"I knew they were real!"

Dalton pointed straight at Icadora as he stared at her flowing tail, eyes wide, finger trembling, other hand to his mouth as he leant his weight back against Kazimir, knees weak.

Queen Elaina let out a small tsking sound of annoyance and Dalton swung his wide eyes to her.

"You knew!" he cried, "You knew they were real! All this time! Why did you lie to me?!"

Elaina looked back at him, then pursed her lips and refused to say anything.

"Why did you lie to me?!" Dalton shouted, "Why did you try to convince me I was mad? Why did you cultivate the rumour that I was mad? Do you really hate me that much?!"

"Of course I do," Elaina snapped, glaring at him.

Dalton withdrew like she had physically struck out at him, looking away, a flash of heartbreak in his eyes before he covered it and his attention fixed on the hands supporting him.

He looked back at Kazimir for a moment, then his eyes widened and he shoved away from him.

"Your white hair," he muttered, staring, "The white hair, you're her son... you appeared soon after that merman vanished; you're him, aren't you!?"

Kazimir bit his lip then nodded.

"But... but you don't look like him... I don't think... why can't I remember him properly? I don't understand, how did you escape?"

"You can't remember me properly because there is a certain level of enchantment around my human appearance that blurs your memories of me as a merman," Kazimir said slowly, carefully, "You remember far more than you should be able to in all honesty but... well that would be because of your heritage. As for my escape, Aeralie and Perry helped me."

"Perry?" Dalton said, "Cole's crewmate?"

"Yes.

"But Cole wouldn't allow something like that! He knew how much proving I wasn't crazy meant to me!"

"He didn't approve it," Kazimir said quickly, "Perry acted on his own. He's not like other humans... I don't think he's human at all, even partially."

Dalton just gaped at him for a long, long moment. "I put my brother in a cage?" he said, his voice hoarse.

"Yes, you did. Can't say I liked you much back then. But that doesn't matter anymore," Kazimir said quickly, reaching for him, grabbing his wrist, shooting a look back at the king – who was observing them with an impassive expression – before looking back at Dalton.

"Come with us," he said, tightening his grip.

"What?" Dalton said, eyes widening.

"Come back with us. We can transform you, make you a merman. You can come home. You don't have to stay here anymore with these people. We can give you your true form back."

"Now, now, Dallion," the king suddenly said.

"Kazimir!" Kazimir barked back at him, glaring.

Dago smiled. "Kazi, son, you make it sound like the way he is now isn't his true form. He is half human remember, as are you. Your fish-forms are no more you then the version with two legs."

Kazimir glared at him. "You'll forgive me but I have less than complimentary ideas about those with two legs, I consider my mer-form the real me. This is just a disguise – so I might fit in with monsters like you."

"Such language," Dago laughed. "You're just like your mother. It was almost a relief when I could control when and how she spoke. Must say, I miss the venom in her though."

Kazimir turned on him and it was Dalton who grabbed him this time.

"Stop! Stop, haven't you seen what he's done so far to her?" Dalton growled, heaving him back. "If she's anywhere near as dangerous as he makes her out to be and he can clearly control her, don't anger him. I've told you enough times how bad he is!"

"Oh? Sullying my image behind my back, huh?" Dago said, smiling at Dalton, "Shame on you, son. I've never been anything but kind to you."

"Sure," Dalton said, his voice low, "Whatever you say."

Dago widened his grin and he got up.

Kazimir and Dalton moved back as one as he passed but he ignored them, striding across the hall to where Icadora sat. She threw out an arm, pushing Aeralie back and Dago crouched down in front of her, resting his forearms on his thighs as he gave her that same old lovely smile.

"I have an idea," he said.

"How clever of you," Aeralie muttered bitterly.

Dago glanced at her then chuckled. "I like you," he said, "You've got an attitude. You'd make a good verbal sparring partner, I bet. They're so hard to come by in simpering women."

"I'd rip you to shreds, you should avoid the anarchy that would follow," Aeralie sneered.

