Dark Depths

by Lani Lenore

  He looked at Treasure again, and he knew what she wanted. She wanted to help them. But how could they?

  “Listen to me,” he said, grasping her shoulders. “These people are fleeing with their own lives. They know where to go. They will protect their own. Let me protect you.”

  Treasure stared into his eyes, her own wide with fear. He didn’t know whether this was good enough for her, but she nodded.

  He turned in the street as light flashed above them—and then he saw the flapping of wings. There were not just nymphs any longer, but sirens in the streets as well. As had been said, the sirens had responded to the lure of the fish out of water, and though the sea nymphs had tried to prepare themselves with the storm, they had been found out by an adversary more worthy of them.

  He was stricken for a moment, looking at the creatures as they clutched fistfuls of flesh from their adversaries. They were much more like animals than he had ever perceived the sea nymphs to be. They did not have weapons or armor either one, and yet they were fully aware of their business. He marveled, but they could not linger here any longer.

  “It’s time to go,” he said. She nodded.

  Keeping to the outer walls, weaving through the crowds, they finally burst out the city gates with a flood of others, but Nathan did not follow the road. They went in the opposite direction, through dense, waxy plants and beneath the shadows of trees. They made their way up the sharp hill that would put them out of view of the city for good. He would consider their direction then. They might go into the overgrowth, cross fields. Perhaps there was a cave or a barn where they could take shelter, just for a while before—

  Reaching the grassy hills of the countryside was a blessing. The rain was not falling here, concentrated on the city below, but they were sufficiently drenched. The sun was slowly rising, and as Nathan contemplated this, a shadow fell over him. He was vain enough to lift his eyes, and there he saw what he dreaded. Sirens. The battle had not distracted them from their mission. He’d thought they would have more time! He saw the creatures descending, their wings spread, talons outstretched, and he took action.

  “Run!” he shouted, still gripping her hand, trying to urge more speed from both of them after already exerting it, but the sirens were swifter—diligent in their hunt.

  Nathan had few resources, and he didn’t believe he could take them all down, but he would try. He gripped his pistol, turned and fired a shot. He didn’t aim. He hadn’t needed too. The siren was at their backs, reaching. He thought his bullet collided with her ribs, but he did not stop to look. That was the last his pistol would do without reloading it. He would have to seek another defense.

  He reached for his sword, pondering his options. Could he turn and face this flock, shield Treasure behind him and cut them all down? Unlikely that he would succeed. He’d faced a number of nymphs, but he was within a group and had the advantage of higher ground. He had no advantage here, only his fury and determination. Both would get him killed.

  The blade inched from the scabbard, difficult to free. Nathan felt Treasure’s hand slipping from his own, fingers down to the knuckle, and when he dared to turn—never look back—he lost his grip on her. She was swept off her feet by one of the winged creature, which had one long arm around her waist.

  Treasure! He reached for her, then had enough mind to fumble for his sword, but found himself knocked off his own feet. He was pressed down by two more of the sirens that had descended from the sky, hot on the trail of their kill. And then another pressed him down, and another.

  No! They had only just begun. This could not happen. He tried again to reach for his sword, but one beast clenched his wrist, prying it from his grip. He struggled, but found that he could not match their weight or strength. The sirens, just as the night one had stood on his back, held him down. This was like his worst nightmares—worse than Bliss—unable to make a move as Treasure was torn apart before his eyes.

  “You won’t take her away from me!” he shouted, but his voice had no power against them.

  Treasure was struggling, trying to break free. The siren lifted her up as if she weighed nothing and then—Nathan could not see. His view was blocked by feathers and limbs, and though he tried, he could not gain freedom.

  2

  Her muscles ached from running, and it was all her arms could do to grip the siren’s arm—to keep her back from snapping as the siren lifted her up by her shoulders. There was pain from her wounds, but more than that: fear. Treasure looked into the eyes of the winged beast, and her anguish could not be described. She feared for herself, she feared for Nathan, and she feared the oblivion of death. This great bird had snared her, and she could only guess what it would do. She had seen birds of prey rip into fish they had caught, tearing out their innards to feast upon them. Was that what the siren would do to her?

  She stared into the beast’s dark eyes, watched it observe her, and then felt it grip her neck.

  Nathan was screaming for her beneath a group of sirens that were holding him down, but she could not turn to look at him. Treasure remembered something then. There was power in her voice, and she did not need a tongue to make that sound ring forward.

  She drew in a deep breath, preparing to shriek at the siren, but she had barely produced a note before the monstrous creature had clenched her throat. A moment later, she could not breathe. The siren’s onyx gaze was so intense that Treasure became entranced, and she now knew what it was like to be a human ensnared by one of her own kind.

  It will kill me. With my head first, it will be quick. Nathan… I tried to be with you. All I wanted was you. I wish I could have told you that.

  Her panic began to fade along with the light around her eyes. And then, inside her head, a voice.

  “Can you hear my words, fish?” it asked, hissing against her mind. “We have been trying to reach you for some time, but now that I have had a look, I see that you are not like those others. You walk with legs, but it’s more than that. In you, I see something pure and good. You grasp morality, unlike your kin. You have gained the love of a human. Your wish is to be human as well, yet without vile intent. You are not worth our effort to chase. You have earned our mark. Take this gift, and be gone.”

  Treasure felt the creature’s long fingers pry open her lips and slide down her throat. She choked on the blockage for a moment, felt a warmth grow inside her chest. Then the siren released her, and she fell to the ground.

  3

  Nathan did not stop struggling. He would never stop fighting—not for her—ever again. Past the creatures that held him, he saw Treasure fall, heard her gasping. She might have been bruised, but she was not dead. He needed to get to her. He gave one final push with all his might, and he was surprised when the sirens let go.

