Chapter 7
439words
"Tara Wilson, you're going too far!"
"I see. You don't actually care about saving Lily after all."
Lily's cries grew more desperate, her body convulsing with pain.
They stared at me, paralyzed with indecision.
"If you want to save Lily, you'll slap each other."
"If I find your performance entertaining enough, I might just save your precious treasure."
I emphasized "precious treasure" with deliberate mockery, reminding them of how they once referred to me.
Seconds stretched into an eternity as they remained frozen.
"No takers? Fine. Watch your beloved Lily die, then."
I rose and turned toward the door.
One… two… three…
"Wait!"
Julian's face contorted with desperation as he swung his hand, cracking it across Zachary's face.
"For Lily's sake—just do it!"
CRACK
Zachary closed his eyes briefly before delivering a stinging blow to Julian's cheek.
Within minutes, both their faces were swollen and reddened.
I settled back to enjoy the show, casually retrieving a bag of sunflower seeds from the drawer.
"Don't stop now. I'm just starting to enjoy myself."
Julian bit his bloodied lip.
"Tara Wilson, if you're playing us, I swear to God I'll kill you."
I arched an eyebrow, crunching a seed between my teeth.
Soon the room echoed with the sharp sounds of flesh striking flesh.
Slap after slap rang out in quick succession.
Lily's pleas for help grew fainter with each passing minute.
Eventually, their faces were grotesquely swollen, their hands trembling with exhaustion.
I popped the final seed into my mouth, savoring its salty crunch.
They stared at me, eyes desperate with hope.
Only then did I deign to speak.
"Enough."
They stopped immediately, hatred burning in their eyes, but they dared not voice it.
I approached Lily and pressed my bleeding wrist to her lips, forcing her to drink.
"Lily! Lily!"
They scrambled to her side, pushing me roughly away.
"Lily, how do you feel?"
Lily shook her head weakly, but color slowly returned to her ashen face.
"I think… I'm better…"
Julian and Zachary exhaled in unison, shoulders sagging with relief.
Zachary checked Lily's pulse, his brow furrowing.
"Tara, you promised to save her. Why is her pulse still so weak?"
"I promised to save her life—not restore her health."
"You should be grateful I'm keeping her alive at all."
With that, I turned and walked out, not sparing them another glance.
I'd merely condemned Lily to a life of suffering—a mercy compared to what they inflicted on me across two lifetimes.
I returned to my mother's sanctuary—the home she left me, where mermaid magic still lingered to heal my wounds.
