The Sea Witch's Revenge (ON HOLD)

Chapter Eleven

Viviana's hands wrap around her wrist. 

"Come on, Princess. We have to go!" she says and Victoria reluctantly turns away.

All her sisters are gathered behind her, waiting for her to speak. For now, Queen Talori keeps the creatures at bay, but for how long, Victoria doesn't know.

"The Sea Witch has been corrupted. The ocean is no longer our home. We need to get to shore, now," she orders, somehow keeping her voice strong. 

"Yes, princess," they all reply at once. Victoria hears the pain and fear in their trembling voices, but there is a strength there too. Victoria nods her head and reaches out with her hands. She closes her eyes and lets her magic surge through her.

A passage of water starts to churn, the tunnel of white water disappearing into the distance. The mermaids swim into it and shoot off, carried by the current. Victoria's hands tremble and her body strains under the pressure of her magic. Once all of the mermaids are in, she turns back to the swarm.

They all still circle around her mother. Victoria bites at her lips and whimpers. Her chest aches deeply and she forces herself not to break down with sobs. Beyond the wall of creatures, she can still hear her mother's powerful screams as she fights back. 

She won't be able to keep them at bay much longer. 

Victoria finds a small amount of comfort in knowing that her mother will be reunited with her father. 

"I love you, Mum," she pushes out.

Her mother doesn't reply in words, but she feels the warmth of pure and complete love through the psychic link.

Victoria closes her eyes and tries to hold onto it for as long as possible. Then she turns and throws herself into the current, leaving behind her mother, and her home.

She wakes drenched in sweat and her eyes sore from tears. She sits up slowly and curls into a tight ball. She trembles and her stomach churns. For a second, she thinks she's going to be sick.

"You're awake," the captain states. She jumps and turns. He sits on the side of his bed, staring at her.

"What's it to you?" she asks, her voice laced with venom.

"You were crying and whimpering in your sleep," he replies, his voice monotone. Victoria just gulps and glares at him. 

He stands and takes off his shirt. Victoria looks away and hears him pull back the covers to get into bed.

"What language were you speaking?" he asks.

"Fuck off," Victoria snaps and lies back down, facing away from him. He doesn't reply and the bed ruffles before going quiet.

Silence fills the room. For a second, Victoria thinks about breaking out of the chains, finding her knife, and burying it in the chest of the sleeping captain. She knows it won't work though. A long sigh leaves her mouth and she stares at the doors. Sunlight beams in through the gaps. She stares at it, wishing she could go out and feel the warm glow on her skin. She wishes she could just go and walk around and stretch out. But she can't. So Victoria lies there, staring blankly at the sunlight and watching as it bounces up and down with the ship's movements and trying everything she can not to think about that day.

***

"Can we go somewhere else on this ship now?" Victoria asks. In the last two days, she's only left the cabin twice and that was to go to dinner. She still isn't allowed a chair, but at least she gets yummy food. They also hadn't further discussed Victoria's dream, something she is glad about.