Merfolks ⚢

Chapter 33 Beacon

KAYLOR

Calliana had died.

I had not felt so lifeless since the incident years ago and possibly this aching was even harder to take, because I was more mature now. I saw the world differently and understood things that as a child I had missed or simply ignored because my mind had not been ready to perceive the reality around me.

I had touched my lover's hand, held her in my embrace, had watched the light leaving her eyes, had heard her muttering the last words, And then the hand had stopped trembling, Calliana's eyes never closed but I knew the life was gone and her mouth did not open again.

She had died too young, too unexpected, too little heroic than she would have deserved on account of her greatness.

"She has fallen!" Mr. Ainsley laughed, victoriously. His voice was ragged in echoes in the back of my head. "At last my demon has fallen! I had so waited for this day. All that's left is to expose them to the humans."

"Mr. Ainsley," Morgana said with an edge to her voice. "What strategy have you schemed against them? Did you just use me to kill her?"

"It was not my plan to kill her. I planned to kill all of them. I did not use you." He said, gravely. "You wanted to do it. You're blinding yourself and blaming me for your actions. Just because you had killed one of the merfolks doesn't mean you are a killer according to human law."

"But I am!" Morgana yelled. "Even if it was an animal, which she isn't. She's not a creature, she's a being! You... you made me kill her. I never wanted to do any of that. I never knew there was poison in it! You're the animal here!"

"It's futile to argue, Ms. Cross." He said, placing his hands on his waist. "And besides... she's an animal. We're all animals. Don't try and teach me your methods. You just think your species are superior because you can walk on land. What is so mighty about land anyway? The ocean dominates the earth. 71%, with the remaining 29% of what you humans call home."

Mr. Ainsley continued mocking her. He repeated on and on, making her feel a twinge of guilt that feeds on the horrible memory as it grew. It made me remember my own guilt before when it continued feeding on the memory of what my reckless decision did to Rosa's father. It was his fault. And he was continuing his notorious behavior.

The poison could only kill merfolks when they are in their true form. Calliana changed when she kissed me. She was stabbed by Morgana who never knew there was poison. I thought of Calliana's last words, and I will forgive Morgana.

I looked up at them. Morgana was arguing with Mr. Ainsley, and he still had his wound which the dagger - Kris struck. The poison is useless on him while he's a human. He can change his form at will.

He can change at will. I will make him change.

By now the poison is all over his body, he hasn't taken any antidote. He's confident that at least he's not in his mershark form, he's safe.

A mantra kept echoing in my head. As if all logical sense was fading away. I was sad, scared, angry, livid, irate, and acted accordingly, but still, it seemed that I had been holding something back.