by Anne Bourne
“I’m not exactly a John Wayne with a pistol, so let’s take that, too,” Gabriel said with a nod.
Jake seemed pleased and started to pack his equipment. They left Marcus to man the boat, ready to take them to the island. Marcus would leave his own boat so it wouldn’t be recognized.
“Good luck,” Marcus said in parting, and Gabriel smiled tightly. He wished they’d had time to practice with the weapons, but he’d rescue Ephyra no matter how bad of a marksmen he was.
• • •
The trail of green slime led them twisting down streets full of partiers, tourists and night life. After what seemed an interminable amount of time, the trail ended at two black BMWs sitting on the side of an alley warehouses on either side. One looked like a club and the other abandoned.
“Pick your poison,” Gabriel said to Jake. He grudgingly admitted Jake’s snail trick was a good one.
“Left one,” Jake said and they slipped from the car toward the darker building. No movement anywhere made Gabriel nervous. The shadows seemed to reach out as they sidled up to the building from the right.
Jake motioned to the nearest door. Gabriel nodded, pulled his Glock and pressed against the door. He listened for any movement inside. Only silence met his straining ears. Gabriel tried the handle gently, not surprised to find it locked. He shook his head at Jake, who stood a few paces away.
They made their way around the building, checking doors and peeking in windows. The warehouse was tightly sealed all around. Gabriel was starting to think they should just check the other building when Jake pulled out four round devices. He handed two to Gabriel, who almost recoiled at the cold sliminess.
“What is this?” he whispered.
“Squid hooks, watch.” Jake placed the suction cup on each hand and it melded into his palm. He grinned at Gabriel and then placed his hands on the brick wall. Slowly, he ascended using his arms.
“Race you to the top,” Jake called down.
Gabriel’s lips curved into a competitive smile. He squished the squid hooks on his palms and crawled up the wall, putting him even with Jake. Once over the roof railing, Gabriel found himself standing with a spectacular view of the city lights spotlighting the city like beacons against the ocean churning like a monster in the dark, waiting.
Gabriel spied the emergency doors. He walked gingerly toward them, unsure how much sound could be heard on the roof. He tried the doors, betting they’d be locked.
“Do you have anything else?” Gabriel whispered.
Jake placed his hands on the door, squid hooks still on his palms. He shrugged as he tried to pull the door open. The hooks stretched and strained until Gabriel thought they’d break. All at once, the door handle popped off and the door cracked slightly. Gabriel nodded, impressed. He placed his own suctioned hand on the door and pulled it all the way open.
They stared into a dark hall with stairs leading down. It was the only direction they had so both men followed it. Dimly lit emergency exits glowed overhead. The building was clearly not as abandoned as it appeared. They could hear music pumping not just from the club but from within the building they were in.
Gabriel stepped lightly down the stairs, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead and down his neck. The humidity was stifling in the stairwells. He noticed with annoyance Jake didn’t appear to be perspiring.
“This is going to take too long,” he whispered to Gabriel as they reached the third floor.
“Split up?” Gabriel suggested. He wasn’t particularly keen on this but they needed to cover as much ground as possible. Who knew what Sanchez was doing to Ephyra in the hours he’d had her already? A strange pulse beat in his head as he thought of what he’d do to anyone who’d touched her.
“I’ll look around here, you go down,” Jake said and strode confidently down the hallway out of sight.
Gabriel made his way down to the next floor.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Ephyra’s legs were getting tired of supporting her in the tank. She felt her skin wrinkling and it was disgusting her. Her body was stretched out for all to see and she had given up glaring at every man who stood watching her with their eyes glazed over.
Sanchez suddenly appeared and she was alert.
The lid was opened so she could hear and Ephyra watched as he dragged in a man with a hood over his head. The man was forced to kneel, his hands bound behind his back. She shifted in the water restlessly, afraid of what Sanchez wanted to do to this man.
