Book2. Mina - The Drowned Palace 5

Book2. Mina - The Drowned Palace 5
Still, some part of Mina wanted to believe that somewhere on Aylarra was the answer, the key to bringing back Jayden’s Beast. If there was, she was determined to find it, to make Jayden whole again. Not only his mind, but his soul as well. Because losing something so important, something that was part of what made Jayden an ocxoa, would devastate him once he realized the truth. And she hated that for him, for he had given everything and lost so much.
“When we returned from Isyleon Island, we discovered that the Necromancer, whom so many had died trying to defeat and imprison, had been freed.”
All the horrors of that day rushed back to her, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak of Caesar and Shaun’s deaths. Maybe there was still a tiny chance they had somehow survived, just as Jayden had. Maybe they too had lost their ocxoas but kept their lives.
She was barely holding on by a thread, madness slipping into what remained of her sanity. For Jayden, she had to be strong.
She closed her eyes for a moment to gather her thoughts. Her body tensed as she expected to be attacked the second she stopped paying attention. Some twisted part of her wanted the merfolk to try to kill her, and she was ready to scream until she sent them flying into the Void. She wanted others to feel even just a fraction of what she had endured, of her heartbreak.
But they didn’t move, waiting to hear what else she had to say. So Mina opened her eyes and continued telling her story.
“That day, I felt the man who meant everything to me die, and a part of me died with him. You can’t even begin to imagine the pain I’ve felt, the way my soul screamed in agony, and how badly I wanted to die, to be reunited with him. And maybe I would have given up on life, but one night, while I was in the hands of King Stig, a prisoner in his Sky Prison, I felt my husband’s arms around me. It gave me the strength to keep going.
“It was then that I promised myself I would avenge him, that I would make everyone who had a hand in what happened to Jayden pay.”
Not long after arriving in Ora Dorei, Mina had learned that Jayden hadn’t actually died. But he was no longer the man she had fallen in love with, because the one who had died was his Beast, and his mind was now splintered, fragmented.
Her voice quivered as she added, “He doesn’t even recognize me.”
As happy as she was that Jayden had survived, she couldn’t pretend she was all right with him being Abeel. Or Rax. Or whoever else he claimed to be.
She wanted Jayden back. She wanted her husband back, the man she had fallen in love with. It mattered little to her now whether he loved her back or not.
And she would get him back.
“And this is why I am here, because my voice is the only thing that can heal him, the only thing that can bring him back to me.
“I thought I could trust the mermaids, but you are just like Rosalyn—beautiful on the outside, but rotten on the inside.”
With that, Mina let go of Princess Riva.
“I’m done,” she added, dropping the fang before swimming toward Leith.
“Wait!” Princess Riva called out.
But Mina didn’t stop.
“What we did was uncalled for,” the mermaid princess added. “Let us at least treat your wounds.”
Mina had almost forgotten the serpent had bitten her. The rage coursing through her had been greater than the pain from her throbbing wounds, but now, with no distractions, her arm and leg felt as though they were on fire. She also started to feel dizzy—probably from the blood loss. But the way her body burned—from the inside out…
“Is… the serpent venomous?” Mina asked as she felt herself slipping in and out of consciousness.
“Nothing lethal,” a reply came, but Mina couldn’t tell who had spoken as her ears started to ring and black spots appeared in her vision.
“Let’s get her inside,” another voice added, and when hands grabbed her, she let sleep take her.

Mina woke up several hours later on a soft bed of water plants, pearls woven between them, with no trace of her previous wounds.
Princess Riva sat nearby, studying a book made of silver plates, but set it aside as soon as she noticed that Mina had regained consciousness.
The room they were in was like nothing Mina had ever seen before. It was quite large, with several beds arranged along both sides.
Crystals covered the ceiling, while pearls of different shapes, colors, and sizes were arranged on the walls in such a way that they formed all sorts of images. It reminded Mina of mosaics and paintings.
Big seashells were used for everything from shelves and wardrobes to chairs and tables.
“Andromeda will start teaching you everything she knows the moment you are ready,” the princess informed her.
“Why?” Mina asked, because she was sure she couldn’t trust the mermaids.
Sadness flashed in the green gaze of the mermaid princess. “I think we started on the wrong tail. But know that our intentions were never to harm you.”
Mina snorted at that. “You could have fooled me.”
Princess Riva smiled, which prompted Mina to add, “Let me guess—it was an accident that the sea serpent attacked me.”
The mermaid princess snorted. “Varyx is normally a sweetheart, but when it comes to protecting this place, it can turn into a heartless beast. It was never about killing you, but about testing you. Seeing what you would do.”
Mina had never heard anyone refer to a sea monster as a sweetheart, but decided not to mention that. And while she didn’t trust the mermaids, she was almost sure the princess was telling her the truth.
“What made you change your mind about helping me?” Mina inquired. “Was it my sad story?”
Princess Riva’s gaze turned even greener. “No. It was your strength and courage. Your refusal to give up even when you had every reason to do so. But more than that, I am positive you are a descendant of a great warrior mermaid—Tethys. If that is true, your voice is unlike any other, and it would be a real honor to teach you how to use it.”
“And how can we be sure?” Mina wondered.
“By testing your voice in the Crystal Forest. But first, you will need to learn how to channel your magic into a song.” 

The next POV should be Aksel's. I will update in a couple of days.