Chapter 23 - |Water cycle|

ASSAN’S ARMS WRAP AROUND my waist. He guides my body to him as he tightens his hold on my frame. The way he is touching me now reminds me of before when the castle was under siege by the Belua. Back then, he told me to stay still and that he would see me soon. This time, we will part ways, forever, saying our goodbyes. His embrace is imprinted on me. His seawater scent is committed to memory, and his actions towards me are engraved in my mind.

Every inch of me burns to his touch, to the feeling of his body clenched to my own. Inside my chest, my heart thumps for him, and my lips tingle at the skin-on-skin contact between us. My lips mold with his, expressing the mixed emotions I feel for the merman gripping me tightly. A chill sensation, wet, splash my face. From the corner of my eye, I see water shooting into the air behind Assan, and slowly he rides the waves, with his tail still deep within the liquid.

It’s abrupt, but I break our contact, thinking and watching the clear blue liquid sloshing around my knees.

“Elena,” Assan says my name, in a soft tone, as he places tender kisses from my lips to my ear. “Do you want this? Do you want me?” The longing in his voice matches my own, but because I know he can hear my thoughts, I stay mute, not wanting him to know my true desires for him.

He cradles me in his arms, keeping me still against his toned chest. The ocean smell lingers off him, filling my nostrils with his unique scent. When I think of Assan, I will think of clashing waves—strong, captivating, but deadly if you slip into their waters.

He lowers his face to check on me, most likely wondering why I haven’t answered his question. Please, Assan, stop being kind to me. Tell me I’m not anything to you, worthless like before.

As I clench my fingers into a fist, I look back at Assan. I don’t want to cry; I no longer need tears to flow from my eyes; I need Assan to be nothing to me.

“Tell me you don’t care about me! That I mean nothing to you! Please!” I shout and shut my eyes, wanting, no, needing to hear those words come from his lips. If he thinks of me as nothing, it will be easier to leave the merworld behind, forever.

I wait, but still, the only sound I hear is the rumbling water. At his continued silence, I slowly open my eyes when I see Assan’s brows knit together; his face is filled with displeasure, and he snarls at me.

“I will not lie to you, even if you wish me to.” His frown deepens as he holds my gaze.

I read between Assan’s words; I will not lie to you. If he won’t say it, then...

His eyebrows return to normal, no longer laced with anger. We don’t need words or mental communication to know what each other is thinking. He looks at me, wearily, as he runs his hands down my arms. His touch on my skin ignites a spark in me, a desire both welcomed and shunned.

Slowly he leans closer to me and presses a chaste kiss on my forehead. The simple gesture pangs my chest and leaves me further lost in this creature, the merman named Assan.

“Why does it hurt so much?” I murmur, holding back my tears of goodbye.

Assan grips my arms and asks, “What hurts, Elena? Is it your leg?”

I give him a warm smile as the panic shows in his eyes. Shaking my head, I loosen out of his hold. I avoid his sight, hoping to hide from his piercing stare. My emotions betray me; I wish these feelings would disappear. Parting my lips, I grasp the collar of my dress. “It pains me to know... I will never see you again. It is silly, isn’t it? We don’t even know each other that well.”

His fingers caress my cheek, running down to my chin. He moves my face back to his, and even if I wanted to, I could not turn away from him. The Assan holding me now isn’t the same merman as before. His irises linger on me, never blinking, never looking away.

“If we had more time together, I wanted to know you, Elena, to learn more about you—” the edges of lips tug into a soft smile—“I want to show you the sea and all its secrets. These waters may be dangerous, but harm would never come to you. As the prince of these oceans, you are under my protection, now and always.”

My mouth opens, parted slightly, but words don’t exit my throat. Seidon cared for me; my father cared for me, and now Assan.

“I...” A light laugh leaves my lips, and Assan arches an eyebrow at me, perplexed.

“You’re finally not acting like an ass,” I say, poking my finger against his chest.

“Humph, don’t test me.” His grin is playful, making me question if he is serious or not. Knowing Assan, it’s a bit of both.

He flinches, and in haste, he lowers himself into the water. Without glancing at me, he stares right into the liquid, intensely. Something or someone has caught Assan’s attention, but what?

Fear runs through me as I imagine another attack. Inhale. Exhale. I can hear the blood pumping in my ears. Is it the mermaids, the Bulena, a Berserker, or another creature of the sea I have yet to see?

Assan releases a breath and looks at me with a wary expression. There is a pain in his eyes, an agony I have only seen a few times before.

