Chapter 21 – |Flow| Part 1

ASSAN MOVES FLUIDLY IN the water, with his arm wrapped around my waist. My body is pressed against his chest, and he holds me tight. The feel of his muscles seeps through the wet fabric—strong, firm, and hard. When I look at the scenery around me, I cannot help but enjoy the ocean’s beauty. The undersea world holds many mysteries; however, its allure is unquestionable.

Surrounding us is the mermen with silver chains around their chests. They circle Assan and me, forming what appears to be a protective barrier. Their faces are stoic, and their gazes fix on the distance before us. In a way, this image reminds me of the Governor’s visits in town: his guards are always with him, making sure he is safe.

I glance ahead. Hass is leading the way, maneuvering with intense speed. If Assan weren’t holding me, I surely would have fallen behind.

A quiet wince leaves Assan’s lips, only loud enough for me to hear. His brows knit together, and he hisses, baring teeth. He loosens his grip on my form, and I almost slip from his grasp. With this speed, the current is too strong for me, so I grab Assan’s arm, running my hand to his fingers. Quickly, I lace our hands together and look at his face.

“Assan, are you all right?” I don’t remove my gaze from his.

Assan exhales a heavy breath and says, “I am fine, Elena. You needn’t concern yourself. I told you, I’m used to this pain.”

Before I speak, I hear a familiar voice cut in and say, “You are too vulnerable here. You should return, and I will take Elena with me.”

I whip around and see Hass watching Assan, studying his face. Assan slides his gaze from Hass’s to mine and releases his hand from my grip.

“I know. I will see you at the castle,” he replies as he turns away from me. With quick speed, he flicks his tail from side-to-side, darting off with a few mermen by his side.

I stay where I am, hoping that Assan will be safe. I twitch as a cool hand touches my shoulder.

“He will be fine, Elena; we should go now.” Hass moves in front of me, but my curiosity is only on Assan. I do not know if Hass will tell me the truth, but I want to know it.

“Why is Assan in pain?” I ask curiously.

Hass’s eyes go wide, and his lips curl into a warm grin. “It is expected you want to know such things. Although, I wonder why Assan did not tell you himself”—he sighs—“There is no use hiding his state from you, especially since he put himself in danger. All mers go through pain during their mating time. It’s what happens when their bodies change forms from mer to human. Or rather, when mers have legs. They aren’t exactly human since mers can still breathe underwater and use their powers. However, we can mate in our mer forms, as well, if we wish to. Mers only have legs for a brief time. Once their mating time passes, mers cannot change their tails into legs again until their next mating time. When a mer desires to mate, they find a location safe for them and their mating partner. It’s wise not to leave oneself open to attacks.”

I jolt, thinking of Assan’s words when we first met. It makes sense now!

“Mers only mate at certain times?” I ask, hoping Hass will tell me more.

“Yes. Mers are not like humans; we live long lives, spanning decades. If mers mated whenever they wished, we would overrun ourselves like humans”—Hass avoids my sight—“Sadly, because of the wars, our mating time has had the opposite effect on saving our people.”

There is despair in Hass’s eyes, but it still does not help me understand why Assan needs to mate with a human. I want to ask Hass; however, I know he probably won’t tell me since he didn’t mention it before.

My mind returns to the last time I was alone with Assan by the waterfall. I lift my fingers to my lips, caressing them.

“Back by the waterfall, when Assan kissed me, he left himself open,” I mummer as I lower my gaze.

A moment of silence passes between us, and I slide my eyes back to Hass. He gives me a wary smile and does not speak. As I look at his face, there’s a mixture of confusion and pity. If the other mermen hear us, they don’t show it. Like the guards in Hlynn, they don’t speak or change their expressions based on trivial matters.

“Elena,” Hass says, snapping me from my thoughts, “do you care for Assan?”

My heart flutters, and I hear the blood pumping in my ears. Frozen, I don’t move. Do I feel something for Assan? No, I can’t. How could I? After everything he has put me through, I... feelings just complicate things. As I shift my eyes away from Hass, my thoughts go to Sai. And I remember what he said to me. My lips form a tight line. I wonder, back then, was Sai saying he had feelings for me. No! It does not matter. Feelings and love lead to trouble. What he said could not be true; he has Edith. I feel nothing for Assan, or at least, that’s what I need to tell myself. However, an ache hits my chest, a pain I have only felt recently.