Dago laughed again and turned his focus back to Icadora. "As I was saying, I have an idea. Kazimir, Dalton and Aeralie can all go home, safe, in one piece. I won't make you do anything to them. They won't be hurt. They can even come back here on occasion when they want to visit."

"Why would they want to visit?" Icadora muttered, her voice dark.

"Because, in exchange for their easy exit, I want you to agree to stay here. By your own freewill. In your human form. To be mine. As you once were and should still be," Dago said.

"NO!"

Kazimir's roar reverberated through the hall as he managed to take two steps towards them before Dalton managed to rearrange his hold on his torso, dragging him back.

"Stop. Stop, Kaz!"

"Don't listen to him! Don't agree to that!" Kazimir snarled as he wrestled against Dalton's grip – how had he never noticed how strong Dalton was?

"It wouldn't be her freewill if you force her into it with a deal like that!" Aeralie snapped, gripping Icadora's shoulders.

Dago just laughed. "But it is, my dear," he said, "She doesn't have to. I'm not commanding her to stay. She can walk away and I can make life very hard for you three. She can stay and you walk out. If you have choice, you have freewill."

"You can't make me do that," Icadora whispered, horror in her voice as he stared at him.

"I'm not going to make you do anything," Dago pointed out. "I have complete and utter control over you and I'm giving you the choice. I'm not such a bad guy, really."

"What about Mother?" Dalton snapped.

Dago looked at his son in confusion and Dalton pointed at Queen Elaina, who looked at him, startled – the surprise shattering the agony that was etched on her face.

"What about your wife?" Dalton snarled, "You know how much your antics hurt her! And now you want to bring back the woman who hurts her the most? Don't you care?!"

"She doesn't mind," Dago said with a smile, looking at Elaina, "Do you dear?"

Elaina looked sick. She looked almost ready to throw up, her skin horrible pale as she trembled, biting her bottom lip, ugly tears blurring her eyes.

"No," she wheezed out, her voice a squeak, "I don't mind."

"See?" Dago said, grinning.

"Why are you so cruel to her?" Dalton snarled.

"I don't know what you mean," Dago said simply, before looking back at Icadora. "Do we have a deal, dearest?"

Icadora stared at him, then looked back at her sons and niece, eyes wide as they watched her calculate the likelihood of them getting away if she was forced to use her powers to stop them.

Dalton had no power of his own at that moment, he couldn't defend himself.

Aeralie was immensely powerful but her talent was for manipulation and that wouldn't work on Icadora so she was at the disadvantage.

Kazimir was without equal, the strongest in the room, after her, but he had no power at that moment. Everything that made him so strong was contained in a glittering ball of light the size of a marble.

Without that, he was just an extra strong human with the power to transform into a merman.

She could decimate them.

She looked back at Dago.

He just smiled at her.

The foot came out of nowhere.

One moment she was staring into his eyes that never smiled.

The next second, she was staring at the sole of a shoe, the top of the foot slamming directly and without pause into Dago's face.

He flew.

All the way across the hall, crashing into the dais stairs.

Elaina started screaming as Icadora looked up in horror at Kazimir who stood in front of her, fists clenches, foot slowly lowering to the floor.

"Kazimir!" she cried in horror but he was gone.

He was across the hall in a second, driving his hand down to lock around the king's throat before he could recover himself, Kazimir's free hand snatching Icadora's Heart and trying to drag it free.

"Someone should have put you down like the sick mongrel you are years ago!" he snarled, his silver eyes blazing, teeth clenched as he wrestled to try and get the necklace free.

Dago scrabbled at the choking hand, flailing as he kept an iron grip on the Heart.

"STOP!" Elaina cried, grabbing Kazimir's shirt and trying to pull him off.

Dalton took a step forwards, then stopped, looking down at his hands. He hadn't meant to loosen his hold on Kazimir, he really hadn't.

Dago's mouth stretched wide as he tried to draw in air, his voice croaking as he tried to get out words.

"I... I... Ge..."

The force that struck Kazimir was as sudden as the foot that had struck Dago.

It was like being tackled from the side, a fist going into his waist

He was lifted into the air and thrown to the left, off the dais, crashing to the ground and skidding, only stopping when he collided with the wall.

