Awakenings

by Scarlet Hyacinth

Even without seeing Malach, Chrys could hear the misery and dejection in his sire's voice. He closed his eyes at the pain that shot through him. They'd been the one to cause that sorrow.

  The king laughed. "Courtship? Who would willingly take one of your offspring to their bed? Pay someone, ask a servant. I don't care. You've had enough time."

  Chrys barely managed to suppress a gasp. The king couldn't be serious. A merman's first time was vital for his or her future development, almost sacred. They couldn't just choose a random person to do it. And even if they did, it was doubtful the man or woman would agree.

  A new wave of pain swept through Chrys. He knew who he wanted to show him the magic of the shift. There were two persons in his mind when he dreamed of swimming to the surface, and one of them, Jaden, was his dear twin. The other, Aurus, haunted every second of his days and nights, like an impossible fantasy. The man didn't even know Chrys existed, not anymore, after all these years. He had hundreds of beautiful men and women vying for his attention. How could Chrys compete with that?

  If only Jaden could teach him… but no! Jaden was his twin. Such a thing couldn't exist between brothers. Chrys shouldn't let despair get to him and taint the feelings he had for Jaden.

  Jaden's low voice snapped him out of his musings. "Brother, come. We can't stay here any longer."

  Jaden sounded even more alarmed. What had Chrys missed while lost in his thoughts?

  "Jaden? What's wrong?"

  His twin pulled him away from the door and out into the corridor. "Didn't you hear? The king wants Father to teach us. Tonight."

  This time, Chrys couldn't contain his horror. "What?" he asked, voice trembling. "That's… that's not possible." He couldn't even fathom his father touching him… like a lover. Just the thought nearly made him lose his breakfast.

  "I know," Jaden replied with a choked sob. "It's horrid."

  A sense of urgency filled Chrys at the mere thought of such a thing happening to them. "We need to leave. We can't stay here any longer."

  Jaden nodded, and together, they swam faster. "I'll go to the kitchens to grab some supplies," Jaden said. "You pack something. We don't have much time."

  Chrys's heart thundered as his twin disappeared in the direction of the cooking area. Pushing his terror back, he rushed to the sleeping area. His first stop was their father's chambers. He slipped inside, thankful the king's retinue kept everyone distracted. Shame and guilt swept over him as he scanned the room. He hated what he was about to do, but he didn't have any choice.

  Chrys detected his sire's stash of gold with reasonable ease. He'd seen Malach retrieve coins from there many times. He grabbed the purse, mentally apologizing to his father.

  Moving as quickly as possible, he left the bedroom and headed toward the quarters he shared with his twin. Nobody stopped him on the way and he guessed all the servants were busy in the receiving area. He hoped his brother wouldn't have too much trouble in the kitchens. This might be their only chance to stop the king's atrocious plan.

  Mind whirling, he proceeded to pack a few essentials. Their blades went into the bag, along with the purse of gold, a map, and a few items of clothing. The waters were warm in this area, but the gods only knew where they'd have to swim to get away from his father's guards. There were dangerous creatures out there, but they'd have to chance it.

  Seconds after he finished, Jaden burst in the room. He carried a bottle of sweet juice, a few algae breadsticks, and some fruit. That would have to do. They could forage easily enough once they got far enough away. Hunting would be harder since they'd have no means of cooking the fish.

  "Ready?" Jaden asked.

  Chrys nodded. He hastily packed their supplies into another bag then locked the door and blocked it with a table. Perhaps it would stall their pursuers.

  Jaden opened the window and Chrys swam to his brother's side. He swallowed nervously. Guards surrounded their small villa, and beyond the transparent dome the ocean surrounded them, silent and dark, both welcoming and gloomy. Could they even survive out there?

  His remaining hestitation dissipated when he heard his father's voice in the corridor. Jaden gasped. "Hurry. Perhaps we can sneak past the soldiers unseen."

  Chrys took a deep breath and slipped out the window, his twin following behind him. The small villa was surrounded by picturesque corals, and somehow they managed to find hiding spots and dodge the guards' vigilant gazes. Escaping through the actual gate would be impossible, but Chrys and Jaden knew of another route, through the coral garden and down into the caves beneath the villa. They'd snuck out that way before, although on those days, the guards had been less numerous. Damn the king for his cruelty.

