Our Fated Tail

Anilena

Kasey was beyond crazy. Being crazy might be him stalking me or maybe trying to kidnap me. But when he refused to look at another woman that didn't look like me it was delirious. Thinking of a way to fix this was not easy. I didn't exactly have the power to conjure up a clone of myself. Not that I hadn't discuss it with Venenifer. I had but I was just laughed at and called some very obscene names for my naivety. Nothing about what was going on warranted anything less than a panic attack. I was kidnapped by my evil ex, who should be dead, and my son and his father were back at home waiting for me when I may never come home. So when the memory of the woman in prison hit me in my dreams, I knew I had my answer. See, being a vodenjak had some limitations that I soon discovered the first couple of days I was with Kasey.

They had poor senses. They could use them, but it was the very detailed they couldn't grasp. So I knew that the prisoner looked just like me save for very minute details. Her nose was more crooked, her lips were fuller, and she was better shaped than I was. Other than that and the way her voice was slightly raspier and deeper, there was no way that he wouldn't try replacing her with me. Speaking of Kasey, I hadn't seen him since he left for food and patrol about an hour ago. I knew that he would be able to tell if I left too far from him. So I swam out far enough where I could see if he was still around. After searching for about five minutes, I turned around to go back to the cavern that he had us camping out at. As my body twisted, I was grabbed by the forearms and I screamed as Kasey glared down at me.

"I thought I told you not to leave that cavern."

I thrashed around to get out of his slimy grasp. I could feel the mucous substance spreading over my arms. "You were gone for a long time so I came looking," I said lowly. "Let me go, Kasey. You might trust Venenifer not to attack but that doesn't mean I wouldn't."

He started dragging me back to the cavern while I went limp making him drag my dead weight. "You wouldn't dare because I would have your precious Aiden taken and your prince murdered."

My blood went cold as he dragged me over to the spot we had set up for sleep. It was covered in blankets from land and woven beds made of kelp. I covered myself and turned my back to him, scrubbing the nasty goop off of my skin. He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off and sniffed. "Don't touch me, Kasey."

"Don't be like this with me Anilena. It's just me."

I sat up and looked at him like he was nuts. He kind of was though. "This is so incredibly not cool, Kasey. You are twenty-five years old and look at you. Your stubbornness and your stupidity got you turned into this nasty creature!" He glared at me. "Oh please, like it's not obvious enough."

"You are crossing a fine line there, Anilena. You better be careful."

I snorted in a very unladylike manner at his threats. "What are you going to do Kasey? Are you going to hit me?" I became hysterical at the memories and moved so I was on my knees, leaning over him with a sneer. "Maybe you can cut me up with your razor blades when you get tired of seeing the bruises on my body! How about we make it even better and let's go up to land so that you can rub burning cigarettes into my shoulders! Doesn't that sound more appealing to you, Kasey?"

He flicked his disgusting tail and was above me. But I refused to back down. "You don't know what you are talking about!"

"You are a filthy bastard!" I roared. "Do you realize that? You are not the perfect boyfriend you thought you were! Your father might have done things to your mother," I hissed. "But I am not your mother and you are not your father. I wish I had killed you. Had I let Venenifer attack you, we wouldn't be here!"

He raised his hand and let it down on my face. Nothing came out of my mouth, but I could see the tiny trail of blood in the water from where he had split my lip. I sneered at him as he stared at me in a kind of trance. I could see the monster in front of me grinning like a mad man. I would do anything to get rid of it. I wiped my mouth. "Congratulations, Kasey. You hit a woman again." I swam up so I was glaring into his eyes, letting them turn white with rage. "I hope someone finds us. And when they do, I hope they kill you."

I fell back to the floor, feeling the blood pooling beneath my cheek, causing a dark bruise that was going to be ugly by morning. I heard him whisper my name, pleading almost. Pulling the blanket over my head, I hid from his eyes and tried to sleep. Once again feeling the emptiness in my stomach because through all the fighting, we had forgotten of a meal and I had lost my appetite. I was starving, cold, and beaten. Now I had to wait and trust that my note had been found. Eren would save me. I trust him and I know he won't let me down. If I didn't come out of this alive, he would take care of Aiden and rule the kingdom without me by his side. I fell asleep some time after.

"Wake up, Anilena!"

