Battlefield

Chapter 2

I gasped as my eyes flew open, scanning my surroundings. Had I fallen asleep? A steady throbbing had begun around my temple; I winced as I slowly sat up. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was bone-dry. We were in our bedroom, the windows open to let fresh water in.

Before I could so much as grab my notepad, a hand landed on my shoulder, worried green eyes meeting mine. Seeing Jay made Brandon's demand all the more real.

What happened? We were worried. His hands shook as he signed.

My eyes filled with tears as I looked at him. He took my hand, rubbing his thumb over it. Please don't be angry with me. My own hands shook, the anger, stress, and fear coming out in waves of tears..

He shook his head, kissing my cheek. I could never be angry with you.

For the first time since we'd been married, I doubted his words. A few tears spilled down my cheeks as I took a deep breath and dove in. Brandon was in my nightmare when I was unconscious. I tried to get away, but he spoke before I could. He... he told me that he was going to kill you and your family and that I was going to help him.

My hands shook uncontrollably as I finished and placed them in my lap. I stared at them, unable to meet Jay's gaze. A sob broke from my lips, my shoulders shaking as I cried and covered my face with my hands.

I flinched as I felt a hand on my face, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. You don't have to deal with this alone. I'm with you. Always.

Some of the sadness eased at his words. Before I could so much as raise my hands, the door to our rooms suddenly banged open. A mermaid and a merman swam in, their faces drawn and weary. Bella had tears in her eyes, and David's normally dark skin was pale and tight. The world slammed to a halt as we looked at one another.

Brandon and Naia have barricaded Nepptheas, trapping all the citizens within its border. They are going to kill a citizen every hour unless their demand is met. David's face was expressionless as he signed. The graveness with which he signed told me he knew exactly what demand Brandon was referring to.

All the water disappeared from my lungs as Jay grabbed my hand. I'm so sorry, Rissa.

I shakily rose and swam to the front door, intending to go for a swim and clear my head. Before I so much as put my hand on the knob, however, the door burst open. A figure appeared in the doorway, filling me with fear. Like they had when we'd first met, David and Jay swam in front of Bella and me, shielding us.

A merman around Tiger Shark's age, black-haired and brown-eyed, swam in. Said eyes were currently darting between David and Jay, as if he could see through them to Bella. I could feel Bella tense beside me as I subtly grabbed her hand, squeezing it.

David's eyes blazed with anger. Jay's own eyes were wide, shock on his face. Obviously he hadn't heard the story about their past.

Fast as lightning, the merman pushed past David and Jay, grabbing me by the hair. I whimpered, squeezing my eyes shut. "Your father told me about you. I wish he could see you now. What a disappointment you've become." His breath was hot against my ear. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but fear coursed through my veins nonetheless.

I could feel the eyes of the others on us, see the fear on their faces. Jay had a dagger in each hand, his grip white-knuckled on the hilts. Bella's face was still pale, her grey eyes wide with fear. David's eyes darted between the merman and me, hesitation and fury on his face. I knew they wanted to interfere, but I also knew that one wrong move would doom me.

When he grabbed my shoulder, I barely had time to scream. Blinding, stabbing pain coursed through my veins as I struggled to remain conscious. I hadn't felt pain like this in a long time and my body was not reacting well. Suddenly, without any warning, he released me again. I collapsed into Jay's arms, eyes clenched shut, shuddering in pain.

David had barreled into him, causing him to lose his grip and stumble backwards. We took that as our opportunity to swim away. Heading straight for our bedroom, propped between Jay and Bella, I was only half-conscious now, my head lolling on my shoulder. The last thing I was aware of before the pain took over was the feeling of Jay's hand in mine.

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