Chapter Nine ★ Burn Bright Cont’

｡☆✼★━ Luna ━★✼☆｡

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As we dodged alligator’s man initial attack we were alerted to more of his ilk pouring through the doorway. Ack. That explains the strong smell.

He stood back to watch as his men begun to circle around us. A sly smirk crawled across his creepy face. The more I looked at him the more it gave me the willies.

The first alligator man sported a lazy eye that stared straight on and had no eyelid. Light glistened off of his still wet skin and highlighted the scales on his body. A recent scar was visible on his snout and probably was the one Pearl and I dealt him a day or two ago.

Pearl and I were back to back as we surveyed the men that surrounded us. Luckily none of them took notice of Doc who was helpless on the floor. I let out a sigh of relief but still held myself up in a fighting stance.

Reaching for my powers a sudden wall appeared in my mind and blocked me. “Ugn,” I moaned.

A bright iridescent glow appeared behind me as Pearl whispered over her shoulder, “Luna, what are you doing?”

“Trying to get battle ready.” I hissed back at her. The pain throbbed and made reaching for power ache even more. Doc can’t be right. I know I can access my abilities. Just have to try harder.

She didn’t take her eyes off of the alligator men that continued to fill the room and form a circle around us. Her powers pulsed as tiny spines and spikes erupted along her arms and skin. Two sharp blades emerged on her forearms ready for slicing her opponent.

I reached again for my battle form. Wham. Another block slapped my mind to la-la land. I grabbed a hold of my head and let out a breath. Pearl hissed, “Luna, stop. You’re only going to make this worse.”

“I can do it.” I said right back at her. This time pouring more effort and will I felt a burning sensation course throughout my body but faded. My knees buckled and I fell to the ground. A loud gasp escaped my lips.

The alligator men turned their attention off of Pearl and looked down at me. Easy prey. Oh crap. Sensing their new target Pearl whirled around and stood over my prone form. The blades on her arms shimmered in the lighting. She said, “Nobody move.”

Scarface from the other night stepped forward. In a low gravely voice he said, “Or what?”

She narrowed her eyes and held up one of her blades. He backed up a step. Pearl replied, “You know that you’re on our turf so we have the hometown advantage.”

His upper lip peeled away in a sneer revealing several sharp teeth. Scarface chuckled or at least it sounded like some sort of laugh unless you want to count rubbing two pieces of sandpaper together laughing. His words came out in a slow roll emphasizing a heavy ‘s’ sound, “You havesss no powersss here mermaidsss. Your contract isss void. We knowsss.”

I answered, “Bull. It is you and the witches that are voiding the contract.”

The gaggle of alligator men laughed in unison. Their main man waved them to be quiet. He kneeled down to look me square in the eye. Pearl kept her blade trained on him.

He clucked his tongue, waggled one finger and said, “Ah-ah-ah. Yousss mermaidsss havesss to goesss. Tisss witchesss territory nowsss.”

A growl bubbled up and escaped my throat as heat flushed through me. He backed up. With a smile I said, “We ain’t violated no treaty. It’s your presence here that’ll void it if you and your slime squad don’t git out of here.”

Pearl leaned down and got closer to him with her blade. It shined and hummed as it sensed enemy blood nearby. Scarface swallowed… hard.

She asked, “In what terms have we violated the treaty?”

He cocked his head to one side and pursed his lips. The others behind him murmured, “Theysss don’t knowsss? Whysss no onesss tellsss themsss?”

Scarface got back up and took another step back towards his posse. They all nodded at him. He flashed his all too sharp teeth then answered, “Merlocksss havesss been invited. Merlocksss on mermaidsss landsss breaksss treaty.”

“We have not invited any merlocks onto our lands.” Pearl bellowed.

“Havesss yousss?” Scarface arched a hairless brow at us and pinned us both with his eerie yellow-green eyes.

‧͙⁺˚*·༓☾ – TO BE CONTINUED… –☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