Page 40 of Sea of Evil and Desire (The Deep Saga #1)

38

Morgana

T he ocean shadows felt darker now that I knew the God of the Drowned was somewhere searching for me. The tavern’s glow illuminated the debris strewn around the ship—twisted metal jutting out, coins scattered like forgotten relics, their value meaningless in this other world.

It didn’t feel like I had the powers of Siana Selich. What would my life have been like if my grandmother and Louisa had trained me in the ocean’s ancient magic instead of letting me be taken away?

“Wait,” Edward called as I stepped out of the last sliver of the ship’s light. He was looking at the blade I’d rehung from my side. “You are going to need some of this.” He plucked a blue bottle from his maroon uniform—the preservation potion we’d bought at the Taberna.

I laid the dagger and sheath on the sand between us and knelt beside Edward to observe. The blade’s surface was marred by patches of greenish rust, its once-sharp edge dulled by time. The rune patterns were faint beneath the corroded surface, but the two red stones gleamed from either side of the swirling engraving. Though tarnished, it seemed to emanate an ancient magic—I sensed it. What battles had it witnessed?

Edward handed me the bottle. It was filled with a clear, luminous liquid. Uncorking it, I sprinkled a few drops onto the metal. I sucked in a breath as the rust started to dissolve. It was as if it were being erased by an invisible hand as the potion worked its way into every crevice, revealing the blade’s proper form. The copper began to gleam with a renewed luster, its intricate engravings becoming more pronounced.

Holy shit! I held it to the jade light and pressed my finger to its edge. Ouch . A drop of blood seeped from the cut before the ocean licked it clean.

“I thought you’d appreciate that.” A grin split Edward’s face. “Even though I was mad at you, I kept this bottle safe, and your silly children’s book is in my cabin.”

After enduring Edward’s many sighs and grumbles about his aching bones, we reached the emerald waters, and I knew we were getting close to the Taberna.

We followed a sandy path through a towering ravine. Colors were bursting from every crevice, and the surface felt almost carpeted as I ran my hands along the edges. Delicate grass fans swayed gently with the ocean’s ebb while red and yellow coral clusters nestled in cracks.

Soon, the water brightened further, revealing small kelp forests undulating in the current. Schools of fish darted in shimmering waves, weaving through rocky outcroppings.

“I know where we are!” I exclaimed as we passed under a stone arch bearing the remnants of runes. Archōn Agorá.

The tumbled ruins sprawled before us, flecks of debris swirling in the pale blue water like glittering mist. The dark cavern appeared, and our surroundings felt suddenly colder as I remembered the hooded creature vanishing into its depths. We were beyond the Captain’s protection now.

“We’ll take the path across the dunes,” Edward said, as though sensing my apprehension. He veered left through the tumbled boulders.

Edward traveled even slower here, constantly stopping to empty sand from his leather boots. Despite the urgency in my chest to speak with the Mer and their prince, I was glad to have him by my side. As we scaled one of the towering dunes, I realized how small we must appear. The dark cerulean water enveloped us, its color staining the ground beneath our feet.

From the crest of the largest dune, rolling sand hills spread into the distance, dotted with occasional patches of algae and scattered rocks. An isolated structure caught my eye. At first, I thought it might be a watchtower—until it began to move.

“What is that?” I pulled Edward to a halt by the sleeve of his uniform.

“That’s strange. I don’t remember it being there before.” He followed my gaze, rubbing the copper stubble on his jaw.

“It’s Drowned,” I hissed. The shapes ahead were vague, yet unmistakably human.

“No, I think it’s Mer. I can see a silver tail.”

Fear knotted my stomach as I dragged Edward onto the sand beside me. There were three Mer. They hung still and suspended with their backs to us, their arms outstretched across three wooden crosses. The one in the middle had a silver tail. What moved were the black-clad figures around them. There were also three of them, and they were binding the final mermaid’s wrists to one of the poles.

My webbed hands clenched into tight fists, nails pressing into my palms. I couldn’t discern the villains’ features, only the outlines of their cloaks and hoods silhouetted against the aquamarine backdrop.

“We have to do something.” My throat constricted as I surveyed the scene.

“We can’t!” Edward spluttered.

Who was up there beneath the cloaks? Was it Teachie and Rackham—or was it Taranis? A plan. We needed a plan.

“I’m not risking my life for the Mer. They didn’t save me when I was dying—and we can still feel pain, you know,” Edward muttered, refusing to look at me.

