Page 69 of She Who Was Once the Sea

Petra hit the dirt floor with an anticlimactic thud, blood pooling out in slow rivulets from her prone form.

Ordina stood frozen for several long seconds, staring down at her own hands, slack-jawed. I did the same. For just a moment, our eyes met. Then, from beneath the rubble where Lucas had fallen, there came a soft moan. Ordina immediately rushed over to remove the stones that covered him, and he emerged, bleeding, coughing, and covered in dust, but breathing and alive.

I swallowed.

Nothing hurt.

I swallowed again.

Still nothing.

A quick pass with my tongue told me that my teeth were also gone, and that ever-present ache at the back of my throat had disappeared as well.

The curse was broken.

I could feel a tingling sensation in my legs, the long-forgotten but still familiar ache to return to water and reclaim my fins. I was whole again. And somehow, without knowing why, I knew that my family was out there as well, waking up, finding themselves free and sated for the first time in centuries.

I closed my eyes. When I opened them, I let myself look at Garrett.

His statue was still here. He was still encased in stone, eyes wide and mouth open, ready to speak words he’d never get to say.

I approached him slowly. And when I was close enough, I reached out a hand to cup his cheek. Even frozen as he was, I could see the kindness in his face. I wished that I hadn’t taken advantage of that kindness. I wished that I’d simply accepted my fate and left him alone.

I might no longer have eternity laid out ahead of me, but I would regret losing him until the day my bones rested on the floor of the ocean.

Behind me, Ordina cleared her throat. When she spoke, her voice was quiet, thin, and apologetic. "I have to bring Lucas to the hospital," she said gingerly. She was closer than I thought, and when her fingers rested on my shoulder, I flinched.

"I’m fine here," I replied.

"Marella," she whispered. "There’s no point. Come with us."

I shook my head.

"Please," she said. "Father will be waiting for us. And our sisters. We’re free, Marella. Let’s go home."

I swallowed heavily, then stood. Everything on my body hurt with each inch I moved. But nothing compared to the pain I felt when I looked at Garrett one last time. I stood on the tips of my toes, leaned forward, and kissed his stone lips.

"I’m sorry," I whispered, staring into his empty eyes. "I’m so, so sorry."

And then, supporting Lucas alongside my sister, I left Garrett behind and climbed the stairs towards freedom.

Chapter 31 - Garrett

My head hurt. It was doing that a lot recently. In fact, everything hurt. I felt stiff, an aching rigidity filling my bones.

I couldn’t open my eyes.

Somewhere, both distant and close at the same time, I heard a voice calling out. I thought that they might be talking to me, but I couldn’t be sure.

At first, the voice was familiar. Sweet and resonant and lovely. Her voice spoke my name not with tenderness, but with urgency and remorse. I couldn’t remember why she was sad.

Then, slowly, the voice changed. It shifted into something deeper, less urgent and more annoyed—authoritative and masculine.

"Ehi!"

Something hit my foot. It felt like a boot kicking me.

I still couldn’t open my eyes.