Chapter 26 Danica #2
I peer at the lifeless form on the ground, my heart sinking as I take in the familiar golden hair and lithe, muscular build.
Oh my god!
"Lucian!" I shout, my voice cracking with fear and rage. I drop to my knees beside him, my hands shaking as I search for any sign of life. But he's not breathing, his chest as still as a statue.
I whirl around to face the Siren asshole, my eyes blazing with a fury that could burn a forest. "What the hell did you do to him, you overgrown fish stick?" I snarl, my hands curling into fists at my sides.
But the Siren only smirks, his tail flicking lazily behind him like a cat toying with a mouse. "Thank you, Triton," Calypso purrs, her voice honeyed like the sweetest nectar. "Your services have been most appreciated, indeed."
Appreciated? Appreciated?!
She's acting like he just brought her a fucking fruit basket, not the lifeless body of my friend. I want to scream, to lash out, to tear this whole fucking palace apart with my bare hands.
But I can't. Because right now, the only thing that matters is Lucian. I turn back to him, "Lucian, you asshole," I whisper, my voice cracking like glass. "Don't you dare fucking die on me."
I start compressions, my hands shaking as I try to force life back into his lungs.
One, two, three, four, five. Breathe, you stubborn son of a bitch.
One, two, three, four, five. Come on, Lucian.
"Come on, you jerk," I mutter, my voice thick with unshed tears. "Don't die on me. Not like this. Not here."
But he remains still, his skin growing colder by the second. Tears blur my vision, hot and stinging as they roll down my cheeks. This can't be happening. This can't be real.
I feel a hand on my shoulder, cold and clammy like the touch of a corpse. I look up to see Calypso looming over me, her dark eyes glittering with a hunger that makes my skin crawl.
"Don't fret, my dear," her voice smooth like honey laced with poison. "He isn't dead. Not yet, anyway."
Just then, Lucian sputters and coughs, spewing out a veritable tsunami of seawater. I quickly roll him onto his side as he continues to hurl up what seems like the entire freakin ocean, rubbing his back in soothing circles and making shushing noises that probably do nothing at all to help.
"Oh, thank God," I mutter, relief washing over me like a tidal wave. I mean, I know it takes a lot to kill a vampire, but I'm still learning the ropes here. For all I know, these Sirens could have some secret vampire kryptonite up their scaly sleeves.
"Ughhh—" Lucian groans, his voice rough and raspy like he's been gargling with sandpaper. "What in the ever-loving fuck just happened?" He pushes himself up onto his hands and knees, retching up another gallon of seawater that splashes onto the floor in a truly disgusting display.
"Thanks for drowning me, you asshole." Lucian sputters and coughs.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out what went down. Lucian, being the noble fucking idiot that he is, must've dived in after me when I took my little unplanned swim. And like the poor, unsuspecting bastard he is, got snatched up by one of Calypso's goons, just like yours truly.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves and keep my breakfast from making a surprise reappearance. I push myself to my feet, my legs shaking.
My hands flame on as I meet Calypso's gaze, my eyes blazing with a defiance that borders on suicidal. "Alright, you overgrown tuna," I snarl. "What's your angle here? Why the hell did you drag us down here?"
Before I can blink, Calypso waves her hand, and a smoky cloud envelops my hands, snuffing out the flames like a candle in the wind. I stand there, stunned, my mouth hanging open.
"Not needed, little goddess."
My stomach plunges, my heart hammering like a jackhammer in my chest. Then I see it—a seashell necklace with a black stone embedded in it.
The Soul Stone. I knew it, I freakin' knew it!
Calypso's smile widens, her teeth glinting like pearls in the dim light. "Oh, my sweet little pawn, do you have no idea what storm you've stumbled into? But fret not. You'll learn soon enough."
She pauses momentarily, letting her words sink like a stone in my gut. "For now, let’s just say that you two will be my honored guests for a spell. And if you cooperate, do as I ask, and fetch what I need, you'll be on your merry way."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lucian says, holding his hands like he's trying to stop traffic.
"Let me get this straight. You yank us out of our regularly scheduled lives, drag us down to your little underwater Barbie Dream House, and then expect us to run errands for you like a couple of well-trained poodles?
Yeah, that's gonna be a hard pass from me. "
I shoot him a look, silently begging him to shut his damn mouth before he gets us both turned into fish food. But Lucian, being the lovable dumbass that he is, grins at me like he's having the time of his life.
"What?" he asks, with enough mock innocence to choke a nun.
"I'm just saying what we're all thinking.
I mean, come on. Look at this place. It's like a cross between Aquaman's secret lair and a Bond villain's wet dream.
