Torrents (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 3) (38 page)

     My body pressed against his as I gathered my strength to thrust the knife forward, but my hand never moved. It remained in the air, the tip inches from his neck, hovering.

     My arm began to shake, and still the blade wouldn’t move. With a cry of frustration, I gathered all the strength I had and attempted to force my hand to move, but nothing happened.

      Only then did I realize my lips were free from his; he was watching me.

     A curve bent his mouth into an awkward shape and his pearl-like teeth were just visible. The red sun carved stripes across his face, setting his eyes in shadow, but the gleam of bright exultation couldn’t be thwarted.

     “Having trouble?” he flexed his jaw.

     I glared back at him and he didn’t seem to notice.

     “You can’t hurt me.” He said the words simply, and I wanted to shake them from my mind. “While you were asleep I made sure of that. Just one of the few commands you must obey.”

     I fumed and without further thought brought the blade to my chest. The tip of it pointed directly at my heart. “There’s another way for me to save them.”

     If I had to harm myself to save everyone outside these walls, I would do it. There was no mistake about what he would use me for. I feared for the number of bodies, which would adorn the shores, after he used my voice to control those attempting to permeate the stone walls. The wounded, which now lay on the shore, would be nothing compared to what would come.

     “Go ahead,” he removed his hands from behind my back and wrapped them around the one holding the dagger. I felt the edge of the blade push deeper against my breast.

     Gathering my courage, I inhaled deeply and held his gaze as I put my strength behind my arm until the same feeling overcame me. I pushed and there was nothing. I struggled, and still nothing.

     “I knew you would sacrifice yourself for them. That’s not going to work either.”

     Shaking my head, I refused to believe what he was telling me. Over and over again I tried, but there was nothing behind my actions. I was trapped.

      Letting the blade clatter to the floor, I attempted to use my own blades to complete the job, but nothing worked. Desperation took hold, it didn’t matter how much I wanted it, there was nothing I could do. My fate was set.

     Casting my eyes out the window once more, I watched the legions of Lathmorians join together. They surrounded their king and Elik as plans were made for the next onslaught on the castle, only this time they would face me.

     Morven would use me, against my will, but he would use me all the same. I would cry out as they died, even as I caused it, all the while knowing there was nothing I could do to stop it.

     I traced my fingers over the glass once more, until I felt his cold finger lace around my wrist.

     “Here,” he said and pulled my left arm to him. He slid the dagger, I knew so well, into the sheath along my forearm. “You might need this.” A grin lifted one side of his mouth, and I turned back to the window once more.

     Patrick stood in the midst of the soldiers. His head was above theirs, the deepening crimson sky creating a perfect shadow of his features. My heart ached to reach him.

     Even as I wished to touch him, Morven rested his hand against my cheek.

     “With me,” he raised his eyebrows and my feet were already moving, “Marina.” He whispered the name, and we left the crimson glass behind, as we stepped into a room filled with Hyven soldiers.

     Every eye was on me. 

They knelt as we walked into the vaulted chamber. Pale and ebony heads bowing together when we passed in their line of sight.

    Our steps echoed off the walls, as we strode between the parted crowd. To either side of me stood tables of incredible length, stretching toward a raised platform at the end of the room. Each table was accompanied by crudely carved benches, standing end to end. I wanted to count how many Hyven were at the tables, but the number was too high to comprehend in mere passing.

     Morven reached the raised platform first, striding up the six steps to the top. I followed without thought. He muttered for me to stand beside him, internally I grimaced, as his commands made the fog spread through my mind. All other thought fled.

     A smaller table rested on the platform. Morven turned to look down on the Hyven soldiers, still on their knees. As though of one mind, they rose together and the atmosphere changed when they looked to their leader. For the first time since entering the hall, I felt as though I could breathe. If only just.

     Morven held his hands up beckoning for silence, though no one dared to make a sound. “I present to you, Marina.”

     All eyes returned to me once more, and I wondered about the formality of it all. Wasn’t this what they had been working toward for years? Why the introduction?

     Refusing to do anything, I merely gazed toward the back of the room where I could still catch a glimpse of the window. The crimson had deepened into a dull brownish-gray and it wouldn’t be long before twilight hung in the air.

     “My Lord,” one of the Hyven soldiers broke away from the group, and I recognized her immediately. She was garbed in a dress similar to the one I wore. A tight corset bound around her stomach and long black folds of fabric cascaded to the floor. As I noticed the similarity, I realized all the gathered merfolk wore varying degrees of dress.

     The men had crisp black shirts and vests, paired with dark pants and boots. Their coats hung to their ankles, silver buttons gleaming around the waist. The mermaids let their hair hang down past their shoulders and their dresses brushed against the stone floor.

