Sacred Breath Series (Books 1-4)

by Nadia Scrieva

  The narrow bed was so inappropriate for his stature that he needed to scrunch up his shoulders to fit on it—still, his arms grazed the sides of the cylinder through which he was being inched. Trevain wondered to himself if this was the way that a bullet felt as it was forced to journey through a claustrophobic barrel. The bullet surely had no choice in the matter, and neither did Trevain.

  Was this what he had been reduced to?

  That was it; his composure buckled under the weight of that final proverbial straw. The notion of a bullet exiting a nozzle pushed him over the edge, and he expelled the air from his lungs in an angry gust which he felt like he had been holding in for a lifetime. He began to claw and worm his way out of the cylinder. Once he was freed from his magnetic medical bondage and repositioned vertically, he began to feel his control of the situation returning. He headed for the door, ignoring the loud beeping noise which had begun. He ran directly into a distressed physician.

  “Sir, we haven’t finished the procedure…”

  “Forget the bloody procedure!” Trevain shouted. “My wife is missing, and I need to focus on getting her back.”

  A taller, bald man with authority in his stride came up behind the doctor, and looked at Trevain understandingly. “Captain Murphy, I can assure you that everything in our power is being done to find her. Please, just lie down and let us take a few more scans. It takes less than an hour; it’ll be over in no time.”

  “I’m not going to waste another moment here,” Trevain said with a frown. “My wife is missing. Do any of you understand that? We can do MRIs from now until the second coming. It’s not going to change my anatomy.”

  The physician lifted his hands in a pleading gesture. “We need information for our journals—we need to publish these findings. It has never been documented…”

  “Documented?” Trevain asked as he advanced on the doctor menacingly. “Documented?

  “Captain Murphy, there’s so much we don’t understand. There’s a chemical in your blood that acts like a natural antifreeze, and the cell structure of your fat cells is so much more efficient…”

  “Yes. I’m a human being who can breathe underwater. Accept it! I have a second pair of amphibious lungs—you did the autopsies on the bodies we delivered. You get the picture.”

  “Autopsies are one thing, but we require living tissue…”

  “Enough! There are thousands like me worldwide. I am sick and tired of being poked and prodded like some kind of alien organism.” Trevain snarled as he advanced on the doctor. “I’m an American citizen, not a circus freak. I pay my taxes—in fact I’ve paid more in taxes than any of you will ever earn in your entire lives!”

  The bald man cleared his throat. “Captain Murphy, it is not our intention to infringe upon your rights or comfort. You have been doing all of science—and your country—a great favor by volunteering yourself for these tests. I fully recognize that you are troubled by the circumstances in your personal life, and you believe that these exams are counterproductive…”

  “Counterproductive?” Trevain asked, knitting his brows in disbelief. “Marshal Landou, I believe that these experiments are a complete and utter fucking waste of time. I need to find Aazuria.”

  When Trevain turned to leave, storming savagely out of the compound, he did not see that a soldier in the shadows had a gun pointed at his back. Marshal Landou lifted his hand and shook his head to instruct the soldier to refrain from firing. They allowed Trevain to leave.

  The soldier looked at the general with confusion. “Why didn’t you let me tranquilize him, Marshal? You said that…”

  “It’s okay. He’ll be back,” Marshal Landou said. “The mermaid ‘king’ needs something from us, and he’ll have to cooperate.”

  “Excuse me, Marshal,” the doctor interjected. “Perhaps we should stop bothering Trevain Murphy and examine some of the less important but much purer specimens. He is only a half-breed after all.”

  “He won’t allow it. He’s trying to protect them,” Marshal Landou explained. The bald man smirked. “It’s futile, of course, but his tenacity is endearing.”

  “Your intentions are beyond unethical. By their projected numbers, Homo sapiens marinus are an endangered species—or at least vulnerable,” the doctor argued. “For the sake of science, we have a responsibility to preserve…”

  “Lions and tigers are also endangered. My good doctor, that’s why we keep them in zoos.”