I keep waiting for the sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads to show up. "
"Lucian," I warn, my voice low and deadly, like the calm before the shitstorm. "I swear to every god in every realm, if you don't shut your damn mouth, I will personally feed you to the nearest Kraken, piece by piece."
"Promises, promises," he smirks. "Keep talking dirty to me."
I roll my eyes. Calypso clears her throat, drawing our attention back. "If you two are quite finished," her voice like ice water down my spine. "Maybe we can get down to business, yes?"
"Just so you know, I can conjure a portal on a whim and leave this place anytime I want, so your whole 'keeping us here' bullshit? Yeah, that's not gonna fly, sister."
Calypso's eyes narrow into slits, her smile morphing into a predatory grin that makes the hairs on my neck stand up. "Oh, I wouldn’t be so certain about that, dear."
Smoky tendrils whip out from the shadows, wrapping around Lucian like a python coiling around its prey. He lets out a strangled cry as the tendrils slam him against the wall with a sickening thud, his body writhing in their grasp.
Lucian's face contorts in agony, his eyes bulging as he gasps for air, the tendrils tightening around his throat like a noose.
"You see, little goddess," Calypso purrs, her voice oozing with malice, "Lucian's soul is untethered—I could easily siphon his soul, along with that Silver Fox you hold so precious. "
How in the seven hells does she know about Erik? What, does she have some magical stalker globe or something?
My blood turns to ice in my veins, my heart seizing in my chest. The Soul-Tie thing.
Shit. I can't lose Lucian or Erik—not after everything we've been through, not after all the shit we've survived.
Lucian's eyes lock with mine, wide and desperate, as he struggles against the shadows, his fingers scrabbling uselessly at the tendrils around his neck.
I know those shadows too well, the icy cold touch of their despair, the whispers of hopelessness that seep into your very bones. They're the same shadows Azrael wielded, the same shadows that nearly broke me before.
"All it takes to end one of your precious vampires is a simple decapitation or ripping out their hearts, and then... their souls belong to me." Her words send an icy shiver, washing over me with a sickening sense of déjà vu.
My mind flashes back to that night in the alley behind Karma. Adrian's lifeless body, his heart torn from his chest, the light fading from his eyes. The scene plays out like a horror movie on repeat, a stark reminder of how I failed him. My guilt rises in my throat—burning bile.
And now, here I am, face to face with a bitch who seems hell-bent on proving she can do the same damn thing. The thought of her getting her slimy tentacles on Lucian, Erik, and anyone I care about... it's enough to make my blood boil, and my stomach churn.
"Dani..." Lucian chokes out, his face turning an alarming shade of red as he struggles for air.
I surrender my hands, my voice shaking. "Alright, alright," I say, words rushing out. "Just let him go. Please."
Calypso stares at me, her eyes boring into mine like she's trying to read my soul. Then, with a flick of her wrist, the shadows retreat, melting back into the darkness.
Lucian drops to the floor in a heap, gasping for air.
"Ahhh...you fucking psycho!" he croaks, his voice like he's been gargling with razor blades and whiskey.
"That's it. I want a goddamn refund for this underwater shit show.
I didn't sign up for the hentai tentacle version of Finding fucking Nemo! "
Calypso smiles, a cruel, twisted thing that makes my skin crawl. "Dani, is it? Consider that a warning. Cross me, and I won't hesitate to tear apart everything and everyone you hold dear."
She leans forward, her face inches from mine, her breath hot."You're in my world now, little girl. And in my world, there are no rules, no mercy. Only pain and suffering for those foolish enough to defy me."
I swallow hard, my throat dry as the desert. I know she's not bluffing—she has the power to make good on her threats. And the thought of losing Lucian, Erik, or anyone I care about... it's enough to make me want to vomit.
I take a deep breath, square my shoulders, and meet her gaze head-on, my eyes blazing with defiance.
"I get it," my voice steady despite the terror churning in my gut. "You're the big bad sea witch, and we're all just pawns in your little game. But let's get one thing straight. You may have the power to hurt the people I care about, but that doesn't mean I'm going to roll over and play dead."
I take a step forward. Chin lifted in a silent challenge.
"You want me to retrieve this thing for you?
Fine. I'll do it. But not because I'm afraid of you, and not because I give a fuck about your little power trip.
I'll do it because I care about my friends and because I'm not going to let you hurt them. "
Calypso's eyes flash with something that might be respect or pure bloodlust."Bold words, Dani, but we'll see how long that bravado holds when you confront the horrors waiting for you."
She turns and glides away, her black robe billowing behind her like a cloud of ink in the water. "Rest now, little girl," she calls over her shoulder, her voice echoing through the chamber. "You will need your strength for what's coming."
And with that, she's gone, leaving me alone with Lucian and the sinking feeling that I've just signed my death warrant.