Stay close for now. Dylan’s words took over her mind.
Okay, she thought. Every part of her new form buzzed, elation and anxiety mixing inside. She was about to see the gulf in a brand new way, through new eyes and a renewed spirit. She was reborn.
Dylan released her hand and slipped through the opening. She followed with a swiveling neck and flitting eyes. The bottom grade was steep, dropping farther into open water as vast as space. Life bustled: fish moving around the rocky face, seaweed and bottom dwellers shifting along clusters of coral with colors of rust, gold, white, and maroon. There wasn’t much sand to see, so she knew they were far off the shelf.
Her heart pounded on, filled with joy as she thought about how much her father would have enjoyed the view, no matter the circumstance.
“Life is made up of accidents,” he’d said to her one day after a storm had ended their dive before it even began. “They are curses, they are miracles. Bad, good. Heavy, light. They are the markers that force us down the roads often camouflaged by fear and heartache, at times triggered by the words no or goodbye. But accidents and our reactions to them are what shape us, what make us. Even the smallest ones. We have to embrace them and accept the fate they bring us.”
Dylan swam in front of her, reaching up to her face and cupping her jaw, running his thumb over the weak smile set on her lips. Beautiful words.
Yes, she thought to him, feeling her body surge at his touch. It was consoling and reassuring, and intimate.
He backed away with a crooked, playful smile then turned and swam off in a rush. It took a few seconds, but her mind finally registered his antics and yelled at her to follow.
She kicked and kicked, feeling her body roll with the movement naturally. Water pressed all around her as she sliced through it. She kept her hands at her sides and extended her fingers, feeling the current divide them as if she was grazing the top of a wave from inside a boat. She pushed harder and harder, faster and faster. Dylan had slowed ahead and she raced around him, spinning, testing her body. They chased a school of fish together, following the silver bodies, twisting and turning on a dime. It was the most incredible thing she’d ever experienced.
Dylan grabbed her arm and pointed to her ear. Listen. Then he pointed to a large gray body swimming not far in front of them.
Marissa listened, hearing some faint, swishing motions, and looked where his finger directed. It was a shadowed figure, large, with lots of fins. Shark. She jerked back, ready to flee, but Dylan wrapped an arm around her and gripped her waist.
Watch.
She inhaled a huge gulp of water to calm herself, feeling the pins and needles in her neck a little more due to the amount. It calmed her enough to keep her there. The fact that Dylan’s arm was around her also helped. She tried her best to think of something else, knowing perfectly well that he could hear her thoughts and probably her racing heart too, but the feeling of his hand at her waist trumped anything she attempted to drown it with.
The shark moved closer, following some fish. It pivoted quickly and sped up, swimming above their heads. As it passed, Marissa gaped at the silhouette of its wide hammer-shaped head. It snatched a fish from the group and continued on, not even caring that she and Dylan were there. She watched the shadow grow smaller, fading away into the open water, and became keenly aware of Dylan’s arm again.
Sorry. His hand lifted away.
She kicked her tail to turn and face him and grabbed his same hand. You obviously know I don’t mind. I’m just … She wasn’t sure how to feel about him, about everything. It was all so new. She closed her eyes and shook her head, gripping his hand.
It’s okay. I understand. His words were softer than they had been, and clearer too.
Marissa opened her eyes to his chest and gradually looked up to meet his eyes. They were serene and held no judgment. They just took her in in a way that made her feel like she belonged in this new life, comfortable and safe.
His eyes suddenly snapped wider and his whole body stiffened. He lifted an index finger to his lips as if to quiet her, though she had no idea how she could be quieter until she noticed her tail still moving.
She stopped all movement, emulating him, and squeezed his hand in return.
Too late.
His words stunned her with fear and dread, but they weren’t the only cause. She could feel his worry. It was as if her body was picking up all of his signals. His nerves pulsed with alarm, which spiked her heart rate and froze the blood in her veins.
Dylan turned away from her but wrapped one hand behind him to pull her body close, shielding her. No … my fault.
She noticed shadows swimming toward them, and she realized the words weren’t meant for her. He tensed even more, his arm and hand clutching her, his fingers digging in. The shadows became clearer and instantly she knew. They were the others. Two of them. This encounter was about him saving her.
One female, one male. The female had blond hair that trailed behind her in a braid the length of her back. Her skin was like Dylan’s, ivory with green undertones, and her tail was more navy than green. The male had dark hair, shorter than Dylan’s, and pale skin also, but his other features set him apart. His eyes were larger than any human and set wide upon his face, giving him a truly wild look. There was a set of small fins low on his long inky tail and he had scale markings up his sides, like bleached copies of those below his waist. She knew instantly that he had never been saved. He’d been born into this life.
They stopped in front of Dylan. The female smirked and looked around him at Marissa, and the male rolled his shoulders back in a threatening way. Marissa caught disjointed sounds inside her head, possibly from them. She felt so helpless, wishing she could understand more.
No, Dylan’s voice crackled again. His tone was different, frightened. I’m to blame. Leave her.
The female swam around and Marissa glanced back just as she snatched at her hair. Dylan spun around and lunged at the female, who seemed both angry and entertained, with big eyes and an irritated smirk. He stiff-armed her, knocking her away.
