A deep voice speaks near my ear, "Don't do anything or I will plunge this knife into your throat."
I blink back the water suddenly coming into my eyes blurring my vision and nod. He pulls me backward with the knife at my neck. He turns us to face the building that seemed so interesting to me a few minutes before. Now my brain is screaming at me not to go in there. Luckily though, the tingle comes up through my fin and overtakes the rest of me fast. I embrace it and darkness.
Chapter 43
James
I traveled back to the caves as soon as I left Amber's dwelling. I'd like to talk to Ever, but if she's with the fighters, then that's one place, I won't be welcome. The caves are deserted it seems. I swim through the halls looking for Jack. I find him in a room down the hall from mine. The door is cracked. I can see him lying on his back atop the bunk. I knock. He glances over and sees that it's me.
"Come in."
I push the door and swim in. The room is probably the most sparse I've seen yet. It reminds me almost of a jail cell. I know not a very nice analogy but it's barren. A bunk is all there is. Almost as if he doesn't really live here. I at least have my bag of belongings in my room.
He pulls up to a sitting position. He looks so exhausted. I back away a little, "Hey, maybe you should get some sleep."
He looks down for a minute before answering, "I can't, sleep I mean." He adds, "I just...it doesn't come, I try but..."
I come further into the room, "Is this because of Ever? Why did you come to see her?"
He shakes his head, "James, it doesn't matter. Did you get into the city?"
Anger surfaces through my veins, what is he talking about, "Of course it matters, dude you really messed up. I saw your sister, she is so upset over this."
He looks up and asks, "Did you get to see your sister?"
I shake my head, "She wasn't there."
I swim in further and sit next to him on the bunk, "Just tell me Jack, this whole thing doesn't seem right."
He gets up suddenly, "Jaspen wanted you to report straight to the battle lines as soon as you got back. He's already angry that I didn't go with you. I'm glad you came back, it would have been my head if you didn't."
Without giving me a chance to say anything else, he swims away down the hall. I get up and follow. He's obviously not telling me something.
***
As we approach Jaspen, I notice huge sparks of light flying through the water, hitting something and going out. Each time they go out a booming sound vibrates through the water. This must be the shield they were talking about earlier. I was wondering.
Jaspen turns to greet me with a wide, evil looking smile, "So, boy, I heard you got in."
I nod, wondering where this is going.
He rubs his hands together like in those cartoons with the evil character planning. It's funny to see.
"Now we can get more Erebus into the city. A surprise attack, exactly what I was hoping for."
I look over at Jack. For just a second he looks like he's going to be sick then he recovers and seems to gather more strength. I wonder but then push it away. He wouldn't be here if he really cared about the Lior.
As I scan the Erebus in front of me, I spot her and my heart stops. She is swimming down the line of fighters. Her body is dressed in silver armor and the unmistakable fin. I've never seen her with a fin. She's even more beautiful now in the sea. Her blonde hair is flowing behind her in waves. I want to take a handful of that hair and feel how soft it is.
"James, did you hear me?"
I look toward Jaspen, "Uh, sorry, no, I didn't hear you."
"I was telling you that I want you to start ferrying fighters over. We have an Erebus headquarters in an abandoned building on the edge of the city."
I tell him, "Okay." And turn toward Sara, she's gone. I scan the fighters frantically, but can't find her.
I start to swim in the direction where I saw her but suddenly stop against my will. I look back and meet Jaspen's eyes. He is glaring at me, concentrating.
"James, I told you to leave it alone."
I look over again and spot her. She is looking straight at me, frozen with surprise, then her face falls with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. She mouths, "sorry "and turns the other way, swimming away. I try so hard to go after her putting everything I have in it, but I can't move an inch. I watch as she swims further away and gets lost in the sea of Erebus.
I clench my fists and turn, glaring at Jaspen.
He tells me in an amused tone, "That girl is not good for you." He pats Jack's shoulder, who looks even more miserable than I feel. "Just ask Jack here, he knows, first hand."
I frown looking between them. I still can't swim.
Jaspen asks, "Do you have yourself under control? Can I release you?"
I nod seeing only red. As soon as I can move I pounce on Jack. I pound my fists into him. My hand connects with his face first and blood spews through the water. I pull back and aim for his stomach. He doubles over. With each hit he looks smaller, defeated, but he doesn't fight back.
I hear Jaspen exclaim chuckling, "Well James, I wouldn't really call that control."
I wind back for another punch but I can't connect. Jaspen did that shit again. Jack looks up not even scared or hurt, just like he's given up. I collapse into the sand beside him, realizing that I really don't know what I got myself into here.
