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Liam hovered in the water, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. The spawn of sea-hell, pulling his father’s boat into the water where it sank heavily away into the depths. His father’s small body, struggling at first as they pulled him deeper, deeper, until the air left his lungs in silver bubbles that rose as his limp body sank away. He thought his father had seen him for an instant, but he couldn’t be sure. He could feel himself crying, though who could tell in the water?
Then he realised he was alone. And next he realised his lungs were burning. He was close to the surface and flailed, pulling himself towards it. Then a soft tug of persuasion caressed his mind, easing his need to breathe, and he turned to see Gina rising towards him, a small smile on her face. Relief flooded him. Then he saw her expression change to confusion as she looked past him, and he whirled to see Jarrod and others of his court bearing down on him.
“No,” Jarrod said, looking past Liam to Gina. “If it is you she chooses, then she is against us. Choose now, Gina. Our murderer, or us?”
He looked back at Gina, and saw the struggle in her mind as she tried to sort her thoughts out, thoughts that grew stronger the more she looked at Liam.
“No, Gina,” he tried to yell, “Choose them. Choose them or you’ll drown.”
But it was too late. Her mind had fought off the Mesmer that kept her alive, and she hung motionless in the water for an instant, her eyes on his, before she too sank slowly from sight. Jarrod spun away from them and sped off, the others with him. Only the renewed burning in Liam’s lungs forced his body into auto-mode, and he clawed his way to the surface again.
He heard a shout, and a splash. Ethan appeared in front of him, and soon he found himself on board an IRB. Morgan Lauder was there, quietly weeping. Daniel Sebastian was there, still and forever silent.
Liam stared at them, but saw only the image of Gina and his father in his mind, which was breaking.
