Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 17 - |Drenched| Part 2

Quickly I move my head away from his gaze, but his hand captures my chin, jerking me back to look at him.

“Do not turn away from me, mongrel!” His voice is sharp, and he narrows his eyes. I wince as a cold chill goes through my spine.

Using his strength, he holds my face in place. His lips curl into a grin; he stares down at me, caressing one wrinkled finger on my cheek.

“I am going to enjoy you,” he says, lowering his body back to mine. I fight my urge to scream and cry out. I tighten my jaw, careful not to make any noise.

He presses our lips together, but I feel nothing. At this moment, I need to feel empty, emotionless. The whiff of his scent captures my nostrils. To my surprise, he smells fresh, like soap. Of course, he would, he is a magistrate.

His moans echo in my ears as he kisses me roughly from my lips to my neck. I feel a hand crawl up my dress, making its way to my undergarments. I shudder, and bile crawls up my throat.

His moans grow louder, and his lips suck on the flesh around my neck. His moist tongue licks my skin, leaving a trail of saliva down to my chest. For Joe, I stay still, letting this man use me as he pleases. Suddenly, I yelp; his fingers have entered my inner area, inching towards my core.

His skinny, warm flesh flicks the folds between my legs. This is for Joe… for my family, I repeat to myself.

From the corner of my eye, I see him start to remove his undergarments. Out of instinct, I shut my eyes and attempt to close my legs, but he will not let me.

“Hold still!” He growls out, jerking my legs open.

Clenching my jaw, I comply with his request and spread myself for him. As I wait for him to enter me, a sudden knock catches me off guard. The man groans and turns his attention towards the door.

“This room is taken, go away!” He then shifts his gaze back to me. A smile tugs on his lips, and he presses his wrinkled lips to mine again, roughly. My body stiffens, and I force myself to accept his touch. Even though I want to push him away, to tell him to never touch me again, I can’t; I must play the role of being his. Even now, this is a nightmare, a dream where I hope for death so I can wake up and be free, but life is like torment, and death was my ultimate freedom.

Again, a knocking echoes through the room, getting louder. Bang, it will not stop, bang; the door is now being pounded.

The magistrate snarls as he raises off the bed, and he mutters curses under his breath. Quickly he walks to the bedroom door and yanks it open.

“I paid for this girl and room! You better—” Before he can finish, my eyes go wide. In a quick motion, a fist hits the bald man, knocking him to the floor. He lands with a thud, his back leaning against the wall, and his head is lowered – unconscious. No noise escapes his form. I lift my body, now sitting on the bed. I clasp my hand over my mouth, preventing myself from screaming. I dart my gaze from the magistrate to the doorway, and the sight that captures my eyes leaves me speechless.

The man I saw before—who reminded me of Assan—is standing a few feet away. I rank my eyes across his form and then look into his eyes. A pair of pupils—one dark blue and one sea-green— stares back at me.

My heart thumps in my chest. I will know those mismatched eyes until the day I die. Even if I want to forget them, try to forget them, they will stay with me.

I am a feather, weightless, and light.

“Assan,” I say softly, unable to take my eyes off him. His stoic eyes linger on me, not looking away. The color of his outfit matches his one dark blue eye. His white shirt is buttoned to the top, and a colorless cravat offsets the jacket. With his sculpted face and fitted clothes, he looks like the heir to a noble family, but no, I know he is more than that. He is the prince of the seas, bound to protect his people and produce an heir.

“So, that was you.” His tone is emotionless; he looks at me with cold eyes, looming with anger. Before I can respond to him and come to terms with my disbelief, he strolls over to the bed with a confident stride.

His strong hand wraps around my wrist, and he jerks me off the bed. “We are leaving.” Like before, his voice is demanding, taking charge. As we quickly walk across the room, the sound of merriment and talking from outside snaps me from my thoughts.

I halt, pulling my arm back from him.

“No! I can’t leave.” I shake my head in protest. “And how are you even here, standing and walking?” Still, I am stunned at the sight of his legs, wearing pants and boots like a human man.

Assan tilts his head and then says, “Those questions are insignificant, Elena,” he pauses, stepping closer to me, towering over my form, “More importantly, after I defeated the Belua, I returned for you, but you were gone. I searched the surroundings waters for you. Even my men went to look for you. I thought you had died, and yet, here you are, alive. Tell me, how did you free yourself? No human could escape those waters.” He snarls, and I can hear the anger in his tone, but also a strange relief.

