Gemini

Chapter 7* I'm not a Mermaid.

I swallow, and do my best to look defiant. If I am going to die, I will do it on my own terms, not begging and pleading and crying for some crackpot old nut to let me go.

“Well, what have we here?” Poseidon says with a sneer, looking down at us from the bridge of his high nose. Clearly, he does not think much of humans. In his hand, a triton shimmers into existence, and he twirls it around carelessly, as if it weighed no more than a pin.

Across the room, Sam has his lips pursed and his eyes fixed on the god. My stomach twists and my throat constricts.

The tension in the room intensifies. Poseidon looks us both in the eye, and I do my best to stare him down without flinching. Eventually, he looks away, and I feel a brief sense of triumph flutter through me. However, Poseidon raises his triton and points it at Sam. The brief sense of victory drains out of me, my mouth goes dry. “What are you doing?”

“You, girl, have a strong spirit. Not many people have the courage to stare down a god.” Good. My attempt hadn’t gone unnoticed. “But can a weak human withstand it when their loved ones are hurt? That was always one of the greatest weaknesses of humanity, you know. Never being able to override their conscience… I killed a great many people because of that.” His voice is dripping with self-gloating.

My blood boils and my anger reaches an all-time record high. I want to spit and shout curses and insults to him, but something tells me that this god is not one to take kindly to insults. I keep my mouth shut.

“Tell me about the resistance.”

At this, he earns a glare from me. My fear burns away, most of it being channeled into anger. Did he think I was that easy?

“No way!”

Sighing dramatically, he takes a step closer to Sam. The tip of the triton glows like a supernova, and I see the fear reflected in Sam’s face- and then the pain as Poseidon presses the tip onto his chest.

The scream rips through me as if I were the one being tortured. I struggle and trash, but the stupid cuffs wouldn’t give. Tears brim in my eyes as I shout and yell, all the colorful expletives rushing forth in a torrent.

“Let him go! Let him go!”

“Not just yet, little human,” Poseidon mused. “Tell me where the resistance is first.”

“Like hell,” I spit, biting my lip because I knew exactly what he was going to do.

As expected, I see him clench his triton tighter, and the tip glows red hot. Dragging it across Sam’s forearm and drawing forth another scream, he turns back to me. “What about now?”

“Sam…” Sam looks at me with wet eyes, and shakes his head.

“Don’t, Kayla. It’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.”

You are, you are, I want to say, but I don’t.

“Three, two…” drawls Poseidon.

“Forget it, you piece of gobshite!” I shout, even though it takes all of my willpower to do so. “I won’t ever, ever tell you!”

Crap, I just signed my death warrant.

Poseidon’s face morphs into an ugly scowl, though I can see the glee behind it. He doesn’t really care if we lead him to the resistance. He figures he’ll find it anyway. For now… he has two more humans to kill.

“That is a shame,” he murmurs. Sam gives me an imperceptible nod, telling me I did the right thing, and I open my mouth to say something, anything. Do I tell him I like him? No, I do not have the guts. Do I tell him I’ll miss him? No, too morbid. So what do I tell him?