15. Pedro
Pedro
“Alin, I really hope you know what you’re doing,” I whisper to the air as I sit down in the shallow waters at the beach where Alin always swims back home, waiting for her and Bay to arrive.
The cold water of the small waves spreads over the sand behind me, gently caressing my skin, not letting my body block their path.
But a quick glance at the horizon, and the undeniable power of the sea reflected before me, sends a shiver down my spine. Did I make the right decision?
I’ve been dragged into a world I never imagined; a world that feels so far removed from anything I’ve ever known.
Yet now, I’m about to step into it, whether I’m ready or not.
I take a deep breath, inhaling the salty sea breeze into my lungs, hoping it will help ground me.
I haven’t yet drunk the strange and frightening potion Alin gave me, but this breeze, harsh as it is, seems to ease the suffocating pressure building in my chest—a reminder that I might belong here, in some twisted way.
I’ve been through far worse situations in my life, battles more brutal, threats more tangible.
I always had weapons; I knew the territory—I knew what I was dealing with.
But this? This feels different. This is something I can’t prepare for.
The ocean, these merfolk, the magic—I’m wading into waters where I have no footing —literally.
Can I even protect her? For the first time in my life, I’m unsure if I’m more of a burden than a help.
I sigh as the thoughts won’t leave me, but suddenly I hear the familiar voice I try not to think about every minute of my day.
“Pedro?! Alin, what’s going on here?” Bay shouts accusingly, and a small pang of guilt pierces my chest for not telling her the whole plan. But she really would have done anything to go alone if she had known. We made the right decision.
“I’m sorry, Bay, but trust me. I know what I’m doing; I’m increasing your chances of coming back alive,” she replies, and I turn my gaze to them now, standing on the sand behind the rocks, their feet still not touching the water.
“Alin, what else are you hiding from me? I really don’t know how many more surprises I can take. I need to know everything before I throw my life away like this,” she pleads, gripping Alin’s arms tightly, her voice trembling on the verge of breaking. Seeing her like this tears at me.
“Pedro, now,” Alin commands, her gaze intense. I realize that this may be the only way to stop her from backing out. I take the vial with the unfamiliar liquid, quickly popping the cork.
“Alin, what’s he doing? Stop everything right now! I want to understand what’s happening here,” she demands, her eyes wide with shock—or is it fear? I can’t tell anymore, but the liquid is already sliding down my throat. Oddly, it has no taste at all, just a strange numbness.
“What did he just drink? It looks like one of your mother’s potions, Alin. I want answers!” she snaps, her voice nearly drowned by the sea breeze as a tingling starts in my legs, soon followed by a searing pain in my neck.
What have I done? There’s no turning back now .
“Bay, this is the only way Pedro can join you,” I hear Alin’s voice, but it suddenly sounds so distant as my pulse thunders in my ears, pounding and burning as if I’ve stepped through the gates of hell.
The burning in my neck intensifies, and I swallow hard, squeezing my eyes shut. I have to endure this pain, or how can I help her if I can’t even survive this?
I stifle a guttural roar as I feel my skin splitting, my hand instinctively reaching for my neck. Gills? Great.
Now a burning tear spreads through my arms, and I watch as strange blue fins emerge along the length of them, scales covering most of my skin and the famiglia marks sleeve tattoo on my right arm.
I glance back at Bay and Alin behind me, and it seems they’re just as speechless, judging by Bay’s dropped jaw.
I blink twice as I feel something change in my vision, and when I open my eyes, I can see the horizon with such sharpness, it’s as if my eyes have turned into 4K cameras.
Is this how they see all the time? For the first time, I smile as I scan the area with my enhanced sight.
I wish I could keep at least this ability afterward.
A chuckle escapes my lips, but I grit my teeth, trying not to reveal the sharp pain that now slices through my legs, which are slowly transforming into a royal blue tail with a scattering of golden scales.
Transparent blue fins extend along its sides, tapering down until they meet the large fins now spreading at its tip.
I’m a freaking fish. Damn, and I smell like one now.
What’s this fish market stench coming from me?
I wonder if I’ll still feel like eating sushi after all this. Seems a bit hypocritical.
