Chapter 27 #2
I've always been a total sucker for dolphins—they're such incredible creatures. Intelligent, playful, and affectionate. In high school, I was convinced my career path would be Marine Biology. But that all changed when I discovered I was adopted, leading me to choose genetics instead.
"Oh, hello there," I coo at the glass as if they can hear me. One of the dolphins swims closer and flips its fin at me, almost like it's waving. A pure and joyful laugh bubbles out of me. "Oh my god, did you see that?"
Lucian, just as captivated, is smooshed up against the glass right next to me, laughing and grinning like a fool.
"Ahem!" We both jump at the sound of the siren clearing her throat. "If you two are quite finished molesting the glass, perhaps you could follow me now."
Well, excuse us for having a moment of joy in this underwater prison. Rude much?
We finally reach a set of enormous double doors, their surface intricately carved with scenes of underwater life. The siren pushes them open, revealing a grand bedroom that seems to have been designed with human comfort in mind.
The room is a stunning blend of dark elegance and aquatic beauty.
The walls are a deep, rich blue, reminiscent of the ocean's depths, adorned with intricate patterns that look like the currents themselves carved them.
The floor is a polished black stone that seems to shimmer like the scales of a fish, and the ceiling is a masterpiece of swirling blues and greens, like the sea's surface on a stormy day.
The room's centerpiece is a massive bed, a frame made of what looks like driftwood, twisted and gnarled into an intricate headboard. The bedding is a lush, deep green, like the color of seaweed, with delicate, shimmering shells that catch the light like tiny stars.
On the other side of the room, there's a vanity table carved from a single piece of black coral. The mirror above it is framed with twisted, dark metal.
But perhaps the most stunning feature is the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out into the depths of the sea.
"You will bathe and dress for dinner. You will be meeting with Her Majesty," the female siren commands. "I will return in one hour to escort you."
It's all so formal, so civilized. This is not what I expected when I imagined meeting the Sea Witch. I had visions of some ancient, decrepit hag with a temper shorter than a sea urchin's spine, living in a lair that reeked of rotting kelp. Not this.
Lucian lets out a low whistle, his eyes bugging out. "Hot damn, this is some next-level bougie shit. So, who's calling dibs on the bath first? Or should we be good little eco-warriors and conserve water by doubling up?" He waggles his eyebrows at me, grinning.
I roll my eyes. "In your dreams, buddy. Ladies first, of course. And by ladies, I mean me, myself, and I."
I sashay into the bathing area, and holy mother of luxury, it's like stepping into a spa designed by Poseidon himself.
The room is enormous, with a massive, onyx-colored clawfoot tub that looks carved out of a single, gigantic gemstone.
The surface is so smooth and polished that I can practically see my reflection.
One wall is lined with mirrors stretching from floor to ceiling, each framed by eerie bioluminescent flowers. But the real showstopper is the open ceiling, topped with a glass dome that offers a breathtaking view of the open sea above.
I take in the mesmerizing dance of the waves and the shimmering play of light filtering through the water. "Wow," I breathe, the word slipping out in a reverent whisper.
I step closer to the tub, running my hand along the smooth, cool surface. The onyx is so dark it's almost hypnotic, like staring into the depths of a bottomless abyss.
"Careful, Honey Pot," Lucian's voice cuts through my reverie, his tone dripping with glee. "If you lean in too far, you might fall in and drown. And then who would I have to annoy the shit out of?"
I flip the bird over my shoulder. "Har har, very funny. Now, if you'll excuse me, I will take a nice, long, Lucian-free bath. Try not to break anything while I'm gone."
"Aww, come on. You don't need me to scrub those hard-to-reach places?" Lucian smirks, his eyebrows doing a suggestive little dance. "I'm a pro at washing hair, too. These magic fingers of mine have mad massage skills."
"Tempting, but I think I can manage to lather, rinse, and repeat all by myself, thanks." I give him a gentle shove towards the door, "Now, be a good little vampire and go entertain yourself while I enjoy some much-needed alone time with my new best friend, Mr. Bubble."
Lucian pouts exaggeratedly. "Fine, fine. I see how it is. Abandoning me in my hour of need. I'll just be out here, all alone, with nothing but my thoughts and the faint sound of splashing to keep me company."
With that, I give him one final nudge out the door and close it with a satisfying click.
First order of business—getting this stupid collar off. I'm nobody's pet, and I'll be damned if I let some sea witch treat me like a dog on a leash.
I reach up, my fingers closing around the smooth surface of the shell. I can feel my power stirring within me, a heat that starts in my belly and spreads outward, permeating my entire being with a warm, tingling sensation.
I focus on that feeling and the light that sits beneath my skin, waiting to be unleashed. My hands begin to glow, a soft, pulsing light that grows brighter with each passing second.
I can feel the heat building in my hands, a searing, almost painful sensation that makes me grit my teeth and clench my jaw.
But I don't let up, don't back down. I pour every ounce of my strength and determination into the task at hand, willing the collar to break, to shatter, to fucking disintegrate into dust.
And then, with a snap that seems to echo through the room, the collar falls away, clattering to the floor at my feet. With a sense of grim satisfaction, I watch it crumble and dissolve, turning to ash and blowing away on some unseen breeze.
I take a deep breath, feeling like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
I undress, peeling off my salt-encrusted clothes and letting them fall to the floor in a heap.
The air is cool against my bare skin, raising goosebumps along my arms and legs.
But as I sink into the steaming water, feeling it envelop me like a warm, soothing embrace, all the tension, fear, and exhaustion of the fucking day I've had starts to ease out.
For a moment, I forget our danger and the impossible task ahead. I let myself breathe and exist in this perfect, peaceful instant.
But, like all good things, it doesn't last. Reality comes crashing back in Lucian's voice, muffled by the closed door but still annoyingly audible.
"Hey, Dani…? You have people out here that say they need to help wash you? I swear to god, if you allow them in and not me, I'm gonna be very, very—"
I sink lower into the water, submerging myself completely to cut off his babbling.
It's going to be a long night.