She laughs, the horrible, sing-songy tone grating my ears through the dark water. “He picked yours. Noble, isn’t it?”
“Kill me, don’t kill him,” I sob, the desperation clear through the water.
“Nonsense, you should feel flattered, Maya. But, if you want this boy to have a chance, you must tell me. Where is the necklace?”
“I don’t know!” My words are garbled by the water pouring into my mouth. The need for oxygen is excruciating.
“You don’t know?” Nerida booms in her melodic voice and I want to cower, but I stand my ground.
“No!” I shout, and this time, the word is clear. It startles me.
“Well,” Nerida says, an ugly grimace crossing her face. “I suppose you and Mr. Fenner will both be drowning here, then.”
She wrenches my wrist almost to the point of breaking, and drags me through the water. I try to fight back. I claw at her bare arms and scratch her, but she’s too strong for me. She swims me towards the ship and into the wreck. The pain is horrendous, but I bite back my whimpers as best I can. I won’t give her the satisfaction.
Nerida opens a cracked and rotting wood door within the wreck. She shoves me inside.
“If you won’t tell me, I’ll have to find it myself.” Her tone is firm and smooth — the same as when she first picked us up from the docks. “Thank you for getting me this far. Any last words for your love?”
She points out the small porthole in front of me. I see Reef just on the other side. His tail is transforming back to human legs. I let out a sob, lost and betrayed. I couldn’t say a word if I wanted to. My lungs scream for oxygen.
Nerida slams the door.
I drop to the floor and the darkness overtakes me.
49
They say drowning is peaceful, euphoric.
When I heard that sentiment in the past, I disagreed and insisted that there’s no way that’s true. I know the feeling of drowning all too well, having drowned a million times in my nightmares.
Every time, the terror is real as I lose the fight for oxygen. A slow, painful suffocation weighs heavily on my chest.
And yet, here I am, underwater and failing to force breath through my gills. But I finally understand that drowning is a euphoric end. The burn of icy water fills my lungs, and it’s a familiar sting, but it's almost like it’s happening to somebody else, somebody far away.
I slide in and out of consciousness. Outside the porthole window, the ship’s mast creaks and sways. It’ll fall soon, plummeting to the ocean floor and taking me with it. My nightmare is here. It’s arrived in all of its glory to whisk me away.
My human limbs are not made for survival anywhere but land. I pity them. Bloated, heavy limbs, so inelegant underwater.
I laugh dizzily and a lone bubble escapes my mouth. I should be a siren. Sirens don’t drown like this. I should’ve changed by now, should’ve transformed, should’ve seen my Destiny. For the millionth time, I wonder why I was left out. Why I never experienced what the others experienced.
Instead, I’ll drown here in my meek human form. Nerida will find the necklace, wherever it is on the ship. If only I could stop her. Maybe my Destiny didn’t find me because I was destined to die here before I could become a siren.
My consciousness slips and my skin feels warm in the freezing depths.
I remember Reef’s eyes, pleading. Reef, who’s also going to drown. His beautiful eyes flash before my face as the icy hands of death clutch for me.
Everything goes dark.
The absence of light is confounding. It’s darker than the darkest night I’ve ever known. Is this it? Reef is gone, Nerida is gone, the shipwreck has fallen into the trench and is blasted into oblivion. I’m alone, and it's the darkest night of my soul’s existence.
Reef, my beautiful Reef. I never got to tell him how I feel. And because of me, he’ll die. He’ll be lost in this same inky black nothingness. He did nothing to deserve falling victim to Nerida’s psychotic hunt.
I remember Reef’s words to me at the lighthouse: “It’s like I was destined to meet you.”
Suddenly, a halo of light forms in the distance. I blink at the brilliance as it cuts through the darkness. It looks almost like a ring of stars in the night sky. It’s breathtaking.
I force myself forward, towards the ring of stars, with everything in me. I’m dizzy with effort and my exhausted body is heavy. But, I keep pushing, keep fighting. Every moment I fight, the path to the ring of stars becomes clearer.