“This man is innocent, mermaid. Don’t your people like that kind of man?” Sanchez said with a snicker. “If I give him to you will you change?”
Ephyra curled her lip. This was what he thought she needed? A human man? She thought of Gabriel, his safe, warm embrace.
“Do you not speak anymore?” Sanchez yelled. He pulled out his shiny silver 9mm and pointed it at the man’s leg.
Ephyra had never been near a gun but she knew they were dangerous. The shot blasted her ears and the man’s screams pulled at her heart. She saw blood spray from his shattered thigh and the man fell over, thrashing in agony.
“Isn’t it legend that mermaids can save dying men? He’ll bleed out soon,” Sanchez shouted at her, waving the gun.
Ephyra felt tears welling in her eyes. This man would die because she was unable to save him. The sea witch had taken all her powers when she’d turned human.
“I can’t help him!” she cried and pounded on the glass.
Sanchez had two of his men uncover the man’s head and, heaving, they shoved him into the tank. Ephyra moved out of the way just in time as the man’s body crashed into the water. It instantly turned pink with his blood. She dove to help him to the surface but saw he wasn’t conscious anymore. He was young, a tanned face with curly blond hair.
She fumbled with the ties around his hands but they wouldn’t give. Ephyra gave up and simply propped his head up above the water. He breathed shallowly.
Sanchez watched Ephyra try to save the man but she still did not change. He turned to his head man, James.
“You did grab the mermaid, chico?” he asked condescendingly.
The man visibly swallowed.
“I am pretty sure, sir, but we should have waited until they were out of the water … ” his voice died at Sanchez’s glare.
“We?”
“I should have waited to give the signal.” James bowed his head.
“So, you’re saying there is a possibility this woman is just a human?” Sanchez glanced at Ephyra trying to hold the dead man.
“I don’t know, sir. There were a lot of unexpected people there,” James said, cringing.
“Have you found Marcus yet?”
“We’re searching. Marcus hasn’t been back to his house,” James responded.
“And his girlfriend?”
“She is in hiding. But we’ll find her.”
Sanchez instructed two of his men to pull Ephyra out. She was too exhausted to fight as she was plucked from the tank. They left the man, who sank to the bottom of the tank.
“He’s still alive!” she shouted and struggled against the men. They seemed to enjoy it as their hands brushed her body.
“I don’t see him breathing,” Sanchez said coldly.
“Why do you do this?” Ephyra sobbed angrily. She twisted to see the man bleeding out in the water, his head sagging, his eyes still closed.
“Do you know what expendable means?” Sanchez asked.
There was a deafening blast and Ephyra saw the tank explode, water gushing out and the dead man sliding out to knock into the circle around her. She leapt up and tried to pry their hands off her.
In a dark blur she saw Gabriel’s familiar form tackling the man closest to her. His punches came fast and sharp and he used the gun in his hand to hammer at heads. Ephyra ba
cked away as the men’s attention shifted from her to him. She dove for her shorts and was relieved to find the necklace still in the pocket.
Bloodied noses, scratched faces and bruised eyes surrounded Gabriel. Gabriel finally backed up, aiming to grab the black bag he’d dropped. He kicked out quickly with his left leg and the man went down with a grunt. He dove for the bag but another saw what he was going after and pulled his gun. Gabriel pulled his own gun and they stood at a standstill. He grabbed the downed man and pointed it to his head.
“Don’t move,” Gabriel said, breathing hard. A trickle of blood ran down his face.
The man stared him down until a spike shot through his chest. He stared down at it for a moment and then fell forward. Gabriel smiled as Jake stood in the doorway, the ram’s horn glowing and primed. Ephyra gasped in relief at seeing her friend.
“I think I just saved your life,” Jake said with a grin and then aimed the horn.
Before Ephyra could scream out a warning, Gabriel raised his own weapon toward a shadow behind Jake. He squeezed the trigger and the bullet exploded into the shadow that fell back.
