Clash of Tides (A merman story)
Chapter 22 - |Waterworks| Part 1

IT IS DARK, REMINDING me of a sealed well. If I fell in and was closed off from the outside world, this is how I would feel; there is no light, no voices, just me and my thoughts with the rumbling water.

As I extend my legs and arms, I keep swimming upwards until I see a dim glow in the distance. Assan must be up there, in the cave; however, unless, maybe he is lurking somewhere in these lightless waters.

With my mersight, I see through the liquid to the surface of the water. Even the rocks from the cave walls come into view, and I can see the stones with clear vision.

My heart leaps in my throat to the thought of seeing Assan in such private quarters. Hass said the merpeople can turn into their human forms for a brief time to mate. If Assan is not in the water, he must still be in his human form. All this time, Assan needed to wait until he could mate. As I think about our first meeting to now, so much has happened. Perhaps Assan will tell me now why he needs a child.

I brush the thoughts from my mind and keep going. The pathway to the surface is longer than before. I wonder if the various cave rooms have different tunnels from others. In the last castle cave, the distance wasn’t as long. My muscles ache, especially the throbbing in my arms and legs; I want to rest my body, eat, and shut my eyes. I don’t remember the last time I’d eaten, but for me, that’s normal. After a while, I grew used to the hunger and barely eating, especially for Joe’s sake.

I wish I could stop moving, but I’m almost to the top. Moving my feet back and forth, I inch closer to the opening above me. Quickly I lift my head, jerk it back and inhale air into my lungs. As I close my eyes, I take in the relief of being back near land. The cold liquid runs down my face, touching my lips with its salty taste. Slowly I flutter my eyes and open them. Unlike the other room, this one is bigger; it’s filled with different items: treasure chests, relics, and what appear to be parts of various sea creatures. It’s like the secret room from before, the one where Assan told me to pick any dress I wanted. However, this room isn’t hidden, and it has an owner: Assan.

I sweep my gaze around the room until I catch sight of Assan. Heat rises to my cheeks as I look at his naked body lying on the bed. Facing me is his backside, where I can see his broad back and muscular buttocks. I should stop staring, but I cannot deny I enjoy the sight of Assan’s bare form. His long legs are sprawled out on the white sheet, and his body structure reminds me of a statue that I’ve seen in Lucas’s books.

Is he in pain? I think to myself as I glide through the water towards the edge of the pool. Without making too much noise, I lift myself out of the liquid. Hungry, exhausted, and sleepy, I want to lie down, but curiosity calls to me. Instead of curling into a ball and going to sleep, I take small steps, walking up to the bed. Water drips down from my dress onto the cave floor, but I barely hear the droplets. My eyes want to wander around the room and see the collection of treasures Assan has acquired; however, I must stay silent and not wake him.

Is he asleep? I scurry towards the bed, trying to keep my steps light so Assan doesn’t hear me. With slow movements, I approach his relaxed form and glance at his front side. His eyes are closed, and I can see his chest rise and fall with every breath he takes. Despite how scary Assan is, at this moment, he seems so vulnerable. Strands of black tresses fall over his face, reminding me of a young boy sleeping with messy hair.

To my surprise, my lips curl into a smile as I watch him. My eyes follow the trail of his body down to his hips. I stop staring, avoiding the part between his legs. There are no scars on his skin, no wounds, just muscle, like his body is porcelain with no imperfections.

It’s rare to see Assan at peace, especially him being a merman who is always fighting. Watching him sleep is strange to me, and I wonder if mers dream. Despite my desire to continue looking at the merman turned human, I sweep my gaze around the room again when a table catches my attention. On top of the wood is a tray of food next to a cup of water.

It’s three pieces of cooked fish, gutted and laid out in strips from what I can see. Next to the fish is a dark green substance piled into a mound. Just the sight of food causes pain to build in my stomach; I want to eat, but it’s not worth the risk of waking Assan. Fighting the urge to have a meal is difficult, especially since I don’t remember the last time I ate. As I avert my gaze from the plate, I decide to peak at Assan’s gold pieces. Staying quiet, I place one foot at a time over to the gold stacked together on the other side of the cave.

As I scrutinize the mountain of riches, I see more than just gold, but silver and copper as well. Inching my hand towards the smooth surface of the trinkets, I can only wish I had this. Like the room with the dresses, all of this would solve my problems.

Although, I don’t want to beg or plead to Assan for money – that’s not who I am.

“Enjoying yourself?” Assan’s voice fills my ears, causing me to yelp. I whip around, scared of what I’ll see.

I expected Assan to be angry since I was snooping around his belongings. To my surprise, a smile etches on his lips. His body sprawls across the bed, and his head is resting on one hand, propped up with his elbow.

