The Merman and the Prince

Chapter 32

I smiled in my sleep as I felt lips on the back of my neck and snuggled back into Akashi's embrace. The bed was warm and so was his body behind him. He pulled my close and his lips trailed to my ear where he nibbled on it. I didn't want to wake up, I had a feeling in the back of my mind, a dark thought but I ignored it, simply enjoying Akashi's warmth. His hand roved down to stroke the spot where my tail met flesh. Wait, tail? My eyes sprung open and I was greeted with a room I didn't know. I shoved the hand off me and rolled off the bed with a cry as my bruised tail slammed down beside me. Nash leant on his elbow as he looked down at me.

"That was silly pet, now you've gone and hurt yourself."

I glared at him and rubbed the spot he his kissed, feeling my stomach flip with disgust. His eyes flashed with anger and I flinched as he stood up, grabbing my arm and forcing my back onto the bed. Tears of pain sprung to my eyes as my tail banged against the bed frame. I couldn't move it, the pain was too much. Nash straddled me, holding my arms above my head. I turned my own face away, closing my eyes as he bent down to lick my neck.

"So beautiful."

I kept my eyes closed and imagined I was somewhere else as he proceeded to kiss and nibble on my neck, his other hand roving over my chest. After a while he stood up, leaving me curled up in the bed as he hummed to himself, getting changed while I kept my eyes closed and turned away from him. He didn't speak as he lifted me up and carried me, bridal style back to my prison, dumping me in the small tub and putting the shackle back on my bruised wrist. I allowed him to, not even flinching as he kissed me. I didn't want any more pain. When he left me I laid back and closed my eyes, letting the cool water sooth my bruised body.

I smelt the food before I heard Momoi, a tray of breakfast in her hands. I devoured it while she talked to me about her good childhood memories of the island of Teiko and the different merfolk she had met. It helped us both forget about the horror that ruled our lives now. She left and returned a few minutes later with some books for me to read. Nash wouldn't be around, he had work to do so I was safe until tonight. She didn't know what he had planned for me but I could see the worry in her kind eyes.

"Can you really change at will?"

It was lunch time and I had just finished the fruit she had brought me. I nodded.

"Then why don't you change and run away?"

"I can't," I lifted my wrist and her eyes were drawn to the rattle of the chain attached to my wrist.

"That and my legs will be in no better shape than this."

We both looked down at my bruised and battered tail. My quick healing had seen to most of the small bruises but the fins and some of the larger bruises were still there and it was still too painful to move.

"I could barely hobble out of here, let alone run away."

She bit her nails as she sunk deep in thought and I returned to one of the books she had leant me.

"We could do it."

I looked up again when she muttered.

"Do what?"

"I could get you out of here."

"I just said"-

"Not now. If you play along and he doesn't hurt you too much when your tail is healed I will swipe the keys and get you out of here. If the prince will come for you like he says he will then we time the escape when I hear word and I can get you to him."

"You told me it was impossible to escape."

"To escape the island. There is no ships that set sail from here unless inspected by someone from the Jabberwock but I could get us out of this compound and into the forest where we could make our way to the ocean and to Akashi."