Forever Breathing (Just Breathe #3) (20 page)

I push my ear up to the door.
Oh, what am I doing?
Their voices are still muffled but I can hear her pleading with Alex.

Yep, definitely Celia, “I want to tell them. It will be so much easier.”

Then Alex’s voice, “I told you, when Ever is far from here and safe, then and only then can we tell them.”

Her voice turns angry, “I don’t understand why you are protecting her. I’m your promised, not her.”

His voice slows as if trying to explain, “Celia, I am responsible for her. If you haven’t forgotten, it was your sister who tried to kill her twice.”

My heart stops and I back away from the door.
Her sister? Alex responsible? Maybe they aren’t talking about me
. My heart speeds up.
What does all this mean? Sara is Celia’s sister?
Oh wow, I feel a tingle form at the end of my tail reminding me of the dream I just had. This can’t be happening.
If Sara is Celia’s sister and…I can’t even imagine where this goes.
There must be so much I still don’t know. I manage to swim back to my room before the darkness comes. I welcome it because I need a break from thinking, there’s just too much…

***

I wake dreamless and exhausted from my minor fainting spell. It was very welcome though. Now I’m not sure I want to go back to Jack just yet. If I leave, I will probably never find out the truth about what Alex and Celia were talking about. Jack was forbidden from returning to the city when he city whefailed to help Sara choose land instead of the sea. But if Sara is Roman’s daughter, then she was already a member of the sea.
Crap! There must be a lot I don’t know.
Alex has been trying to protect me but I must know. This is part of my relationship with Jack. I wonder if Jack knows. There is no way he knows. I am beginning to questions things again.
Have they all been lying to me?

I have to find out and I think I know exactly who will tell me the truth.

I glance at the door, wondering if I should tell Alex where I’m off to, but decide against it. He hasn’t been completely truthful.

I close my eyes and focus on the castle. The water shifts around me. I open my eyes and find myself looking at the immense structure. A mer-man is swimming toward me.

He approaches and asks, “What is your business here?”

I hold my head high and answer with the only thing that I know will get me in, “I came to speak to Roman.”

“Follow me.”

I follow him in through the spooky doors and down a long hall. I’ve never been in this part of the castle. He leads me into a small room with no windows and bare, white walls. “Roman will be with you in a moment.”

I nod as he closes the door behind him. I check the handle, locked, just as I thought.  This solidifies my theory even more. It occurred to me this morning when I heard about Sara. She is not the smartest person, there had to be someone behind all of this. Add to that, the fact that Roman and Jaspen are brothers. I am thinking my theory is correct, I just need Roman to validate it and I want to know where Jack falls in all of this.

The door finally swings open after I’ve been waiting a while. Roman swims in wearing a white vest adorned with round, gold coins. Or they look like coins, anyway.

He smiles an evil looking grimace and reaches his arms out to embrace me.

I back up and shake my head, “No Roman, I’m not playing games anymore.”

He looks thoughtful and rubs his bare chin as if thinking about my words.

“I was wondering how long you would keep up this charade. Alex is promised, and not to you.”

My heart wavers at his words. I knew he would be intimidating like this but it is still daunting.

“My Celia, she could never keep something like that from me. She is anything but deceptive. And Alex, I will say, it doesn’t necessarily please me that he is the one. But we can always sway him.”

I just want to punch him for talking about Alex in this way but I reel my emotions in and clench my fists at my sides.

“You, on the other hand, Ever, you were a loose cannon. I really didn’t know which way you would go. I was relieved when I heard you chose the Lior and then you changed your mind. Such a shame; we could have used someone like you around here.”

My heart speeds up at the realization that I probably won’t be leaving this place anytime soon.

I ask the only thing that really matters to me, “What about Jack, what was he in all of this?”

He laughs, “Of course that
would
be your concern. Jack was inconsequential in all of this. A pawn if you will. He happened to be the guardian assigned to Sara. I couldn’t have planned it better though.”

I frown not understanding what he is talking about.

“You weren’t my concern, believe it or not. I was more concerned with Jaspen. Seamus knew the Erebus were getting stronger but he refused our help. Now if we would have just stepped in, we wouldn’t be where we are now.”

“The only way to get Sara into your Erebus caves was to put her back on land. She played the human so well and was shunned to the Erebus just as I planned. What I didn’t plan on was the feelings she would develop for Jack. The fact that he was kicked out of the city and went to the Erebus didn’t help either.”

My beating heart slows down. Jack’s story was true. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He continues, “When he found you and your brother, and you came to the sea, that was an added bonus. Not only could we end Jaspen but all of his offspring as well.”

“But why would you want to hurt your own brother?”