Another hand wrapped around Marissa’s forearm—the male’s. His grip was harsh and cold against her skin.
Galaxia, a low voice invaded her thoughts.
Dylan scrambled and threw a punch at the other merman, hitting his face. He followed up by charging him, his tail churning the water fast. Their arms locked and they tumbled through the water, over and over, spinning and kicking.
Marissa froze. She wasn’t sure what was about to happen, but it wasn’t good, and there was nothing she could do about it.
The female grabbed Marissa’s arm and she quickly pulled out of her grasp. One thing was for sure: she wouldn’t sit and wait. She darted toward Dylan, away from the female. There was no other choice to make. They were still grappling with each other, making it easy to catch up.
The female knocked her in the back, hard, jarring her head and spinning her around. She watched Dylan abandon his battle with the male to rush closer, but he was caught before he could reach her. The female turned on him and the male caught him by the arms. They had him.
“Stop!” Marissa yelled through her mouth, emotion taking over all logic.
All of them looked at her and then the male hit Dylan in the cheek. His body went limp, losing all struggle.
They hooked Dylan beneath his arms and swam away.
She twisted her fingers together and watched their shadows shrink, knowing she had to follow. She didn’t know the first thing about this life, about their ways, but she knew she wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for Dylan. She had to do something.
She kicked her tail out and pushed toward them, more unsure of her fate than ever.
Seven
The two others moved fast, hauling Dylan’s body between them like they’d done it a million times. They passed the rocky cliff face she was certain she and Dylan had exited from and dove deeper. Without a gauge, she had no idea what the depth was. The entire underwater
experience was different without scuba equipment. There were no ear issues, no threat of narcosis—her head was completely clear. There was no worry about time restraints or tank malfunctions. The only worry she had was for Dylan’s life and her own. She could only guess at how they punished their own for breaking rules and practices. Did they have police? Some form of judicial system? Scenarios churned inside her mind as she pushed on, determined to do whatever it took to help Dylan.
The male and female took a hard turn, dipping under a ledge that curved away from the canyon’s sloping face. Seconds later, she slowed and did the same. A sizable cavity carved the underside of the ledge’s base. It was the only noticeable entrance. Marissa ventured in, darkness instantly swallowing her. She let her eyes adjust, waiting for them to pick up hints of light to guide her. They finally found tiny specs similar to those in the passageway to Dylan’s. She had to move slower than she wanted, practicing caution so she wouldn’t hit a wall, but at least she was moving. It wasn’t long before the passage forked up and down. She recalled what Dylan had said when he had spotted the hammerhead. Listen. It seemed odd, but sounds below water were clearer than she’d ever imagined. She moved closer to the passage divide, leaning into one. The cave system was much quieter because there wasn’t the dull, continual hum of the gulf’s constant movement, so any motion seemed to amplify within the confined space. She immediately heard long, fluid strokes swimming fast through the top passage.
She followed the noise, picking up speed. After a couple more turns, green stones appeared, lighting the walls and water with their brilliance. A few passageways had numerous veins, breaking away in every direction, which forced her to stop and listen often to stay on track. Finally, one opened into air.
Marissa lifted her head, breaking the water’s surface as quietly as possible. They had to know she’d followed them, but she still wouldn’t give up the safety of a partial surprise by being noisy. People were shouting, loud and incoherent. She inhaled the air, and a numb ache spread rapidly through her, branching in every direction from her throat and chest down to her tail. It was the change again, turning her back to her full human form. She gritted her teeth and treaded water, waiting for it to end. Her toes skimmed the coarse floor, telling her that her tail was gone. As she put pressure on one foot, a stabbing pain cramped her leg. She waited a bit longer, until the ache had gone, and tried again. This time her feet took the weight, only protesting the sharp bites from the rocky floor.
The low ceiling forced her to crouch as she waded through the shallowing water to reach a turn in the passageway. Voices were clearer now, yelling still, spitting Dylan’s name and crying about mistakes. Marissa peeked around the corner. The end of the passage lifted, opening into a large room at least three stories high and two houses wide with a few other passage openings like the one she stood in. There were four people gathered in front of a wooden ship mast leaning against the far wall, their naked backsides facing her. The two that had taken Dylan were speaking loudly with another male and another female. Rows of smaller masts lay on the floor, positioned like rows of benches. It looked like a meeting hall or place of worship. The green stones lit the ceiling like a starry night. Estrellas verdes. Like a galaxy.
Galaxia. That was what the male had said in the water.
Marissa stepped closer, hugging the wall and taking small breaths to aid her stealth and silence. Ropes hung over both sides of the main mast’s cross beam. Most dangled freely; one didn’t. When one of the others shifted sideways, she saw the rest of the taught rope and the body it was tied to. Dylan. His arms extended above his head with the rope knotted at his wrists. Like the others, he was facing away from her, hanging limply with bent knees.
“This needs to be discussed with the southerners, Rift,” the new female said. Her hair was fiery red and her pale bare body held scars much like Dylan’s, though not as many. “They’ll want a say in what happens.”
