Under Murky Waters

chapter eleven

ZALE WOKE UP to the smell of burning flesh. It smelled like something had just charred really badly and was on the verge of being burnt to crisp. Since he knew it could not possibly be the fire that most likely burned out in the night, his eyes snapped open. All signs of sleep flew away from him as he scanned his surroundings.

The island was not on fire like his insane mind had initially assumed. Instead, the woman that slept beside him was tossing and turning. Her eyes were tightly screwed shut, lips moving to form incoherent words. When Zale's hand grazed her skin, he jerked back instinctively, jaw dropping at how quickly she was heating up.

"Wake up!" Grabbing her by the shoulders, Zale began to shake Cordelia, trying to urge her awake. "Come on, wake up! You are starting to burn."

"What?" She asked groggily, eyes slowly fluttering open as she yawned with tire.

Zale's palms, where it had connected with Cordelia's bare skin, was already starting to feel the burn of her increasing body heat.

When she was not moving quickly enough, Zale reacted. He eased his arm beneath her knees and supported her neck with the other, climbing to his feet before hurrying towards the sea. Zale ignored the probing of shells on the soles of his feet, seeing how he had left his boots on the shore.

Thrashing against the currents, Zale carefully lowered Cordelia into the water. He dropped her beneath the water's surface, allowing it to engulf her entire body. Yet, even though Zale knew fully well she was able to breathe underwater, he still held on to her in case she ever wanted to surface but couldn't.

Even from above the water, Zale could see the transformation of colors that occurred beneath the tides. Cordelia's legs melted into one tail, scales and fins sprouting from human skin as they slowly climbed her body to cover the usual places. Once the transformation was complete, Cordelia was back to how she looked beforehand.

Yet, she was still not moving as energetically as she did prior.

Her long ebony black hair swirled around her, moving whenever the water shifted ever the slightest. Since they were quite well into the water — the water came up to Zale's rib cage — some braver fishes ventured towards them. They danced around her almost ritualistically, their colorful fins lightly brushing the side of her face.

However, even after minutes, her eyes were shut. Cordelia's long eyelashes rested against the rosy apples of her cheeks as she slept, dark as her hair.

Zale allowed himself to pray. He was never overly religious. But he still allowed himself a prayer that begged the heavens to let her live. The pendant that dangled from his neck had came loose, falling through the small tear at the front of his shirt. It was as if the heavens wanted him to pray, to use his most precious possession as a messenger to the gods above him.

After all, if she was to die, it would not be her first. And Zale would never wish that upon anyone, even his worst enemy. To have to die twice, to become the victim of death more than once, was a sadistically dreaded curse.

It took what seemed like forever before Cordelia's eyes finally blinked open. Metallic gray irises were glazed over with the shimmering blue of the waves, reflecting the light of the sun that shone brilliantly in the sky. She stared, confused, first at the clear sky, then at the man that held her tenderly in his arms.

Immediately, she shot out of his grasp, pupils focused on the small medallion that swung wild on a silver chain around Zale's neck. Bubbles escaped past her lips as she gaped in recognition before her eyes darted over to Zale then back at the medallion once more.

Without another word she shot off, speeding deeper and deeper into the waves until she was nothing but a spot headed straight for the horizon. She left Zale standing there on the sea shore, confused, wrecked, and alone once more.

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