Dark Depths Read online

  I can’t think this way, Nathan managed to realize, stopping himself. He turned his thoughts to other, less dangerous things.

  The servant assigned to this task, a thin, middle-aged woman named Fran—for Ellister could only trust a woman to do this job; a man might be swayed by a spell—dipped a finger into the pool and tasted it shortly.

  “Not enough salt,” she said thoughtfully, rising up. “I’ve run out. Young sir, would you take two buckets from the corner and follow me to collect more?”

  Nathan cast his eyes to a decorative screen in the corner of the room, disguising an array of pails and nets. Then he looked back to the servant. The woman had an unpleasant face and a cracking squeak in her voice. Her words had been polite, but she looked at him with disapproval. Nathan managed to force an obliging smile.

  “Anything to help,” he said, though he was hardly feeling cordial. He’d been daydreaming about sailing on one of the prince’s many ships and feeling the wind on his face. Today was to be a lazy day, but as always, duty came first.

  The servant bowed her head politely in thanks and headed through the door with her buckets. Nathan moved to fetch his own from behind the screen that depicted none other than colorful, shapely mermaids, some of them entwined with sailors. This was Ellister’s personal impression of the erotic. Nathan wasn’t sure how he felt about the images. After what had been done to him by that silver-eyed devil, he couldn’t say that he was even curious about that sort of perversion. Despite the arousal he’d felt in his dream, maybe not even with her.

  He was alone with those thoughts for only a moment before a voice reached his ears.

  “Have we met before?”

  The feminine voice was musical and pleasant, seductive and alluring. He did not have to turn around to know where it had come from.

  “Certainly not,” he said with little interest. “You’re always hiding when I come around.”

  “It must have been a dream then.”

  At those flirtatious words, Nathan turned to glance toward the pool. He found himself looking at two faces that had never shown themselves, peering at him from beyond the edge. One was propped on slender arms, looking at him; the other was down deeper in the water, more timid. Their faces were beautiful, but they were certainly not the most perfect he’d seen.

  He knew that these pets of the crown prince were not allowed to speak or show their faces to anyone other than Ellister himself—perhaps the female servant, but she had left the room. Why would they address him so boldly? Then again, he was possibly the only other man they’d ever seen in this room.

  “Why don’t you come join us?” the bold one asked. “The pool’s a bit cold, but I promise you won’t notice.”

  At this, the shy mermaid gave a coy smile, and Nathan realized that she was not as timid as he’d thought. With a short laugh, he turned back toward his job of retrieving the buckets.

  “I’m sorry,” he told them. “I have other things to do.”

  “You don’t think we’re pretty?” pouted the bold one. Her voice was closer as she moved about in the water. “I think you look delicious.”

  A chill ran through him at the sound of that, but he did not let it show.

  “Was that a threat?” he asked, smiling good-naturedly.

  “Hardly,” she assured him with a melodic laugh. “We just want to know more about you. Everything if possible.”

  The words were so pleasant to his ears—so inviting. Strange thoughts stirred within his mind, reminding him of all the things he’d done with the pirate crew. He should not have been so disgusted with having been molested in return by one of these fish creatures. It was appropriate, had served him right. Ellister certainly found some sort of pleasure in dealing with fish. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so terrible to willingly give himself into the same sort of temptation. It wouldn’t have, perhaps, if this were not all a trick. It was not what he truly wanted.

  Somehow, he managed to shake the thoughts. These creatures would not get him, no. They were beautiful, but they were wicked. They had been slaves, kept by hideous and deceiving creatures below, but they were just the same as their former captors. They were the same as that dark-skinned one who had visited him.

  Nathan finally managed to withdraw the buckets, and at that, found himself to be relieved. He turned toward the door with every intention of moving straight through it without veering, but while he’d been lost in his swirling thoughts, he’d failed to hear the splash as the bolder mermaid pulled herself up out of the pool, now lying free of the water, directly in his path.

  Her brown hair, decorated with a netting of pearls, spread wet across the floor. Her pale skin shimmered in the light, and deep blue eyes looked to him helplessly. She feigned desperate breath that arched her back and made her bosom heave.

  “Oh dear, it appears that I’ve flopped out of the water,” she cooed, putting a distressed hand to her forehead. “Please help me.”

  She stretched out a delicate hand toward him, but he could only eye the long square nails on the tips of her fingers. The mermaid that was left in the pool—she had mahogany-colored hair—giggled into her hand.

  Nathan looked down toward the one who teased him, wanting to turn away, but he was unable. Ignoring the glistening brown and blue fish tail, her flesh was startlingly enticing to him. It was unblemished, slick, and supple. His gaze moved from her eyes to the delicate contours of her collarbones, to the swelled tips of her breasts—those he wanted to caress in his lust, and yet bite harshly for his hatred.

  “Help me. I’m just so weak,” she whined softly.

  This is not freedom, he told himself as he ground his teeth together. Do not allow her to control you.

  “Crawl back,” he said forcibly, starting on his way.

  He’d only gone a few steps before she spoke once again.

  “The prince will be very displeased with you if he finds me here,” she warned, her voice much stronger. She even went as far as to lean up slightly. “We’re more important to him than this whole kingdom.”