  “For god’s sake, man! These are people! Human beings who speak English and, as the captain pointed out, even pay taxes.”

  “Relax. It was only a joke—a metaphor, at most.” Marshal Landou reached up to stroke his smooth chin before speaking again. “The truth is that I would be less apprehensive about these foreigners if they were from outer space. The sea—the sea is bizarre and unkind, and I can’t fathom what kind of beasts would breed in a godforsaken place like that.”

  Elandria felt the gentle swirl of water tossing fabric around her legs. She enjoyed the caressing sensation peacefully until its persistence stirred her awake. She opened one eye curiously to see who was disturbing her. Smiling sadly at her gentle attacker, she reached out and placed a hand on her friend’s partly submerged head.

  “Both of my sisters are gone now,” she murmured. “I only have you.”

  Elandria had fallen asleep with one leg in the water and one on land, as if she could not decide in which realm she wanted to remain. She sighed, and turned her eyes upward to observe the dimly lit cave ceiling. She stretched her limbs out, causing the whole right half of her body to be moistened. Lately, she just wanted to sleep. Feeling a gentle caress across her palm, and the texture of soft yet leathery skin under her fingers, she smiled.

  “Were you keeping watch over me as I slept?” she asked, allowing her fingers to stroke the warm, wizened surface. There was no response. She turned to look at her friend, and innocent dark eyes stared back at her, blinking once. “Oh, Cassie. You poor sweetheart.”

  Cassandra, the manatee, responded with an understanding purr.

  Of course she understood! Steller’s sea cow was extinct in the wild. Cassandra and her family members were part of the only remaining herd of these immense but gentle giants. They had been kept in Adlivun in a special reserve. Elandria had not known that they would be hunted to extinction, but knowing their innocence and tameness, she had petitioned her father to keep the massive creatures as pets. For all of his selfish, tyrannical tendencies, King Kyrosed had often entertained the whims of his daughters. He had designated this private sanctuary just for her. While common manatees were part of the staple diet of the residents of Adlivun, they recognized that this particular species was unique, and they treated them with reverence.

  The dimensions of the creatures were remarkable—at thirty feet in length, and weighing roughly ten tons, Cassandra was probably one of the largest living cuddly companions any girl had ever curled up next to with a good book. Yet this particular sea cow was so docile that she did not even twitch as Elandria leaned against her, for a twitch from Cassandra created small waves in the little underground lagoon which would have surely moistened Elandria’s pages. No, the creature was demure and meek, much like Elandria herself. She was withdrawn from the rest of her herd, and she liked to sit with the princess in silence as the rest of her family socialized and sang to each other. Cassandra seemed to prefer Elandria’s company, and she rolled over and over in delight with a huge smile on her face whenever the silent girl sang to her.

  Some of Adlivun’s residents were superstitious and fearful of the beasts, but it was silly; they were herbivores who only feasted on kelp, and they were very fond of humans. Elandria greatly preferred them to people. Especially now. She crawled into the water, and lay her head against the manatee’s neck with a sigh.

  “Can I just stay here with you forever, Cassie?” she whispered. The manatee hummed happily; a melodious sound which resonated through her body, and against Elandria’s cheek. The vibrations ripp
led through Elandria’s chest, soothing her heart.

  Elandria’s eyes had been closed for several minutes when a loud voice interrupted her, causing her to jump in fear.

  “Princess Elandria?” came the sharp, professional address.

  Elandria turned to her attacker with wide eyes, and saw that it was a tall redheaded woman; one of the Ramaris twins. At a glance, she knew it was Sionna, the physician. Cassandra was startled by the intrusion and began to swim away from the shore, back into the darker part of the lagoon. For a creature comparable in size to a dinosaur, Cassandra was painfully timid. It was part of the reason she and Elandria connected so well.

  “It’s a mess up there, Elan. I need to be in the infirmary, but I came to speak with you because things are getting intense above the surface. There are tabloid rumors everywhere, and the council is considering accepting the offer of an official press conference,” Sionna said. She held up some newspapers. “Would you like to see the latest articles?”

