Page 83 of Stolen Magic of the Deep

My guards scan our surroundings for his body. That search is important, yes, but I crave more than proof of his death. I pine for reason.

The journey home drags through still water. My strokes meet subtle resistance. Currents feel thick around me, pulling slower than they should. My thoughts drift in the silence. When we finally stop to rest, my mind finds its way—as it always does—to Sarah.

thirty-three

Sarah

My days have grown repetitive. Training sessions have become tedious. Current Two’s challenge has been described as difficult, but they won’t give any further insight. It’s supposed to happen in about two weeks. Defymin and the twins remain by my side most of the time. We've all grown closer. Whether that bond is from shared trauma or something genuine, I don’t know. I’m too afraid to ask. Only when I lie my head down for the night do my thoughts drift to what might be happening back home. School crosses my mind, too. I have no idea how much I've missed or what being gone this long means for my classes. The thought of being unenrolled after everything I've worked toward makes my stomach twist. Getting close to others down here sometimes feels like a betrayal to Leo as well.

I know he has things handled with my company, but lately I’ve started missing his face more often. His jokes, too. The way he could make a bad day—or even an exhausting one—feel lighter. Last night, as I settled into sleep, I swear I heard his laughter in my dreams. I woke this morning with an emptiness in my chest, my heart aching from having to leave him all over again.

Today, Nyxalene came from the palace to give us a special training session. She currently demonstrates a tactical maneuver—darting beneath your opponent to deflect a strike, then using the momentum to twist into the perfect slicing attack. My eyes stay fixed on her movements, but my mind slips far beyond the practice ring.

Orion has been gone for several days now, and my heart drops at the mere thought of it. I can’t explain why.

Zevrin has everyone run through the attack sequence Nyxalene just demonstrated, but not before they pull me away from my teammates and direct me to one of the dual rooms. The space suddenly feels tight, as if a bomb is about to be dropped and I’m the only one who doesn’t know it.

“How do you want to start, General?” Zevrin asks. His voice is meticulous, careful—like he’s verifying the plan before jumping right in.

Nyxalene, however, doesn’t hesitate. “The king is missing,” she says. Then, softer but no less firm, “Orion is missing.”

Her voice is steady. Not a single syllable wavers or breaks. But I can feel what churns beneath the surface—the anger, the heartbreak. My mind refuses to fully grasp her words. My heart dropped mere moments ago at the thought of him. Now this? That can’t be a coincidence.

Nyxalene and Zevrin look at me now, waiting for a response. What do I even say?

Orion has been absent from my training for a while. He's handling king duties and dealing with this threat that continues to conceal their identity. I wasn’t informed he would be leaving for a few days until Nyxalene told me. Defymin keeps questioning how I feel and what could be going on, but I have no answers to give him.

Just as I don’t have any answers to give Nyxalene right now.

“How do you know he's missing?” I ask, unsure if this is the right thing to be asking, given Nyxalene’s position in the kingdom.

Her mouth drops open, eyes narrowing at me for doubting her skills. “It happened to his father,” she declares. “He set out on a mission, stating he would only be gone for a few sea days, and then never returned. For a while we assumed that could not be true. We sent out search parties and even denied Orion the title of king until we knew for sure. Then one day, Orion said he felt a surge—one that vibrated from beneath him and spread throughout his body. The Nexus was searching for its next heir to the crown powers. The powers to restore the barriers if they fell.

“That day was a joyous day, but also a day of sadness. A day of mourning. The founding king of Virellan was gone and was never coming back.” Her words cut deep.

I never knew this about Orion, or his father. The thoughts that must've been swimming through his mind when he realized he was officially the king—but that his father was truly dead . . . it must have broken something inside him.

“What’s the plan to find him? Orion?” I question, finally forcing my mind to track what needs to be done.

“You will continue to hone your skills and prepare for Current Two’s challenge. I cannot have you neglecting your responsibilities, costing yourself or your team the match—or worse, your lives. If Orion does return only for you to then be gone, I would never hear the end of it. And while you've shown your physical skills have grown, land-dweller, don't think I have grown to like you. My loyalties lie with my king, as they always will.”

She darts around me smoothly, releasing Zevrin from the conversation with a simple tug on his shoulder. He returns to my teammates and continues guiding them through the next course of spear-controlled movements.

I choose to do something stupid. Not anything new for me, I suppose.

I follow after Nyxalene. “I will remain focused on my skills on one condition,” I say, confidence suddenly coursing through my veins like strong waves during a severe hurricane.

Her sharp swimming comes to a halt. Her eyes burn into mine, reminding me of an ant under a magnifying glass on a hot sunny day.

“You're in no position to give ultimatums, land-dweller. We all have our orders, given by the king. We must obey and follow.”

“No, you have your orders. I voluntarily decided to learn and adapt. And I'm doing it. I'm risking my life for this kingdom, and it isn’t even my home. I may not know what's fully out there threatening your kingdom—Orion’s kingdom—but I'm still helping. I know you don’t fully trust me. I really don't give a shit anymore. You will listen to my condition, and you will accept it because it's what I want. I'm tired of everyone down here thinking they can order me around like I’m just another subject. I’m not!”

Since day one, Orion has ordered me around. And with him gone, Nyxalene has done the same. I'm tired of feeling like I don’t have a voice—like what's happening to me doesn’t matter. Anger fuels me. It may have been sudden, but I meant every word I said.

Nyxalene doesn’t speak. Her silence clings to the space between us.

“If Orion truly is my sea mate, which I highly doubt,” I say, “I deserve to know what the plan is to locate him.”