Page 70 of Stolen Magic of the Deep

The thought I had moments ago about his body holding secrets—his eyes confirm it. There’s a faint shimmer behind them, and the way he holds his face makes it clear he knows something I don’t.

He says nothing else and leaves the training cavern. I follow behind him slowly. Defymin dips his head, his brows knitting together. I shrug in response.

Since becoming the pocket-sized version of Orion, I haven't gotten the privilege to test the speed of this tail. Everywhere I've gone has been through the palace or accompanied by a chaperone as if I need to still be constantly surveilled.

Orion doesn’t lose momentum for me. I actually think this is his way to test my speed against his, knowing I can swim on my own now.

Our brief passage through these waters takes us somewhere I would have never imagined. The currents turn monolithic—massive walls of water colliding in the dark. They crash into each other, tumbling downward like underwater cliffs, repeating the same violence as surface waterfalls.

It’s as if both sides are fighting for the same space, an endless battle with no victor. Two forces, forever struggling for even the smallest stretch of territory.

Orion swims right between the two crashing waves and dives deep into the dark, a vast, open chasm set before us. Only a few feet from the edge, I halt. My fear sprawling out before me, my humanity showing—reminding me I'm not invincible.

When more moments pass, and I don't see Orion coming back for me, I realize he's still testing me. So, I dive after him.

Jolted with adrenaline, and the water pushing me farther down from the maelstrom of its current, I realize there is no returning up. Continuing further into the depths of the ocean. Several hundred feet. More than any human—or diver—would ever be able to experience without enduring decompression sickness. And yet, I feel nothing. Nothing but exhilarating pleasure and freedom.

While darkness shrouds us from every angle, I can still see so clearly, as if I hold the same night vision as some animals on the surface. The surroundings consist solely of ordinary underwater materials—rocks of every size, sand craters, seaweed, and coral—evenly lining the ocean floor.

I spot Orion to my left and swim over to him. He coils tightly, tucking his hips and torso into the circle space created from his tail, bending over. His back faces me, nodding his head up and down in agreement with something.

When I get closer, I see a small creature set before him. This creature appears to be long with sleek, iridescent scales and holds a pale brown color that shimmers in these darker waters. On the top of its head, a dark brown fin frills upward and decreases in size until it completely disappears about halfway down its body.

I assume the same position as Orion, coiling my tail as tightly as possible and sinking into the middle, bending to get a closer look at the creature, securing my hands in my lap.

“Small movements, Snapdragon,” he says, “Wouldn’t want to scare my favorite animals in Virellan, now would you?”

With that statement, the little creature nudges its snout on Orion’s hand.

“Sarah, meet Ildrina, my bonded Snapdragonis.”

Snapdragonis? My eyes widen. He brought me to their home?

My eyes drift to the side, and I watch as Orion interacts with the creature. A softer side of him emerges, and it’s really hard not to reach out and ask all the questions I've been so nervous or scared to ask about us. But I withhold myself, remembering to keep a mask of indifference with him.

“Where do they originate from?” I ask, keeping the questions neutral and more research based.

“Here. In Virellan,” he states. “Virellan’s borders extend farther than you could imagine. Not just left and right but even down. Even some parts I myself cannot venture because the danger is too risky to endure alone.”

“You said bonded. What do you mean?” I ask, wondering if his explanation might unravel the mystery of what ties us together.

“Yes, bonded. Some Snapdragonis will not bond with others in the sea given they are very independent creatures. However, in some cases, they bond in hopes of protecting another. While independent, yes, they are also very loyal and protective of those they care about.”

“Do they ever venture outside of their habitat?” I ask, realizing I may have used the wrong phrasing. “I meant home. Do they ever venture outside of their home?”

Orion gives a light huff, or maybe it was a small chuckle, as he smiles softly at me, continuing to comfort his little friend. Ildrina? I think that was her name.

“Only bonded Snapdragonis leave their home. Those who are not bonded must stay to protect their territory,” he says, as if he is saying something without saying it.

“So then how do they bond with someone if they never leave their home?”

“They wait until the brave come to them and prove they deserve a bond with one of these fierce creatures.”

He rises from his position, and Ildrina follows, managing to keep their body at shoulder level with Orion. He moves deeper into their territory, and Snapdragonis appear out of thin air. A moment ago, none were visible, or perhaps I simply hadn’t noticed them. Then, in a flash, their fins stir the water, each sweep releasing a hushed cascade, like rainfall tumbling through hollow stone, echoing softly in the sea around me.

Some emerge from the sand, others swim out from under rocks, and the rest slip from in between coral reefs. The creatures display a spectrum of shades, some muted to match the ocean floor, others brilliant as coral. They appear all at once, the way schools of fish once startled me on dives, an eruption of life from the shadows that sends the water quivering around me, both breathtaking and unnerving.

A sluggish one drags itself along the ocean floor behind me, its fins stirring lazy clouds of sand. Its body shimmers with a pinkish-red tint while its fin holds a muted mauve, as if painted with dusk itself. Another sweeps overhead seconds later, its body a dazzling violet with a near-black fin cutting the water like a blade as I duck from the speed of it racing past. The flicker of its scales creates a ripple of light across my face, stealing my breath for a moment. The sight is nothing short of mesmerizing, a blend of chaos and harmony. I’ve only ever dreamed of witnessing something this sensational.