All Chapters of Coming Out of the Deep : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Kairos’s POV Mira's voice temporarily calmed the storm of anger within me, but it couldn't be completely extinguished, and her melody faded as something began to pull me back. Ripples danced through the surrounding water as if the ocean were nudging me out of my trance, and I whispered thank you to Mira, whom I knew had so many questions but couldn’t ask as the connection didn’t allow two-way communication. The colorful marketplace, her smile, the crowd, and the glowing amphitheater of performers blurred and spun, slipping away like sand through my fingers. When my eyes finally opened again, I was back in the trench, and exhaustion descended on me with paralyzing force. My limbs were heavy, sluggish, and depleted of all strength, but I had expected this. It was the price I had to pay for the connection. Using the coral sapped the body, and sometimes even the spirit, but mine had already been sapped, so it was gentle on me. The guardians of the coral had slipped out of thei

Lux’s POVThe air was thick with excitement as Lake turned to face me, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Are you ready to go?" he asked, and I nodded, grabbing my crossbody bag and looking in the mirror one last time. "Ready." The hum of the city was subtle as we ventured out into the cool evening. Alec had offered to pick us up, but we opted for an Uber instead. When we arrived at the curb, the car was already waiting, its black exterior gleaming beneath the dorm lights. We slid inside, and as we drove away, I noticed the driver taking a different route than we had taken to get in. The dormitory buildings on this side were even more impressive, and the sheer size of the campus hit me again.“When we thought this place was big,” I murmured to Lake. “We had no idea.” And he agreed, fixing his gaze out the window. “It’s massive.” The car pulled out of the institution's gates, and we were treated to another glimpse of Silverglade. My eyes widened in wonder, just as they had on

Lake’s POVReed's voice boomed over the music, cutting through the chatter to get our attention. “Alright, people! It’s game time!” Cheers erupted throughout the room as he stood on one of the sofas, waving his hands dramatically in the air.He started going through all the activities they had lined up, and we were all totally on board since morning felt like ages away. “Alright, we’re kicking things off with a drinking game,” he said, gesturing toward the long table in the center of the room. “We need everyone around the table. Pick your squad and let the shenanigans begin!”We all waddled over to the table, the atmosphere crackling with giggles and the occasional splash of drinks flying about like confetti. Lux and I took our places at one end, and I did my best to pretend the tightness in my chest was just my lunch making a comeback when I spotted Kairos hanging out at the back of the room, the girl next to him playing tug-of-war with his arm. She was all grins and chuckles as she

Third Person's POV Three Minutes Earlier Kairos’s gaze burned into the scene unfolding before him, each second a fresh twist to his chest as the heat of jealousy surged through him, maddening and stifling. Every movement of Lake's hands on Olivia, her hips grinding against him, her face so close to his set Kairos' blood on fire, and merfolk blood rarely ran hot. He wanted to storm over there, yank Lake from her grip, and remind him who he belonged to. He wanted to shout it, tell everyone, and claim what was rightfully his with every ounce of power the ocean had given him. "Mine!" The word rang so loudly in his head that he could not figure out why no one else seemed to hear it, why Lake did not notice and see what he was doing to him. He had no right to let anyone else touch him like that, and no land maiden had the right to try. Merfolk didn’t sweat like humans did. Their cooler body temperature regulated such things, and only when dehydrated did they begin to show signs—a f

Lux’s POVThe Dance Continued Inside Alec’s knees nudged against mine as he crouched down, getting so close that I could feel the warmth coming off him. My breath caught as he lifted his legs to straddle mine, his hands sliding down to grip my thighs firmly. With each roll of his hips, he held me captive as he pushed toward me with fluid movements. My skin burned everywhere he held me, and my arms prickled with goosebumps as my whole body trembled from his fiery touch. I clenched my fists, attempting to compose myself, but it was ineffective. I was completely at his mercy.Just when I thought I couldn’t handle it anymore, that the tension between us was about to overwhelm me, Alec pulled back. My heart stopped for a moment, then started racing as he ran his hands up and down his chest, pausing at his waistband before boldly grabbing himself. The man was blessed, and I couldn’t look anymore. My face felt on fire, and I squeezed my eyes shut."Look at me," he said, his voice cutting t