The boat arrived with two warriors rowing.
There are a few boats on standby in case of emergencies on the lake, however, motorized engines were not allowed.
The boat had benches on each side, allowing for about twenty people to sit. It had a canopy for shade, and under the benches were floating devices, blankets, and a first aid kit.
One by one, people climbed on the boat. There was no point in floating in the water and waiting. They all took seats and stared into the water in suspenseful silence.
Paul, Nate, and Greg knew that the sister of their future Luna is in danger, Mindy's brother was down there looking for his mate, Caden and Maya felt responsible as hosts, and Axel and Tyler joined the overall solemn atmosphere.
Tony put his arms around Kalina from the back, and she leaned over the edge, hoping to see something. Anything.
Every second was agonizingly long.
The moment Talia and Damon went underwater, Damon put Talia's hands on his shoulders, and she responded with a nod, silently telling him that she won't let go.
Damon was diving deeper and deeper, and Talia's eyes were wide open as she tried to get a sense of their surroundings.
Talia didn't have much confidence in her underwater-rescue skills, so... why did she go with Damon?
Because she felt responsible.
Talia was the one who allowed Tatiana to go down. She could have stopped her. If anything happens to Tatiana, Talia would never forgive herself.
With every stroke of Damon's limbs, Talia's heart tightened at the realization that the situation was not good. The sunlight was reducing, and the water was getting murkier. To make things worse, kelp started surrounding them, blocking that little visibility they could have otherwise. The chances of them finding Tatiana or Maddox were slim to none.
Damon stopped moving when they found themselves in a clearing with kelp surrounding them on all sides. He looked around, in an attempt to pick a direction.
After some time of finding nothing useful to help him decide, Damon glanced over his shoulder and his eyes met Talia's.
Talia's heart skipped a beat when she realized that Damon was asking her to pick which way to go.
That was such a big responsibility!
No matter which way they went, the chances were in favor of them moving away from two people they were hoping to find, but if they stayed in place, they would be doomed for failure.
She wanted to shake her head and tell him that he should decide, but he looked at her with confidence, and she decided to give it a try.
Talia scrambled her brain for answers. She couldn't pick a direction randomly. There had to be a way to make an informed decision.
The sense of smell was useless, and her ears buzzed from the swooshing of water. Touch was also not useful, and the only thing that could produce results would her sight. But the environment was not friendly, and no matter how much she looked around, she couldn't see anything useful.
Talia's impatience mixed with anxiety. She couldn't waste any more time. Every second was precious!
Talia really wished for a way to determine where Tatiana and Maddox were. Maybe an x-ray vision, or a radar like what submarines have...
Damon looked at Talia and he could see her expression changing with her thoughts. She was a completely open book as he could also feel the fluctuation of her emotions. He knew she was trying to come up with something. Was this too much pressure for her?
Anything was better than just staying in place. He thought of telling her to give up and he would pick a random direction, but before he could tap her shoulder, Damon froze at the sight of Talia's eyes that flickered in silver light.
Damon's heart thundered against his chest. It was happening! His kitten was about to accomplish something amazing!
He watched without blinking as Talia moved her hand and pointed in a direction.
Damon didn't understand the power Talia had, but he knew it was extraordinary. That same power saved his life and healed his injuries, and he trusted it completely.
Talia gripped Damon's shoulders, and he dove deeper among kelp with Talia holding onto him.
It didn't take long before Damon lost his way. With currents dragging them in different directions and kelp providing the ever-changing yet the same view, it was easy to get lost, however, Talia's hand would move next to his face and he could see her index finger navigating them toward their goal.
Talia didn't understand what happened, but somehow, her vision changed, and she could see two humanoid outlines in the darkness. It was almost like all the kelp disappeared and two bodies glowed in the murky water.
Some heat was stirring in the pit of her stomach, but she ignored it because it was important to focus on those two bodies and not lose sight of them.
The closer they got, the clearer Talia could see, and she frowned when she recognized that the unmoving body, tangled in kelp was Tatiana.
Maddox was fervently trying to make way through dense kelp in order to reach her. However, the kelp was tough and flexible, covered in slippery leaves, with stems that were thicker than Talia's arm. It was nearly impossible to break them, and they moved with the currents, creating rows after rows of impregnable defense lines.
Talia gripped Damon's shoulder and he stopped swimming.
If they went any closer, they will get stuck also.
She needed a solution. That kelp needed to go. Or if the kelp stops swaying, it would be easier to move around. Yes. If the currents stop for a few seconds, Maddox would reach Tatiana and solve the crisis.
Talia's vision blurred and she looked at Damon as the hot feeling in her stomach increased, threatening to burn her alive.
Maddox was frustrated. He could feel that Tatiana was close.
However, the kelp was thick and slippery, swaying with the currents and blocking his way. He tried to swim between kelp, but that really slowed him down as the leaves were long and sticky. The more he messed with the kelp, the more tangled he would get.
To make things worse, he had a feeling like his connection with Tatiana was getting weaker.
He panicked. Was he losing her?
Somewhere from his right, the darkness exploded in silvery light, illuminating everything clearly like a full moon descended to the bottom of the lake.
Maddox gaped. What's going on?
It took him a moment to realize that everything stilled. Nothing was moving… except for him.
Maddox used this opportunity to slip between kelps and he could see strands of dark hair peeking among the underwater foliage. Was he too late?
Up on the boat...
"What's that!?", Kalina exclaimed when she saw silvery-white light coming from the depths of the lake. It exploded suddenly, creating a massive light sphere, and then it pulsated while dimming.
Everyone came to that side of the boat and stared down.
"Mermaids…", Maya said under her breath, and then she elbowed Caden. "I told you they were there!"
