Beyond The Depths

Chapter 18

I was up early the next morning, despite my fatigue the night before. Something—I'm not sure what—was telling me to go to Pelathas and check on Aunt Bella and Uncle David. My heart was racing, my hands shaking as I got dressed. Kai was already up—and had been for a while, if the coldness on his side of the bed was any indication—which I was pleasantly surprised to see.

I wished I could treat our return to normalcy with the same amount of easiness. I mean, my classes had been going great, but I don't know. Something just felt... off. I tried to shake it off as I swam out of our room, but the feeling only increased as I got to the dining room.

Breakfast was in full swing, despite the early hour. It was like an out-of-body experience—I saw and heard myself greet everyone and sit down beside Kai—but I watched from a distance. "I was thinking of heading to Pelathas after breakfast to check on Aunt Bella and Uncle David," I heard myself say casually, as if I had just thought of it right then.

Kai nodded. "I'll come with you," he said. "It's been a while since we've done something with just the two of us."

I saw myself nod and smile gratefully. When breakfast was finally over, I felt myself snap back into my body. I had choked down a single piece of shrimp before my stomach became too twisted to digest anything else. I had smiled and nodded, but never spoke unless spoken to.

Luckily, no one had noticed my quietness. They had all been too absorbed in their own worlds, and for that I was grateful. It wasn't that I didn't want to explain what I was doing—I just didn't know how.

I took Kai's hand as we left the dining room. When we were finally alone, I exhaled heavily, steeling myself. "What are we doing?" He asked, noticing my uneasiness.

"Something's off in Pelathas," I responded, checking over my shoulder as we began swimming. Thankfully, there was no one trailing us. "I can't tell you how I know, but I need you to trust me."

I saw the confusion in his eyes, but he nodded. When we finally arrived in Pelathas, I sped towards the palace, Kai on my tail. My heart was beating frantically in my chest, each thump a warning.

I froze as we approached the entrance. The exterior of the palace was untouched—aside from a few broken windows—but I had a feeling that the interior had sustained the most damage.

When we pushed open the heavy front doors—both of which were barely hanging on their hinges—I felt all the water rush out of my lungs. It was just like the attack in Aegrem. Chunks of concrete had come loose from the walls and ceilings, crashing to the ground. Broken glass and shattered paintings lined the floor, creating a hazardous path forward. Multiple stone pillars were in shambles on the ground, making me wonder how the palace was still standing.

The closer we got to the royal suite, the more I felt myself panic. Just like the front doors, the ones that led inside Aunt Bella and Uncle David's suite were barely hanging on their hinges. My heart dropped into my stomach; breathing became increasingly difficult. I couldn't move. What if we were too late? What if they were already—

I didn't—couldn't—let myself finish the thought. Kai gripped my hand, the gesture soothing me. "I'm right here," he said.

With a shaking hand, I pushed open the door, wincing as it creaked loudly. The sitting room was completely destroyed. Couches overturned, chairs toppled. Every window in here had also been smashed, I noticed with no shortage of uneasiness.

I opened my mouth to call out, but froze as I heard a low, tense voice speak up from the bedroom. "There's no one here to save you, Bella. What are you going to do?" The voice sent chills down my spine as I recognized it.

Tyler Solomon. A.K.A "Barracuda." I remembered Mom and Dad talking about him late one night when I was supposed to be asleep. I had never met him, nor heard him speak, but there was no doubt that it was him.

Kai was floating motionless beside me, his grip never wavering. When I glanced at him, his face was deathly pale, hand inching towards the dagger at his waist. I placed a finger to my lips, giving the barest shake of my head.

"You so much as lay a finger on her and you'll regret it." Uncle David's voice was so cold, so... harsh that it made my heart skip a beat.

Tyler let out a harsh laugh, the sound sending bolts of fear into my heart. I heard Aunt Bella whimper, then Tyler speak again. "Why would I do that? I already had my opportunity." The casual way he spoke of their kidnapping had me clenching my hands into fists to avoid barging in.

"Leave. And never come back. You're not welcome here." The coldness had never left Uncle David's voice; if anything, it had increased.

When we'd heard the side doors open and close, silence falling over the room, I tentatively opened the door. Uncle David was consoling a distraught Aunt Bella, a hand stroking her hair.

I didn't know what to say, so I just swam up to Aunt Bella, throwing my arms around her. I held her tightly as she sobbed, her body trembling with the force of her tears. She gripped me as if I was the only thing holding her upright.

It was several minutes before she could speak again, and even then, her voice was shaking and small. "I kept w—waiting for h—him to—" She couldn't even finish a sentence. Her trembling turned into full-blown shaking as she lowered her face into her hands.

Uncle David pulled Kai and me aside. "How did you even know we were in trouble?" He asked, his voice hushed.

I shook my head, unsure of what to say. "I just... had a feeling." The sight of Aunt Bella's trauma was almost too much for me to bear.

"He's never barged in like this. Before today, we hadn't heard from him since..." Uncle David trailed off, but his unspoken words were clear. Since he kidnapped us.

I kept my voice low as I spoke, not wanting to spook Aunt Bella, who was still motionless on the bed. "Did he do anything to you while you were with him? Did he try to hurt you or anything?" I knew as well as anyone that talking openly about your trauma was next-to-impossible, but I also knew that it eventually produced answers.

"No." I was momentarily taken aback by Uncle David's prompt response. "He left us in a dark room with a small window, but never hurt us. We got daily rations of food and drink, but the portions were so small, it was barely enough for one of us, let alone two."

I bit back a shiver. When we were finally back home, I went straight into our room. My entire body was trembling; I could feel my teeth clacking against each other. I don't know how I slept, but I must have because when I opened my eyes again, it was morning.

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