Page 92 of Claimed By the Depths

“You will meet me before I dissipate,” she promised, her coax warming my chilled veins. “Tribulations still await you, and I am certainly not leaving you to face them alone. Just as I have always been here, I will remain that way until your arms wrap around me and your soul absorbs my own. I am etched in your heart and mind, and you, my darling daughter, will rule the deep and command the celestial beings born in it. From my army to the Vellari, Yxalune, and Thryvossa, you are eternally protected, as those I have grown to love will ensure your safety.”

“Okay. Okay.” Forcing my tears to subside, I leaned into the trust I’d extended to her. “I believe you.”

“Good, now shed your fear and listen.” Only a brief pause lingered before she continued, “Your Mizani’s strength is dwindling. The fight he has put up with Sorva is beyond impressive—a representation of the god he is to become if he can survive—but time is slipping from this realm and merging with the Other’s. Your proximity to him is causing his essence to dissolve, but it is also strengthening the bond you share, which can help extend his slipping life force and create a pool for you two to draw from.

“It is something Elaros and I leveraged at the peak of our godhood, making it impossible for any other to oppose us. The instant your soul tie strengthens with him, you two will get a taste of what your abilities will look like. It won’t be a complete display, as that will only come when each of the five Divari merges with their parent, but it will aid you in this war and the darkness ahead.” The gentle strokes her presence provided began to fade as she offered her parting words, “Just remain mindful of Sorva’s hold. She still controls Caspian, and will until that bind is destroyed. He is fighting to keep her at bay, but in return, she is only gifting him more poison. She could take control of him at any point, but the bond…”

I waited, attention wholly settled on hearing her to completion, but nothing else followed. “Ellira?”

Silence.

“Mom?”

“The bond,” she croaked weakly. “Establish it to preserve him.”

Her absence was sudden, and with it, a tear slipped down my cheek. It was clear she was limited in how long she could stay, silenced by Sorva’s reign and the darkness of the Other Realm. Each of them was fighting to maintain contact with their Child, but the longer we allowed the Dark Mother to control, the weaker they would become and the more difficult the summoning would prove to be.

“Rohen!” Caspian’s yell carried over the distance between the two vessels. “Get the hell down, or so help me, I will come over there and rip you off that fucking ledge again!”

With a smile and testing the lengths to which Thryvossa would go for me, I lifted my foot. Allowing gravity to take hold, I plummeted from the Bloodmarked toward the massive creature below. Shouts chased me over the gunwale, each carrying a different variance of panic—fear of what the celestial entity of the deep would do, and horror of my elected decision.

The chorus of voices dissipated, but before I greeted slimy flesh or frigid sea, one of Thryvossa's tendrils curled around my middle. Halting my fall, she swung me sideways before dangling me in front of her. Each of her eight visible eyes narrowed, a huff of disbelief blowing a spray of water in my face.

“What?” I questioned.

Intelligent enough to gesture toward Alastair’s ship, she let out a low hum that vibrated throughout her body. Maw parting, her second set of eyes illuminated the darkness of her mouth. Teeth as jagged as Hollowmere’s mountains glinted beneath their vibrancy, their hue similar to that of an abyss.

“Is that disapproval?”

She nodded.

“Of my actions or the man on that vessel?”

One shake followed by another bob of her head.

“Oh, by the gods.” Resting in her grasp, I folded my arms over my chest. “You like Caspian Vayne?”

Another nod.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t resist the smile blooming on my lips. “I suppose that’s fair. I enjoy him too.”

She slapped the bottom side of her chin against the sea, waves pulsing from the force of the motion. A shrill sound followed, a noise that mirrored excitement, before she hoisted me in the air. Tendrils slithering up the side of Alastair’s ship, she rounded the gunwale with me in her hold and wasted no time dropping me in front of the man whom I had so willingly disobeyed.

“Rude!” I called after her as she slipped back into the marine below. “That wasn’t very⁠—”

Fingers wrapped around my jaw, forcing my attention to meet those glowing crimson irises. Dark curls disheveled and teeth clenched, Caspian craned his head to the side. “Little siren,” he growled, his tongue trailing along his bottom lip, “you’re lucky I’m in a good mood today.”

Pressing my hand to his chest, I savored the feel of his beating heart. “And if you weren’t?”

He leaned forward, teeth grazing my ear. “I am usually not one to reward such behaviors, but you make that rather difficult, Rohen Levitte.”

“Then I suppose⁠—”

“No,” Alastair interrupted. “Not on my ship or anywhere near me.”

“Oh, come on, Seridean,” Caspian crooned as he raised a brow in his best friend’s direction.

A smile formed, and the captain of the Scarlet Tempest chuckled before glancing at me. “Considering you’re still alive, I presume we can trust the creature that lurks below.”