by Dee J. Stone
The Violet moves forward. “But we have made a profound discovery. We now understand how the rebels live down there.”
“How?” Callen asks.
“With a specific species of fish,” the Sapphire says. “One that can survive in the Deep. It latches onto its host and provides it with the nutrients necessary to survive.”
Everyone in here starts whispering at once. I can’t believe what I’m hearing.
“I have never heard of such a thing,” Callen murmurs.
“We do not know what creatures live in the Deep,” Syren says. He moves his eyes to the scouts. “Are they friendly?”
They shrug.
“We must do everything in our power to make them our allies.” He nods to everyone. “We have trained enough. Now it is time we battle.”
Chapter Thirty
We’re moving deeper into the ocean. The temperature drops lower, and it’s getting a little harder to breathe. Kyle swims to my left and Shoney is at my right. It makes me a little less nervous. Only a little.
I have no idea what’s going to happen, if we’ll be able to convince those fish to help us. And if we do, will we be able to fight off the rebels and save Damarian and Kiander?
Syren, who is at the head of the group, makes a sudden stop. My limbs grow heavy as fear settles in my stomach.
Something jumps out. A blue shark. It snaps its mouth at Syren, missing him only by a few inches. Syren’s great white lunges at it, catching it in the middle and crunching it. It cries out as it struggles to break free, but the great white has it in a death hold. Blood pours out of it, causing some of the sharks that belong to members of our party to bolt to it, each vying for a bite. All of the sudden, more sharks leap out at us, tiger sharks, bull sharks, even a few great whites. They charge at the sharks that were heading for the blue shark. I gasp as one by one, they’re killed.
Looking to my left, I see merpeople hiding behind coral or rock with triumphant smiles on their faces. The rebels. I mostly see Emerald and Diamond tails.
“Attack!” Callen shouts.
My hands reach for Shoney as she darts toward them, but all I get is water. No…I don’t want her to fight. I don’t want her to get hurt. She’s supposed to listen to me!
My eyes widen as I see the way she rips into those sharks with her teeth. Bones crack, blood fills the water. She’s like a ruthless beast, snapping and mauling, twisting her body to avoid attacks. She saves a few of her comrades who are seconds away from being killed.
I just stare at her, my jaw probably hitting the ocean floor.
Something moves in my peripheral vision. I freeze, watching in slow motion as a bull shark charges at me. It opens its mouth wide, ready to rip my face off. I yell.
A great white storms at it, catching it in its mouth, digging its teeth deep into it, then tossing it aside like a useless rag.
“Shoney,” I breathe.
She turns around to face me. I am not a pup. Do not treat me like one. Have faith in me and I will protect you.
I clutch my thumping heart with two hands. Then I grab her and hug her close to my chest. “You’re right,” I pant. “You are absolutely right. I’m sorry.”
She nods before returning to the action. But there’s not a lot of action left. Sharks are dropping to the bottom of the ocean, their blood filling the ocean like red ink, bits and pieces of them floating around. I look at the members of the search party. My heart constricts. Some of them are wounded. Some of them have lost their sharks. Some are dead.
The rebels must have fled.
I rush over to Kyle who’s holding an unconscious female Emerald in his arms. “Kyle,” I say.
He raises his head. I don’t see tears, but I know he’s crying. “It—it was a tiger.” There’s no hiding the betrayal from his voice. “I can’t believe a tiger shark would do this to an Emerald.”
I pat his arm. Kyle looks around. “I…I can’t believe any of this. Most of them are from my clan. My clan. The shark that attacked her belongs to my neighbor’s family!” He tightens his hold on the mermaid in his arms. “I didn’t know her, but she’s part of my extended family.” His voice is so choked I can barely hear what he’s saying. “I-I knew what was going on was pretty bad, but to kill this ruthlessly, and to members of my own clan?”
He’s in my arms. I don’t know what to say to comfort him. I just rub his back.
