Falling in Deep Collection Box Set

by Pauline Creeden

  “It was her all along.” Marissa felt like she’d been hit by a truck. “He thought so highly of her. How could she?”

  Dylan covered her hand with his. “I couldn’t keep that from you, but you’ve been through a lot. You should rest a while.”

  She had already been fighting exhaustion, so the idea of lying down was one she wouldn’t argue with. He draped the blanket over her and she looked up at him, taking in his truthful and kind eyes as the weight of her own promised more clarity. “Thank you for telling me, Dylan. My name is Marissa.”

  Five

  Water splashed somewhere close, waking Marissa. She cracked her eyes open and all her conscious thoughts rushed in again as she stared at the rocky cave wall flanking the bed.

  “Are you hungry?” Dylan’s voice came from behind her.

  She twisted beneath the blanket and looked around, eyes landing on Dylan, who was completely naked with his back facing her. Water streamed down his body, dripping from the slick tendrils of his hair, tracing the curve of his back, over the swell of his butt, down his solid thighs. Before she could shut her embarrassed eyes, she noticed the color and texture of his legs changing, transforming from a scaly green into a smooth ivory.

  Dylan glanced over his shoulder, catching her rapid blinks. He wrapped a piece of cloth around his waist. “Sorry, I didn’t think to put this on right away. I’m not exactly in the habit of wearing clothes anymore.”

  Marissa blinked again with a soft head shake. “Your legs … they … How does it work?”

  One corner of his lips tugged up into a lopsided grin and he walked to the bed. “First, you need to eat.” He took a seat beside her and held out a few bunches of seaweed.

  “I’m relieved it’s not a fish. I hate fish,” she said, sitting upright and taking some from his hand.

  Dylan laughed through a full smile, his teeth bright and handsome. “Ah, irony. Gotta love that.”

  Marissa chuckled a little also. “Not such a good thing to hate now, huh? No matter how many times I’ve tried—different fish, different preparations—I’ve just never acquired a taste for them.”

  He bit his smiling lips together with a nod. “Well, I’m certain that’s no longer the case. The change covers a lot more than the obvious.” He tipped his head down, eying the blanket covering her legs. “I’ve already told you about our air, and I’m sure you may have noticed some other things.”

  She picked at the wet leaves in her hands, pinching them doubtfully between her fingers. “The air felt heavier, harder to take in, like breathing from a regulator and not getting enough. But it doesn’t feel that way anymore.” Her fingers peeled off a piece of the ruffled greens. It looked close enough to lettuce. She pushed it into her mouth and chewed cautiously. After a second, she was slipping more bites past her lips.

  “How do you feel? Are you hurting at all?”

  “I don’t feel as sore, and my head is clearer.”

  “Good,” he said, watching her eat the remaining seaweed. “Delicious, huh? Wait until you try the mahi-mahi sashimi.”

  Marissa smiled around the last mouthful of food. When she finished chewing, she said, “It’s not like I can order a pizza, I suppose.”

  “That’s just cruel,” Dylan said, pursing his lips and scrunching his brows in a goofy look.

  She moved her hand to cover her mouth. “I’m so sorry. That was … I just …”

  “No, no. It’s okay. I’m just messing with you. There are things—lots of things—that I miss, but I’ve had time to accept it all. You, though … It’s going to take some time. I wish I could tell you there was an easy way to move past it, but there really isn’t. You’ll just have to find your own way to deal.”

  “Thanks,” she whispered, feeling the truth of his words slice deep within. Her thoughts traveled back to life on land. She would miss a lot of things, too. Images flickered behind her unfocused eyes and pulled the rest of her senses together to reminisce: the dance of campfire embers, the crunch of dried leaves, the chill from a frozen margarita, the comfort of a hot bath. There was so much more, and it all hurt beyond belief, but she instantly considered her death. It all would have been gone either way.

  “I’ll help you any way I can, though,” he reassured. “Unless of course you’d rather be on your own. That’s completely understandable too.”

