“Hanan, Master.” Kosey bowed his head as if he knew respect. His grin was hidden.
“Hanan! You speak lies, and lies end up in death...” He broke off speaking in that dolphin tongue. “You! Female, come here.” The sorcerer pushed me forward.
“She’s killed two of my men, and injured one.”
“Well I am sure your men deserved it.” Minkah answered nonchalantly. “I can’t understand why Aarif keeps in contact with you Kosey…what is it he hides?” His eyes finally left my face and were set on the predator.
“He hides nothing, Master.”
“The truth will soon surface…these creatures are a sign…Female, where is my brother? Where did he take you from?”
“He and Aella didn’t take us…they saved us, your people…” Ben answered angrily.
“Aella?” Minkah repeated her name under his breath. “Aella…she…”
“Yes, Master, your love resides with Hanan, killed my men.”
He turned on his heel, dragging me with him, pushing the door to the room open—they slammed shut, hard against the stone creating a loud echo throughout the room. I yanked at my arm and he yanked harder throwing me forward. I slid on my right shoulder and stopped in front of a large throne chair carved out of dark gray stone, decorated with gold flowers. Seated there was a mer, the biggest mer I have encountered. He was beautiful, with rippling muscles from his arms, his chest all the way down to his legs. He was darker than both Hanan and Minkah, like dark chocolate, like my father. His waist length dreads swayed as he shifted from his relaxed sitting pose—the shells at the tips of his hair made a soft jingle of a noise as he moved. The fake king turned his head to stare down at me. His eyes as vibrant as the gold crown that sat on his head—twinkling, gleaming as he found my face. He slowly, adjusted and cautiously rose to his feet. Aarif…
He descended the stairs in front of his throne, eyes set on me. Like Inpu and Minkah he had a bed of shells laid on his chest, except his shells were gold. I scuffled back pushing on my palms and the heels of my feet.
“Come…to me.” His voice was like silk, and the tone was gently stringing my brain along. I had to obey. His words melted like butter over my brain. I stood up and went to him. “Where has this gift come from, Minkah? The Red Seas? Do they wish to reconsider our merging?” Aarif circled around me, and as everyone else, he focused in on my smooth legs and feet. “What is this? What sea is she from?” He knelt down and stabbed a finger at my foot. I thought to kick him, but knew that wouldn’t be the best thing to do.
“She is not a maid you shrimp! She is an earth creature.”
“Earth creature?” The Muscle became even more engrossed in me, tangling a finger around a strand of my untamed hair. “Surface creatures breathe air.” He touched my nose with a cool finger.
“She was found with Hanan.”
“Hanan?” His attention was removed and on Minkah. He stopped playing with my hair and was quickly…too quickly, in front of Minkah. “What do you mean, Hanan?” He growled. A scowl on his face as he spat his name out like the bitter taste of a lemon.
“Yes, he also had a male creature.” Ben was thrust forward, and stumbled to the ground, at my feet. I scrambled to stand up, to help him up, pushing him behind me as if I could protect him. I knew he didn’t have a chance…
Aarif took one look at Ben and said, “kill him.”
“No!” Pushing backwards.
Just then Kosey emerged from the shadows, as I was sure he was used to doing; I was never so happy to hear the devil speak, he said: “Master…before you go killing my gifts to you. I am sure you would like to present me with my reward?” An eyebrow raised; a crooked smile on his face.
“Evil receives no reward here. Have you forgotten? I know how these creatures have come to be here. Your followers attacked another beast, how else would they come to be so deep under? Do you think me a fool Kosey? I’ve done enough for you by allowing you free roam of my waters.”
“Have you forgotten? Shall I refresh your memory?” The devil countered.
There was a long silence between the two. Minkah stared between them both. Aarif didn’t look nervous; he seemed more nonchalant and bored than anything. Kosey, however gazed heavily, gripping his staff as if his balance depended on it. He raised it and slammed it against the smooth stone floor. “Do. You. Master! Need reminding?” Gritted teeth, boiling eyes.
