The Sea King's Daughter Read Free Page A

above the sea.
    "Please," I said. "Just tell Grandmother you'll go along and keep an eye on me." I glanced over at Galatea and Amphitrite, who giggled and shot nasty glances in my direction. Ino and Nysa had their heads together, too. I wrinkled my nose. "If you don't help me, I swear I'll murder someone," I told Thetis. "Probably one of those chattering imbeciles you call my sisters. Look at them. They can't wait for me to do something wrong so they can run and tattle to Grandmother."
    "They're not so bad." Thetis glanced at her reflection in the surface of her jade-studded silver bracelet. Today she seemed even dreamier and more distracted than usual. "You should try harder to get along with them."
    I gave a short, sharp laugh. "I'd rather kiss a stinging jellyfish. You're the only sister I can stand, you know that."
    Thetis frowned. "I won't be around forever, Nyx."
    I felt a stab of fear. "What do you mean?"
    "Well, I don't know," Thetis said. She twisted her bracelet around her wrist with a far-away expression in her eyes. "I'll get married someday."
    I breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that. I'll just visit you."
    Thetis turned her face away. "Of course." She hesitated. "Nyx, I --"
    "What?"
    "Never mind. If I help you go off alone for an hour or two, what will I do with myself?"
    I smiled. "I don't care, just as long as you stay out of sight," I said. "So you'll do it? You'll tell Grandmother you're my chaperone?"
    A worry line creased Thetis' brow, but she nodded. "I wish you'd really let me go with you. What if something happens? What if you get hurt?"
    My cheeks burned at her fussing. I hated the way everyone, even Thetis, treated me like a child. I knew Thetis would never agree if I told her my plans. "I can take care of myself," I said. "Nothing will go wrong. I promise. I'll be home before dark."
     
    Six feet under, the water was calm and sleepy, but I could feel the pressure of the waves above my head. The wind blew hard, driving muddy white-crowned crests before it. Rain speckled the surface. The fish exploded in all directions. Sars climbed up from the bottom and dived again. Mullets and bass jigged under the boiling carpet of rain. Their excitement was contagious, and I longed to join the celebration.
    Before I poked my head out of the water, I hesitated. I remembered the panicky feeling of suffocation from the first time. I dreaded the pain, but I craved the new experience more. Gathering my courage, I burst up out of the sea and into the rain.
    Surfacing didn't hurt so much the second time. Drawing my first breath, I felt a piercing ache in my lungs. But I didn't choke, and there was no terror. This time, I knew that half a dozen breaths would loosen the iron band around my chest.
    When my heart stopped pounding and my lungs no longer ached, I looked around. This storm-tossed sea was a different creature entirely from the calm, shining surface I'd seen the week before. Gray clouds closed in over my head, matching the slate-colored waters. The rain pelted my hair and my cheeks. I tasted the fat, cold drops. The fresh water shocked my tongue.
    I missed Ios, but I saw no sign of my favorite dolphin. She never came when I wanted her. Instead, she appeared and disappeared at will, tagging along for a while and then leaving me behind. Sometimes I thought she only came to see what trouble I'd get into next.
    I swam through the center of the storm. It felt marvelously wild and exciting. Minutes passed like seconds. Clouds blocked out the sun, but I could tell by the gathering dark that night would fall soon. I knew I should turn back. Thetis would worry.
    At that moment, as I was about to dive, I spotted the shadow of a sail in the distance. The temptation was too great to resist. I made my way toward the storm-tossed ship. Wave after wave broke over my head.
    I'd known this was a day for adventure. I would see my first human today.
    I had to be careful, of course. I couldn't help shivering a little as I remembered a