Chapter 16
I understand the ocean’s siren song better than most. It’s unusual for a human to feel its pull so acutely, but then again, Malia has demonstrated time and time again that she is not a regular human.
I’m starting to wonder if she’s human at all.
After that ritual, she should have died. But for some reason, she didn’t. Meaning that the universe, gods, goddess, fates…whatever is out there…wants or needs Malia alive for some reason.
And that reason is intrinsically tied to the ocean.
I just need to figure out why.
She’s so much happier when we’re in the water. We’ve visited the beach every day this week now, and we’ve stayed until sunset, only leaving to eat.
Malia’s mood has stabilised once more, and she’s not been lured back to the cliff’s edge since.
It feels like a breakthrough, but at the same time, I’m waiting for…something. It feels too good to be true. The calm before the storm.
The silence is eerie, startling me awake. I don’t even have to reach for Malia to know she’s gone. I feel her absence like a living, breathing, tangible thing.
Sitting up sharply, I scan the grove we’ve made home, looking for her. I breathe a sigh of relief when I spy her under a tree, staring out at the ocean. Slowly, I get to my feet and make my way over to where she’s sitting so as not to startle her, but when my shadow front he early morning sun falls over her, she glances up at me and smiles.
“Morning.”
“Good morning, have you been up long?”
She shakes her head. “Only twenty minutes or so.” She shrugs her delicate shoulders softly and I understand what she means. It’s almost impossible to mark the passage of time here. The tide, the sun and the moon are the only giveaways of how each day is progressing, and those increments of time are measured in large chunks.
“How are you feeling today, Malia?” I smile warmly at her.
“Good.” Her answering smile is warmer than the early morning sun which is already beating down on us, and I soak up her happiness like a big cat basking in the sun.
“I’m pleased to hear it. Shall I gather some fruit for breakfast?”
“I can do that,” she offers. “It’ll give you a chance to wake up properly.”
“Stay put, my love. I’ve got this.”
She huffs, but her eyes twinkle with amusement. I like waiting on her. It makes me less helpless, trapped here. If I’m taking care of Malia, I have a purpose. It keeps me busy, occupied, so that my brain quiets and I don’t go crazy.
I leave Malia in the safety of the grove and go off in search of her favourite breakfast, fresh figs. The island we’re on is abundant with fresh fruits, nuts and olives, but I do find myself longing for a real meal.
It doesn’t take long to gather supplies for breakfast and some extra for lunch. No doubt Malia will want to spend the day on the beach again and if I grab some food now, we won’t have to leave the warm golden sands later.
Upon returning to the grove, that sense of uneasiness I had when I first awoke returns.
Malia is gone.
This time, my gut churns. Something within me just knows where she is.
Dropping the food at my feet, I race out of the grove.
The wind slaps my face as I sprint towards the cliff’s edge, the salty tang of the ocean filling my nostrils. The sheer drop offers a breathtaking view of the crashing waves below, their relentless rhythm jarring against the icy stillness that now envelops me.
As I approach the cliff, dread claws at my insides, tightening like a vise around my heart. There, standing dangerously close to the edge with her back towards me, is Malia. Her silhouette is illuminated by the rising sun, casting a golden halo around her.
“Malia!” I call out, my voice edged with both relief and fear. She doesn’t move. Doesn’t even flinch at the sound of her name. Taking cautious steps closer, I reach out to touch her trembling shoulder. She is as cold as ice beneath my fingertips.
“Malia, what’s wrong?” My voice cracks with worry.
Slowly, she turns to face me, her eyes mirroring the turbulent sea below. In their depths, I see a storm raging – a tempest of emotions I can’t begin to fathom. I step back to give her space, watching her closely with concern.
“I can’t stay here anymore,” she whispers, her voice barely audible above the howling wind. “I need to find out what lies beyond.”
Terror grips me as I realise what she means. The cliffs are treacherous, their jagged rocks a grim reminder of the dangers that lurk below. Without another word, Malia steps closer to the edge, peering down into the foamy abyss with a mixture of longing and despair.
“No!” I cry out.
She’s standing on the edge like a statue, like some tormented spirit gazing out to sea, waiting for a lost love, except it’s not a love she’s lost, it's a part of her she needs to find.
I lunge forward, reaching desperately for Malia’s hand as she teeters on the edge of the cliff. My fingers brush against hers, but it’s not enough. With horror-stricken eyes, I watch as she plunges into the frothy depths below, disappearing beneath the churning waves before I can even scream her name.
Adrenaline surges through me as I scramble to the edge of the cliff, my heart pounding in my throat. I didn’t go through all of this to lose her now.
Without a second thought, I dive into the icy waters after her, the cold shock stealing my breath away. The saltwater engulfs me, pulling me deeper into its dark embrace.
My lungs burn as I search frantically for any sign of Malia. The underwater world is a murky maze of shadows and shifting currents, disorienting me at every turn. Panic threatens to consume me, but I push past it, driven by a single-minded determination to find her.
And then, just when despair threatens to overwhelm me, I see her. Her slender form drifts like a ghostly apparition in the water, her hair swirling around her like a dark halo. I reach out, grabbing hold of her limp body and kicking upwards towards the surface with all the strength I can muster.
In a desperate bid for survival, I kick with all the willpower I possess. The world around me blurs into a whirl of saltwater and a tantalising tease of sky as I struggle against the relentless pull of the ocean. Each stroke feels like an eternity, every second of holding my breath a battle against the suffocating depths below. Why hasn’t my magic kicked in? I should be able to breathe underwater. Instead, I can feel my oxygen running out.
As my vision begins to dim, the edges closing in like a tunnel, my chest constricts with the burning ache of oxygen deprivation. The ocean’s grip tightens around me as consciousness drifts away and Malia’s lifeless body slips from my weakening fingers and sinks into the abyss below.