I bolted up, flinging my fists out and clipping Kasey in the jaw. He groaned and fell back, holding his chin. I smirked at him, getting up slowly and stretching out my tail. "You should know better than to do that to me."

He grumbled as he got up. I smoothed out my hair and rubbed the back of my neck. "Want some help with that?"

I scoffed. "No. Every time you grab me, I get covered in that disgusting slime. Rub your own neck." He started saying something when my head buzzed.

'Something is out there.'

"Shut up, Kasey. Something is outside."

'There are a lot of somethings,' Venenifer mused.

I moved towards the entrance and saw tails. Twenty tails all black and grey. I turned to Kasey, coating the panic on my face. I knew they would come. Why would I pretend to panic? If Kasey somehow managed to get away in time, which I let him believe even though I knew it to be impossible, then he would go after Aiden. I just hoped that Eren was smart enough to hide him. Kasey came up beside me and we both peeked out again. I couldn't see Eren, but I could see the woman. She was jerking around in her chains while Arkeanus was pointing a spear at her throat. Kasey saw her and his eyes widened. She did look almost exactly like me, which scared me a little, and I knew that he wasn't going to be complaining anytime soon. I was shoved back and he glared at me accusingly.

"What did you do?I told you not to do anything to let them know where we were!" He grabbed my throat and shoved me against a cavern wall. "What did you do?"

I glared at him. "If I did anything, it would risk my son and I'm not taking that chance. How am I supposed to know why they're here!"

He let me go, seemingly satisfied with my answer. If I could spit on the man I would. I rubbed my throat and looked at him while he stared at the woman. Like he was trying to find differences. Not that he'd find much with his poor senses. I felt the bruises forming on my cheeks from the slap, knowing that if Eren was out there he would end up murderous. As Kasey watched them, I saw one merman swim away from the group. Eren was there, straight posture and a grim look on his face. My heart fluttered and froze as he opened his mouth.

"Kasey," his voice boomed. "We are here to offer a trade."

Kasey grabbed my arm, yanking me out to the entrance. "What kind of trade? I don't want anything from you."

Eren showed no emotion as he looked at us. "We need Anilena-Ray Connors, Kasey. This is an urgent matter that is up for, I am afraid, little discussion."

I flinched at his tone and the tightening grip on my arm. "Really?" Kasey yanked me out of the cavern completely and we swam up to Eren, staying a yard or so from him. "Seems to me that you don't really want her anymore. What happened Prince? Did you just want her to produce your little bastard child and now that he's been born, she is of little use to you?"

I gasped at him and struggled, thrashing and hitting him. "That's my son you pathetic sea leech!"

"Shut up," he hissed as he smacked me again. He turned to look at Eren again. "If you can give me something better than this wench, I'll give her back."

Eren looked at me, a flicker of something in his eyes, before he turned and gestured to a group of ten guards. "Bring her here." The woman that I had asked for came with them, wrapped in chains and wearing a wicked grin. "This is Poena. She is a spitfire that we were setting up for an execution. She's a bit of a... masochist, if you will. We decided that since we needed Anilena, and Poena looks almost exactly the same, we would propose a trade that would benefit both parties. A girl for a woman."

I gaped at him. Did he really just say that? Kasey examined the woman, a nasty smirk coming onto his face. Well someone was obviously satisfied with this trade. Just like I'd thought. "Fine. When you put it that way, a woman has more of an appeal. Take the trash out for me, would you?"

I looked at Kasey and scoffed in disbelief. "You jerk! You're trading me off for a woman who looks like me, but she's the woman?" I started thrashing around and landed a nice hit to his nose. "You arrogant bastard!"

He threw me away, making me land on the ground against the side of the cavern entrance. Venenifer began to stir and Eren knew it. Kasey slithered over to Poena and examined her. My head throbbed and I saw blood mixing in the water from being tossed into a rock wall. My temperature increased as I began to change. With a bright flash, I had changed and lunged for Kasey. My tentacles wrapped around his throat, flinging him through the water and into a coral structure. Fish scattered everywhere in fright as he broke their homes. How dare he talk about me like that when he was getting someone who could've been my clone? Eren ordered the guards to move back and give me space. My rage was overpowering as I went over, picking him up by the throat and throwing him against the cavern walls. By now he was groaning and bleeding everywhere. Wherever he went, the water was red. I noticed sharks starting to gather around about half a mile out from us and I knew they could smell the blood.