     “If I may speak,” Ressa said, and didn’t wait to press on, “we wish to pledge our allegiance to you. This is a moment of triumph.”

     Morven nodded at her proclamation and I gave a sharp laugh of disgust. The blonde girl turned her gaze to mine. I tried not to shrink away when I noticed the resemblance to her brother. She had the same crystal blue pupils, and there was something in them lacking life. Death, and dullness, that’s all that was within her, and when I looked away, she gave a small hiss.

    Her feet echoed as she retreated to the table on our right and picked up a goblet. It weighed in her hand, anything but delicate. She turned her attention to Morven once more and raised the cup to him, as she knelt onto the floor.

     “You, my Lord Morven, have made this possible. A siren is in our midst. Hyvar will rule over all, you have my allegiance.” She brought the goblet to her lips and threw her head back. The pale white of her throat bobbed as she downed the entire contents and rose to her feet once more. The red wine of her glass had stained her teeth. When she smiled up at Morven, I couldn’t help but think she had a mouth full of blood.

     As one, the Hyven knelt to the floor once more and raised their cups and goblets to their lord.

     “Hyvar will rule over all, you have my allegiance.” Their conjoined voices echoed all around me and seemed to linger as every head tipped back to drain the wine. Feet scrambled as mugs and goblets hammered on the wooden tables.

     Morven spread his arms wide. “Let’s begin.”

     Bodies shoved and pushed at one another as they fought for places around the table. Bread and meat was pulled apart by grasping fingers, and grease dripped over chins until I had to look away. The discarded bones fell into piles on the table. I was certain if there had been anything in my stomach, I would have emptied its contents. 

     “Marina,” my head shot in his direction immediately. He sat behind the table in a high backed chair; his plate laden with similar foods the soldiers were eating. “Come and eat.”

     The fog taking over, I moved to the back of the table without hindrance and pulled up a chair next to him. The smell of the meat pulled at my stomach, and though I wanted to turn my nose up at it, the command resounded in my head. The more I fought it, the more unfocused I became. Soon I was putting bread and meat in my mouth, the hot grease sliding down my throat with a scorching, slick grit.

    I didn’t speak to him, and only once did I think about calling out to the Hyven soldiers below. Their voices rose and fell in a comforting thrum, but it was the side glances and gestures in my direction I didn’t appreciate. I had even tried counting their numbers, but lost track and instead tried to round out their numbers. I guessed there were nearly two hundred and that was only one side of the room.

     A nearly imperceptible sigh escaped my lips as I continued to pick at the meal before me. The window was still within my line of sight, though I could hardly see it. The sky had long since deepened from gray into the deep pitch of blue leading to black. Outside, thunder rumbled and I wondered if it was going to rain. There had been heavy clouds on the horizon.

     “Eat up.” I nearly jumped when he spoke to me and reached for another crust of bread, though I was nearly full.  He hadn’t said a word since he told me to sit down. Refusing to touch the wine offered to me, I had to swallow hard around the bread. The lump in my throat was threatening to overcome my emotions.

     “You’ll need your strength,” he said casually, and I glanced in his direction. The dark strands of hair curled in toward his cheeks, highlighting the paleness of his skin. I wondered if he ever saw the sun. Both forearms rested on the table, and he leaned over his plate, seeming to protect his food while his other hand fed his mouth.

     “What for?” I lifted my chin.

     He leaned back and raised an eyebrow in my direction. The look made me feel unintelligent, and he knew it. “You saw the Lathmorians. They’ll attack again tonight.”

     He spoke with such certainty I knew it must be true. I returned my gaze to the window, knowing somewhere out there Patrick was figuring out a way to get to me. Biting my lip, I held onto my strength .

     “How many times have they attacked?” I breathed.

     “Before tonight? Four.”

    
Four
. Four times they had tried and failed to reach the castle. Only now did I realize the overwhelming image of the bodies strewn across the shores of Hyvar. The numbers on both sides were declining rapidly, and still the Lathmorians hadn’t backed down. They were here to finish this.

     “They’ve come closer each time.” Morven offered, baiting me. I hated the way my heart lifted, knowing it was what he wanted. “Maybe they’ll make it tonight.” He raised his eyebrows and leaned on his armrest to look more directly at me.

    Straight-backed, I stared at him. “He told me you would do this.” I was pleased to see his confusion. “He said you would try to break me. It doesn’t matter to you that I can still remember the past, it doesn’t matter that you can control my actions. It’s not enough. You want more. You want to break me, until you can control my thoughts too.”

     His jaw clenched for a moment and he glared back at me. His eyes boring into mine, I knew I had struck a nerve. Patrick had been right all along.

     I leaned in closer to him. “You see,” I whispered, my voice becoming more musical by the moment, “I know what it is you want. You want me to be yours, wholly and completely yours, but you can’t have me. And you never will.”