I smirk to myself as the pain finally subsides, and I give my new tail a flick, testing it out. I feel so strong now, like I could shatter rocks with a punch. A mischievous grin spreads across my face. Should I try?
I turn with some difficulty to face Bay and Alin, showing off my new tail. Alin’s face glows with satisfaction—it worked. I give her a half-smile, signaling that I’m okay.
“You and I,” Bay suddenly says venomously to Alin, pointing first at herself and then at Alin in clear warning, “this isn’t over. When this is done, we’re going to have a very long talk. That is, if I survive, of course.”
“Don’t blame her, I insisted on coming with you,” I shout over the wind and waves, defending Alin.
An unfamiliar sensation rises in my throat as I speak, my gills trembling with my voice.
A shiver runs down my spine at the strange feeling, but I could get used to the power coursing through every cell in my body right now.
“Besides, I’m really excited to try out this new strength. ”
“I’m sorry, Bay. I’ll explain everything when we get to the city.
We need to go together to my mother, who will guide you and Pedro on exactly what to do.
I’m doing all of this to keep you alive,” she says before undressing without warning.
Shit. I quickly avert my gaze. Better not give Luca another reason to fight.
I’m already on his bad side these last few days with Bay.
Bay sighs without saying a word, but her eyes are now scanning my body. Is that curiosity I see in her eyes? She bites her lip as her gaze drops to my chest. Now it’s clear... it’s not curiosity, it’s hunger. I’m part of her world now—maybe that’s her kink.
I raise an eyebrow playfully at her but quickly regain my composure. I can’t break the capo’s rules—she’s family!
“We should swim out, we don’t have much time,” I remind her, and the hunger in her eyes fades, disappointment clearly written on her face. Maybe this new look really does it for her. Will she still look at me like that when my legs return? If we return alive at all.
She starts reluctantly stripping off her clothes, but this time I have to fight with all my willpower not to sneak a peek. I can’t give in to temptation; she’s forbidden fruit.
I reopen my eyes only when I hear the splash of water, knowing they’ve already swam ahead.
I drag myself forward until the water is deep enough for me to swim.
I close my eyes against the saltwater, childhood traumas gnawing at me.
But my body, as if it didn’t just gain a tail but also the natural ability to move with the water, swims forward as if it’s second nature.
“Pedro, watch out!” I hear Bay’s voice underwater and freeze in place. I can hear Bay’s voice underwater. She’s talking underwater.
“Can I talk underwater?” I ask aloud, my eyes still closed in a strange fear. Fuck, this is crazy!
“How did you think we communicate? Sound waves? Where do you get your information?” Bay teases, emerging from behind me with a laugh. I smile, Ijust love her playful nature.
“Why are your eyes closed?” she asks, and I tense up as memories of the burning sensation in my eyes from opening them in the Dead Sea at age five flood back.
“I’m afraid of the saltwater burning them,” I whisper honestly, feeling her tail brush against mine now that she’s so close. My scales bristle, excitement surging through my body. Not only are their powers stronger, but their sensations also overwhelm every part of me. I’m so fucked.
Her laughter mixes with the sound of the water as she swims in front of me.
“You almost swam straight into a rock. How do you plan to swim with us to the city without seeing anything?” she taunts with a laugh, placing her hands over my eyes.
“It’s okay, you can open them,” she gently strokes my eyelids, and the sensation spreads through my entire body, down to the tip of my tail.
If she keeps touching me, I’m going to lose it here.
I let my gills expand, drawing in seawater that immediately steadies my nerves.
My heart pounds with excitement as I snap my eyes open, meeting hers—amethyst and glowing brighter than ever.
There’s no burning, only a heightened, razor-sharp clarity that reveals everything underwater as if I’m a predator, able to spot prey from miles away. This is fucking incredible!
“Wow,” she exhales as she stares into my eyes. “Your eyes look…” she trails off, biting her lip again. What am I going to do with you, Bay?
My tail, as if it has a mind of its own, brushes against the tip of hers, and I notice the scales on her hands rise slightly. I’m affecting her just like she’s affecting me.
Wait ,“what’s wrong with my eyes?” I ask, touching my face, wondering if something strange has appeared on them too. I can feel a few scales on the sides of my head and forehead, but my eyes don’t feel any different.