  Chrys squeezed his twin's hand, finding comfort and strength in Jaden's presence. "We'll get out of here, brother," he whispered. "We'll escape."

  Jaden offered him a small smile and Chrys focused on their mind link. As twins, they shared a bond more powerful than any elemental magic. Together, they sent out a call to the sea creatures, asking them for aid. They waited together, hidden in a small niche of coral and occasionally taking a peak outside. Acutely aware of each second that passed, Chrys knew that soon, their father would find them.

  To Chrys's relief, their call was answered. A huge shroin whale suddenly appeared, its humongous form shadowing the small villa. Dangerous sea creatures rarely ventured into close proximity of mer homes, so the guards became alarmed.

  Chrys heard them try to reach out to the magnificent leviathan, to convince it to stand down. All mer could speak to the children of the sea. Generally, whales did not attempt to attack settlements and were quite cooperative with their people. However, Chrys and Jaden's bond with the creatures went beyond that of usual mermen. Chrys thought it was the Sea Mother's way of compensating for their lack of magic. He knew the whale wouldn't leave. She'd come to help them and, until they escaped, she would brave the danger of the mer soldiers.

  The whale let out a bellowing cry, so loud it shook the dome surrounding their home. "You're free," she said to them. "Go."

  Chrys focused on his mind link to the sea creature. "Thank you, friend," he replied.

  Together with Jaden, he snuck out of their hiding spot while the large mammal distracted the guards. They swam to the coral garden and found their way inside. Once safe, they spoke to the whale again, "Go. They will hurt you if you stay much longer."

  The whale cried out once more, making Chrys smile. "At least we'll always have the Sea Mother," Jaden whispered.

  "Yes, little brother," Chrys replied. "We'll always have her—and each other."

  Sorrow weighed on his soul as he glanced one last time to the house. He shook himself and pulled Jaden away and into the passage. It would be better this way. Their father wouldn't be forced into doing something abominable. Perhaps, with luck and the help of the Sea Mother, they'd find a way to be free of their curse.

  * * * *

  Jaden sighed as he leaned against a rock and absently nibbled on a piece of cheese. He grimaced at the taste, never having been a real fan of processed algae. Of course, such trivial things didn't matter now. They were lucky enough to even have a little bag of supplies and to have escaped their home in one piece.

  Jaden shuddered at the thought of what could have happened had they not been able to leave the mansion. The very idea of his father tutoring him made him sick to his stomach. The king must be beyond furious with their situation if such a thing had occurred to him.

  At that thought, Jaden felt a surge of shame. If the king had suggested Jaden and Chrys touch each other instead, Jaden would have gladly done it. It was sick that he even considered it, but he couldn't help it.

  He stole a guilty look at his twin, sweeping his gaze over Chrys's body, so much like his own, yet so very different. Thankfully, Chrys looked in a different direction, scanning their surroundings for any approaching intruders. Little did Chrys know that his worst enemy, the wickedest mer out of all of Atlantis, was his own twin.

  Not that
Jaden would hurt Chrys, at least not physically. If Chrys ever found out about Jaden's cravings, they'd be forced to separate, which would automatically hurt them both. Jaden would do anything to keep that from happening.

  Anyway, he knew Chrys would never look at him that way. His twin would never even consider that Jaden might want such a thing. Chrys was too wrapped up in his feelings for Aurus to think about that, a fact which made Jaden both very happy and exceedingly sad.

  Of course, Aurus was also out of Chrys's reach. If only they hadn't been separated five years ago… Jaden felt certain his twin would have, at least, broken free of this peculiar curse by now.

  His twin's voice snapped him out of his musings. "Jaden?" Chrys said. "Are you okay?"

  Jaden blinked, confused about Chrys's concerned expression. He realized he'd been so lost in thought he hadn't heard Chrys call out to him the first time. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired, I guess."

  Chrys nodded, obviously guessing Jaden's fatigue wasn't physical. Chrys leaned against Jaden, placing his head on Jaden's shoulder in a casual gesture. "I wish things were different."

  Jaden swallowed around the sudden knot in his throat. Taking a deep breath, he forced his suddenly racing heart to calm down. "Yeah," he replied. "Me too."