“Fine! I hope you enjoy watching comfortably from up here.”

I took a deep breath. Stay calm.

None of the Mer seemed to be struggling. I peered at their limp bodies, and fear gripped my insides with frosty hands. A silvery substance was floating in the water—Mer blood.

I had to act now .

I inched forward along the dune’s crest, mimicking the cadets crawling in those army movies I’d always found boring. What would Tom Cruise do? I regretted not paying more attention to them now.

“Okay, I’ll assist with this madness.” Edward’s breathless whisper at my side brought my commando roll to a halt. There was determination on his pale face, and the inklings of a plan came to me. It was a terrible one, but it was all I had to work with.

“So let me get this straight: you want me to dance around in front of what could be the spirit of Manannán.” Edward’s eyes widened when he heard what I was thinking.

“Do you have a better idea?”

Edward shook his head, gulping down his fear.

“Good luck.” I slid my hand over and squeezed his cold one.

Sand flew around me as I skidded toward the bottom of the dune, where the crossbars stood. I could no longer see Edward. I scrambled upward; dust clouded my vision, but I used the tops of the crosses as guideposts.

A cry rang out, and I froze. They had Edward.

All their backs would be turned now, focusing on the intruder. This was my shot.

I was at the top of the dune before I was ready. The crosses towered above me, their shadows spreading eerily across the sand. They were crudely fashioned out of thick driftwood planks. The Mer were large, too; there was the blonde girl I had seen the hooded figures tying up. The merman in the middle had graying hair and a silver tail, and the young boy on the end had a cobalt tail.

Edward’s cry drew my attention back toward him. He was stooped on the ground as the cloaked figures surrounded him. They were only nine feet away, in the shadow of the crosses. I could only hope Edward kept them distracted long enough for me to free the Mer.

“P-please. I was merely walking and happened upon you,” he stuttered.

My gut twisted. Perhaps I had been wrong to force him to help me. If anything happened to him, it would be all my fault. I wanted to come to his defense—my whole being yearned for it—but foolish or not, we were here now, and I had to use this time wisely. I approached the young boy first. His body hung listlessly. Was he dead, or drugged, or both? I couldn’t tell.

My hands were shaking as I withdrew my dagger and began to cut the ropes at his wrists. I could barely reach them and had to stand on tiptoes. Luckily, his heavy, floppy tail was long enough to hide behind.

“What shall we do with him?” The shortest cloaked figure gestured to Edward.

“Kill him,” one of the taller figures hissed. He had an Irish accent.

That’s strange. I didn’t remember Teachie or Rackham having Irish accents.

The other tall man put his hand against his comrade’s chest. “If he is indeed here spying, we ought to find out how much he knows.” He had an eloquent English accent like Edward’s.

“I’m no spy,” Edward persisted. “And I can’t even see your faces.”

They were wearing masks under their hoods. Cowards.

One of the merboy’s wrists slipped free, falling limp at his side. I turned my attention to his other hand when I caught sight of a familiar shimmer in the water—blood. Where was it coming from?

My fingers searched his waist for splits, finding only the smooth contours of his abs. I returned to slicing at the final knot.

“A solitary stroll—how very unlike you, Edward. We know your time is spent with that Mer-loving wench.” The English man kicked Edward in the stomach, and he convulsed.

They know his name!

My stomach felt like someone was wringing a sheet out inside it. The ropes binding the Mer boy’s wrist suddenly gave way, and horror gripped me as his unconscious body drifted forward into the crowd gathered around Edward.

Shit!

The men spun around, and I raised my dagger, hands trembling.

“Well, if it isn’t the little wench herself,” said the masked man with an aristocratic drawl.

“Seize her,” his tall Irish companion muttered.

The shorter, bulky man rounded on me. His mask’s gold coloring had tarnished. Its two eyes were shut, but underneath them, carved slits allowed the wearer to look out, and its mouth curved downward.

The man continued circling me, rounding his shoulders and grunting. I spun to face him as he moved, keeping the dagger between us.

Something whistled past me, followed by a heavy thud. I didn’t dare take my eyes off my assailant, but a knot of fear tightened in my chest—I could only hope Edward was unharmed.

The sound came again, this time closer, and something grazed my cheek—an arrow had missed my head by inches.

“I’m getting fed up waiting for this idiot to do his job,” said the shooter—the man with the Irish accent. He was pointing a crossbow at me. “Drop your dagger, or the next one won’t miss.”

