Sleeping Nightmare

Chapter 18: history of the sea | Sarah

My eyes opened to a ceiling of black obsidian, dotted with dark green spots. I raised a hand to my face, squeezing my temples.

Something felt odd. My head was pounding, and a strange silence in my ears muffled all sound. I blew out a breath, and bubbles rose.

Bubbles?

Suddenly apprehensive, I sat up, ignoring the rush of blood that left me slightly disoriented. I glanced at the surrounding black walls, my eyes lingering on the multicoloured potion bottles that decorated them. Their design was simple and standard, but it reminded me of something.

The purple vial.

Tyler had given that to me, as a way to congratulate me for my sudden promotion to Delmitii's leader, although I was certain that there were others who were more deserving of the position than me. There had to be a way for me to pass the role onto someone else. The sirens were my people, but Delmitii wasn't my home, and could never be.

But the sirens had been so excited to have me as a leader. I couldn't disappoint them by instantly rejecting their nomination.

I planned to stay at least until the trade agreement with the Narmians were finalised so that Queen Arya and her entourage could return home, and then I would find a replacement. And once I did...I'd have to say goodbye to my family. Tanzeem, my Aunt Geena, and my grandfather.

I'd have to say goodbye to Tyler, too.

"Are you feeling better?"

I spun, my gaze connecting with the dark haired merman at the foot of where I lay. "Bob?" I said incredulously. I hadn't seen him since he had rescued me from the jellyfish.

"Yeah. You're in my cave, if you haven't figured that out already," Bob tried for a grin, but it was so unnatural and forced that I grimaced. He dropped it quickly. "Do you remember anything?"

My mind flashed back to the purple vial. I'd been drinking it. I remembered it had tasted salty, which had not been what I was expecting, and then...I didn't know. "I was drinking something a friend gave me, but I blacked out. I'm not sure why. I think I must have fainted. But why am I here?"

Why was I underwater, and in Bob's cave, on a patch of seaweed - his bed? - out of all places to be? Where was Tyler and Arya?

He studied me carefully. "Are you and Kye-Ann closely acquainted?"

I couldn't help it – I snorted. "No, we're not." I drew up a memory of Tyler and I in the forest clearing, and his hurt expression when talking about a good friend of his who appeared to no longer believe in him. I knew the garnet eyed siren and Tyler were close, and if my suspicions were right, there was a new wedge in their relationship. And the one thing that had changed in their lives recently was the arrival of the Narmians, and my family visit. But they had appeared completely normal and at ease with each other when I'd met them with Queen Arya and Prince Tom at Cordona, which meant that what was driving them apart was...me. "I doubt she's very fond of me."

"She tried to kill you."

Wow, Bob really didn't beat around the bush.

"What?" I choked. "How?"

The Prince then explained how the potion I had drank had actually been given to Tyler from Kye-Ann. She had intended for me to drink it. Once I had fallen asleep, Tyler was to dispose of me without any witnesses. However, he hadn't been aware of the potion's effects and his task until he had given me the vial, believing that Kye-Ann had wanted to congratulate me.

"And now I'm in a cave below the sea, away from everyone," I mused, and joked, "I'm not here to be killed off in secret, right?"

Bob completely missed my teasing tone, and his eyes widened in horror. "No! Of course not. They brought you here to hide you."