"You've attracted some sharks, darling." I wrapped an appendage around his neck to bring him to me. He was panting and barely staying conscious. "What should we do with you?"

Eren swam close to us, staying out a few yards cautiously. "Anilena, we can bring him in for a trial if you would like."

I cackled. "Yes. Let's bring in the vodenjak that tried to kill me. That wench is practically my clone and he had the nerve to say that she was the woman?"

I drew back from Kasey, stretching my tentacle out, before sending his body flying towards the sharks. His body left a bloody trail through the water as he shot through it. A small tiger shark caught him in his jaws, sinking his teeth into his torso. Venenifer snickered in my head as we watched the group of sharks tear Kasey's body apart. Blood was everywhere. So much I could smell it from a hundred yards back. I felt arms wrap around my waist as Eren pulled me against his chest. Poena watched the bloody scene as the guards held her back. Was that woman so in love with pain that she was upset over losing someone who had the capability of giving it to her? I knew that I had, as always, overreacted about what Kasey had said. But I had wasted years of my life on him. Endured the beatings and the gang problems for this man who would give me up for someone who looked like me in a snap because she enjoyed the pain. He didn't even think twice about it.

Eren kissed me on the top of my head and we began to turn away. The guards tugged Poena with them as we headed back to the castle. Venenifer was silent inside of me, making me nervous. Eren stopped our group to give me space to change back once we got far enough away from the Archives that I didn't have to see the bloody mess. There were so many things I wanted to ask him. Was Aiden okay? Did anything bad happen while I was gone? Did Eren take care of himself and possibly his father? Two large hands gripped my shoulders from behind me, making me screech. Swirling around and lashing out with my tail I knocked Arkeanus back a few feet into a group of guards. I covered my mouth in shock and to stifle my laughter.

"Arkeanus!" I swam over to him and helped him up. "I'm sorry but you completely startled me."

He chuckled and rubbed at his chest where a big bruise was forming already. "It's alright, Anilena. I just wanted to give you a look. Making sure you were okay and all."

"I'm doing just fine, sir." We started moving again as Eren came to wrap his hand in mine. I kissed his cheek and looked at his father. "I assume everything at the castle was fine? I can't wait to tell Cobius that Kasey is dead." Both of them stopped swimming, once again halting our endeavor to the kingdom. Eren dropped my hand and ran his down his face while Arkeanus just looked away. Something was wrong. Venenifer let out a strangled, grieving sigh. Something happened to them. "Eren? What happened?"

He choked on his words. "I can't. I just can...can't say it."

"Eren? Tell me what happened," I urged. He shook his head stubbornly, his eyes getting glassy. "Seren! What happened to Cobius. What aren't you telling me, Seren?"

He faced me, glaring and clenching his fists. "They're dead! Both. Of. Them. Are. Dead! Your pathetic Kasey tortured them and killed them. Both of them were mutilated and wrapped in fishing nets. We found my best friend in the kitchen oven! But it doesn't matter because people got hurt by him. Because he was dead set on getting you back!"

My eyes clouded over as I heard Venenifer sobbing. Is she upset about what he just said? I glared back at him with equal rage. "Is that how you're going to cope with this? Are you going to sit here and blame me for it? I didn't know it was going to happen! I was trying to prevent this from happening to anyone!" I reached out and slapped him. "Maybe, if you blame me that much, you should've left me to die. Maybe then I wouldn't be here. Neither would Aiden. Both of your burdens gone. Because if that's what you want, you've got it, Prince Seren." I was panting and shaking by the end of my tantrum. The reality of my friends' deaths still in the back of my mind, itching and screaming to settle in against my protests. I couldn't deal with that at the moment. Eren looked completely broken as the many guards and Poena watched us screaming at each other. Arkeanus went to grab me but I moved away and looked down at my hands.

"You don't have to leave Anilena," he said gently.

I shook my head and clenched my hands into fists. "No. Your son is right. They are both dead because of me. I shouldn't have run from Kasey when he had me at the warehouses." I cracked him a megawatt grin even though it didn't reach my eyes. "Besides, I'm no good for your kingdom. I'd end up boiling the place down to ashes. Tell your son that I'll figure something out for the visitations."

