Daughter of Neptune

A small loaf of bread

The Siren smiled mischievously and pulled Jason closer to her. Esme was running at the evil mermaid in only a few seconds while Hannah wondered what to do. Attack was the most obvious thing, but miss Whakapu would expect that.

What if the answer to defeat her was in the shop and she wanted to distract them. Hannah could hear Esme slashing at the mermaid's scales but not penetrating. Her eyes rapidly scanned everything around her.

Nothing could be used to help stop her, except maybe the lyre but she doubted it would be any use. Instead she charged the siren with her knife and tried to make a dent in the thick scales. Esme was right next to her and together they failed in hurting the siren.

The siren positioned Jason further from their reach and Esme growled. "Give him back."

The siren pulled back from Jason's long and passionate kiss to smirk at the girls. "Make me, your puny weapons don't damage my scales, I'm untouchable."

Esme whispered something quietly and Hannah had difficulty hearing her, but she clearly heard 'use the water'.

Hannah could feel the presence of the water in the fountain. It was like a link between her and the liquid. She imagined the water reaching upward in a pillar and she felt tingling in the pit of her stomach. She guessed that meant it was working.

The water rose taller until it was touching the ceiling. It has risen and was not slowly sliding to the siren when miss Whakapu noticed the water and lashed out with her long talon-like nails.

Hannah felt something sharp scratch her arm and opened her eyes. Miss Whakapu was now drenched in water and had blood on her nails. Hannah winced as the copper smell of blood reached her nose. On her arm was a long cut which had already started bleeding.

Esme stood next to her with sweat on her forehead, still trying to pierce the fish scales. Hannah tried to ignore her throbbing arm and instead faced the monster.

She had an idea form in her mind and quickly checked for the main obstacle. Luckily it wasn't there, the siren had no gills, which meant she would suffocate under water.

"Distract her." Whispered Hannah and imagined the water in the sirens hair and scales lift into the air and form a circle. Esme slashed the monsters arms and stomach, where the skin was unprotected by scales. She had noticed the sirens hair dry and wondered what Hannah was planning.

Hannah felt the water in the air and wanted desperately to pour it over herself, but she couldn't do that now. She focused on the water ball and positioned it just above miss Whakapu's head. She lowered it and ordered it to stay and move with the evil mermaid.

Esme looked up to the mermaids face and found it covered in a bubble of water. Smart thinking Hannah, she thought. She grabbed Jason, who watched with a look of horror, so he wouldn't try anything stupid.

Unfortunately, the siren had other ideas.

~~~~~

You get really bored when you have nothing to do, just like the time seems to drag on when you have no way of recording it. At least I have Leo to talk to. He was asleep now so I sat against the wall feeling alone.

The tapping of shoes on stone alerted me to Tom making his way towards us. He had two small loaves of bread in one hand and an empty vial in the other. He smiled wickedly when he reached the doors and unlocked my cell.

"I have a deal for you, Brianna. If you fill another vial, and let me have a kiss, you and him will get a loaf of bread each."

Why would he want my kiss? I mean; we've already shared saliva on many more that one occasion. I considered his deal and thought he wouldn't give me the bread but instead asked a question.

"And a cup of water each." Tom smiled and took a moment to think. He nodded his head and put the bread next to the door, out of my reach. He reached for his knife and stepped towards me.

He grabbed my uncut hand and drew the knife across it gently and blood droplets formed very quickly. He tilted my palm and held the vial underneath the stream of my blood. The crimson smell hit my nostrils like a punch and I winced.

You'd think I had gotten used to the smell as I have been covered in blood for at least a day, but I hadn't. I closed my eyes to try and block the image of my blood in the vial.

As I had my eyes closed, I didn't notice when Tom leant forward and gently placed his lips to mine. I didn't react at first but then he snuck through my walls I tried so hard to strengthen. I kissed back hesitantly as my 'boyfriend' was in the next cell.

I felt him place his hand on mine and grasp it in his palm. He rubbed his finger back and forth over my palm. He slipped his other hand around my shoulder and pulled me closer.

As I kissed him I wondered why he was here in this cell, kissing me gently after he betrayed me to Kronos, his father. At the thought of his dad I pushed him back and looked in his eyes.

"Why?" His black pupils sought the cold comfort of the stone floor and he ignored my question. He got up abruptly and left without saying another word. At least he left the bread there.

I shuffle towards the bread and grab the two loaves. They were no bigger than my hand but I knew we would manage. I tore a small chunk from one and laid the other on the floor of Leo's cell.

I placed the rough bread in my mouth and chewed. My thoughts went to my mother as I slowly ate the bread loaf. Did she know I was missing? This just added more unanswered questions to the pile. I pushed the thought from my mind and looked around the bare cell once more.