Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs) (16 page)

Is it all worth fighting for?

I held the last note, and an intense longing rose inside me. I kept singing, feeling my vocal chords vibrate as my tone went up and down, the song ebbing and flowing like waves.

I was hyper-aware of Treygan beside me. The heat from his body radiated, engulfing me. I craved him so intensely that my vision seemed screened by flames as hot as my skin. I turned to him, still singing a wordless riff, and his eyes were smoldering. I leaped forward, my wings helping me close the short distance between us in the blink of an eye. I landed on top of him, straddling him, and pushed him down as I kissed him harder than ever.

His hands tangled in my hair as he pulled me down tighter against him.

I ground my hips against him. His hips bucked in response. My lips hummed against his as I kept singing. His groaning sent me into a frenzy. I sank my teeth into his bottom lip and sucked until we both moaned with pleasure.

My own face flashed through my mind. Treygan and I were at the bottom of the ocean in the Catacombs. At the gate between Earth and Rathe. Stone was cracking away from my skin. I felt overwhelming joy and relief.

It was one of Treygan’s memories.

My eyes snapped open and back to the present moment. Treygan was still tugging at my hair, kissing me, and thrusting his hips to meet mine. As difficult as it was, I forced my teeth free of his lip and stumbled backward off him, muttering “
no
” over and over.

He looked dazed and feverish. “What’s wrong?”

I tried to catch my breath. I shook my head, shaking away the intense urge to climb on top of him again. “Don’t you see what happened?”

He was breathing hard and his eyes seemed cloudy, but not in a good way. My wings were spread wide and I could feel my hair and eyes glowing the same way I had seen Nixie, Otabia, and Mariza’s do in the past. My siren side was turned up full blast.

Treygan slowly cocked his head. “That was a siren song?”

“No, it was a song I’ve sung for years, but my siren instincts kicked in and I lost control.”

“Fine with me.” He sat up. “That was amazing.”

“Treygan! I was about to steal one of your memories!”

He crawled toward me. “Take it, I have lots more. Just keep kissing me.”

I backed up, and he chased after me on his hands and knees. “Stop it! Look at you! You’re in some sort of lust trance.”

He caught me by the leg and held me in place. I could have easily overpowered him and escaped, but he sweetly said, “I’m not in any trance. I just want you more than you can imagine.”

A shaky breath escaped my lips. “I could have hurt you.”

“Love hurts sometimes. I can handle it.” He kissed my chin softly, then my forehead, followed by each of my cheeks.

“I almost stole your memory of me at the gate on the Triple Eighteen. I was out of control. My siren side …” He kissed my neck and I groaned. “Please, Treygan, I’m trying to talk to you.”

“No talking. And no singing.” He kissed my shoulder. “If you don’t sing, that part of you will stay dormant. Now, remove your talons from the roof and relax. I’m in control.”

I hadn’t noticed my death grip on the thatch roof, but I released it. Treygan’s lips smiled against mine. He kissed me for one long, delicious moment and I wrapped my arms around him, resisting the urge to rake my nails down his back. My talons were still out, and I didn’t need to injure him right before our trip.

He took my hands in his, assessing my curved, deadly nails. “Talons
and
selkie claws. Now that is impressive.”

My selkie claws had shot out from my fingers on a couple of occasions, but the talon thing was new. “How is that even possible?”

Treygan shrugged. “You’re multi-gifted.”

“I’m a mess.”

“You’re amazing.” He kissed each of my knuckles while keeping his eyes locked with mine. My talons transformed back into fingers. “We have to leave soon,” he said. “Rownan is expecting us.”

He might as well have thrown a bucket of ice water on me. “When we get back, we’re going to Forbidden Apple Lagoon and we’re going to spend days alone together.”

“Days?” Treygan smiled mischievously. “I’m keeping you all to myself for weeks.”

“Good. Let’s return home as fast as possible.”

I didn’t put up a fight when Yara insisted we take a boat to the Devil’s Triangle. Well, as close as a vessel could get to it without getting sucked in. We needed to save as much energy as possible for whatever awaited us.

Our boat bumped along the choppy waters, creeping closer to a foggy horizon. For most of the ride, we all stayed silent. Intermittent gusts of wind howled but then stopped as if they were choked into silence. Even huge, outspoken Pango hadn’t uttered a word. His wide green eyes never stopped scanning our surroundings. The whitecaps of the waves looked like huge teeth trying to chew us to pieces. No amount of planning or training could’ve prepared me for the sinking feeling in my stomach.

“We’re getting close,” Caspian shouted, slowing our speed.

Yara waved her hand above her head. “The compass is acting up.”

Caspian motioned her over to him and he studied it. “The needle should start spinning soon. As soon as it does let me know, because that’s as far as we can take you.”

Yara nodded, gripping the compass with both hands.

Treygan started gearing up, pulling weapon holsters over his shoulders, arms, and legs, and attaching his belt and satchels around his waist. Pango handed me my jacket and belt.

