Sacrifice the Sea

Sacrifice the Sea AN MMM LITTLE MERMAID RETELLING BEAUTIFUL NIGHTMARES BOOK THREE ANNA FURY AMY PENNZA Copyright © Anna Fury & Amy Pennza 2023 E-Book ASIN: B0C1P6TDB1 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-957873-36-7 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. If you read this book ANYWHERE other than Amazon, it is a pirated copy and we are not being reimbursed for our work. Don’t be that person. Please. Cover - Miblart Cover Photo - DepositPhotos Content Notice Sacrifice the Sea is intended for mature audiences due to adult themes that might be triggering for sensitive readers. These include on-page murder, wartime, mention of parental death, mention of child abuse, and murderous intent. While the themes of this retelling feel dark, the deep love between our characters is a beautiful light at the end of the tunnel. This book ends with a happily ever after. Take care of yourself, and email us with any questions. [email protected] [email protected] Contents Prologue 1. Ari 2. Triton 3. Ursan 4. Ari 5. Triton 6. Ari 7. Ursan 8. Triton 9. Ursan 10. Ari 11. Triton 12. Ari 13. Ari 14. Triton 15. Ursan 16. Triton 17. Ursan 18. Triton 19. Ari 20. Ursan Epilogue An Excerpt from Temper the Flame About Anna Fury Books by Anna Fury About Amy Pennza Also by Amy Pennza Prologue TRITON I should feel elated, but I’m numb instead. I pump my tailfin once, moving quickly down a long hallway of the desecrated underwater city my clan has finally reclaimed. The coral walls and ceiling are missing giant chunks. The windows are blown wide. Our war with the leviathans nearly cost us everything, but my clan emerged victorious. Ahead, the doors to the Great Hall are thrown open, one panel ripped off its hinges. I slip inside and gaze at the carnage, remembering the space when it was full of life. Six months ago, I held court here. Hosted parties and presided over mating ceremonies. Now, the Hall is a ruined husk, the sounds of laughter and celebration a faded memory. The war with the leviathans was not my choice. But I fought it, banishing the selfish, cruel creatures to the ocean's depths. Now, I'm saddled with the responsibility of not only leading my clan but serving as the Lord of the Sea Syndicate. The latter isn't my choice, either. Until a week ago, another clan’s king led the syndicate. I was happy to follow him. Then the leviathans rose from the trenches and slaughtered my predecessor’s entire clan. And then the remaining three lords of the syndicates called upon me to replace him. The sea has always been dangerous. No one else wanted to rule. But someone had to. “The sea must remain peaceful at all costs,” the lords reminded me. As I look around my dying coral castle, I wonder if the costs are simply too high. Voices echo through the murky water, drawing my gaze toward the throne room. With a flick of my tailfin, I move toward it. Silt swirls in lazy eddies as I pass. The seabed hasn't settled from the fight. We won mere hours ago, but the battle was vicious. I’ve lost half my clan. Maybe more. I enter the throne room. Ari, my second, looks up from where he stands next to the big, coral-covered chair. He grips the edge with one hand, his knuckles white against his already pale skin. His jaw is clenched, his beautiful green tail stiff. He looks ready to crack. Seated on my throne is my third, Crallek, the sea witch. Eight long, dark tentacles curl around the throne’s legs, suctioning him firmly in place. On my fucking throne. Crallek's voice is slurred as he shouts across the room. “Finally returned to celebrate, have you, Triton? We won, my king! We did it!” He raises a pouch to his lips, and his burnished cheeks hollow as he gulps. He’s always had a penchant for siren mead, even though we rarely interact with the all-female clans. They’re dangerous like nearly everything else in the sea. Ari’s emerald eyes flash as he holds my gaze. He knows where I’ve been this evening. What I’ve been doing. I resist the urge to finger the shell locket around my neck. It’s hidden under the many layers of necklaces I wear, each holding a different, important meaning. I pin Crallek with a hard look and let my displeasure bleed into my tone. “Off the throne, Third. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and it does not include you sitting there.” If there’s one thing I won’t tolerate now that we’ve won the war, it’s anyone but me sitting in that chair. Cementing my place as Lord of the Sea Syndicate came at a high fucking cost. That throne is mine. Crallek's dark eyes narrow. “A little touchy, are we?” His tentacles curl more tightly around the throne’s legs. I'm across the room in seconds. I reach out and grip his throat, my thumb claw pressed to his jugular. With a growl, I yank him off my seat, relishing the sound of his suckers ripping from the dead coral surface. A chunk of throne breaks away and falls to the seabed—a potent reminder of just how tenuous my rule is right now. I thrust my face into Crallek’s. “The syndicate lords asked me to take over the Sea Syndicate. They entrusted me to banish the leviathans to their depths. They have empowered me to act on behalf of