Page 54 of Of Song and Darkness

“Kai, don’t you dare give up! You’re stronger than this beast…” Rhea begged. She glared at me, and then her composure broke. “Please, don’t leave me.”

My crippled heart surged at her words, which barely had enough energy to pump blood through my veins. Rhea didn’t need me. She would be fine without me. I knew the creatures would carry her to the surface and guarantee her safe return to the Wraith. My selfishness was the only reason I had not ordered them to do so yet. When I died, I wanted her face to be the last thing I saw.

Please don’t leave me. Her words sent a jolt of power to all my extremities. Could I ignore such hate that had built inside me like a festering wound my entire life? For her, I believed I could. What would happen if I finally confessed who I was and who my father was? What if I permitted his power, which I had long denied and suppressed, to rise to the surface and consume me completely?

I delved deep, and then I sensed it. Not the minor tricks and water displays I had hurled at the Dark Hydra. Not the faint voice within me that beckoned the sea creatures. No, this power was a tempest, a force so potent that it sent shivers down my spine, instilling fear in me. It was all the forces of the Seven Seas coming together as one, all the might that flooded the oceans, and all the frightening beauty of the forces of nature. If I unleashed it, I may never be myself again or get it back under control. I forced my head up, staring deep into Rhea’s eyes. Then a satisfying malice curled within me as I released the dam that held back my power.

My tears flowed freely, blending seamlessly with the salty sea. Desperation clawed its way up my throat, threatening to suffocate me. I would never forgive Kai for restraining me and forcing me to watch him die. I thrashed again, but the trench creatures that held me back dug their claws deeper into my skin as I fought against their hold. I didn’t care if I perished. I had to do something.

As Kai’s head fell backward, a pang shot through my heart, turning my blood into ice water. “Kai, don’t you dare give up! You’re stronger than this beast…” I swallowed the sob that cracked my voice with emotion. “Please, don’t leave me.”

I startled myself as the words left me. What would I do without this cocky pirate who made my blood boil? When had the lines between love and hate started to blur? All I knew was that they had, and now I found myself residing in a murky gray area.

A glimmer of hope surged through me as Kai raised his head. His gaze appeared dazed and bewildered, as if he were teetering on the brink of death. Something hardened in his features as his eyes bored into mine.

Power erupted from him like water bursting forth from a dam. The sheer might of him roared through the water, knocking me and the creatures back a few feet. All the Dark Water in the surrounding area dissipated like it was never there, leaving behind fresh, clear water. All that remained was the Dark Hydra itself.

Kai’s body radiated from within, his skin gleaming like the sun’s rays striking sea glass. My mouth hung open in sheer amazement. His blue eyes appeared electrified, as if lightning itself resided within them. They were both terrifying and hauntingly beautiful, filled with an intense and mesmerizing energy.

The Dark Hydra recoiled, releasing Kai. His power surged through the water, so potent I could almost reach out and touch it. My blood resonated with his energy, drawing me closer to him.

Lightning cracked, and the sea charged with energy as beams shot through the water toward the Dark Hydra. The monster screamed as lightning penetrated its body, leaving holes the size of cannonballs through it.

In that moment, Kai was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. A halo of power surrounded him, blending his untamed masculinity with all the might of the oceans. His silhouette against the backdrop of the charged water was a mesmerizing dance of power and grace.

Kai extended a palm toward the Dark Hydra, as he had done earlier, but this time, his power gouged a trench through the creature, large enough for a blue whale to pass through.

The battle between Kai and this monstrosity continued to unfold deep beneath the churning waves. The wounded creature writhed in pain, its once intimidating form diminished by the relentless attack of Kai's mighty powers.

Seizing the opportunity, Kai pressed forward, his movements fluid and precise. He navigated the waters with a grace that defied the messy nature of the battle. Each gesture of his hands commanded the elements, directing currents and summoning power that lashed out at the weakened Hydra.

The sea itself seemed to respond to Kai's dominance, becoming an extension of his will. As he circled the wounded creature, his power hummed with the pulse of the ocean. Blow after blow, Kai's power surged through the water, leaving glowing trails in its wake. The wounded beast was now a mere shadow of its former self.

The Dark Hydra, now on the brink of death, retaliated with feeble efforts to regain control. Yet Kai's assault was relentless, unyielding. The Dark Hydra’s menacing red eyes widened, betraying its horror. It attempted to escape, but Kai spun in the water, creating a massive whirlpool that enveloped the creature. The vortex tightened, pulling the Hydra into its depths. The monster thrashed and roared in a vain attempt to escape, but Kai's control over the waters was horrifyingly beautiful. The Hydra disintegrated piece by piece until all that was left were murky patches of Dark Water.

A powerful earthquake rocked the ocean floor, and I surged up. My pulse drummed in my ears, overwhelming the deafening roar as the ground fractured in two. Kai swiftly directed his whirlpool toward the chasm. The whirlpool, along with all the remnants of Dark Water and the beast, were drawn into the abyss.

“Back to hell where you belong,” Kai ordered, bringing his palms together until they touched. The chasm sealed, sending a blast of sand through the water as it closed.

I gasped as the grains of sand flew in my direction. Kai moved faster than time, slamming his body to mine, using his physique to shield my body from the debris that hurtled through the water. I squeezed my eyes shut as grit peppered my skin, clinging to Kai as if he were my lifeline. I buried my head against his torso.

“Rhea?” Kai’s gruff voice vibrated in his chest, even huskier and more ethereal than I remembered. He reached up, his palm gently grazing my cheek as he pried my face from his torso.

I blinked up at him, astonished by the potency still crashing off of him like waves.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

I stared up at him, my mind seemingly unable to grasp the words he spoke. He combed his fingers through my hair.

“Rhea? Are you hurt?” he repeated, his grip and the intensity in his glare turning more urgent.

“No,” I whispered. I stared at the jagged teeth marks left by the Dark Hydra and the darkness that stained the veins running from his wounds. My heart clenched in my chest as a wave of nausea washed over me, my stomach churning at the sight of him in pain. Despite my inner turmoil, I forced myself to remain calm as my fingertips lightly brushed his skin near the injury, tracing the contours of the damage with a delicate touch. “But you are.”

“It will heal,” he assured me, pulling my hand away from the lesion like he didn’t want me anywhere near it.

My gaze drifted over the open space of the Mariana Trench, the pristine water so at odds with the dark evil that was here before. I wrapped my arms around his neck and anchored him to me. “Kai! You did it!” Elation flooded my body.

Kai’s debonair smirk heated my blood to uncontrollable levels. “We did it.”

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