Chapter 44
Ever
I wake with a start and blink back tears as I realize where I am. My hands are tied behind my back and I'm lying on the ground. I'm facing a wall so I can't see the rest of the room. I hear muffled voices though. It doesn't seem as though anyone is in the room with me. I try to focus on how to get out of this. I'm a mermaid right and according to everyone, a strong one. Surely I can get myself out of this. Then it occurs to me that these must be the Erebus that Amber smuggled into the city when they took her. I know where they are hiding. Finally, I can contribute. I make a decision, I have to get to Seamus and tell him, so they can stop them. I decide not to move in case someone is in the room. I close my eyes and focus on Alex and the Sea grass fields. I open my eyes, I'm still here. What? I close my eyes again, more panicked. I have to take a deep breath to calm myself to focus. I close my eyes again and picture Alex's piercing green eyes. I feel calm flow through me but a voice interrupts my thoughts, "It won't work you know."
I open my eyes and stare at the wall in front of me. I frown and roll over realizing something is attached to my fin. I look down and try to move my fin. It's tied to a pole. Then I look up to the voice. A man older than Jack but still young looking is sitting in a chair a few feet away staring at me. I look closer and his eyes are a turquoise blue. I'm confused, I thought all the Erebus had those yellow eyes. But then I remember Jack and I wonder if his beautiful blue eyes turned yellow maybe not if this person...
He looks amused at me. I lay back and stare at the ceiling. Now what to do? I can't just sit here and let these people surprise the Lior. I finally found something I could do and I can't even move.
He speaks up, "I don't understand why you're fighting with them. If they get what they want, you can't stay here."
I turn my head to look at him confused.
He shifts in the chair, "It makes sense doesn't it? They don't want our kind in the sea." He points at himself then at me. "They want a pure race, that's what you're fighting for. You're not pure according to them."
I turn my head to the ceiling again and close my eyes trying to will the confusion overtaking me, to go away.
He continues, "All of those people who have come and finally belong somewhere, they'll be kicked out. They will have to find a life in a world where they don't belong."
He laughs, "And the clincher, they won't ever know why they don't belong there, they'll just know for the rest of their lives, something isn't right. They will remember at one point that they were happy, but somehow they lost it and they can't find it again."
I scrunch my eyes close
d tight willing his voice to go away. I don't want to hear anymore of this.
I hear a noise and turn my head toward him again, "You don't have to listen. But know that your brother is in that category and you are ultimately hurting him."
He turns and leaves the room letting the door close behind him. I glance around the room. The walls are crumbling, it seems. There are small holes and indentations all over. The room is lit by a small irridescent lamp in the corner. Piles of junk are scattered throughout the room. I spot old sea nets, and bouys from boats along with different shades of sea glass.
I turn my head to look at the ceiling as if the answer to all of my current dilemmas is up there. My breathing is coming erratically and I start to sob. I sob for Jack, I sob for James, for Alex and Amber but most of all, I sob for not knowing what to do. I know in my heart what he said is true. I also know that if I allow the Erebus to get what they want, more people will come here when they aren't meant to be here. Gabbi's face pops into my head. I miss her so much. She would know exactly what I should do. I won't get to ever see here again if the Erebus win. If the Lior win, I will be sent back, most likely. Is that the answer though, that's just Ever, being selfish once again. Then something Gabbi said to me, when I was trying to decide whether to follow Jack to the sea or not, pops into my head. She made it so clear to me when I was trying to decide between the Lior and the Erebus, when I thought Jack was with the Lior. She said that regardless of my choice I needed to make me happy. But what will make me happy? This is the golden question. Maybe if I can answer that, I will know what to do.
I roll back onto my side and face the wall again. I've been awake for pretty much twenty-four plus hours. Sleep overtakes me and I drift...
I'm swimming fast, and I can't catch my breath. My body is screaming for air. I hear Jack's voice, "Swim Ever Swim!" I've longed for that voice. It seems to give me more momentum. I have the feeling someone is behind me chasing me. I glance back and see black hair and turquoise eyes. He's gaining in speed and closing the gap. I turn forward again and push harder, looking for Jack. I look in all directions but can't find him. I yell "Jack, where are you?" No answer. Far in front of me, I see a figure, someone I recognize but a name won't form. Then a voice I know yelling NOOOO! I feel an immense pain in my side and I stop to fall deep into the sea trying to grasp for anything to hold me up. Red water spreads around me and I fall deeper. Familiar arms wrap around me and I hear Alex's voice in my ear, "I have you."
A door slams waking me out of my dream/nightmare. I open my eyes and stare at the wall. That same voice from before breaks the silence, "I know you're awake. Did you think about what I said before?"
I lay still, maybe he'll second guess himself and think I'm really asleep. No such luck. His deep voice continues, "Maybe you need to hear a little more to convince you."
I roll over really fast, "Who do you think you are? You don't know me or my reasons. How dare you speak to me as if only what matters is you."
His eyebrows go up surprised, "Oh, she speaks."
He settles into the chair again staring at me for probably a full minute before speaking. I stare back unflinching, who does he really think he is?
"Let me tell you a story."
He takes a deep breath," A long time ago a woman lived in the sea and she was far from happy. She hated it here and couldn't understand how life could be so harsh. You see the first part of her life was pretty happy but then she lost her parents very young, she never really fit in after that.
He stops and looks thoughtful, "That's right, land walkers don't understand young and old here. She was only seven years old when they passed."
