Coral and Bone

Three

Heaven was not what Halen expected—maybe she had found hell. Walls of uneven dark rock curved over her head where a wash of glimmering, golden dust cast a glow of light from above. When she reached for her aching head, her hand bumped against something hard.

Her gaze fell on a stone table with a goblet crafted of the same marble sitting on top. She swallowed, her tongue rolling to the roof of her mouth.

As she reached for the goblet, a sharp pain shot down her side. Clasping her waist, her fingers glided over a slimy substance and the stench of sour tea leaves filled the air. Rising to a sitting position, she discovered a dark emerald patch clinging to her skin from her armpit down to her hip.

"What the..." Slowly, she peeled back the layer. A flash of fangs, nails and a cage of ice pressed her memories. Wincing, she ran her finger over her black stained veins and along the stitched cut where the mermaid carved a long line with her talon. Had they captured her?

Had there been mermaids at all?

Of course not. She reasoned. Mermaids weren't real. Stress and hallucinations were though.

She scanned her surroundings once more. With only the bed and the table for furnishings, the room gave off a jail cell vibe. But the arched opening didn't have a door or bars, so she must be free to leave.

She pushed off the bed, but her legs felt stuffed with pudding. As she toppled back, the mattress crunched under her weight, as if she had fallen in a pile of dried leaves. She ran her hand over the lumpy mattress. The cloth was rough like burlap. She yanked out a bit of dark green material poking out from a small tear, and when she rubbed the material between her fingers, it formed a powder. Clapping her hands, she blew off the dust.

"You're awake." A boy's voice filled the room.

Her gaze darted to the opening, but she found no one. "Who's there?" Her heart raced with the silence. Using the edge of the bed to balance, she stood. "Is someone there?" She stumbled forward. "Did you bring me here?"

"I did." A boy emerged from the shadows.

Her breath caught like a hook in a fish's gullet.

"You!" Her fingertips sparked. She blinked, thinking her eyes—no, her mind was out of focus. Seeing mermaids had been a delusion, but this... She shook her hands by her sides, fighting the urge to reach out and touch the boy from her notebook. His beauty caught her off-guard. She sketched him well, but standing before her, he stole her breath.

He crossed his arms, leaning against the rock wall. A black netted shirt stretched across his muscled chest; below the waist he wore long skintight shorts, like a swimmer's. His damp hair was slicked backed from his forehead, which furrowed when he met her gaze. His eyes, a storm of blues in a turbulent sky, ignited her sparks.

"Who are you?" She reached toward him, not believing he was real. None of this could be real. Her hand stopped midair as if hitting a wall, though nothing appeared to be in front of her. When she raised her other hand, a slight buzz tickled her palms. She placed them higher and then a little lower, like a mime in an invisible box. Another trap? Her breath quickened. "What is this? Am I locked in here?"

"You're in there for your own good." His voice was deeper than she had imagined, his tone reprimanding, even though he had to be close to her in age.

"Let me out of here. Are you a Hunter?"

"Hunter?" He cocked his head seeming concerned. "Did you see them—here?"

"For all I know you're one of them." Needle sharp sparks pricked the back of her neck, working their way down between her shoulder blades. "Let me out right now!" She slammed her fist against the invisible barrier. At once, an electric shock jolted her hand. She screamed as numbness spread from fingertips to her shoulder.

"Calm down. You're hurt. You'll only delay the healing process."

Healing process? This wasn't a hospital. "Look, I don't know what kind of game you're playing here. Are you with Ezra? Did he put you up to this? Where's Tage?" Her anger swelled. "What have you done with her?" She rammed the barrier. It squealed, piercing her eardrums, and a surge erupted, the electric shock shoving her to the ground.

He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. "I told you not to do that." He turned and walked from her view.

She wanted to scream—demand he let her out—beg him to peel her off the ground, but her throat felt stitched. A tear trickled down her temple. She couldn't even brush it away. Halen hoped wherever the hell Tage was, she was better off.