Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

Chapter 35: Abduction

The corridor leading to Serena's room is unusually quiet despite the activity bustling throughout the palace for the impending wedding. Only one day remains, and she has yet to find anything of note to expose the Aquilus family.

Rodion, of course, was hardly any help after Prince Oceanus begrudgingly brought her back to him. Rodion was more concerned with nagging her ears off than inquiring after the reason for her prolonged disappearance. So she's completely on her own with this one.

Not that that thought gives her any comfort. Especially given her current surroundings.

Her gaze flits about the corridor, which has been dimmed for whatever reason. And the absence of any palace staff truly makes her current predicament all the more unnerving. She hasn't seen Lord Hallmar or Lady Delmara, not since yesterday, but she doesn't know if she should be grateful or concerned. As happy as she would be knowing that Lord Hallmar had given up his pursuit, somewhere inside she knows that this isn't the case. His persistence is unyielding, and determination unbelievable. He wouldn't give up so easily, and yet not knowing is what's most terrifying about it all.

The little floating orbs provide meager light in the hall. Though these lights should be radiantly bright during this time. They aren't this low unless it were still dark out, which obviously isn't the case given the annoyingly bright light that filtered in through her window this morning. More of Aaralyn's efforts to rouse her from sleep that she wished not to leave.

Yet Aaralyn was the only servant she saw today, and no one else. The corridor has basically been abandoned.

A sudden bit of movement in her right peripheral immediately has her turning her head to a pillar casting a shadow on the wall behind it. She slowly moves towards it, despite every attempt of her body to reject the action and flee. However, upon circling the pillar, she finds nothing. Just blank, empty space. No sinister beings here.

Nevertheless, the alarms going off in her chest and head say otherwise. They're literally screaming at her to leave immediately, but there's no obvious danger to run from. It's just her in the corridor and no other.

And yet...

"Serena..."

She freezes. As far as she can tell, no one should be in this corridor. But the creepy voice singing her name from the shadows says otherwise.

"Come to me..."

The voice, she realizes, sounds male, and has such a beautiful tone to it that she doesn't even notice when her body stops responding to her. Her mind is suddenly lost in a haze of thought and action. Briefly she snaps out of it long enough to notice what's happening, but there's little to be done about it at this point.

She's already been ensnared, and the stranger realizes it as he finally materializes from the shadows whilst still singing that sinister melody.

A smirk appears on Lord Hallmar's face as he swims forward and slips a pair of fingers under her chin to tilt her head up. The youthful visage of his everlasting beauty does nothing for the malicious glint in his teal eyes as he tightly grasps her chin. But she can't even wince or grimace to express her discomfort as she once again loses herself to the tempting haze incited by that song.

And then he says with a triumphant smile on his face, "At long last. You put me through quite a bit of trouble you bothersome girl." He chuckles. "You should have kept your fins out of it, and now you know too much." His pupils narrow into slits as a set of fangs take shape within his mouth, much likes the way Pelagios's had during his battle with the siren.

"Oh please say you are going to kill her father!" Delmara says excitedly as she appears from somewhere farther down the corridor not even moments after her voice reached them.