Forever (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #5)(66)

Mina rolled her eyes and went charging after them. Kino split off from the other two. Mina followed him as he went through the back storage areas and made it to the front of the exhibits.

“Don’t worry, my friends, I’ll have you free.” Kino opened his mouth and a high pitch came forth making the closest exhibit explode. The saltwater flowed forth, bringing a school of jellyfish toward Mina’s feet. She tried to get out of the way for fear of being stung.

“Kino, stop!” Mina called. “You can’t do this.”

The male siren turned to stare at her. His eyes were filled with pain. “I can’t let them live like this. They need to be free. No one should live as a prisoner. No one.” He whispered the last two words.

“I know this is hard for you. I understand, but this isn’t your world. There are rules to follow. You can’t just come into a place and start blowing it up.” She tried to speak calmly, despite the blaring alarm.

Kino ignored her and moved over to the largest tank. Inside, she could see the sharks swimming in frenzied circles, upset by the sound and the vibration of the last blast. He laid his hands against the glass and placed his forehead against it. “They’re so beautiful.”

“And deadly. Please, step away from the glass. The police are on their way, and if we don’t leave, we’ll be arrested.”

“I’d like to see them try. I’m too strong for them.” He smirked. But when he faced her, his smile fell again. “Can you not hear their cries to be free?”

Mina tried to listen, but her head was pounding. “No, I don’t hear anything.”

“That’s because you’re not trying.”

“I am trying.”

He didn’t seem to believe her and stepped away from the glass. More sharks came, now extremely interested in Kino’s movements. Maybe he could hear them, but she couldn’t let him continue.

Kino turned to the smaller aquariums, and he blasted out the glass. Small turtles and frogs fell to the floor. Mina didn’t think Kino had a strategy, he was too emotional—endangering the creatures more than he was helping them. She was grateful that—at least—he was attacking in bursts, so he wouldn’t bring the whole building down around them.

Mina had made it past the jellyfish and followed him down the hall until he stood inside the giant aquatic tube. He stared up in awe at the thousands of gallons of water surrounding him, confused at what he was walking through.

“Kino, stop right now. We have to leave.”

“This isn’t just a game anymore, Princess,” he said. “I have a duty to let them free.” He lifted his hands, and his mouth opened to let out a loud piercing shriek.

Mina covered her ears and fell to her knees in pain. She watched in horror as spider like cracks ran up the sides of the tubes. Pain wracked her brain, and she had to grit her teeth and force herself to get up and run toward Kino, but her equilibrium was off. She couldn’t walk without stumbling. Rivulets of water ran down the tunnel and started to soak the carpet. How long before it gave out and crushed them? “You’re being selfish, Kino. Please. Another day, another time, but you are jeopardizing the whole reason we came here, and that was to stay low and find my brother.”

She could read all of the emotions plane as day across his face, and she knew he was struggling internally. She didn’t blame him for his need to free the animals of the sea. She just faulted his methods and timing.

He released another almost inaudible yell, and her head throbbed.

The crack along the tube got longer. Her shoes were now soaked, and the carpet made squishing noises as she moved closer to him.

Mina pushed her panic aside and used her fury to thrust her will upon him. He didn’t think she could do it again? Well, he was wrong. “You will stop!”

Kino stopped his piercing yell, and his hands fell to his sides. She could see the golden glow in his eyes. “Make your way back to the ship now, and wait below deck for Ternan and Winona. You will tell them what you’ve done.”

He struggled against her. She watched as he tried to fight her power of suggestion. Before, he’d been willing to let her use it on him. This time it was a struggle, but she wasn’t going to let up. She felt power rush to her, and she pushed everything she had into her words. “Obey me.”

His back stiffened, and he turned and walked out of the room.

Mina collapsed on the ground and gently touched her ears. Small trails of blood had eked out, but it was worse than that.

Over the pain in her ears, Mina heard the distinct sound of cracking.

“Oh no!” She darted out of the tube just as it broke, and thousands of gallons of water filled the walkway behind her.

She ran down the hall, overcome with rushing water. She fought to get her head above water. Just as she regained her footing, something large knocked her into the wall. Mina screamed when she realized it was a shark, but the shark wasn’t interested in her. It was going with the flow of water. Thankfully, she hadn’t been directly under the aquarium when it broke. Still, while the water pulled at her feet and pushed her head forward, she wondered if she’d make it to the exit.

She slipped, fell, and climbed back to her feet only to be knocked over again. Then the water picked her up and carried her right out the double doors. Mina found herself in the middle of the dock, looking up at the night sky, alit with flashing red and blue lights.