The Sea Witch's Revenge (ON HOLD)

Chapter Eleven

The water churns in the distance. Victoria comes to a stop and frowns. Her sisters also stop, all of them watching the strange dark cloud that approaches.

"Princess," Vivianna whispers, her voice tiny in Victoria's mind. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Victoria replies through the psychic link.

More mermaids gather behind her, pausing what they are doing as the strange, dark bubbling water gets closer.

"SWIM! GO! GET TO LAND NOW!" Her father's voice screams in their minds at the same time they realise what it is. 

Victoria sees her father, barely keeping ahead of the swarm of vicious, screaming creatures.

"Dad!" She screams out and with a powerful flick of her tail, starts swimming toward him.

"No, Lilja. Go. I love you."

A tight grip wraps around her arm just as her father is consumed by the creatures.

Victoria screams, the water pulsing around her. It is too late. The creatures twist around her father, blocking him from view completely.

His blood clouds the water, growing quickly.

Victoria pauses and sobs, her chest tightening and her stomach lurching with horror as her father's shredded limbs are thrown from the swarm. 

Her body goes completely slack and heavy sobs mix with her screams. 

"Lilja." Her mother's voice is strong. It is then that Victoria realises it is her mother who had been holding her back this whole time. Victoria looks up at her. 

Queen Talori's face is pale. Her eyes are bloodshot with unspilled tears. Yet, her jaw is clenched in determination and her expression is strong.

"Lead them to safety," the queen orders.

"What's happening, mother?" Victoria asks.

"The Sea Witch has been corrupted," is all she says.

Her aqua eyes look into Victoria's. She smiles softly and reaches out. Victoria leans into her hand as her mother gently caresses her cheek. They lean their heads against each other before her mother closes her eyes and presses a long, gentle kiss on Victoria's forehead.

"Go, Lilja," she says, her voice leaving no room for arguments.

"Come with us," Victoria pleads, her voice breaking.

Her mother smiles sadly. "I will keep them back as long as I can. Be strong, my Lilja. Lead our sisters to safety. I love you so much and I am so proud. Now, go."

Victoria whimpers, and holds her mother's hand tightly. Her heart pounds in her chest and her veins burn from fear, making her limbs shake.

"Go, Lilja," her mother orders and forces her hand from her.

Victoria gasps as her mother turns and opens her mouth. She lurches back as her mother lets out a wicked scream, making the water pulse violently. The scream is agonized, reflecting all her mother's pain after watching her mate being torn to shreds.

The creatures in direct line of the scream explode into little clouds of red instantly. There are too many, however, and it isn't long before they start circling around her mother in a vicious frenzy.

Lilja sobs, her tears clouding her vision as her mother disappears behind the wall of howling beasts.

Around them, the water lurches violently. Victoria knows it's her mother fighting, using a combination of her water control and her screams to kill as many of the vial things as she can.