Under the Sea *Book One* Water Trilogy

~Twenty Eight~

Finn's P.O.V

Our small army hid in a deep trench on the outer edge of the city. We didn't have many merpeople but we had to appreciate that we had anyone at all. I looked up to see the shape of a pontoon boat with Audrey waiting to provide help.

"Why does it look so empty?" I asked my mother. It wasn't just empty. It was practically deserted.

"Meri's execution. It must be happening today and they have been forced to gather in the square to watch. We must hurry."

We swam slowly through the city to the square. I looked down from hiding to see my little sister, Meri, tied to an anchor with a rope by her tail. My rage bubbled over and my face heated. I could see Nahla and my ex-best friend making their way towards her through the crowd looking pleased, their crowns placed neatly on their heads, while nearly every other merperson looked the opposite. I could hear someone crying in the distance.

Meri struggled against her bonds behind her back and the one at her tail as she tried to squirm out of their holed. Her hair was raised like a flag, rising and falling in the current, a banner of glittering silver. Nahla swam around her like a killer whale hunting a seal, waiting for the perfect time to strike. She turned towards the crowd with a sickening grin plastered on her face.

"We have come here today," her voice carried all the way to me. "To see false leading royalty disposed of. Your true Queen shall take her place. I will take her place."

The crowd was silent as Nahla swam around them, eyeing them with a murderess expression, almost daring them to stop her. She continued to speak, but I did not hear it. I could only focus on my little sister.

"I have an idea," my plan wasn't perfect but it was better than watching Meri die.

I watched in the trench as my true people went to battle, taking Nahla by surprise, yet she was still prepared. Men, women, the old queen herself, and random merpeople took to attacking Nahla and her subjects. There was so much chaos, so much blood, and I knew the sharks would come and they wouldn't have a side to pick. The sharks would kill for food and they wouldn't care if they were eating the traitors of Atlantica or the merpeople fighting to save it.

I felt like a coward as I hid in the trench and made my way around the outer city. I swam between coral buildings and large rocks, trying to keep out of sight. My mission was to free Meri who was in the center of the square, tied up and gaged, in the middle of all the action.

My heart pounded as I held my sword. I looked down at the shark tooth held around my neck by seaweed. Next to it hung my mother's ring and I promised myself I would live through this so, when the time was right, I could give it to Audrey.

I darted into the center of the chaotic square. "Meri! Meri, I'm coming!" I yelled for my sister as I dodged and weaved through the deadly crowed. I reached her in enough time to grab her and pull her down as a sword swung at her neck. The merman's eyes widened and I yanked out the sword that had plunged deep into his stomach, my sword. I killed him and I hadn't even thought about it.

I cut the binds holding her hands behind her back. She ripped away the sea weed that had been gaging her as I got to work on the thickly woven sea weed wrapped securely around her tail.

"Finn," a cool voice said from a distance. I looked up to see the face of Alamar, his features looking sharp and deadly, a few feet away. In his hands he held a harpoon. "Come to save the day?" His eyebrows rose mockingly right along with his weapon. I didn't understand how we could have been childhood friends and an enemy the next.

"No!" Meri screamed as Alamar took aim. Time slowed as he shot his harpoon. She grabbed my arm and yanked me. She wasn't fast enough.

I looked down at my side, just below my ribs, to see blood streaming and being carried away in the current. Alamar's laughter filled my ears as I looked around. Everything was going in slow motion. Merpeople were fighting and I watched as several were killed before my eyes in a matter of seconds. I pulled away from Meri as she tried to drag me away, I gripped my sword, gathered my strength, and lunged. My blade connected with Alamar and his insane laughter stopped. His mouth dropped open as his mind registered that I had stabbed him. I ripped out the sword in horror and more blood filled the water. Alamar let you an evil sounding snicker before attempting to stuttered something hateful before his eyes rolled up in his head and his body started floating up.

The friend I had had since I was a young boy had died by my hand. I struggled to remind myself that he tried to kill me first. Meri was speaking but I couldn't hear what she was saying. Somewhere in the distance my mother's voice echoed. I hoped she was alright.

Audrey's P.O.V

I paced impatiently in the boat for someone to bring, hopefully uninjured, Meri. The sun was disappearing behind darkening clouds and thunder rumbled far away. It was more nerve wracking by the minute the longer I waited. The worst feeling in the world was knowing that the people you loved were in trouble and it was impossible to help them. For most, you could say it's not impossible more of you "can't" or didn't truly "want to"; but, for me I literally couldn't help them. Unless I grew a tail and had gills secretly hidden behind my ears and that wasn't possible.

A splash on the side of the boat made me jump.

"Finn?" I said, running over. I looked down to see Meri with Finn, struggling to hold him. "What happened?"

I reached down and pulled Finn into the boat.

"He needs medical treatment," Meri gasped as she clung to the side. Her silver hair stuck to her forehead and cascaded into the boat. "I swam as fast as I could. He's bleeding from the side. Spear gun."

I kneeled down next to Finn and examined the area below his ribs. A deep cut on his side was losing blood and it was flowing fast. I ran over to a box of first aid kit I had brought. It was filled with hospital supplies that I had filled it with. I threw it on the ground next to him, supplies going left and right. I wasn't a fan of blood and it often made me feel sick to see it but I couldn't let Finn die.

I cleaned the area. The thought of stitching him up was sickening as I threaded the needle. I hesitated.

"Please, Audrey." Meri pleaded. "You have to save him. I have to go help my mother."

Meri disappeared before I could tell her to wait.

"Oh my god," I whispered. "Finn, I'm so sorry." I fought the urge to close my eyes as made one stitch and then another. The skin around the wound was burning to the touch. His breathing was ragged. Half way through the wound being closed his eyes flew open and he let out a scream of pain. He gripped my shirt, pulling me down near his face.

"A-Audrey?" he said, sounding almost like he wasn't expecting the person to be causing him pain to be me. His eyes rolled back and his head dropped back to the floor.

"Finn? Finn!" I checked his pulse, feeling relieved when I felt the familiar heart beat beneath my fingertips. I stitched his wound up and pulled it tight until the red liquid stopped flowing out of his side. I grabbed a bottle of water and a cloth to clean it up. I looked down and let out a shriek.

Somewhere between Finn coming out of the water and me giving him medical attention, his body had decided to change into human form. Let's just say mermen tails don't turn into pants. I quickly covered his bottom half with a towel before finishing up, my face flaming bright red and I was glad that he wouldn't have to know that I saw him naked while he was unconscious.