Most of the others are looking at us, some holding other wounded merpeople. Syren swims forward. “Yes, Kyler. You are correct. What the rebels have done, it is not who we are. Our kind does not hurt one another. We will put an end to this and continue living peacefully, as we’ve done all these moons since the great battle.” He studies the wounded. “We must return them to their families. We must…” His voice wavers. “Inform the families of those who have perished.”
I glance at the Emerald in Kyle’s arms. She’s lost too much blood. There’s a high chance she won’t make the trip home, if she hasn’t died already. Tears enter my eyes.
Syren nods at some members of the Guard who came along with us. “You will escort the wounded to the colony. They will need assistance. Would anyone like to join them? It will be a difficult journey.”
A few people move forward. I raise my hand.
Syren shakes his head. “We require you here, in the chance you sense Damarian.”
I nod.
Four head home, taking the wounded and dead with them. That leaves us with only twelve people.
“We should rest,” Callen says. “Tomorrow, we will draw closer to the Deep.” He inspects the area. “But here is not an ideal location. The rebels may return. We must travel to a safe location.”
I hold out my hand to Kyle. He gives me a small, thankful smile and grasps it.
We travel for a long time before settling down in a cave next to an area with a lot of ocean life. Syren claims the rebels are less likely to attack in a heavily populated area. The sharks stand guard outside.
A few merpeople bring in fish, and everyone chows them down like this is the last meal we’ll ever eat. When every fish is gone, we lie down on the floor of the cave. I have no idea if I’ll be able to get any rest tonight, but I need to. I’m exhausted from all the traveling and from the attack of the rebels.
Kyle lies down next to me, his eyes focused above.
I scoot closer. “Are you okay?”
He nods. “I’ll be okay. Been through worse. Okay, maybe not.”
I pat his arm, then lie down and stare toward the surface. It’s so far away. “We’ll kick their asses,” I tell him.
He nods, though I see the uncertainty in his eyes. “You know, I never thought we’d end up like this. You and me, fighting side by side.” He laughs softly. “I didn’t even think we’d see each other again.”
I sit up and put my weight on my elbow. “Why did you join?”
“The search party? Well honestly, Kiander and Damarian have been great to me, especially Kiander. If not for him, I’d still be banished and never see my family.” He laughs again. “I was getting just a bit too bored of being a human.”
I slap his shoulder. “It’s not so bad.”
“Maybe. But it’s never fun when you’re alone.”
Something gets stuck in my throat. Damarian’s face flashes before me. I turn to my side and shut my eyes tight.
Kyle rubs my back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. You’ll be with Damarian very soon.”
I roll back over and force a smile. “Thanks.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to save them.”
We’re both quiet. I turn to my side again, trying to get some sleep. But all I manage to do is toss and turn.
“Kyle?”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have anyone special in your life?”
He lies back down and scoffs. “Me? Nah. Haven’t found anyone yet.”
“No mermaids have caught your eye?”
He shakes his head. “Maybe human girls have ruined
love for me.”
I slap his shoulder again. “I’m sure you’ll meet the right one soon. Hey, is it weird for merpeople to choose mates from a different clan?”
“It’s perfectly okay to do that, though most choose mates from their own clan. Each one has its own personality, so they may not mesh well with another clan.”
“What personality does each clan have?”
He thinks for a few seconds. “The Violets are aggressive, that’s why most of the Guard is comprised of Violets. The Diamonds are humorous, maybe a little too humorous. The Rubies are peaceful and try to avoid all conflict. The Emeralds are confident, though maybe a bit too confident. And then there are the Sapphires.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Do you have something against the Sapphires,” I ask, half teasing, half serious.
“No.” He holds his hands out like I’m about to pull out a gun and shoot him. “They’re caring and understanding. And very loyal. But I’m sure you know all about that.”
I certainly do. Damarian is everything I’ve ever wanted in a guy, plus lots more.
