Descending (The Rising Series) (7 page)

Deep in her cave of lost treasures, Aella
held a small mirror. The golden handle burned cold in her grasp. She trembled as she admired the most valuable treasure to be brought to her mountains of plunder—the Mirror of Theia. And it had been within her reach all these years. If only…

N
o, she wouldn’t regret. Now was a time for celebration.

After fifteen
years, she had a chance. The fates had finally showed her favor. They were giving her the opportunity to right a wrong she’d perpetrated years ago. She could finally rectify her mistake.

She spoke in a commanding voice
. “Show me the one who would destroy me.”

Her reflection shimmered as a
nother beautiful face came into view—a woman. Dark hair framed her delicate features; her eyes glimmered—filled with deep secrets and regret. And she was near. The gods were undoubtedly on Aella’s side this day.

She gingerly placed the mirror on a carved, wooden chest. Sprinting to the water’s
edge, she dove into the sea. Her legs changed as the sea enveloped them.

She relished the change. She hated playing the part of a human, hated her exile. She was
a mermaid. A mythical being with power humans could only dream of. The humans were rodents, soiling and polluting the land everywhere they went. They were lower than the lowest of creatures. But still, they served her purpose.

Aella surfaced at the side of a sleek, oceanic yacht
, with a ladder hanging down. She pulled herself out of the water—her mermaid’s tail changing to legs the moment they left the sea. She stepped her bare feet up the rungs and onto the deck. Her favorite blue dress clung to her wet body. The breeze had a refreshing bite to it.

A large
, muscular human stepped up at her approach—his eyes lingering over her body. “Aella! Where did you come from? I thought you’d take your treasure and run.”

“Oh
Robert, you know me better than that.”

“Do I?”
he asked, frowning at her.

“Of course you do.” She ran her fi
ngertips over his chest as she smiled. “I’m going to need you to stay a while. I have another task for you.”

“Sorry, babe. I’ve already spent too much time here. I’ve got a job to do, and it has nothing to do with looting and treasure hunting. There are a few pirates that need their throats slit.”

Aella added just the right amount of singsong in her voice to gain his attention. “No. You’re not going to kill pirates. You have someone much closer you need to kill.”

His scowl melted away as he drew near her. “I do?”

She turned up the tone of her voice. “Yes, and you will do everything I ask.”

Adoration filled his eyes as he repeated,
“Yes, I’ll do everything you ask.” He reached out to touch her face.

She fisted his shirt in her hands and pulled him close. “I know you will.”

And then their lips touched.

Kyros watched the second hand of the clock twitch its way around the face. Sara’s back was to him, but he could hear her fingers fly over the keyboard of her laptop. Her hand shot out, grabbed the mouse, and made a few clicks. “You know, Kyros,
despite being on duty, you don’t have to watch me every second. I’m sure you have other things you’d rather be doing.”

Kyros jumped at her tone of voice. This
was the first time she’d spoken harshly to him. Before, she had always used a sickeningly sweet tone. Maybe her true colors were emerging.

“I’m not watching you,” he answered.

“Yes, you are. I can feel your eyes boring into my back.”

He didn’t respond. Xanthus made him swear not to upset her.
Keeping silent was the only way to guarantee he wouldn’t say something he would later regret.

Sara turned toward
him, and he was taken back. She was livid. “Listen, I have no idea why you don’t like me, but your glares are getting on my nerves. Now I know you’re Xanthus’s best friend, and I’d hoped to win you over by being nice, but it looks like that’s not working.”

“I’ve never said an unkind word to you,” he said.

“You didn’t need to. Your expressions say it all. I would like to know what I did to deserve this animosity.”

Kyros narrowed his eyes and didn’t say a word.

“See what I mean? You’re doing it again.”

“If you want to win me over so badly,” Kyros said, “why don’t you just sing a few lines? Use your mermaid charm, like you did on Xanthus.”

“You think I…?”

Kyros pursed his lips. He knew he should stop talking. He was pushing his luck. She may just decide to take him up on his suggestion, but he couldn’t stop himself from voicing his
suspicions. They’d been festering and tormenting him since the moment he’d heard his best friend had married a mermaid.

“I would
never
do that to Xanthus.”

“Right.”

“I wouldn’t! And even if I wanted to—which I don’t—I couldn’t. My father made him immune to my voice. Besides, the compulsion only works while I’m singing. And you haven’t noticed me singing around here, have you?”

“It only works
while
you’re singing?”

“Of course.”

“But that’s not right. The power lingers much longer.”

“And how would you know?”

“I know.”

“Right, because you’ve met a mermaid before,” she said sarcastically. “
Well, I happen to
be
a mermaid, and I think you’re full of it.”

Kyros clenched his fist
s. He’d never before hit a female, but right now, the temptation nearly overwhelmed him. Yeah, and the way Xanthus worshiped Sara, Kyros would probably find himself at the mercy of Triton the moment Xanthus saw a mark on her.

The doorbell
rang, and the house fell silent. Kyros listened closely. No one moved, no one spoke, he doubted anyone even breathed—well, except for Sara.

