She turned back. She had to see what was happening. Curiosity compelled her.
As she neared, Mina saw a woman, struggling frantically, pushing her hands out against—wait, she’s trapped in some kind of box. Mina hadn’t even noticed the box at first because it was clear, like glass. But now she could see that the big box was filling with the water and the woman inside was utterly terrified. Mina’s eyes widened in shock and she surged forward, whipping her tail against the water. She reached that box in seconds and her hands slapped against the glass. She stared into the woman’s frightened gaze. The woman was shouting, but there was no way to make out her words. Mina couldn’t understand her, but she could see the flash of—of fangs? Yes, fangs as the woman’s mouth opened and her face contorted with fear.
She should conserve her energy and air. She won’t have long.
Mina pounded against that glass again. It wouldn’t break beneath her fists so she swam down and tried to lift up the big box. Her tail shoved hard against the water but the box was so heavy she couldn’t lift it.
Why is she in the box? What’s happening?
There were more splashes in the water. Mina looked around, startled, and saw that men in scuba suits were coming toward her. Maybe they could help the woman in the box.
But they had…guns. No, not guns, not exactly. The shape was wrong. Spear guns? Yes. They were staring at her in shock and they weren’t helping the terrified woman. Mina motioned desperately toward that odd, glass box.
One of the men fired. His spear came right at Mina. It sank into the side of her tail and her lips parted as agony pierced her. Another man threw a net around her and he started hauling her away from the box.
They didn’t seem to care about the trapped woman. They were focused just on…catching me.
Mina struggled desperately, but she couldn’t get out of the net. And the woman in the box was sinking ever deeper. The divers didn’t even look back at her. They just left the woman, and they took Mina toward the surface.
She broke the surface of the water, screaming, “Help her! Help her!” But no one paid her any attention. She was hauled out of the water—still bound in that net—and tossed onto the boat. She sprawled hard on the old wooden deck, her body shaking and her tail bleeding.
A woman’s voice cried out, “Dear God, what is she?”
Mina’s head turned to the right. A redhead stared at her in horrified fascination. I should know her. The knowledge whispered through her, but the woman’s identity was just beyond Mina’s grasp.
Another man came forward, the sun glinting off his blond hair. He reached for her, and Mina flinched, but he was just removing the net. He stared at her with wide hazel eyes, and then he smiled. “You are so perfect.”
He was staring at her as if he’d just been given the best prize in the world. And he utterly terrified her.
“There’s a woman in the water,” Mina whispered. “You need to help her.”
He just waved that away. “Mina, I am never letting you go.”
Her tail…it was feeling funny, and not just because of the spear still in the side of it. She looked down and saw that her scales weren’t shining quite as brightly. “What’s happening?” She looked back up at the man. “Who are you?”
Surprise flashed on his face then. “You don’t know?”
She knew her instincts were screaming he was someone bad. But—
“I’m the man you love, Mina.” His smile was incredibly tender. “And the man you’d do anything for.”
He was a liar. “Help the woman in the box.”
He knelt next to Mina. “Will your legs come back, the longer you’re out of the water?”
Her legs?
“I can’t believe you held this wonderful secret from me.” His hand curled under her chin. “Mina, Mina, Mina…what else have you been holding back?”
Her lips trembled. “H-help the woman in the box.”
“Forget her. If she’s not already dead, she will be.”
Monster. The word burst into her head. He’s a monster. She shoved at his hand and tried to flee, but she couldn’t move with her tail. She could only flop there, trapped, while they all stared at her. The monster—he stared at her with lust in his eyes. The others stared at her as if she were some sort of freak. And the redheaded woman was even touching the gun at her side, as if she were thinking about shooting Mina.
“Help me,” Mina begged.
The monster smiled. “We’ll help each other, Mina. You’ll come back with me and together we will do amazing things.”
No. They wouldn’t. “Help me!” Mina screamed because she was trapped. Helpless. Afraid.
The monster laughed. “What? Do you think Luke Thorne is going to magically appear? Do you think he’ll hear your screams? He’s dead, Mina. I killed him. There’s no one left to care about what happens to you. No one, but me.”
Luke Thorne.
That one name pierced through her, driving far deeper than the spear had.
Who is Luke?
Luke.
Luke…