I pursue my lips, wondering if this is all a dream. Assan does not know that Terza helped me, and if he did know, I’m sure he would kill her, or worse. As Assan’s enraged eyes bore into mine, I begin to wonder, Why did Terza help me and how, how can Assan be on land, with legs? Is Hass here, too?

I curl my hands into fists and stand before Assan. I have to think of Joe; he’s all that matters now. “How I escaped doesn’t matter, none of what happened between us does. I’m not going back!” My words are firm, and for a moment, I see a slight pain in Assan’s eyes. However, the prince of the sea returns to his normal expression.

“Oh,” he says in an assumed tone and then grimaces at me. “Coming for you has caused me to lose my second chance. I am not leaving without you.” He reaches for me, but I step back, shaking my head.

“I’m not going.” Again, my voice is firm. Assan raises an eyebrow, now looking at me with confusion.

“Humph.” He grunts. “Are you telling me this is where you want to be, Elena? Fucked by any human who can afford you?” He laughs mockingly.

I tighten my jaw, feeling rage burning within me. I then avoid his gaze and say, “I have my reasons.” I flick my sight back to him, and he stares at me, perplexed. “Why are you here, Assan? Surely you did not come for me,” I retort back at him. I am here for my family, but what would the prince of the seas want in a brothel, a human brothel?

Assan’s face darkens, and I can tell my words have antagonized him.

“My ventures are my own concern, not yours,” he says coldly.

Both of us stand before each other, with rage coursing through our veins. It reminds me of when we first met in the cave. How ironic we have the same feeling, but yet, I feel slight relief that Assan is alive.

“Regardless, I am not returning without you,” he threatens, in a deep voice.

“Why, just so you can use me and then kill me?!” I raise my voice, wondering why he cares so much. Why search for me? Why even come for me? He could have gone with that woman and bedded her.

To my question, Assan tightens his lips and keeps his gaze on me.

Finally, he sighs and then looks at me with sadness in his multi-color eyes. “Elena, I worried for you and searched for you. Do you expect me to leave you in a place like this, where any man can bed you?” His gaze softens, and his sad eyes are pleading. I want to avoid his sight, but to his words, my heart leaps in my chest. I close my eyes, feeling so conflicted. I cannot go back; Joe needs me. Terza said if I ever returned to the sea, she would kill me. A soft touch cups my cheek. Even with my eyes closed, I know whose touch that is. Assan, what is the real you? The harsh merman who wants to use me, or the merman who embraces me, protects me and shows me, love. How are you here, with legs? When will you stop withholding information for me?

I slowly open my eyes, feeling gentle fingers cresses my lips. Assan’s arm is reached out to me. He moves in closer. The scent of ocean air lingers from his body, whiffing in my nostrils. My heart aches, and my body longs to feel his lips against mine again. It’s painful, and I don’t understand why.

This pain I feel, this hurt, is like with Seidon, knowing he will soon belong to another. His gaze stares into mine, and his deft fingers move from my lips back to my cheek.

“I missed you,” he whispers to me. Again, I avert my gaze from his. He told me what I wanted to know. This burden is so heavy. As Terza said, we have no future. I shake my head. I don’t even understand my feelings.

I part my lips to speak, but suddenly, I hear a groan coming from the wall. I flick my gaze to the magistrate. He stirs, shifting his head from side-to-side. His eyes are still closed, but it’s only a matter of time before he sees me with Assan.

Assan grunts. “He will awaken soon.” He turns his serious expression to me. “I’m not leaving without you, Elena. We are returning to the sea,” he says as he grabs my wrist again, gentler this time. He whips around, keeping his grasp on my skin.

The older man moans, twitching his leg. Soon, he will see us, and I know I must make a decision. Assan drags me along, pulling me to the door. I know Assan; he will not leave without me by his side. If I fight him to stay, what will he do? Would he force me to go with him, or would he cause a scene until I agreed to his demand? Either way, the consequences won’t be in my favor.

As we rush to the door, an image of Joe appears to me. His face is smiling as he calls my nickname—Elle. Tears form at the base of my eyes, and I retract from Assan, but he is still holding my wrist. I can’t leave, not again...

Assan stops cold, spins around, and looks at me with furrowed brows.

“Elena, enough of this.”

