Chapter 14 – Keto
KETO
“Don’t hurt him,” I tell the gargoyles, then turn back to my creature.
Even from our camp on the island, I’d felt its mind reaching out for me. I’d felt its fear so deeply within my soul that it’d set me in a panic.
“What is it, Haskul?” I ask my Hydra.
In my mind I hear its answer; it’s been searching for me since the battle with the mermaid-hunters. And then it heard of my death.
“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I’m all right.”
One of its heads lean down, and Clark leaps onto its neck.
“No!” I shout.
Haskul roars and bucks Clark from his back. The hyrdra’s second head darts out and it chomps down on Clark. The gargoyle dangles from my creature’s mouth, and a scream tears from my throat.
“No, don’t! Please!”
My creature is trying to eat him. But the stone man can’t be bitten or swallowed whole. At last, my Hydra spits him out, and he goes tumbling into the sea.
Suddenly, the other three gargoyles are on my creature. Punching, lashing out. The little hydra makes a sound, a crying that hurts me down to my soul.
I know tears are streaming down my face. None of them understand. The gargoyles think he’s trying to hurt me, and he thinks they’re attacking us.
If I can’t stop this soon, someone’s going to get seriously hurt. Or even die.
Calling the waves to me, they pull back further and further from the shore, then come crashing back, smashing into the battling males. The gargoyles go flying off my hydra and I leap forward.
The gargoyles are scattered on the beach, and Haskul is struggling against the waves.
“Stop it right this minute!” I shout.
My hydra makes a sad whine.
The gargoyles leap to their feet.
I move yet again to stand between them, my arms raised. “I’m a fucking mermaid! Do you really think there’s a sea creature alive that can harm me?”
They all freeze, looking from me to my hydra.
Turning my back to them, I coo at my creature as his heads lower once more. His eyes never leave the gargoyles. I pet his heads and he purrs as I gently study his bruises from the gargoyles.
There are so many of them.
My teeth clench, and I whirl toward them. “What were you thinking?”
Clark snarls back. “It’s a monster!”
Just the word enrages me, and I advance on him. “Explain to me exactly what the difference is between a monster and a sea creature?”
Anger flashes in his eyes. “I’ve never heard of a dolphin destroying boats and eating people, have you? But that… that’s a fucking hydra!”
I roll my eyes. “He’s a baby. He was scared the sea dragons had killed me. He sensed me near, but couldn’t reach me on the island.”
Some of the anger dims in Clark’s eyes. “Maybe next time say that before you just take off.”
“Well, how was I supposed to know you’d come after me?”
Max speaks, breaking into our argument. “We thought something was wrong.”
My pulse starts to slow. “Just… don’t ever hurt any of my creatures again. They’re good, sweet beasts. I’m not scared of them. They’d never hurt me. I'm scared of men, mermaids, dragons… beings that know how to destroy without mercy.”
Something changes in the air, and I turn away, ashamed to feel tears in my eyes.
My hydra bumps his head against me, and I reach out stroking his smooth scaled flesh, reassuring him. “I’m fine, my sweetie. But no one can know I still live, understand?”
He makes it clear. Many of my creatures are scared. They worry what my brother will do to them without my protection. There's something else going on, something they don’t understand.
“I’ll figure it out,” I promise him. “And I’ll keep you safe.”
We remain a little longer, with me stroking both his heads, reassuring him, and trying to ease his injuries from the battle with the gargoyles.
At last, his hunger wars with his desire to be in my company. I laugh. “Go, I’m fine.”
He doesn’t trust the gargoyles.
“They’re good,” I tell him. “They thought you were dangerous.”
He likes the idea that they thought he was a big, tough creature, but he hasn’t quite forgiven them yet. Sliding back into the water, he gives me one last look and disappears.
At last, I turn back to the gargoyles. They’re all watching me.
Fear spikes into my heart. They just saw me with a sea monster. Will they realize who I am?
I take a step back. Maybe I should run.
Steven sighs and rubs his head. “I think there’s a story here, but I’m too damned tired to hear it right now. Anyone want to head to bed and discuss it in the morning?”
I nod, my heart still pounding. “That sounds lovely.”
We head back to camp, and I watch them as subtly as I can. Are they suspicious? None of them are looking at me strangely, but maybe they’re waiting for their chance to attack.
By the time we reach our tent, my nerves have started to calm. They haven’t figured out the truth, but by tomorrow, I’ll have to come up with a way to explain it all.
Yawning, Max opens the tent flap, and I crawl in. The guys stay outside a little longer, cleaning up dinner, and I think maybe taking a dip in the lake.
It's been a long day, and I'm tired. I strip off my shirt and snuggle beneath the covers. I know it’d be smarter to try to seduce them, but I just don’t have the energy for it. Tomorrow will be good. Tomorrow I’ll seduce them again.