Mermaids are Menacing (Book 2) Complete

33.) The Sea Palace

Today is a holiday where I am. Oklahoma, USA. But many of you asked for a chapter so I cant be lazy.
***********************************

The crystal tasted salty but as it went down it radiated a cool feeling, not unlike ice water. There wasn't a taste of iron in this crystal, like the red ones or a burning heat that came with the tattoo. I took a couple breaths, noting the sensations in my body.

At first it was nothing, I felt no different in this moment than I had felt in the previous one. I sat at the edge of the water in my dress. My feet   were lazily lapped by the ebbing tide. I felt my heart skip uncomfortably in my chest. I placed my hand at my breast feeling the unfamiliar sensation. The cold intensity began in my belly and traveled upwards. I didn't like this.

"Roka I feel weird." I said looking at him.

The skin on my arms prickled and I shuddered against the cold.

"Stay calm your going to be all right." He said creeping closer.

I cold feel the icy prickling splintering in my lungs. Each breath was became painful, breathing my full lung capacity felt like I was stabbed in the ribs. Instead I took in shallow breaths.

"Roka," I gasped through the pain. " there..it's..not right." I said begining to cry.

My throat began to constrict painfully. It was if the edges of my neck were caving in on themselves, suffocating me to death.  I clawed at my neck in vain. Bleeding from the tiny slices left by my claws. Roka stared with a careful gaze. In a swift decisive movement he grabbed me and pulled me under the water.

I didn't have time to take a breath. Didn't have the ability to take a deep breath without a stabbing pain. Roka was going to kill me. I clawed at him and bit him. How does he not understand I cant breath. Blood drifted off us in small smoke like waves. I was running out of air. I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.

When I felt my body was close to bursting, I pulled my fist back. If I was going to die I'd punch him once before I went. Unintentionally, I made the mistake of taking a breath. My brain panicked, I breathed in water.
Full stop, nothing happened. No that's not right. The pain was gone. I looked at Roka who had pinned me against his chest and I dropped my fist. Cautiously, I took the smallest inhale possible.

It was easy.

No pain. No feeling of discomfort. My hands skimmed over my throat and felt the tiny projections there. Gills. They really came in, I thought in disbelief.

"They really did." He agreed, with a smile.

I looked at him in suprize.

"You can hear me?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I'm not even trying." I remarked. Before I felt like I had to shout to get my thoughts across.

"Singing doesn't require effort." Roka shrugged.

I breathed a sigh of relief. I felt movement in my stomach and knew the one inside was still moving about.

"Pearl." Roka said twisting us around in the water.

"Yes?" I replied.

"You can come to the Sea Palace!" He sang excitedly.

"I can." I agreed.

In our moment of excitment I saw Rokas ears twitch and rotate. His face was close to mine, a mere hand length away. He wasn't looking at me. Rokas eyes glazed over. His long blue hair moved on its own, splaying out in all directions. What is he doing, I thought.