“No,” he answered. “It has never happened.”
The vibrations started again, like someone hitting the side of the room. The initial big shake was followed by smaller tremors. Laurel looked up in panic. They were under the water in a dome. What if the dome cracked?
“Come.” Brutus took her by the arm and started to lead her out of the room naked.
“Wait.” She jerked from his grasp and grabbed her clothing from the night before. Then, she tossed him his toga.
“I must find out what is happening,” he stated, not bothering to dress as he instead carried his clothing in a balled fist.
The vibrations subsided once more. Laurel expected to see the palace halls filled with panicked people. Instead, several men strode through the halls in determination.
“Caderyn, Iason, Rigel, to the countryside to check the dome.” The king pointed at the men as he spoke. “Solon, check the villagers and then those in the countryside.”
The men took off as ordered. The vibrations came in steady waves, a heavy hit and then the aftermath.
“That leaves the water,” Brutus said.
“You and Demon, go,” the king ordered. “Take Brennus and Vitus with you. They should be at their post.”
Demon jogged ahead of them toward the surfacing area.
Brutus gestured that Laurel should follow him. He handed her his clothing and continued on naked. “Stay in the palace unless the king tells you it’s not safe. If I do not return, he will become your guardian, or will find you someone suitable.”
“What do you mean if you don’t return?” Laurel demanded. Her heart beat faster. Demon helped the two guards move the boulder blocking the exit. “Don’t go if you think you won’t return.”
“Brutus, come,” Demon yelled. His clothes flew behind him as he led Vitus and Brennus into the surfacing area. Brennus carried a torch into the darkened space. She had a feeling it was more for her than for himself.
“Brutus, don’t go if it’s dangerous.” Laurel followed him through the round door into a cave. The air instantly felt cool and damp compared to the palace. Rough gemstones protruded from the cave’s walls. She lifted her hand to the stone to steady herself as the ground again shook.
“Your concern is—” Brutus began.
“Brother, now!” Demon’s yell was followed by three distinct splashes.
“I have to. It’s my duty.” He quickly cupped her cheeks and gave her a kiss. “Go back into the palace. Listen to the king. He’ll protect you.”
“But—ah.” Laurel gasped as Brutus dove into the darkness at the edge of the cave. A splash sounded as he broke the water’s surface.
“Brutus, wait,” she called. “How long will you be?”
‘As long as it takes.’
She heard the words in her head and frowned, confident her mind had answered her. “Damn it, Brutus.”
‘Do not be angry with me,’ he said. The telepathic words were clear.
‘Are you in my head?’ Laurel thought.
‘We’re connected,’ he answered.
‘You’re mated to my brother,’ Demon interrupted, his tone sounded exasperated. ‘Stop clogging the mind link. We have work to do.’
‘Now go away from the water. Find the king. Be safe.’ Brutus ordered.
‘But, can everyone read my mind?’ Laurel asked, trying not to think of all the things she didn’t want everyone seeing.
‘Oh, I did not want to see my brother like that!’ Demon protested.
‘What? No!’ Laurel pressed her hands to her temples.
‘Leave her be, Demon,” Brutus said. ‘Laurel, he is teasing you. We can only hear the thoughts you direct at us. I will teach you when I return.”
Laurel hugged her arms to her stomach and stared at the dark water. ‘Just make sure you return.’
Chapter 13
Brutus didn’t like the look Laurel gave him as he went into the abyss. The uncertainty could only mean he’d done something wrong. He must have forgotten to do or say something.
Demon jerked his arm to the side. ‘Watch it.’
Water current pushed against him as the guard worm swam from his home beneath the outcropping of rock that made the dome’s base. The water vibrated, but the quaking was not as bad as it was inside the dome. They swam away from Atlantes, over the underwater field of sea grass, to get a better view of their home.
‘Where are all the sea creatures?’ Vitus asked.
Brutus shared a look with his twin. That was a good question.
The guards were not as strong of swimmers as the brothers. Not many Merr were let out into Deep Ocean and did not get the open water swimming practice. It was dark in the water, but he his vision cut through the cold depths with ease.
‘Vitus, come with me. We’ll check the dome,’ Brutus said. ‘Brennus, go with Demon and check the other direction. We’ll sweep around and meet along the other side. Brennus and Vitus stay low near the base. Demon and I will swim along the top.’
Demon nodded in agreement. The guards were quite capable, but the brothers did not want them alone in the ocean. There were too many natural dangers.
Brutus tried to keep an eye on Vitus while moving up along the dome. Light from inside shone through the barrier, giving him a distant view of the ground below. He’d often thought this was what the gods must have seen when they looked down on them before Poseidon encased them in their living tomb and banished them beneath the waves.
Laurel was down there, beyond the treetops and palace walls. Days and nights fell over the enchanted country just as it had before the curse. Instead of stars, the heat of the dome attracted creatures whose bioluminescence would dance around the dome to mimic the night sky.
Brutus placed his hand on the solid dome and felt it quake. ‘Vitus, join me. The vibrations are coming from ahead.’
The guard swam straight up from below. Dome light glowed over them, revealing Vitus’s worried expression. ‘Is this the end?’