He continues before I can make a comment.
"When she was eighteen she decided to check out the surface of the water. She heard rumors about another race of people on land but it was only a rumor. She surfaced and was confronted with a boat. The people on the boat had legs instead of fins. This intrigued her. She realized all the rumors were true. She thought maybe she could get a glimpse of life elsewhere."
He chuckles, "Of course we all know no one born in the sea can change what they were born into."
"She came up at night and watched the same man sit on the bow of the boat and look out at the horizon for hours. She watched him for weeks. His face completely reflected how she felt. She had to know this man."
I know where this is going already but I let him continue, these people have some significance to him obviously.
"One night he had just settled down to watch the sunset and she surfaced. He almost fell off the boat, when he spotted her. At first he thought she must have fallen overboard from another boat, even though they hadn't spotted another living soul in weeks. She laughed at him and he laughed with her. After that they met regularly. She eventually found him on land. He lived in a coastal town on the beach. After many years of meeting him secretly, she had his baby. She gave him that baby to raise on land. When she brought him the baby, that was the last he ever saw of her. She never surfaced again. He did the best he could for the boy but he died shortly after the boy turned eighteen. When the boy turned eighteen he promised his dad that he would come to the sea and find his mom. I think he held on as long as he could but I know that he really died of a broken heart."
Silence fills the air and a tear falls down my cheek. Of course it had to be a sad story. I wait for him to continue but he doesn't.
I ask carefully, "Are you the boy?"
He nods, "I am."
"Did you find your mom?"
He smiles but it doesn't reach his face, "Ah, that is the magic question of the story isn't it? No, I never found her. I never found her because Seamus learned about her relationship with my dad and had her killed for breaking the law. See, innocent people have died for no reason at all. What kind of law is that, you can only fall in love with someone of your kind?"
He gets up and his voice cracks a tiny bit, "Now, tell me why you're fighting for the Lior?"
He walks out before I can respond and I'm left again with my own damn conflicted thoughts.
Chapter 45
James
"Get up boy, you have an important job to do." I glance over at Jack and see his eye swelling up from my fist. I'm not even sorry. He nods his head in response to Jaspen's persistence. I pull myself up from the sand and swim away from Jack without a backward glance. I don't know what went down with him and Sara and I don't think I really want to know. I suddenly feel like everything is falling apart. I came here to be with Sara and she doesn't want anything to do with me. I can't believe she actually swam away when she saw me. What is she sorry for, that she was with Jack, or that she doesn't want me anymore. I just want to beat him dead thinking about it. My stomach turns with nausea. I'm so glad Ever isn't with him anymore.
Jaspen stops at the line of fighters firing the sparks off and commands, "Eli, don't bother anymore, we have a better way of getting in now."
Eli glances past Jaspen at me and smiles. Jagged teeth blare out at me and I back up a bit.
"Ah, their bark is worse than their bite, James." and he places his hand on my shoulder.
Jaspen asks, "Eli, would you like the honors first?"
He nods and commands another armor clad Erebus behind him. They each grab one of my arms. I glare at Jaspen still really pissed. He can tell because he clucks his tongue and shakes his head.
"James, if you don't focus, you will end up somewhere unfavorable, and get killed. You will be of no use to us, dead."
I close my eyes trying to clear my thoughts of anything having to do with Sara. It's hard to do. Her sad eyes are so fresh in my mind.
I hear Jaspen's voice, "The buildings are on the outer, west edge of the city. They are brown in color and deteriorating, in an abandoned area. If you can get within the area you will find them. Luckily, if I know Seamus, he has cleared the streets, so no one should spot you."
I picture abandoned buildings in the sea. It's hard to do when you've never been there. I picture c
rossing the shield into the city. The water changes around us and I open my eyes. The Erebus fighters let go of my arms and swim toward the building we are facing. It looks exactly as I had pictured, just in worse shape. I wouldn't be surprised if it crumbled to the ground soon. That's how bad it looks. I follow them into the building. They seem to know exactly where they're going. As I enter the room after them I hear a deep voice say quietly to the Eli guy, "He can't be here."
His eyes bore into me. I notice a turquoise color like Sara's. I shrug my shoulders and swim back out the door, it's not like I want to be here. You don't have to tell me twice. I feel a hand on my arm stopping me, "Wait James." It's Eli. What the hell does he want now?
"I need to go back with you, there's some new developments I need to inform Jaspen of."
I shrug again and swim back out. The building makes me feel claustrophobic. As soon as I leave the doorway, I'm glad to be out of it. Eli comes out a few minutes later and grabs my arm. So this is it, I'm officially a taxi. What did you do James, to help save the people in the sea? Well, I traveled a million times and went crazy.
I close my eyes and focus on the site of fighting outside the shield. His hand leaves my arm so I assume we made it. One down, a million more to go. I open my eyes and watch Jaspen's reaction to what Eli tells him quietly. He smiles and actually claps his hands like he's excited. Whatever, this dude is really weird.
Barely Breathing (Just Breathe) Page 17
