Chapter 59
Viviane
“The auction is tomorrow.” I whisper, looking around at the hundled mermaids surrounding me. A dozen worried faces gaze back, their pretty features ranging from frightened to positively petrified. “If we’re going to escape, we have to do it tonight.”
“There’s no use.” One of the younger girls sighs forlornly. She looks about fifteen and has spent most of our time here crying. I can’t say I blame her. When I was her age I would have fallen to pieces under these circumstances. I’m actually amazed I’m not in worse condition now. Being with Caspian really has changed me, made me stronger and more confident. A few months ago I would have sat here and waited for him to come and rescue me, but we don’t have the time to waste.
“I know it’s daunting, but we have to try.” I tell her gently, looking to the others for support. Unfortunately she’s not the only one who has doubts. Spending one’s formative years in captivity has that effect, we were trained to obey or suffer, and made to believe we were powerless to change our fates. Unlearning that kind of mental conditioning is not easily done, especially after such a short time has passed. Some of these girls have been free for less than a year.
“If we try to escape, they’ll only punish us.” The same girl whimpers, hugging herself tightly.
“Listen to me.” I murmur fervently. “We’re going to be punished whether we try to escape or not. We have to try to get away. I know what it’s like to be… raped,” I blurt out the horrible word as if it’s a curse. “I would rather try to escape and fail, than simply accept having it happen over and over again because I was too afraid to try.”
“But it will never work.” Another girl frets, “the security here is too intense.”
“Look, we’re all here because we’ve escaped the Bloodstones once already.” I answer firmly, “it can be done, if we’re smart about it.”
“But we escaped the pearl farms - which are in the middle of nowhere.” A redhead named Ariel reasons, “getting out of the capital city is going to be ten times harder.”
“Maybe.” I shrug, “or maybe it will make things easier. It’s a lot easier to spot someone in the middle of nowhere than in a crowd.”
“She’s right.” A blonde called Serena nods supportively. “We can blend in with the crowd and try to get our hands on a car to get back out of the territory. At least, we have to try. Life in the settlement was bleak, but it was better than being a slave. I’m not going to let wolves take my freedom again.”
Murmurs of agreement move through our little group, and all at once the girls turn to look at me. “Alright Viviane. Tell us what to do.”
Caspian
We’re along the border when I smell him, like rotted meat and stale liquor. There is absolutely nothing that could distract me from my mission, not a single thing - save one: Mordred.
It was bad enough he raped Viviane, then tried to attack her again, but after escaping prison how many more women like her has he harmed? How many lives has he ruined through his own selfish greed? I stop dead in my tracks, turning to look at Chase, “Do you smell that?”
My Beta had already been heading back to the car, but he stopped then and scented the air. Understanding crossed over his face in a flash of surprise, followed soon after by anxiety. “Caspian, we can find him later.”
“We’ve been searching for months, with no luck.” I remind him, “it’s now or never.”
“Every minute counts Caspian!” Chase counters, “we don’t have any time to waste.”
“Do you think I would risk Viviane’s safety for anything in the world?” I demand, “He is a threat, not only to her but to countless other mermaids. If we let him go now there’s no telling how many women he could hurt.”
“Fine, but we have to be fast. If any of the border scouts find the car they’ll be after us in no time flat.” Chase cautions. We’d only stopped to slip ahead and make sure the smugglers road we were using wasn’t being patrolled, but we knew there were sentries nearby. Of course, they were on the lookout for escaping mermaids and not people coming into their lands, but Chase and I would certainly raise a few red flags.
We both shift and take off in the direction of Mordred’s scent, racing through the forest at top speed. From the smell of it, he’s traveling alone and clearly moving on foot, though I can’t imagine why - perhaps on his way to a meet up. We’re careful to stay upwind of him, and my blood rushes in my ears as my prey drive takes over. Chase and I split up as we draw near, taking up positions on either side of him before closing in. He doesn’t realize we’re there until it’s too late, shifting and breaking into a run just as he comes into sight.
I tackle him before he even makes it ten meters, and Chase circles around us as I pin Mordred to the ground. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you here and now? I snarl telepathically, shaking the mutt like a ragdoll.
Please no! He whines, begging like the coward he is. I’ll do anything! Don’t kill me!
You raped my mate. You’ve been kidnapping innocent girls and torturing them too. You’re a monster. I tell him furiously, and you don’t even have the balls to own up for your crimes.
You’re right! He screeches, you’re right, I’m sorry. Just please tell me what to do, I’ll make it right.
There is nothing on this planet you could ever do to make up for what you’ve done. It takes all my willpower not to snap his horrible neck then and there, but I know I can’t let my temper get the better of me when he might have information that could help us. What are you doing here?
I’m meeting my contact from the Bloodstone pack. He cries, we were going to arrange our next delivery.
When and where? I command, shaking him again just to hear him whimper like a pup.
Just over the next ridge, in about twenty minutes. Mordred supplies without complaint. I don’t know what James was thinking when he hired the bastard. He might be an evil son of a bitch, but I thought he had more brains than to work with someone who has no backbone.
What do you know about the mermaids who get taken to Sangville? I hiss. Were you involved in the shipment taken two days ago?
I swear I wasn’t! Mordred exclaims, and I believe him. The idiot is too afraid to lie. They take the mermaids to an auction house in the center of the city. If they’re not sold in auction, they’re given to the brothels. By the time they’re adults they’re worth more as whores than pearl producers.
Is that all you know? I press, biting down on his neck.
Yes, that’s all! I swear it! He keens, writhing beneath me.
Good. I seethe, my fangs dripping as I move in for the kill. We’ll tell your contact you were delayed. Don’t worry though, this will only hurt for a second - if I had more time I’d give you every ounce of pain you’ve inflicted on others - but lucky for you we’re on a tight schedule.
What! No - please d- His frantic pleas are silenced with a single, vicious bite. I dig my canines deep into his throat, severing his spinal cord and ending his miserable life once and for all. Dropping his body to the ground, I spit his blood onto the earth next to him.
That was disgusting. I tell Chase, he tastes as bad as he smells.
Are you okay? My friend replies, eyeing me warily.
I’m beyond okay. I answer honestly. I’ve never taken a life before, but there's no doubt in my mind it was the right thing to do. Mordred will never hurt anyone else again, and while his death couldn’t ever undo the harm he’s inflicted on women like Viviane, there is at least some justice now that he’s paid for his crimes. He’s had that coming for a long time.
Alright, we need to get moving if we want to catch his contact and get back to the car without being seen. Especially with a body for the scouts to find. He advises.
Let’s go. I order, already taking off again. I’m already looking forward to getting rid of another shining example of shifter vermin. My bloodlust is in full control now, and I don’t feel an ounce of shame or regret. There have been many times when my temper has gotten the best of me with terrible consequences, but this is one time when I know my rage can only help me. As long as Viviane is in danger, I need to be as ruthless as possible, and anyone who stands in my way should be very, very afraid.
