Blood On The Altar

Chapter 5

Consciousness came in the form of immense pain. One by one, my senses returned to me, each one slower to kick in than the former. I tasted silt mixed with blood on my tongue, felt the large bump on the back of my head. After blinking several times, my vision cleared enough for me to see a few feet in front of me.

Debris littered the ground, covering every inch of the seafloor. A mermaid lay a few feet away from me, body broken and eyes unseeing. The cries of the injured bounced off what was left of the walls.

The world swayed as I propped myself up on my arms and I had to swallow the nausea that surfaced. After it passed, I slowly got up off the ground, steadying myself on a chunk of concrete. Much of the interior of the palace was destroyed or severely damaged. Broken lights and furniture littered the ground, forcing me to take my time.

My mind was sluggish and I was having trouble focusing, but three names swam in my head over and over: Mom. Dad. Kai.

I searched everywhere for the familiar black, brown, and night-dark hair, but came up empty. When a flash of brown hair appeared in my vision, I had to bite back my sob of relief. Dad's dark-green eyes were dazed as he looked around, but for the most part, he appeared uninjured.

A wave of fear washed over me as the full extent of the attack became clear. He swam to me, albeit unsteadily, and gripped my hand. "Are you okay?" His voice was far-away, probably due to the ringing in my ears, but I managed a faint nod.

"Mom," I managed, my voice shaking. "Kai. He—he was here. When the..." I had to take a breath before continuing. "When the first shock wave moved through the water, he was ripped away from me." The world spun in my blurry vision, but I would not pass out.

Dad gripped my hand and helped me off the ground. Without his hand steadying me, I don't think I could have stayed upright, much less swam. His face was pale, eyes wide with fear as we anxiously searched the bodies littering the floor.

When the slender hand rose up through the water, I felt Dad's grip on my hand tighten to the point of pain. We swam through the sea of bodies until we reached a mermaid on the ground.

Her black curly hair was fanned out around her head, blood staining her dress. I winced as I glanced at her shoulder, my eyes traveling to her face. Mouth twisted in a grimace, her dark-blue eyes were unfocused as she gazed at us. I knew that if she peeled off her dress, she'd see a horrible wound staring back at her.

I didn't need to be a doctor to know that she'd landed on her shoulder, most likely reinjuring it. I held in my wince as Dad's eyes followed mine. His expression pretty much confirmed my suspicions.

Dad gently brushed a stray curl off Mom's forehead, causing her to flinch. He gripped her hand as he helped her rise. She audibly groaned as the pain of her shoulder became unbearable.

One hand gripping mine, the other firmly holding Mom, he led us out into the open water. I put my hands on my knees as I sank onto a rock, breathing deeply. After a few minutes, the nausea and confusion slowly faded, replaced by heart-stopping fear.

"Kai," I said, breathing heavily. "I have to find Kai." The world again spun in my vision as I rose and prepared to swim. I almost faltered, but thankfully regained my balance before I hit the ground.

I didn't have to glance at Dad to see the look in his eyes. He gripped my wrist, forcing me to pause. I turned my eyes toward his, filled with worry and concern. "Be careful."

Miraculously, my daggers were still at my sides. I kept my hands in easy reach of them as I swam, my eyes scanning my surroundings. From what I could see, the inner portions of the palace (our chambers, servants quarters, kitchen, dining room, etc) were intact.

I had just passed the entrance to the kitchen when a hand gripped my wrist. My heart jumped into my throat as I met dazed amber eyes. Nadia. I swallowed my cry of relief as I threw my arms around her. "Thank the gods you're alright." As the last word left my mouth, I anxiously looked behind her, as if Kai would magically appear.

She nodded, scanning my face. "You shouldn't be up and about. You need to rest."

I shook her off. "Kai. I need to find him. Have you seen him? The last time I saw him was just before the explosion." My voice broke on the last word, but I managed to keep my composure.

Regretfully, she shook her head. "No, Princess. The rest of the servants are hiding in their quarters. But don't worry. The guards are searching for survivors. They'll find him."

That wasn't enough. I had to know he was okay. She opened her mouth, surely about to try to convince me to stay, but I swam away before she could. "Kai?" I called out, my voice still hoarse and broken. Silence answered me, only making my heart pound harder. I had to steady myself several times against a wall, the effects of the blow to my head making me dazed and my balance poor.

I had almost given up hope when I heard a low, rough voice speak. "Isadora?"

My heart leapt into my throat. I swam into a corridor and there he was, sitting on the ground, back up against a pillar. Silt and dust covered his arms and chest, scratches marring his face. I flew into his arms, my body shaking with the force of my tears. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" My voice was small, nervous.

He held me at arms length after we broke apart, scanning me just as I had him. When he'd satisfied himself that I was truly okay, he looked into my eyes. "I'm alright." He frowned, looking closer at me. "But you're not. Izzy, I think you have a concussion."

As the words left his mouth, a headache formed between my eyes, causing a groan to slip from my lips. He beckoned Nadia over to me, speaking to her in a low voice. "Take Isadora to her chambers. Let her parents know about the injury."

Nadia glanced at me, clearly sensing the defiance in my eyes, but nodded at Kai. "Come, Princess. Let's get you to your room so you can rest."

I shook my head, regretting the motion as the world spun. "N-no. I'm fine. I-I need to get back to my parents. T-they need to know you're safe." My words were slurred and halting as I spoke, my eyelids fluttering.

Kai took my hand in his, squeezing gently. "Please, Isadora. I won't be able to rest until I know you're alright."

Nadia gently took my arm, leading me away from Kai. "Come, Princess. Everything will look better after you rest. You'll see."

I wanted to jerk my arm from her grasp and swim back to Kai, but I was only half-conscious at this point. I was vaguely aware of us arriving at my suite, at Nadia murmuring to Mom and Dad, before I gave myself over to the darkness that was slowly beckoning to me.

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