Court of Nightmares and Ruin

Chapter 45

Icelyn

The long plummet into the icy water almost knocked me unconscious, and it took me several precious seconds in my disoriented state to fight my way back up to the surface. My lungs stung as I held my breath and kicked with all my might. I could see the light now. I was going to make it. I stretched my arm, expecting it to break through the surface, but my hand collided with something hard.

My mind panicked as I pushed against whatever was holding me down. There was nothing there, nothing that I could see anyway, to keep me submerged below. I swam a little further and tried again, but no matter how hard I pushed, I could not break through. Realization dawned on me as hysteria gripped me. Isadora's magic was skimming the top of the water and holding me down.

My body convulsed in its desperate need for air. I felt like my lungs would explode if I did not take a breath. I opened my mouth to scream, waiting for death to claim me, but that is not what came out. My vocal cords tingled as a beautiful, ethereal song hummed and echoed through the water, my siren song.

Almost instantaneously, I was surrounded by sirens. They swam around me so quickly that they created a whirlpool that sucked me down to the ocean floor. Unable to hold my breath any longer, I sucked in water, but to my surprise, I did not drown. How was this possible? I was breathing underwater.

I shrieked as my back snapped, and a strange light hovered over my legs. I turned my face away from the bright light and gritted my teeth as the bones in my legs felt like someone was snapping them into.

I inhaled through the pain and dared a look at my legs once the pain and the light had subsided.

I gasped. What was once my skinny human legs was now an aquamarine-colored siren tail. Shocked consumed me again, and I kicked my fins but did not know how to use the thing. All I managed to do was turn myself upside down.

Quick, we must take her to the queen.

I was even more disturbed when I realized the sirens were speaking, but their lips were not moving. They were communicating telepathically, and I heard every word.

She cannot swim and does not know how to use her tail.

Then we must take her. The power that simmers above the surface is evil. We have to leave now!

Two of the sirens gripped me under my arms and pulled me forward. Soon we were jetting through the water at an alarming speed. The further they dragged me from Kohl, the more anxious I became. Once the vast ocean opened up before us and we left the sanctity of the small lagoon just outside of the Night Realm palace, I began to fight against their hold, but I was no match for the mighty swish of their tails.

I opened my mouth to plead with them to return me to Kohl, but each time I opened my mouth to speak, ocean water rushed in, the salt water stinging my tastebuds.

Stop your struggle! We must get you to the queen as soon as possible. If you do not reach her before the next full moon, you will remain a siren forever!

This made my heart skid to a halt. The next full moon was tomorrow night! I would never see Kohl ever again if I remained a siren. I stopped my struggle immediately and let them pull me through the water. How had this day gone from bad to worst in such a short amount of time?

***

Kohl

As Isadora's oppressive magic lifted from my body, I leaped over the balcony's ledge and dove into the water below. My lungs burned when I finally broke through the water's surface, but I refused to give up and come up for air. I would not, could not lose her.

"Icelyn!" My eyes searched the shoreline and surface of the water. I sent a burst of my power to every nook and cranny of the lagoon, hoping for some shred of evidence that she still lived.

I dove below the water's surface when my power came up empty-handed. I do not know how long I remained under. My mind was becoming groggy from a lack of oxygen. Strong hands gripped my bicep and forced me back to the surface. Leon pulled me forcibly towards the shoreline, but I fought against him.

"No! I will not leave her!" I growled and attempted to dive down again.

"She's gone, Kohl! There is no way she could have survived that as a human." Leon would not release my arm as he yelled at me and pulled me to the sandy surface.

His words ripped through my heart like a jagged knife. When I dove in, I knew there was no way for Icelyn to survive being trapped underwater that long, but my mind refused to accept that reality. I was on my hands and knees in the sandy soil, breathing through my pain, but it was too much for me to bear. I shot upright and roared so loud that pieces of the palace crumbled and fell into the lagoon.

"Kohl, stop! What are you doing? You are still too weak." I heard Leon, but his words never registered in my mind. I stood up, my anger swirling out of control.

I sent my mist out to do my bidding. I would cloak all of Gregorian in my mist. If Icelyn was still alive, I would find her or die trying.

"Kohl! You are going to kill every being in Gregorian with this mist!" Leon punched me hard across the jaw. Only then did he get my full attention.

"Icelyn is gone because of your treachery." I simmered and turned my hateful, swirling eyes toward him. He stepped back cautiously, but he could not escape from my wrath.

"You will pay with your life for this!" I hissed at him and directed my power momentarily to him.

Leon fell to his knees, gripping his head.

"Kohl, stop!" Athen swooped before me, trying to distract me, but I would not relent. Leon was now thrashing on the ground before me, with blood dripping from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

"Kohl, you are going to start a war. You cannot kill the Day Realm king!" Athen gasped as Leon went deathly still.

"Get him out of my sight before I finish him off completely," I warned and returned to my task of sending my inky darkness of death across the nation.