As I stared into her tear-filled eyes, her pleading gaze searching mine, a surge of disgust washed over me. “Cry yourself an ocean, Rose, and drown in your own treachery.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, I pulled the trigger.
Two shots rang out, echoing in the confined space. Blood sprayed, painting red splatters across the opulent room. Rose’s body fell lifelessly, landing eerily on top of Sam’s feet, her blood mingling with his on the ruined fabric of my wedding gown, now stained with the indelible mark of betrayal and vengeance.
The aftertaste of adrenaline still lingered in my mouth, my breaths heavy. The gun in my hand felt heavier than before, and my heart was still thudding against my chest when the boat lurched.
The sudden movement caught me off guard, and my feet struggled to find purchase on the slick, bloodstained floor. A deafening roar filled the air, and I was violently thrown off balance. The world spun, the walls and ceiling blurring together as a tremendous explosion rocked the vessel.
The force of the impact was like a punch to the gut. As if in slow motion, I watched the rich décor of the yacht splinter and shatter around me. The world outside was a blur, but the horrific screech of metal on metal was unmistakable. There was an ear-splitting explosion, and the very structure of the boat disintegrated.
Suddenly, I was submerged in the biting cold of the ocean. Icy tendrils wrapped around my body, dragging me deeper into its abyss. The world above was a whirlwind of chaos; fiery debris rained down, the fragments of the boat setting the water’s surface ablaze. Flashes of searing pain shot through my limbs as the saltwater made contact with my fresh wounds.
Panic took hold as the saltwater stung my eyes and filled my nostrils. Every instinct screamed at me to kick, to push upward, to break the surface and take a breath. But the weight was too much, the dizziness too overpowering.
As I struggled, visions of the burning ship flickered before my eyes—flames dancing on the water’s surface, the boat reduced to a flaming skeleton. Desperate gasps for air resulted in sharp stings as saltwater filled my lungs.
Amidst the chaos, a floating wooden door came into view, bobbing in the violent waves. With what little strength I had left, I reached out, trying to grab hold of it. My fingers grazed its rough surface, but I could barely hold on, unable to lift myself out of the icy waters.
Every muscle burned, screaming in protest as I tried to hold on tight and fight against the undertow.
The world darkened around me, my vision narrowing to a mere pinprick. I felt myself drifting, the cold numbing my senses and the sounds of the roaring fire and crashing waves fading into the distance.
The night sky stretched above me, an endless canvas of twinkling stars, their light shining like beacons in the vast darkness.
My vision began to blur, the stars melding together into a hazy river of light. I reached out with my mind, desperate to connect with Ky’rn one last time.“Ky’rn,”I thought, my mental voice weak but filled with emotion,“I’m sorry. Please, survive this. Live... for both of us.”
Tears mingled with the saltwater, blurring my view even further as I struggled to maintain consciousness. My body felt heavy, my grip on reality slipping as surely as my physical grip on the world around me.
The coldness of the water began to seep into my bones, a stark contrast to the warmth of Ky’rn’s embrace that now felt like a distant memory. The darkness beneath the surface beckoned, its icy tendrils wrapping around me, pulling me under.
My hand weakly reached out, as if I could touch the celestial bodies that now seemed so far away. The world above slipped away as I sank beneath the surface, the starry sky replaced by the dark, enveloping waters.
As I drifted into the abyss, my last thought was of Ky’rn. His face, his touch, the way he made me feel whole. I wished for him to know peace, to find happiness in the life that stretched out before him. A life that, heartbreakingly, I could no longer share.
As I sank, I made my last wish, a silent plea to the universe:“Let him be safe. Let him find happiness.”
And then, the cold darkness enveloped me completely, seeping into my bones, as the ocean claimed me in its silent embrace.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
KY’RN
The emotions rippled through me with an intensity that left me breathless—panic, fear, anger. It was a cacophony of raw feelings, and though I was used to sensing the emotions of my kin, Isla’s were the loudest and clearest of all.
I could feel her.
Her spirit pulsed brightly through our connection, her soul screaming out in the vast expanse of the ocean.
She was alive—but she was also in danger. My entire being responded to that call, urging me to move, to save her.
Closing my eyes, I tried to shut out all distractions and home in on that tether that linked our souls.
The direction was unclear at first, but something primal within me—my predatory instincts—pulled me away from the flaming wreckage, urging me to move faster, to venture into open waters.
Without hesitation, I accelerated, propelling myself through the water with swift, powerful strokes. I yearned to find her, to wrap her in my arms, to shield her from the horrors she was facing.
It wasn’t long before I crossed paths with two familiar figures, both streaking through the water with grace and purpose. Scout Ephi, her deep blue scales adorned with silver markings, met my gaze with worried teal eyes. Beside her, Scout Daixa, her emerald scales contrasting with bronze hair, regarded me with steely determination, her silver eyes evaluating the situation.
