Swim Away (Mermaid)

Chapter Fifty-Nine

I turned my head as light started to glow out from Trina's hand. It was blinding so I kept my eyes closed, accepting every ounce of magic that was directed at me. I had no energy left in me to fight back. Noah was suffering from destroying his own sword and Asher just woke up from being possessed. (I knew it was Asher from the look in his eyes, they were brighter than when Luka took over).

"Lara!" I heard Noah yell one last time.

I was waiting for something to happen. Death was hard to picture, but I expected something. My existence burning away or to be frozen completely and lose all my thoughts. Something to make it feel like I wasn't alive anymore. But that moment never came. 

Slowly, I could feel the chill running up my back. I was too afraid to open my eyes and see what happened or what could soon happen if it wasn't as quick as I thought. 

Everyone was silent. There were no movements, no words, not even the sound of the ice that was moving toward my heart. Dead silent. Probably shouldn't have thought of it that way considering the situation I was in. 

The bright glow that Trina had against me faded away. Still I had no courage to see if something had changed. 

"Lara," I heard Asher say, softly. "Lara, it's okay." I felt a hand on my arm trying to lift me up from the floor. I fought with myself to finally open my eyes and look at the boy in front of me; ash blond hair and light gray eyes that were staring into my gray ones. "You're okay." 

I looked past him to see a few of the Guardians holding their swords. They were back to their original form, which prompted me to look at my body. The ice that surrounded my body was no longer attached to me. 

"What happened?" not believing what I was seeing. My body should've been frozen, but the opposite happened. I held onto Asher tighter and he did the same to me as I looked up at him. His eyes said everything, but I needed to hear the words. 

"You're okay," he repeated, though I didn't understand why. "Dry off your tail, so that you can stand again." 

I nodded, using the chant that relieved me of my tail and brought my legs back. It felt like I had my fins forever once I stood on two legs. I didn't let go of Asher just yet, thinking I would fall if I didn't hold on. When I came face to face with him, he didn't look so good. He released me when I stopped holding onto him. 

Before I could get my footing, Trina grabbed my arm and pulled me in her direction. She tightened her grip, shooting pain through my arm. Her skin seemed to be made of her magic and it was numbing where she touched. 

"You have one year to prove you're nothing like your creator. If you fail, you will return here without hesitation and surrender yourself for the safety of all the merpeople. If you succeed, we will take you in as one of our own, but not without consequence. The dark magic is a permanent threat and we will try to eliminate it." Trina released me, and I backed away from her. "Now, get out of my sight." 

"Wait!" I shouted without thinking. "Why did you let me go?" 

"I wouldn't question it," Asher whispered, standing beside me. 

"No, I have to know. It doesn't make sense to me," I whispered back. 

"I will inform you in one year," she replied with such an intense stare I could feel her looking into my soul. That was the last thing I heard before she disappeared through a ripple. 

"What?!" I said, mouth gaped. She was so ready to rid of me. Even with the help of everyone here who tried to save me, there was no way she could've changed her mind so easily. Trina was hellbent on locking me away like the mermaids of the past did to Amara.