself.
And this time, I'd make sure she stayed dead.