I looked around the room, taking in the faces of the people I was entrusting with Vivian’s life. They were ready.
Celeste jumped up from Dorian’s lap and headed toward Luca. “I’m ready,” she declared.
Vincenzo held up a hand. “No, Celeste. You can’t come with us.”
“The fuck? Of course I’m coming.” She stood with her arms crossed, eyes glaring at Vincenzo. “If you think for one second that I’m going to stay here and sit on my damn hands, you’re mistaken.”
Luca put an arm around Celeste. “Love, you know it’s not safe for you. We’d never let anything happen to you, of course, but we can’t spend all of our effort protecting you when we need to focus on Vivian. You want us to succeed, right?”
Celeste’s jaw muscles ticked as she thought about Luca’s argument. “So, you’re saying because I’m ahuman, I can’t come. Is that right?”
Luca nodded and glanced at Dorian for backup. Dorian stood and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Celeste and pulling her close. “We need to know you’re safe, baby. You can understand that, right?”
Celeste’s resolve visibly melted as her shoulders slumped forward. A single tear rolled down her cheek and Dorian wiped it away with his thumb. “Please save her.”
Vincenzo moved forward and put his hands on either side of Celeste’s face, then kissed her gently on the forehead. “We will. You have our word.”
“Let’s go,” I said.
Everyone moved toward Luca as Celeste took a step back. Each of us placed a hand on his shoulder as his shadows began to coil around us. The last thing I thought of before the world dissolved was Vivian’s face, and the unshakable promise I made to myself.
I will bring her back.
42
VIVIAN
The water closed in around me as Izo yanked me under, and for one terrifying moment, I couldn’t breathe. Panic clawed at my chest as the world turned to swirling darkness. My lungs burned, screaming with the instinct to inhale.
Just as I thought the pressure would crush me, a bubble of air formed around my head. I gasped instinctively, the sudden rush of oxygen almost as overwhelming as the panic.
“Relax,” Izo said. He was laughing, a cold, mocking sound that sent a fresh wave of fury through me. “Did you think I’d let you drown? I’m offended, Vivian. Truly.”
I glared at him, covering my naked breasts with my arms. The warmth of his magic kept the water around me bearable, but cold still creeped into my blood. My anger was only barely enough to steady the raw fear still coursing through me.
“I don’t find this funny,” I spat, though my voice sounded weak even to my own ears.
“No?” He smirked, his silver hair floating around him like a halo. “You’ll see the humor soon enough.” He gestured for me to look around. “Take it in, my dear. You won’t see beauty like this anywhere else.”
I turned my head, my eyes adjusting to the dim, glowing depths.
He was right. It was stunning.
The water shimmered with bioluminescence, casting a soft glow over everything around us. Massive, serpentine creatures swam in the distance, their scales gleaming in shades of blue and green as they moved with a terrifying grace. Their eyes were molten gold, and the faint hum of their presence vibrated through the water.
“Sea serpents,” Izo said. “An ancient pact binds them to us. Beautiful, aren’t they? Lethal, too, but only if you’re foolish enough to trespass.”
The deeper waters revealed a labyrinth of underwater ruins. Strange wards shimmered around crumbling towers and sunken temples. In one corner of the ruins, a spectral figure moved with eerie grace, its translucent form radiating menace.
“Ancient cities,” Izo continued, his tone laced with pride. “Lost to time but not forgotten. Those spirits you see? They guard the relics within, and trust me, they don’t take kindly to intruders.”
My eyes shifted to the looming structure ahead, and I stared at it in awe.
“Welcome to the Thalassia Citadel,” Izo said.
The citadel rose from the ocean floor like a dark, glittering monolith. Its towers were constructed from iridescent stones that shimmered like obsidian, catching the light of the bioluminescent coral and enchanted crystals that surrounded it. The citadel blended seamlessly with the ocean, only its uppermost spires breaking through the surface.
The glow from the coral reefs painted the water in hues of violet, green, and blue, giving the entire scene an otherworldly ambiance. The light was mesmerizing, almost hypnotic, as if designed to lull intruders into a false sense of security.
