Chapter 6
My heart was a cacophony of dread pounding in my chest as I swam furiously towards the surface. I knew the danger, knew it was stupid and reckless, but I was on this path now. I needed to keep going.
I forged ahead through the murderous sea, which was so dark and murky that I could barely discern what lay before me. Luckily, I didn’t need to see to know where I was going. I could feel it. The currents were pushing me towards the danger.
I pushed through the thrashing waves in search of the prince whose fate was now tethered to my own.
With every slash of my tail through the water, I thought, please don’t be too late. It became a rhythm in my body, propelling me forward.
Please don’t be too late. Slash. Please don’t be too late. Slash. Please don’t be too late. Slash.
Lungs on fire, I broke the surface. My thundering heart sank as the vision in the mirror unfolded before my eyes.
Above, menacing clouds were illuminated by streaks of lightning. Raindrops pelted from the sky like a volley of arrows. All around me, powerful winds breathed life into vicious waves, edging them forward as they rose and rampaged. Underneath, the currents shifted into a wild frenzy.
My body struggled to stay afloat. The weight of the leather pouch wasn’t doing me any favors, but I persevered. I fought against the assailing waves until, finally, about one mile ahead, I saw it.
An enormous ship was being thrashed about by the wind like a child playing with a toy boat. It was on the verge of being completely submerged by gigantic swells.
Refusing to be paralyzed by the fear coursing through my veins, I dove into the waves. They tried to push me further away from my target, but my will was set. My body clashed against them, inching closer and closer towards the doomed ship, losing precious seconds in the resistance.
Still struggling to keep my head above the surface, I gawked at the manmade behemoth in front of me.
The Queen Astrid was displayed on the soon-to-be wreckage.
I watched helplessly as the vessel succumbed, piece by piece, to a far more powerful force.
She was destined to bedeck the darkest reaches of the seafloor.
Treacherous waves struck from every direction, but I evaded whiplash by clinging to the side of the ship.
Why in confinement am I doing this? Swearing, I blinked against the heavy raindrops and searched through the chaos for any evidence of life. I squinted against the dark until I could make out signs of movement in the distance.
By some miracle, the mortals had escaped the death bound vessel. They had somehow managed to clamber onto smaller lifeboats, which they were fighting to steer away from the storm.
As stealthily as I could in the tumultuous waters, I swam closer to scan the boats. Where is this damn prince? I failed to notice the colossal wave until it plunged me underwater.
Followed by another.
Then another.
Tail working endlessly to keep me afloat, I managed to linger above the surface long enough to watch the scene unfold.
A crack of lightning. A roar of thunder.
And, as if on cue, a savage wave struck the lifeboats.
It happened quickly, yet it was as if in slow motion.
A girl sitting in one of the boats toppled into the water and was quickly swallowed by a wave.
Bellows and cries rang faintly from the lifeboats.
This was not part of the plan. Saving her would be a diversion. But she was a child…
Fuck. I pushed forward as though my life depended on it. I frantically scanned the surrounding area.
Nothing.
I stopped. Calming myself, I inhaled deeply and focused on commanding the currents to lead me to the girl. “Show me the way.”
Like a petulant child throwing a temper tantrum, the currents refused to be reasoned with. I was not their master.
“Show me the way,” I growled with frustration.
Again, the currents disregarded me, unmoved by my desperation. Fear, panic, and bitter anger that I was failing swelled inside of me. I would not succumb to my emotions, and I would not allow the child to succumb to the ocean.
I returned to my frantic pursuit, plunging deeper and deeper into the cloudy waters. “Where are you?” I repeated desperately until it was little more than a whimper between ragged breaths.
Just when it felt like all hope was lost, an idea jolted me back to my senses.
Illumination—a useful form of elementary magic.
I reached for my power and conjured a ball of light.
The light was small but bright against the blackness of the ocean.
Immediately, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.
Partially veiled in darkness, there was no mistaking what it was. A body.
It was as though invisible claws were dragging the girl’s limp form slowly towards the ocean bed. She was escorted by a procession of air bubbles floating around her.
It wasn’t too late. Yet.
I shot towards the body. Using every ounce of preternatural speed I possessed, I raced against time.
The movement was so quick that the pouch loosened its grip from my shoulders and began floating away.
I snatched it before it could be lost to the ocean, taking with it my only chance at surviving the next few weeks.
Soon, I was at the girl’s side. Tucking her body into mine, I charged up, up, up towards the surface, once again resorting to the familiar chant in my head.
Please don’t be too late. Please don’t be too late. Please don’t be too late.
Finally, we broke the surface. The storm was dying down, but the ship had been completely obliterated. The lifeboats were nowhere to be seen.
In my peripheral vision, I saw a large piece of timber, one of many floating remnants of the vessel that had been consumed by the ocean. Heart racing, and with the girl safely tucked under my arm, I swam to it.
I hoisted her onto the timber. It left me fighting for breath and somehow with a wicked slash on my right arm, but there was no time to worry about that. Right now, I had to clear the water from her lungs.
Pushing down onto her chest, I breathed into her parted, blue lips. I did it again and again, but it was useless. The child’s chest was barely moving.
Think.
A plan took form in my mind. I had never attempted it before, but I wasn’t about to let my inexperience stop me from giving it a try.
Inhaling deeply, I forced myself to be calm for the second time that night. The sound of the water lapping against the timber, the sting of the salt water licking my wound, the despair that threatened to unravel me if I failed—I banished it all from my mind and fixated on reaching for my power.
Soon, I felt the telltale sign of my magic: a comforting warmth that started in my veins then trickled through my body.
My touch was featherlight on the girl’s chest. In my mind, I spoke to the water in her lungs.
Leave this child.
Too many heart-stopping seconds later, the water responded to my command. I watched with bated breath as she recoiled and began coughing and spluttering, then emptied the contents of her stomach into the ocean. I held her as she retched again, overcome with relief that I hadn’t been too late.
I surveyed the graveyard of debris that we drifted amongst, the only living souls.
The storm had retreated, and the ocean had ceased its assault, seemingly satisfied with the toll paid in wood and iron, lead and canvas.
The calm that followed the fury felt wrong.
I shivered as the last of the adrenaline left my body and sobering reality settled in.
I didn’t have the luxury of rest. Land was miles away, and the child needed to get to shore quickly. Even though we had survived the storm, no good would come of her cold, wet body being exposed to the frigid night air.
Once more, I conjured light. Only this time, the golden ball seemed to flicker and radiate heat like a palm-sized sun. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought it was a ball of fire.
Putting the insane thought out of my mind, I looked to the horizon for any sign of land. Endless ocean bled into the distance in every direction, which meant I would have to rely on my knowledge of the currents to be our compass.
Using my power, I compelled the water to push the timber with the girl still on top of it. I must have put more force into it than I intended, because she suddenly opened her eyes. Our gazes locked for a moment, then she passed out again.
Without so much as a backwards glance, I forged ahead. I wouldn’t allow myself to stop, not even to catch my breath.
Rest would only be earned once the currents had led us to safety.