“It’s so amazing, learning about all of this.” I feel my face fall. “Though I wish it was under better circumstances.”
He squeezes my hand.
We lie back down and stare at the surface. I feel Kyle watching me. “What?” I ask him.
“Do you miss land?”
That question stumps me. I’ve been so caught up in everything down here and so worried about Damarian that I never sat down to asses my own feelings.
“I miss it a lot,” I tell him. Leah, my mom, my dad and his family, my students. My legs. The feel of the sun on my skin, the soft wind blowing through my hair. And the food, even though lately all I’ve been craving is fish. “I don’t even know how long I’ve been gone,” I say. “No one knows where I am, other than Leah.”
He grins. “Ah, Leah. That girl. She’s a tough one.”
I smile. “Yeah.” The best friend a girl can ask for. I miss her terribly.
“You’ll see them again soon,” he says. “With Damarian at your side. I promise.”
I really hope so.
Chapter Thirty-One
In my dream, Damarian’s cries are louder, slamming into me like a bulldozer, jerking me from my sleep. I spring up, my heart speeding, my body shaking. Around me, everyone is asleep. I hug my upper arms.
I see someone at the entrance of the cave. The only other person here who can’t sleep, either. His back is pressed against the wall, his long golden hair hanging over his body like a curtain. Syren.
Pushing off from the ground, I head toward him. Based on how his shoulders stiffen, I can tell he knows someone’s coming, and that the someone is me.
I sit down opposite from him. He’s staring straight ahead, toward the Deep. I study it. It looks close, but I know it’s farther than it seems. It’s completely black, like a never ending hole.
Syren turns his head, and our eyes meet. “I am not surprised you cannot sleep,” he says.
“I had a dream of Damarian again.” I rub my arms. I’m not too cold, but I know I would be if I were human. “I felt him stronger than I had in the past.”
Syren gazes out toward the Deep again. “That is likely due to your close proximity to him.”
I’m closer to Damarian. I hug my upper arms again, wishing I were hugging him.
Syren and I sit in silence, watching the activity outside the cave. The sharks circle around, their eyes intense and vigilant. A few randomly grab some fish. The place is alive. All the other creatures go about their usual lives, blissfully unaware of the turmoil going on in the merworld.
Syren shakes his head like he can’t stand the thoughts going through his mind.
“We’ll find them,” I tell him.
He shakes his head again. “How I have been a disappointment to my fry.”
I don’t know what to say to the man with the hard shell, the one who was never a fan of me or my union with Damarian.
“Perhaps I have failed them as a father,” he continues.
“This isn’t your fault,” I say.
His gaze is still on the area outside the cave. “A father behaves in a manner he believes will only benefit his fry. I was too stubborn and did not see reason. I should have listened to my mate.”
“None of this is your fault,” I repeat.
“Perhaps if I were a better father, this would not occur.”
“This is no one’s fault but the rebels.”
“I have made promises I could not keep. I promised to place the true king on the throne.” He shakes his head. “Had I succeeded, my son would have not been happy.”
I move a little closer. “Damarian is a great guy, Syren. An amazing guy. Part of the credit should go to you.”
He finally looks at me. “You are kind, Cassie. Kind for a human. I understand why Damarian has such a love for you.” His focus is back on the outside. “I pushed duty over love. I did not see reason when Damarian proclaimed his love for you. I believed him to be a fry. Juvenile.” He looks at me again. “I did not wish to hear his thoughts of love.” His fists clench and unclench on his lap. “When I have fought for love myself.”
I stare at him. “What do you mean? You and Kiandra?”
He nods. “We grew up together, our homes side by side. I did not admit my feelings to her.” He smiles lightly. “Not until her father suggested a mate for her.” His eyes move to mine. “She had no will to mate with him, for she knew I deeply desired her. And that she desired me.” His smile widens and his eyes soften. “I pleaded with her father to let me mate with her. I did not surrender until he agreed.”
