Sorry! I wasnt able to update yesterday. I'll give you another chapter after this. I combined these chapters cuz they're short... :( I promise we'll write longer chapters soon! :) i hope... :/

The sun starts to sink below the almost pitch-black waters. Jay walks over to Ash. "How's your cut?" He asks.

Ash nods. "It's fine."

"Are you sure? You looked kind of scared."

"Yes... um… it looked like a very bad cut, but it's not as big."

Jay gives her a confused look. "Well, I think you both better get to bed."

Lucas smiles. "Okay."

Jay lies down, closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep.

"Smart move," Lucas says.

"I didn't do it for your sake," Ash growls, "I could reveal-"

"Then you'd be dead."

"I'll find the courage to take that risk."

"No, you won't."

"I will."

"I know people like you. You put on a brave front and a smile that's bright enough to fool. But inside, you're just as scared as the rest of them. Maybe even more. One day, you'll be caught off your guard. You. Will. Fall."

"...I'm glad you think my smile is pretty!"

"You know that's not what I meant."

"And I won't be the one caught off guard. You're not fast enough to catch me off."

"I may not be fast enough, but I am cunning enough."

Ash rolls her eyes. "Yes, you must be cunning if you're telling your plan to this captain, who, I'll say again, can easily reveal your secret."

Lucas looks up and grabs Ash's hand. He spins her around and embraces her.

"Scaredy-cat," Ash taunts.

Lucas then spins Ash around slowly. Ash rolls her eyes. "If you're going to make us look like we're in love, at least do it right." Ash releases herself from the embrace and grabs Lucas's hand. She spins herself around and pulls herself back to Lucas. Ash presses her lips against Lucas's and closes her eyes. Lucas wraps her arms around her. Ash breaks away from the kiss and pushes Lucas away. Lucas blinks for a couple of seconds.

"What. Was. That."

"I've been in fake relationships," Ash explains. "You have to work the part if you're an assassin."

"That… um… I'm going to sleep."

Ash smiles. "Speechless?"

Lucas scowls and lays down on the edge of the raft. Ash flashes a daring smile and pushes him off of the raft. Lucas gasps and falls into the freezing water. He grabs onto the raft and pulls himself up. He stands up and pulls his dagger out. "That's it!"

Ash places her finger carefully on the dagger. "Oh, Lucas. You've doomed yourself."

"What?"

"You see, if I get hurt every time I do something wrong, Jay is going to suspect something. You want us to act like a couple? Fine. But we need to act like we're in L-O-V-E. And this relationship better benefit me, or I'm breaking up with you."

"You cannot be serious."

Ash laughs. "I am! Oh, this is going to be fun!"

I'll stuff some more into this super short chapter :)))))))

The mermaid's voice rings throughout the cavern. "You'd be a pretty skeleton for my collection!"

Annabelle takes a sharp breath and tries to look for the mermaid. Then she hears a raspy voice. "Annabelle!" Annabelle whips around to see the mermaid choking Phoenix. "Annabelle, run! Run…" Phoenix screams. Then his body goes limp and his hands, that were trying to pull of the mermaids hands, fall to his sides.

"No!" Annabelle screams. She looks to the mermaid. "I'm going to kill you," she growls.

The mermaid throws Phoenix aside and gives a cruel smile while advancing towards Annabelle. Annabelle runs towards the mermaid. It pounces on her. One of Acacia's teeth cuts Annabelle's shoulder. Annabelle winces and spins around. Acacia gets thrown off of Annabelle. Annabelle runs toward the mermaid and cuts some of her hair.

"YOU CUT MY HAIR!" The mermaid screams.

"THAT ISN'T EVEN THE WORST THAT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU!" Annabelle screams back.

Acacia growls and makes to pounce again. Annabelle dodges the mermaid and it hits the wall. The mermaid spins around, blood dripping down the side of her face. The mermaid swims toward Annabelle, who steps on the mermaid's fin and holds her dagger to it's neck.

"Any last words?" Annabelle asks, breathlessly.

The mermaid pulls out a conch shell and blows into it, though no sound comes out. Then she says, "I hope you rot."

Annabelle takes her foot of the mermaid's tail and sinks her dagger into the fin. Acacia yelps as Annabelle cuts the her tail off. Annabelle takes the tail and throws it to the other side of the cavern. She walks over to Phoenix and picks him up. Annabelle plunges back into the water and pulls Phoenix up. When she gets to the surface, she throws Phoenix onto the raft and climbs onto it herself. Josi gives a relieved smile. "I thought you had died!"

Annabelle nods. "You may want to check Phoenix's pulse, though."

Josi bites her lip and checks Phoenix's pulse. She gives a relieved sigh. "He's still breathing."

Annabelle sighs. Josi stands up. "What happened to the mermaid?"

"I cut off its tail. It should be dead by now."

"You could have just said, 'it's dead'."

Annabelle rolls her eyes and looks out into the horizon. The sun rises from above the waters and turns the sky to a light orange.

Maybe I can fit a bit more... :)

The sun shines bright on the raft and shines through the eyelids of Ash and Lucas. Jay levitates down to the raft and lightly kicks Ash's leg. Jay drowsily commands, "Wake up."
Ash opens her eyes slowly and says, "Well, hello there, Jay. You look kind of tired. Do you need some rest?"

Jay shakes his head and says, "No, I just wanted to talk to you... About you and Lucas."

"Okay." Ash nods.

"What's with the sudden relationship?"

"Uhh... can I tell you a secret? You can't tell Lucas I told you this."

Jay nods. "You can tell me."

Suddenly, Lucas appears behind Ash and puts his arm on her shoulder. Lucas says, "Hey there, Jay!"

Jay lays down and closes his eyes. Lucas puts his arms around Ash's waist and says, "Ashy, are you feeling okay?"

Ash nods slowly with a confused look on her face. Lucas smiles. "Well, I hope you're feeling okay, sweetie."

Jay starts to breathe slower and more peacefully. Lucas pulls out his dagger and angrily growls, "Why did you almost tell him?"

Ash shrugs, "I thought you were asleep."

"So you were just going to tell him like that?"

"I didn't think you would-"

"You said you wouldn't spill. If this 'relationship' is gonna work out, hon, you have to stay true to your word." He ends in a sing-song voice.

Ash sighs. "Fine. I can't believe you're making me go through with this. I have a reputation too, you know."

"I better keep an eye on you. Don't. Tell. Him."

Jay drowsily says, "What are you both keeping from me?!"

Ash and Lucas both whip around to see Jay starting to stand up. Jay asks, "Do I have to repeat myself?! What are you hiding from me?"

Ash blurts out, "That-time-that-I-was-cut-it-was-actually-Lucas-who-did-it-on accident-but-we-wanted-to-be-such-a-good-couple-like-you-and-Annabelle-so-we-pretended-he-didn't-do-it."

Jay says, "Oh... well, that's not terrible. If it was just by accident. You both can still be a... cute couple."

Lucas says surprisedly, "Really?"

Jay nods. Lucas sighs, "Oh, thank you so much for this!"

Ash gives an uncomfortable smile. Jay says, "Well, I'm going back to sleep."

Ash says, "Okay! Have a nice sleep."

Jay falls back asleep. Lucas turns to Ash. "That was very close on your part."

Ash rolls her eyes. "So you think. I could've made that A LOT harder on you."

"Really?"

"I could've said you had proposed."

"Oh goodness no."

"I could've said we were having an anniversary."

"No."

"I could've said-"

"Message received, Ash."

Ash flashes a smile and says, "You're going to regret you did this."

"I already am."