Emerald

Chapter 19

Kai watched her with a smile as she came to him wrapped up in seaweed. He wanted to be angry at her for not obeying his orders but in someway he couldn't scold her. However she seemed to have this strange expression, her grey eyes showing something he never seen before. As his eyes followed her slender form, it was then that he felt the same fear she had, but his body moved too slow for his mind. Soon all he saw was the small trickle of blood that came from her wound, "Kai..." was all he could hear her say before she fainted.

"Ren! Oh no, Ren. Please wake up," he pleaded, his fingers intertwining with her hair as his lips begged for her to stay alive.

His fingers hovered above the tip of the spear, knowing that if he would to pull it out, her blood would spill like the waterfalls of the Rainforest Tribe. As if fate wasn't even more cruel, her tail shifted into the legs of a human.

A cold hand took hold of his wrist, his eyes darting towards Morgan's, "We must go to the cave, she will not last long like this."

Kai glanced at his brother who immediately knew what to do.

Once they were gone, his eyes landed on Onerious who had a smug grin on his thin lips. It was then that Kai saw red, he didn't need his true form when he grabbed his sword with a bone crunching grip. His blood boiled for revenge as he slowly made his way towards the man. Like a predator, he circled around his prey, he nearly forgot about Destan who was holding his father by the neck with a primitive growl coming from his throat.

The merman was clearly outnumbered by two royals, whose anger and thirst for revenge brimming to the edge.

"Oh we can come to an agreement," Onerious said with his hands raised. Both mermen drew in a sharp breath before letting out a battle cry and driving their spears deep into Onerious chest.

"You shall be fed to the sharks, father, as death sentence for attempting to murder a king and his fiancé," Destan said, hurling him with all his strength towards the surface of the ocean. The smell of blood suddenly attracting the blood thirsty beasts of the sea.
****
Atlantis clutched Ren's body close to him, her blood slowly sipping from the wound. He couldn't believe he didn't see the spear coming. He, who should be keeping a watchful eye on his brother's safety. Atlantis continued to swim as fast as he could towards Morgan's cave, they were almost there when Morgan gasped.

As if on cue Atlantis looked back and saw the looming figure of a shark with its jagged teeth exposed and chunks of meat here and there.

"Hurry, we must not let the shark catch up to us, for Ren's blood is creating a path for him," Atlantis murmured moving his tail at a dizzying speed.

Once the familiar wall of the outside of Morgan's cave became visible, they swam upwards, breaking the water's surface. The sun was high, burning down with an undying force. Atlantis spotted the cave a few paces out and quickly made his way there with Morgan by his side to keep Ren in a safe position.

Once they had placed her on a flat surface Morgan quickly darted out towards his medicine and potions chest.

"Morgan, do you know what to do?" Atlantis murmured quietly as he knelt my Ren's side.

Morgan shook his head, "No love, I've never treated a wound this deep."

Two splashes were heard and two men emerged from the water, their tails no longer present, a pair of strong thighs in full view.

"What does this mean Morgan?" Kai said softly.

Morgan's lower lip trembled, "It means Ren's life will remain unstable. The best possible way was if she got treatment from a human doctor. I heard their medicine has advanced far above ours since we only depend on magic."

Atlantis glanced at Destan who remained quiet with his face in the shadows, however he turned and slipped back into the water. The red haired prince turned away, he couldn't blame him, he knew nothing of his father's schemes.

****

Kai knelt by Ren's side, her skin turning into a sickly shade of white, her breaths coming slow and shallow. She had little time left, it was a miracle she didn't die immediately like most battle hardened merman who immediately died from wounds as deep as hers.

Kai was thankful she was still alive but it pained his heart that she was so close to the doors of death.

"Oh Ren," he whispered as he took her limp hand into his strong and warm ones, "Please stay alive. I need you, Ren. Do you know why? Because I love you," he spoke before kissing her nearly cold lips.

To be continued in Book 2:

Diamond