Original Stories Fan Fiction / Angels Fan Fiction ❯ Angel and Demon Wars ❯ Chapter Seventeen - Making A Deal ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Angel and Demon Wars

Chapter Seventeen

“I knew that mermaid was no good,” Maeko grumbled, plopping down on a comfortable-looking sofa. “Now we're trapped in here.”

“Well, it's not like we could have survived long without her saving us,” Sadako said. “It's not our fault.”

“Is this really the time to be arguing?” Ichigo asked. “Shouldn't we be looking for a way out of here?”

“I guess so.” Sadako sighed. “I thought mermaids were supposed to be friendly,”

Maeko rose from the seat and walked toward the wall of water. “Maybe there's a door or something.” She ran her hand across it, walking around the room. Sadako followed her lead.

“Ami?” Ichigo asked, noticing that the angel was remarkably silent. The girl said nothing. “What's wrong?”

Ami ignored her. She frowned, staring at the map she held in her hands. “It said she would help us,” she mumbled.

“What?” Ichigo asked, gently taking the map from her hands.

“The map. It said she was an important person. Keisuke told us that important people would help us.”

“Maybe the map was mistaken?” Ichigo said. “Or maybe it wasn't pointing to her, but to someone else nearby?”

“There was no one else,” Ami said. She took the map back from Ichigo. “We should have just waited for the next ship.”

“I thought you said we couldn't wait.”

“He told me that I'd know what to do.” Ami was barely paying attention to Ichigo. “But I didn't…”

“You don't know that. Maybe you made the right decision.” Ichigo realized that Ami was paying no attention to her, but she thought that the best way to work through the crisis was to keep the angel talking. “What did he say to you?”

“We have less than a week…”

“I thought we had a month,” Ichigo said. This statement caused Sadako and Maeko to turn their heads toward the two girls. It also caused Ami to jerk herself from her stupor.

“What? No, I mean…” Ami shook her head. “Yes. Right. A month.”

“Which is it?” Sadako asked, walking toward them. “Because that's kind of important.”

“Yeah, we were under the impression that we had a month to find this thing. What do you know that you're not telling us? Because there was really no reason to stow away on that ship unless we were under a time limit. It was an extremely reckless thing to do,” Maeko said, crossing her arms. “So how long do we really have, so that we know if we need to panic or not?”

Ami bit her lip. “I'm not allowed to tell you anything.”

“We're a team,” Ichigo said. “We're all in this together. I think you should tell us what you know.”

“We won't be able to trust you, otherwise,” Sadako said.

“Which is why I should have been the leader in the first place,” Maeko said.

“We…we have…” Ami turned away. “Keisuke said that we have a week before the gods use that virus they gave to us to infect and destroy every angel and demon. Now it's less than a week. That's why we stowed away on the ship. And that's why we need to get out of here and find the Chalice.”

“Why didn't he tell us?” Ichigo asked.

“It's not like we wouldn't care that our families and friends are going to die,” Sadako said. “Seriously.”

“That's kind of the reason. Something to do with you guys caring too much and being more likely to make rash decisions.” Ami sighed. “Although it seems that I've done enough of that myself.”

“Well, we can't really blame you for making those decisions, but you really should have told—“

DINNERTIME! The mermaid's voice echoed through the girls' minds. They winced as a couple of pounds of raw fish dropped from the “ceiling” of the room, nearly landing on Sadako's head. A bubble, containing four glasses of water, entered the room through the water wall.

“Is that a door?” Sadako whispered, moving toward the area in the wall where the water appeared.

STEP AWAY FROM THE WALL! The mermaid shouted in Sadako's head. Bad pets don't get to eat! This is your first warning!

“Look…mermaid. We have this really important mission to go on, and we kind of need to get out of here or thousands of people will die.” Sadako sighed.

I don't care. You're my pets.

“We're not pets,” Maeko said. “We're angels and demons and we need to get out or everyone we know will die.”

Bad pets. You don't get breakfast tomorrow.

Ami sighed. “Let me handle it,” she said. If you let us go, she said, speaking into the mermaid's mind, We'll do a favor for you.

I don't need any favors. Just pets.

There has to be something you want. What do you wish for, above all else?

The mermaid paused. A boy.

A boy? Ami asked.

A human boy. I saw him once. He lives on an island. I want him.

You want to make him your pet?

She laughed. No, I want to make him my mate. There are very few mermen. We usually have to make a human man into a merman. I am lonely. I want a mate.

Ami nodded. We can do that. Where is he?

An island. I can take you there, but you have to bring me the boy or I'll put a curse on you. It's the only way I'll let you go.

Absolutely, Ami said. Just take us there and I promise we'll get him for you. As long as you help us get to where we need to go afterward.

I will lead you wherever you need to go, after I get the boy. She paused. I like you. You do what I want you to do. You'd be a good pet.

As long as we're making a deal, you should know my name. I'm Ami.

I'm Inari. You should all stand together now.

“Why?” Sadako asked. It was the first thing that she, Maeko, or Ichigo had heard since Ami and the mermaid began speaking telepathically.

Because if you are not in the bubble, you'll drown.

The girls quickly moved together, just as the bubble formed and the room was enveloped in water.