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As we descended, the rain continued to pour. The jungle’s green canopy provided some shelter from the relentless downpour, but not much. The world around us seemed to blur, my senses dulled by the overwhelming sense of urgency and fear. My feet were tingling now, and I could barely move my toes. When I told Kaga this, he shook his head. We’re moving too slow.
He reached out his hands, forming bubbles of water around his feet. Now, instead of stepping, he slid. His bubble shoes moved against the water already on the ground, speedily moving us to the beach.
Little by little, the greenery lessened and gave way to the sandy shores. Kaga continued to skate forward, heading straight for the ocean. For the first time in my life, I was grateful for a water mage.
My breath hitched. Up to my knees were numb now. Squiggles climbed out of his jar and up onto my neck, gently stroking my hair.
Kaga skated across the sand. The beach wasn’t too long, thankfully. My thighs were tingling. Faster and faster he moved until finally we were in the ocean.
Not stopping, Kaga moved farther in, battling the wild waves, until he was waist-deep. I let go of his neck, and his strong arms brought me around.
“Kaga, I can’t feel my legs.”
We both looked down and my human legs floated listlessly, not a sign of the magic surrounding them.
Chapter 30
Maybe you need to be fully in?
I nodded, not daring to speak. Kaga kept his arms around me and descended farther down into the sea. I slipped the seashell necklace around his neck, and his legs instantly transformed into a merman’s tail. “Well, at least that works.”
He beamed at me, but worry still remained in his eyes. He swam farther into the ocean, then kicked his tail, submerging us both deep into the cool water.
I grabbed his shoulders, gasping for air. My gills hadn’t appeared either. Kaga’s eyes were frantic, unsure what to do. Then he leaned forward and kissed me, kicking toward the surface.
I took in his air, holding it, when finally, my legs started to transform. We broke the surface, and I sucked in a breath. My legs finished disappearing, and my gills slowly appeared above my ribs.
“That’s the longest it’s ever taken,” I said.
Kaga’s eyes reflected the worry in me. What do you need to do?
“Let’s go to the castle,” I said. I hoped to the bottom of my heart nothing had happened.
He reached his hand out and took mine, and we descended into the depths of the sea. The deeper we went, the calmer the waters were, and it didn’t take too much effort to swim through them. Though I had my tail back, not all of my feeling had returned in it. It still felt like pins and needles across my fins.
I kicked, propelling downward, and saw the city coming into view. Kaga bunched up his tail, about to speed forward, but I put a hand on his chest. “Wait,” I said. “Something isn’t right.”
He tilted his head at me and I bit my bottom lip, studying the city. It took me a moment, but I finally realized what was wrong. The entire city was dark, as if it were the middle of the night. Even then, though, there would be at least two or three globes gently lighting the city.
We swam closer, approaching the city warily, neither of us letting down our guard. Kaga kept one hand ready, and I picked up a rock from the ground.
We approached the gate, and not a single guard floated around the wall.
The city seemed deserted, its bustling streets now eerily quiet.
I exchanged a worried glance with Kaga, his emerald eyes reflecting the same concern. “This is strange,” I whispered, the sound barely audible underwater. As we swam inside to the city, we scanned the surroundings for any signs of life. But there was only stillness, interrupted only by the gentle sway of seaweed and the occasional glimmer of a curious fish darting past.
The normally vibrant colors of the coral and shells seemed muted and lifeless, shrouded in an unnatural darkness.
As we moved further into the city, we found signs of a struggle. Buildings stood in disarray, their once brilliant designs marred and broken. Scattered pottery lay on the ground, broken. Artisan wares covered the ground or table, as if thrown off in a rush.
The lack of activity was haunting, and my mind filled with thoughts of what could have happened to my merfolk subjects.
“We have to find my parents,” I said, my voice trembling.
Kaga nodded in agreement, his determination unwavering.
We went into the castle, and I gasped. The walls had deep scratches on the stone, while the floor looked as if a giant monster had dragged its nails on the way to the throne room.
