A Mermaid's Curse

Chapter 8

I'm in Rosewood Manor, floating in a long hallway flanked by multiple doors on either side. Heartbreaking cries and whimpers come from each room, the fear swirling around inside me fueled by the ghosts that lurk in the edges of my vision. "'You can't save them, Izzy," one says, its voice grating and chilling. "You have to choose, Isadora. What's more important: your sanity, or those you love?'"

My heart stops completely as I hear multiple voices from inside each room, filled with such fear it makes my breath catch in my throat. "Isadora! Where are you?" Kai. "Izzy, please! Please help us!" Dad. Aunt Bella's heartbreaking sob almost makes me break down.

I try to take a steadying breath, but I barely manage to make the smallest inhale. It's as if an anchor is sitting on my chest, squeezing the water out of my lungs. All I can hear are the ghosts' voices, quickly drowning out any other noise. "'You're still the same scared, weak mermaid you've always been. Drowning under the weight of the sins you've committed, the lives you've ruined.'"

I squeeze my eyes shut, tears leaking down my cheeks. They're right, I realize. No matter how many compliments I receive, no matter how many mermaids and mermen support me as princess, a part of me will always be that scared, weak mermaid that had arrived here all those months ago. "'Clock's ticking, Izzy. You have to choose.'" My heart stops as I recognize the voice. Alyssa. Her voice is relentless, pushing me until I snap.

The anger and sadness reaches a boiling point as my eyes fly open. I'm shaking with repressed pain and grief, barely able to concentrate on my surroundings. All the while, the ghosts are swarming me, all repeating the same thing: "Failure."

My body is shaking as I swim to a door, trying the knob. Surprisingly, it opens with barely a touch. Dad. Aside from a few scratches on his wrists from the bindings that had held him, he seems to be relatively unharmed. "Are you okay? Can you swim?" I ask, clenching my teeth to avoid crying out.

He nods, gripping my hand as we swim out of the room. We head to the next room, my strength sapping with every stroke. "'You really think you can save all of them? You couldn't save King Drake. What makes you think they will be any different?'" Each word sends a bolt of pain through my brain, making my vision swim.

I'm panting heavily as we reach the next door, leaning on the wall as I try the knob. The door swings open and a heartbeat later, a merman rushes into my arms, holding me tightly. "Are you okay?" I ask, each word quieter than the last. Kai nods, pulling back and scanning my face. Concern quickly replaces the exhaustion in his gaze, eyes fixed on mine.

A muffled cry escapes my lips as another bolt of pain moves through my head. I want to go free Aunt Bella, but it's as if someone has placed an anchor on my tail. Kai grasps my hand, fear written on his face. He opens his mouth to shout for help, but my eyes are already fluttering shut. The last thing I see is his blurry face before darkness overtakes me completely.

My body jolted awake a heartbeat before my mind did. Tremors rolled through my muscles, making them shudder. I cracked open an eye, terrified that I would still be in that hallway. Instead, I was looking out a familiar window into the open water, seeing the usual sea creatures swimming in the current. After a few, quick deep breaths, I rose from the bed and swam into the bathing room, quickly getting ready for the day.

I floated in front of the mirror for a long minute, lost in thought. The exhaustion in my gaze hadn't abated. If anything, it had only increased. Every bit of light in my eyes had been snuffed out, leaving them dull and expressionless. All it would take was a glance to know that I hadn't been sleeping. My black curly hair was limp on my shoulders, void of its usual bounce.

I grabbed my cloak and swam down to breakfast. Hopefully, they'd already started serving, despite the early hour. My stomach grumbled, reminding me how long it had been since I'd last eaten. I glanced around sheepishly, hoping no one had heard.

Luckily, I was alone. I hadn't even stopped to check if Kai had been asleep. A pang of guilt formed in my chest, but I quickly shook it off.

My mind was otherwise occupied with flashes of my nightmare. Whenever I closed my eyes, I either saw the helplessness in Dad and Kai's gazes, or heard the terrified cries of Aunt Bella. As if summoned by the memories, a heart stopping realization slammed into me, causing me to halt in the middle of the hallway. Aunt Naia would be here soon (if she wasn't already) to take me to Rosewood. Our bargain started today.

The only thing that kept me from sinking back into that state of depression and hopelessness was the words she had uttered after giving me the news. "'I'll make you a bargain. You can come home each night after completing the tasks. Sound fair?'" At the time, my only response had been a nod. I'd been too terrified to open my mouth, much less try and form words.

Everyone was already halfway through with breakfast when I swam into the dining room. Chairs creaked as multiple pairs of eyes settled on me, but I stared straight ahead, not acknowledging them. If I met even one gaze, I would completely fall apart.

I had just sat down in my chair when a hand came to rest on mine. Kai's eyes were filled with worry as he scanned my face. "You were out cold when I woke up this morning. Everything okay?"

I focused on the wall in front of us, just to the the left of Kai's face. If I let myself look into his eyes, I knew I wouldn't see him. I would see the terrified looks on his and Dad's faces, hear Aunt Bella's fearful cry.

Movement out of the corner of my eye had me flinching. "'You can't outswim the truth, Isadora. Sooner or later, it will catch up to you." The voice was sardonic, vengeful.

I quickly finished breakfast, struggling to contain the pain rising inside me. I barely heard Queen Katrina's voice as she spoke. "How are you this morning, Isadora?"

My hands were clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms. The tears came fast and swift, flowing down my cheeks like waves. I knew people had to be staring, whispering, but I didn't care.

I'd barely crossed the threshold into the open water before the scream ripped from my throat, shrill and loud. It left me gasping for water as I crumpled to the ground. Why was this happening to me? What did I do to deserve it?

Before the last question had even finished forming in my head, warm, strong arms wrapped around me. They lifted me off the ground, holding me tightly. I buried my face in Kai's chest, sobbing.

"I've got you, Izzy," Kai murmured over my sobs, his voice low and gentle. "I've got you."

I quickly composed myself, pushing the emotions into the very back of my heart where they couldn't touch me. "I have to go," I whispered. He nodded, but didn't let go of my hand. I finally pulled away, not looking back as I swam away.

The day flew by as I worked, not even giving myself a chance to rest. As I had done so many times before, I made myself not look at the faces, lest I imagine the lives I'd ruined. When I finally finished, Aunt Naia hadn't so much as nodded before I was out the door, swimming hard for home.

Kai met me outside the palace's front doors, worry and concern in his eyes. "Do you still feel up to dinner tonight? If not, I'm sure your parents would understand."

Sure enough, when I looked around, the water was dark. Sporadically placed torches lit up the dark water, creating a intricate design. I slowly rose from the bed, smiling sleepily at him. "Of course."

Dinner flew by, conversation flowing easily between the four of us. When we finally returned to our room, I could barely keep my eyes open. I managed to change into a sleeping gown, my fingers fumbling with the buttons. Kai wrapped his arms around me as we swam into bed. "Don't worry, Izzy. I won't let them hurt you."

A shudder ran through me, even though I knew he wasn't talking to me. I fell asleep minutes later.

Read and review!