I lunge forward, my fingers closing around the rough, salt-crusted fibers of the rope as I start hauling myself up the side of the ship. My muscles scream in protest, my lungs burning with the effort of dragging my exhausted, waterlogged body out of the sea.
I clamber over the railing and onto the deck. I collapse in a heap, my chest heaving and my limbs trembling with exhaustion. The world spins around me, the colors too bright and the sounds too loud after the muffled darkness of the water.
But even as I lie there, gasping for breath and trying to steady the pounding of my heart, I can't shake the image of the Siren's face, the perfect replica of my mate's features twisted into something cold and alien and utterly terrifying.
And I know, with a sickening certainty that settles in the pit of my stomach like a lead weight, that this is just the beginning, that the horrors lurking beneath the waves are nothing compared to the trials that lie ahead.
Danica
26
Imarvel at the breathtaking beauty surrounding us as we glide through the water. It's like swimming through a living kaleidoscope, with schools of brightly colored fish darting past, their scales glinting in the filtered sunlight. Coral reefs stretch out before us, their vibrant hues a dazzling array of pinks, purples, and blues, each teeming with life.
But I can't shake the feeling that I'm way out of my depth—both literally and figuratively. I'm a long way from the surface and even further from the life I knew before all this interdimensional bullshit started. It's like I've been dropped into the middle of a Disney movie on acid.
Except instead of a singing crab and a lovable flounder, I've got a mysterious mermaid with a hidden agenda and a one-way ticket to the land of "what the actual fuck."
And the worst part? I didn't even get to sign a contract or negotiate my terms. Nope, I just got sucked into this mess like a piece of plankton in a whale's mouth, with no idea where I'm going or how I'm going to get back to the surface.
The mermaid is a vision of ethereal beauty and power. Her long, inky black hair flows behind her like a living shadow, contrasting sharply with the silvery scales covering her arms and chest. Her tail is a sleek, powerful appendage that propels her through the water with effortless grace. And those spikes along her back? They look like they were ripped straight from a shark's fin, giving her an air of danger.
She dives deeper, dragging me like a ragdoll caught in a riptide. My lungs start to burn, and panic rises in my chest. I pull away, trying to free my hand from her vise-like grip, but she ignores my protests.
When I think I'm about to black out, she whirls around and presses her lips to mine, breathing life into my starved lungs."We are almost there,"she sing-songs into my head, her voice a haunting melody.
I decide to take advantage of this newfound mental connection."Where the hell are you taking me?"I demand.
She looks over her shoulder and smiles, her eyes glinting with amusement and secrecy."You'll see,"she replies cryptically, her tail flicking through the water.
Well, at least I know the Faerite stone is working its magic, allowing us to communicate telepathically. It's a small comfort in a sea of uncertainty, but I'll take what I can get at this point.
Suddenly, I see a shimmering pool ahead, its surface rippling with an otherworldly light. It's vertical, like a doorway standing upright in the middle of the ocean, and every instinct screams at me to swim away.
Before I can make a break for it, the mermaid tightens her grip and pulls me forward with a powerful kick of her tail.
"Relax,"she whispers. And just like that, my body relaxes as if compelled.
What the hell?
We reach the shimmering pool, and she swims through it without hesitation, dragging me along.
As we pass through the shimmering veil, I feel a rush of energy coursing through my body. The water around us starts to churn and swirl, and for a moment, I'm convinced I'm about to be torn apart by the sheer force of it all.
The swirling sensation intensifies, and I feel my consciousness slip away.
Then, utter darkness.
Ijolt awake, my mind spinning like a top. I slowly peel myself off the wet, slick stone, feeling like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of a shoe. It takes me a moment to realize that I'm on solid ground. The last thing I remember is swimming under the sea like a discount Ariel and then going through some watery portal that made me feel like I was being flushed down the world's most giant toilet.
I look around, and my eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. Holy shit, this place is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's dark but hauntingly beautiful, like a gothiccathedral designed by Gomez Adams on a bender. Water surrounds me like a giant glass fishbowl, casting an eerie blue glow over everything.
As my eyes adjust to the dim light, I realize I am in some underground palace. The walls are adorned with intricate carvings of sea creatures and mythical beasts, their eyes seeming to follow me as I move. Bioluminescent plants and creatures cast a soft, otherworldly glow, making it feel like I've stumbled into a scene from Avatar.
"I've done what you have asked, your Majesty," a voice behind me says, snapping me out of my morbid reverie.
Your Majesty?Where the hell am I, the underwater kingdom of Atlantis? I turn around, half-expecting to see Poseidon himself, a talking crab, or a singing fish, but instead, I'm greeted by the sight of the most stunning creature I've ever seen.
There, lying in a pool of water like a gothic mermaid queen is a woman. Her skin is a rich, dark brown, like the color of black coffee, and her hair is styled in long, intricate dreadlocks that fall past her waist and move with a life of their own. Her eyes are a deep, soulful brown that seems to hold all the universe's secrets.
