Fear had paralyzed him upon seeing such a horrid creature, a creature who's infamy has reached the corners of the ocean. 

Snakes grew from her skull, hissing and glaring ate him through their soulless pits. Fangs that protruded from her mouth, her words rather slurred as she spoke. Three eyes blinked up at him, the third one in the center of her forehead, horns curling on ether side of it.

"Lilith," Alec gasped out.

The with grinned, rows of jagged teeth in full view, "Well you do know me," she chuckled, "And what is the sweet little prince this far from the Amethyst?" she said, circling the young merman. 

Alec swallowed, "Just hanging around. Looking for the whale migration," he lied, "Heard they were coming this way this year."

Lilith grinned as hands wrapped around Alec's neck, deliberately avoiding his gills and he knew if she were to sink her claws into them, he would loose his ability to breathe. And for a second the young prince thought of releasing Amon's blessing but fought against for he knew then the creature would kill him.

Alec swallowed as her eyes glared at him, "Do not lie to me pest. For I know when you speak the truth," she snarled, throwing him against the boulder, causing the young prince to cry out in pain as the jagged stone dug into his shoulder.

Lilith chuckled darkly, "I know you seek going to the human world," she snarled, her putrid stench burning his gills. But the feel of fear burned his chest as it wrapped around his heart at the knowledge of her knowing one of his close kept secrets amd the fear of her knowing more kept him from fleeing.

The witch grinned, "I knew it. Such a taboo for the merpeople isn't it?" She said, wrapping her arms around the young prince's shoulders, "To walk amongst humans. How absolutely immoral!"

Alec swallowed thickly, guilt weighing heavily on his shoulders.

He knew it, a crime and thought so terrible, even Morgan didn't even want to change him. Morgan, the witch who faternized even more with the humans than anyone ever dreamed of.

"Luckily for you my sweets," murmured the witch, "I may have such a potion for you."

Alec whirled to face her, his hopes rising far above the surface, "What?"

Lilith reached behind her, pulling put a small vial, purple liquid swirling within along with black streaks that laced through the liquid. Alec reached out for it before the witch pulled it away from his grasp.

"Ah ah," the witch laughed, "This isn't free. There's a price to pay for that."

Alec swallowed, "What is it?"

Lilith grinned and traced Alec's cheek with her taloned thumb, "I need a certain human from above," she said, flashing her fangs, "I want you to bring him down here. You'll have till the full noon before your legs turn into a tail if you don't bring me the human I ask for."

Alec clutched his bag close, "How will I know which human you wanted?"

Lilith threw the vial at him, promoting Alec to snatch it before it collided against the rock, "A human male who bears the mark of Poseidon."

Alec touched the gem at the center of his chest. He knew how the marked looked like, a forbidden mark that had once been worn proudly in the times before the gods but it was now a mark of death.

Alec rolled the vial in his hand, "If I do as you request, you will give me the rest of the potion that allows me a more permanent ability to remain human?"

Lilith's gaze watched him, "Indeed I have created such potion, of course there is a price even I wouldn't pay for," she whispered, her forked tongue darting over her lips.

Alec swallowed thickly, "What is that price?"

Dark lips quirked, "Losing your voice."

*****

"O'Conner!" Chief cried out as a tree fell, right in front of him. 

"Still alive Chief!" Brian O'Conner cried out as he tugged the line, putting out the small fires that had formed around the fallen tree.

Brian groaned as the line went slack, signifying it's lack of water and the end of his 72 hour shift. 3 days he had gone with little sleep and the few lunch breaks in between and they had still yet to make a dent at the never ending inferno.

"Come on kid," Chief Fritz said, patting the young man's back, "Let's head back while the others come in," the older man said, his skin barely visible beneth the ash coating his cheeks.

Brian wiped his eyes, sweat and ash covering his filthy glove. He felt exhausted, hot and in an absoulte need of a meal. They hopped onto the truck along with the rest of the crew as another truck came in to take over.

"Can't wait till I get a good night sleep of 17 hours," Brian muttered under his breath as the rest of the team laughed.

"Alright sleeping beauty," Chief said, smacking Brian's head, "Just get it while you can before we head back in two days. California needs all the men she has, and God help us if the winds pick up."

Brian nodded, barely keeping his eyes open but he didn't wait long as they arrived at their current sleeping quarters, the lingering smell of smoke still in the air. A smell he had gotten used to in the past days and the urge to go back along with his fellow comrades not helping. But he knew he would be no help to them if he was half asleep and putting outfires.

So it was no surprise that when his body hit the bed, sleep was the sweetest moment in his life. After all, his only worry in the world was to stop fires.

Little did Brian know how much his life was going to change.