Before he could protest, I was swimming off towards the surface. The water was becoming warm around me as I struggled to control my emotions. How could he say that to me? I understand my part in all of this, but I told him to let me go. But that stubborn prince wanted to keep me and I let him because I loved him. Now look where it got us! I was left to care for my child alone, my friends were dead, and Eren is mad at me. I don't know how to feel about that one at the moment but I had to concentrate on getting to Aiden. I was so worried about him this whole time and I couldn't wait to see him.

I could see the bottom of the boat by the docks and swam harder. I propelled myself onto the dock and checked for any people. As usual the harbor was empty and I let myself into the boat. I dressed quickly and pulled out some money before leaving. I fastened the sandals on my feet and jogged down the dock as I pulled my white hair up. All of Kasey's men seemed to have deserted the warehouses and I made it out of the gates without any problems. Jogging through the streets, I saw people I knew waving or pointing me out to others they were with. I ignored them the best I could and hurried to my parents' house. I just hoped they could forgive me and let me come back home. When I finally got the my street, I saw Andrew playing with Aiden in the front yard.

My little boy was bigger than the last time I saw him. In the two weeks, he had grown a lot more hair on his head. Black like his father. As Andrew threw him up in the air, Aiden saw me and started screaming. Andrew looked towards me and nearly dropped my kid. I covered my mouth feeling my eyes water as a I watched him set Aiden on the ground and run over to me. I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close crying into his shoulder. I was lifted off the ground and spun in a circle as Andrew said my name over and over.

"As much as I love you, can I go see my son?" I asked as I wiped away my tears.

He set me down and we walked over to where Aiden was sitting and I scooped him up in my arms squeezing him. He giggled and pulled on my hair shoving his little face in it. Andrew laughed and hugged me again, squishing Aiden between us. Aiden started to wriggle around after a few seconds and I pulled away, setting him on my hip. When I looked around the front yard, there were toys everywhere and piled up in a tiny red wagon with Aiden's name printed on it.

Andrew grinned and scratched his arm embarrassed. "I might've went a little overboard when I got my paychecks."

I shook my head ruffling his hair. "I love it. How long has he been here?"

"Only since yesterday. Eren dropped him off and said that he was going on a trip with you. Are you back already?"

"No." I swallowed back tears forming in the back of my throat. "There was no trip. I had gotten into some trouble and he had to help me. We lost our friends and had a fight. So I came back here." I looked up at him feeling the tears trailing down my face. "Can I stay here until I find a new place for my son?"

I was wrapped in yet another hug while Aiden whined and my baby brother looked at me in the most fatherly way. "You can stay as long as you want. We'll take care of you. Mom and dad have missed you, Lena."

I nodded and carried Aiden back into the house following Andrew. When we got inside, I was attacked in hugs after setting my son on the floor. Mom was crying and laughing as she examined me. She was still shocked by my white hair and flashing eyes. Dad's hug was awkward and tense. I still hadn't gotten over what he said about sending us to a laboratory. It was quite hilarious how he acted like he'd never said anything. I excused myself and asked Andrew to show me to Aiden's room. Not surprisingly, it was in my room. I set a dozing Aiden in his crib and crawled under my covers. Andrew climbed in next to me and held me as I started to cry.

When he asked if I wanted to talk about it, I let everything loose. I sobbed as I told him about what Kasey did to my friends and what he had done to me. I babbled about how much I was worried about Aiden while I was gone and how Eren had proposed to me. The ring was very beautiful and was still shining on my finger. I showed it to him as he smiled. Then I told him about what Eren had said. I cried and cried until there were no more tears and my eyes were red and swollen. It was around that time that I realized it was 11:30 at night and curled up next to my snoring baby brother. He grunted and squeezed me close as I fell asleep in his arms. Almost. Aiden started to whine so I quietly brought him to the bed and put him in between Andrew and I as he slowly went back to sleep. I smiled tiredly and climbed back in bed, cuddling up to my sin and feeling my brother's arms go around me pulling me close and mumbling my name as he yawned.

"Go back to sleep Andy," I whispered.

"Okay," he mumbled. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"I love you, sis."

I laughed and moved so my back was against his chest and Aiden was in my arms. "I love you too, baby brother."