  Marissa scrunched her brows and fiddled with a frayed thread in the canvas blanket. Not being around him wasn’t something she’d even considered yet. It was probably normal to want your own place, even under water. That was the way she had lived her whole life, mostly keeping to herself. It could be his way also. “I’m sure I’m imposing too much.”

  “Imposing?” His laugh was light despite his naturally rough tone. “No, you’re not imposing.”

  “Well, I mean, you’re alone here, but there have to be other places, right? Other caves?”

  “There are, and there are also more of us. You can decide whether you’d like to be closer to them or me.”

  “Are they all farther away?”

  “In one sense, and another,” he said, letting his smile fall. “My place is in a separate entrance to our system, closer to the open water. The others live farther in.”

  “Farther in? Like closer to the shore?”

  “Well, they are, but under.” He shifted his body and ran his fingers over the blanket near her legs, drawing while speaking. “The entrances are past the shelf, into the slope. Then it backtracks toward shore for miles, underneath but not technically reaching land. There are other systems too, deeper into the gulf. Some are linked. Ours is the closest to shore and isn’t linked to the others.”

  Marissa stared at the blanket for a moment, letting her mind wrap around everything she’d learned since he’d saved her. “Were all of them saved? Were they human before?”

  “No, most were born into this life. We have a council who keep tabs on population. They decide when we can save people.”

  “Is that why you couldn’t save my father?”

  “Yes, but there was another reason also. We have to protect ourselves first. Saving a human in front of another would be a huge risk.” His eyes looked into hers again then turned toward the water across the room.

  “But you saved me?” Marissa whispered.

  His eyes stayed on the water. “I couldn’t watch you drown too.”

  Touched by his words and grateful for his actions, Marissa reached out and gently covered his hand with hers. She realized he must have seen so much death and obviously had taken a risk to save her, though she had no idea to what extent. “Thank you, Dylan.” She watched the lids of his eyes close. His broad shoulders lifted with a calming breath then dropped and rolled forward as he slowly exhaled. He captivated her. She wanted to ask more, to know a million things about him: if the scars were from the boat accident, where he was from … if he’d been involved with someone there … or here. Heat surged through her. She couldn’t help being attracted to him. Lean, defined muscles covered his taut body, and his sincerity was something she’d been looking for for a long time. It was a refreshing. She was twenty-five and hadn’t dated much, mostly because the men she’d spent time with were from work, and they were either already married, in steady relationships, or just not interested in anything more than an awkward coworker one-night stand. Then there was the fact that she’d been caring for her mother…

  Her mother. She’d stood by her father, never verbally doubting him. Had she known and just never wanted to tell Marissa the truth? Either way, maybe she couldn’t bear to risk losing someone else to the sea.

  Dylan’s hand slid out from under hers, tearing her thoughts away. He stood in front of her and extended his hand. “You feel good enough to swim?”

  She lifted her brows nervously. “I’m not sure.”

  “You’ll be okay,” he said as she slipped her hand into his. They walked down the slope of the room to the water at the base of the wall. “There are some things you should know first. Th
e change is almost instant. It doesn’t hurt, but it might be uncomfortable the first few times. Also, you should undress so your clothes don’t rip. Except your suit top. You can leave it on if it’s more comfortable for you. Last thing—and this will be difficult—your instinct will kick in, telling you to hold your breath. Don’t. You’ll only stress your body and there’s no point. I’m not sure you were conscious enough when I found you to remember, but we do have gills. We can hold our breath for a long time, too, but it’s only needed if we travel far from our area.”

  Marissa’s eyes locked on the thin lines along Dylan’s neck. They looked like birthmarks, a shade darker than his pale skin, not nearly as noticeable as his scars. Unable to stop herself, she reached up. “So they just go away when on land too?” Her fingers traced the lines.

  “Yes.” He remained still, letting her explore for a moment, then took hold of her hand and guided it to her own throat. “Can you feel yours?”

