All the Stars and Teeth(70)

Ferrick’s snort is mixed with a sharp, nervous laugh. “Most men do die for this opportunity.”

Vataea’s lips pucker thoughtfully, but my breathing shallows when she doesn’t disagree. She dismisses our concerns with a flourish of her hand. “It will work if we hurry. Mermaids have been bringing humans into the water with us for centuries.”

“Aye, to kill them,” Bastian mutters, though Vataea pretends not to hear.

Though allowing Vataea to use magic on us is more than a little disconcerting, we’re out of options.

I push off the ropes, hot with adrenaline that promptly freezes as I sink into water cold as ice. I nearly choke on it as I fight the urge not to bolt back onto the ship, gasping for breath. Both Bastian and Ferrick reach out to help drag me closer to them as they cling on to the slick rocks of the cavern to stay afloat.

If the surface is already this cold, then by Cato’s blood, I can only imagine what it’ll be like to dive.

“How deep do we have to go?” I ask between chattering teeth, clamping down on the inside of my cheek to steady them.

“Deep,” Vataea admits. “The border of the curse is close, and it runs deep. We need to make sure we get a safe enough distance under it, so stick close to me. There should be a break in the curse at the start of the shore, where it was probably cast. But we won’t have much time to reach it.”

Bastian grimaces, no doubt thinking the same thing I am—even swimming as fast as we can, there’s no guarantee we’ll reach the shore in time.

“There’s truly no other option? No other sea magic you could try?” I ask, to which Vataea only shakes her head.

“Nothing I’m strong enough to currently use. If at any point I sense a break, I’ll take you up and give you more air. But otherwise we’ll have to keep moving.”

Ferrick wrinkles his nose. “And what happens if we have to surface before we reach the shore?”

It’s Bastian who responds, squinting down at the murky tides. “You’ll be caught in the curse, and I can’t imagine any of us will be able to save you.”

Memories of my prior experience with curse magic bring a fresh round of shivers. The bugs swarming all over me hadn’t felt imagined. If Bastian hadn’t been there to talk me out of it, I’ve no idea how long I would have stood there, limbs numb and mind paralyzed by fear.

Bastian’s words are nothing but a kind way to say that, should that happen to us in the middle of the ocean, we’ll drown.

“Then that’s that.” I force my body to steady so I can look at least moderately confident with our plan. “There’s no reason to stay here debating it. We should keep moving.”

“We should,” Vataea echoes. “All you have to do is remember to hold your breath to sink. When we’re at a safe level, start breathing normally and you’ll stabilize. Is everyone ready?” She goes to take hold of my shoulder, but Ferrick moves between us.

“I’ll go first,” he says, leaving no room for challenge. “Just to make sure it’s safe.”

Though Vataea rolls her eyes, she doesn’t hesitate. She grips Ferrick tightly by the shoulder and presses her lips to his. She breathes air into his lungs as they kiss, dipping lower and lower into the water, dragging him below the surface.

My stomach cinches when Vataea resurfaces alone.

“If he comes back up, we’ll have to start over,” she says.

I catch a flash of red beneath the surface. The water is too murky to see Ferrick fully, but I gasp and slap his hand away when he pokes my hip to prove he’s there.

“It works,” I huff, shooing Ferrick away. Bastian exhales a quiet sigh of relief.

“Good. He’ll start sinking soon,” she says. “Time’s against us, we need to hurry.”

Bastian tries to appear calm when he looks at me, but he’s fighting chattering teeth and worry that creases the corners of his eyes.

“Guess I’ll see you on the other side,” he says, drawing a breath. “And if not … well, it was a pleasure sailing with you all, and Vataea, try to keep Keel Haul cleaner than your cabin.” He offers himself to the mermaid, nerves tensing his jaw. She peeks at me from over his shoulder, hesitating for a moment, but I offer a gentle nod.

Even so, I’m alarmed by the sharp pang that rattles me when her lips press against Bastian’s. It’s a vicious thing, surprising me so fiercely I turn away. The jealousy that eats at me is far stronger than I ever expected. Their kiss isn’t one of pleasure; it’s necessity. I know this.

But gods, I never anticipated how much I would hate it.

Fortunately, Vataea is quick about it. When she resurfaces before me, she takes hold of both my shoulders and eases me from the safety of the cavern. I draw a sharp breath at the coolness of her fingers on my neck.

“Relax,” she urges, loosening her grip. “The more relaxed your breaths, the longer you’ll last down there.”

I nod, and she doesn’t give me even a second longer to prepare before her lips are on mine. They’re sea soaked and a little gritty from the salt, but somehow still impossibly soft. I’m dizzy as she keeps them pressed against mine, submerging us beneath the water before I can gather my senses.

No longer is my body cold; it floods with warmth, like she’s somehow breathed life into me.