He laughs, “Jaspen was at my feet our whole lives. When our father died, I took his place as the next in line. Jaspen thought it would be him. I can’t understand why he thought that but he left, finally gone from my shadow.”

“Then I found out what he did. He developed a rebellion. And at that, a rebellion outside the city that was one of the most powerful. He never could take orders.”

I ask, “You mean this is more about Jaspen not getting the throne here than fighting for the rights of every mer-person?”

He looks annoyed and stares intently at me, “You have no rights here.”

I am taken aback. Jaspen never scared me as much as his brother does.

He turns to the door and opens it. He halts in the water and calls over his shoulder, “It was nice to meet you Ever, it’s a shame it all has to end the way it does.”

He leaves and two mermen swim in each grabbing one of my arms, before I realize what is happening. They lead me down hallway after hallway until the bottom of the hall turns to sand and the walls are rock reminding me of the caves I’ve been in so many times before. We stop before a room barely lit in the dark of the sea and cave. I can only see the shadows of things. They swim in through a barred door, dragging me behind them. It reminds me of a jail or dungeon in those fairy tale stories. Each of them locks a cuff around my arms attached to a chain and as I look closer, the wall. I wonder what in the world I just got myself into.

Before leaving and locking the door, one of the Lior guards tells me, “Don’t worry. It’ll be quick, it always is.” With that he turns and the bars slam closed, echoing through the water. I already know but I try anyway. I close my eyes and focus on Alex’s dwelling. Nothing happens. Somehow I am unable to ‘travel’.
Great
. Alex probably thx probabinks I went back home. Not one soul knows I’m here. Now is the time to panic. Curiously, I am calm. Maybe this is it for me.

Chapter 32

James

All through the next day the air in the caves is thick as they say. You can just feel the energy and apprehension. Everyone is doing their jobs, gathering supplies and weapons. But I can tell no one knows what to expect. And with their most recent encounter with Roman, who could blame them?

Alody has been through the caves at least five times checking on people and making sure they have everything they need. I have been taking inventory of the amount and kind of weapons they have. It’s the bare minimum which scares me. I was told there is a room in the outer caves full of weapons but I’m not holding out hope. Most likely Roman’s fighters took them. Either way though, I’ve planned to go and check.

I pass by an open door and stop dead in my tracks at my glance. A woman is lying on the dirt floor clutching a baby. Alody is kneeling down in front of them whispering words of encouragement. She is definitely a born leader. I just watch and my heart soars full of pride knowing that I get to be with her forever. I only hope I can live up to her expectations. She turns toward me feeling my presence and a smile touches those beautiful pink lips, I can’t get enough of. I glance over at the woman who seems calmer and she nods at me. Yes, this is most definitely where I belong.

***

Late in the day I have gathered a group of five men led by Blake, kind of Derek’s second in command. He will lead us into the outer caves for the weapons. I’m fitting the silver armor given to me in a side room when Alody walks in.

“There you are, I was looking for you.”

I smirk, “Is that so. And why were you looking for me?”

She shifts her body and moves closer finally placing her hands on the front of the armor, “I wanted to give you this.”

She leans up and lightly kisses me. I wrap my arms around her back bringing her closer and deepening our kiss.

When we break apart I tell her, “I’m glad I didn’t leave without that.”

She frowns and looks upset suddenly, “James, I’m not so sure about this. I think we have enough weapons to take with us.”

I shake my head, “Alody, we have to go and see if there are any left. Remember Jaspen’s city just went through a battle. They are limited too. If we can take anything extra, it will help.”

She looks away and backs up, “I know, I just feel like we are pushing our luck.”

Her eyes meet mine, “I just found you. I don’t want to lose you.”

I gather her in my arms again and devour those pouty lips again. Hopefully this will convince her that I’m not going anywhere. Not without a fight anyway.

***

The six of us make our way out of the caves and into the water. It still gets me every time going from air to water. I’m much more comfortable transforming from fin to legs. Legs to fin is still a bit uncomfortable, but I manage. We swim out to the outer rooms all covered in wood. It’s eerily quiet to me. I admit, under the sea, everything is quieter than on land, but this is creepy quiet. Yes, I have definitely watched too many horror flicks.

As we round the corner following Blake, he falls back into me with a Yelp. I glance down and see an arrow sticking out of his chest.
Crap!

I yell to the others, “Get back, take cover!”

The rest of us disperse into corners and rooms. I manage to pull Blake back into the closest room. I pull the arrow out with a swift movement and jab my hand with it. I squeeze my blood into the wound the best I can. I now understand why this works better in air. I place him against the wall and tell him, “Hey, I’ll be right back.”

He grabs my arm before I’m out of reach and says, “Go give them hell James.”

I nod and head out the door. That is exactly what I intend on doing. This is an unfair fight. Alody’s people have been through enough.