Dangerous Depths (The Sea Monster Memoirs)

by Karen Amanda Hooper

  We were leaving in the morning.

  I couldn’t stop rifling through our collection of gifts. Everyone from the merfolk to the sprites had given us stuff they thought would help or protect us.

  I still wasn’t sure who had given us the massive black tooth shaped like an arrowhead. Rownan told me it was one of the gorgon kin, but when I asked for their name so I could thank them he said they wanted to stay anonymous. At first I was suspicious, but the gorgon kin did keep to themselves. I hadn’t seen any of them since Talus rushed me away from the gate on the Triple Eighteen.

  I could barely wrap my hand around the huge tooth. “Can you imagine the beast this thing belonged to? This is one of his teeth. How big must he have been?” Next, I held up a jar of thick, glowing goo. “The sprites said we could rub this all over ourselves if we need to find each other in the dark.”

  Treygan smiled deviously. “I like the sound of that.”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter.”

  “I assure you, any time I think about your body my mind is in heaven.”

  I threw a boot at him, but he dodged it then winked at me.

  “Are we really taking these clunky things with us?” He picked the boot up by the laces and held it in front of him like it was a dead fish. “I’m not a fan of footwear.”

  “What if the ground is too jagged or hot or whatever to walk on?”

  “Our sea creature skin is thick and resilient. More so than these unnatural things.” Treygan dropped the boot and it hit the floor with a thud. “What if there is no ground? We might not even use our legs or feet.”

  “Seems unlikely that hell would be all water.”

  “Unless it’s boiling water,” he grumbled.

  I pretended I didn’t hear him and tried not to imagine us boiling to death. I sorted through more gifts: assorted knives and daggers, healing ointments and potions from the Violets, thermoses of blood from the selkies—for Rownan only, of course. “How are we supposed to take all of these things with us? It’s not like we’re taking luggage.”

  Treygan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “They meant well. We’ll take as much as we can carry.”

  “Carry how?”

  Treygan kissed below my ear and bursts of color flashed in front of my eyes. His kisses trailed down my neck as he replied, “Holsters … packs … special gear …” I only comprehended a few words due to the tingling heat rushing through my body. He turned me around to face him. He traced my hallmarks with his fingertips, starting at my wrists then trailing up my arms and across my chest. He brushed over every swirl and symbol until he reached my hips and whispered, “It will be a shame to hide this body under a protective suit.”

  I rose on my tiptoes and kissed him, pressing my body tight against him. Much to my frustration, he pulled back after only a few seconds.

  “I have a gift for you.”

  “We weren’t supposed to get each other gifts.” I ran my fingers through his hair and pulled him in to continue where we left off.

  He kissed me swiftly then reached behind his head and took my hands in his. I groaned and stomped my foot when he pushed us apart again. “Trust me, you will like this gift, and this is the perfect time to give it to you.”

  My hands flopped to my sides as he left the room. Usually it was me trying to keep us focused on preparations or training. Here I was throwing myself at him, and he was more worried about distracting me with a present. I would never understand men.

  Treygan returned pushing a huge box across the floor. The lid came up to my nose, and it was wrapped in blue paper with a yellow ribbon. I was sure his color selection was no accident. I batted my eyelashes at him. “Blue and yellow look very nice together.”

  The side of his mouth curved upward. “Almost as nice as white and indigo.”

  I lifted the lid, trying to peek over the rim. I couldn’t see anything but silver tissue paper, so I tilted the box toward me and reached inside. I pulled out a pillow and squealed with joy. I dug through the box, pulling out a total of six pillows.

  Treygan watched me, his huge grin matching mine. “I thought you might want a rematch since I won last time.”

  “Ha. Won by default.” It was weird to see pillows in Rathe. I hadn’t seen any in anyone’s home, which made sense considering merfolk rested in pools but never slept, and I hadn’t been to a selkie or siren’s residence. “How did you even get these here without them getting soaked?”

  “Same way we keep books and everything else dry. Waterproofing spells.”

  I hugged one to my chest. “I adore them.”

  “Use your selkie claws to cut them open so we can get this—what do you call it?—smack down started.”

  I smiled, lowering my chin. “I’m not in much of a fighting mood.”

  “Oh?” His brow rose. “What kind of mood are you in?”

  I arranged all the pillows on the floor. “How about some pillow talk instead?” I sat down, retracting my wings so they wouldn’t get in the way of what I hoped would be a lot of rolling around together.

  Treygan silently stared at me for a few painstaking moments, but the desire in his eyes kept building.

  All the tips Nixie had been teaching me about how to be seductive rattled through my mind. I reclined and raised my arms over my head. According to Nixie it was a demonstration of power and sensuality, but I felt silly and exposed. “Care to join me?”

