What the Tide Brings

Chapter 34 - Liam - Run for Cover

Kaelin's statement chilled Liam thoroughly to his core. She was not one for overstating the facts. His fingers squeezed her shoulders, concerned. "What are you talking about?"

Kaelin pressed her palm flat against his cheek. Through her memory, Liam saw the wave headed their way, and he knew what it contained.

When she pulled her hand away, he stumbled back a few steps, turning his eyes to the ocean. The wave was close enough that he could see it now, whenever the lightning flashed in the clouds above. "Holy shit!"

He turned back to Kaelin. "You have to do something."

"What?" she asked, her voice weak. Tears steadily fell from her eyes. He'd never seen her look so defeated. "I cannot go up against an army alone. My magic is strong, but not that strong."

"But..." He paused. He didn't know what to say. "What do we do?"

Kaelin wiped her hands across her tearstained cheeks. She moved closer and grabbed his face in both of her hands. She pulled him down into a kiss, fierce and passionate.

When she broke away, he stared into her steely blue eyes, a deep line formed between her furrowed brows. "Get them out of here." She nodded her head toward the people, obliviously partying around the bonfire as their impending doom approached. "I will hold off the army as long as I can."

Liam reached up to hold onto her raised arms. "I'm not gonna leave you alone."

"If you don't, all of them will die." She made a convincing argument.

In spite of everything inside of him telling him to stay, he decided to listen to her. But there was one problem. "How am I supposed to get them to leave? Half of them are sauced out of their minds. They may not listen."

"I can handle that much."

Kaelin released her hold on him and walked backwards until the surf rose up around ankles. She lifted her arms out at her sides, bringing a wall of water up behind her. She continued to raise her arms over her head, until the water had grown nearly ten feet above her head. Then, she threw her arms forward and the water made an arc over the two of them, surging through the air to crash down on the huge flames of the bonfire, dousing them.

Screams erupted as the beach was plummeted into darkness. Liam was left with spots dancing in his vision. He blinked several times to get rid of them, to no avail.

A bolt of purple lightning shot from the sky to strike the beach a few hundred feet from the group. This brought about terrified screeches. Using flashlights and phone screens as a guide, the people fled the beach, headed to the parking lot.

Anyone who wasn't convinced to leave by the lightning soon joined the mass exodus as a sudden downpour was unleashed from the cloud that hadn't been there a minute ago.

"The forecast said clear skies," Preston shouted in the distance, a tremble in his voice.

Liam felt Kaelin's hands on his chest. They slid up to his neck. He couldn't see more than the vague shape of her, but he still reached out for her, placing his hands on her waist. "Be safe, please." he said.

She pulled his head down until his forehead was pressed against hers. "I will do my best." Her head disappeared from his, then he felt her lips against his. When she pulled back again, she said, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Now, go," Her voice was low, but he thought he heard a crack.

He was hesitant to leave her behind, but he had to do as she said. He didn't want her to have to worry about him.

"Liam!" Andy yelled out. There was also him to consider. "Liam, where are you?" To his credit, Andy actually sounded worried.

Andy's voice was soon joined by Gretchen's calling out for Liam. She also called to Kaelin.

Kaelin took his hand and squeezed it tight. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"You better be." Liam said. "Or I'll be pissed, and I'll never forgive you."

She laughed. He couldn't tell, because he couldn't see her face, but it didn't sound genuine. "Then, I must keep my word. I would never want you to be upset with me."

"Liam!" Andy yelled again, this time much closer than before. "Where the hell are you, jackass?"

Liam breathed a heavy sigh and slowly moved away from her. It felt so wrong to leave her behind, but he knew he had to. There wasn't much he could do against an army of magic-wielding warriors.

Liam ran in the direction he'd heard his brother's voice. It was easy to spot Andy, backlit from the headlights of so many cars. He was the only person headed back toward the surf.

When they met up in the middle, Andy grabbed his Liam's sleeve. "Where the hell did you go?" He looked around. "Where's Kaelin?"

Liam looked back at the water. He couldn't see anything, it was too dark, but he heard the roaring of the waves getting louder. "I-I..."

What was he supposed to say?

"I saw her." Gretchen said. Liam looked over at her, confused. "She was getting into a car with her sister, getting the hell out of here, like we should be doing."

As if to illustrate her point another bolt of lightning struck the beach, in the spot where the fire had been blazing minutes ago.

"Well, then, let's go." Andy said. "I'm sure she'll go back to the house."

"Yeah," Liam nodded and followed his brother toward the parking lot.

Andy moved faster than Liam and Gretchen, but that was on purpose. Gretchen had held Liam back to ask, "What's going on?"

"It's D-Day," Liam said. "A whole bunch of angry, human-hating mermen are on their way to find Kaelin."

"And we're leaving her because..." Gretchen raised a brow, leaving the rest unfinished.

"Because they will kill any human that gets in their way. Even innocent bystanders." He held a hand out toward the parking lot and all of the potential victims.

Gretchen looked back at the dark beach. "I hope she'll be okay."

Liam followed her gaze, hoping to catch a glimpse of Kaelin, but it was impossible. "Me, too."