"Kazimir!" Aeralie and Dalton shrieked, running to him.

Icadora sat there, one hand still out stretched from where she had sent the shock wave towards her own son.

She put her trembling hands to her mouth, tears filling her eyes, before she raced to transform her tail back into feet and scramble to her feet.

"Kazimir!"

Dago was sat up by then, drawing in deep breath, clutching his throat.

"Are you alright?" Elaina cried.

Dago gave a hoarse chuckle. "Can't imagine where he gets that ruthless side from," he muttered, looking up just in time to see Icadora stumble to her feet. He scrambled up and caught her before she could get across the room, grabbing her arm and wrenching her around.

"Let go of me!" she snarled.

"Maybe I should just stick you in a fish tank and be done with it!" Dago snarled back, "Stop fighting me!"

Icadora's strength considerably lessened.

But she was still fighting him, trying to pull her arms free as he tried to force her back to the floor. She managed to get a hand free at one point and struck him, her nails scratching his face as they tore passed.

He automatically went to strike back but stopped at the last second, not wishing to strike a woman and his hand fell, closing on the first thing he hit. Her necklace swung up into his fist as they struggled and he pulled.

It was wrenched from her throat, making her gasp and Dago froze.

He was still for a moment, then looked down at the necklace he held.

The locket was... there was something about it...

Icadora snatched for it and he moved away, staring at it, before he carefully clicked it open.

It contained a ball was swirling, glowing light, dozens of colours wrapped in a layer of glittering white, shining up at him, simple and yet...

He held up Icadora's Heart, staring at it and his eyes widened.

This... this wasn't a Heart... this was what he'd hoped to get when he'd stolen her Heart.

This was power.

This was the true power that was hidden within Hearts and could not be accessed just by possession of the Heart. Icadora kept all her power without her Heart... but this...

"How do I control this power?" he said, looking up at Icadora.

"Give that back!" Icadora snarled. "You cannot have that! You can have my Heart and me but you cannot have that!"

"How do I get the power?"

"Give it back!"

"How?!"

"Please!"

"I'm ordering you! HOW?!"

"You swallow it!"

Icadora's eyes widened and she clamped her hands to her mouth.

Dago smiled at her. "Thank you, dearest," he said as she stared shaking her head.

"NO!" she screamed, lunging for him.

He tossed the pearl of light back just as she grabbed his arms and she let out a screaming wail when he swallowed.

"What are you done?!" Icadora cried, shaking him, "What have you done?!"

Dago grinned at her then looked at Elaina, pointing at her.

"Sleep," he ordered.

Elaina looked at him in confusion for a moment, before she blinked, and then collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

Icadora and Dago looked at her then Dago started laughing.

"That was easy," he said, "Tell me, whose power have I come into the possession of?"

Icadora was just staring at Elaina, stunned and silent.

"Is it Kazimir's?"

Icadora slowly looked at him, eyes wide.

"I'll say it is, seeing as he's not tried to use any power the whole time here," Dago said simply, then leant down and kissed Icadora on the cheek. "Go to sleep, Dearest," he muttered in her ear.

She collapsed into his arm in a dead faint.

Aeralie and Dalton looked away from Kazimir's limp form as Dago gently laid Icadora on the ground and Aeralie's eyes widened.

"What are you done?" she gasped, turning towards him.

Dago looked towards them and Aeralie collapsed.

Dalton caught her, staring before looking at his father.

"W... what?" he gasped.

"You know, merfolk can have some unbelievable powers," Dago said, sweeping Icadora's hair from her face and getting to his feet. "You probably have some, if you had your Heart of course. I always wanted that power. Do you have any idea what it would mean to be a human who commands the sea?"

"What... did you do...?" Dalton muttered, looking between the others.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that for now," Dago said lightly, looking at him, before tilting his head to the side. "Just go to sleep." 

~~~

Next up: Monday

Art By: Google Image

Who's bright idea was it to leave this chapter off at a place like this!? Tch, Authors are so inconsiderate, TCH!