I feel a warm smile capture my face. “That’s very romantic.”
He nods, a shadow creeping over his face. “I did not allow my son to experience love.”
Somehow, I end up sitting right next to him. “Everyone makes mistakes. We’re just human—I mean, we’re just flesh and blood. When we make mistakes, we need to learn how to make amends.”
He nods. “How correct you are. Only in dire circumstance do we recognize the errors of our ways.” He gets up from the floor and floats before me, all business-like. “You require rest. Tomorrow will be a difficult day.”
I nod. “Good night, Syren.”
He bows his head.
***
After eating, we exit the cave. The Guards who left to bring the wounded back home have returned, without the others. Our count is now sixteen.
Like I feared, the Emerald mermaid died on the way. As we swim toward the Deep, I ask Kyle what merpeople do with their dead. He tells me there are a few members in every clan who are in charge of the dead bodies. After loved ones say goodbye, they bring the bodies deeper into the ocean and let them fall. Their bodies become part of the ocean. In a way, they never leave.
“Be vigilant,” Callen says when we’re close enough to the Deep that I can see some creatures swimming inside. I feel Damarian more intensely now, and my heart yearns for him.
“Cassie.” Syren holds his hand out toward me.
I swim forward.
“I would like you to join me as I speak to the fish that will help us survive down there.”
With my heart pounding in my ears, I nod.
Callen and another Guard flank us on either side as we approach the opening to the Deep. The rest stay behind to keep watch.
“We are not familiar with these species,” Syren says to me. “They may be poised to attack.”
I nod because no words can leave my mouth. My heart beats so fast I feel it in my tail. The electrical pulse of Damarian beats through my body. He’s so close.
Syren’s fingers tighten on my hand as he gives me a reassuring smile. My heart rate slows down a little.
We swim forward until we’re right outside the Deep. I peer over the edge. It’s like looking down into a volcano. I can’t see the bottom. But what I do see is hundreds, maybe thousands of species of fish, ones that belong in a sci-fi move. Some of their bodies
are so transparent I can see their insides. A few are lit up like they have tiny beads of lights attached all over their bodies. Many of them don’t have any eyes.
“They have unique bodies,” Callen says. “It is how they survive in cold conditions with no source of light.”
“They’re beautiful,” I say, mesmerized as I watch them swim.
“We must locate the species that can assist us,” Syren says. “Perhaps—”
A tiger shark shoots toward us. Toward me. Syren shoves me aside, and my head knocks into coral with so much force that I black out for a few seconds. When I open my eyes, my sight is blurry and my head rings.
Sharks are attacking us. Lots of sharks. I see the others are in battle. Kyle’s arm is bleeding.
The same tiger shark charges at me. I try to run away, but my tail is stuck between coral. No matter how much I yank, it won’t come out.
The shark is only a few feet away.
I’m going to die.
I close my eyes. The only person on my mind is Damarian.
Something explodes all over my face and chest. My eyes snap open. I’m covered in shark guts and blood. Shoney is right in front of me, blood and flesh dripping down her mouth. She saved me.
Thank you, Shoney.
She inclines her head and returns to the action.
When it’s over, Callen helps me out of the coral. This was battle number two. We’ve lost three people and five have been injured, including Kyle.
“They will send larger armies,” Syren says.
“Our sharks are better trained,” Callen says.
Syren shakes his head. “We will be unable to withstand a larger assault.” His eyes move to mine. “We must hurry. Are you injured, Cassie?”
I rub my forehead, “Just my head.”
“Are you well enough to seek the fish?”
I nod. Even if my tail was sliced off, I would go with him.
I swim over to Kyle, who’s hugging his arm. “Are you badly hurt?”
He forces a smile, but winces. “Barely a scratch.”
Ignoring his protest, I lower his arm from his chest and gasp. There’s a large cut starting from his elbow to his wrist. It looks really deep.