“Isn’t anyone going to get that?”
she asked.

Kyros looked at her incredulously.

“What? Thanks to my father, you all speak English now. You are all perfectly capable of answering the door.”

“
Oh, forget it.” She moved to step from the room, and Kyros put his arm out and braced it against the doorframe, stopping her. “Sara, one of
us
needs to answer it.”

“Oh, good grief. It’s probably only a salesman.”

The bell rang again.

“Listen,” Sara said, “it’s rude to leave someone standing on the doorstep this long. Why don’t you just come with
me, and you can guard me while I answer the door.”

Kyros sighed and gave a nod
. “Okay, but I go first.”

“Fine, let’s go.”

Kyros opened the door to find a human standing on the front step. He guessed it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Who did he think would be there? A Dagonian in a giant fish bowl? But what he didn’t expect… this human was attractive. Not in a classic sense. She wouldn’t be causing any frenzy, but her appeal was undeniable. She had brown, wavy hair cut just
below the shoulders. And her eyes… big, brown, beautiful—and open wide.
Was she afraid of him?

She shook her head, blinking. “I’m sorry.
I don’t mean to gawk. I’m just surprised at how tall you are. You must be a relative of Xanthus. Are all the men in Xanthus’s family so tall?”

She didn’t
sound
afraid.

“Who are you?”
he asked, avoiding her question.

“I’m Gretchen, Sara’s best friend.”

He looked back. Sara was gone. Good. Sara couldn’t be seen out of her wheelchair by anyone who knew her. How could she have explained her miraculous recovery?

“Can you tell her I’m here?” The human
grinned sweetly.

Kyros nearly
returned her charming smile. Instead, he scowled. This was a human. He couldn’t forget that. He couldn’t let his guard down.

“I’ll see if she’s here.”
He shut the door, leaving her on the step, and turned back. Sara raced in, wheeling through the hall, a blanket wrapped around her lower body.

“Why
did you shut the door?” she asked.

“I was coming to get you,” he said.

“It’s rude to close the door in someone’s face while they are standing on your doorstep.”

Kyros shook his head. “I’m not here to play nice with the humans. I’m here to keep you safe.”

Sara glared at him. “You need to play nice with
this
human. She’s my best friend.

Sara opened the
door, and her face immediately lit up. “Gretchen!” She squealed like a child as the human rushed in and wrapped her arms around her in a quick hug. “What a surprise. What are you doing here? I thought you had an internship.”

“I did.” She stepped back. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you…” Her eyes drifted down
at her blanket and widened. “You look different! Your legs… they look strange. What’s going on?”

“Um, my dad…”

“You found your dad?”

Sara nodded.

“You’re kidding me. Who is he? Where does he live? And what does he have to do with your legs?”

“My dad’s name is Ty. Oddly
enough, he lives near where Xanthus is from.”

“Your dad is Greek?”

“Most definitely.”

“Wow, what are the odds? So what about your legs…
?”

This human was tenacious. Kyros sized Gretchen up as he followed them down the hall. She was as small as a Dagonian child—about five feet. But her shape… absolutely
not
childlike, with curves in just the right places.

“My dad found a brilliant surgeon
. He says he can fix my legs.”

“You’re kidding! Really?”

Sara’s face turned bright red as she nodded. Kyros frowned at her. She was a terrible liar.

“That is so amazing!” Gretchen squealed. “I knew you shouldn’t give up.
Do you think you’ll be able to learn to walk?”

“The doctors seem optimistic.”

“Wow, I’m so happy for you.” Gretchen leaned forward to give Sara another hug.

Sara sighed as Gretchen stood back up. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too,” Gretchen answered.

Gretchen smiled,
but there seemed to be a hint of sadness in her eyes. She glanced back to Kyros, and her eyes lightened. “And is this…”

“Xanthus’s best friend, Kyros,” Sara answered.

Gretchen raised an eyebrow. “I guess tall men like to stick together.” As if to illustrate her point, Stanton, Drakōn, and Pallas were standing in the living room as they stepped through the door.

Gretchen’s eyebrows
rose. “Looks like I’m more right than I thought.” A wide smile spread across her face. Her dimples were a bit distracting and made the human look even more adorable. She was nothing like he had imagined a human would be.

“Hello, boys,” she said cheerfully.

The three Dagonians gaped at her; Kyros was shocked himself. Did she just call these Dagonian warriors boys? Was this not an insult? Her demeanor was friendly, even if her words were offensive.

“The hu… girl just said hello. Are you not going to greet her in return?” Kyros asked
, his gaze as hard as granite. He didn’t know why he stood up for the human, but he knew she’d meant no offense.

They gave a quick nod and grumbling hellos.

“Wow, I could use a sweater after that warm welcome,” Gretchen said. Kyros caught the sarcasm in her statement and nearly smiled.

“Okay, out! All of you,” Sara
said, pointing to the door. “We have some catching up to do.” Kyros pressed his lips together. They filed out obediently, making their way to the back door. The house Xanthus had bought had the most amazing view of the ocean. The scent of the sea breezed over the waves. Kyros decided not to join the others. Instead, he made his way to the library.