Page 42 of She Who Was Once the Sea

I felt fear like cold fire, licking at my back. "Please," was all I could say.

Her fingers tapped against the side of my neck. "Perhaps you're right," she said. "I'll let him remain free."

I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Until you fail."

I froze again. "What?"

"The bargain isn't so different," she purred. "Win his heart, win your freedom."

The hollow part of my stomach roiled.

"If you don't, you'll be sealed behind the stone for all eternity. And once you're locked away, I'll find him, and I'll make him mine." Finally, she released me, and I tumbled to the ground at her feet. "And I'll make you watch me take him."

When I finally caught my breath, I opened my mouth to protest, but she’d already disappeared. Her final words echoed against the stone walls surrounding me: "Better go get him."

Chapter 19 - Garrett

My skin itched. My throat felt like sandpaper. Even my teeth seemed to ache as I paced back and forth in the little apartment, mirroring Marella’s movement from earlier.

Where was she?

My gaze darted back and forth between the clock on the wall and the unmoving door. Every few minutes, the front door, several floors below, would open and close, and I’d hold my breath, waiting for the footsteps that followed to manifest into her face across the mantle.

But hours passed, and none of them ever turned out to be her.

Deep in my bones, a curious sensation boiled amidst the hunger. I needed her to fulfill her promise, of course. But there was a different, more pressing emotion there as well.

Fear.

Not fear for myself. I knew what I would eventually have to do to alleviate this pain, regardless of how it made my stomach turn. No. The fear I felt wore Marella’s face, and the longer she stayed missing, the more pronounced it became. I couldn’t shake the gnawing idea that she needed my help. Somewhere, alone in this labyrinthine city, she was alone, and she needed me.

And finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

I would have to hunt first, I realized with growing nausea. There was little I could do in my current state. Every step I took sent a wave of dizziness through me, and I didn’t think I’d be able to make it more than a few blocks without drinking.

I stopped pacing and stared at the door, breath coming in heaving gasps. There was a woman who lived alone downstairs. She was old and sick—the Fratelli sometimes brought her groceries when they checked on the apartment. I’d only met her once, but her frailty had been undeniable. She didn’t have much time left anyway. Perhaps I could give her a quick, painless end.

Tears filled my eyes as I walked toward the door. But if I thought too hard about what I was about to do, I wouldn’t be able to see it through.

Is Marella’s life really worth more than this woman’s?

A nagging voice at the back of my conscience whispered at my heels. And my answer surprised me even as I thought it.

Yes.

I pictured her gleaming green eyes, narrowed and skeptical, and I knew that I would do almost anything to keep them open. And when I pictured her hurt, or somehow in danger… I found myself filled with a surprising resolution.

Finally, I reached out a hand and turned the doorknob.

As I flung it open, I was met by another outstretched hand and a loud gasp.

She was there. Hair askew, covered in dirt and scratches, looking at me with those bright green eyes filled with surprise.

Her mouth opened as if she were about to speak, but before any words could escape, I grabbed the wrist of her outstretched hand and pulled her onto my side of the threshold, closing the door behind her.

Maddeningly, she giggled as it slammed. But her laughter quickly stifled as I grabbed her shoulders and pressed her back against the wall. I searched her eyes for—something. I wasn’t sure what. She was hurt. That much was obvious. Her bare arms were covered in what looked like superficial cuts and bruises. But I wasn’t worried about those. She could take care of herself.