In Deeper Waters F.T. Lukens (acx book reading txt) 📖

life for the merman’s life?” she asked Poppy.

“Yes! Just take me with you!”

“The bargain is struck,” she said in a biting, begrudging voice.

A tendril of water grabbed Tal’s wrist, while another held half of an oyster shell beneath his elbow. She twisted his arm, and blood ran into the cup of the shell, staining the sheen crimson. Morwen peered at it.

“More.”

The tendril squeezed right above the wound, and more blood welled to the surface. Tal went dizzy and swayed on his knees.

“Enough,” she said when the shell was nearly full, and the tendrils released him.

Tal fell against Garrett.

“Tally?”

“I’m fine.” He blinked away the dark spots in his vision. “Where’s Athlen?”

Morwen turned away from them and grabbed Athlen from where he lay on the surf. He flopped like a rag doll in her grip, and Tal’s belly flipped and his throat tightened. She passed her hand over Athlen, said words in a language Tal would never know.

Athlen’s tail twitched.

His back arched as a tendril of water probed the wound and yanked out the arrowhead. The water glowed and shifted. Tal squinted, unable to make out what was happening, but after a minute she dropped Athlen into the water with a plop.

“He is yours,” she said. She leveled her gaze at Poppy. “And you are mine.”

“Yes. Yes. I am yours.” Poppy stood and walked into the wall of water in front of them. It opened for her, then wrapped around her body, encasing her entirely in a blue glowing cocoon of Morwen’s magic. After a moment the water released her, and Poppy emerged, a spirit of the sea, composed of salt, surf, and foam. She held up her hand and flexed her fingers, giggling at her new form. “I’m of the sea,” she said, her voice the sound of a splash. She smiled wide, then turned, dove into the water, and disappeared.

Morwen stared at the pair of them left on their knees in the sand, Tal’s arm covered in blood, Garrett clinging on to him.

“If you call again, I will not come.”

“I understand.”

“Good-bye, Tal, beloved of water and fire.”

Tal bowed. “Good-bye, Morwen, queen of the sea.”

She smirked and sank into the waves.

The wall of water that she held at bay broke at once, and the sea that had receded rushed back in.

Tal sucked in a large breath and allowed it to wash over him.

19

Tal woke on the beach.

He coughed, turned on his side, and vomited seawater onto the sand.

Someone pounded on his back, encouraging him to cough as his lungs squeezed and his chest heaved. He clenched his hands in the sand. His back arched, and he threw up again, before collapsing onto the wet earth.

“That’s it, Tally. Cough it out.”

“There he is. He’s coming around.”

“Tally?”

“Isa?” Tal blinked the salt and foam from his eyes and craned his neck to find his sister kneeling in the sand next to his head, and his brothers on either side of him. Isa ran her fingers through his hair and brushed the limp strands off his forehead.

“Yes,” she said, voice tender.

“You’ll ruin your dress.”

She smiled, soft and sweet. “There are worse things.”

Tal rolled to his stomach and pushed up to his knees. His clothes were sodden and his feet swam in his boots and his head ached from crying.

“Whoa.” Kest grabbed Tal to keep him from toppling. “Give yourself a moment. You’re bound to be light-headed.”

Kest was not wrong. The corners of Tal’s vision blackened, and his arm hurt.

“What happened?”

“You made a deal with a sea witch, then nearly drowned,” Garrett said, his voice holding a tinge of awe.

Tal’s world snapped back into focus, and he lifted his head to scan the beach. “Athlen?”

“Right over there.”

Tal pushed all the way to sitting. His head spun, and Isa steadied him. “He’s fine. Look there.”

Down the beach a few feet, Athlen lay in the sand, Corrie next to him. He was on his stomach, propped up on his elbows as his tail splashed in the surf and his scales sparkled. A crowd of onlookers stood nearby, and Corrie glared at them when they ventured too close.

“He’s handsome,” Isa teased. “I see why you almost died for him.”

“Are you going to swoon into his arms?” Garrett asked, nudging Tal’s shoulder, grinning madly. “As soon as you can stand and run to him.”

Kest snorted behind his hand. “You will run, right? It will be an epic ending to your love story.”

Isa threw her hand over her eyes and collapsed into Garrett’s arms. “It’ll be like a scene from my favorite novel. Except you’re both soaking wet and covered in blood.”

Tal covered his face with both hands. “Oh no. You’re going to tease me forever, aren’t you?”

“Oh yes, Tally,” Garrett said playfully. “Or should I call you beloved?”

Tal pinched Garrett hard in the side, and he let out an exaggerated “Ow!” as he squirmed away. The noise had Athlen turning his head. He spotted Tal and smiled, wide and bright, as beautiful as the sunset on the water.

“Are you going to kiss him?” Isa asked.

“I just puked seawater.”

“I don’t think he’ll mind.”

Tal stood with their help. He took a few wobbling steps, but they became more balanced as he went, and his siblings stepped away, calling Corrie to them. She stood, her dress soaked, water wicking up the hem to her hips. She gave Tal a smirk as she passed him.

“Athlen?” Tal asked, falling to his knees next to Athlen’s hips. “Are you… can you… do you have legs?”

Athlen’s smile turned fond. “Yes. When I woke, I was in the ocean with legs, but I turned to this form,” he said, sweeping his hand down his body, “to swim to shore. Are you all right? Your brothers and sister pulled you from the waves, and I didn’t want to intrude.” He twisted his fingers together. Tal rested his hand over Athlen’s.

He was alive. Athlen was alive. He was perfect. “Yes. I ache all over. And I drank too much seawater. And I’d like a nap.