“The wedding will settle all accounts.”
The words dropped into the room like stones into still water, and her heart stopped.
Wedding.
She’d known, of course. She’d known since she was eighteen that this was coming, ever since her father had sat her down with that terrified, helpless expression and explained that Merrick wanted more than artifacts and data. That the price of their continued existence—of her father’s freedom, of her own survival—was her.
But hearing it said out loud, so casually, like it was already decided…
“The arrangements are nearly complete,” Merrick continued, finally removing his hand from her shoulder. “A small, tasteful ceremony in Port Cantor. I’ve already selected the venue—the Oceanview Terrace. It has a lovely view of the water.” His lips curved again. “You’ll be able to see the sea from our wedding chamber.”
Our wedding chamber.
The words made her want to scream. To run. To dive back into the ocean and swim until she found somewhere he couldn’t follow.
But there was nowhere he couldn’t follow. That was the point. That was the trap.
“I should let you rest,” Merrick said, adjusting his cuffs with precise, deliberate movements. “The storm has clearly been taxing. But I wanted to stop by, to check on my investment.” His eyes found hers one last time, as cold and grey as the flint they resembled. “And to remind you both what’s at stake.”
He moved towards the door, his expensive shoes clicking against the metal floor. At the threshold, he paused.
“Doctor. I expect a full report on tonight’s data by tomorrow morning. And Ariella—” He looked back over his shoulder. “Do try to stay out of Vultor territory. I’d hate for anything to damage you before the wedding.”
The door sealed behind him with a soft hiss.
She stood frozen in the center of the lab, her bioluminescence pulsing in a rhythm that matched her racing heart. Her father was saying something—apologizing, explaining, justifying—but the words washed over her like waves against rock.
The wedding will settle all accounts.
She turned and walked back towards her quarters, ignoring her father’s continuing stream of nervous explanations. Her room was exactly as she’d left it, small and sterile, a cage with better air filtration.
“I’m sorry, Ariella.”
Her father stood in the doorway, his face pale and etched with a regret that seemed, for the first time, genuinely felt.
“I never wanted this,” he said quietly. “You have to believe me. When you were so sick… I would have done anything. The modifications were supposed to save you, not create this situation.”
“And they did save me,” she heard herself say. Her own voice sounded distant, flat. “But what were you saving me for?”
CHAPTER 4
Ishouldn’t be here,Ariella thought, even as she climbed out of the water onto the beach at the base of the cliffs. The sun was barely above the horizon but between trying to come up with a way out of Merrick’s trap and worrying about the child, she’d barely slept. As soon as the sky began to lighten she slipped out of bed and headed back up the coast.
The storm had passed during the night and the morning air was still except for the gentle lapping of the waves and the distant cry of a seabird. The beach was littered with debris—kelp, driftwood, shattered shells—but it looked almost peaceful, the sand smoothed into a clean canvas by the waves.
I shouldn’t be here,she thought again, hating how weak it made her feel. But the image of the little girl, face pale and still, the desperate fear on her father’s face, was a knot in her stomach that wouldn’t loosen. She had to know. She had to be sure that the child was all right.
She’s alive,she reminded herself.I checked her heartbeat. I felt her breathing. She was just unconscious, not?—
Not dead. Not like the others she’d found in the deep places. Drowned sailors and lost divers, bodies that washed into the trenches and never came out again.
Stop it. She’s fine. Focus.
She found the path almost immediately, a narrow, almost invisible track that wound its way up the face of the cliff. The rock was still damp from the rain, the holds slick with spray, but her bare feet easily gripped the rocks as she climbed.
The entrance to the cave was concealed behind a curtain of stone that blended seamlessly with the surrounding rock. There was no door, and she hesitated uneasily for a moment before walking through the narrow opening.
The path opened into a wider corridor, and her breath caught.