  Elandria’s lips clamped tightly shut. She turned her head away from the redhead and looked down at her long white braid, which she nervously began to squeeze.

  Sionna cleared her throat, obviously impatient with Elandria’s reticence. “Would you like me to read the papers to you?” Receiving no answer, she took the liberty of making the decision. “Here’s a nice headline: Alaskan Fisherman Survives Wreck—Discovers he Can Breathe Underwater. That’s basically true, so it’s not so bad. Mermaids Exist! Responsible for Mass Murders of Fishermen. That’s technically true too, although they don’t specify which particular clan is responsible. Newly discovered! A Predator Worse than Sharks or Crocodiles; Keep Your Children Away From the Water! Do you see why things need to be sorted out?”

  When Elandria still did not respond, Sionna approached her, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder. Elandria visibly flinched and Sionna prodded her again. “Look, Elan—I understand that you feel comfortable talking to the sea cows, but you don’t want to talk to people. That’s fine with me, but we really need you to step up and fill Queen Aazuria’s shoes.”

  Elandria lowered her head, staring down at the fabric of her white dress. Malachite green was the color of Adlivun, but in times of mourning, they could choose to wear white. She had been wearing white since her sister had been taken.

  “Elandria? Are you going to respond to me?” Sionna asked again. “I’m really needed elsewhere, you know. This job has fallen into your hands—no one else can take over. My sister is too impulsive. Visola is governed by passion. We need you, Elandria—you are the most reasonable person among us. You have tact and decorum.”

  Elandria looked over her shoulder at Sionna with fear in her eyes. Her expression was communicative even if she was silent—she could not do what was required of her. She could not handle these responsibilities. She had lost every remaining member of her blood family, and all she wanted to do was hide and sleep.

  “Darling, I know it’s been difficult,” Sionna said, kneeling in the water at Elandria’s side. She took one of Elandria’s hands into her own. “If I could do it for you, I would—but my hands are full. We need you to speak at the press conference. Trevain’s going to be there, but he’s an American—we need a native representative of Adlivun. Someone who has the poise and elegance to answer every question diplomatically. We need you, Elandria.”

  Had Sionna gone mad? Elandria did not have enough courage to speak to her closest family and friends. How could she speak to a nation which outnumbered hers by a vast proportion?

  “Visola can’t lead. She’s too trigger-happy,” Sionna reiterated slowly. “We need someone who is careful and observant. Someone who thinks before she speaks. Someone who deliberates long and hard before she acts. You’re a brilliant pearl concealed in a fortress of shells. Layer after layer of calcium carbonate. You have to break out of it now, Elan. You have to do it for Aazuria.”

  A glint of emotion flashed in Elandria’s pale blue eyes.

  Sionna saw this glimmer of a reaction, and she continued pushing, with a small smile on her lips. “When we get Zuri back, and we will get Zuri back, what do you think she’s going to feel about the mess we made of her country?”

  Elandria ripped her hand away from Sionna and quickly responded in sign language, while glaring at the other woman. “We did not get Corallyn back. Not in one piece.”

  Sionna looked stricken. “That may be true, but you can’t give up on Aazuria. She’s stronger than Coral was. She can…”

  “There has not been a ransom note,” Elandria signed with her hands. “There has been no word of any kind. You called me reasonable, Sionna. If I am to be reasonable, I must accept that Aazuria is dead. You are an intelligent woman, and you know this to be true. Perhaps if I were stronger, I could do what is expected of me and fulfill my obligations. But my sister was my whole world, and I cannot go on without her.”

  The two women stared at each other for a moment, neither of them speaking.

  “I understand,” Sionna said finally.

  “I am sorry,” said Elandria with her hands. “My heart is just not strong enough.”

  “Excuse me!” Sionna snapped, her forehead furrowing. “As your heart surgeon, I can’t help but take that personally. Your heart is perfectly fine, if not stronger than before.”

  This coaxed the shadow of a smile out of Elandria. “I meant no offense. Of course, physically you patched me up perfectly. But there is something else in me that is weak; my spirit perhaps, or my inua. Whatever it is, you cannot reach it through any operation. It is my fault that I am weak, and not yours.”

