Beyond The Depths

Chapter 1

They say grief changes you. That you either mourn and grow stronger, or retreat inside yourself and weaken, continuing to beat yourself up over the what-ifs that run through your head on a daily basis. Now, I'm only 25 years old, but I've seen my fair share of death. Some were friends and family, some were people I'd never met.

The only thing worse than seeing your loved ones dead is hearing the news and wondering if it's actually true. When I'd heard that my aunt and uncle had gone missing, my entire life had come crashing down around me. My parents and I had worked tirelessly to rescue them, organizing around-the-clock search parties and sending them to the outskirts of the city.

Most days, we'd returned home exhausted, angry, and stressed, having had no luck in locating them. My parents had put a brave face on when we'd been in public, but at night, when it had just been the two of them, I'd heard Dad comforting a sobbing Mom in the room next to mine.

Normally, I'd have stayed in our suite at the palace in Beltmare, but Kai and I had both agreed that, at least for a while, I'd needed to be as close to my parents as possible.

It'd been two weeks with little to no progress. We'd all been stretched too thin, going on no sleep and little food. Then, one afternoon, it seemed that our prayers had been answered. I still wouldn't be able explain the rush of emotions that surged inside me when I'd heard the front doors bang open. A mermaid and merman, reed-thin and clothes filthy, had swum into the entrance hall, faces drawn and eyes filled with exhaustion.

We'd all rushed toward the noise, hopeful looks on our faces. Mom had let out a sob, flinging out her arms as she sped towards Aunt Bella. Dad had barely even moved before Uncle David was in front of him, hugging him tightly. I'd clung to Kai, tears spilling down my cheeks, blurring my vision.

That had been three weeks ago. Now, Aunt Bella and Uncle David were still recovering back in Pelathas. They hadn't spoken openly about what had happened, nor had they volunteered any information about the identity of their kidnapper, but I could sense that they had their own suspicions. Either Mom or Dad went to visit them once a day, leaving at sunrise and not coming back until late at night.

I silently rose from the bed, the sun just barely arcing over the surface. If I'd had trouble sleeping before, it was nothing compared to now. I'd manage to drift off to sleep, only to be dragged into back-to-back nightmares, all having one thing in common: a merman with green eyes and short blond hair.

I'd jerk awake, gasping for water, then lay awake the rest of the night. I hadn't told anyone about the merman, nor the nightmares themselves. All of us had more important things to worry about now.

I exhaled heavily as I swam into the bathing room, scrubbing myself clean before hastily getting dressed. My hand shook as I swam to the door of our suite, but I forced myself to steady it. Every time I slowed down or was by myself, the same memory kept resurfacing: Aunt Naia's smug face, and the hollowness of Dad's own, the lifelessness in his eyes.

"'My plan is already in motion.'" Her voice had been filled with glee as she'd spoken, her eyes cold. Nothing could have prepared me for her next words, the fear that coiled in my gut as cold as the darkest reaches of the ocean. It felt like I'd had the water knocked out of me.

If I wasn't careful, I'd let myself get sucked back into the terror and dread I'd felt when I'd heard the news, seen the merman's face in my nightmares. I had barely swam in front of the door before a swift knock could be heard, followed by the sound of it opening. Dark eyes, filled with love and worry, scanned my face. A shaky smile bloomed on my face as I leaned in to kiss my husband on the cheek.

"Good morning. You must have been up early. I didn't even hear you get up." The words rolled off my tongue, easy and practiced. Though I hated lying to him (to any of my family), I couldn't voice the real truth. Just when I'd managed to get back into a somewhat normal sleeping pattern, the mysterious merman had appeared, thrusting me back into mostly-sleepless nights and horrible nightmares.

Kai nodded, kissing me back. "I wanted to see if I could help with the preparations for the welcome-home breakfast. Not surprisingly, your mom and dad had been nearly-finished when I'd arrived. Your dad had told me not to worry about it and that he'd see us both there." He studied me as the words left his mouth. "We are coming, right? I know they would be crushed if you didn't show up."

I quickly nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Of course. I want to see for myself how my aunt and uncle are doing." Anything to distract myself.

He took my hand as we left our suite, swimming down endless hallways before coming upon the doors to the dining room. I couldn't stop the sob that rose in my throat as we swam inside. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes fell on a mermaid clothed in a dress of black and red, the merman beside her dressed similarly, only his was a suit in lieu of a dress.

Even though it had been weeks since they'd returned, I still couldn't stifle the ball of fear that curled up in my gut whenever I saw either of them, as if they were only an illusion. The mermaid sped towards me, the merman bringing up the rear. She threw her arms around me, a stifled sob escaping her throat.

I hugged Aunt Bella back just as hard, relief almost dwarfing the fear inside me. When we finally pulled apart, she gripped my arms, scanning me from head to tail. "You have no idea how much we missed you all." Her voice broke on the last word, her eyes taking on a far-away look.

I knew almost better than anyone what it was like to be haunted by traumatic events, so I didn't press her. When she had composed herself, the merman beside her placed a hand on her shoulder. Uncle David swam in front of me, scanning me just as Aunt Bella had done. "We have lots to catch up on." His voice never wavered, though his eyes quickly took on that same far-away look.

I tried to stay focused on the party, but I just couldn't shake the merman's face in my head, his green eyes piercing. Later that night, Kai and I had dinner in our rooms, both of us wanting a break from crowds. "Is there anything you want to talk about?" He asked, eyes on me.

I toyed with a piece of shrimp on my plate before answering. "I didn't want to say anything in front of the others, but every night I've been seeing the same thing in my nightmares: a merman with green eyes and short blond hair. I didn't recognize him, but something in my gut told me that he was familiar."

Kai squeezed my hand, his free hand gently lifting my chin to meet his gaze. "If it happens again, we'll mention it to your parents. Maybe they know something."

I nodded, taking a steadying breath. It was probably just a byproduct of all the mostly-sleepless nights and nightmares that had been hounding me. At least, that's what I told myself as I dozed off in bed, listening to the sound of my husband's gentle breathing beside me.

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