“I can’t leave, Assan. I told you, I have someone who needs me,” I speak softly. His eyes study my expression as if he is reading my thoughts; however, I know he can’t hear them.

“Is it the one from before, the one who came for you?” He asks, in a cold tone that makes me shiver.

Seidon... He is engaged to be married. He does not need me. “It is—”

Before I can finish, the magistrate slowly opens his eyes and says, “Where is she?” He darts his gaze to Assan and me and quickly jumps to his feet.

“What is the meaning of this?! Jasper and Tobias, get in here, now!” The man yells as he points right at us. He narrows his eyes. “You will pay for this, whore. I paid for you; I will get what’s due to me.”

Suddenly, I hear the sound of running from outside the room. Assan glances at the stairs from beyond the doorway, and then back to me. He tightens his grip on my wrist, pulling me into his embrace.

“If I cause another scene, Hass will scold me again. How troublesome,” he snarls.

Another scene? Has Assan been on land before? Cutting off my thoughts, I watch Assan sprint through the doorway, with me in his arms. His speed is quick, just like in the sea. It’s as if he is carrying me, but not. My feet barely touch the floor as we run through the halls, past the pictures, and closed wooden doors. In the distance, I see the two men from before—who were with the magistrate—running towards us. Assan continues the same direction, and soon we will collide with the men trying to capture us.

The women and men in the nearby rooms open their doors, yelling about the commotion and noise. Down below, in the main room with the tables and chairs, men stare up at us, pointing at Assan and me. The excitement gets louder, growing as the two muscular men almost catch up to us.

“Fight!” the surrounding men yell as they raise their glasses into the air. Unlike the men, the surrounding women stare at Assan, eyeing up his form. Some of the women smile, and others giggle. As I watch them, an odd feeling dwells within me, anger perhaps.

“There he goes again,” I hear a woman say behind us as she emerges from a room. Quickly I look back at her, but before I can see her face, the two men catch up to us.

Like before, both men are muscular and intimidating. One is white-skinned, with brown eyes and dirty blonde hair, tied back into a ponytail. His eyebrows are thick, and his strong jaw displays his strength. The other man has short black hair and dark brown eyes, but his pupils almost look black, with narrow slits and white skin. I can tell these are not ordinary men; these are fighters—the magistrate’s hired guards. Now I understand why they were following us to the room. Both are dressed in loose-fitting brown pants, boots, and a white shirt. The one with narrowed eyes clenches his fists, ready to strike.

“That woman isn’t yours, so I suggest you return her to where she belongs. We do not want to ruin this fine establishment, do we?” the man with dirty blonde hair says, smirking at Assan.

Assan returns his smirk with his own defiant grin. “You are right; I am returning her to where she belongs,” Assan says coolly and unwavering.

The man’s face darkens, and then he says, “You have been warned, I will not tell you again.”

The black-haired man remains quiet, watching Assan and me. The cheers and shouts still echo around us, demanding a fight. The women watch in anticipation, their gazes never leaving us.

Assan then reflexes his muscles; his face goes cold, and he pulls me tighter against his body. This expression is one of I have seen many times before, and one I feared would happen.

“Stand down, human; no one need die this night.” Assan’s voice is deep, with a hint of bloodlust. Adrenaline then rushes through me, preparing me for what may happen next. All I was supposed to do was sleep with a man and bring home money for my family, to save Joe. And yet again, Assan has interfered with my plans. I know this is my last chance to redeem myself. If I break away from Assan’s hold now and tell the magistrate I want to be his, maybe he will spare me. I weigh my choices: sleep with the magistrate and beg for forgiveness, or go with Assan? Assan grips me tighter, already letting me know he will not let me go.

All three men hold each other’s steady gaze; tension fills the area between us, and my heart thumps in my chest. A fight is about to begin.

As I stand here, my thoughts are consumed with endless questions: How is Assan on land and walking? Will Lucas replace Joe if anything happens to me? If I ever see Terza again, will she try to kill me, and still, I wonder why she freed me? Is she truly working for Assan? Where did Seidon’s powers come from? And Mika, how is she related to the Belua? Will my life ever return to normal, or will I forever be entangled to the sea? Maybe if I go with the magistrate, all of this will end.

A/N: If you're enjoying the story, please consider leaving a review. I love reading everyone's thoughts, and I appreciate the feedback. Thank you!