Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 43197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 216(@200wpm)___ 173(@250wpm)___ 144(@300wpm)
How could she have known so quickly of our mind connection…known I was here, in her stronghold?
“Tearloch,” she said in a sibilant whisper as she reached me. She came closer and stroked my cheek with an icy finger. Her voice echoed in the small chamber, and I cringed away from her touch, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Tearloch, how nice of you to come and see me.” Her voice was low pitched and husky. Hypnotizingly so. “Let me kiss you.”
She leaned toward me, and I turned my head so that her cold, clammy red lips brushed across my cheek.
“I’m not King Tearloch,” I said, my voice trembling only a little. “He’s my father. I’m Kailar, your son.”
She drew back and smiled down at me gently, but I could see in her eyes that she was completely mad. She believed me to be my father, ignoring what I’d said. She stroked my cheek again with that bony finger and then rose gracefully to her feet. Or no—not quite, because when I glanced down, I saw that her feet weren’t fully formed. Her body went down to her knees and then began to dissolve into writhing snakes again. I watched her in fascination and fear, as she drifted across the cave and stood next to Adan, gazing in at him.
“Have you come to visit your son?” She reached through the iron bars and cupped a hand around his chin. “He’s a beauty, isn’t he? Tearloch, my love, speak to me.”
“I’m not Tearloch. I’m your son, Kailar.”
She went on as if she hadn’t heard me. “I keep him here fathoms deep so his bones will soon be wrapped in coral to keep them warm.” She turned to look at Adan. “It won’t be too much longer, my darling. Then your suffering will be over.” She turned back to me, and it was all I could do not to swim away.
She opened her mouth and began to wail, an eerie, keening sound that made me shudder and put my hands over my ears to shut it out. She continued wailing, with a sound like a banshee—like a siren—might make, over and over, and the sound went piercing through my head.
I shut my eyes tightly and screamed out, “Stop!” Her loud wailing cut off as quickly as it had started, like someone had turned a switch. I opened my eyes and saw her staring at me, her eyes wide open and confused, her long hair twisting around her body like serpents again.
She laughed, all evil sounding and shit. “Kailar! Come and join your brother, Kailar. I beseech you. I beg you.”
“Go. Now.” Adan screamed. This time he did move—starting to swim frantically around his small cage. “Don’t ever come back.”
My mind flew broke free and flew back through the corridors, my mother’s wild laughter following my hasty exit.
I promised myself I would come back. I would rescue Adan. Somehow.
I began to swim toward what I thought was the entrance and soon became hopelessly lost. I closed my eyes and leaned against a granite wall to rest and suddenly I was waking up.
I opened my eyes to find Alyx and Kailar both standing outside of the aquarium, arms crossed, feet spread wide, and a huge fat frown on their faces as they both stared at me. I guess I wasn’t nearly so well hidden as I must have thought.
I swam up to the top and floated there with my head out of the water. Alyx went to the side of the aquarium and slid out a ladder that I hadn’t noticed there before. Made sense not to have to climb on chairs and break your neck when you could use one of those.
“What are you doing, Kailar?” Alyx demanded to know, his tone a bit sharp and haughty for my liking.
“Talking,” I snipped.
Kailar frown disappeared instantly. “Who were you talking to? Did you find Adan? Where is he? Is he safe?”
He looked so upset I almost felt sorry for the Atlantean commander. Almost.
“Not your business—neither of you.” I swam to the ladder, willed my tail to change back into legs and then climbed out of the seductively warm and strengthening water. My mind was made up. I was going after my twin, regardless of whether it meant victory or death for me. Of course, there were a few things I needed to do before embarking on my journey. I needed money to physically make the trip. And access to a boat to take me out to sea—I mean, I could swim, but I felt as if time were of the essence when Beathag started talking about Adan’s body being covered with coral. I wasn’t sure that was actually possible, but it didn’t seem like a thing I should really take a chance with.
And there was one other thing I needed to do—and seeing Alyx standing there with his gorgeous muscles and that pouty mouth of his really reinforced my need.