  The creatures began to flee to the sky, carrying themselves back toward the war that was raging between human and nymph. Nathan did not care where they were going. He could see Treasure’s form on the ground. Despite his own trouble, he needed to get to her.

  He urged himself to crawl forward, for he could not quite pull himself to his feet, weak as he was with exertion and worry. He could see that she was stirring, but he had to reach her. He had to feel her in her hands and make sure she was alright.

  She caught sight of him, her reddened eyes wet, her body turning to reach his.

  “Nathan,” she cried, and then halted, uncertain. He did not think of anything else until he had pulled her into his arms.

  “Are you alright?” he demanded, looking her over, but he had not noticed the real change that had been presented to him.

  “Nathan,” she said again, and he finally realized it. She had spoken to him after so long, as he’d thought she’d never be able again. It had been her sacrifice, but this was a blessing. The siren that had snared her, it seemed, had restored her tongue.

  “I heard the siren’s voice,” she said. “It told me that they wouldn’t come after me anymore—that it gave me a gift. I think…Nathan, I think it ma
y have given me a soul.”

  He did not say anything to that, but saw the way she looked at his face. She was overjoyed.

  “Am I really human?” she asked, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m finally with you. We’re free.”

  There was a strange feeling inside him, a question. And then, the answer. Free. Yes, he felt it now. He was free of his past, of everything that had held him back. He was free of obligation and deeds he did not wish to see through. Freedom from guilt where there was none. In that moment, he could only look at her smiling face.

  “I’ve missed your voice,” he said genuinely. “There have been so many times when I needed to hear it.”

  He let his nose brush against hers and, for a moment, closed his eyes. He held her face in his hands and enjoyed her closeness, the sound of her breath. The light was growing around them and he couldn’t help but think of the day that they had rested together in the sun near the island, now the first of many days just like that.

  The moment might have been sweeter were it not for the flashes of light and tremors beneath their feet as the cliff side city crumbled below. Nathan opened his eyes, remembering where he was, and got to his feet. He helped Treasure up and they stood together, stepping toward the edge of the cliff, looking down at the city they had left behind.

  “Where will we go?” she asked him, but Nathan did not answer. He had turned away, looking toward the trees behind them. She followed his gaze.

  Beyond the sounds of destruction in the distance, birds were singing, and the wind was rustling the leaves. There was a larger world beyond the seaside, away from the troubles of the nymphs. Somewhere out there was a place to be safe.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Nathan said. “Just not here.”

  They stood in silence a moment, looking on at the maelstrom they had left behind. The war was still raging and the Leviathan was in sight, but they were far removed, as if they had never been in the midst of that turmoil.

  They held hands, and from the distant ridge where they had fled, they watched the sirens fly away and the landmass of the crown city sink. They bore witness as the land broke apart, as the high rock of the palace they had both come to know sunk into the sea. They were not moved.

  It was over. The world they knew had crumbled, but they were in each other’s arms.

  Epilogue

  Two Kingdoms

  Word was quick to spread about the fallen city. The passing of the king just days after he had taken the throne was a shock to nations far and wide, but was not as baffling as the destruction of the crown city itself, completely gone without a trace, no building left standing. A heavy rain had done the rest of the work, raising the water and adequately washing it all away. Ilsa was gone, as if it had never existed; the outreaching land where the city once stood, completely submerged.

  Survivors swore to the appearance of monsters from the sea, but how was that to be proven? Those things were only rumored, after all—pirates’ tales. But among so many, the sailors believed.

  Those who had escaped had sought residence in neighboring towns, amassing the inns until they could sort out their lives. No one gave another thought to King Ellister’s bride or to the young man who had been the king’s steward. There were no questions asked, no suppositions about the past. For both of them, their life was new, and it was together. Unlike the rest, their lives had not been destroyed, but reborn. They would go forward and dream of life in the sun.

  In the fathoms of the deep, the nymphs were without a ruler once again, without guidance for their task. They had been victorious, and yet they were in disarray, left with a sunken city and no thought of how to proceed. Someone with a commanding presence and a clear vision was needed to take control. Or perhaps there was already one standing by—someone patient—just waiting for this very thing.

  The sea was ravenous for days, and no skeptic on land could deny that. The Leviathan remained after its summoning, still humming below, a looming threat in the water.

  And somewhere in the dark depths, a male was born.

  *****

  Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed DARK DEPTHS, please leave a review and rating to let others know how much you enjoyed it!

  You can get more works from Lani Lenore on her Amazon page.

  Be sure to check out the DARK DEPTHS companion novel

  DAUGHTERS OF THE DEEP

  With voices said to ensnare sailors and lead ships to their doom, mermaids have earned a reputation as monsters of the depths. All have heard stories, but few know the truth of the deep sea nymphs who hunt on the vast sea, preying on human flesh and looking to meet their ends.

  A once glorious underwater kingdom is in decay after the death of its king—an old god—and only male among them. The daughters of the deep sea have turned to humans to keep their race alive, and therein lies the taint. More and more have been born of improper breeding. Half human and half nymph, they appear far too human to be useful as anything but slaves.

  In a time before she was called Treasure, she is nameless, Innominata. She is a mere prisoner in the kingdom until an unlikely friendship draws her to the world above—to learn the truths of her culture, to the knowledge of a lost power, and to a man who doesn’t know she exists.

  About the Author

  Lani Lenore is a writer of gothic horrors and dark fantasies. In addition to rewriting well-known fairy tales with a twist, she also writes original stories in a style she calls ‘dark fairy tale’, which uses fantasy elements to build horror stories. Most of her tales, though horrific at times, have a subplot of romance. She loves to keep readers on the edge of their seat, spook them, and immerse them in worlds of beauty and terror.

  She currently lives in Tennessee with her husband, two dogs, and four cats.

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