The Ocean’s City

I was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at my dirty bare feet, when there was a timid knock on the door.

“Come in!” I shouted, not caring who it would be.

The woman in the green dress tiptoed softly into the room. Her cheeks blushed, full of embarrassment. “My Lady… I—”

“You can set the clothes anywhere and leave me alone,” I stated bluntly.

She fell to her knees, bowing her head and folding her hands in a plea. Her voice shook as she spoke. “I need your help, please…”

I didn’t move even the slightest as I waited to hear her out. “Please… please ask your husband to show mercy to my girls. Please tell him it was my fault, and they were not to blame.”

“Who is he to you?” I asked in a raspy voice. Did she know he was a creator? Whatever that meant. Could he create anything from thin air?

She cried. “If you don’t even know who he is… then how can you possibly have any power over him to spare my girls?”

“How do you know what he is?”

The lady let out a few more tears before composing herself. She took it and smiled like a puppet. “My Lady, call if you need anything else.” She bowed and turned to leave the room.

“But…” I began to say, but the lady was flinging herself towards me and wrapping her arms around me.

“Please take care of yourself. I am so sorry for whatever nightmare you have to live in. I’m sorry. I thought I could sacrifice you to save my girls.”

She stood, fighting to keep her composure, straightened her dress, then left the room.

…

My feet moved steadily and unsurely down the stairs. My clothes were changed, and my hair was still wet from my warm shower. The floorboards creaked, and puddles of water splashed. Bonk Bonk.

Only low murmurs of conversation downstairs immediately stopped when I walked in. Dalton caught sight of me first, raising his hand to tell the soldiers he was with to be silent. I did everything in my power to avoid his gaze while still making my way to him.

He reached for my hand. His warm grasp urged me to look at him. I only gave him a slight glance before lowering my gaze again. “Thank you, soldier. I expect full patrol until that house is found.”

“Yes, sir.”

I paid more attention to the soldier leaving than the man holding my hand.

“How are you feeling?”

I swallowed once before slowly nodding my head. This man will not see me cry. “Fine.”

“My dearest wife—” he spoke but silenced at the glare I shot at him. Before either of us could talk, Hutson was storming into the room.

“I have a lead on Daniella. If we go now, we could get there on time!” He proclaimed like we would leap and magically follow him into war. He said all the right words to make me march to my death without a single thought. I jumped at the sound of Dannie’s name and tuned to Hutson to speak. Dalton gave my hand a warning squeeze and yanked me back to look at him. I refused to meet his gaze. Instead, I glued my eyes to Hutson.

“Ian will take my wife to my mother’s, and we’ll be on our way,” Dalton responded. Hutson nodded in agreement before I could yank my hand from Dalton’s.

“My dearest husband…” I fumed, mocking the words he only spoke to me seconds ago. “As your wife, I’d very much like to be at your side, looking for Daniella.” it was the first time I had ever called my friend by her full name. It sparked life into Dalton’s eyes. I had unknowingly done something right.

“If my wife were to be by my side, she’d need to be very careful about her shenanigans. Her friend’s life is at stake.”

“I wouldn’t dream of any shenanigans. For, after all, you are my husband.”

Dalton nodded his head. “Say it then…Say you take me, Dalton Bax, as your husband.”

I remained silent. What would he get from me saying such a thing?

He took my silence as an answer. “Very well then.” He went to reach for my hand, but I leaped back. I couldn’t miss my chance to find Dannie.

“I take you as my husband, Dalton Bax!”

His facial expression remained serious as he turned to Hutson, who gave him a single nod. Dalton turned to me with a smirk rising at the corners of his lips.

A whistle, first almost silent, then building to a level that could break glass, sang from outside. Footsteps rushed into the room, and Ian’s frantic expression told me something to be worried about was coming.

“What the hell were you guys talking about in here? He knows! We have to go!” Ian had to shout over the whistle that was so loud I had to cover my ears. The others didn’t seem phased.

“Who—?” I asked, but Dalton’s finger landed on my lips, telling me to be quiet. The smirk was only growing more prominent on his face.

“Doesn’t matter. It’s time to go.” He smirked, grabbing my hand and following Hutson and Ian outside. The wind blew so fiercely that the boys held their hats and clothes, crouching down and walking through the storm.

Dalton wrapped his arm around me, giving me a sense of protection from what would happen next. I raised my hand over my brows so I could look forward. There was another roar, and a giant tentacle arm flopped through the water, reaching for the fancy house.

My Jaw dropped at the image. Dalton guided me in the opposite direction. We took a step off the dock, and I waited, anticipating the plunge into swampy water, but instead, it was like we were walking on water. The rain swirled with the gushing wind as it fell, blurring more of my vision.

The blur increased until it seemed that’s all there was, white smudges of rainfall.