Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 18 - |Moist| Part 2

“You truly do wish to die.” His voice is deadly, even making me fear for Jasper. The prince of the sea strolls to his enemy, but Jasper lounges towards Assan, throwing the first punch.

Assan’s demented laugh echoes through the air, and he dodges every blow with fluid movements. Jasper stares at his opponent, wide-eyed; however, he doesn’t give up. With every punch and kick, he misses. It’s as if Assan is playing with him, enjoying this boring dance between them. Not only does Assan know how to fight in the water, but also on land. Curiosity begins to eat away at me, and I wonder how Assan learned to do combat on the surface. Still, Assan remains a mystery that my mind cannot fathom.

“Let us end this, shall we?” Assan catches Jasper’s fist and then twists his arm back, subduing him. Jasper wails in pain. Assan continues to twist his arm, playing with his prey as a cat toying with a mouse. The mouse knows it will die, but yet, it still struggles to free itself.

Jasper tightens his jaw, glaring at Assan with hateful eyes. The beams from the moonshine down on both of them, putting them in the spotlight. I can’t let Assan kill the bodyguards. If the Governor replaces out, Assan will be a wanted man through all of Hlynn, well, merman. As I watch the scene of death before me, I step towards Assan, but a noise from the shadows catches my attention. Quickly I turn on my heel. Through the darkness, I make out the silhouette of a man. Before I can cry out, Tobias charges from the shadows with a knife in his hand, heading towards Assan.

“Assan!”

He ignores my warning, keeping his attention solely on his prey. He wants to make Jasper suffer, just like he did the berserker. I act quickly, pumping my legs towards Tobias. Without thinking, I crash into him, and a throbbing pain shoots through me. I shut my eyes; we knock to the ground with a harsh thud. A burning sensation rises from my leg to my middle, and my head feels it has been smashed in by a rock.

Rough, calloused fingers grip my arms, digging nails into my skin. I wince, and a male groans from under me. I snap my eyes open. Tobias narrows his slanted eyes to me and runs his other hand up my leg. Quickly I glance down, seeing the reason for the burning pain. His knife sliced through my dress and wedged into my leg.

I hiss in pain and tighten my jaw. Despite the aching through my bones, I must distract Tobias. I cannot let him hurt Assan. My thoughts catch me by surprise. If I let Tobias kill Assan, then I would have one problem solved. However, the thought of losing Assan causes my chest to ache. Why?

Tobias parts his lips, but instead of speaking, he cries out. He flails under me, trying to push me. I pant heavy breaths, doing my best, but his strength is too much for me. His fingers run up my leg, scrambling about. He sways the knife, loosening it. The pain strikes me like a blow to the chest. I scream. He captures my arm again, roughly. He pushes me to the side, with the bloody weapon in his hand. The quiet, black-haired man then smiles at me, flashing teeth. He raises the blade above me, readying to strike.

From behind, I hear a snap, like a twig cracking in two.

“Foolish humans.” Assan’s deep voice rings in my ears, and my blood runs cold. As I stare at Tobias, his eyes go wide. He filches, shaking where he sits. I already know the horror of what he sees – Assan’s anger and rage.

“I warned you. I gave you a chance to save yourself.”

The silent bodyguard then moves backward, rubbing his bottom on the cobblestone street. In front of me, the droplets of water start to gather. It’s like reserve rain; instead of pouring down, it floats up into the air—all around us, circles of liquid form. Water rises from the ground, from buckets and troughs. The droplets glisten in the moonlight, like fireflies floating around me.

Tobias screams, and then his mouth is agape. “What are you?!” I hear an accent in his voice, one I have not heard before. His body shakes and twitches–fear has overtaken him.

I can’t let Assan kill him. As I turn my body, the pain goes through my leg, but I will not falter. The sight before me chills my body frozen in place. I see why Tobias is afraid. The merman on two legs is surrounded by circles of water, with his solid blue eyes glowing in the moonlight. It’s as if the water is an extension of Assan, following his every command. In a way, it’s beautiful and deadly.

Soon, the water whooshes together in front of him. And the gurgling sound snaps me from the trance.

“Assan! No!”