Aarif only smiled slyly, flashing a row of white teeth.
“What is it between you two?” Minkah interfered, quickly speaking in the dolphin tongue, approaching Kosey. He reached to wrap his hand around his neck…
“Minkah, give him his reward and escort the parasite off the grounds.” Aarif turned to face his prey. Ben fought with me, trying to hide me behind him. But I was small and managed to maneuver around him each time. “What is it, Hanan wanted with you?”
“Nothing, he was taking us home.” Ben said. “That’s it.”
“How have you survived our waters?” He slowly crept towards us and we continued to move back and away.
“We don’t know. We just want to go home. We never wanted to be here.” Ben said in a composed tone. “We didn’t want to be here, your people attacked us. Let us go and we will never tell anyone about this place.”
“Of course you won’t tell…you will not have a chance to speak…” he stared at us in silence. His face told no tales, it was as solid as stone. Smooth, expressionless and controlled. “I will ask you questions, and you will give me answers. Answer without me having to force the truth and your life may be prolonged.”
“Okay.” I croaked. It was impossible to sound strong, when death was so close. I clenched my fist, and pressed down on my teeth, at least I could look the part. “What do you want to know?” Just as I spoke Minkah entered.
“I need to speak with you, Aarif.”
“Not now.”
“Now!” The floor vibrated. Minkah’s eyes were glowing bright, the brightest I’d ever seen. He was huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf.
The king yawned, and rolled his eyes. “What disturbs you now Minkah? There is always something.” Before he turned to walk away he stole a gaze from me for a long moment.
“Not before the creatures.” Minkah turned and walked out of the entrance Aarif in tow. There were no guards, they left with Minkah the first time he left and never returned.
Ben spun me around and squeezed my shoulders. “You will get out of here. Don’t fight me on this. Go through there,” he pointed to an opening off to the side. “And fight if you have to, but get out of here. Hanan, Aella, one of them will find you. Go.” He whispered hard, squeezing and shaking me as if it were necessary in order for me to follow his command.
“No.”
“Yes Eva, yes you will. We don’t have time for you to sit and argue with me. You will go and never look back. I’m positive Hanan and Aella will find you, just go…leave.” Ben pushed me hard; I tripped backward but balanced myself before I stumbled to the floor. “Now.” He whispered hard, spit flying from his mouth; tears drizzled down his red cheeks. I tried to capture this moment, this last moment. His hair wet and disheveled, hanging raggedly to his shoulders. “Eva. Go please…” His palms came together—as if he were praying—the tips of his fingertips pressed against his lips. “I’m begging you.” I walked forward and he pushed me back again, harder.
I choked on my spit, trying to control my breathing and speak at the same time, “I wont…leave you. We live together or die together. We can both go.”
“No…no. One of us has to stay to distract them. Do you understand?”
“No…” My throat was constricted, “no…I don’t understand.” My head shook uncontrollably.
“I don’t care. You have to leave. They won’t kill you. I saw the way they looked at you.”
“Then you go and I’ll st…”
“No! Can you imagine what you will go through? They want to have sex with you, Eva…sex! I can’t allow it. Now go!” H
e walked up to me, spun me again and shoved me in the direction of the other door.
“Ben…” I shuffled backward, my heart stopped, ached, bled. “Ben, please come with me. We can make it.” I whispered, “I don’t want you to die…not for me. Please?”
“Eva…go! Hurry!” I turned and ran. Salty tears trickled into my mouth. I looked back to see him staring straight ahead, his chest rising and falling fast. This was wrong. All wrong.
As soon as I passed the threshold I fell against the wall to catch my breath—tried my hardest to convince myself to leave. But I didn’t see it. I couldn’t see myself leaving him.
I sat with my back pressed against the wall—a jagged piece of stone stabbing me in my back—How could this be happening? There was only one way out, and it was in front of me. But I sat against the dead end part of the tunnel, hoping that no one rounded the corner and saw me hiding in the shadow.
