A Mermaid's Curse

Chapter 3

Ronan's smug face fills my vision, along with another familiar face, eyes filled with fear. The young merman reaches for me, his face pale with dread. "Let him go, Ronan," I say, voice deadly soft. "He has nothing to do with this."

He shakes his head, tightening his hold on Drew's shirt. "I told you I would make you suffer, Izzy." The casual way with which he uses my nickname has me seething. "The question is, who should be the first? Him, or his sister? Keep in mind they've already lost their other sister and their mother. Surely, you wouldn't want more blood on your hands."

My gaze darts from Ronan to Drew, my mind working feverishly. "What do you want?" I ask, my voice filled with desperation.

The former makes a show of considering, but judging from the gleam in his eyes, he already has something in mind. With his free hand, he pulls something out of his pocket. My heart stops dead in my chest, breath catching in my throat as a pendant catches my eye, glowing in the dim torchlight. "W-where did you get that?" I ask.

Without taking his gaze off me, he releases Drew and swims to me, the pendant clutched tightly in his fist. The latter is frozen, eyes wide as he glances at me. "It's going to be okay," I whisper, wishing I could believe my own words.

Within seconds, Ronan's behind me, his hands moving effortlessly as he fastens the pendant around my neck. The first thing I hear is the voices. Screaming, pleading, sobbing. This is so much worse than my battles with anxiety and depression. It's as if a thousand lives, a thousand faces, are flashing before my eyes.

Each one wears an expression of agony, made worse by the tears streaming down their cheeks. A scream breaks from my lips as I clutch my head. My surroundings have vanished, a black void swallowing me up. There is only me and the voices. "Please, don't let them take me!" "Mama, where are you?" "I'll do anything. Please, please don't hurt my baby!" Mermaids and mermen flash across my vision, ranging in age from Faye to Dad.

Slowly, painfully, I manage to close my eyes, summoning all the strength inside me to push through the void. When I open my eyes again, Drew is in front of me, eyes wide. "Izzy! Can you hear me?" His voice is filled with worry.

I shake my head a few times to clear it, my vision blurry as I glance up at him. Ronan is gone, the pendant a heavy weight around my neck. I was pale and shaking as I opened my eyes again, this time back in the real world. The windows were open, fresh water and sunlight seeping inside our room. Kai's side of the bed was cold, but again, that wasn't surprising.

Every muscle ached as I got out of bed, my head pounding. I was already wincing as I got dressed, knowing what my expression looked like. My dark green eyes were empty and lifeless, my already pale skin wan and pallid. I felt weak, like all the energy had been sucked from my body. For a heartbeat, all I could think about was going back to sleep.

Getting dressed took much longer than it should have, so when I finally arrived in the dining room, I'd already missed half of breakfast. Either the stares and whispers were quieter today, or it was just the pounding in my head. I wasn't sure. Every stroke took a miraculous amount of effort. The smile on my face was paper-thin, but I managed to hold on to it for the rest of breakfast.

Only the grip of Kai's hand kept me in the present, preventing the emotions and scenarios from my nightmare from resurfacing. "Any news from your mother about the Midwinter celebration?" I asked, my voice low.

He never let go of my hand as he answered. "I got confirmation from her this morning. She'll be there." His voice faltered slightly at the end, grief flashing across his face. I squeezed his hand, knowing there was nothing I could do or say. This pain was too deep for words.