Beneath the surface: Forbidden Love

Nineteen

Marisela

''Marisela, sweetheart,'' I groan when I feel someone shaking my arm. "Come on, you have to wake up.'' Her voice sounds very familiar. I could hear the feint sound of water running. I slowly struggle to open my eyes. I felt like my lower body was floating. The voice tried to wake me up again.

''Princess, please, you have to wake up sweetheart.'' My eyes slowly start to open.

Rosa?

When My eyes fully open, I see Rosa lying down in front of me.

''Oh thank goddess you're awake.'' she sighs in relief. I look around, finally taking note of my surroundings.

"Where are we?" I ask, my voice sounding hoarse.

"It looks to be some kind of underwater cave." Rosa responds. I look around once more and see she's right. I turn back to Rosa who watching me with an incredulous look. I look down at myself and realize what she is looking at. My lower body was submerged in water.

I immediately gasp. I have a tail. My fingers instantly go to pull a strand of my hair and all thoughts confirmed, its glowing.

I take note of my surroundings once more avoiding Rosa. Its a bit dark but there was a little light coming in. Good, which means the surface isn't that far up.

The walls glisten from the light. The air smells of rotting seaweed. There were small cracks in the walls bringing in water.

''Does it hurt?" Rosa asks. I look at her a little confused. Her eyes look down at my tail, and a silent "oh" escapes my lips. Right- that.

"No, it doesn't hurt," I tell her. "It's like having a pair of legs stuck together." I jokingly try to explain. Rosa let's out a quiet laugh.

"You look different. Your hair-" she points to her own hair, "is glowing. How does that happen?"

"I honestly wish I had the answers for that, I have no idea why it does that." I tell her. Rosa nods her head in understanding but still has a look of bewilderment.

''Rosa.'' I speak after a few moments, ''What happened?'' her face instantly drops and a frown appears.

''Cory betrayed us Marisela.''

what?

Then, as if a switch was turned on in my head, everything came rushing back to me.

He was compelled.

I quickly shake my head at her, ''No, he was compelled.'' I tell her saying my thoughts aloud. This only catches her by surprise.

''What do you mean?'' she asks as she sits up her on her knees, eyebrows raise in confusion, ''What are you talking about?''

''Cory was compelled,'' I repeat, ''by a Siren. He didn't know what he was doing.'' I finish and she gasps.

''Compulsion?" she mutters to herself in disbelief. "Cory is working with them?"

" Whoever compelled him, must be an old Siren, only ancient ones are capable of compulsion.'' I tell her, a look of disbelief still evident on her face. "I don't think he was working for them."

Then I remembered being drugged and blacking out.

''How long was I out for?'' I ask her.

''I only woke up not so long ago, I don't know how long we've been out.'' she says.

She was out too?

"Are you okay?" My eyes instantly roam her body to make sure she was not hurt. She looks okay, but I had to be sure.