  She felt the smooth indentations along her skin and nodded a response, shock and amazement preventing her from forming words. If she hadn’t felt them herself, she wouldn’t believe it could be true.

  “They aren’t exactly the same as gills, but for all intents and purposes …” He released her hand and glanced down into the water. The stones shined brightly below the surface, lighting up the jagged walls and water with a soft green hue.

  Marissa studied the area, seeing the bottom. There was an immediate turn not far down. “Where will we go?”

  “Depending on how you feel, we might go out to open water. Just stay close to me. Our minds take a little while to adjust to the new communication. Physical contact makes it stronger, but you still might not be able to process everything I try to tell you while we’re under.”

  “I … I’m not sure.” She shook her hands out to release the trepidation, just like she had before races when she was younger, just like she would before acquisition proposal meetings for the museum—this is, up until last week. She smiled and relaxed at that notion. No more work. That was a lovely thought. As thoughts about losing the passion behind her job—one she had shared with her father: artifacts—started creeping in, she looked at the green stones and considered how much more there was to see under the water.

  “Ready?” Dylan asked, his black eyes waiting for the confirmation she gave with another nod. “I’ll go in first and give you some time.” He removed the fabric at his waist, exposing his entire glorious body to Marissa, then stepped into the water.

  She gasped and covered her mouth, but he was already under, unable to hear her shocked reaction. Apparently, that was another thing that would take some time to get used to. With the way he looked, though, she knew it wouldn’t take long. She smiled into her cupped hands. Regardless, she couldn’t stand there and think about it forever. It was time to go. She let her hands fall and hooked her shorts and suit bottom with her thumbs, sliding them down her bare legs to the floor. Her tank top was next. “Here goes nothing.”

  Dropping into the water, she noticed warmth first. Her hand grazed the side of the wall, her fingertips instantly feeling the origin. The stones were the source, bright and warm, filling the water with energy. The warmth spread into her legs, her throat. A numb ache followed, circulating inside, ripping through her skin, stretching and pulling. It was uncomfortable, as Dylan had said, not totally painful but not pleasant. She clenched her jaw and looked down at her legs. They had melded together, the skin bonding between them, doubling and tripling until there was only a small depression to prove they were once separate. The sight forced the breath from her mouth. Bubbles escaped slower than usual, floating up her face lazily. Still thoroughly engrossed with her transformation, she clamped her mouth shut so she wouldn’t miss anything. The top layer of tan skin morphed into varied shades of green and blue, then thickened, forming scaled patches that overlapped and spread down into a wide tail in place of her feet, with ethereal edges billowing in the water’s movement. The colors glinted inside the scales, catching the stones’ light from all around. She moved her legs and the tail waved, propelling her up, its force evident.

  Dylan’s hand grabbed hold of her forearm, snapping her eyes up to him. He was more than she’d remembered. Magnificent. His tail was a deeper seaweed green, longer, and the edges stiffer than hers. Hair flowed out around his face, some thin strands drifting in front of his blazing black eyes. The scars that covered his body remained visible underwater, on his chest and tail, but they didn’t take anything away from him. If anything, they added something more, something uniquely sexy.

  He grinned as though he was amused then opened his mouth and took in an exaggerated amount of water.

  Deep breath. The words crackled to life inside Marissa’s head.

  She thought of her father, his same words when she was learning to dive. She’d held her breath then too. That instinct is strong and not easily surrendered. This time it was also instinct, but there was a mental block as well. Scientifically, she wondered how much air or xenon content was actually in the water. How could it possibly be enough to survive? Without the facts, her mind fought her. It didn’t want to believe. Seeing it or not, there was no documented data for her to research. Despite all of that, and only knowing Dylan and this reality a short time, she trusted him as much as she’d trusted her father. She could let go.

  She nodded. As her own hair floated idly around her face, she stared at Dylan. His eyes gave her more confidence. She opened her mouth, released her remaining breath, and took the water in, allowing it to fill her.