  Chrys had no idea how much Jaden wanted that.

  They rested a while behind the rock, and Chrys grabbed a piece of cheese as well. Jaden finished his own and spent the rest of their rest time watching his twin's lips, aching to feel them on his own and hating himself for it.

  When the time to go finally came, Jaden pushed all the sinful thoughts out of his mind. They needed to focus on finding shelter. Their father and the king's guards would be looking for them.

  "So where to?" he asked his twin.

  "I have no idea… maybe we should try one of the villages farther west."

  Jaden frowned. "That would take us close to Atlantis. Wouldn't it be risky?"

  "It's not a perfect plan," Chrys mused, "but we don't have much choice. I'm pretty sure there are patrols all over the coast. We might manage to lose them if we go that way."

  Jaden didn't know if that was the case, but Chrys did have a point. They couldn't just wait around, hoping to somehow find a miracle cure. "Okay," he told his twin. "Let's go."

  As they started on their way once again, Jaden vowed to do whatever was in his power to keep his twin safe and happy.

  Chapter Two

  Chrys swam deeper and deeper, his muscles straining as he attempted to escape. Despair pushed him forward, making him move faster than he'd ever thought possible. His brother raced by his side, body taut and tense with effort. They swept through the waters like arrows, the panic growing with each second that passed.

  Following Chrys's plan, they'd gotten too close to the capital, stupidly believing they wouldn't be spotted. They'd been half right. The patrols must've been too concerned with securing the trade routes to focus on two little mer. Bandit attacks quite often caused problems, as well as the occasional anomaly in the migrational patterns of dangerous sea creatures. Either way, the Atlantean guards completely missed Chrys and Jaden. That was the good news. The bad news nullified its value. While they hadn't run into any sharks, octopi, or jellyfish, they seemed to have stumbled on a greater danger.

  The mer patrols were right to be apprehensive. Bandits watched from the shadows, always waiting to strike. Jaden and Chrys had been unlucky enough to draw their attention. Their bags now lay abandoned somewhere behind them, and the thieves were gaining on them, so close Chrys could almost feel their repugnant touch.

  An arrow swished past, missing Chrys by inches. Chrys cursed and swam left. They moved in zigzags, but grew tired. They tried to lose their pursuers, but the bandits didn't let up.

  Finally, the thieves' aim struck true. A sickening fleshy sound echoed in Chrys's ears. For a second, it didn't quite process, but then pain engulfed him, hot and sharp. Chrys cried out. He tried to push forward, but every time he moved his tail, bolts of agony shocked through him. Blood mixed with the water around them, and finally, his body refused to cooperate.

  Jaden let out a curse and took hold of Chrys's arm, supporting him, wordlessly forbidding him from giving up. Chrys tried to obey, but it hurt too much. It would be pointless to continue and he'd just slow his twin down. The entire thing had been his idea, after all. He couldn't bear the thought Jaden would have to pay for his rashness.

  "Go, Jaden. Leave me."

  Jaden's eyes filled with tears and he shook his head. He pulled Chrys away from the clear path. They hid behind a large coral and Jaden checked on Chrys's wound.

  The arrow had embedded itself between two large, azure-colored scales. Chrys covered his mouth to choke his whimper when Jaden pulled it out. The wound would seal itself as the scales healed, but for now, it hurt like a bitch. Of course, if the bandits caught them, Chrys wouldn't have the chance to heal up.

  The loud chuckle that sounded above them didn't come as a surprise. Jaden tensed, but didn't try to flee either. It would be futile. They'd been caught.

  A tall, red-headed merman grinned at them. "Look what we have here. Two cute youngsters, just for our enjoyment."

  "Please, let us go," Jaden said. "We don't want any trouble."

  Even as Jaden spoke, Chrys knew what the thief's reply would be. "I think not," the tall merman said. The red scales of his tail flashed threateningly. "Jasper, come on. They're here."

  Another merman, one with dark orange hair, appeared from beyond the coral. He smiled at their captor. "Good job, Dialy."

  The new arrival—Jasper—swept his gaze over them. Chrys shuddered under the appraisal. He could see a dark promise in the man's eerie eyes. Jasper leaned toward them and cupped Jaden's jaw. "What a pretty thing you are," he said.