  Nathan wasn’t buying into her act. This only made him angry. “The servant will be back shortly. I’ll leave her to deal with you.”

  “I’ll tell her you put me here,” she promised, laying her head back down. “I am allowed to talk to her, if it’s important. I’ll tell her you did things to me—such very bad things with your greedy man-parts—so wouldn’t you rather have truth than a lie?”

  Nathan didn’t bother to think on it any longer, placing the buckets down near his feet. He was angered so much by now that he didn’t fear that any sort of thrall could touch him. He would do this as she wanted, but that was all she would get from him. He would make that clear.

  He moved swiftly toward the wicked creature, gripped a handful of her long hair and pulled her to sit up. She released a sharp gasp, but even then he did not know if it was for pain or enjoyment. He knelt down behind her, putting his face close.

  “This is the only sort of help you’ll get from me, monster,” he said quietly into her ear. “If you try this again, I won’t be near so friendly. I don’t give a damn what Ellister has to say about it. Do you understand me?”

  The nymph nodded her head, and when he was sure she’d absorbed his promise, he released her hair to shove her down into the pool, finished with this. He gripped her shoulders, but in a motion that’d he’d not been prepared for, the mermaid jerked around and sank her teeth into the skin of his chest.

  He repressed a yell behind his lips as her small, blunt teeth broke his skin, summoning blood. Her nails dug into the flesh of his arms, and he wanted greatly to rip her free of him and beat this monster within an inch of life. He knew he couldn’t do that though, for he truly did give a damn what Ellister had to say about it.

  Doing the only thing he could manage that would not leave a mark on her body, he pulled on her hair and pinched her jaws until she finally released him, retreating into the water before he could even put a hand to his bleeding chest
. The blood was soaking into his shirt, and he was angry as ever.

  The mermaid that had remained in the water cackled madly at the whole ordeal, while blood dripped into the pool from her partner’s lips.

  “Just as delicious as I thought,” the brunette purred, licking her mouth with exaggerated enjoyment.

  Nathan was stunned on the floor as the second mermaid swam forward to kiss the other’s mouth, tasting his blood as if it had a bouquet to be savored. They licked each other’s’ lips, but Nathan was too aghast to be aroused by the sight. There was only one thing on his mind.

  Evil. These things are evil.

  Nathan pulled himself up, disturbed and in pain, and fled from the room without the buckets, but the creatures’ shrieking laughter followed him.

  2

  Charts of sea and land were spread across the desk. A larger map depicting the known world, which was painted across the entire length of the north wall, gave greater reference, adding special detail to areas that were perfect for shipwrecks.

  Thaddeus Archibald Ellister III ran his eyes across the maps diligently, measuring distances and predicting movement. In this way, he monitored storms.

  He was not alone in his study, for three advisors were present with him. Mr. Browning and Mr. Frost sat in chairs before the desk, being completely ignored by Ellister. Mr. Swingler stood near the crown prince’s chair, wearing tiny spectacles and reading from a ledger, updating Ellister on current events.

  “Trade is still declining—but that should not surprise Your Highness. Also, Mr. Hitchcock has asked that you pardon his son, George. Apparently the young man has been arrested for piracy, and—”

  “Add him to the number of my sailors,” Ellister said absently, glancing up at the large map on the wall before turning to write matching coordinates on one of the charts. “Where is Nathan, by the way?”

  “He is…not present, Highness,” Mr. Swingler explained, eyeing his comrades. Ellister’s current attitude was becoming more common as of late, and his consuls were growing worried. The man had always been obsessed, but he was much worse now. Others had begun to notice. There were whispers.

  Ellister gave little more to this than a short hum of acknowledgment. The advisors glanced at each other again in disapproval. They hardly ever got through to him when he was in such a state, furiously calculating future conditions and finding places where new nets should be placed. He was so involved that he hadn’t even lit his pipe.

  “There is one more thing, Highness, if I might,” Mr. Swingler brought up gently.

  “Yes, yes,” Thaddeus said irritably. “Speak.”

  The other two men motioned for Swingler to continue while he had the chance.

  “Your father is ill, and considering that, we must accept his eventual death.”

  The wording was somehow interesting to Thaddeus. He stopped his measurements, raising his head.

  “The people are going to need something reassuring after the eminent tragedy. There has been little to make them happy in the past while. Their king is very sick, and they fear the sea. The gentlemen and I were talking, and we think that it would be a good idea—to raise morale, as it were—if you would consent to take a wife. A public marriage might be just what the kingdom needs.”

  Ellister nearly dropped his compass. Marriage? To a human woman? He could think of nothing more unpleasant.

  “A handsome man like you, near to becoming king,” began the portly Mr. Browning. “Marriage shows stability, and it counters vicious rumors—like that their future king is involving himself with pirate trash.”

  Thaddeus looked at him sharply, and the man reformed his attitude.

  “It’s something that the people would like to see, Highness. A large celebration, their future king joining to a worthy wife—or even just a lovely one. We feel it might set the kingdom back on the right foot.”