Brutus heard the man’s fear through the mind link. ‘We need to find the source.’
‘We all knew the dome would not hold forever,’ Vitus continued. ‘What happens when it breaks? We all shift and become lost in the ocean? We become…like them?’
The last was a mere whisper. Brutus knew Vitus’s fear was founded. The Merr could not survive on the surface. They needed the dome. Without it, they would be forced out into the water where the dark ocean would creep in on their souls. They’d try to hold onto sanity, to each other. They would try, and they would fail. There was only one fate for them in the ocean. They would become the thing he hunted. They would become scylla.
Brutus could not let that happen. He would not be the thing that caused so much human death. And then there was Laurel. Had his saving her ultimately condemned her?
‘If you wish to be a hunter someday, you must learn to control the fear,’ Brutus told him. There was a job to do, and he was going to do it. He did not serve Laurel and his people by being afraid.
‘Aye,’ Vitus answered.
Brutus swam harder, leading the way along the dome. His hand glided over the barrier, trying to follow the tremors. They grew steadily stronger.
‘The water is cloudy.’
At Vitus’s words, Brutus slowed and turned his attention beneath them. He swam toward the base of the dome. Blood had been dispersed in the water. The acrid smell of it was unmistakable.
‘Brennus?’ Vitus called out. ‘Brennus!’
‘It is not them,’ Brutus interrupted. ‘There is too much of it, and the others are probably too far away to hear us. We follow the trail.’
Despite his obvious trepidation, Vitus followed Brutus as they tracked the source of the blood. It became thicker just as the vibrations became harder. The current flowed against his body, making it difficult to move forward. He grabbed Vitus by the hand and redirected him upward to where they could swim with greater ease.
‘Stay vigilant,’ he ordered.
* * *
The carnage floating past them was hard to witness, let alone swim through. Brutus tried not to breathe the bloody water, but he could only hold his breath for so long. The tainted taste filled his mouth. Dead sea creatures drifted along the ocean floor, floating with the current—colossal squids, sharks, every sizable creature from this area of the abyss.
‘What happened here?’ Vitus asked.
Brutus didn’t have an answer. He moved along the seafloor to examine the bodies. Even though his vision could cut through the dark, it was hard to see through the red cloud. Several of the animals looked as if they had been beaten with giant clubs.
The current stirred, soft at first, but growing exponentially. He turned his attention upward just in time to see a squid move past. The light from within the dome contrasted Vitus as the man looked inside at their home. The squid didn’t change its course, or it’s speed.
‘Vitus!’ he shouted, darting up to where the man treaded water.
Vitus turned around. Brutus slammed his shoulder into Vitus and the dome at the same time. The momentum slid them to the side. It was too late. He felt the fin on his forearm cut into the squid and was unable to stop it. The slick skin molded against his body. The creature slammed into them, knocking them into the hard shell.
Chapter 14
“Get out of my way, I’m going to look for him.” Laurel stared at the king. The tremors had lessened in frequency, but they were still there, vibrating the floors. Something inside her told her she needed to go into the ocean water. She didn’t know what she would do once she got there, but she had to try. At first, she tried to ignore the feeling as fear. There were several unknowns to be frightened by in her new life. However, the sensation of dread would not disappear until it had become unbearable. It felt like her stomach was full of acid that was beginning to eat away at her heart. She had to find Brutus. She had to. “Brutus saved me, and now I must return the favor. I can’t explain it. I just know I have to leave.”
“I cannot allow that.” King Lucius held up his hands, physically blocking her way to the surfacing area’s entrance. “It’s not safe. You do not understand the water. You haven’t even gone through the transformation.”
“But if I go into the water, maybe I can hear him,” Laurel answered. “Saltwater could be a conductor of the whole mind link thought thingy. It’s been days, and you’re not sending anyone out to look for them. What else can I do but go myself?”
“The hunters know what they are doing. Brutus is one of our best.” The king tried to touch her arm to guide her away from the surfacing area.
She let him walk her a few steps before pulling back. “I overheard you talking to Bridget’s husband. No one has heard from Brutus or Demon or the guards that went with them.”
“You listened to my conversation with Caderyn?”
“Yes, I did. The whole thing.” She ignored the censure in his tone. “I also heard him say something about Olympians attacking the dome. You have four men out there alone. I’m told there are several hunters allowed out into the ocean. Send them. Send an army. Find Brutus.”
“You are distraught. This is all new to you. Come. We will get you food and then I’ll take you for a walk around the palace grounds to calm you. Until Brutus returns, I’m your guardian and it is my duty to—”
Laurel gave a hard smile and shook her head in denial. “Actually, Demon acknowledged that Brutus and I mated, so I think that means as a married woman I don’t need a guardian. Try again.”
“You mated?” The king put a little more distance between them as if to give her more room for the sake of propriety. “Then you will listen because I am king.”
“Not my king. I’m American.”
“You are Merr.”
“Sorry. Another loophole. Not a mermaid until I’m let into the water. Still American.”
“You are in my country,” King Lucius stated. “Bound by Merr law.”