I think of Reef, drowning. Gone forever. His green eyes sear into my soul and I suddenly feel alert and awake.
A rush of oxygen hits my body and my mind is sharp. My hands fly to my gills and I feel them elongate, siphoning replacement breath for me. My heart throbs, pumping fresh blood around my body, blood that drums along my veins like fire. It descends through my torso and into my legs, rushes into my feet as they stretch.
The water swirls around me and I burst forward, propelled by my quickly transforming body.
I gasp at the sensation of moving through the water blissfully, effortlessly. My gills flutter behind my ear and I feel the rush of water as I breathe evenly, in and out. I swim frantically towards the ring of stars. Peace courses through me. Is this my Destiny finding me?
I swim forward with even more urgency, everything inside me focused on reaching the stars. My legs pull towards each other like a magnet. They fuse together seamlessly and I move quicker and quicker.
I realize that my senses are getting sharper. I hear sound vibrating through the water. My skin is sensitive to the slightest brush of current. The darkness melts away and is replaced with clear vision.
Ahead, the stars change. They cluster closer together in a golden ring. I descend on them, my hands outstretched and ready.
I grab for the stars and my fingers close around the gold circle. An incredible wave of relief and happiness washes through me. I’m home. For a fleeting second, I see a pair of hands beckoning me forward, and then green eyes smiling out of a kind face.
Is that…? But the eyes are suddenly gone and I’m looking down, my vision reinstated.
I stare in amazement at the gold necklace in my palms, the strange symbol glowing. I’m in the little cabin that Nerida locked me in. I can make out every single nook and cranny of the room. I hear the algae softly brushing with the waves, the little creatures crawling about the shipwreck.
Certainty settles on me and I clutch the piece of jewelry in my hands. I breathe in through my gills, relishing the ease. My Destiny has found me, and I’m a siren.
In a rush, I remember where I am. I remember that Nerida is looking for the necklace, and that Reef is tied up and drowning.
Reef! I have to save him before it’s too late.
With my heightened senses, I finally notice the old trapdoor on the floor. I yank it open and swim through a hallway, deep into the belly of the shipwreck. I come out at a flight of stairs that ascend to the deck. The area is thick with debris and I navigate it until I see Reef in the distance, chained to the mast.
A mist of blood surrounds him in the water, and my heart drops in terror.
“REEF!” I dart towards him. “Reef, wake up. Please wake up.”
He’s unconscious and bleeding from the side of his head. His human legs are reappearing and horror fills my veins. He doesn’t have much time.
I lurch towards him, but an imposing presence swims between us.
50
Nerida sneers at me, her face pale and contorted. Her eyes flash angrily and I see, again, the mark of pure evil.
“Let him go!” I scream.
“Look at you, brave and transformed.” Nerida cackles wickedly. “I knew you had it in you. You just needed a helping hand.”
“Leave us alone.” I lunge for Reef again.
“Give me the necklace, and I will let Mr. Fenner go. It’s very simple.”
My hand instinctively wraps tighter around the necklace. I look between her cold, ugly eyes and Re
ef’s limp body. Nerida follows my gaze and swims to Reef. She reaches out and strikes his face with horrific force.
I scream as a fresh stream of blood shoots from Reef’s mouth. The red cloud around him darkens as new blood mixes hazily with the surrounding water.
“Quiet!” She hisses and raises her hand to hit him again.
I stop screaming. I can’t bear to see her hurt him.
I keep my mouth shut and Nerida nods approvingly. “Good girl. As I was saying, it’s very simple. If you give me that necklace in your hand, nobody will get hurt.”
She grabs Reef by the hair and yanks his head upwards like he’s a puppet. She holds a long, grotesque hand in front of him, as though hypnotizing him.
Disgust washes over me as I see them clearly: the white, inhuman hands of my nightmare. Her fingers tense, inches from his face, and I watch in horror as his eyes flicker open for a second. He moans in pain before his eyes roll backwards in his head.
