We Breathe Water, You Breathe Lies

Page 11

       Elara seized one of the pirates, dragging him into the depths with a powerful kick of her tail. The saltwater enveloped them as she sank her fangs into his body, drinking deeply from his lifeblood. The warmth flooded her, a surge of energy that coursed through her veins like wildfire. Power rushed into her, igniting every nerve ending, amplifying her strength and speed.

With a fierce determination, she burst from the water, her tail propelling her toward the deck of the cruise ship. She landed with a splash, her tail flicking back to allow her arms to take over. Her muscles strained with every movement, but they were strong and built for this—fast and deadly.

The terrified pirates froze, eyes wide with shock as Elara approached. Panic set in, and they scrambled to reach for their guns, fear transforming them into clumsy caricatures of their former bravado. But Elara was quicker.

Spotting the closest pirate, she locked her gaze on him, her eyes shimmering with a hypnotic glow. As he stared into her depths, a look of confusion twisted his features, but it quickly morphed into something far more sinister. With a dazed smile, he turned the gun on his friend, the blast ringing out with an echo that mingled with the chaos around them.

"I love you," he murmured, the madness in his eyes only making Elara's heart race faster. "I'd do anything for you—"

But the bullet tore through his skull, cutting off his confession mid-sentence, splattering blood and brains across the deck as he collapsed to the ground. Elara felt a twisted satisfaction at the sight, but there was no time to linger on it.

The other mermaid was a whirlwind of fury on the opposite side of the ship. Her powerful tail sliced through the air, striking pirates with the force of a hammer. Each swing sent bodies tumbling, and the pirates were no match for her strength. Her scales shimmered in the dim light, hardening like armor against the frantic gunfire that erupted around her. Bullets ricocheted off her skin as she charged forward, leaving a trail of carnage in her wake.

"Stay focused!" Elara shouted, her voice cutting through the cacophony.

"Already on it!" the other mermaid replied, her eyes fierce as she dealt with yet another pirate, her movements fluid and deadly. With every strike of her tail, she made a mockery of their attempts to fight back, her skin impervious to the chaos that surrounded them.

Elara felt the exhilaration of the fight pulsing through her. This was their moment, a reckoning that had been long overdue. Together, they would reclaim their power and protect their kind from the threats that lurked above the waves.