Retribution [malexmale]

Chapter Eighteen

"I hope you're not reading my mind again." I muttered, helping Dorean up onto the ledge. Hades shook his head slowly before his eyes widened.

"Nope, I was reading his." He said, pointing at something past my shoulder. Dorean cried out, but that was the only thing I heard before a strong grasp caught my ankle and tore me back under the water. I cursed before water filled my mouth and I writhed beneath the surface, looking down through the flurry of bubbles to see my worst fears.

A merman had me by the ankle and he looked starving. A surreal and morbid beauty, mercreatures. This merman in particular was about my size with olive skin darkened by the sun, his pale white-blonde hair cut to medium-length around a perfectly chisled face, ripped to the extreme, with a long tail that beat the water as he tried to drag me under. The only things marring this merman's beauty was the mouth full of sharp teeth that reminded me of a piranha's teeth and hard long black claws that sank into the hydra material, but thankfully didn't tear through it. He appeared momentarily befuddled by it, staring at my leg and giving me a chance to kick him in the nose so hard it sent blood swirling through the water.

I started back toward the surface, but another grip caught the front of my shirt and I looked over to see a mermaid hiding beneath the ledge I'd helped Dorean up. She was slender, but muscular with hair that matched the merman's and she bared her teeth in my face.

I tried to smack her, but my movements were far slower than hers and she moved fast. She caught me around the torso and intended to drag me down below to the bottom so she could drown me. I hissed, then choked as I felt the merman come up behind me to help hold me down. I sucked in a mouthful of water and choked, feeling in fill my lungs. I coughed, but it only allowed more water to enter my lungs.

I thrashed, trying to wedge my hand between the mermaid and so I could blast her, but the merman caught my wrists and wrenched them behind my back. The merman laid his mouth against my throat and I felt his teeth sink in, making me writhe.

A second later, something broke the surface of the water above and I looked up, expecting to see Lea or Hades, but I was surprised to see Dorean swimming quickly, and a second splash revealed Lea and Anexius. However, Dorean reached me first and caught his arm around the mermaid's neck, making her scream in the water.

Pain pulsed hot in my head from that high-pitched sound, but Dorean didn't react to it and held the mermaid around the throat so tightly that a second later, I heard a dulled crack and the mermaid went limp. The merman screamed and released me, going after Dorean, but Lea caught him around the waist and Anexius threw his hand out, sending a blast into the merman and caused him to explode in a burst of bloody pieces.

Lea shot Anexius a glare that indicated, any sooner, and that could have been her, but he ignored her and grabbed me by one arm, Dorean grabbing my other, as they hauled me toward the surface, pushing me onto the ledge before themselves.

I choked and gasped for air, heaving up the water that had filled up my lungs. Dorean patted and rubbed my back while Lea pulled herself up onto the ledge.

"What the hell was that?" Lea demanded, moving for Anexius, who gave her a snide glare.

"I was killing him, what do you think?"

"Five seconds sooner and you could have killed me."

"Five seconds later," Anexius spoke through clenched teeth, whirling to glare at her, "And you would have been merman chow. He was snapping at your neck with a speed that makes sharks jealous. But you know, whatever. I honestly couldn't care less what happens to you." He shoved past Lea, who watched him angrily as he approached me and helped me to my feet.

"Are you all right?" He asked. I shook his grip off and gave him a stern glare as I managed to catch my breath.

"I'm fine. Anexius, be careful. Remember what I told you before we left." I said. Anexius gritted his teeth, moving away from him as if I'd smacked him. Dorean patted my arm and pulled me down to give me a kiss before Hades cleared his throat to get our attention.