Again, he ignores my calls and launches the round ball of water at Tobias. Quickly I turn my head, but it’s too late. Tobias yells out, scrambles to his feet and tries to run. He slips on water, and Assan’s ball of liquid submerges his head.

Within the water, Tobias screams for life. He scratches his neck, clawing his skin to free himself from the giant bubble on his head. Crimson blood trickles from his neck, staining his white shirt. His screams grow louder, and I avert my gaze, no longer able to handle the torture before me.

Assan’s dark chuckles mix in with Tobias’s screams, and the bloodthirsty merman I remember has come out in a full form. Slowly, the sounds down die, and there is only silence.

My eyes are still closed; however, I can hear footsteps behind me, echoing against the cobblestone street.

“Are you alright?”

Slowly I open my eyes. Assan is bent down to my level, with concern showing in his mismatched eyes.

“I’m fine,” I say, but then I wince from the pain in my leg. Blood has leaked from the wound to the red dress, staining the bottom side. At the hem, it’s torn.

“It’s too bad, Elena, I enjoyed seeing you in this gown.”

His words stunned me, leaving me speechless. Our gazes meet. With gentle movements, Assan places his arms under me, scooping me up. He holds me tightly against his chest, and I can feel his pulse beating on my skin. Throbbing pain burns through me. I can feel the blood pouring from my wound, flowing from my body like water down a rock.

Again, I hiss in pain. “Elena, look at me.” His voice is soft, smooth like velvet.

I stare up at Assan, looking into those multi-color eyes. “We are going back to the sea, Elena. Hass is already waiting.”

I want to retort him to tell him the truth, but my body is exhausted. Even if I appeal to Assan, I cannot run, and he can leave me for dead. I weigh my options. At least for now, I know word will not get to my mother. I am bleeding, in pain, and unable to free myself. Once I’m healed, I’ll plead to Assan, and can only hope he will hear me out. I am worried about Joe, Seidon, Mika, and Lucas, but I can only wonder what will happen when the bodies of the guards are found dead and drowned to death.

As I stay settled in Assan’s arms, I gaze up at the moon, looking at its beams illuminate the dark street. A part of me should be scared of the merman holding me, but like before, I replace myself enjoying Assan’s touch. Especially since I still feel the throbbing pain burning in my legs.

I should not be thinking about this. I shake my head, trying to empty the thoughts from my mind. My only concern is Joe. I need to tell Assan the truth: that I have a little brother who needs me.

Suddenly, Assan stops and asks, “What are you thinking about, Elena?” His voice is curious, and I’m sure he saw me shake my head. I wonder if it bothers him not to hear my thoughts – I’m thankful we are not connected right now.

Instead of acknowledging him, I avert my sight from his, thinking about the consequences of tonight: the dead guards, my mother’s anger, and what will happen to Joe.

An impatient growl rumbles from Assan’s throat. “Do you plan to keep silent?” Resigning from my lack of response, Assan takes another step. I shift my sight to the distance and look at the tall trees protruding from the forest.

“The men you killed were to guard the magistrate. Once the Governor’s guards replace their bodies, they will hunt the murderer down.” My voice is soft, and the fear of what the guards will do courses through me.

In Assan’s arms, I feel his chest rise up and down as if he is exhaling a breath.

“I gave them a chance to save themselves.”

“You did not need to kill them!” I lift my gaze to Assan’s, with anger burning in my eyes.

His brows crease, and he studies the expression on my face. After the initial shock of my reaction, he then tilts his head and smirks at me. “Keeping them alive would have risked your safety. Or, are you saying you are worried for me, Elena?” Assan stares down at me with a smile adorning his lips.

Suddenly, I feel the heat rise to my cheeks and quickly avert Assan’s mismatched irises.

“I…that’s not it. If the guards replace us, then you will be arrested,” I partially lie, not wanting Assan to know the truth – I do worry for him.

A gentle hand caresses my cheek, and then deft fingers trance my lips. My heart hammers in my chest to Assan’s flesh on mine. His multiple color eyes study me, and for a second, I get lost in his gaze. The more I look at him, the more I get entranced by his mysterious ways. There is still so much to the undersea world and mer society I don’t know. Assan has made it clear he will only share with me the knowledge of his choosing, and I must do the same.