I still wasn’t comfortable entering Harte with our legs instead of tails, but the Violets argued that we might not be able to change forms once we arrived there, and it would be better to be stuck with legs and still have the option to swim—
if
there was water—rather than be stuck with our tails and unable to walk on land. Still, preparing to enter the ocean and knowing I would have to keep my tail suppressed felt wrong. Our formfitting bodysuits felt even more wrong. I longed for my soft coat.

As I put on the top half of my suffocation suit, I glanced between Yara and Treygan. Would they really go through with it? I sat down and dropped my head into my hands. Freakin’ martyrs. I could never be as brave or selfless as them. And for some asinine reason I was too much of a coward to tell them how much I loved them for doing this. Maybe I loved them more than I realized.

“I’m going alone.” My voice was muffled by my hands. The boat engine’s low hum and the wind whipping around us didn’t help either.

Yara pulled her hair into a ponytail. “Did you say something?”

I dropped my hands and stood up. “I can’t let you and Treygan go to Harte. It’s too dangerous. I want to do this alone.”

“No.” Treygan didn’t look up from adjusting his holsters.

“Yes,” I said louder, with more conviction. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to either one of you.”

Pango slid a dagger into my jacket pocket and zipped it. “You won’t be living at all if you go by your lonesome.”

“I can do it.”

“No, you can’t,” Treygan argued, pulling on his gloves. “You haven’t seen Vienna in almost two decades. If and when you do find her, especially if she’s sick, or hurt, or …” He hesitated, carefully choosing his words as if others hadn’t told me the same thing a dozen times already. “If she’s no longer herself, you’re going to lose the ability to think rationally. Your emotions will take over. We need to be there to do your rational thinking for you.”

“He’s right.” Yara stepped closer to me. “No one—I don’t care how strong they are—can find their own way out of hell. Someone needs to shine the light that guides them through the darkness.” She linked her pinky with mine. “We’ll be each other’s light.”

“Holy Poseidon,” I grumbled, trying to pull my pinky away from hers with no success. “We’re about to cross into the realm of the damned, and you’re getting all sappy and uplifting.”

Yara squeezed my finger before letting go. “There’s plenty more where that came from.”

I
started to tell them I had a sick feeling. How I feared some or all of us would die on this trip, but Yara shouted before I could say another word.

“The compass is spinning!”

Pango pressed one hand to his forehead while fanning himself with the other. “Sufferin’ suckerfish, this is really happening.”

Caspian killed the motor and dropped anchor. “This is as far as we go. You three will have to swim the rest of the way.”

“Oh dear, I knew this moment would arrive,” Pango said. “But it’s all happening too fast.”

“Breathe, Pango.” Treygan reached up and gripped his shoulder. “We’ll be okay.”

The fog grew thicker with each passing second. I could barely see the bow of the boat. Electricity seemed to buzz and crackle in the thick haze.

“This place is even creepier than I imagined,” Pango said.

Yara flashed him a scathing look.

“Sorry,” Pango muttered.

“Remember, we stick together.” Treygan locked eyes with me over Yara’s shoulder as he helped adjust her holsters. “It’s the cardinal rule.”

I nodded and put on my gloves, trying to ignore the knots in my stomach.

“Yara.” Pango held both of her hands. “Koraline wanted me to tell you something. She told me to wait until the last second, and this seems to be it.”

“What did she say?” Yara asked, sounding concerned.

“She wants you to remember Harriet Stowe’s quote.” Pango bent his knees so he was almost eye-level with Yara. “Never give up, for that is the place and time that the tide will turn.”

“Never give up,” Yara repeated. “The tide will turn. Got it.”

“She said to tattoo it on your arm, but that’s a bit extreme. Such a drama queen, that sister of mine.”

In spite of the situation, Yara smiled at him. “I won’t forget.”

Treygan jumped into the water first. Yara carefully eased herself off the swimming platform like she was afraid the ocean might swallow her whole. Judging from the foreboding vibe, I wouldn’t have been surprised if we all disappeared without a trace. I climbed in after Yara, not dipping below the surface because I felt safer with the boat still in sight.

Pango and Caspian leaned over the back.

“I expect a full and detailed report when you return,” Caspian told us.

Pango gingerly waved. “Oh, my brave starfishies, please return
soon.”

We all said goodbye, then Treygan turned to me.

“You ready?” he asked.

I splashed water on my face. This was really about to happen. We were actually swimming into the mouth of the Devil’s Triangle. Gods help us all. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

We sank below the surface, but the soupy fog was just as thick in the water as it was above. The three of us linked hands and swam forward. I’m not ashamed to admit that Yara’s fingers laced tightly with mine were comforting.

I wasn’t sure if I would have been able to continue alone.

I had never flown so fast.

My heart sped up until it felt like one steady, painful beat. My lungs stung from lack of oxygen. My wings burned, but I kept pushing, trying to gain more speed. I had to see Yara again.

I had refused to say goodbye or good luck, and then, like a child, I had flown off with attitude. I had expected her to follow me and talk to me. Almost all night I stayed awake, gazing out of the nest and watching for her. I didn’t remember falling asleep, but when I
finally woke, Medusa’s sun shined at full power. I rushed to Treygan’s house, but they were gone. No note, no message left for me, nothing.