“Stop it, stop it!” I shriek. I don’t know what kind of evil magic she’s using, but I can’t watch her torture him. It’s barbaric.
Nerida takes her hand away from Reef’s face and holds it in front of her, palm open and demanding. “The necklace, Maya.”
It’s not even a choice. I have to save Reef. But how can I trust that she’ll let him go after I give her the necklace? Who’s to say that she’ll let either of us go?
“Unchain him first.” What I mean to be a command sounds more like a desperate plea.
A plan is taking shape in my mind. It’s a long, long shot, but it’s all I have. I hold my fist in front of me so she can see the gold chain of the necklace. My voice, this time, is slightly more confident, “Unchain him and you can have it.”
Nerida looks at me sharply and I turn my eyes downward in surrender.
“Please,” I whisper. “I can't bear it if anything happens to him. I don’t want to live without him.”
As I speak the words, I realize they’re true. I can’t imagine life without Reef by my side. Tears of unbearable pain course hotly down my face, a stinging contrast to the freezing water.
“Let him go and you can have whatever you want.” By now, I’m sobbing. Time is running out. I need to get Reef out of here before he dies. I can barely process the thought.
Nerida looks at him, and it’s all the time I need. I fasten the strange necklace around my neck and yank my Constellation necklace off, balling it up in my hand. I pull my hair forward to hide the switch.
Nerida unties him and turns to me. She holds Reef by the arm and he slumps beside her like a ragdoll. He’s still bleeding in a slow stream from his mouth. My stomach turns looking at his limp body. I hope it’s not too late.
With all of the effort I can summon, I fling my Constellation necklace as far as I can towards the deep trench. It soars through the water and disappears over the lip of the trench.
“You foolish girl!” Nerida shrieks and lets go of Reef to zip after the glint of gold.
I take my chance and dart forward, grabbing Reef before he hits the sea floor. I hold his arms and dash away from the shipwreck. It’ll only take a couple of seconds for her to realize my trick, but I’ll have a small headstart.
I swim as fast as I can, my newly transformed body moving with ease through the water. I hold tight to Reef’s arms and tow him along. I shout the whole time to wake up, to stay with me. Deep in the recesses of my mind, I realize that my words are clear and melodic. I’m speaking properly — the final piece of siren transformation.
I glance behind and Nerida approaches in the distance, swimming at full speed and shrieking in her oddly melodic voice.
We don’t have much time left.
51
I clutch tightly at Reef and swim as fast as possible. I will save him. I have to.
Sudden heat emanates from my neck — from where the necklace rests near my throat. A burst of energy propels me forward. It’s as if the necklace is feeding me energy, sending fire into my veins to keep fighting, keep pushing.
I have a strange inclination to turn left and I listen to my gut. I have no idea where we’re going, but all that matters in this moment is getting Reef to safety. I swim to the left and notice a cave in the rocks below.
Without a second thought, I swim for it. Once inside, I see that the cave’s mouth opens into a network of underwater tunnels. I swim from left to right, weaving through the cave system in arbitrary directions. I can only hope that this will throw Nerida off. I try not to think about how on earth we’ll get back.
Time is running out.
I arrive in a huge cave and look up, hoping to orient myself. By some magical stroke of luck, I notice a small cavern above the water. I need to get Reef out of the water now, before he drowns. By now, his gills have completely retracted.
I drag Reef to the surface of the cavern and push him onto a rocky ledge. I’m suddenly grateful for the strength I have in siren form — Halloran’s lesson feels so long ago.
I drag myself out of the water and I transform back into my human form. I crouch over Reef’s lifeless, bloodied body. I desperately push my fingers into his neck, trying to find a pulse. There isn’t one.
His body is cold and his face is deathly pale.
No, no, no.
I give him chest compressions, trying my best to remember my CPR training from school back home. “Come on Reef. Wake up, please wake up...”
Tears stream down my face as I push harder on his chest. I shut the thought away and keep counting compressions.
28, 29, 30.
