Drowning Beneath The Waves

Chapter 9

My nightmares are filled with pain and grief. I see myself floating in front of Jonah, shock and disbelief flowing through me as he revealed how he knew Mica—his connection to her. I see the pain and regret in his eyes as he spoke of his past.

But the one image that is permanently etched in my brain—that will haunt me for the rest of my life—is the expression of absolute terror on Jonah's face. I barely have time to lurch towards him, my fingers barely brushing his arm, before I hear the sound of the dagger slicing into his flesh.

My mouth is open, but I can't tell if I'm screaming or crying or both. He's a deadweight in my arms, but I rally my strength and prepare for the dauntingly long swim back home. Blood is on my arms, my hands, and my face and it's all I can do not to start screaming again. I hear the sound of Jonah's breathing—a wet, raspy sound—and have to bite back a sob.

When the palace looms in the distance, a sob slips free from my lips. Broken, wild with grief, I nearly collapse as I approach the entrance. "Help! Somebody help!" My voice breaks on the last word and I know I'm on the verge of hysteria. 

Guards in black-and-red uniforms speed towards us, alerted by my voice. They look at me first, clearly alarmed by the blood on my arms, hands, and face, then focus on Jonah. One of the guards gently takes his weight, and it's all I can do to keep upright. When they exchange a glance, my heart stops. They don't even have to look up at me. I can read the words in their eyes as clearly as if they were written down.

"No!" I scream. I lurch towards them, towards Jonah, limp and lifeless in the first guard's arms. But even before I reach him, I know it's too late. I have his blood on my hands—I remember the sound of his breathing, wet and raspy. As I lean down and put my head on his chest, I hear his heartbeat. Weak and stuttering, it beats once, twice, before finally faltering.

I'm clutching his shirt, my knuckles white. Tears slip down my face, landing on his chest. "Please!" I sob, as if my words would make him open his eyes.

I don't remember closing my eyes, but when I opened them again, I was in my bedroom. My heart was racing, my breathing rapid and shallow. For a moment, I was terrified that I was still dreaming—that if I looked down at my hands, I would see Jonah's blood coating them.

I took slow, bracing breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. My first thought was of Jonah, if he'd made it to the infirmary. As if in answer to my question, a gentle knock sounded on my suite door. "Come in," I called out as I swam out of bed and into the bathing room. I put on my usual concealer and washed my face, cringing at the hollowness of my eyes.

I had just swum into my closet and was pulling on a red-and-black dress when I heard a deep voice respond from my bedroom. "It's me, Faye." Drew's voice brought tears to my eyes, but I furiously blinked them away.

He had a concerned expression on his face when I swam back into the bedroom. "Jonah. How is he? Any news?" The words burst from my lips before I even had a chance to take a breath.

My brother took my hands and led me to my sitting room. He sat beside me on the couch, never once letting go of my hands. "Your friend—Jonah, was it?—was very lucky. The dagger went clean through his shoulder blade, barely missing one of his lungs. The doctors were able to remove the dagger, but the fracture will take months to heal."

I sensed there was more he wasn't saying. My heart pounded as I waited for him to continue. When he didn't, my heart stopped dead. "He's okay, right?" The tension in the room was so thick, you could have cut it with a dagger.

Drew blew out a breath, rubbing a hand over his face. "After the dagger had been removed, he finally regained consciousness. I'd be willing to bet that the blood loss was the only thing that kept him under that whole time. The first thing he'd asked was if you were okay. I said yes, then introduced myself. He then explained who he was—how he knew you. After that, he told me about Mica, her connection to both of you."