A Mermaid's Cry

Chapter 43-True Power

When I was young, father warned me of the price of power. "Power corrupts even the ones who have merely tasted it," he would say, when he first taught me the Siren's Call. "And remember my little shark, this power we have will dull your senses, and infect your mind with the need to control. Making you vulnerable to all that would wish you harm."

Those same words from long ago, echo in my head as Norzem takes the knife from my hand, just as a blur of red barrels straight into my body.
The heady rush fizzing in my veins, snaps like a flimsy vine, letting shouting voices and spine chilling shrieks bombared my ears. While someone shakes me, grasping my shoulders with familiar hands. Making the straw hat on my head fall to the ground, releasing the torrent of blood red locks I had hidden. Till now.

"Rinthy snap out of it!" The voice of my brother hollers at me as my vision slowly stills, and settles onto the face of my precious sibling.
"Lucas," I whisper, reaching out a trembling hand and running my fingers along his cheek dotted with a fresh black bruise.

"Oh, my little warrior," I gasp, swiftly wrapping my arms around him and crushing him against my chest. "I got you, I got you." Instinctively, I rock back and forth as my brother starts to shake and grabs on to my soon tear stained chemise. However, our moment is shattered when the door bursts open. Forcing me back to reality as six human men with long guns and blue coats, aim their weapons at Norzem, his accomplice, and to my utter horror, Lucas.

"All right you three," the older of the six barks, brandishing a silver hued pistol at his side. "Back away from that creature if you know what's good for you."

Norzem sneers, dropping the knife as the burly man and him move towards the wall with their hands raised high. "I would suggest Captain that you keep the lad where he is," the malicious brute says, smiling with malice at my brother huddled in my arms. "As you can see, they both bear the mark of Taranus, and I know for a fact the lad is as dangerous as the girl."

"You pig," I hiss, gently unwrapping Lucas from my body and slowly bringing myself to my feet. "Your the real danger here, you and your men who took my brother. Who hurt him, beat him, and paraded him around like a prized animal!"

Rough hands grab hold of arms, grounding me as my back is pressed into the warm confines of a familiar hard chest. Ares's chest. The expanse of muscle pressing through the layers of cloth to touch my skin. Surrounding me in the smell of musk, brine, and the bitter scent of ale on his breath.

"Be at ease treasure," Ares whispers in my ear, wrapping an arm around my waist. Tightening his hold on me, as the eyes of the armed humans grow wide as sand dollars. "They wouldn't dare shoot with me near you."

As if to add weight to his words, the leader of the humans puts away his pistol with a wary look on his ebony dark face. "You know this, woman?" the leader questions, narrowing his eyes at me in anger.

"Yes Captain Odessa, I do," Ares replies, releasing me and stepping in front of my body as Lucas returns to my side. "This is Corintha my betrothed, and that mad man over there kidnapped the lad. Who also happens to be her younger brother, and she has been sick with worry after seeing him dragged away almost a week ago."

Captain Odessa eyes me skeptically, as if determining the value of Ares's somewhat irritating declaration. "You are aware of the display she has caused?" he asks, looking around the room with an aura of cold assessment that chills my skin.

Unbiddenly, I follow his gaze finding all the humans looking back at me with anger, fear, and wonder. The later making me feel like a prized ornament on display. "And who are they?" Captain Odessa questions, setting his sights on Zola and Octavia leaning against the bar, while Adila and Arcus have busied themselves with checking over the bar's owner.

"Well to start Captain," Ares begins, rubbing his chin with an easy grin slithering onto his face. "You know Zola of course, and I promise you we will not be around long enough for him to stir up anymore trouble."

Captain Odessa furrows his brow at the mere mention of Zola's name. Seems he must not be the all good Mer Octavia believes him to be.
"What of the other three?" the human questions, as his men begin to lead Norzem and his crewman out the door.

"The girl helping Marvin is Zola's cousin Adila, the other girl is Octavia a distant relative of mine, and the surly looking lad with Adila is my betrothed's cousin Arcus." A satisfied smirk plasters itself on Ares's face from his pretentious introduction. However, it does little to curb the frown still engraved into Captain Odessa's face.

"I see," the human begins, clasping his hands behind his back as Norzem shuffles outside. "However, you will need to come with me. There are many questions that must be answered, before any of you may have free reign of this port."

The bearded hunter turns back just as Captain Odessa finishes, sending me and Lucas a cold wolf-like smile that makes me bare my teeth at him warning. The bastard laughs, hollow as a drum and sickening enough to make my stomach twist.

"I dare you little bitch to gut me with those fangs," he sneers, even as one of the uniformed humans places a hand on his shoulder. "But I highly doubt you'll get far enough, without your master to hold onto your leash."

"Breath one more word against her and I'll gut you myself," Ares growls, sliding his body in front of me. As if to guard me against all the demonic filth this hunter can spew. "She is her own master you dog. No man will ever be above her, no man shall lest he wishes to deal with me."

I couldn't see what appeared on Ares's face as he stared down my brother's kidnapper. But it must have been something horrific enough, for Norzem to turn white as a sheet and barrel out into the crowded road.