My body tenses as my thoughts drift back to Joe, Seidon, Mika, and my mother.

“Human consequences do not concern me.” He scoffs and then clicks his tongue.

Hearing his responses causes anger to burn within me. I tried to stop him, to plead with him, but my words to spare human life meant nothing to him.

“Perhaps you should,” I grumble softly, “I defended you.” My voice is but a whisper, knowing now is not the time to fight with Assan. In my weakened state, I could never escape from him. As I shift my sight from him, Assan captures my chin with his fingers, making me stare at him.

“I know.” His brows crease, and I can tell he is upset with me. However, his face slowly softens, and he grins at me. Confused, I study his expression, trying to understand him. He closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them again, looking at me intensely.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have been injured.”

I digest his words for a second, wondering if what he speaks is true. Back then, I had no idea what Assan was capable of, but now, it’s clear to me no human could hurt him.

“Surely, you sensed his presence, or am I wrong?” I question, eyeing him suspiciously.

“Humph.” He gives me a half-smile and says, “You are correct, Elena.” His gaze meets mine. “I did sense him, but that does not dismiss the fact you took a stabbing for me.” He continues to smile, with a cocky expression. “You never cease to surprise me. I suppose we are even now,” he says slyly.

With my mouth agape, images of when I stabbed Assan surface in my mind. I still don’t know how he healed so quickly. It must be his powers.

I part my lips to respond, but then, Assan’s face cringes like he is in pain. He stumbles; however, he still holds me tightly in his arms, keeping me from falling.

“Assan!” My voice is in a panic.

He couldn’t have gotten injured. Thoughts whirl inside me, thinking back to the fight. Neither man touched Assan, so I’m confused by his actions.

I try to loosen my grip, but Assan won’t let me go.

“Time is short; I must hurry,” he says, regaining his footing.

“Time?” I repeat.

Instead of acknowledging me, Assan keeps walking, making haste towards the woods. If Assan is in pain, perhaps I could escape. As I make my plans, my own throbbing pain shoots through me. Even still, I could run. Looking straight ahead, I devise a plan, but Assan has me tight in his arms. It’s like he knows my thoughts without being connected to me.

On each side of us, the stone, wooden, and brick-front buildings stand tall. Some are houses, while others look like closed shops. The further Assan walks, the buildings start to fade from our side. The cobblestone street is lifeless, but for a few vagrants who are most likely drunk or destitute. As we pass by them, they glance our way but speak no words.

Soon, the trees loom up ahead. If anything, I need to tell Assan at least the truth. I am sure after learning the truth, he will no longer want me. Assan stops at the entrance of the woods, staying quiet. I look up at him, seeing his mismatched irises shimmer in the moon’s light. He’s thinking in-depth about something, but what, I wonder.

“Assan.” My voice is weak.

Blood pours from my wound and runs down my leg like water. It reminds me of my bleeding time when I am too poor to put a cloth in my undergarments. Most women - except for the noble ladies - just let the blood flow down their legs. I preferred the cloth.

My sight stays on Assan, but he remains wordless. Slowly, he steps into the woods. A crunching sound echoes in my ears, causing my heart to thump in my chest. If anything happens, I need to remember this route. Even though it’s dark, I study the area around me. Thanks to the beams of light from the moon, I can see the trees, the landscape of the path, and when I turn my head around, I stare back at Hlynn. We entered from the Northside, away from the docks, I think to myself. Why is Assan so quiet? Why is he in pain?

A chill breeze blows across my face, filling my nostrils with the scent of the woods: sweet flowers, pine, and a hint of water.

Water! I nearly bounce in Assan’s arms to the thought. I jerk slightly, but Assan keeps holding me close. Elena. . . I hear my name in my mind.

Assan. . . Quickly I glance up at Assan. He is looking straight ahead, paying no attention to me. From the corner of my eye, I see a shadow move across a tree. I blink and sweep my sight around the forest. Again, more black figures are sprinting around us. It’s like they are playing a game, darting in and out of my gaze.

Elena. . . Stay away from the water. . .

She doesn’t want you in their world.

If you return, she will replace you.

The Queen.

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!