Loved [Zianourry]

Chapter 10

"Were you having a nightmare again?" Liam murmured to me, presumably having just returned from his watch. Glancing up, I saw Zayn leaving for the next watch.
"I'm sorry." I whispered, laying back down so my back was to him.
"Sorry for what, Lou? Whatever it is, it's okay, we love y-"
"No!" With a sharp cry, I sat up, glaring at him through teary eyes. "You don't understand! This is a suicide mission, and, quite frankly, your blood is going to be on my hands when you all die! Don't tell me you love me and goddamn lie to me!" Furious, I stormed onto the deck, leaning onto the railing, hearing footsteps crossing behind me.
"Hey, Louis." Harry's voice called to me, before he came and stood next to me.
"I think I need to be alone a while." I said softly.
"And I think you need to apologise to Liam, get some sleep and let us help you." Harry replied quietly, before going back underneath deck.
Turning around, I saw Zayn with his arms around Liam as he kept watch, Liam tucked into him. It was his upset-Liam form and I frowned, walking over to them.
"Li? I'm sorry for yelling at you." My voice cracked and I swallowed nervously. Not knowing what he was thinking, I tuned into his mind.
"Have some decent courtesy." Zayn snapped as I stopped surprisedly at the mental resistance I found. "You just upset him, no need to go uninvited into his mind."
"I-I-" Realising that Zayn was right, tears built in my eyes but I forced them back. "You're right, I'm sorry."
"Don't tell it to me." Came the soft reply.
"Liam, I'm sorry for being a big-headed, selfish prat." I stood there, desperately hoping that Liam would talk to me.
"It's okay, Lou." He turned out of Zayn's embrace, wrapping me in a tight hug. "We should get some sleep."
"See you later, Zayn." Kissing Zayn's cheek, I went back to where Harry and Niall were sleeping. As I pulled the blanket over my shoulder, Liam's arm encircled my waist before he kissed the back of my neck.
"I love you, Lou."
"Love you, too, Li."
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It was day thirty-two into our journey, and we were making good progress. "I'd say we're a third of the way there, plus a little bit." Zayn said quietly as we all sat around the map, our location clearly marked out with a drawing pin.
"Keep on sailing, the-" Harry was cut off by a crash sending us flying into the side of the boat as it tipped savagely, things sliding against wooden planks to join us in an undignified heap.
"Not good." Niall gasped.
"You don't say." Liam growled, taking charge. "Harry, Niall, secure the lower floor and check for any leaks. Zayn, get this stuff pinned down. Louis, take a quick air or water check for anything suspicious. And cover my back."
"Why do I need to cover your back?" I asked apprehensively.
"I'm gonna take a dive potentially." He mumbled as he grabbed a handgun, running to the foremost point of the deck. With a heavy-hearted sigh, I twisted into a falcon, Harry and Niall quickly disappearing below deck as Zayn started to grab our things together.
A gunshot rang out, and Zayn and I looked up to see Liam switching to a long-range rifle. "Speed-boat up ahead, get below deck!"
"No chance! Niall, Harry, get your asses up here, we need you!" Zayn yelled as I took off, barrelling towards the boat Liam had seen. As I flew, gunshots started to ring out.
Pain flared across the back of my right wing and I cringed, turning around and gliding back towards our boat. When I landed, Niall touched me gently, my gunshot healing over to the point where it was safe for me to shift back. "Okay... Below deck, you're going to have to trust me on this one." Niall turned pale as more guns were fired.
"What're you doing?" Harry murmured slowly as Niall crouched at the front of the boat, placing his hands on the deck.
"This." He gasped, water surging upwards and above our heads, forming a domed shield. Niall's hands were shaking but we sailed forwards, the sea protecting us from the muffled sounds of gunfire.
"That has got to take a heck of a lot of energy." Zayn ran his hand through his hair as we watched Niall struggling at the front of the boat. "He's not going to hold up much longer."
"Well, let's take this time to lock everything down." Liam suggested.
"Louis..." Harry groaned as I slung my bow across my back and grabbed my quiver, slipping a handgun in with my arrows. "Don't, please."
"I'll be fine." Gently placing a quick kiss on his lips, I shifted into a small fish as I dove off the edge of the boat, streaking towards the edge of the water shield.
When I was by the edge of the other boat, I shifted into a robin, fluttering up onto the deck. Men sat around the edge of the boat, laughing and talking, as several snipers were shooting towards the huge water shield Niall was holding up.
"That thing won't hold up long, and we've got the people on board locked in our crossfires, captain." One person barked out. "We'll take them down in no time."
"You better do, or you'd be better off shooting yourself than handing yourself into Y and face his wraith, you fool." The growling response came as I snuck below deck, shifting back into a human and nocking an arrow as I crept around the corner.
"We've got a gap in the shield over there! They're weakening!"
"Shit." I cursed, running forwards and coming face to face with a wide-eyed child. "No, no, please, don't yell-" As they opened their mouth to scream, I slapped my hand over their mouth, pulling my gun out and pressing it to their head. "For your sake, I don't want to kill you, but I will if you don't stay quiet."
He nodded timidly, and I kept my gun aimed at their head as I slowly drew my hand back. "Where's the engine? Point only, don't think about speaking." I hissed as he opened his mouth.
"Hey!"
Spinning around, my arrow struck straight through the woman's eye, and she fell to the ground, blood spewing across the floor. The young boy behind me screamed and I sighed, grabbing my arrow and rushing forwards, slamming the door behind me.
"Intruder on deck, they're in the engine room!"
"Well, find and kill them!"
The door behind me buckled with a great force but I twisted the wheel to lock it before pointing my gun at the engine. I blew out a breath and threw one of the windows open, water gushing into the ship as I pulled the trigger.
Everything exploded.
Water surrounded me, and I clung onto my bow and quiver as I drifted through churning waves. Choking, I shifted into a shark, oxygen flooding my brain as I slowly swam back towards our boat.
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"Louis, are you okay?" Zayn murmured worriedly as he heaved me on deck. As a human, I collapsed to the ground, pain riddling my skin.
"Absolutely fine." I coughed, red trickling down the side of my face. "I'm doing just fine."
"Niall's completely out of it, he can't help." Harry inputted.
"Here, I'll carry him downstairs and we'll have to look after him the old-fashioned way." Liam scooped me up and carried me over to the hatch, carefully holding me with one arm as he descended the ladder before placing me next to an unconscious Niall in our bed.
"Ni..." Reaching out a shaking hand, I cupped Niall's cheek.
"He'll be okay." Liam pressed a kiss to my forehead before leaving.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Ni. I love you." I whispered, curling up to Niall's chest and wrapping my arms around his waist before blacking out.