Beyond The Depths

Chapter 22

A bloodcurdling scream breaks the silence in the water, making my heart skip a beat. "Hello?" I call out, not expecting anyone to really answer. "Is anyone there?"

I turn around in a slow circle, wary eyes scanning my surroundings. I'm not far from Beltmare's palace. But why am I here? The scream sounds again, sending a chill down my spine. A child, I realize. It's a child's scream.

Drew and Faye's faces flash in my mind, spurring me into action. I zip towards the sound, hand hovering over the dagger at my side. When I finally reach the source, horror and shock and grief paralyze me.

I see the grown mermaid first, her slender build and dainty features unmistakable. I look closer and shudder. Her eyes, once so full of love and light and happiness, are now cold and empty. She has a tight grip on the sleeve of a young mermaid, tear-filled eyes locked on mine. "Please," I say cautiously, holding my hands out in front of me as I inch closer to them. "You don't want to do this. She's just a child."

I stare in disbelief at Aunt Bella, face red with anger. Faye whimpers, the sound cracking something inside me. Before I can get any closer, a hand grips my shoulder, pinning me in place.

I whirl around, hands shooting for my daggers. Cunning eyes meet mine, making my breath catch in my throat. Tyler has a smug grin on his face as he looks from Aunt Bella to Faye then to me. "Please," I whisper, my voice breaking. "Please. She's just a child."

Tyler just stares at me, the smug grin turning manic. Another flash of movement has me whirling again, body tense, hands gripping my daggers. The mermaid in front of me is bloodied and battered. Tears streak through the silt on her cheeks, curls bouncing wildly as she whips her head back and forth. When her eyes land on Faye and Aunt Bella, she lets out a heartbreaking wail, the sound breaking my heart clean in half.

"You have a choice, Isadora," Tyler says, ignoring the glare Mom's shooting him. "Your mother, or your friends. Choose wisely," he continues, pulling a pendant on a string out of his pocket, "because you can't have both."

Red-hot rage shoots through my body, making my blood boil. Mom locks eyes with me, desperately shaking her head. Unspoken words pass between us, but I can see the agony in her eyes. She knows that I would choose her in a heartbeat, but wants me to save Aunt Bella and Faye. She would rather die knowing that she had a hand in their rescue than in their deaths.

"I—I can't," I whimper, tears filling my eyes. Within seconds, they're streaking down my cheeks, blurring my vision and making my breath hitch. How can she possibly expect me to make that choice?

"Tick-tock, Isadora," Tyler says, but his voice is muffled by the roaring silence in my head.

I'm apparently silent too long, because Tyler suddenly shakes his head and swims over to Aunt Bella. She doesn't move a muscle, glassy eyes staring straight ahead. Faye screams again, the sound dragging a stifled sob past my lips.

"Please," I choke out, my voice thick with tears. "She's just a child!" My voice breaks on the last word, but it doesn't deter Tyler. When he extends the Lost Soul Pendant, it takes everything in me to fight the power that emanates from it, the sudden pull.

He clutches it in his hand, but unlike all the other times, this is different. Instead of seeing the various souls swirl around him as they're released from the pendant, he seems to absorb them. The light from the pendant is blinding, but he makes no effort to shield his eyes.

He lets out a cruel laugh. "At last!" He shouts, his voice suddenly becoming deeper and harsher. I dimly feel Mom's hand grip mine, but I can't look away. Aunt Bella screams, followed by Faye's high-pitched wail.