  The crown prince sighed, suddenly needing to smoke. His heart belonged to one that was beyond his reach, and he could not betray her. Any marriage of his would be a complete sham. He thought on this briefly, wondering over the consequences, and finally was led to a conclusion.

  It did not matter if he took a human wife. That was not a betrayal, for it would mean nothing. He would love the other always.

  “Very well. You can have your way,” the crown prince said with little interest. “Pick someone who’s worthy to your eyes and tell me when the ceremony is to be.”

  Withered smiles crossed the men’s faces. Nods of approval passed around the room. Thaddeus forgot the topic as soon as it had passed.

  3

  The sky became dark, fading from an orange sunset over the water, and still, Nathan did not move. He’d been on the beach for a long time, staring out over the sea—at the life he’d left behind. His chest and shoulders ached from the nymph’s abuse, but he was left staring at his hands. There was blood on them again, but this time, it was his own.

  I’m a terrible human being, he thought as he sat there on a rock. The dark nymph was right. I’m just like those monsters I hate. I should have died that night.

  After his anger had faded, he’d realized he could put no fault to those evil creatures, because he was just like them. Yet it was not his nature that made him so cruel and uncaring. He had forced himself to be this way. He did have a moral conscience, and it was screaming at him at the top of its lungs now.

  You need to change your life, Nathaniel Thomas, or your wickedness will completely devour you.

  For once, he agreed. He could not go on being so haughty and selfish. He needed to do something worthwhile if there was to be any hope for redemption. But what? To what could he assign such importance? Could he also throw himself into Ellister’s promise: that all the monsters would be killed? If that were so, he would have to go a step further behind the prince’s back, killing the beautiful ones as well, for today, they had proven themselves capable of wickedness. He could not, however. He could not do that because there was still Treasure, and she was not a monster.

  Was that true? Would she have become wicked as well if she’d been a captive in the prince’s chamber? Was it at a certain age that they shed their good skin and became evil? Was he blind? Could Treasure have been just like them? He folded his bloody hands. Nathan simply did not know.

  Sitting there in blank and peaceful oblivion, an abrupt disturbance in the water just down the beach drew his attention. It was far too great a sound to be a crashing wave, for the waves washing up were hardly even capping. It was one of them, he knew—a nymph.

  It is that dark one, come to taunt me. Am I to start my new resolution now?

  His eyes grew large and furious, and he rose up, taking the gun from beneath his coat. Now would be a perfect time to begin his quest of making the world a better place. One shot would do the trick. He only hoped this was that terrible silver-eyed mermaid that had molested him.

  Nathan moved toward a formation of sheltering rocks, ending the beach in a hollow mouth which opened to the moonlit sea. The rocks hid the creature from his view, but they would also help him sneak up on her. Quietly, he began his trek.

  It was only wishful thinking that had led him to think that this was some creature he would be willing to kill, for as he eased around and peered through the rocks, he was not shocked to see the only one he was not willing to put a bullet into. She sat above the water, her hair drying, her eyes vacant—until she noticed him.

  She was frightened at first, moving to slide off the rock, but once she’d recognized him, she froze.

  “Treasure,” he said, the gun seeming a league from his fingertips as he held it down. “What are you doing here?”

  She tried for a smile, but it wavered. What were those terrible round marks on her arms? Scars? Healing wounds?

  “You have to ask?” Her voice was weak. She’d been crying again. He wanted to go to her, stepping forward until his feet splashed in the water. He remembered then what stood between them. The ocean was there, dividing their lives, keepi
ng them apart.

  “Did something happen?” he asked. “Are you alright?”

  Her eyes shined toward him in the faint light of the moon. For a moment, she hesitated. Then she spoke again.

  “I missed you.” The words were a melancholy whisper.

  He felt his defenses against her breaking. All of his trying not to think of her was to be taken away in one moment. It had been days since he’d seen her or thought about her, and yet she’d always been in the back of his mind, hadn’t she? He looked at her now, and without doubt, he knew the truth.

  “I missed you, too,” he admitted.

  A true smile came over her pretty face then. He offered a smile back, but there was another thought in his head. Nathan turned away and looked down the stretch of beach he’d just passed. Could there be someone watching? Only if they were looking on from the palace windows, he decided; the shore was certainly clear. Feeling confident that he was not seen, he left his gun and pulled off his coat, stepping down into the water and disappearing behind the rocks.

  “How did you know where to find me?” he asked as he came closer.

  “I followed you here from the island.”

  “It must have been out of your way.”

  Pressing through the water, carelessly letting his clothes soak up the liquid, he was chilled by the cold sea up past his waist before he’d reached her. Treasure slid from the rock and embraced him, and until then, he hadn’t been sure that he would return the action. She enveloped him nonetheless.

  “You’re warm,” she said, her lips near his throat, and for once, that did not bother him.

  Nathan ran his hands over her smooth, dry back. He touched her hair, soft and waving, like an endless sky of clouds. Her skin smelled like the sea, and it was warming against him. He was grateful for it. The only warm thing in his life was the harsh sun.

  “I knew I would see you again,” she whispered to him, drawing away to look into his eyes. “I waited for a while, but I knew you would find me.”