“They look like a golden gemstone, sparkling. This is the first time I’ve ever seen a merman with that eye color,” she says, moving her face closer to mine, her lips so near as she examines my eyes up close. Fuck. I inch my lips closer to hers, our noses almost touching.
“Oh, come on, we don’t have time for your hormones right now,” Alin interrupts the moment, snapping the tension between us, and I want to curse, but I silently thank her. I almost broke the capo’s order.
I reluctantly pull away from Bay and swim toward Alin, with Bay following behind.
We swim under Alin’s lead toward her city.
Every coral, strange fish, and plant we pass makes my heart beat with a growing excitement that overrides all the fear I felt before.
Is this how they live? Even in my wildest imagination, I never thought I’d be part of this massive beast called the ocean.
“Unforgettable, huh?” Bay now swims beside me, asking as if reading my thoughts. I nod honestly, still mesmerized by her jewel-like eyes that continue to glow as they gaze at me, accompanied by her playful smile. She’s going to drive me crazy if not to my death.
“What’s that? Your body is glowing?” I ask, noticing her green tail casting a glowing green light around us, and then I look at my own body as my eyes catch the blue glow blending with it like a beautiful art work on the ocean floor. “My body’s glowing too!”
She laughs. “Yeah, the deeper we swim, the more our bodies glow. It helps us navigate the dark ocean floor. But it can also be very dangerous if you’re trying to hide. So you have to be careful,” she shares and swims over to Alin.
“I can recognize your mother’s potions anywhere, but I never knew she could do something like this,” she now talks to Alin as if all the anger she held toward her has vanished, replaced by excitement.
Alin sends her a warm smile, her pastel-colored tail shimmering as she now leisurely swims on her back against the gentle current. “I was surprised too, but she said it’s the first time she’s ever tried this, so she’s excited to meet Pedro like this.”
My gills flare in shock, and my heart races. This was the first time she tried this?
“I was your freaking experiment?!” I shout behind them, and Bay’s eyebrows furrow at Alin again, her anger clearly resurfacing.
She huffs in frustration, rolling over to swim on her stomach again, raising her hands in mock surrender before throwing an apologetic glance back at me.
I sigh and swim over to Bay, placing my hand on the end of her tail, reassuring her that I’m okay.
“Everything turned out exactly as we expected, didn’t it?” Alin asks, letting out a nervous giggle.
“I want to kick you right now, but I’ll wait until I have my legs back,” Bay snaps at Alin, her gills flaring open and closed in a heavy exhale. So that’s what it looks like from the outside…
We keep swimming for a while, and I’m grateful for the training Luca has forced on me every morning since I was four. Otherwise, my abs would’ve been burning long ago. I can already feel them working.
“This is it, ready?” Alin stops suddenly, straightening up as my gaze follows hers.
“What the hell?” I blurt out as my eyes land on the most breathtaking sight I’ve ever seen.
A massive, glowing path of gemstones stretches out ahead of us, lighting up the darkness that surrounds us in the ocean’s depths, illuminating the way as if it’s the gateway to heaven, not the hell I thought it was.
Schools of small fish swim around the area, coral covering the large rocks that form a magnificent wall leading to two enormous, gleaming pearl-colored clamshells open like a grand entrance in the distance.
Guards—mermen clad in golden armor with sharp golden tridents I hope never get close to me—stand at the entrance, checking those who pass through.
Maybe there were just drugs in that vial she gave me—how is this even real? So much gold, so many gemstones, light, and merfolk swimming back and forth in the distance. “Did I find Atlantis?”
Bay and Alin turn to me, their burst of laughter echoing in my ears as I raise an eyebrow in confusion.
“Atlantis isn’t in our ocean, and it’s far more extravagant than this,” Bay says, as if I should already know that.
Wait, Atlantis really exists? “Humans believe Atlantis is in the Atlantic Ocean, probably because of the name, but it’s actually hidden in the Antarctic Ocean, far from here,” she continues, as if reading my thoughts.
Then she and Alin swim off together toward the city gates, leaving me to process the overwhelming scene.
I have so many questions…