The bulky man retreated with his head bowed.

With the crossbow pointed at me, I let my dagger fall. Suddenly, I remembered where I’d heard the men’s voices. “Jackie?” I yelled, “And Donahue?”

I glanced at Edward to see if he too had recognized them. His pale face had turned crimson, and shock widened his eyes.

Jackie pulled at the front of his golden mask, revealing his sallow face. His dirty-blonde hair billowed from inside his cloak, and his cheekbones protruded where bits of skin had peeled away.

Donahue also removed his mask and tossed it onto the sand. His dark-featured face, which I’d once thought handsome, looked foul, with eyes sunken and locks of hair falling away from his scalp.

Silver stained the hollows of both their faces.

Then it hit me. I had seen Donahue somewhere before—not down here, but on land! His long cloak rippled in the current, mottled patches of his skin peeling away. Veins ran like molten rivers beneath its ruined surface, glimmering with silvery streaks. Donahue was the man Skye and I had seen at the base of the Ferris wheel. But how was that possible?

“I demand you release these poor Mer at once, or I will go to their king and disclose you.” My voice trembled. What the hell was I doing?

Edward shook his head vigorously at me, still crouching on the ground.

“That will be hard when you’re dead.” Jackie let out an awful laugh, again cocking his crossbow at my head.

I glanced at the suspended Mer. Was it too late for this chivalry?

Then I saw the source of the blood. Their wrists weren’t just bound—they were pinned to the wood by arrows. Shimmering liquid seeped from the puncture wounds, dripping into small vials fastened to the crosses.

They are collecting Mer blood! A surge of rage burned through me.

“You can’t stand that the Mer are more powerful than you’ll ever be! You even had to drug them before you could apprehend them, didn’t you?” I glared between Jackie and Donahue. “What was it, poisoned arrows? Where is the authority in that?”

Donahue laughed. “The Mer Kingdoms falter, beset by the Shadow. Too long have I witnessed them idly bask within their grand castles while we plead for a draft of preservation potion. Once, I was a nobleman. When the Mer Kingdoms fall, the Drowned shall reclaim their nobility.”

“And how do you plan to overthrow the Mer? You have no powers.” I had to keep them talking, bragging .

“He that we serve has powers drawn forth from the souls of each of us—even yours, Edward.” Donahue jerked his chin at my friend, still kneeling on the sand. “Now, he commands an army.”

Taranis. They must be working for Taranis.

“An army of the Drowned couldn’t match the Mer’s powers,” I spat.

“Even now, the pirates of Port Royal gather their strength. With them and our other Drowned brethren, we number thirty thousand strong. Let them dare to challenge us.” Donahue cackled.

“Enough! Let’s kill them and be done with this.” Jackie moved the crossbow from my head to my heart. His skeletal fingers flexed unnaturally around the weapon, glimmering silver.

“No!” Donahue cried. “He wants her alive once this is finished. She’s made our job easier by coming to us. Seize her properly this time—she is unarmed,” he told the short assistant.

Their servant, who had also removed his mask, turned out to be the new puffed-up Drowned boy. He rolled his shoulders, but I barreled straight at him. He swung his bulbous fists at my head, but somehow, I managed to duck beneath them and charge his legs. I wrapped my arms around them and heaved. He didn’t budge. Shit . I tried again, but he scooped me up in his meaty fists and held me against his chest. I struggled, thrashing and clawing against him, but his grip was rock hard.

“Good work, Bron.” Jackie sniggered.

“How could you do something like this?” The outburst had come from Edward. He glared up at Donahue.

“It was rather easy—we conjured storms to swell the ranks of the Drowned. We sowed whispers of the merfolk’s misdeeds, and then we created hate crimes to embolden the angry Drowned and rally them to our cause.” Donahue sneered from behind his sunken cheekbones. “We sent emissaries from Port Royal to every Drowned ship across the seas, gathering more to join our cause. I believe you had the . . . pleasure of meeting Teachie and Rackham.” His top lip curled as he turned his eyes on me.

“Wait, you are creating the storms?” A white-hot rage flared inside me.

“Yes. The Mer tried to stop us, and they failed. With every storm, our army grows, and the more Drowned, the greater his power.” Donahue’s eyes glittered.

“You’re despicable,” Edward spat.

“We’ve lingered too long. We’ll bring the seal girl to him—kill the Drowned boy if you can, and the Mer.” Jackie yawned.