I heard them as they entered the room again and watched as they approached Ben.
“Where is the female?” Aarif’s voice echoed throughout the room.
“She’s gone.”
“Gone?” Advancing closer to Ben, his large hand quickly coiled around his neck and he lifted Ben off the ground, his toes barely grazing the floor.
Ben did nothing but remain still, and only stared into Aarif’s gaze.
“I wasn’t afraid of Hanan, and…” my hero choked, “and…and I’m not afraid of you.” He whispered through a constricted passage way. It was as if the walls inhaled, holding its breath for a long, drawn out moment and then exhaled. Ben’s leg went slamming into the king’s crotch.
He keeled over, grabbing himself, head trembling. He was going to erupt like a volcano, I knew it, his anger stole over the room. He came up, slowly rising, eyes a blaze of angry hell and swung, barely missing Ben who fell to his knee’s and scrambled under the King’s legs. He turned and raised his leg, slamming his foot into Aarif’s ass. He went tumbling forward while Minkah stood by with his arms crossed over his plumped chest, with a smile on his face. I couldn’t help but giggle silently myself. Ben was brave in the most comedic way. “Benjamin…” I whispered as if saying his name would keep him alive.
“I will kill you!” Aarif gained balance and charged after Benjamin, but Minkah jumped in front of him, blocking his way to Ben.
“Brother…” he purred. “Before you kill your prey, should we question him?”
He huffed, and puffed trying to find his cool. He was hungry. His mouth would have watered had he been a hungry lion. “What information could he possibly have for us that we don’t already know?” His blazing eyes never left Ben’s and yet the prey still stood strong and fearless.
“Don’t be so quick to judge. Hanan has never been spotted and yet he was, among the nishant, seen saving these. He could have saved the whole of the creatures that fell to death, but he chose the two. There is something behind this, there was a plan. He could have easily killed the demons. Aella…” he paused, gazing off to the side, “Aella is no more weak than a great. Something is in this.”
The King straightened his stance and stared at his brother thoughtfully… “You’re right…he came here declaring his throne, revealing himself after years…but what could he want with two surface creatures?”
“I don’t know.” Minkah, arms still crossed turned to face Ben. “Speak.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about. He rescued us, kept us hidden from the…Demons and then he was going to return us home today. That’s it.”
“No.” Aarif approached him coolly, “that is not it. We can do this the hard way or the easy.”
“I. Don’t. Know. Anything but what I’ve told you. Now kill me or let me go!”
“For such a weak…creature. You remain brave and fearless against…us.” Minkah closed in on Ben. The two gods sandwiched him, leaving barely any breathing room. “Where do you gain your power? What god empowers you?”
“I do not care what god empowers him. I want to know what Hanan planned?” Aarif spat ridiculously.
“For the last time, I don’t know about any plan.” Ben said.
“Well then, death it is. But first…give me your hand.” His voiced wafted through the air like a pleasant fragrance. The strain in Ben’s face was evident as he fought to disobey the king. But he held his hand out to Aarif and he in return smiled roguish and took Ben’s pinky finger and snapped it backward.
I’d never heard him cry, I’d never heard a man cry out in pain in my life. It paralyzed my inner being, my core and I slowly crumbled face down to the floor, clawing my hands against the stone. The cold stone—I held my breath, trying to suffocate the coward in me. I needed to help him. I couldn’t just sit here and watch. He cried out again and when I was brave enough I watched as he sluggishly fell to his knees, trying to pull his hand free.
After Aarif broke all of his fingers, Ben tried crawling away but was kicked in the stomach by the king and then in the face. His neck twisted around so fast I thought it snapped. One of his teeth slid across the room floor and past the threshold stopping at my hand. With trembling fingers, I reached for the tooth and glanced at him, he still lived, though he stared dazedly. I didn’t think he was there anymore, he seemed distant. Forlorn. Maybe he escaped his mind to go through with this.