Heat rises to my cheeks at the image of a bare Assan grinning at me. I avert my gaze, trying to focus on something else, anything else. For now, I settle on a small puddle of water on the ground.

“Do you not have any garments to dress with?” My voice is laced with anger. Right now, I don’t need or want a naked Assan distracting me with his well-toned body.

“Humph, it’s rather interesting to see you all flustered, and besides, I prefer not to wear human clothes in my private quarters. Mers only dress when they need to, mostly when we are blending in with humans.” I can hear the annoyance in his tone, letting me know this is a pointless argument.

Now since he has legs, he can come over to me whenever he wants. At least before, his inability to walk on land protected me from his wrath. Accepting that I can’t win this, I sigh longingly and shift my sight to the merman on the bed.

Don’t look below his waist. Don’t look below his waist.

“Then why did you have them bring me to your room? I would have been fine on my own,” I say, glad that I’m standing up for myself. I cross my arms against my chest and huff.

Assan groans, running a hand through his black locks; he mutters words under his breath, but I can’t make them out.

Now looking at me slit-eyed, he retorts, “This is the safest place for you. Besides, I doubt you would comfortable in my other room, under the water. Surely, you had seen the devastation to our home when Hass brought you here,” he pauses, curling his hand into a fist, “many mermen lost their caves, and we are always alert now, waiting for the Belua to strike.”

If there was one thing I learned about Assan, it’s that he loves his people and his home. I have no words to fight back with because I know he’s right. The Belua and mermaids made it clear they want me dead. Why? I don’t know, but to kill someone, you don’t need to tell them. If I am going to be stuck with Assan, we will need honesty between us, and after all, there is no point in holding back my thoughts any longer. And I am curious about this other room.

“Are you going to…try and-”

“No, Elena, I gave you my word that I will not touch you. Unless, well, you want me to.” A wide grin extends upon his face, and the mischievous merman returns.

“I am fine. Thank you.” I start to turn away from him when he calls my name again.

“You should rest and eat. Even with our slow swimming speed, I’m sure it took a toll on your body,” he says as he adjusts himself on the bed. Instead of lying along the bed, he swings his legs over the side, planting his feet on the ground. With his biceps and toned chest in view, I cannot help but feel the heat rise to my face and my heart flutter. I wish these emotions would leave me, but I must resist him and stay strong for now.

“Do you expect me to lay on the bed with you?” There is a surprise in my voice, and his answer to my question won’t shock me. Knowing Assan, it will be yes.

He gestures to the bed with his hand. “If you would like, but perhaps eating first is more suitable. Before your arrival, I made sure to have nourishment for you,” he says, glancing at the table beside the bed.

Adrenaline pumps through me at the thought of food and eating. I want to rush to the table and throw all of it in my mouth, but I stay still. Even though I’ve been around Assan before, I want to show gratitude for his kindness since he rarely shows it.

“Thank you, but I did not expect you to consider my well-being.”

He clicks his tongue. “I think about you more than you know. Now, don’t be so formal around me, Elena. There’s no more reason to have tension between us. You should eat before we need to leave.” He waves his hand and lays back down, putting both arms behind his head. Taking his suggestion and pondering his words, I make my way to the table and notice his eyes are closed.

I think about you more than you know. Of course, I’m sure he means the perverse thoughts that linger in his mind. Even as I pass the bed, my insides go ablaze with longing.

This desire I have for him leaves me restless. It is almost as if he is mocking me on the inside, laughing at his nakedness dulling my senses.

“Staying without clothes on does not help the tension,” I mumble, picking up the tray and moving away from his direction.

“Perhaps removing your dress will help with that problem.”

I hear his voice behind me. Based on his tone, I know he is enjoying this game between us. Instead of responding to him, I stroll to the edge of the water, bend down and place my legs in the liquid.

I sigh longingly, tired of the whole ordeal. “Doubtful, and besides, if there is an attack, I want to be prepared.”

He laughs, “You are becoming more aware of the sea, as it is unpredictable what force will show itself. How wise of you,” he says slyly.

I stuff what looks like seaweed into my mouth, and to my surprise, it tastes better than I thought it would. It is slimily, but with a salty flavor. Once I finish chewing the morsels of food, I say, “We don’t have these problems on land, so I had to adjust here.”

“The sea isn’t for the weak, Elena; it can be very unforgiving. Speaking of land, I am curious about something.”

Humming in response, I turn my head and see Assan in the same position as before, but this time he is staring at the sky. He gives me a sideways glance and adjusts his body to face me.

He is so calm right now. Is this another side to Assan?