Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 20 - |Seep| Part 2

I stare at him, with pools of liquid forming at the base of my eyes, mixing in the saltwater. A part of me wonders why Assan has decided to let me go, but I don’t want to question him; this is what I wanted: for him to grant me freedom from this world.

The edges of my lips tug into a grin; however, an irritated rumble comes from Hass’s throat. My smile drops.

Hass moves toward Assan; they are now face-to-face, both staring each other down. The tension between them is clear like glass; both their eyes flash, but Hass’s flashes a solid grey, and his nostrils flare.

Fear courses through me at the sight of Hass’s anger. This isn’t the Hass I remember. He was the caring merman who was kind to me and calmed my uncertainties. Watching Hass act this way makes me wonder what happened while I was away. Or maybe, this was always who Hass was.

They continue to lock eyes, not moving.

“And what of your father’s plan?! Will this have been for nothing?” Hass raises his voice, and his eyes blaze with rage.

Assan stares at his fellow merman, unwavering. “We will replace another way?” He growls out. To those words, Hass doesn’t move–he stays steady in the water, not tearing his gaze away from the prince.

After a moment, Hass lets out an exasperated sigh and spins towards me. He gives me a wry smile.

“Forgive me, Elena,” he says, placing his hand on my shoulder. “If Assan orders your return to land, I must adhere to his request.”

Unsure of what to say, I avert my gaze from Hass. He doesn’t want Assan to spare me, but I will accept it if Assan is giving me this chance.

“Thank you, Hass.” My voice is barely above a whisper.

Assan groans again. He tightens his jaw and holds his chest, panting heavily. Hass glances at Assan and then me. “Elena, I promise I will return you home, but for now, we must return to the castle. Assan is in no state to fight, and we must secure the waters before venturing to the surface,” Hass says, his voice firm.

I nod my head. “I understand.” As much as I want to see Joe, I cannot risk Assan’s life. He is sparing me, so I will wait until it is safe. I have seen the horrors of a berserker, and it’s a sight I don’t want to see again.

Hass begins to swim away until Assan calls me.

I look at Assan, pondering what he needs. He stares at me with firm eyes. “I will only ask one thing of you, Elena, if you tell me the answer, I give you my word I will not bring you to the sea again.”

There is a serious glint in his multi-colored pupils. I hesitate to answer him, wondering what he will ask of me. Does he still want me to bear his child? Or…my mind goes blank; again, I only have questions and no answers. However, this is what I wanted, and I cannot change now.

“Ask what you will.” I don’t want to falter.

Hass looks towards Assan and then at me. Again, it’s like unspoken words have passed between them.

“How did you escape the cave, Elena?” Assan asks. My mouth drops open to his question, and as I watch the two mermen before me, I remember the promise I made to leave the sea behind forever. However, here I am, being questioned about how I escaped. I think carefully, wondering what my answer will do. I glance at Assan, who is raising an eyebrow at me, waiting. Then, I shift my gaze to Hass. His gaze lingers on me, waiting for me to tell the truth. They are both watching me, eagerly waiting to hear what I will say. My body trembles. I have seen Assan’s wrath toward humans, but against…what will he do?

Hass breaks the silence and says, “Elena, how did you leave the cave? Surely, no human could have escaped these waters without assistance.” He smiles softly. I can tell he is trying to comfort me, but his words fall on deaf ears. In the end, my focus and loyalty are to Joe, not the mercreatures. He is the one I need to return to and protect.

My muscles tense; I brace myself and part my lips. “Someone did help me”–I lower my gaze to the watery depths, unable to face Hass–“It was… Terza,” I say, barely audible.

Before I can lift my gaze, a strong grip grabs the collar of my dress, yanking me forward.

“What did you say?!” Hass screams at me, and his eyes change to a solid grey. Despite his anger, there is pain evident in his eyes. Pressure builds on the back of my neck. Pain shoots through me.

Assan grabs Hass’s arm, digging his now sharp claws into his flesh. Red blood oozes from the wound, and part of Assan’s hand has turned into scales. “Let her go, Hass.” His tone is deadly and cold, like a murderer with no remorse. “If you hurt her, I will hurt you.” The water rushes around Assan, forming spikes. Taken back, Hass widens his eyes and gently releases me. His mouth is open. He stays still for a moment, lost in complete shock.

I cough, trying to regain my ability to breathe.

Assan darts his gaze to me. Once he can tell I’m fine, he looks back at Hass. I cannot help but watch the broken merman before me. Even after a few moments, Hass’s eyes are still wide. He must love his sister dearly, that much is clear. His pain reminds me of my own: the day my mother told me my father had left us, and he was never coming home. Ever since that day, my life has never been the same.

Unsure of what to do, I swim over to Hass and place my hand on his bare flesh. Hass twitches and looks at me. His eyes are pools of sorrow. Depths of despair dwell in them, a sadness you can’t be free from. He takes my hand and says, “How shameful of me, please forgive me, unique one. In times of war, we never know who our enemies can be.” He gives me a weak smile.

“I…I’m sorry,” I choke out. I did not want to hurt Hass or give Terza away. Both siblings helped me in my time of need, and I betrayed them.

“Do not be, sorry, Elena. Terza will pay for this deception, right, Hass?” Assan glances at Hass. His own features are expressionless, stoic.

“Yes, she will,” Hass says, his voice cold like ice. “Let’s go back to the castle. We must tell the king what has happened.” Hass swims away, not looking back.

Terza has betrayed them, and I can only wonder to what extent. The undersea world is in shambles, and after today, I will no longer be a part of it. Assan holds out his hand to me, and I place my palm in his. This is our last few hours together before it all ends, but I still want to know why Assan needs a child? What is Seidon’s and Mika’s connection to this world? And why is Assan letting me go?

A/N: This is the rest of chapter 20. Thanks again for all the comments and reviews. And if you haven’t already, please leave a review. I love reading everyone’s thoughts.