I poked my head out further…tears streaming—mouthing I’m sorry. He was gonna die in vain if I didn’t leave. But I couldn’t, I couldn’t leave yet. I just kept praying for that non-existent miracle to come.
He finally came to and I stared at him, as he stared at me, saying his last good bye, his last farewell. His eyes no longer bright blue—only void and dead. I would always remember, I thought pressing my fingertips against my lips as the tears fell, faster. His warm olive skin and dark hair, his Greek god stature. But he was no god among them, among these cold heartless creatures who held real power, live power. The two who bear the most, watched gleefully. Ben glanced slightly their way and then back at me, reassuring me with a quick nod and then clumsily, he pushed his self onto his feet. Wobbling like a child, who’d discovered the purpose of their legs. He stumbled forward, tripping around and with his good hand, he punched the smaller god and spat in the others face. While he fought terribly, keeping them distracted, I should have been running…I didn’t, I just watched in terror, in the thick of fear as he fought to spare me…my life, because…it was him or me and he chose him. He nodded his head, giving me the sign, to move. I couldn’t, I was immobile, how could I be so selfish, how could I let him sacrifice his life for mine? But what could I do? We were two humans against sea gods. We were weak…
Hanan and Aella would come for us, but not soon enough. I had to do something, anything that would spare Ben’s life, anything that would save us both! God, I thought, God, please…anything, I begged! And then the thought hit me, I knew what I could do, or say to Aarif and Minkah. They didn’t know why Hanan kept us, but I did. Ben didn’t know either, but I knew this secret, this information would save us both, or buy us time. I had to do this…now.
As Minkah struck Ben, his neck twisted around again and my heart sank as his dead eyes gazed at me. Blood sprayed, like paint into the air and fell, sprinkling around Ben’s crumbled body. He couldn’t fight anymore, one more hit from them and he was dead. Aarif, tall, dark and muscular bent and grabbed a handful of Ben’s hair and lifted him. That was my cue. And as I stepped from around the stone, from the darkness, into the light, I remembered the small dagger tucked behind me and reached for it. Still concealing it behind me.
Lazily, Ben shook his head, choking on blood and words, disagreeing with my actions. And as I took the next step, they all froze…
“Stop!” My voice cracked, bouncing of the jagged walls of rock. “Let him live and I will tell you why Hanan saved us.” I tried for a powerful tone, but failed. The two gods stared at me, I couldn’t read their expressions; I could only tell who was the eviller of the two. Aarif.
“Come. Here, female.” My body reac
ted to his command, his authority and I went…
How did I get here?
Chapter 27
I watched as Aarif tortured Ben. I felt his pain; I did what I could to reach his mind, to ease his suffering. His pain was so great, I do not know if my thoughts touched his. As much as I hated him, I did not ever think to do something so cruel to him. Wherever Eva was, I was glad that she did not have to suffer the agony of this. Where was Eva?
I knew Aarif all too well; he would not kill her until…
“Stop!” Her voice broke in the releasing of her word. I couldn’t see her, but I knew she was afraid. I didn’t think I could wait for Aella any longer. I would just do what I could to distract them until she arrived. Rashidi was to lead her through the tunnel that also led to the throne room, where I hoped Eva was.
I emerged from the crack in the rock, raised Enya and willed her at Aarif’s neck. As he was busy trying to understand the triton in his neck, Eva ran forward to Ben dragging him out of the way. I ripped the guard’s neck from his body and threw his head at Minkah who spotted it before the head made it to him, shooting energy at me—it grazed my shoulder, slightly knocking me off balance. I returned the release of my power, though I missed.
“Enough!” Blood oozed from his neck. “Enough!” His energy was released towards me non-stop. I bounced off walls to dodge it and then landed behind the throne. The seat shattered into pieces and I saw Aella, slowly carrying and leading Ben and Eva to safety. Rashidi had come through. Now to show death another soul besides my own. “I will do away with you. Die Hanan!”
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