Dark Depths

Chapter Nine: The Wickedness of Goodness - 3

Chapter Nine: The Wickedness of Goodness - 3

The sky became dark, fading from an orange sunset over the water, and still, Nathan did not move. He'd been on the beach for a long time, staring out over the sea—at the life he'd left behind. His chest and shoulders ached from the nymph's abuse, but he was left staring at his hands. There was blood on them again, but this time, it was his own.

I'm a terrible human being, he thought as he sat there on a rock. The dark nymph was right. I'm just like those monsters I hate. I deserve to be dead.

After his anger had faded, he'd realized he could put no fault to those evil creatures, because he was just like them. Yet it was not his nature that made him so cruel and uncaring. He had forced himself to be this way. He did have a moral conscience, and it was screaming at him at the top of its lungs now.

You need to change your life, Nathaniel Thomas, or your wickedness will completely devour you.

For once, he agreed. He could not go on being so haughty and selfish. He needed to do something worthwhile if there was to be any hope for redemption. But what? To what could he assign such importance? Could he also throw himself into Ellister's promise: that all the monsters would be killed? If that were so, he would have to go a step further behind the prince's back, killing the beautiful ones as well, for today, they had proven themselves capable of wickedness. He could not, however. He could not do that because there was still Treasure, and she was not a monster.

Was that true? Would she have become wicked as well if she'd been a captive in the prince's chamber? Was it at a certain age that they shed their good skin and became evil? Was he blind? Could Treasure have been just like them? He folded his bloody hands. Nathan simply did not know.

Sitting there in blank and peaceful oblivion, an abrupt disturbance in the water just down the beach drew his attention. It was far too great a sound to be a crashing wave, for the waves washing up were hardly even capping. It was one of them, he knew—a nymph.

It is that dark one, come to taunt me. Am I to start my new resolution now?

His eyes grew large and furious, and he rose up, taking the gun from beneath his coat. Now would be a perfect time to begin his quest of making the world a better place. One shot would do the trick. He only hoped this was that terrible silver-eyed mermaid that had molested him.

Nathan moved toward a formation of sheltering rocks, ending the beach in a hollow mouth which opened to the moonlit sea. The rocks hid the creature from his view, but they would also help him sneak up on her. Quietly, he began his trek.

It was only wishful thinking that had led him to think that this was some creature he would be willing to kill, for as he eased around and peered through the rocks, he was not shocked to see the only one he was not willing to put a bullet into. She sat above the water, her hair drying, her eyes vacant—until she noticed him.

She was frightened at first, moving to slide off the rock, but once she'd recognized him, she froze.

"Treasure," he said, the gun seeming a league from his fingertips as he held it down. "What are you doing here?"

She tried for a smile, but it wavered. What were those terrible round marks on her arms? Scars? Healing wounds?

"You have to ask?" Her voice was weak. She'd been crying again. He wanted to go to her, stepping forward until his feet splashed in the water. He remembered then what stood between them. The ocean was there, dividing their lives, keeping them apart.