Page 37 of A Descent Into Darkness

I leaned down, interrupting her worrisome thoughts and kissed her as though it were the last time. Memorizing the feel of her soft, full lips against mine. Breathing in her intoxicating scent. “The Divine has brought us this far. I trust in our destiny.” I hugged her tightly before I sat on the ground, sliding my legs through the hole. I turned to look at Kat one last time and whispered the words, “I love you,” before dropping down into the dark unknown.

With a thud, I landed on a small rocky ledge at the edgeof the water. Golden light shone from somewhere up ahead, illuminating the beautiful cerulean water. Roots dropped from the mossy ceiling, dangling like the disfigured fingers of some evil woodland fae. Reaching down, I tapped the water’s edge in an attempt to summon some unknown foe or trigger some chain reaction.

There were no signs of life other than the island flora. It was silent, but for the familiar sound of running water off in the distance. There was a waterfall somewhere in this cavern. I was sure of it.

“Kat! All’s well. Come down. I’ll catch you.” Without hesitation, she slid down the chute. “I’ve got you.” I reached up, gripping her calfs and helped her down to the ground.

“What is this place?”

“I’m not sure, but we are going to find out. Keep your eyes and ears open.”

The water was knee deep and quickly grew deeper as we made our way toward the beaming light. The opening up ahead appeared to be massive. All we could see on the other side of the tunnel were the same rocky moss-covered walls.

“James,” Katherine called my name. Unease trembled in her voice. She had stopped moving, completely frozen in fear. “I’m having a hard time keeping my feet grounded. The pull from the water is too strong.” She was submerged up to her chest and a strong current was forming as we neared what appeared to be the edge of the opening. The sound of rushing water grew louder with each step and my suspicions were becoming reality.

“I think we're coming up on a waterfall. Kat, I need you to brace yourself. I’m coming. We are going to go slow and steady. One step at a time.” I reached out my hand to grab her, grazing her fingertips as she was pulled off her feet. “Kat!” I screamed her name, desperately trying to reach her, watching in horror as the water pulled her under.

Gasping for air, she bobbed up several feet away from me. “Kat!” I screamed her name again before she disappeared under the water. In an act of desperation, I pulled in a deep breath and lifted my feet from the ground, allowing the current to pull me under, toward my beloved. I tried to swim with the flowing current, but before I could gather my bearings, I felt myself being thrown off the lip of the tunnel, plummeting down in a punishing rush of water. I tried to surface, but the water kept pummeling me back down, tossing me around like a piece of seaweed caught in the tide. I didn’t know up from down. My lungs began to burn with need. Panic consumed my mind. This couldn’t be the end. I kicked hard against the barrage of pelting water. My boot hit something hard. It had to be the bottom of the cavern. I pushed with all my might and finally found a break in the onslaught. I bobbed up to the surface and gasped for air.

“Kat!” I cried out. Frantically, I started searching the cavern for any sign of her. “Katherine!” Light shone through in bars from above, illuminating the massive cavern. The waterfall had dropped us hundreds of feet. She should have surfaced by now. My heart began to pound in my chest. Anxiety consumed my thoughts. Katherine was gone.

The roar of water cascading over the sheer cliff was deafening, adding to the chaos in my mind. I couldn’t think clearly. Katherine was nowhere to be found.

“Kat! Where are you?” I screamed, but it was no use. I sunk below the water, searching the darkness for any sign of life. A shimmer of blonde hair caught my eye, light glinting on the golden strands as they drifted deeper into the water. The flash of a colorful fin was the last thing I saw before she disappeared under the rocks.

I surfaced for a moment, sucking in a lungfulof air, and pulled a dagger from my belt before diving under again. I pushed myself hard. My abused body protesting as I propelled myself deeper. It was as if I could hear her voice echoing in the surrounding water. Calling my name. Luring me down. I reached the spot where I’d lost track of her, only to find an opening in the cavern wall. A faint shimmer of light filtered down the passageway. I swore I could see the gauzy fabric of a shift around pale legs before the sight of her vanished again. I didn’t hesitate. Grabbing the confining rock walls, I pulled myself through the tunnel. The rocks tore at my fingers, my blood swirling in the tides as I pulled myself along. My lungs burned in protest from the lack of air, but I was beginning to get accustomed to the sensation of drowning and I simply ignored it. There was no turning back now.

