Chapter Ten: Kia Wornwater
Zale took a quick observation on everyone’s position. Palmer stood near the lakeshore, gun hanging at his side. He looked ready for whatever occurred but he seemed more bored than anything else.
Zale looked to Kia. She appeared to be daydreaming while her eyes were starring up at the full moon. Zale watched her pale hand reach out to touch the pearly whiteness. He was ready to call out her name—to bring her attention to reality—but he soon realized that Kia was no daydreaming.
He shot his head to the water. It began to ripple and glow.
“Kia!” Zale stepped forward but the air felt too dense. It was like trying to walk through a brick wall as a human. He’d never felt so sluggish and heavy.
Palmer raised his gun pleased to finally have some action.
Kia’s body lifted from the ground, her head dropping forward lifelessly. She still reached out to the moon as if trying hard enough would bring her closer. Zale tried again to reach her but stepping through the force was futile. An electrical jolt raced through his veins until he was bursting with a scream.
Palmer aimed his gun to Zale then back to Kia. Bullets were absolutely useless. With the mermaids still in the water, and not crawling on land like he had thought they would, his iron bullets could do them no harm.
As Kia’s body floated forward, Zale fought his way through the energy but didn’t even move an inch. His fists tightened, his heels digging into the wood of the dock. Move forward, he commanded himself.
“Kia!” he screamed. The pain of electricity made another scream erupt from his throat. Zale refused to give in. Ribbons of dark blue reached out from his body. His eyes shimmered to red and his hair whipped and lashed.
He screamed while cringing. He promised her—Zale promised to keep Kia safe and alive. He was not going to let mermaids take Kia away from him. Long silver wings like those of bats reached out into the dense air—force field. Zale stepped forward, the another until the dock came to an end.
Kia was already in the lake waist-deep. She took one more step then disappeared beneath the ripples of the blackened water. Zale roared into the darkness jumping from the dock and diving into the lake. Out of all the years he had lived never once had he felt such an extreme pain.
Palmer called out for his master but he was too late—the magical energy of the mermaids was too strong for his youthful vampires body. Zale was much older and would be able to withstand—but only for a short time. Palmer fretted over the circumstances.
A mermaid, beautiful as can be, had her arms wrapped around Kia’s unconscious body. Zale swam down to where they hovered, watching.
“Don’t be in such a rush,” said a sweet yet demented voice in his head—their telepathic abilities weren’t a myth after all. “She is ours now.”
Zale spun around. “Like hell she is,” he thought, starring right in the mermaids soft lagoon-water colored eyes. Her skin was pale white from living in the dark for so long. Mermaids were sun-loving creatures and yet their behavior was so abnormal.
The mermaid smiled with the delight of having a fight. “Finally something interesting is about to happen.”
“No,” shouted another thought. “We have to get Kiandra out of here!”
Kiandra, Zale thought to himself. That name sounded slightly familiar and yet distant as heaven itself. He had no time to consider the name—he had to save Kia just like he had promised. A man of his nature never went back on a promise. His word was now a binding contract.
“No,” growled Zale’s thoughts into theirs. “Kia is coming back with me.” He found himself pulling back his lips in a low Demon’s growl. “She belongs to ME, Lord Zale of Abnoba!”
A mermaid flinched, her face twisting with disgust. “An Armande? You dare tread here?”
“This land belongs to my ancestors.” Zale tightened his fists with hatred. He was tired of waiting. “That girl is under my protection. Return her or face consequences.”
The two oldest mermaids laughed with amusement—their pale skin reflecting with moonbeams. The youngest one, carrying Kia, turned and swam her way deeper through the water. Zale lurched forward but something snagged hold of his hair, pulling him back.
“Don’t leave so soon Armande.”
Zale hissed, spinning until his arm collided with the slender body of the mermaid. Like mercury she slid through the water in a single liquid motion. The long sharp spikes along her pale dorsal fin slashed through Zale’s backside. Zale released a scream of bubbles. His blood would work hard to reproduce oxygen for his organs. He’d need blood and if anything he’ll drain the mermaid.
As any ancient Vampire of his type, Zale mustered all the spirit-fire within himself. The water rippled and shuttered at the touch of such strength. She tried to quickly swim away—knowing well would happen if she stayed—but it was far too late. Her motions were too slow to prevent the rapid blow to the chest.
Zale reveled in the warmth her heart produce in the grasp of his hand. He even smirked to feel the last of her heart beats come to an end. Her eyes dried in a dull color of a painting for nothing but death could take her.
The Vampire ripped his hand from her chest and lifted her heart to his lips. He greedily drank down the warm sacred blood until his eyes were drained of all red to white. A white so pure that it put the heavens to shame. His hair flew back, draining of all color until only white remained.

†
“Kiandra,” a sweet motherly voice cooed. “A eclipse is about to start.”
A small fragile girl giggled with delight. “What is that?”
Her mother replied quite gently, “It is when our Lady finally greets our Lord after many years.” A beautiful woman kneeled before the silver haired child and placed a pale soft hand against the child’s face. “This eclipse is very special. You see, Kia, this eclipse is the beginning of the new era.”
“Era?” asked Kia naïvely.
Her mother nodded. “This is the beginning of the era that falls beneath water.”
Kiandra shook her head still very confused by her mother’s riddles. “Mother. I do not understand. Why is the water era important?”
A laughter too gentle came from her mother. It was the sound of wind chimes and tranquil music. “My dear little Kiandra, one day you will see what I mean by the Era of Water. The last era belonged to the element fire. It was one war after the next. Now, finally, it is time for peace.”
“What will happen in this time of peace?”
Her mother closed her eyes and single crystal tear slipped from her mother’s eyes. “It is the time when you must take this world into judgment. I before you judged this world but now I’m through.
“I have made my thoughts. It is now for you to decide if things should keep going the way they are. Do you wish for them to live or do you wish for their lives to be taken away?”
“Mother,” Kia muttered. “Do not cry.”
She looked at Kia with a warm smile and laughed. “Perhaps you will be better to them than I was. I only caused them pain with the war. But, Kia, perhaps you are what they have been waiting for.”
She quickly took her daughter into her arms. “I do pray your heart is pure.”

†
“We have to hurry,” hissed the mermaid to her sister with impatient eagerness.
Her sister nodded her head, picking up speed. “It is rather hard swimming with this girl in my arms.”
“She’s not just a girl, Lea.” The eldest shook her head trying to forgive her naïve little sister. “This Kiandra Wornwater. Surely you remember the stories mother told us. It was not that long ago.”
“I still don’t understand,” Lea replied.
Nina sighed with impatience, liquidly swimming towards the mouth of cave. In its dark belly rest the hidden kingdom the mermaids called home. Here they lived in peace without the disruption of human pestilence.
There were only so few of them left after the 765 Z.E Campaign. Their numbers had been reduced to ten and all of them were female. The males were slaughtered and only a single group had escaped capture—all ten female thus no more could continue their bloodline.
“We have to get her to Damia before the Armande catches up,” demanded Nina.
Lea took a glance to her sister. “Who is this Armande?”
Nina softly replied, “A Vampire family from long ago. He must be the son of leader of the 765 Z.E Campaign. His father was the reason for our demise.”
Lea stopped swimming, she nearly dropped the limp body of the girl. “What?”
“Do not get upset, Lea. We will return the suffering quite soon to him.” Damia slid her clawed fingers through Kia’s soft, silver hair. “He appears to be attached to Kiandra. If that is the case he’ll be utterly destroyed by her death.”