Page 74 of Sworn to Revenge
I chuckle now and rise from my seat, quickly approaching Alin. “Forget sleep, Alin—we’re going for a swim. Now.”
“Pedro!” Luca threat is clear from behind me, but I ignore him. Alin looks at me, puzzled.
“Bay needs us.”
Bay
The world above fades quickly as I swim further, swallowed by the ocean’s depths. Each flick of my tail propels me forward, fighting against the currents that try to drag me back. Mariana’s body hangs heavy in my grasp—even in the water, she’s a weight I can’t ignore. Her skin is cold, her limbs limp, but I hold on.
The water darkens as I push forward, growing cooler, almost like it has a pulse—a steady beat that vibrates through my skin with every muscle I use to keep us moving. The sun’s light only reaches so far down here. Soon, the blues and greens all blend into one dark, endless expanse, and it’s just me, the ocean, and the Guardian’s call growing louder in my head.That bastard—
I will stop you here.
The burn in my arm flares back with his growl,the purple glow of my affiliation mark mingling with the soft green natural glow of my body. I grip Mariana tighter as the sting makes my hold slip, my fingers adjustingconstantly to keep her from drifting into a stray current or snagging on the thick seaweed below. The ocean pulls at her, at both of us, testing my resolve. But I won’t let go.
Every sensation feels sharper now, more alive, as I push toward the Coral of Life. The cold stings against my skin; the currents rush like whispers past my ears. I can sense the life around me: the darting movements of distant fish, the faint ripples of hidden predators, and the muted vibrations of creatures far below. It’s as though the ocean itself is holding its breath, waiting for me to reach my destination.
Another growl vibrates in my head—it’s gotta be the Guardian, telling me to stop complaining. How the hell does he know? I really need to figure out how to control this two-way communication. It’s like my thoughts leak to him without me knowing—he can’t read my actual thought, does he?
“Shut up,” I mutter, knowing it won’t make a difference. The ocean doesn’t care about my feelings. Neither does he. At least I think so.
Ahead, the water starts to glow with an eerie blue and purple light. I recognize it instantly—the shining stone trail. It winds down into a trench, leading straight to the Coral of Life. Each stone pulses with a soft glow, like it’s alive, guiding my way. I clutch my gills tightly, steadying myself. This is it. Mariana’s body trails just behind me, and I pull her closer. “We’re almost there,” I whisper, even though I know she is far gone to her own dreamland.
The water hums around me, a soft thrumming that matches the pulse in my veins. And there, down in the darkness of the trench, mixing with my green glow, I can feel it—the Coral of Life, waiting for me.
Is the Guardian really going to show himself this time? I just need tofeed the Coral of Life and get back to my city. I’ll ask Aunt Lora about the Black Blooded—I think that’s our solution. Why is the Guardian helping me all of a sudden?
I’m always stunned by the size of the Coral of Life—so enormous yet so fragile. Its strong purple glow spreads a calming beauty across the water, but one look at the ocean floor—littered with skeletons, bones, and dead sea plants—quickly reminds me of its true nature, the most terrifying being in all the oceans.
No fish dare swim here; only huntresses and their human prey are allowed—unless the Guardian calls you directly, apparently.
Because I’m not a huntress anymore!
I test my theory about hearing thoughts, but there’s no response from him this time. So it really is me sending him my thoughts somehow. I have to ask him how that works.
No other huntresses are here; it seems they’ve already fed their prey and disappeared. Can’t blame them—one wrong touch of the Coral of Life, and you meet your end.
I swim closer, careful and deliberate, until I’m close enough to present Mariana to the Coral of Life. The soft purple glow comes alive from its open, cave-like center, casting a haunting light over everything around me.A blue ray shoots out instantly, meeting Mariana’s forehead and lighting her up with the same ethereal glow.
Her soul, now a soft orb of light, lifts from her body, drifting slowly upward to the top of the enormous coral. Slowly, her body fades into the ocean floor, joining the rest of the dead. At least no hunter is here to feaston her. I sigh. It’s hard enough to take a life you never even knew. I always tried to avoid thinking about their loved ones, preferred to believe they were so deep in the ocean because they had no one.
“Where are you?” I dare to ask aloud, my heart pounding. I need answers only he can give. I’m here to save them all—my family.
A loud growl vibrates all around me, and I’m not sure anymore if it’s in my head or real, as I’m completely alone here.
But I don’t wonder for long. The purple glow grows stronger, almost blinding, as a long, impossibly long, white dragon swims out of the cave-like hole, spiraling around the Coral of Life.
My gills tighten as my heart pounds harder, like it’s trying to escape from my chest. His head turns toward me, and the transparent fins along his length ripple. His arms and legs rest close to his body, and I swallow hard when I notice his sharp, enormous claws. Just one claw is bigger than my entire body.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for you, my dear huntress,” his voice growls, echoing through the water, shaking everything around me. It’s almost deafening. Now I know for sure his voice isn’t just in my head.
A retort forms in my throat, but fear swallows it. I can’t risk angering him—not when I could be snapped in half by one flick of his claw. I clench my fists to ground myself and ask the first thing that comes to mind, “Why me? Why choose me?”
“Only black blooded with a pure heart, could contain me,” his roar now echoes in my ears, but this time not as painful. It feels almost soothing. Did he just say ‘contain’?
“And in ‘contain you,’ you mea—” I start asking but he cuts me right away.
“To become one with you,” he says slowly, “you are my other half, Bay. The perfect balance between light and dark. There is not force in this entire universe that could break us. We are one—if I am dead, you are too. If I am powerless—you are, too.”