The rock walls fell away, opening into a large lagoon. Breaking the surface, I gasped, desperate to catch my breath. My feet found solid ground, and I instinctively drew into a defensive pose. My dagger poised and ready. I swiped at my eyes, trying to clear the salt water. Before I could focus, the sound of their laughter sent a shiver down my spine. Like the sweet peel of bells echoing off the cavernous walls. I knew that sickly sweet sound anywhere. It was the sirens of the deep—mermaids.

I hadn’t seen a mermaid since I left Neverland’s shores. And an urgent warning buzzed in my ear. Beautiful things aren’t always what they seem. Mermaids were the perfect example of this. My eyes caught on bright orange hairhanging in waves around a familiar, preternaturally beautiful face. It was Elordis, Queen Mother of the mermaids. My jaw fell open at the sight of her. It couldn’t be her. Mermaids didn’t exist in this realm, and yet here she was. I knew I wasn’t mistaken. I’d tussled with her a time or two back in Neverland. She’d beeninNeverland. The fact that she was here now, in this realm, was more than disturbing. But what petrified me the most was the sight of her long, pale fingers wrapped around Kat’s neck.

“See, sisters, I told you. All we needed was the proper bait,” Elordis teased. She had propped herself on a stack of what appeared to be human skulls. A wide-eyed Kat lay completely immobilized in her clutches. Two other mermaids circled in the water before her.

“Now that you have me here. What is it you want?” I asked, trying to engage them and buy us some time. I shifted my gaze, assessing our surroundings. My brain automatically calculating that I had a limited chance of success. The deeper we went into the belly of the mountain, the larger the caves became. This was the largest yet. Shafts of light still managed to find a way in, illuminating the rippling pools below. The turquoise waters were crystal clear and did nothing to hide the dangers of this place. The craggy bottom was littered with stark white bones. Light glinted off gold coins and steel swords. Neither had been useful in saving the men that lay in a watery grave beneath us.

“We don’t get handsome visitors very often. So naturally, we wanted you to come and play with us,” she cooed. Hersilken sweet voice capturing my attention and breaking down my defenses.

“I’m happy to play. If you let the lady go first, I’m all yours.” My eyes flicked to Kat’s, silently trying to reassure her that everything was alright, even if I couldn’t see a way out of this yet.

“Oh, but she's part of the fun. We need to have a toy to play with now, don’t we?” She taunted, pulling a dagger from a belt around her arm. Kat whimpered as Elordis dragged the blade up her body, slicing through her shift, allowing the thin fabric to fall away from her heaving breasts.

“If you break my toy, I’ll make you pay for it with your life. I don’t share anymore.” I snarled at her, doing my best to play along with her little game. Her two companions hissed at me as I took a step toward them.

Elordis broke into laughter once again. “I do so love it when they know how to play. I was getting a bit worried now that you’ve grown up.”

“He broke Pan’s rules. He’s no longer a lost boy… but he is definitely a lost man.” The blue haired one stared at me like a hungry wolf.

The mention of Peter and the Lost Boys rattled my senses. Their thrall on me loosening as the demon flexed in my chest.

“He isn’t far from being a lost soul. I can see the darkness. A leech that is never satisfied. It will consume you,” a third mermaid said, her flowing purple hair fanning out in the water as she circled me like prey.

I laughed maniacally. “You’re a bit late. The demon has already consumed me. I am nothing more than vengeance’s eager servant.”

“Let us help you forget,” the purple-haired one said. Her amber eyes locked on mine as she reached for me, appearing to pull a black pearl from behind my ear.

“And what if I don’t want to forget?”

“While you toil in the past, Peter Pan’s memories fade. You are but a mere whisper buried in his infantile mind. Stay here with us and all the horrible memories will be washed away on the tides.” As she said it, the black pearl in her fingers disintegrated into a swirl of dust before it disappeared into the ether.

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