“No!” I cried, struggling with all my might against Bron’s muscly arms.

Please . I cast my eyes to the watery green above us, trying desperately to call upon my so-called “powers,” but I felt nothing.

“Perhaps we ought to bring him too?” Donahue jerked his head at Edward.

Jackie turned sharply on him. “Why would we do that? He won’t fight against the Mer—he’s a traitor.”

“Do not kill him.” Donahue’s words were firm. He ran a hand through his dark hair, and more disappeared.

“Have you gone soft, Donny boy?” Jackie cackled. He let his golden mask fall to the ground before bringing both hands to his crossbow and pointing it at Edward’s trembling body.

Edward wasn’t looking at Jackie. Even with the crossbow now pointed at his head, Edward’s eyes were on Donahue, burning with a plea for mercy.

Jackie’s mouth curled into a wicked smile as his fingers squeezed the trigger. Sand and silver fragments of Mer blood swirled around him. His cloaked arm shuddered as the weapon released its fury.

“Stop, you cowards!” I cried. Hot tears burst from my eyes as I struggled against Bron. I turned inward, searching for anything—any spark of power. I thought I felt something flicker, but then it was gone. Perhaps I’d imagined it.

A hiss alerted me that the arrow had whittled past, heading straight for Edward’s head.

I pummeled the arms that gripped me—my eyes were half-shut. I didn’t want to witness the scene unfolding if I could do nothing to change it. It was all my fault.

It was all my fault.

The arms that held me relaxed, and I fell to the sand as Bron’s cloaked figure rushed away from me toward the bodies writhing on the ground.

Edward!

Snatching up my dagger and diving forward, I sunk the blade into Bron’s large upper thigh. His skin popped, and I raked the knife down as the flesh shredded. Down and down I kept going, until he let out a guttural shriek.

I couldn’t help but feel good about the pain I’d caused as I withdrew the blade, and Bron rolled aside to nurse the wound.

Edward was now slumped over, cloaked in black. One of the other men was on top of him, finishing the job. Grabbing his bony shoulders, I threw him off Edward, who was recoiling underneath. My eyes darted across him, searching for an arrow wound, but I couldn’t see one. He was crying.

I spun around, bracing for Jackie’s attack, only to find him sprawled lifeless on the sand. His wicked smile was frozen in time, and his pale eyes were wide. A blade jutted from the center of his forehead, the skin split where it had pierced the bone.

I brandished my dagger as Jackie’s body jerked upward. His limbs thrashed outward, and his dirty-blonde hair spiked in disarray as his wicked grin twisted into a bloodcurdling shriek.

Was he casting a spell? No—the Drowned had no powers.

Bron was scuttling away from the scene into the murky gloom; his thigh must have already begun to heal.

Jackie shrieked again, and I braced myself for an attack, but his eyes were not filled with malice. They were rolling back in his head as he continued to cry out in what sounded like . . . pain.

I remained frozen as his body lifted from the ground, and his head swung in circles like something out of an ’80s horror movie. All the while, he screamed. I needed to do something—move, at least—but I couldn’t look away.

The two older Mer hung immobile on their crosses, faces peaceful, oblivious to the silvery blood leaking from their wrists and to Jackie’s unearthly cries, and the merboy I had released drifted face down nearby. Please don’t be dead . I whispered a silent prayer.

Jackie’s features began contorting and shrinking at a tremendous speed, and still, he screamed. A light ignited where his heart had been and spread to his fingertips, encompassing him in a radiant glow.

Why couldn’t I take my eyes off him? There were things I needed to do—people I needed to save.

The light enveloped Jackie completely, his writhing body shrinking into a small luminescent ball.

My gosh, it is beautiful .

I no longer thought of it as Jackie. No, this was the most precious light I had ever seen. I looked around aggressively; no one would take this treasure from me! I was ready to fight for it.

Edward was kneeling where Donahue had fallen, his gaze fixed longingly on the light. It was mine—I’d seen it first. Spinning back around, I lunged for the glowing orb, but it darted just out of reach, teasing me. I glared at Edward, but he remained motionless, making no move to follow.

Fixing my gaze on the sphere, I began to walk toward it. Everything else faded away—Edward, Donahue, the three Mer—leaving only the beautiful, entrancing glow. I leaped for it again, my fingers nearly grazing its surface, and it let out a final, bloodcurdling wail and vanished into nothingness.

