Page 62 of Anchored to the Storm

After that, the water reached us so fast I now understood his worst tunnel fear had come true.

The pressure of all the water weight was so intense, circling us as if it was being shot in from below by a fire hose. Our bodies now drifted out of control, at the mercy of the rush of seawater pushing under and around us through the tunnel. None of my gifts were present—only panic.

Fighting a stunning force of power, Styx fought to stay next to me, struggling to push a handheld tank into my mouth, but it was useless. We weren’t strong enough. The tanks were ripped from us as water covered our heads. Then the headlights slipped off.

Being slammed against the concrete walls in this tight space, with wide shoulders fighting for room, we were at nature’s mercy. Being sucked into an abyss. Every kick, every swipe of an arm seemed to get us nowhere. The overhead waterproof blue lights shone on us the whole time.

Even green ones.

Green? I dared to look behind me. There she was, my beautiful siren, eyes beaming, gaining on us. Moving through and past two out-of-control bodies, I felt her grab my hand. My arm almost dislocated during the initial pull, but I was thrilled to see Styx being dragged with me. A tail propelled us up through the tunnel built for its owner.

When seeing different lights ahead, in the empty pool now filling with water, I begged my lungs to hold out for a few more seconds.

Hands releasing us, Styx and I broke the surface, gasping and elated to be alive.

“Holy shit.” Head leaned back to breathe freely, Styx joked, “I remember the warning now about water pressure.”

Ready to celebrate our success, and with grateful lungs, I smiled. “Ya think?”

He chuckled. “Damn, drowning sucks!”

Since I knew this firsthand, a few times over, I wanted to dunk him—drown him myself—but then remembered who was in this water with me. Who this was all for.

Treading water, I slowly turned to face eyes I never had to be far from again. I sighed, pure relief. “We did it, Styx.”

Emotionally, he kissed two fingers, then held them up to the ceiling. “Lennox, I hope you’re seeing this.”

Then I waited for Saleeni to be just as elated as me.

That moment never came. Not in the form I had imagined. I had expected this epic union; Saleeni rushing to be in my arms. Instead, only her eyes showing above the water, she circled in place, studying everything around her.

Including a man she had only seen on shore. Now he was floating in the same body of water.

Styx waved, a little reserved. “Hi.” He smacked his forehead. “Fuck. I did it again.”

Saleeni tried to smile back, but trembling lips seemed to make it impossible.

Watching her, Gramps grabbed his chest. “Ah, shit. Poor thing.” Then he took a deep breath, treading water to face me. “Nothing is impossible.” He swam to the stairs, quietly telling me, “I’m going to go shower.” AKA, give us time alone.

Before he left the lagoon to slip into his room next to mine, he slid shut a gate at the beginning of the tunnel.

Saleeni jerked, causing ripples in the water.

Styx grimaced, apologizing. “We don’t know what kind of big fish will make their way in here.”

I knew this. We had tried to talk about all the possible scenarios we could think of, including sharks.

Next, Styx dimmed the overhead lights, then continued into his room, shutting the door.

Saleeni’s eyes stopped squinting with the calmer lights. This beautiful creature was used to sunlight, not manmade bright LEDs.

Nevertheless, she was brave. She tried to explore. Swimming to an edge of the pool now filled with seawater, she timidly reached up to touch but stopped, silently asking me if it was okay.

Wanting to smile but not liking how scared she was, I nodded. “You can touch. Won’t hurt you.”

The way she ran her fingers along the edge was a cold confirmation we still had quite the journey ahead of us.

Her expression saddened. “W-Wall.”