Chapter 25

Islowed my descent, waiting for Kai to catch up with me. At this point, I was running away from my emotions instead of him. I felt vulnerable and foolish for confessing my feelings to him. I was sure I would take that secret with me to a very near watery grave, but my thoughts pounded so relentlessly in my brain that the words slipped out before I knew what I had done. A small part of me was relieved that I had told him how I felt, but the other part of me still felt like I was betraying who I was and who my father raised me to be.

Dark Water hovered nearby, waiting for me to get too far ahead of Kai. Down here, I was at his mercy. I couldn't get away from him even if I wanted to.

The creatures that attacked me earlier swam close to me, their claws and fins brushing against my skin as they circled close by. Something about their demeanor had changed. They no longer looked like they wanted to rip the flesh from my bones. Instead, they created a barrier around me as if protecting me. Just how powerful was Kai? I trembled. I couldn't deny that he was Poseidon's son, given the remarkable power I witnessed from him in such a short time.

My emotions pulled me in all directions until I was physically exhausted. How could he conceal from the world the fact that he was Poseidon's son and had the potential to stop the Dark Hydra all along? He was the true ruler of the Seven Seas. Why hadn't he claimed that role? People don't normally own up to what they are most ashamed of. His words from earlier rang in my ears, putting a slight notch of sympathy in my heart. I didn't know what he had been through, but I was sure his circumstances weren't enough to justify sitting by and doing nothing while countless sea dwellers lost their lives.

After what I witnessed with the leviathan, he would probably be elated if all the creatures of the sea perished. As I glided through the currents, a throbbing ache stirred within me, like the relentless pull of the tides against the shore. How could someone who was a part of the sea hate and massacre the creatures he was meant to rule?

Kai quickly caught up with me, bypassing me without a word. His determined expression sent shivers down my already cold skin, causing goosebumps to form. He had that same expression on his face the night he killed Flynt. I would never forget that look in his eyes. With a flick of my tail, I kept up with him as we dove deeper into the never-ending nothingness. I couldn't see Kai any longer. Something touched me. Was it Kai, one of the creatures, or something much worse? The mere thought had me imagining the worst and about to panic.

A gasp of surprise exploded from my lungs when something wrapped around my waist. It pulled me flush against a warm body. I relaxed the moment I realized I was in Kai's arms.

"Easy, sea demon." His wicked laughter echoed through the water as his lips brushed the shell of my ear. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," I hissed back.

His body stiffened at my words. "You need to relax."

My hand brushed up his amply muscled chest as I looped it around his neck, anchoring myself to him. "I would do much better if I could see what we were swimming toward."

"Let's see what kind of creatures are below," he whispered.

My blood ran cold. "What?

His power seeped through the water. I latched on tighter to him, fearful of what kind of creature he was about to call upon.

Light danced before my eyes, and I had to blink a few times to adjust to the oncoming glow. A scream lodged itself in my throat as several large, bony fish rose from the depths. My focus snared on the massive rows of razor-sharp teeth that protruded from their mouths. Their lower jaws stuck out further than the top, making them all the more terrifying, but nothing compared to the tiny glowing light that hung in front of their faces. It was a strange sort of beauty, glowing a vibrant blue. Something about it made me want to reach out and touch it, but I shoved that thought right back down where it belonged.

"Better?" Kai asked with a smug smirk, tilting his lips.

"No…not really," I answered honestly as I pressed in closer to him. My gaze hopelessly hung on the disturbing creatures that floated nearby.

Kai's arm tightened around my waist. The monstrous-looking fish was nothing compared to the man who held me in his arms. "That's funny," he said. "They seem to have had the desired effect I was hoping for."

I tilted my head up to meet his stare. "What effect?" My brow wrinkled with confusion.

"Getting you closer." His sensual baritone voice caressed my ears, creating a cascading effect that ran down the length of my body.

"Be serious. We're knocking on death's door. How can you possibly think of holding me at a time like this?" I tried to push out of his embrace, but that only made him tighten his hold.

Kai brushed his lips across my forehead. "I couldn't think of a better way to go."

My resolve cracked a little at his words, and I couldn't help but smile. He reached up, gripping my chin between his thumb and pointer finger. "Feel better now?"

A blush heated my cheeks when I realized he was only trying to keep me from having a panic attack, and his ploy worked like a charm.

My smile lingered as he released my chin. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet, not until we get through this in one piece," he said as we continued deeper into the abyss.

The strange fish with the lamp heads and the other creatures flanked our sides as we swam down. I was happy I could see what was in front of me, but the elation was short-lived as we reached the bottom of the trench.

I paused, letting my eyes sweep over the desolate wasteland. Nothing met my gaze but sand and scattered rocks below. Not a single creature stirred except those who had ventured down with us, and they appeared fearful. Dark Water seemed thicker down here, reminding me more of sludge than tainted water. I took a deep breath, struggling to inhale amidst the overwhelming filth and pollution.

I ventured a little further out, my reflexes on high alert. "Where is it?"

The muscles in Kai's back seemed to be wound so tight they might snap at any second.

"It's here. I can feel it," Kai cautioned.

I was beyond grateful that I couldn't feel it or see it.

A force of energy pulsated through the water, sending me flying through the current and landing in the slimy black sand.

"Please tell me that was you," I said as I brushed the muck from my scales.

Kai went deathly still. "It wasn't."

The thick Dark Water started to shift, swirling and converging in one spot before Kai. I watched in horror as Dark Water fused together, forming what appeared to be a mountain at the base of the trench. I had to drift back to glimpse the mound's top. It was unbelievably massive. An eerie silence fell over everything once all the Dark Water had gathered together. A shiver of fear coursed its way all the way down to my tailfin.

I was so still I wasn't even sure I was breathing. Kai's fists balled together, and he rolled his head around, loosening up his neck muscles. It was not a good sign, considering he was a murderous pirate always ready for anything.

My heart faltered in my chest, plummeting to the pit of my stomach as a serpentine head suddenly burst out from the mass of Dark Water. The being was entirely composed of Dark Water. Its skin oozed with an evil darkness, and black fangs jutted from its elongated jaw, dripping with the poisonous Dark Water. Its glowing, unholy red eyes scanned over me before fixating on Kai. Fossilized-looking spikes protruded from the seeping black sludge, running down the length of its body. It opened its mouth, releasing a screech that would burrow itself in my memory and haunt my dreams for the rest of my life, as fleeting as that may be.

Kai never wavered. His strength was the only thing holding me together at this point.

The Dark Hydra appeared perplexed that its prey wasn't frantically swimming for their lives. I was sure I had lost my sanity when what looked like a wicked smile crept across the monster's face.

Five more heads emerged from the ooze, each one more terrifying than the last. My mind grew foggy as my body teetered on the verge of shutting down completely. Dark Water continued to melt away until only the monster remained. Its slick, cylindrical snakelike body floated through the water with paralyzing agility, and the six demonic heads all snapped and hissed at Kai. Dark Water spewed from their mouths with each hiss.

I didn't know what I expected the Dark Hydra to look like, but I could not have conjured up a vision so horrible, even in my worst nightmares. It was pure wickedness and precisely what Kai had described. This wasn't just a monster—it was evil incarnate, forged by an even darker force.

Hot tears burned the back of my eyes as I glanced at Kai. Any of those dripping, sharp teeth-lined jaws could swallow us whole. A seed of doubt planted itself in my chest and blossomed into full fear. At the beginning of this seemingly impossible mission, our chances of victory appeared dim, but after witnessing this horror, I was sure our death was inevitable.