My gills close and I welcome air into my lungs. I fill them with life-giving breath and I tilt Reef’s head backwards carefully. I give him two rescue breaths.
Nothing happens.
I return to compressions, my hands slippery with his blood.
“Wake up, Reef. Please. I need you.” I beg through my sobs.
He doesn’t respond.
“Please, Reef.” I push on his chest with everything in me. “I can’t do this without you.”
Hope slips away as the minutes tick by. Reef is stone cold, his lips blue. I can’t hear anything — no breaths, no gasps for air. Just my own sobbing.
I lay my head on his chest and my hot tears pool on his cold skin.
“Don’t leave me,” I whisper, knowing that it’s too late.
52
There’s an awful gurgling sound.
My eyes fly open and I sit straight. All of a sudden, Reef gasps and splutters. He jerks to a sitting position and coughs a huge gush of bloodied water.
“Reef!” I shout.
He opens his eyes, coughing and spluttering. My body sags with relief and I circle my arms around him. Fresh tears of happiness blur my vision.
He looks at me and his eyes are hazy. I’ve never been so overjoyed to see those emerald green eyes.
“Reef? Please say something.”
“Maya.” His eyes flicker with confusion. “What are we doing in Lover’s Cave?”
Taken aback, my mouth drops open. I glance at the very nondescript cave. Is he delirious?
“You had an accident,” I say slowly and urge him to lie back down. “Your head is hurt, so try not to move. We’re in a cave somewhere in the ocean but we’ll find our way back to school when you’re strong enough.”
He looks at me blankly. “We’re at school.”
I screw my eyes up and try not to panic. He’s had a serious blow to the head.
“Soon. We’ll get back to school soon,” I promise. The cut on the side of his head is gushing blood, and I’m terrified that Nerida will be able to trace us.
I whip off my soaking shirt, and apply pressure to his head wound.
“We’re at school, Maya,” he repeats and struggles to sit up. He points to a hole a few feet up the cave wall. “That tunnel takes you right into the castle.”
“What?” I stare at him, incredulous.
“Lover’s Cave.” Reef shrugs. “Marlowe’s brother told us about it, so we went
and found it earlier this semester. He used to take his girlfriend here. Everyone does, apparently. It's a famous make-out spot.”
He clutches the side of his head, wincing. “How did we get here?”
I’m reeling as I process his words. “Wait, the tunnel goes to the castle?”
“It leads to the grounds,” he mumbles, sounding weaker and sleepier. I need to get him out of here while he’s still conscious.
I have no idea whether Reef is out of his mind or if this whole “Lover’s Cave” realization was a moment of clarity. I decide that I don’t have a choice — I’m going to have to risk it. There’s no other way out with Reef in this condition. I shiver to think of going back into the depths of the water, with Nerida likely waiting for us in the caves.
“How’re you feeling? Can you stand up?” I ask and rise to my feet. I gently hold out my hands. “I need you to listen to me. I think we might still be in danger and we need to get to the castle.”
He slowly rises to a stand and then wobbles. I hold my breath while he props himself against the wall with one hand. His face gets paler and blood runs down his neck.
“Are you able to climb into the tunnel?” I ask him.
“I think so.” He grips at the wall.
I take his arm to steady him and I close my eyes for a second, willing this nightmare to be over. Somehow, Reef manages to pull himself into the tunnel. I follow quickly, my heart racing. This has to work.
I take Reef’s hand and we stumble along the dark, wet tunnel for what seems like an eternity. We stop often so Reef can steady himself. He’s losing too much blood. The tunnel twists and turns and hopelessness mounts in me. I walk blindly, praying under my breath for a miracle to save Reef. If he loses consciousness, I don’t know what I’ll do.
Just keep moving forward.
Finally, the tunnel takes a sharp curve upwards and I see light in the distance.
The last stumble towards the light is terrible. I use all of my strength to pull Reef up the steep slope. I’m beyond exhausted, physically and mentally spent.
The Destiny: A YA Paranormal Academy Romance (Deep Cove Academy Book 1) Page 18