Page 81 of Call of the Fathoms

It was a temptation even the greatest of them could not deny. Someone asking a depthstrider to look into the future gave them so much more ability to see even further. There was always a fight when the person was unwilling. The future seeker had to wade through all the things the person was afraid they would see, or perhaps even just walls they hadn’t realized they’d put up.It was a struggle to see the future of a person who did not wish them to see it.

But this? This was offering up an entire future on a platter and begging Mitera to peer into it.

Their leader looked at Alexia again, this time with a clear and direct threat. Fortis tensed, not sure what Mitera would ask.

Their mother replied, “I will look into your future, willingly and gladly. But I request you allow me to show everyone here that future. If you are so confident that you will not take part in the destruction of our people and our sea, then I would have everyone confirm this confidence.”

Fortis couldn’t let this happen. “Mitera?—”

“Fortis, keep your mouth shut. This is her choice.”

Alexia was all too quick to reply. “Let them all see.”

But that was dangerous. She shouldn’t just let anyone peer into her future when he knew what her future was.

Death only waited there. So much death, and Mitera would see it too quickly.

But Alexia had already wriggled her way out of his arms. She approached Mitera and the two of them collided with a rough embrace. He didn’t have time to stop it, because Mitera’s colors swirled in a rainbow of patterns, and then all he could see was Alexia’s future. He saw himself returning her to Tau. He saw the plan they would make, all the details and hidden secrets she would reveal.

It was good. Though he couldn’t see the details, he knew without a doubt that it would work. He saw the hope that blossomed amongst his people. The feeling that they could do this. For once, they were going to destroy the people who had threatened them. They were going to win.

And then he saw white walls, just like his wife had seen. White walls, bright lights, and dark hair sliding over his features. He wasn’t sure what the others saw. Perhaps they saw the futurefrom the perspective of someone else in the room. But for him, all he could see was what he was going to see.

The calm. The peaceful relaxation of death. And the knowledge that he was finally returning home.

Although this time, he also sensed that there was some hesitation in him at leaving. He wasn’t ready to go. All the other times he had seen this future, he was always ready to seek out his wife in the afterlife. But this time, he wasn’t. There were reasons for him to stay and he was sad to go. He didn’t want it to happen so soon.

Each depthstrider rumbled with anger. He could hear their frustration and rage at what was revealed. They didn’t look past that moment, though. They didn’t seek out what happened after his death and he wanted to scream at them because they needed to look past that. They needed to look into the future further, because maybe she killed him for a good reason.

Instead, they stopped there. Mitera pulled back from Alexia with a pleased expression on her face. Even she knew this meant the depthstriders would remain in their safe darkness while the rest of the sea boiled.

“You will kill him. A dear friend of our people, a male who has proven himself worthy time and time again,” Mitera said. “Why would we ever help you do that?”

Thirty-Three

Alexia

She... What?

Who was she going to kill?

Alexia looked around, confusion making it hard to think about what the creature in front of her had said. She was going to kill someone? Well, that wasn’t new. She’d killed a lot of people in her life, and very few of them deserved it. But she knew that this was important. They weren’t going to work with her because of who she killed and that... didn’t feel right.

She looked around and realized they were all staring at Fortis. There was pity in their eyes, as though they knew something about his future made her pause. And then she realized they were talking about him.

They thought she was going to kill Fortis.

She shook her head. “I’m not going to kill him.”

“Youaregoing to kill him. The future is set in stone. There is no way for you to change what is coming.”

“There’s always a way to change what is coming. I am not the person I was when I first met him, and I have no interestin killing this man.” She actually laughed because it was so ridiculous to even think. “I would sooner cut off my own arm than kill him. He has shown me so much in this world, freed me from the chains of my own people, and given me the chance for revenge. Why would I ever want to hurt him?”

“It is a question you need to ask yourself. Because you are going to, my dear. That much I know without question. And I have no interest in helping you if that is how it is going to end.” Mitera turned away from them. “You have asked for our help, and I tell you now, we will not give it.”

Alexia couldn’t believe this was how it was going to end. They’d come all the way down here, and all it took was a single look into a future and then this person was certain that Alexia was the enemy?

It couldn’t end like this. Not when she had tried so hard to get to this point, and she’d given up everything that she was. Everything that she had become.

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