  Chrys snarled at Jasper, pushing the other merman's hand away from Jaden. "You keep your filthy fins to yourself."

  "Oh… so you like to hog all the attention. No worries. I like you both."

  Jasper lunged at Chrys, and his larger body hit Chrys hard. The thief's tail rubbed against Chrys's wound and he let out a cry of pain and disgust.

  Jasper chuckled and swept his hands over Chrys's scales. Chrys tried to move away, but the thief immobilized him with ease. Sobs echoed in Chrys's ears and he realized his twin was crying. Or maybe they both were. The other mer—Dialy—had turned his attention to Jaden, and Chrys was aware of every unwanted touch on Jaden's body the same way he felt his own abuse.

  Jasper's fingers prodded at the end of Chrys's tail and Chrys felt an unwilling bolt of pleasure sweep through him. He hated himself for responding to his abuser, but his body didn't want to obey his mind and heart. Nobody had ever touched him there. He'd tested it once or twice, curious, but the sensations had confused and scared him.

  Such touches went beyond mere tail contact. As a curious young mer, Chrys had touched his twin's tail many times. He didn't count those innocent caresses as sexual, though, and neither had dared to go too far back then. And then there had been Aurus and their stolen moments in the coral garden of the palace. But Aurus hadn't touched him in his most intimate spot, the tiny opening between the large fins of Chrys's tail. It was something kept for each mer's first time. Chrys hated this thief might be the first one to do it.

  Thankfully, Jasper didn't try to steal his way inside Chrys's body. Instead, he rubbed at the spot and whispered in Chrys's ear, "Come on, pretty thing. Shift for me."

  Stimulation through pressure or slight penetration would have caused a sexually-experienced mer to turn into his legged form. The channel beyond the small hole hid particularly sensitive nerve endings. Chrys, however, did not shift.

  He somehow found the energy to snort. "I can't," he told the bandit. "I don't know how."

  Jasper laughed. "Are you kidding me? Someone who looks like you, and at your age? Don't be ridiculous."

  "Jasper," Dialy piped up, "I think he's telling the truth."

  Chrys took advantage of the moment and pu
shed the thief away. He rushed to his brother's side and wrapped his arms around Jaden.

  "Are you okay, Jaden?" he said.

  Jaden nodded. "Chrys," he murmured, "I don't want them to touch me."

  Dialy gave Jaden a disgruntled look, but didn't comment. Jasper didn't show the same restraint. He swam to Chrys's side and gripped his arm, squeezing hard, before looking at both mer and realizing for the first time that they were twins. "Jaden. Chrys. You're the sons of Lord Malach, aren't you?" he growled.

  Chrys tensed. He considered denying it, but the thieves weren't fools. They'd already found out the truth. What would Jasper do to them now?

  "Of course," Dialy said. "No wonder they didn't attack us with their elements. They have no magic."

  "Gods…" Jasper grumbled under his breath. "I almost cursed myself." He glanced toward Chrys and Jaden once more, shaking his head. "Such a waste."

  More mer showed up from behind the corals. "Jasper?" one of them called out.

  "They're the sons of Lord Malach," Jasper said.

  Whispers of discontent swept over the gathering, clearly illustrating the mer thieves' opinion of Chrys and Jaden. "Let's just drop them in the pit," someone said. "The sharks will surely be interested in their blood."

  Death loomed. Jaden trembled against Chrys and his own fear echoed his brother's. "Look, you don't have to kill us," he said and marveled his voice didn't shake. "Maybe we can be useful. We know our way around Atlantis and the palace."

  Jasper seemed to consider Chrys's words. "So you want to live?"

  Chrys nodded. Of course he did. What kind of question was that?

  "Very well," Jasper said. "You can come with us. Maybe your talents will come in handy. But touch any of us and you'll die in a very slow and painful way."

  Chrys couldn't suppress a shudder. As Dialy pulled them up and they were surrounded by hostile mer, he wondered if they'd ever get out of this one alive.

  * * * *

  The bandits tugged Chrys and Jaden along through dark current paths avoided by the patrols. Jaden knew that any wrong movement would get them both killed. At least the curse had been useful in one respect. The two mer had not managed to take advantage of them sexually. Even those few touches Dialy had forced upon Jaden's flesh made him want to hurl.