Chapter Nine

I woke up in Jason's arms outside of my destroyed home. It was still standing, but the windows were blown out and the door was broken in half. There was trash and pools of water everywhere. Jason sat in the grass with me in his lap, stroking my head. He was looking down at me, his green eyes connecting with mine.

"Welcome back." I whispered.

"Prince Arlo sent a war warning to the land about humans polluting the waters. The waves hit everywhere, pushing all the trash back onto land." He explained. "You used a lot of your energy protecting your family. It was amazing to watch." I closed my eyes, pushing my face against his wet shirt. He smelled like salt water and cucumbers.

"Ugh! How are we going to get all this water out?!" My aunt grunted, followed by a splash. "We have to fix so much already! More if our house begins to rot and mold!" I looked over to see her kick a piece of wood.

"We should help." I started to get up.

"You're still weak. Be careful." Jason stood. We were the only ones on top of the hill and everyone else in the town was below the hill. I wobbled, bumping into Jason. "Take it easy, Blake.

"I can help. I just need to focus." We went inside with my aunt and uncle.

"We can build up to that. Right now, you need to rest." Jason argued. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply. When I opened my eyes, it was like my body took over. I placed my arms out in front of me with my palms down. I moved my left arm up fluidly then out to my side. Water pulled up off the floor and fabrics in tiny droplets. I flinched from sharp pain in my ribs, but didn't stop. I realized then that my arms were wrapped and bandaged. "Blake! Stop! You're hurting yourself!"

"Blake, don't worry about it, honey. It's okay. Leave it." My aunt stood next to Jason.

"Just let me help for once!" I grunted. All the salt water in the house collected into a big ball and with the last bit of strength I had, I threw it outside and down the hill. I gasped, standing weakly. My uncle caught me as my legs buckled.

"Thank you, sweetheart. You help a lot." He held me in his arms.

"Blake, you didn't need to strain yourself to show your worth." My aunt kissed my head. "You need to rest now. Regain your strength." I nodded, uncle passing me to Jason who carried me to my room. I laid in my bed, not caring that the sheets and blankets were off. Jason sat next to me calmly.

"How do we stop my brother?" I didn't look at him. "If my father can't stop him, how can we?"

"You'll have to challenge him." He responded. "If you can't defeat him, he will become king."

"Which means war between the land and the sea." I sighed. Suddenly, I sat up and looked at him. "Wait, humans don't know we exist." He shook his head.

"They would've fought a long time ago." I studied him. His black hair was down which made the green in his eyes seem more vibrant. "So... I have to fight my brother... and become ruler if my father isn't."

"Yes." My heart pounded, but not because of fear. Memories of our years of friendship flooded into my mind. I remembered when I first met him and fell in love with him. I remembered all of our laughs together and every time he helped me. I wanted him forever. I wanted him to be mine. "Why are you staring at me?" He tilted his head slightly. Without thinking, I leaned forward and touched my lips to his. I felt a spark ignite in my soul and electricity buzz through my veins. He kissed me back passionately, pulling me into his lap. I felt like I was flying as we kissed. I didn't care about anything in that moment besides him. He was everything I could ask for and more.