CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
(The Lie That Lured the Enemy)
Mako had learned long ago that sometimes, the safest shield was deception.
That morning, he made sure everyone heard his voice — his assistant, the hotel staff, even the ears that did not belong to the human world. He spoke loudly on the phone, his tone sharp with urgency.
"I have no choice," he said. "The company is bleeding. I must return to Africa immediately. A few weeks at most."
Linah stood nearby, pretending to focus on the sea outside their balcony, though her heart clenched at every word. She had already sensed it — the heaviness in the air, the way Mako's voice carried more meaning than it revealed.
When the call ended, Mako turned to her, his expression carefully controlled.
"I have to leave, my love," he said gently. "Just for a short while."
Linah searched his eyes. She saw concern, fear, and something sharper — resolve.
The baby stirred inside her womb, not gently this time, but insistently.
Danger.
She placed her hand on her belly unconsciously. "My heart doesn't feel at peace," she whispered. "The baby is restless."
Mako stepped closer, resting his forehead against hers. "I promise you," he said softly, "nothing will happen to you. I swear it on everything that I am."
What Linah did not know was that this promise was not a comfort — it was a vow.
By nightfall, the lie had reached its intended audience.
Far beyond the sea, in the shadows where the Evil Ruler watched through borrowed eyes, satisfaction curled into a cruel smile.
"Mako is leaving," the ruler hissed. "At last."
Tonde and Lyold felt it too — the shift, the opening they had been waiting for.
"A pregnant woman," Tonde said darkly. "Unprotected."
Lyold hesitated. "The sea guards her."
"The sea cannot save her if she is pushed into it," the ruler replied coldly. "Make it look like fate. Make it look like an accident."
And so the trap was set.
That night, Linah barely slept.
She turned restlessly, one hand clutching the sheets, the other pressed to her belly. The baby moved again and again, sharp kicks echoing through her body like warnings.
Mako watched her silently from the chair near the bed.
Every movement of her body tightened something in his chest.
"This ends tomorrow," he whispered into the darkness. "I will not let them touch you again."
At dawn, Linah woke early, as she always did.
The sea called to her — not with peace this time, but with urgency.
"I need to walk," she told Mako softly. "Just for a while."
Mako nodded, hiding his tension behind a gentle smile. "Don't go far."
She smiled back. "I won't."
Linah walked along the shore alone — or so it appeared.
The waves kissed the sand rhythmically, gulls cried above, and the air smelled of salt and life. To human eyes, it was a perfect morning.
To unseen eyes, it was the perfect moment.
Tonde and Lyold emerged quietly, their human forms blending seamlessly with the world around them. Their eyes were dark, their intentions darker.
"She's alone," Lyold said.
"Now," Tonde replied.
They moved swiftly.
Linah felt it before she saw it — the sudden drop in temperature, the way the sea recoiled instead of welcoming her. Her baby kicked violently, pain shooting through her lower back.
She turned.
Too late.
A force slammed into her from behind.
The ground vanished beneath her feet as she was shoved toward the water. The world tilted, the sky spinning, the roar of the sea rushing up to swallow her.
A scream tore from her throat.
Then—
"MINE."
Mako appeared like a storm unleashed.
His hand caught Linah's arm mid-fall, yanking her back with a force that shook the earth beneath them. She crashed into his chest, his arms locking around her protectively.
The sea rose in fury.
Tonde staggered back. "Impossible—"
"You should have run," Mako said, his voice no longer human. "You should have stayed in the shadows."
Lyold lunged.
The air exploded.
The waves surged, the ground cracked, and power older than kingdoms surged outward from Mako's body. Linah clung to him, crying out as pain ripped through her abdomen.
"Mako!" she gasped. "Something's wrong—"
Her knees buckled.
Blood stained the sand.
"No," Mako breathed, terror finally breaking through his control. "No, no, no—"
The baby's energy flared wildly, reacting to the clash of powers, to fear, to chaos.
Linah screamed as contractions seized her body, sudden and merciless.
The sea howled.
Tonde and Lyold froze.
"She's giving birth," Lyold whispered, horror creeping into his voice.
Mako dropped to his knees beside Linah, cradling her head, his hands trembling for the first time in centuries.
"Hold on," he begged, his forehead pressed to hers. "Please. Just hold on."
The baby answered with a cry — not yet born, but powerful enough to shake the air.
The sea responded.
The enemies stepped back, dread finally overtaking arrogance.
"This child—" Tonde whispered. "It's already awake."
Mako lifted his head slowly, his eyes burning with fury and fear intertwined.
"You wanted an accident," he said coldly.
"Congratulations."
The wind screamed.
The sea rose.
And Linah's scream echoed across the shore as destiny refused to wait any longer.
END OF CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN