Heart of the Sea
Sixteen
Quinn had no explanation for how mermaid tears worked, but they certainly did. He woke up from the best sleep of his life and felt a million times better. He sat up in bed and groggily looked around for Isla, but she was nowhere to be found. Tubbs sauntered into the room and mewed as he jumped up on the bed. Quinn scratched him under the chin.
"Do you know where she's hiding?" Quinn asked.
It was suspiciously quiet in the house, and suddenly Quinn felt a concerned chill up his spine. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. He got out of bed and pulled a sweater over his head as he headed down the stairs.
The shine of one of Isla's shells caught his eye, and he frowned when he saw the note tucked under it. He read over it casually. Then read it again with more concern. Then once more in a full panic. She had every good intention in trying to go talk to Kent, but he had a bad feeling she was going to be caught in a bad situation.
He took off running for the docks and found in dismay that Kent's boat wasn't in place. He could see a glimpse of it floating in the distance, and everything in him felt Isla was there and in trouble. He cursed under his breath, then ran to a rowboat as a young boy tied it to the dock.
"Hey," Quinn said. "I'm borrowing this. Sorry."
"But that's my-"
"I'll be really gentle," Quinn promised.
The boy didn't have a chance to argue before Quinn got in and pushed away from the dock with the oar. His body was still a little weak from the cold, but he used every ounce of energy he had to row as fast as he could to Kent's boat.
He rowed behind the boat so he wouldn't be seen, making sure to keep an eye on the deck so he wouldn't be seen as he climbed up a side ladder. He peeked over to see Kent standing in front of a strange tank, almost shielding Isla where she was floating in her mermaid form. At least Quinn was right about Kent taking the right side, but none of that would matter if they were dead. Oscar was there as well with two others, though their backs were turned to Quinn.
"Step aside and we all get what we want," Oscar argued.
"This isn't what I want," Kent spat.
"I want to help you because you've already paid me," Oscar said, "But if I have to cut through you to get to her then I have no shame in you mysteriously getting lost at sea. Now move."
Quinn slowly pulled himself up onto the deck, luckily not having been noticed yet. One of the men with Oscar was standing near him, and he managed to catch him by surprise. He wrapped an arm around the man's shoulder's and flipped him back over the rail, sending the man splashing into the water below.
Everyone turned to look at Quinn in shock, and he stared back at them with equal shock.
"He just... slipped," he said. "Should we go get him?"
"Where the hell did you come from?" Oscar growled. "Stupid little boy. Don't tell me you actually believe this fish loves you."
"Uh," Quinn said awkwardly, "Look, I'm not good at this whole confrontational trash talking thing. I'm just going to get my friends and go."
"We'll see about that."
The other man Oscar was with lunged at Quinn, but he managed to dodge it just in time. Quinn may have been a large guy and toned from a lifetime of throwing and pulling in heavy nets, but he had never actually fought anyone. He considered himself a nonviolent man, but maybe it was time to rethink his morals.
He dodged another punch and threw a punch at the thug, surprising himself when he managed to hit the guy square in the nose. They both stared at each other in shock for a second.
"Quinn, on your left!" Isla cried out from where she was.
Quinn turned just as Oscar swung at him with a knife, though his sudden turn made the knife instead bury into the shoulder of the man who was fighting him. The man cried out and stumbled back, but Oscar just ripped the knife out of him and tried for Quinn instead.
Kent stayed guarding Isla, but Oscar suddenly turned back towards her. He pointed the bloody knife at Isla with rage in his eyes.
"What siren spell have you put on these men?!" he demanded.
"They just don't have the same icy hearts as you!" she spat.
He went to attack Isla, but Kent seemed to muster up all his strength to shove him back. The gesture knocked Kent down as well, and the old man weakly fell to the deck. Quinn took his chance to grab the knife, then went to where Isla was being kept and undid the rope bindings that held her down.
"I'll give you a boost, but you'll have to push up if you're going to make it to the water," Quinn said.
"What?!" she said, startled. "No, come with me."
"I have to help Kent," he said. "Swim fast and swim far away."
He didn't give her a chance to argue before lifting her out of the tank and giving her a boost so she could dive into the ocean.
Oscar growled in frustration and grabbed Quinn. He was relieved to see Isla swimming away before Oscar turned him around.
"You'll pay for this," he snapped.
Quinn felt Oscar plunge the knife into his stomach, and the world started to fade in and out. One of the last things he saw was Oscar's face go blank as a second knife found itself buried into his back. He fell, and Quinn saw Kent standing there with a stunned expression and the bloody blade in his hand. Then Quinn couldn't stay standing anymore, and fell over the railing. The icy water felt like a thousand more knives piercing into him, but he didn't stay concious much longer.
"Do you know where she's hiding?" Quinn asked.
It was suspiciously quiet in the house, and suddenly Quinn felt a concerned chill up his spine. Something was wrong. It was too quiet. He got out of bed and pulled a sweater over his head as he headed down the stairs.
The shine of one of Isla's shells caught his eye, and he frowned when he saw the note tucked under it. He read over it casually. Then read it again with more concern. Then once more in a full panic. She had every good intention in trying to go talk to Kent, but he had a bad feeling she was going to be caught in a bad situation.
He took off running for the docks and found in dismay that Kent's boat wasn't in place. He could see a glimpse of it floating in the distance, and everything in him felt Isla was there and in trouble. He cursed under his breath, then ran to a rowboat as a young boy tied it to the dock.
"Hey," Quinn said. "I'm borrowing this. Sorry."
"But that's my-"
"I'll be really gentle," Quinn promised.
The boy didn't have a chance to argue before Quinn got in and pushed away from the dock with the oar. His body was still a little weak from the cold, but he used every ounce of energy he had to row as fast as he could to Kent's boat.
He rowed behind the boat so he wouldn't be seen, making sure to keep an eye on the deck so he wouldn't be seen as he climbed up a side ladder. He peeked over to see Kent standing in front of a strange tank, almost shielding Isla where she was floating in her mermaid form. At least Quinn was right about Kent taking the right side, but none of that would matter if they were dead. Oscar was there as well with two others, though their backs were turned to Quinn.
"Step aside and we all get what we want," Oscar argued.
"This isn't what I want," Kent spat.
"I want to help you because you've already paid me," Oscar said, "But if I have to cut through you to get to her then I have no shame in you mysteriously getting lost at sea. Now move."
Quinn slowly pulled himself up onto the deck, luckily not having been noticed yet. One of the men with Oscar was standing near him, and he managed to catch him by surprise. He wrapped an arm around the man's shoulder's and flipped him back over the rail, sending the man splashing into the water below.
Everyone turned to look at Quinn in shock, and he stared back at them with equal shock.
"He just... slipped," he said. "Should we go get him?"
"Where the hell did you come from?" Oscar growled. "Stupid little boy. Don't tell me you actually believe this fish loves you."
"Uh," Quinn said awkwardly, "Look, I'm not good at this whole confrontational trash talking thing. I'm just going to get my friends and go."
"We'll see about that."
The other man Oscar was with lunged at Quinn, but he managed to dodge it just in time. Quinn may have been a large guy and toned from a lifetime of throwing and pulling in heavy nets, but he had never actually fought anyone. He considered himself a nonviolent man, but maybe it was time to rethink his morals.
He dodged another punch and threw a punch at the thug, surprising himself when he managed to hit the guy square in the nose. They both stared at each other in shock for a second.
"Quinn, on your left!" Isla cried out from where she was.
Quinn turned just as Oscar swung at him with a knife, though his sudden turn made the knife instead bury into the shoulder of the man who was fighting him. The man cried out and stumbled back, but Oscar just ripped the knife out of him and tried for Quinn instead.
Kent stayed guarding Isla, but Oscar suddenly turned back towards her. He pointed the bloody knife at Isla with rage in his eyes.
"What siren spell have you put on these men?!" he demanded.
"They just don't have the same icy hearts as you!" she spat.
He went to attack Isla, but Kent seemed to muster up all his strength to shove him back. The gesture knocked Kent down as well, and the old man weakly fell to the deck. Quinn took his chance to grab the knife, then went to where Isla was being kept and undid the rope bindings that held her down.
"I'll give you a boost, but you'll have to push up if you're going to make it to the water," Quinn said.
"What?!" she said, startled. "No, come with me."
"I have to help Kent," he said. "Swim fast and swim far away."
He didn't give her a chance to argue before lifting her out of the tank and giving her a boost so she could dive into the ocean.
Oscar growled in frustration and grabbed Quinn. He was relieved to see Isla swimming away before Oscar turned him around.
"You'll pay for this," he snapped.
Quinn felt Oscar plunge the knife into his stomach, and the world started to fade in and out. One of the last things he saw was Oscar's face go blank as a second knife found itself buried into his back. He fell, and Quinn saw Kent standing there with a stunned expression and the bloody blade in his hand. Then Quinn couldn't stay standing anymore, and fell over the railing. The icy water felt like a thousand more knives piercing into him, but he didn't stay concious much longer.