The Cost of Betrayal

Chapter Twenty-seven

Birsha was walking along the shoreline a few nights later. His mind was on Maura, he wanted to be near her. She was becoming an obsession to him and he wasn't too sure he liked it. He picked up a shell and threw it out into the surf, sighing heavily. Between Maura filling his mind, and Chastity attempting to occupy him the whole trip, he wasn't getting anywhere with his plans. And they only had a few more days over here. The shell came back and hit him squarely on the side of the head. He turned angrily, expecting to see someone in the water. He was taken aback by the view he got.

"Don't you know it's not nice to throw things at people?" the woman asked sharply. Her eyes were narrowed with anger and disgust.

"I'm sorry," Birsha stammered. "Did I hurt you?"

The woman's expression changed from anger to curiosity, "No, but I know you have a lot on your mind."

Birsha chuckled dryly, "That's an understatement."

The woman beckoned him with her finger, "Come to me and tell me what your problem is," she cooed. She was bored and playing with a human would be fun. He wasn't that bad-looking either, she thought.

Birsha began walking closer to the woman in the water, it was as if she were pulling him with an invisible rope. It was then that he realized who, or more like what, she was. It took all his strength to pull back from her calling.

She scowled at him, shocked he was able to escape her pull. She narrowed her eyes at him, she knew of only a select few that could do this.

Birsha stood fast on the shoreline and crossed his arms, "I could use your help," he suggested.

She threw her head back and laughed at him, "I don't help humans." She turned and was about to walk away when she felt something stop her and turn her to face him again.

"I am no mere human," he growled at her pulling her closer to him and revealing her scaled bottom.

"Let me go," she snarled back at him, her once calm and beautiful features turning dark and ominous. "You have no clue who you are messing with."

Her warning fell on deaf ears as he took in her form, "Yes, you'll do nicely. What is your name?"

As hard as she tried, she could not defy him. She bit down on her lip to keep herself from speaking to him, but it was in vain as her mouth moved to obey him. "Anemone," she whispered. She was close enough to him to see the glowing amulet around his neck and gasped.

He followed her gaze, "What? Why is it doing this?" He pulled her hair tightly forcing her to look up at him. "What do you know?"

She looked him in the eyes wonder filling her expression, "You don't know who you are, do you?" She was surprised to see him. Had he been this close the whole time and they never knew? She had to get to her father, he needed to know. This boy was the key to them being able to walk on land again!

"I am Birsha, son of Ferox and Demara."

As he spoke, she laughed out loud, her actions angering him. "How dare you laugh!" He threw her away from him roughly, she swam just out of his reach.

"You don't know who you are," she was surprised at his lack of knowledge. How did they keep this information from him?

"I told you who I am," he said in confidence, even though he knew that Ferox and Demara were not his true parents, they raised him.

She laughed again, "You know who you are, but not who, you are." She stated simply. "Now, if you want my help, you will help me." She wanted nothing more than to walk on the land, she wanted to be able to know what it was like to have feet and feel the sand between her toes. She had seen so many humans and their reactions were all so different that she didn't know what it was like.

He narrowed his eyes, deals weren't his forte. He preferred being in charge and having contracts. He would need one for her, but how? He had nothing to write on, and written contracts were so much stronger than verbal ones. He needed collateral. "What do you want the most?"

"I want to walk on land," she stated simply.

He didn't bother to hide his surprise or amusement at her desire, "You know it's not all it's cracked up to be."

She scowled at him, "Well, that's what I want. The stories of humans running and skipping and playing, made it sound amazing. It is what I want." She crossed her arms over her chest, her body shimmering beneath the moonlight, "And what is it you want?"

"I need to get rid of a problem."

"What kind of problem?" she asked cautiously. She knew that dealing with someone of his strengths and powers even those untapped, could be dangerous. And just what was it that he couldn't deal with on his own? She knew that speaking with him, he would tell her what he wanted the most. Merfolk had that kind of power, it was how they used it against their victims.

"I need to get the attention of one woman and get rid of another," his words were out before he knew what he was saying. He couldn't believe that this was what he wanted. He snapped his mouth shut, but it was too late. He smiled softly at the thought of Maura, the woman that he wanted the attention of.

She smirked, "A female problem?" she was surprised that was all. "This I can help you with." Her guarantee was out of her mouth before she thought it through.

"Good, I'll bring the problem down here early in the morning, be here waiting." He turned away from her, his tone made her worry. She quickly pushed it away as the thought crossed her mind, she would be able to walk on land! But first, she needed to find her father, he needed to know that "her child" has come to help them. She splashed into the sea with an excited flip and swam into the depths of the sea.

She found her father tending to his seabeds as usual, "Father, he's arrived!"

Her father looked up curious, "He who?"

"The one that can save us! And return us to the land!" she gushed excitedly.

He looked behind her, expecting him to be behind her. "Where is he?"

She looked down sheepishly, "Uh, he's a land walker."

He rolled his eyes, "How many of these boys are you going to believe?" This was the fourth time she had thought she found him, and this had to stop. "He isn't coming, my dear sweet daughter. It was a legend, a story, nothing more."

"Daddy, he doesn't know who he is," she said quietly. "And he was wearing our amulet."

Her father looked up at her, dropping his handtool into the coral bed causing a plume of tiny fish to flood the area. "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "And it was glowing."

His face broke into a smile, he was excited at the thought of walking on land. "Well, let's go."

She paused, "I made a deal with him, I have to help him with a problem, then he'll help me."

Her father gave her a worried look but nodded. "Do as he bids, my dear. He is the one to save us."