Beneath the Waves (Ocean Song Book 1)

Chapter 41: Beneath the Waves

Rodion exhales deeply. Yet no amount of deep breaths can do anything to calm the turbulent storm raging within his heart. He has failed at the one thing he was supposed to do above all else. All he had to do was protect his sister, and he even managed to screw that up like so many other things in his life.

Princess Arcelia stands at his side in silence as they stare at the horizon from atop the pier. She had thought it best to bring him to the surface, a place where he might find some semblance of comfort. Yet it is apparent that there is no such comfort to be had when one's sibling is suffering. She has only experienced such an occurrence once, but she was still a young child and cannot remember all the details surrounding the event. It's all a blur in her mind; from her brother's consistent loss of temper to his refusal to see anyone when choosing to bury himself in his work.

She recalls a time where her brother used to smile more, and spend time with her, but it's been so long. Nearly fifteen years if she had to give an exact time. She's only twenty years old, vastly younger than her brother who has seen a full century of life. Still young, but supremely more knowledgeable of things than she.

Lost amidst her own thoughts, Princess Arcelia doesn't even notice when Rodion turns to stare at her. At least not until she becomes aware of his gaze burning holes into her head.

"Clear you have something to ask. So do ask it," she says with something of a sigh as she turns to face him with her curious teal gaze. The wind blows in just then, and she reaches up to push back a strand of honey blonde hair.

Rodion shuffles his feet for a bit, averting his gaze as he seems to glare at the sand for a minute before turning back to face her. "It has something to do with that Storm guy..." He trails off thoughtfully as he looks out towards the sea for a moment. "I have some kind of a feeling about him." Princess Arcelia tilts her head, a serious glint in her eyes.

"What kind of a feeling?"

Rodion shrugs with a strange expression that she can't quite place. "Not sure. Something about him makes me feel as though there's something more we should be worried about."

Princess Arcelia's eyes bulge just a bit. "What more could there be for us to worry about? We already have Proteus running loose in the seas with his minions, your sister has been trapped within her own body, and it seems that Vilmaris has finally made a move after years of silence!"

Rodion sighs, then he scratches at his silver hair. "I don't know! I know there's all this other stuff to worry about, and I wish that my sister and I didn't have to worry about it!" He squeezes his eyes shut as he places his hand against his forehead. "I just wanted to keep Rena safe, and what a shitty job I've done of that!" He groans. A pressure forces itself upon his body, and for a moment he feels like he's drowning. And for some reason, his thoughts immediately take him back to that awful day when their whole world turned upside down.

"Mommy!" Serena had cried, panic taking over as she drifted further out to sea.

Their mother stood at the shore with his father and brothers, a desperate look on her face.

"I have to go get her!" She cried above the thunderous roar of the storm. All Rodion could do was watch as the waves tossed his poor eight year old sister around like a beach ball.

Their father had moved to stop their mother, a frantic look on his own face. "You mustn't! It'll take you with her!" The storm had come suddenly. Sure they knew, but they had already decided that they would be back home long before it started. Never did they think to check if the forecast had changed since that morning.

Serena's wailing was growing further and further away as her head kept disappearing and reappearing above the waves.

He and his brothers watched as their mother shuffled her feet, ready to go charging off into the sea at any moment.