  Nixie’s tip worked. Treygan licked his lips, unsuccessfully fighting back a smile. Slowly, he lowered himself on top of me. His left arm stayed braced beside my head. Hallmarks swirled over the taut muscles in his neck, chest, and arms as his right hand caressed my skin more softly than the petals of a star-flower. He stared at me in his signature way that made my skin feel like it was melting off my body. I considered morphing into human form, but human skin was more sensitive, and I could barely think or breathe already.

  Treygan’s gruff voice dripped with as much longing as I felt. “It’s a shame we can’t take these pillows on our trip.”

  I replied breathlessly. “Then we better get good use out of them before tomorrow.”

  ~

  The next morning I was wrapped up in Treygan’s arms on the thatch roof of his house.

  Ever since our hideout before the Triple Eighteen, roof time with Treygan had become one of my favorite activities. Medusa’s sunbeams stretched long and wide through the sky.

  I nuzzled my head against Treygan’s chest one more time before breaking the peaceful silence. “Today is the day.”

  Treygan breathed deeply. “It feels surreal. And ominous.”

  “We can do it,” I said. “We can. We’re going to be fine.”

  He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “You sound like you’re trying to convince yourself.”

  Maybe I was, or maybe all the warnings about how we would most likely never return were making me realize how mine and Treygan’s happy ending was in grave jeopardy. Being on the roof and wondering if we would live to see another day was all too familiar, and way too soon after our last scare. “I’m having déjà vu.”

  “Yes, it seems unfair how often you and I have to deal with impending doom.”

  I curled up tighter against him. “Tell me a story.”

  He rolled me over onto my back and gently kissed my stomach. “Tell you a story, or write you a story?”

  I smiled. Given a choice, there was only one answer.

  He held his hand above my chest, wiggling his fingers temptingly as his eyes shifted upward. “Hmm, let me think of a good one.” My skin ached to feel his fingers write invisible words. His beautiful blue eyes met mine. “Got it.”

  “About time.”

  He squinted, still grinning. “Patience, Yamabuki.” His fingertip landed just below my neck as he started writing a story the same as always. I said the words out loud while his hand scrolled down the length of my body. “Once upon a tide ….”

  He had reached my stomach. I tried to bre
athe steadily, but he leaned down and kissed each of my hips, then his lips slowly trailed to my thigh. My hallmarks were swirling so fast I could feel my skin rippling, but then Treygan stopped and his fingers returned to my neck.

  “Let’s continue our story, shall we?”

  A tortured grunt was all I could manage. He smirked, then wrote down my body again. I tried focusing on the trails his finger made as he wrote letter after letter down to my toes, but it was all a blur of tingling and desire.

  “You lost me,” I muttered. “What did you write?”

  “I’ll write it again.”

  As if that would help. He formed each letter slower, which only made my craving for him that much stronger. His smug face proved he was enjoying teasing me way too much. I pulled his head down to me and kissed him.

  “Your turn,” he whispered between deep kisses. “But I want you to sing me a story.”

  My lips froze. “Huh?” Sing? He had never asked me to sing to him.

  “You sang at Koraline’s healing ceremony, and it was the most exquisite sound I’ve ever heard. I’ve wanted to hear you sing again ever since. But I knew you’d blush,” he rubbed my cheek with his thumb, “like you’re doing now, and clam up.”

  My chest was on fire. I could see shades of orange spreading down the front of me. He was right; I was blushing out of control. I stumbled on my words. “I don’t think—why would—that’s so … awkward.”

  “Why? It’s just you and me.”

  I sat up. “That’s why it’s awkward. At Koraline’s ceremony, everyone was singing. I can’t sing solo with you watching me.”

  “Lloyd told me you love to sing.”

  “Sure, in the shower, or while I cleaned the house or gardened, when I don’t think anyone is listening or judging me.”

  “Judging? Have you heard yourself?” He tucked my hair behind my ear. “Since your transformation to a mermaid, your voice is a step above angelic.”

  My chest was so orange that it reflected off Treygan’s skin and made him look tan. “What am I supposed to sing?”

  “Anything.”

  I stared at him, frozen with embarrassment.

  “Please, we have to leave soon, and …” Sadness washed over his face. I would have done anything to wipe it away and bring back the smile he wore moments ago. “This might be our last time alone together.”

  I caressed his face, drawing an invisible line between his freckles that mirrored the Canis Major constellation. “Okay.” I breathed deep and cracked my neck. “But I can’t look at you. I’m going to focus on the ocean or something.”

  He nodded. “I’ll take it.”

  I rubbed my dry lips together and thought of a song I made up a few years ago. I sang the first few wordless notes before easing into the first verse.

  Storms surround me,

  waves keep breaking,

  there’s no escape I can find.

  I was so nervous I scrambled parts of the song, not singing the lines in order.

  I’ll share my soul with you, and fight what we’re facing,

  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.”