“Well, I…” Laurel frowned. “I was hoping my argument would work.”
“As I already said, you have not gone through the transformation.” The king spoke very deliberately as if he doubted she would understand the importance of his words. “You will be no good to him in the water.”
“What if I transform in a bath first? Then will you let me go?” The idea of drowning terrified her, but not as badly as losing Brutus. She didn’t understand why or how it was possible, but she physically ached at his absence. Lying awake at night in his bed, alone, smelling him on the pillow had been so torturous she’d moved onto the couch to be able to fall asleep.
“It would have to be the pool. Saltwater transforms.”
“Fine. Let’s do it.” She nodded nervously. Laurel moved as if to go to the pool only to stop. “Is it going to hurt?”
“I don’t remember.” The king gestured that she should walk with him, as he again tried to lead her away from the surfacing area. “Don’t you know? Brutus rescued you from drowning.”
“I meant the transformation,” she clarified. “And I was barely conscious during the drowning part.”
“You will not find out today. I cannot allow it. You will wait for your husband to return and then—”
“If you don’t want me finding a way to go after them, you’re going to have to tell me what is happening. I need to know. Why are the Olympians after your people? Who are they?”
King Lucius looked as if he wouldn’t answer.
“Brutus is out there,” Laurel insisted. “He said you would help me. How you can assist me is by explaining what is going on. I did not choose to come down here, but I’m here now. And don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be saved from death, but I need to know.”
“I suppose there is no harm in telling you what everyone already knows. At least, if it comes from me, I’ll be assured you have the facts.” King Lucius sighed in resignation. “The Olympians are a group of women who do not value life as the Merr do. They are a small sect of mermaids that reside in a region nicknamed Mt. Olympus. Recently, it came to our attention they were luring human men down to be their slaves. They did not allow these men to transform to be like us, and from what we can gather these men were not in danger of drowning when the mermaids took them. We only save those who have little to no chance of survival. It is the law. If the human men disobeyed their mistresses, they were killed. We discovered how the Olympians were leaving the dome, and we took steps to ensure they could no longer get out. Their queen was less than pleased and has been trying to cause trouble ever since. It is our belief she has something to do with these earthquakes. Her followers have been found outside of their territory by the dome. Caderyn questions one of them now, so that is all I can tell you.”
“We must do something,” Laurel stated. “You said they have been trying to break the dome. What will happen to everyone if they succeed?”
“Our world will end, and we will become lost in the ocean.”
“Then let me go into the water to help Brutus.” Laurel insisted. The king motioned in denial. “I have to do something. Let me do something.”
“No. Right now our task is much more difficult. We have to wait and trust those in the water can handle themselves.”
Chapter 15
“I’m not waiting around to hear if evil mermaids attacked Brutus.” Laurel side-eyed Bridget while her face was still turned upward toward the very dark blue sky. The color had to of come from the ocean, yet it was daytime inside the dome. She thought of all the water on top of her, pressing down. She couldn’t hold her breath and return to the surface. If the mermaids succeeded, and the dome caved in, she’d drown. Then, apparently she’d be reborn to wander the ocean forever.
“The king wants you relaxing. Try not to think about it,” Bridget said. She kept her voice soft, but Laurel could see the woman’s concern lining her tired eyes.
“I can’t explain it, but I know Brutus is out there. I feel him. Like a beacon calling to me, pulling me in his direction. I have given myself a migraine trying t
o communicate with him. I can’t hear him in my head. I should be able to hear him in my head. You said I would be able to. Aidan told me that when I transform the ability becomes stronger. So, I’m going to drown, and you’re going to help me.”
Bridget arched a brow. “And I will do this because?”
“We come from the same place. We’re both modern women. You owe me for not freaking out and scaring your merboys. You’ll do it because you’re a good person, and you know what it’s like to be me.” Laurel didn’t care which argument won.
Bridget’s look relaxed. “I know it’s difficult waiting, and I can’t say it gets easier, but it becomes more familiar. I still worry when Caderyn goes off on his ocean runs.”
“Then have Caderyn go,” Laurel insisted.
“He’s in the countryside with the others, tracking down the Olympians. They feel it’s the quickest way to find answers.”
“I lost a baby. And I can tell you that losing a child rips out your soul. You have three boys, your babies. If you won’t help me because of me, then help me because of them. If Brutus needs help, then let me find him and help him. Or I can find him and tell him to watch out for Olympians trying to break the dome. We have to do something. Don’t let your children become lost.” Laurel took a deep breath.
Bridget’s eyes moistened with tears as any good mother’s would at such an argument.
“Ok, fine. Don’t go against the king by helping me. Just…” Laurel sighed. “Just keep the boys out of the pool area until whatever is going to happen to me, happens. I don’t want to scare them. I’ll transform and then I’ll go. You don’t have to help, only please don’t say anything.”
Bridget shook her head and made a sound of frustration. “Meet me by the pool. I’ll bring the chains.”
* * *
Standing on the edge of the palace pool, staring in, arms weighed down by thick iron chains… Yep, this was some scary shit.
Surrender to the Sea (Lords of the Abyss Book 4) Page 6