Faye and the City in the Sea

Faye can never be free from the blood that stains her soul. 

Haunted by the horrific traumas of battle, Faye struggles to move past the bloodshed she witnessed that fateful day. No amount of magic can erase from her mind the images of the lives lost.

She can’t breathe.

Can’t sleep.

Can’t focus on anything but the terror she’s drowning in.

Yet she isn’t the only one plagued by trepidation. As a co-council, anxiety is a part of Daron’s daily life. But never before was it like this. Crippled by fear, he hunts for a way to keep Faye and Alec safe as the threat of Typhon draws near.

Traveling to the mercity for the full moon revelry, Faye uncovers a sinister new threat that could endanger life for all merfolk. Can she and Daron work together to protect their new allies? Or will the losses suffered sink their enchanting world to the depths?

Ride the waves of adventure in this epic young adult tale set under the sea, masterfully written by author Nicole Bailey!

The sea roared, thundering off the nearby cliffs, echoing back and giving each wave two voices, two opportunities to call to me.

I sat still. On a rock. My gaze trailed in front of me but didn’t land on any one thing. The cerulean sea rippled in the morning breeze. Pale clouds ornamented the sky. Water billowed over a rock, flashes of spray flying into a million fragmented drops. 

Another wave washed in, beckoning me. The air held the taste of salt. The wind brushed my black hair around me. I did not brush it out of my face. I did not move.

Once, nothing could have stopped me from answering the call of the sea. Not the cold or the rain or the danger that might lurk within its cobalt depths.

That time had passed.

I shuddered into my selkie cloak, tucking my hands into the sleeve and running my fingers along its velvety interior. The sun climbed the horizon with a hint of spring’s warmth. But I shivered, wrapping down further into the cloak. A coldness seemed to linger just under my skin, like icy fingers that grazed over me. Warmth wouldn’t come.

I readjusted the cloak, it’s creams and grays catching the morning light.

I froze.

My hands had blood on them. 

I shook them. And shook them. And shook them.

It wasn’t blood. It wasn’t real. 

You’re fine, Faye. Stop it. It isn’t real.

My throat clenched up. I sucked in a sharp breath. I couldn’t breathe. I would drown. I would drown on my breath. 

Untucking my legs, I stood up. The wind billowed my cloak out around me. The ocean called again, crashing, and humming, and whining for me to join it.

I turned my back on it and walked away.

✨ Magical Realm

👑 Royalty

🧚 Fairytale Creatures

🌹 Slow Burn

🔮 Prophecies

🔀 Twists & Turns