  “You are much stronger than you believe,” Sionna responded, “but I will respect your decision, and I will not bother you again. I will let you have your privacy and peace among the sea cows.”

  “Thank you. Do not worry so. All of Adlivun loves Visola,” Elandria signed. “Oftentimes, she had more authority than Queen Aazuria. She already leads the military with ease, so it is not such a huge leap for her to lead the whole nation. If she gets too aggressive and out of control, you can temper her. She listens to you.”

  Sionna frowned. “What in Sedna’s name makes you think that Visola would ever listen…”

  The sound of a throat being cleared interrupted her, and both women turned to the cave entrance. The messenger, Naclana, had quietly entered the room.

  “Dr. Ramaris,” he said respectfully, with a bow. “You must come at once. There’s an emergency. It’s Alcyone.”

  Chapter 2: The Kelp Forest

  He had never imagined such splendor could exist in such frigid, godforsaken depths.

  Trevain had been swimming for hours before he realized he was lost. He had to admit that he still did not know the bowels of the sea as well as he knew its skin. Or perhaps his despair had been blinding him and distorting his sense of direction and overall composure. He had been so focused on the furious forward motion that orientation had not mattered. Surely if he was swimming, and if all of his largest muscle groups were engaged in a disciplined, strenuous physical activity, he was making more progress than he was while lying on his back and being documented. At least it felt that way.

  He noticed a shadowy configuration in the distance, and believed it to be part of Adlivun. Trevain adjusted his course, but when he drew nearer to the edifice he was perturbed to recognize that the darkness was not a dwelling, nor an island. It was a forest of swaying seaweed. It was denser than a rainforest and far more colorful. As Trevain felt himself drawn into the thicket of kelp, he felt as though he were weaving between the rows of a colossal cornfield.

  Enormous featherlike structures swayed back and forth around Trevain, and he could not shake the feeling that the dark undersea forest was alive. He sensed that the sea was trying to comfort him, trying to envelop him in a soft seaweed embrace. The waters seemed to know what they had taken from him. He had learned the hard way that forgiving the sea only gave it the creative license to boil him alive again. This time, he would not relent to i
ts offerings.

  It was too late to make reparations.

  Trevain reached out and grasped large handfuls of the soft pillars of kelp, digging his fingers into the innocent plants and tearing them apart. He attacked the fragments, and ripped them into lesser forms, channeling all of his fury into his arms as he hacked and slashed, vengefully destroying this child of the deep.

  The sea had taken his child. He would never get the chance to behold his unborn son or daughter, who was lost along with his new wife. Aazuria had been his soulmate.

  Once, he had been able to look at a plant and discover wisdom. He had contemplated a bonsai tree until he realized that he felt just as constricted and inhibited as the poor thing. Through staring at the plight of the ceramic pot, he had recognized that he did not feel at home on the land, long before he had known anything else was a possibility. Once, he had looked at a mushroom growing in an undersea cavern, far away from sunlight, and his unborn child had come to the forefront of his mind. He had known then that he must stop mourning the lives which had been lost; the deaths of Corallyn and his crew members. He had seen that he must embrace the new life which he had created, and focus on the new beauty he had found in the world, for life must go on.

  Now, as he beheld the surreal kelp forest, he realized that he had been foolish and romantic. Life was random. The sea was just water—cold, inhuman, merciless waves.

  It gave and it took arbitrarily. It was indiscriminate and erratic. Nothing meant anything, and he was disappointed that this realization was coming to him so late. The truth was that he had worshipped life with a passion, he had celebrated the existence of every little creature as magical. He had become close to Aazuria because she had seen the same qualities in the world. She had treasured all within her realm so much that she had been willing to lay down her own life to protect her friends. Her friends knew this, and they had done the same for her; seeing the way his grandmother had gone to the greatest lengths imaginable to protect Aazuria had inspired and warmed his heart like no feat he had ever witnessed.