     The words hung in the air, filling the space between us. He let them linger, if only for a moment, before a smile curled along the corner of his mouth. The knot in my stomach tightened, but I refused to let him know he had me rattled. Every time I thought I had him, he pushed back with the simplest of reactions.

     “We’ll see,” he said and returned to eating his food.

     Groans of thunder began to permeate the steady hum of voices, until it became almost impossible to hear anything except the rumbling sky. I continued to stare toward the window, wishing I could see the horizon and the oncoming rain. I had spent years near the shores. Thunder like this never arrived dry.

     Slamming his goblet down on the table, Morven stood and I returned my attention to my captor. Voices fell silent, and the weight of the Hyven soldiers’ communal gaze fell upon us. I swallowed.

     His eyes scanned the room for a moment.  “Shall we?” he asked.

     As though he had lit a fire beneath the benches, the soldiers rose and hurried from the room. For only a moment, the rolling thunder was imperceptible beneath the pounding of feet and heavy boots.

     When the room had emptied, Morven beckoned me to follow him and I did so without question. He exited the way we came, and as we passed the window, my attention was drawn to it. Sky and sea were nearly indistinguishable, and I yearned to move closer to it. Morven passed through the hall—I had no choice but to follow him.

     For the first time since I had ever walked these halls, I heard the sounds of other inhabitants. Voices and movements echoed throughout the castle, I wondered how it had ever been so silent with so many living in its embrace.

     We rounded four corners and carefully descended three staircases. His gait was that of a comfortable man, and the confidence in his stature angered me. I wanted to see him squirm, make him fear for his life. I wanted him to understand what I was going through, to feel the ultimate terror for those I knew and know there was nothing I could do to save them from myself. He was moving as though he owned time, and all I could think was how little time I had left. 

     Descending one final staircase and onto a platform, a torch lit chamber opened beneath us. The room was packed to the edges with soldiers. The gathered Hyven had changed, their clothing matching that of the Lathmorians, aside from a red band across their upper left arms. Mermen and mermaids alike were garbed in tight fitting pants and shirts, with heavy belts filled with daggers strapped around their waists. They shifted in the torch light, reminding me of the Lathmorians and their anticipation when we had first attacked the shores of Hyvar. They pushed and shoved one another, shadows stretching high along the walls.

     Silence fell when Morven raised his hands once more. “To your places,” he said calmly.

     The soldiers pushed against heavy wooden doors at the end of the hall. As soon as the doors parted, the soldiers moved in a wave along the grassy hill, breaking into groups and turning in different directions.

     “Follow me,” Morven said, pacing back up the stairs we had descended moments before.

     Leaving the chamber behind, my mind began to race at the hope of what was really happening. All throughout the meal, I had feared what the outcome of the battle would be if I was involved. I knew my voice had the ability to distract and disarm soldiers. I had seen what I could do when I was partly human, to think of what might happen if Morven unleashed me among the Lathmorians was enough to make me shiver.

     It was all falling into place. If I was going to fight in the battle, then Morven would have dressed me differently. And there was no sign of us heading toward the front of the castle as we passed through hallways and up staircases. As far as I could tell by glancing out the windows we passed, we were still facing the back of the castle. Whatever was happening, between the Hyven and the Lathmorians, was a mystery to me.

     He began to pace faster, and I kept stride easily. The black skirt was heavy in my hands, but it was the only way to keep my feet free from tripping. Each breath I took, seemed constricted by the corset.

     Another staircase rose before us, seeming to never end. He called back for me to hurry up, my body responded without thought to what it would do to my lungs. I began to scale the stairs two at a time, until I was right behind him. The fog was taking over my thoughts, all I could think of was keeping up with him.

     Suddenly, he slowed as we entered another staircase spiraling upward. “Climb.” He pointed.

     This time I led the way up the stairs, spiraling around so tightly, if I glanced back, I could only make out the tips of his fingers brushing against the inner wall.

     A flat platform came into view and when Morven reached the top beside me, he wrapped his arm around my waist. There in the darkness he held me close, our bodies precariously balanced between the wall and the stairs below.

     “Do you remember when I first changed you?” he asked. I didn’t have to answer. As soon as he had spoken, all confidence had left me. “I made you what you are. You didn’t want me to, and still I did.” He spoke each word with clarified meaning. Wrapping a hand around my head, he laced his fingers into my hair. “I’ve watched you ever since that day, and every choice you’ve made has led to this moment.”

     As soon as he said the words, I realized what was about to happen. I wanted to lash out at him, hit him, do something to cause him pain, and yet there was nothing I could do. A storm began to build inside me and when I glared back at him, he smiled again. He knew he had me.