Beyond The Depths

Chapter 4

Screams. The scent of blood, tears, and fear. The feeling of something rough binding my hands behind my back. For once, though, I don't have a gag inside my mouth so I take my chance and scream as loud as I can. "Help! Is anyone there?"

A face appears in front of me, cold and cruel, and it takes everything in me to keep my face expressionless. "What have you done?" I shout, not caring who hears me. "Where is my family?"

He meets my gaze, eyes piecing. "I told you I would make you suffer, Izzy. And I have."

I want to ask what he means, but before I can even open my mouth, another merman appears beside him, dragging a mermaid behind him. My heart stops beating, and for a moment, I can't tell if I'm breathing. The mermaid is motionless in his grip, her head lolling on her shoulder. Mom, I want to cry out.

Her black hair is matted with blood, streaks of it coating her face and neck. She's unconscious, and the only way I know she's still breathing is the way her chest just barely rises and falls.

I whip my head around to face the merman again, my eyes pleading. "Please," I sob, my chest hitching as tears well in my eyes, quickly spilling down my cheeks. "Please don't hurt them. I will... I will do anything."

As the last word leaves my mouth, my voice breaks. I hate admitting weakness, but I'm desperate. Tyler grins, the sight malicious and hateful. "Oh, Isadora. You will regret saying that."

I freeze, barely breathing as translucent figures appear in the corners of my vision. Their gazes are as piercing as Tyler's and it takes everything in me not to cry out. Horror blooms in my gut as the figures transform, their faces heartbreakingly familiar. Mom. Dad. Kai. Uncle David. Aunt Bella.

I bit down on a sob I awoke, blinking rapidly. Fresh water floated in through my open windows, caressing my sticky face. I took a sharp breath as I looked around, my head aching. The events of the past couple days slammed into me, bringing with them fear and dread.

Dark eyes, filled with concern, met mine. Kai gently took my hand. For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. I used that time to settle my heartbeat, still the shaking in my hands. "They appeared again, didn't they?" He asked softly, rubbing a thumb over my hand. "The ghosts."

I nodded tearfully. "How long have I been asleep? How's Dad feeling?"

He took a breath, exhaling deeply. "Better. And you've been asleep for two days."

Two days! My eyes widened. Before I could try to talk myself out of it, I slowly rose from the bed, gripping Kai's hand.

He put his free hand on my other arm. "Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

I swam into the closet, quickly slipping into a gold-and-crimson gown. "I need to see how they're doing."

Whatever he saw in my eyes must have convinced him not to press me, because he was silent the whole way to Aegrem. When the palace appeared in the distance, a broken sob cracked out of me. I was moving before my brain fully registered the movement. I sped inside, barely paying attention to my surroundings.

All I could see was Mom's body, motionless in the water. Tyler's malicious grin as he'd spoken, each word like a dagger to my heart. The minute we swam in front of their suite, I froze. Paralyzing dread and fear gripped my heart as I stared at the door.

Kai gently knocked on the door, the noise making me flinch. A heartbeat later, it opened, concerned faces staring back at me. "Mom," I sniffled.

I'd never needed a hug worse. The instant her arms came around me, I broke down. The tears poured out in an uncontrollable torrent of anger and fear. When they finally subsided, leaving me numb and hollow, I lifted my eyes and met Mom's gaze.