“And we’re even,” he said and put in a new clip.
“Ephyra,” Jake said, his gaze suddenly distracted.
Ephyra looked at her two rescuers and her eyes filled with tears. She stepped forward, not knowing who she wanted to hug first. Gabriel stepped in front of Jake.
“Why do I always seem to find you naked?” he teased gently.
Ephyra laughed tearfully and ran to him, falling into his strong arms. She felt him squeeze her hard, his breath rushing out in a relieved sigh. Ephyra was mildly annoyed she needed anyone to save her but somehow, because it was Gabriel, it was right.
She finally drew back and her eyes lighted on Jake. Ephyra smiled widely at her friend and at the merfolk weapon in his hand. She knew he’d come prepared.
“Jake!” Ephyra cried happily.
Jake instantly tried to bow like a merman and then just fell to one knee, head down. Ephyra frowned at his formality. Their friendship wasn’t bound by royal threat. She gently lifted his face and his golden eyes looked up into hers. She saw them filled with a pain that she’d never seen before.
“Why do you not embrace me as a friend?”
Jake let out a long sigh but his mouth curved into a smile. He stood and put a hand on her shoulder.
“I am very glad to have found you,” he said simply.
Ephyra was stung. She pulled back crossly. What was the matter with him? She noticed Gabriel wasn’t as puzzled.
“Thank you for your rescue, Jahayl,” Ephyra addressed him coldly with his formal mername. Jake nodded and led the way out of the building.
• • •
Ephyra slipped into the passenger seat of Gabriel’s car, and Jake hopped into the back seat.
“Do they know you’re a mermaid?” Gabriel asked her as they drove toward the dock.
“No. They tried to drown me but I couldn’t change even then,” Ephyra said quietly.
“What?” Both men shouted. Gabriel’s grip on the wheel tightened angrily.
“I didn’t have Muriel’s necklace.”
Ephyra made eye contact with Jake in the back seat. From his expression she knew he’d seen Muriel reveal herself.
“I should have stopped this,” Gabriel was saying.
“It’s no one’s fault, she chose to do it.”
“If you call stripping her of dignity and power, sure,” Jake interjected.
“I didn’t know the severity.” Gabriel met his gaze in the rearview mirror.
“I didn’t tell you,” Ephyra sighed and wished she were alone with Gabriel to explain.
Gabriel excused himself as they pulled into Marcus’ dock and Ephyra turned accusingly to her friend with blazing eyes.
“What’s the matter with you?”
“I’m fine, Ephyra. Just glad I was able to find you in time. Did they hurt you?” he asked, amber eyes flashing.
“They tried.” Ephyra frowned at him. Why was he being so distant?
“So, you think Muriel did a foolish thing for love?” she asked him quietly.
The answer was in his eyes. They avoided her gaze and were tinged with such sadness that she reached out to touch his shoulder.
Jake jolted as if she’d electrocuted him. He let her hand linger for a moment but then shrugged it off.
“I think love is a very powerful tool that we all use differently.”
“Thank you for coming for me,” she said softly, afraid she knew why he was behaving this way.
Jake finally reached up to cup her face in his large hand. Ephyra sighed in relief and leaned into his warm palm.
“You can’t believe that I wouldn’t have,” he whispered. Ephyra shook her head and took his hand.
“I can’t love you the way you love me,” she said saw his eyes close as if in pain.
“I know.” Jake dropped his hand from hers and sat back in the seat. He seemed resigned to leave it at that and Ephyra felt too much emotion to say more.
Gabriel returned to the car with a worried expression.
“I can’t find Marcus anywhere on board,” he said opening the car door and sitting in the driver’s seat. Ephyra was glad he seemed not to notice the tension.
“Do you think Sanchez found him?” Jake asked.
“There weren’t any signs of struggle and the weapons are still there,” Gabriel said worriedly.