I felt as if I had been released from a trance. I’d almost followed the light back down the bank. For a moment, I’d forgotten why I was here on this wasteland of dunes, but then I saw the crosses atop the hill.

Jackie had been taken to the Garden of Mortimer, and if I had grasped that light, I would have gone with him. I shuddered.

Returning to Edward, I saw he had been holding a body all this time. Donahue.

I rushed to his side. How could I have been so foolish, chasing after a light when my friend had been under attack?

But Donahue was not attacking Edward; he was dying. His pale head lay in Edward’s lap, his half-open eyes fluttering as he took ragged inhales. There was an arrow embedded in his chest.

Where was the Donahue I had seen moments ago, sneering at us from the dune top? He was clutching Edward’s hand now, and Edward was using the other one to smooth what was left of Donahue’s curls over his lap. Edward seemed completely unharmed.

“We have to go.” I grasped his shoulder, but he shook me off and continued patting Donahue.

“ Edward ,” I said, “he’s going to come back to life and kill us both! We need to get those Mer out of here.”

“No—no, I can’t.” He shouldered me away while scooping Donahue’s head protectively into his chest.

“Did you kill Jackie? I don’t understand.” I blinked at him. I didn’t remember him ever saying he had a weapon.

“No.” Edward sniffed. He could barely speak through his tears.

“Did you do this?” I gestured to Donahue’s wilted body. Trust Edward to feel the need to comfort the villain after he killed them.

“No, I didn’t kill him either.” He leaned further over the man and drew in a shuddering sob. “He—he saved me. Jumped in front of me and threw a dagger at Jackie’s head just as Jackie released the arrow.” Edward choked, peering up at me with bloodshot eyes.

This was all too confusing.

“Why would you do that?” I crouched down, addressing Donahue. He was in bad shape.

“I-I had to,” he croaked. He was not looking at me but at Edward. “Can you ever forgive me?”

“Yes,” Edward whispered, brushing the man’s dark hair from his forehead again. “Thank you.”

Heat rose in my cheeks, and I turned away. This was an intimate moment I didn’t understand. But then a horrible thought struck me: what if it was all an act? Donahue might pull the arrow out and stab Edward with it at any minute. I spun around, but he didn’t look like he had the strength to attack. His eyes snapped open as he departed.

I stepped back, waiting for the same display of shrieking Jackie had demonstrated, making a mental note to look away when the light began. But a sigh of relief escaped Donahue’s lips as he relaxed in Edward’s arms, eyes closing softly as his form grew weightless, drifting gently into the current. He floated above us for a moment and, with another long moan of release, disintegrated into the watery surroundings as tiny foam bubbles danced around us, singing the same song of freedom.

Edward fell forward, sobbing. I knelt beside him in the sand and put my arm around his shoulders. I wasn’t quite sure what to say. I wasn’t sure I even understood what had just happened.

“I think he’s at peace now.” I patted his heaving back. We had just witnessed both versions of what happened when the Drowned died and didn’t return.

“I know,” Edward wailed, “because he died to save me while I cowered like a fool.” His little red cap was discarded nearby, and his usually immaculate quaff was a mess.

“You were brave. You put your prejudice aside to save the Mer when there was almost no chance we could have won, but we did.” I stood up, giving him a sad smile.

He looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. “H-he must have loved me.”

Yes, I thought. That was it.

“Did you love him?” I asked gently.

“I vowed to remain faithful to the man I had given myself to before I set sail. He was everything I could have dreamed of loving. On the other hand, Donahue was handsome, yet dark and tormented. But now I realize I m-may have loved him as well. B-but I never told him . . . I never gave him a chance!” Edward broke off into another wail, clasping his face in his hands.

“Edward, was he—was he the person . . .”

He looked up at me and nodded.

“But it only happened once? And you think he loved you for all these years?” I took his hand and drew him up from the seabed.

“Yes, though I never would have imagined it until now. When I first drowned, we read books together, and he helped me polish my pianoforte. Then, one night, it simply happened. Afterward, I grew distant toward him, believing I had sullied the memory of my true love on land. From that moment, we were cold to one another. I thought him heartless; if I had known, I could have saved him . . . and stopped this. Perhaps I might have found happiness here.” He stifled a gut-wrenching sob.

“You couldn’t have stopped this. Taranis would have found other Drowned cronies to do his bidding.” I patted his back. “But I think you did save Donahue by allowing him to die for you and find peace. Now we are going to save three more people.” I gestured to the crosses looming above us.