“Elena,” he says and then pauses, drinking me in for a brief second.

“Are we being—”

“No, Elena...” - his voice trails off—” I have to leave you now, but Hass will come later to take you home. This time—”

Now it’s my chance to cut him off, to intervene, even though I knew this was coming.

My lips part as I lower my head and then say, “You are leaving, again. You always have to go.”

This feeling, I despise it. My voice sounds so weak, so small. I want to lie to myself, to believe I can forget everything I’ve seen and done, but Assan is now part of my memory. Leaving the merman who took me to save his people should be easy, but the ache in my chest only increases.

His callous fingers cup my cheek, and his multicolored eyes bore into mine.

“My people need me, Elena, like someone needs you; I cannot ignore their summons, principally one from my father.”

At the mention of the King, Assan’s father, my eyes widened.

“I understand,” I pause, knowing this is our farewell, “Goodbye, Assan.”

My lips form a weary smile. I do not want to show any regrets since this is best decision for Joe and me.

He looks at me one last time before sliding his hand off my skin, returning it to his side. No noise leaves his throat, and instead, he turns from me, not looking back. As he inches his way to the center of the pool, the pain grows inside me, spreading to every part of me. However, this is my choice to put this world in the past. I must move to my future and the fate that awaits me.

Staying in the water, with his back facing me, he asks, “What am I to you?”

His question tangles me more. Before, I wanted to question him, but the irony is lost on me. I wrap my arms around myself, not knowing what to say. Assan, I care about you, too. Even after everything you did to me, but I cannot stay with you.What can I say after you hurt me so? But it was also you who expanded my world and showed me affection.

“Complicated,” I answer, as I watch Assan stay frozen.

The sound of water reverberates around us; it’s the only noise I hear as I wait for Assan’s response.

“Rest, Elena, and take care.” Still, he does not flinch or turn to look at me. In a way, it’s like we are both avoiding each other’s gaze. I wonder, does the thought of never seeing me again hurt him, too?

“Assan…” I stretch my hand towards him, but water darts into the air, forming a wall between us. Swiftly, I lift my body and stand on both legs. Through the rapid rising liquid, I see Assan cock his head, then glance in my direction until he disappears, gone from my sight.

As quickly as the water formed, in a blink, it rains down into the pool. Moisture hits my face and hair, but I keep watching the distance. The surface is empty.

“He’s gone…”

Only the smoothing water calms my aching chest and helps relieve the sadness washing over me. There is no going back; I need to move forward.

Turn away. Stop looking; I think to myself as I linger my sight on the spot where Assan once was. I glance to the side, and then once more, flicker my gaze back to the water.

“Goodbye, Assan.”

I turn away, hoping to let go and liberate myself from the pain of our parting. Even though I’m surrounded by gold, jewels, and more items my mother desires to ensure our wealth and freedom, I want none of them. A chest of riches cannot stop my mother’s greed, and she would inquire about how such luxuries came to me. To survive, she needs a steady stream of pay that she knows will not run out to feel satisfied.

Besides, I do not want anything from Assan or the mermen. I will protect Joe with my own strength, no one else’s.

With Assan gone, no mermen, or any enemies, I ease myself towards the bed. My eyelids and body feel heavy. A wave of tiredness covers me as I lower my eyes. When I reach the mattress, an image of Assan’s naked torso goes through my mind. I grip the corner of the cream-colored sheet and pull it down, revealing another one underneath.

It is awkward knowing Assan lay bare in these sheets. Does he have clothes here? In the last cave-like room, there was a hidden closet. I slide my eyes to the rocky wall, wondering if there is a secret room. Curiosity grows within me; however, my desire to rest is stronger.

The weight of everything reminds me of a ship anchor, drowning me so I cannot breathe. Before I slip into the sheets, I walk to the table and pick up the glass of water. The lukewarm liquid flows down my throat, relieving the dryness.

“It’s freshwater,” I say to myself. As my eyes roam around, I wonder how the mers bring items to the surface, especially the furniture.

Although, learning about the mers is not important anymore. Soon, I will be going home, leaving this place behind. Mother said, if I run away again, do not return. I am sure, and I hope, that she heard about what happened at the brothel. It is not uncommon for men to fight over their whores; so perhaps, she will believe that’s what happened.

Also, two men are dead: the magistrate’s guards. A part of me is scared to return home, but I could never leave Joseph behind, even if I wanted to.

