Ice Crypt (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

even read.
    His eyes raked over me like I was a sub-par dinner delivery.
    “This is a girl.”
    I wanted to comment on his superior observational skills, but I held my tongue.
    “She’s to serve below surface now,” said Ladon.
    The guard scowled at me.
    I would have been wary, too, seeing a mermaid stationed so far from humans. What could I have possibly done?
    I flashed the guard a wicked grin, letting my eyes bleed red.
    He broke his gaze and motioned for us to continue.
    Katus tugged the rope. I followed, a wave of fear passing over me. Had that been my last chance? Between the emptiness behind us and the military zone ahead, an escape attempt now would get me killed.
    I wondered, with a hollow feeling in my stomach, if I would ever see home again.
     

CHAPTER THREE
Training Base

    Black pants, black kohl around the eyes, dark hair braided under the hood of a black sweater. I’d given myself the best chance at not being seen.
    I peered out my bedroom window. The night was cloudy, of course. I could always rely on the skies of Eriana Kwai to block any hint of moonlight.
    Annith had promised to meet me at the end of my driveway at dark—eleven thirty, at this time of year. I checked the clock. I was a minute late already.
    “Going to Annith’s,” I said as I strode from my room.
    The sound of my mother brushing her teeth carried down the hall.
    “Ish mishle o’ nigh’!”
    I pulled on my boots. “What?”
    A pause while she spat. “It’s the middle of the night!”
    “Yeah. She had a fight with Rik.”
    An easy lie. Boyfriend issues had been a regular occurrence for Annith since we were about twelve.
    Silence. I thought I heard a deep sigh. “Don’t be too late, honey.”
    “Love you.”
    Face buried in the neck of my hoodie, I stepped outside and shut the door. I turned around—and walked straight into someone.
    I let out a small scream, and before I knew what’d happened, Tanuu was stumbling backwards with his hand on his cheek.
    “Ow, Meela! What the hell?”
    I gasped and dropped my fists, pain throbbing across my knuckles. “Tanuu, I’m sorry! I didn’t … I didn’t see you.”
    “’s okay.” He let go of his face, eyeing me.
    “I was just going …” I motioned vaguely across the yard. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah.”
    We stared at each other until the silence became awkward. Above us, a noisy assortment of insects and moths that were easily the size of my palm bounced off the porch light.
    “I’ve wanted to see you,” said Tanuu. “I’ve tried to come by but you’re never home.”
    “I’ve been busy.”
    “Doing what?”
    I stuffed my hands in the pocket of my hoodie and buried my chin, mumbling something about “settling back in” and “homecoming dinners”. It was partly true.
    “I’ve only seen you once since you got back,” he said with a note of accusation.
    “Twice,” I said, as if that made it better.
    “The day you got home doesn’t count, Meela. The whole island was there.”
    I didn’t reply. Moths continued to flutter in the porch light. Not knowing what else to do, I started to walk past Tanuu.
    “Meela, please. I just wanna know if you’re all right. If we’re all right.”
    I turned.
    “I just need some recovery time.”
    He nodded once, but his eyebrows stayed pinched. “I get that. The Massacre’s a lot for anyone to handle. You don’t have to grieve alone, though.”
    I held his gaze. The dim light made his pupils huge, so I felt like I was staring into the face of a baby seal.
    Footsteps crunched behind me. Annith was barely visible, all in black with a hood casting her face into shadow.
    “You coming or what?” she said.
    She stopped at the edge of the porch light, scrutinising Tanuu with black-lined eyes. “Is he coming, too?”
    “No,” I said, at the same time as Tanuu gave a hearty, “Yes.”
    Annith and I exchanged a glance.
    “Annith and I have plans,” I said. “We can talk tomorrow.”
    Not that I wanted to have a