The Last Goddess

Chapter Ninety-Nine: Grappling

Aryan

I felt her moment of panic before she collapsed in the turquoise sand behind me. "Shit," I swore, turning her around and carefully wiping the sand off her face. Her eyebrows pulled together like she was puzzled or concerned. As my thumb rubbed against her cheek and neared her lips, I couldn't help but remember my own surprising behavior just moments before.

That was stupid of me. I told myself, but a tiny, miniscule voice whispered back, Was it? I've been grappling back and forth with this contract. With my feelings for Samara. We've returned two goddesses now, and something in our contract has shifted. Lessened in a way I can't quite explain, but my feelings... the thought of keeping her safe... staying by her side even when the contract is over. Those thoughts don't disgust me in a way that might have before.

I sighed, but smiled down at my goddess, carefully lifting her up and throwing her over my shoulder. "Wake up soon, Samara." I said, continuing towards the center of the Pastel Desert.

Samara

The cobblestone turned to sand as I faced the beach. The sun was setting, the waves crashed against the shore peacefully, and instantly I recognized my surroundings. Laurels.

Most of the citizens were walking back towards the city, but one woman sat in the sand. Her knees were pressed against her chest, and the waves just missed covering her toes. As I got closer, I realized her long platinum blond hair—tinged cerulean blue at the ends—were identical to the tights and spaghetti strapped crop top she wore. I sat next to her. Her dark brown skin glistened slightly, and tears were falling down her chocolate brown eyes, but she didn't say a word. Didn't even whimper.

Just before the sun's final rays were to disappear, she stood, walking towards the ocean. As soon as she entered the water, a soft light that would never have been noticeable during the day, shone off her. And her tights morphed into beautiful scales. Her fin flickered in the last rays before sinking below the surface.

I felt the need to follow her but couldn't. Just as quickly as I had arrived, I found my world literally turned upside down. The sky was on the ground and the Pastel Desert above. I was dangling upside down, Aryan's warm hand securely on my waist.

I squirmed a bit, making him slow down just enough to set me on the shifting ground. "You good?" he asked, making me squint to look at him in the bright afternoon sun.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I think my vision was about a mermaid."

"Was she in trouble?" he asked, walking beside me as we made it move forward.

"I'm not sure." I frowned. "She was crying, but... I don't know why."

Aryan chuckled darkly. "Well, knowing you, we'll be finding out soon enough."

"I suppose that's true." I turned away from Aryan, my hand blocking the sun to look ahead, but when I did, a light flickered briefly in my hand, making me think of the mermaid. "Are we any closer to the Oasis?"

"Looks like you're in luck." He smirked, pointing ahead at what looked like a small sand dune.