“No, Erin,” the male from the open water responded. Rift. The scale patterns extending up his sides had remained there out of the water and his legs were covered with it as well. His whole body was ripped, like an underwater gym rat. “I am the northern guardián. They trust us to deal with our own issues, and they’ll agree with whatever we decide.”
The other male was taller and leaner, with tanned skin and braided hair. He extended the end of a long wooden rod to Rift with a swift approving nod.
They all stood aside as Rift moved to Dylan. He didn’t lift the rod at first, only his fist, striking Dylan with a hard blow to the back.
Dylan grunted from the rude awakening. He settled his feet beneath him, wobbling a bit as he regained his balance.
“Your actions have put us all in danger,” Rift said, his voice booming with anger. He gripped the rod in both hands then swung it at Dylan’s back. The crack echoed around the cave followed immediately by Dylan’s rough scream.
Marissa flinched, taking in a sharp breath as she watched Dylan’s legs buckle and his body rock. She stared at the scars all over his body. It definitely wasn’t his first punishment. She crept forward hesitantly, unsure what she should do, what she could do.
Rift drew the rod back and swung again, landing another hit to Dylan’s back.
This time Marissa didn’t think at all. She ran with no care about repercussions. “Stop!” she screamed, and everyone, including Dylan, turned to face her. Water sprayed in all directions as her feet kicked through the last of it to reach them. “Don’t do this to him. Please?!”
The female from the open water with the lengthy blond braid grabbed her by the arms, holding them behind her back, trying to slow her. Marissa kept going, though, jerking her arms, determined to get to Dylan.
“Cass,” Rift said.
Marissa’s arms were instantly released, and the added momentum thrust her forward. Unable to catch her footing, she tripped and fell to her knees at Dylan’s feet.
“I should have explained more,” Dylan spoke to her. “But I just didn’t want you involved yet, and I didn’t want you punished for my choices.”
She looked up at Dylan’s bare body, realizing that everyone was still naked and all she had on was her swim top. Worry and instinct had suppressed all embarrassment moments before, but the urge to cover herself slowly returned. She stayed crouched in front of him, afraid to move for so many reasons.
“What’s behind this, Dylan?” Rift asked. “This isn’t just crossing the lines drawn for you. It’s crossed all the lines.”
“This was … different.”
Cass laughed condescendingly, but Rift ignored her. “Explain,” he said to Dylan, narrowing his huge eyes and clenching his jaw.
Dylan shifted on his feet, turning slightly for a better position. A single line of blood appeared from his back, wrapping around his ribcage and running down his abs. “She’s his daughter. The one I wanted to save years ago.”
“The one who took the stone? So it didn’t all go away as you’d hoped. She knew and decided to come now, why?”
“I didn’t know,” Marissa spoke, her voice tiny. She wiped her face, clearing away the doubt and fear, then stood up beside Dylan to face them. “My father kept the stone hidden. I just discovered it the other day.”
The others looked between themselves, processing the information.
“Do any other humans know about the stone?” Rift asked, resting the edge of the rod on the floor, holding it like a staff at his side.
Marissa glanced at Dylan, knowing truth was their only option. Darci would search and search until she either found more stones or ran out of resources. “Yes. One person knows. Darci.”
“The woman who anchored her. We think she’s also the one who killed her father,” Dylan added.
Rift lifted the rod and tapped it to the floor several times. “Does she know about us?”
“No.” Marissa shook her head. “But she knows the stone isn’t ordinary. She stole it and tried to kill me.”
“She did kill you,” Cass s
tated, raising an eyebrow and crossing her thick arms over her breasts.
Marissa nodded, knowing implicitly that Cass had been human once too and wondering what her story was.
“Bret,” Rift said to the other male. “Alert the southerners. We may need their help to control this situation. This woman has probably told others.”
“No,” Marissa interjected. “My father used to work with her. I know she’s driven and tenacious, so she won’t give up the search, but there’s no way she’s told anyone. She’s too greedy and too hungry for recognition. Sharing information without solid evidence means someone could steal her spotlight. There’s no way she’ll risk that.”
“How can you be sure of this?” Rift asked, tipping his head back to assess her with his wild black eyes.
Marissa looked over at Dylan, suddenly wanting comfort to speak the truth. “Now that she knows about the stone, she’s probably convinced my father spent the last months of his life searching for more, alone. She’ll do it the same way because she respected him and because she’s afraid the people on her crew are as evil as she is, willing to kill for this find. And, for the same reasons, she’ll have the stone with her. She won’t chance lab tests until she’s credited with the discovery.”
Rift lifted the rod and tapped it to the floor again, processing the information. “Let’s say this is all true, what shall I do with you?”
She looked at Dylan again, startled by the question. “Whatever you need to,” she admitted.
“What if I tell you you have to die?”
Marissa closed her eyes, thinking about her father keeping them secret, keeping them safe. As much as she wanted to plead for her life, she knew it wouldn’t matter. They had a system for a reason. After all, their life wasn’t really hers. Her life was already gone, and she was oddly at peace with that fact. “I would ask for a chance to prove myself worthy of this life, but I would also understand.”
Falling in Deep Collection Box Set Page 31