With my thoughts too scattered and afraid, I climb under the sheets and pull them close to me. Assan’s scent lingers in the air: seawater mixed with the fresh air of the sea. To my surprise, I find comfort in knowing he was here. Above me, stars shimmer in the sky, and the moonlight circles the cave, beaming down when not covered by the clouds.

Home. Freedom from the mermen. For once, I am at peace since coming to the undersea kingdom. Assan said he intends to let me go, and for the first time, I believe his words. Slowly, my eyelids droop; my consciousness fades to black as I reflect on my past, my homecoming, and the merman I am leaving behind, but if we were under different circumstances, I would want to stay with.

I PRESS MY KNEES to my chest, curling into a ball on one side of the bed. I’m used to the other side being for Joe, so it’s my habit sometimes to move, even when I am alone. I try to fall back asleep, but the sound of water like a continuous geyser catches my ears. As I stir around, the sun’s beams come into view, hitting the treasures. The light glistens the cave, making it appear like a sea of riches. Then again, I suppose it is an ocean of luxuries. If we had more time, I wanted to ask Assan why he collected all this. Knowing him, he would say it’s useful for the human world but unnecessary since he is a mer.

Unable to sleep any longer, I sweep my sight around the room when someone catches me off guard. Then, quickly, I swing my legs to the edge of the bed and jump up. Above the water is a man, sitting on a watery chair, no, it’s a throne made of liquid from the pool. Water keeps rushing into the air, forming the shape of his sitting area. His eyes are shut. He seems relaxed with his head resting against the back of the liquidity seat.

Even though water hits his sea-green hair down his back and surrounding his face, his locks are not sticking to his skin. His tresses hang loosely around his head, wet but free-flowing. His facial features show no scars; his skin is flawless, like a statue. Draped around his body is a rode; I have seen it before, under the water, during the… It is him! He is the man who killed the Belua during the battle with the mermen, but what is he doing here?

I move a bit closer to him, watching his pale, sleeping face and the water holding him up. Now since I am near him, I see his body is slender, and his green robe reaches past his ankles. If he was standing, it would be dragging on the ground. Not only does the rode cover his legs, but also his arms. Gold trim lines the edges: around the collar, down the opening, and the bottom. At the top, a part of his chest is exposed. There is a wrapped sash around the middle, and it’s the same shade as the rode.

“Did I disturb you?” A masculine voice says as the man opens his eyes, raises his head, and looks towards me.

I do not respond; instead, I stay still, wondering who this powerful man is. His facial features match those of the upper class. He has a chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, and his hair is well kept. Up close, I see the color of his pupils. Unlike before, his eyes are not a mix of two colors. This time, he has one green and one golden eye.

“I did not mean to wake you; it was not my intention.” His voice is graceful, and based on the way he sits; I can tell he is from a position of authority.

As I judge the situation I am in, I back away from him, distancing myself. “Who are you? I had seen you before when the mermen were battling the Belua.”

The corners of his lips curl into a smile. Before he speaks, he lowers himself to the pool of water and takes two steps off his throne. When he lifts his hand, the watery seat bursts into droplets, raining down into the entrance of the cave.

He stalks towards me, surprising me more when he walks on water, but I maneuver away from him when he touches the ground. Is he here to harm me? Does he want to keep me here?

I cannot be afraid. Assan said he was going to let me go, and I intend to leave.

“Do not be scared; I am not here to hurt you. It is quite the contrary. I am here to see the human woman my son has agreed to free,” he says, matter-of-factly.

His son. Is he... my mouth drops open. I try to speak, but words do not leave me.

The man gives me a sly grin and heads towards a mound of gold sitting in the room. His eyes land on the coins as he waves his hand over the pile. Slowly, clear fluid flows from his fingertips, trickling down the mountain of wealth.

He made water appear from nothing.

“Assan has always been an unruly child, never listening to my orders and wisdom. My son still has much to learn before he takes control of the sea. But do not worry, Elena, I am not here to overturn his decision. I have heard much about you, and I wanted to see you with my own eyes,” he says as he turns to face me, and the liquid stops running from his body.

With the way he moves to address me, I see the elegance in his actions. His body walks with grace: his sea-green locks are still in place, his eyes settle on mine, and the warm smile on his lips causes my cheeks to heat. Not only is his posture a symbol of his status, but the dignified features etched on his face reminds me of an upper-class gentleman. The way he looks at me, with that wide grin, sends my heart ablaze; the father is like another version of Assan, regal.

Assan’s father’s eyes bore into mine, weighing me down with his aura. The King of the Sea has taken an interest in me. He says he agreed to let me go, so what does he want from me?