I never thought she would go to Harte—knowing she would probably never come back—without saying goodbye. How could she care so little about me?

I almost flew right over the boat. The fog was so thick I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me or below me. I swooped down, grazing Caspian’s head. Pango waved to me and pointed east. I nodded and flew off as fast as my wings would carry me.

They weren’t far. Thank the gods for Rownan’s and Treygan’s dark hair because Yara blended into the waves and fog as if it they were already erasing her. I coasted down to them and landed on the water, skidding to a squatted position a few feet ahead of them. Just before they passed below me I reached down and yanked Yara to the surface. Treygan and Rownan popped up beside her.

“Nixie?” Yara looked surprised, but also as terrified as I felt her to be. “What are you doing here?”

“You left without saying goodbye.”

“You refused to say goodbye.”

“Are we still moving?” Treygan asked.

We all glanced around. We were being pulled eastward even though no one was making any effort to move. I examined the surface of the water where my boots sank into it. The water was tunneling around the heels rapidly.

I glanced over my shoulder, hoping to see where the current was carrying us, but behind me was just more blinding fog. I pointed at my boots so the others could see the rushing water. “We are definitely moving.”

“The fog seems to be moving at the same speed as us,” Treygan noted. “It’s creating the illusion that we are staying in place.”

“This is weird,” Yara mumbled. She held her hands out in front of her and spread her fingers wide. The water rushed through them. “We’re picking up speed.”

“Everyone stay together.” Treygan linked his arm tightly with Yara’s. She latched on to Rownan with her other arm. Clearly, Treygan meant everyone except me. They all stared past me, their eyes widening. I was afraid to turn around and see what was causing their expressions, but I did.

The fog had thinned out. Charcoal lines curled around us like a spiraling tunnel.

“Time lines,” Yara shouted. “Just like Joel said.”

I snapped around to look at her. “What do you mean, time lines?”

A loud sound filled the air around us. I had never heard anything like it. Whooshing in and out like waves, but with a high-pitched, eerie echo. I stepped over Yara and sank into the water so that only my head was above the surface, just like the others. I don’t know why I thought the ocean would protect me from whatever strange phenomenon was going on, but I hid behind Yara and held on to her and Treygan’s linked arms.

“Time is different in Harte.” Yara turned and spoke over her shoulder so I could hear her. “Joel said we’d see time lines in the fog when we reached the gateway.”

Treygan glanced back at me. “We have to be out by the third sunset from today. If not, the gate doesn’t open for another year and a half.”

“Treygan,” Yara hissed.

“She has the right to know.”

My heart sank to my toe
s. Yara kept a lot of things from me, but this was unacceptable. They could lose track of time and never know when or how to get back. “What if you don’t know when the third sunset is?”

The wind sucked us forward. I held on to Yara and Treygan so tight they grimaced.

“We’ll know,” Yara tried assuring me. “We have a plan.”

That didn’t make me feel any better. We picked up speed, moving closer and closer to the time lines spiraling through the sky. I lifted myself up out of the water just enough to confirm what I suspected. A whirlpool was forming ahead of us.

I ripped Yara and Treygan apart then turned Yara to face me. I grasped her wrist and laced each of my fingers with her gloved hand, squeezing hard. “I’m begging you, don’t go. Don’t do this.”

She squeezed back, freed her other arm from Rownan, and pulled me so close our foreheads touched. “Believe in me, Nixie. Because I believe in you.”

Her words meant the worlds to me, but they were bittersweet. “Believe in
me
? I have nothing to do with this.”

“You have everything to do with this. We have a bond that I don’t have with anyone else. You’ve been with me since childhood. You were with me when my mom died. I wouldn’t be alive today if you hadn’t told Treygan I was drowning. You knew my own mother better than I did. Now we’re sisters, but you’re also my siren.”

An overwhelming need to protect her engulfed me. “Let me come with you. I can help.”

She shook her head. “I need you to stay in Rathe.” Sage slithered behind her neck. “I need you here, believing I will make it home. I need to know the people I love need me to return. Knowing that will give me the
strength and courage to get out of Harte.”

“We’re getting pulled into a whirlpool,” Treygan yelled, grabbing Yara with one hand and Rownan with the other.

I finally, genuinely, felt needed by her, but I still pleaded, “Don’t go.” 

“Stay strong for me,” Yara urged. “I have to come back. I can’t leave you or Uncle Lloyd.” She smiled, even as waves crashed against her face. “Or the sprites and all the other creatures I love so much.”

The pulling sensation tugged hard at me too. I could have easily let myself be pulled in with them. I could have claimed I wasn’t strong enough to fly to safety, but that would be betraying Yara. I would do what she needed me to do.

I kissed her then flew up out of the current. I was high enough to see how massive the whirlpool was. My hair whipped my face so hard I could feel it cutting my skin. I prayed into the screaming winds ripping past me. “Medusa, please help them.”

I watched their three bodies circling deeper into the giant, dark tunnel. They became smaller and smaller until I could no longer see them.

Tears formed in my eyes, but they were immediately carried away by the wind. Carried away and lost in the ocean, just like Yara.

The clock had begun ticking.