“He’ll show up then — he’s alive. Are you suggesting we wait for him?” Jake asked pointedly. They didn’t have a lot of time and Sanchez had probably already found his men dead and the tank busted.
“I don’t know.” Gabriel’s blue eyes were clouded with anxiety. Ephyra touched his elbow and gave him a reassuring smile.
“He’ll turn up. I’m afraid I’ve put you and Marcus in too much danger already,” she said quietly.
Gabriel swung to face her, his face earnest.
“No you haven’t. I shouldn’t even care about him right now. It’s his fault we’re in this mess!” Gabriel struggled to control his temper. “I guess we’ll sleep the night on the boat and wait until tomorrow. I’ll move it a few moorings down, just in case he brings more trouble with him.”
Ephyra felt her insides doing a strange dance at his confidence and protectiveness. She’d been protected her entire life but this was something new. Gabriel wasn’t under any obligation to do it and yet he protected her more fiercely than any guard had. She was afraid of the dependency she was forming with him but at the same time she couldn’t imagine being without him.
They hunkered down in the boat, parking the car at a distance in case someone had seen and marked it. Ephyra offered Jake the couch but he chose to remain topside. She let Gabriel lead her into the cabin and make up the fold-out bed. He turned on a fan and the breeze helped move the humid, stale air. Ephyra lay down and was comforted with his bulk next to her. The soft washing of the waves and rocking of the boat put her into a deep sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Scyllane’s whole body felt like it had been eaten by an orca and vomited out. Her tail hurt to move courtesy of Sevag’s impromptu surgery. Hate welled up in her so strong she shook with it. She remained chained to the piece of rock but was given room to lay down now.
She didn’t know what day it was, but her internal clock estimated it was nearly dawn. This far down the sunlight did not penetrate the water and it remained the same shade of gloom all the time.
“From a fallen place she will seek, on burnished heels to spring from light, his soul on fire to the darkness he shall meet, a slave for the eternal fight,” she chanted the ancient prophecy to herself.
She prayed for the words to get to Ephyra’s ears. She’d studied a long time to learn how to rea
d the ocean’s history and runes on the stones. She saw her mirror slowly come to her side as if summoned. The currents must have picked it up. Scyllane felt like it was her only friend at that moment and held her arms out for it. The gilded handheld mirror softly landed in her palms as she looked into its reflective surface.
She saw the welts on her face and her scraggly her hair. Scyllane remembered a time when she’d had servants brush it twice a day, when rouge from lichens and blossom bottoms were applied to her lips and eyes. She decided she liked herself this way instead. She was real this way; her bruises had made her stronger.
Scyllane wished to see if Ephyra found her champion yet. The mirror glowed, its green surface blank for a moment but then images appeared. Scyllane gasped in surprise. The mirror showed Ephyra laying with a man, a human man with tousled dark sandy colored hair; his eyes were closed as he slept next to the mermaid.
Was this some sorcerer on land? Why could she see Ephyra now? Scyllane didn’t think he looked powerful, despite the muscle that bulged on his arms wrapped protectively around Ephyra. How had this human managed to hide her image from the mirror for so long? Scyllane felt a small smile light her face. Perhaps Ephyra had found something after all.
Scyllane felt the mirror change, the image stopped and the handle elongated into a fine point like short spear. She cocked her head and saw it aimed itself at the locks on the chains. Scyllane smiled at her friend and put the point in the key hole.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ephyra woke with a start. She heard the gentle slap of waves and felt her body rocking. She remembered they were on a boat and turned to see Gabriel slowly opening his eyes. They were startling blue up close, framed by dark lashes, and were directed at her. She smiled slightly.
He checked his watch. It was nearly eleven in the morning. They’d gotten about five hours of sleep and he was satisfied with that.
“I don’t really sleep that much in the sea,” she said with laugh. Ephyra rolled over to face him and touched his face tentatively. His jaw was rough with stubble and felt scratchy on her hand.
