Merletta’s scream was whipped from her mouth by the wind. She dove below the waves, but not quickly enough to miss the shock that transformed Heath’s face as the spear buried itself in his side. Another guard had copied Ileana instantly, and the second spear pierced Heath’s leg.
Heath sank like a stone, the pain that twisted his face soon replaced by the blind panic of a fish out of water as he tried instinctively to take in air. His form hit the coral below, the waves dragging him mercilessly along the sharp surface.
Merletta reached him in seconds, her stomach churning as she swam through his blood to get to him. The other guards hung back, eyeing the red swirls nervously. It wasn’t yet the ideal feeding time for sharks, but you never knew.
“Heath!” Merletta screamed, and his head turned toward her, the movement seeming involuntary. His blue eyes widened slightly as his gaze locked on her, apparently able to see her even through the murky water. He was conscious, then, but clearly incapable of sufficient movement to get himself back to the surface and the precious air he needed to survive. She knew a brief flash of gratitude that humans didn’t die when fully submerged, the way mermaids dried out.
She abandoned her spear in the reef, seizing him under his arms and pulling him through the water. When his head broke the surface, he spluttered and drew a rattling breath, but it sounded alarmingly like the gasp of a dying creature, and his eyes were closed now. Panic clouded Merletta’s brain as she floated, unsure what to do. The rain pounded against Heath’s skin, paler than it should have been, and blood continued to stain the water around them.
“You can’t save him, you must know that.”
Ileana’s taunting words startled Merletta back into action. The young guard, alone of the group, had been bold enough to approach the pair through the dangerous water. Ileana still had her spear in her hand, and it was clear she intended to see it through.
“Stop, please! Do you hate me so much?” The words were wrenched from Merletta, half scream, half sob.
“This isn’t just about you,” said Ileana grimly, her voice the tiniest bit less vicious as she shook her head. “I know my duty.”
Merletta was struggling to stay on the surface, burdened down as she was by Heath’s limp form, but with a supreme effort, she brought her tail up to connect with the other mermaid’s midriff with a resounding thwack.
Ileana’s breath left her in a huff, and Merletta didn’t waste the moment of reprieve. She streaked for the shore, pulling Heath in her wake, a trail of red flowing out behind them. The blow had clearly winded Ileana, because she still hadn’t caught up by the time the water became too shallow for Merletta to properly swim. She slowed once she was almost sitting on the bottom. She didn’t think even Ileana would dare follow her that far in. The ebb and flow of the waves was so dramatic that at some times her whole body was submerged, and at others only half her tail was in the water. Few mermaids would be willing to take such a risk.
Merletta dragged Heath up alongside her, trying to keep his head above the breaking waves. He seemed to be coming in and out of consciousness, and his pallor was alarming. But more concerning was the blood pouring from his wounds. Remembering what she had learned of injury treatment in Agner’s training, she cast around for strong enough seaweed to make a tourniquet, but of course there was nothing in the shallows. Her eyes fell on his clothes, and a sudden thought occurred to her. She reached into her ever-present satchel, pulling out his own knife. She used it to rip the shirt from him, slashing it into strips. She could only hope that the principle was the same for humans.
It was difficult to do anything with precision, given the way they were constantly buffeted by the waves. But she bound his leg as best she could. She just managed to tie a wad of material to the wound on his side before a particularly violent wave swept over them, sending Heath tumbling back under the water. Life returned to him for a moment as his head was submerged, but it was the thrashing of blind panic, not any helpful movement.
Merletta’s arms shook as she again hoisted him up so his head was above the waterline. She had no idea what to do, and at this rate he would certainly drown even before succumbing to his injuries. She looked back out to sea. There was no sign of any of the other guards, but she could make out Ileana’s head, bobbing in the waves, just on the shore side of the reef. The other mermaid was watching to make sure the human didn’t survive. No help was coming from that direction.
“Heath!” Merletta cried desperately. “Heath, you have to move! Get out of the water!”
Heath stirred feebly, his eyes opening for a moment and settling on her face as the rain continued to lash them both.
“Merletta,” he said, his voice soft. “I’m sorry I was gone so long…I wanted to come…”
“Never mind about that!” Merletta cried, tears mingling with the rain. “I can’t save you while we’re in the water!”
Heath remained silent, his eyes drifting closed again. She couldn’t tell whether he could even hear her.
Merletta swallowed, realizing all at once what she needed to do. If she couldn’t save him in the water, she had to do whatever it took to get him out of it. She began to move toward the water’s edge, one arm wrapped awkwardly around Heath, and one dragging them across the barely submerged sand. She tried to push him ahead of her, but out of the water, she wasn’t strong enough. She had to drag him behind, which was so much riskier for her.
She didn’t hesitate. She shuffled ahead of him, pulling him along by the arms, wincing as his poorly wrapped wounds continued to bleed. Sometimes the waves receded so far that only her fins remained wet. She started to feel the dry, prickly sensation she had felt once before, and fear gripped her. But still she continued to inch up onto the land.
“Merletta!” Heath’s voice surprised her with its strength. “Stop!”
She turned to face him, and found his gaze locked on her, his blue eyes blazing with clarity even as his face was still twisted by pain. He had clearly returned to reality for a moment.
“You’re too far out of the water,” he panted, the words coming out with great effort. “You have to leave me here. Get back to the ocean.”
Merletta shook her head in silent refusal, continuing her slow progress. Heath tried to protest again, but his words were interrupted by a particularly violent wave, which crashed over his face and left him spluttering.
“Merletta,” he choked, as soon as he could speak again. He reached up as she hauled him further ashore. She thought he would grab her arm, but his hand sought her face instead. She hadn’t even noticed that her braid had come loose in the tussle, and she only realized her hair was cascading free when Heath’s shaking hand pushed it back from her face. She stilled at his gentle touch on her cheek, and an errant wave crashed unheeded over them.
“Stop, Merletta,” he whispered, his voice clear even though weak. “I don’t want you to die.”
“If I stop,” she grunted, her teeth gritted against the pain of the prickling beginning to pass over her whole body, “you’ll die.” She forced herself back into motion, giving an almighty heave to get him out of the path of the waves.
With the movement, his hand slipped limply from her cheek, and fear raced over her. He couldn’t be gone. She ripped away what was left of his shirt, feeling for a heartbeat, and was relieved to see that the labored rise and fall of his chest continued.
The water was barely lapping them now, and a dry heat was filling every inch of her body, despite the pounding rain. Some small part of her had hoped that being wet from the rain might be enough to stop her from drying out, but clearly the fresh water didn’t count. With one final tug, she pulled Heath’s motionless form up onto the sand next to her before collapsing beside him, utterly spent.