  Six

  Even though she trusted him, Marissa still prepared for the scorching pain, waiting for her lungs to burn as they had days before. But they didn’t burn, they didn’t scream. They filled slowly with air, not water. Feeling a mild form of pins and needles in her neck, she slid her fingers along her throat. The small indentations were now long slices, pushing water through as fast as she was taking it in. She exhaled the new air and her eyes returned to Dylan.

  His hand remained on her arm. You okay? His words shuffled into her mind, mimicking the concerned question captured in his eyes.

  Yes, she thought back, and quickly wondered if he could hear her too. It wasn’t something she had thought to ask, which was stupid considering how much more difficult it would make their already complicated method of communication.

  Yes, I can, he responded to her first thought, making her jerk back a little.

  Everything?

  He squeezed her forearm a little with a tiny grin. It’s why I asked.

  Marissa shielded her eyes with one hand, her mind flashing back to what she’d been thinking while looking at him.

  He squeezed her arm again. Let’s go, okay?

  She nodded this time, afraid of her own mind, and sighed a little when he released her arm. The whole notion of someone hearing her thoughts was a little alarming, but it was part of this new life, or what Dylan had called a half-life. La media vida. She watched him swim away, his tail waving, cutting through the water gracefully then disappearing around the corner. It was so beautiful she had a difficult time understanding why it would be considered anything less than whole. So far, she was happy to be alive in it. It was far better than being dead in the last.

  Her hands moved down her waist, freely exploring her new form. The scales felt as thick as they looked, slick and rigid. She bent to feel her tail, pinching the thin, delicate ends, staring at the colors within. It was all so glorious, more than she’d ever imagined as a child. Looking past her tail at the turn that Dylan had taken, a thrill and need for discovery hit her with a jolt. She kicked out, spinning her body around toward the turn. The power behind each thrust was immense, so she eased into the motion, kicking gently to control her speed.

  Dylan was waiting not far from the turn, watching as she swam to him. The smile on his face matched her own. He was amused by her energy. It was more than his smile, though. She could sense it, feel it, his emotions woven inside her, humming. He nodded
and swam ahead, staying slow so she could follow.

  The passageways varied in size from big enough to fit a dump truck, to barely high enough for a full extension of her tail. These tight quarters were a first for Marissa. Her father had been cave diving in fresh and salt water plenty of times, but she never had. He would boast about it often, and as she channeled along behind Dylan, she understood why. There was a mysterious element to it, exploring a part of the earth that very few had seen. Excitement stirred inside her, growing fierce with the thought of new discoveries: animal, vegetable, mineral, or perhaps a long forgotten artifact.

  She was passing by thousands while they swam, the green stars, estrellas verdes. They were sporadic in some passages, only dusting the walls, setting a basic boundary for direction. Other times, they covered every inch, lighting up the water as bright as day. She also noticed the seaweed that Dylan had given her to eat growing in most of the areas they swam through, and smaller fish inhabiting the passages as well.

  After what felt like a labyrinth of turns, Dylan stopped and waited for Marissa to move alongside him. His hand reached out and took hold of her forearm again. Dark. Take my hand.

  She looked ahead. There were no stones. The water, the passage, it was total blackness. She nodded, and his fingers threaded with hers.

  Not much longer. His lips tipped up in a reassuring smile then his hand tugged hers, leading her forward.

  One thing she hadn’t thought much about since dropping into the water was her vision. She wasn’t experiencing the usual water blur human eyes had without the buffer of a dive mask. It was all clear. Perfect. As she and Dylan navigated the blackness, her eyes continued to pick up specs of light that she wouldn’t have been able to see ordinarily.

  Dylan’s body slowed beside her and he squeezed her hand. Here.

  It appeared to be a dead end in front of them, though some light emanated from above. They rounded the corner above them and swam toward the source, a narrow crevasse in the rock with a curtain of tree-like coral covering the sides. Beyond that, blue-green openness.