“Can you truly care for a person who took you from your life, family, and friends?” I ask softly, wondering what Hass will say.

He lifts his head upwards and replies, “You are not wrong for feeling that way, Elena. Assan may not show it, but this isn’t the choice he wanted to make”—he looks back at me—“he and us mers are fighting the enemies that will destroy both of our worlds. If we all die, then there will be nothing to protect them. Is it better to sacrifice one life than to let others die? And even then, Assan has decided to return and spare the one life hanging in the balance between them and us.” He narrows his eyes and clenches his fist.

I contemplate what I just heard. Hass’s words weigh on me. All this time, I blamed Assan without knowing the complete truth. I sway my arm out. “How can I care or find out when truths are hidden from my ears?” My voice is laced with anger.

Hass sighs and slumps his shoulders. “Truths are kept from us all, Elena, but it’s harder for you. You were the one burdened with being a sacrifice.” He gives me a weak half-smile, swims up to me, and places his hand on my chest. “Assan would never forgive me if you drowned. Giving a human the mers’ abilities is something I have only done once before you.”

“There was another before me?” My eyes widen. Am I the second girl Assan had taken?

“Many years ago, but she has already left this world. I do have memories of her, though.” There is a sad tone in his voice.

Many years ago? So, this was not recent? Hass has rarely talked about himself, so I’m curious about this girl from the past. However, after everything Hass has been through today, I decide not to ask any more questions for now.

“You must miss her.”

“Sometimes, I do.” He removes his hand and spins around. “We have talked enough. We must depart before the mermaids find us, or worse, the berserks and Belua,” he says.

Thinking about the berserkers and Belua sends fear through me. Hass stretches out his palm, and I put my hand in his. He darts off, moving quickly towards our destination: the undersea palace. The other mermen surround us, guarding us as Hass swims with haste. The atmosphere and tension under the sea have intensified since I was last here. I feel it wrapping around me, making me wonder if the undersea palace is different than before.

As we flow through the water, I sweep my eyes around, watching the fish past us. Some are small, others large, varying in colors and appearances. Even though I have mer abilities, I can’t see much distance besides darkness and a few light spots.

I think back to what Hass said, Assan may not show it, but this isn’t the choice he wanted to make. Then, who decided Assan needs to mate with a human, and how are the Belua a threat to the human world? What could they want on the surface?

For now, I push the thoughts from my mind and stay close to Hass. Our hands are still locked together, and I flow along with him through the water. Even though we are moving with quick speed, my eyes capture the sights as we pass them: the brown rocks covered with various colors of coral, the fish brushing my skin, and the plants that thrive under the sea.

If it weren’t for the chaos of the merpeople, I would find the ocean serene. However, I wonder how much Assan has shielded me from these mysterious waters; what are the creatures I haven’t seen? As I keep thinking, I notice our pace slowly comes to a halt.

“We have returned,” Hass says, barely audible.

I look around, but unlike before, the way to the undersea palace is no longer clear. Even with the abilities of the mers, I see nothing but murky water. However, the cloudy water doesn’t surround us; it’s like a wall, a barrier to the path where the mermen’s home is. I raise my head, looking towards the surface, and see the wall extends upwards. Something glides past me. I shift my head. The mermen with silver chains around their chests swim in front of us. I stare off into the distance with shock, unable to turn away.

I am at a lost, curious over what occurred here.

“What happened?” My voice is but a whisper. For a moment, I wonder if the undersea castle still dwells in these waters.

Hass stirs next to me. “We took measures to protect ourselves,” Hass says bluntly, moving before me, but his hand is still holding mine.

One of the mermen goes through the cloudy water. We wait, in silence, for a few moments. Quickly the merman returns, nods his head, and spins around, swimming back through the wall.

“Stay close to me, Elena, and don’t be frightened.” Hass’s voice is serious, and he looks at me with firm eyes.

My heart leaps in my throat as I think about the misty wall. I swallow my fear as I grip Hass’s hand. There’s no turning back. In my short absence, it’s time to see how things have changed.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who left a review on this story! I really appreciate it. Also, to celebrate getting 30 reviews, I want to get some new artwork done of the characters. Is there any specific character you want to see? Just as a reference, here is Assan. This is the zoomed-in version because I love that smirk. I posted another picture of him on my wall.