A Mermaid's Ransom

by Joey W. Hill

  "Yes?" she breathed it, not sure how she got the word out.

  "When I was watching you, before Reba came, I only wanted to sit and let that light of yours warm me. It makes me wonder which one of us is truly a tethered hawk."

  Silence stretched between them. His hand remained in her hair, his fingers tangling, fondling. Alexis broke the contact reluctantly, picking up the swimming trunks she'd found for him. "Have you ever swum before?"

  "No." He stepped back. "Lady Lyssa told me that vampires do not swim. That we sink and must use the strength of our arms to pull ourselves up. But that seems like it will help, since your manatees like the lower levels of the tank."

  "That's mostly when visitors are here. They get more active when it's just us." She lifted the suit. "Anyhow, you might want to put this on so our young companion doesn't get any more outrageous ideas that could get you arrested."

  While he stripped off his clothes and slid on the swim trunks, exposing the muscular body, she realized she felt the same as he did. She wanted to just sit, gaze at the marble perfection that looked so cold but she knew was so warm, so vibrant and strong, compared with the pale, thin and weak limbs of the girl she'd helped change. The blessing and cruelty of time displayed so obviously together made the sadness swell in her again.

  "Alexis," he murmured. Now dressed, he nodded toward the cracked door. "Look."

  Reba's hand was pressed to the tank and the two manatees were butting their noses against the glass, as if answering her. She looked over her shoulder with a wide smile as they left the locker room and came to join her. "It's like they're saying get your asses in here so we can play." She arched a brow. "I was beginning to think you two were going to fuck like rabbits before we went swimming. I'm not saying I blame you, but you wouldn't want my time to run out while waiting on you, right?"

  "More language like that, and I'll jam your wheelchair brake," Alexis informed her archly, even as she felt a pang at the girl's joke, too close to her own thoughts. Pushing that away, she proceeded to tell the girl how to use the tank, giving her some basic instruction on it.

  "How about you two?" Reba said when she was done. "Where are your tanks? And does he wax or what? He has no body hair."

  Alexis glanced at Dante, then back at their guest. "We won't need tanks. Reba, we'd like to be ourselves while we're with you, all right? Can we trust you with that?"

  The teenager studied them both, her cynical mask slipping and showing uncertain curiosity. "I don't exactly know what that means, but as long as you aren't serial killers who like to lure visitors to stay after hours with a promise to swim with the manatees, I'm cool with just about anything."

  "On a normal day, that's exactly what we are, but for today we figure we'll indulge our alter egos." Lex pushed the wheelchair up the ramp to the door that led to the tank entry point. Dante took over for her as she swiped her card and took them inside.

  Before she could ask Dante to help her get Reba out of the chair and into the water, he anticipated her thought. Bending, he slid his arms beneath the girl's body, and she calmly hooked an arm around his neck as he took her to the water's edge. Lex guided her to hold on to the ladder while she got in the water with her. Dante kept his hand on the girl's arm, even as she held on to the ladder tightly.

  Reba let out a nervous laugh. "It's kind of ironic, but I'd rather not drown, okay?"

  "We will not let any harm come to you," Dante said. His voice was firm, that commanding tone capable of sending shivers down Lex's spine. It was absolute reassurance he meant what he said. She thought of the hawk comparison again and warmth coiled in her belly.

  Reba's gaze went to his sunglasses. "Why do you wear those?"

  "Because of these," he said, and removed them.

  Reba drew in a breath. "Those aren't contacts, are they?"

  "No. No more than those are paste and glue." He nodded and Reba followed his glance. It was a good thing he still held her arm on the ladder, because she would have dropped like a stone at the sight of Lex treading water behind her, her wings now exposed. They were gliding across the water slowly like a butterfly's, keeping her aloft. Reba's gaze skittered down at the flash of color beneath the water's surface. "That's . . ."

  "A tail. I'm a merangel. Don't be startled," Alexis said, then thought to add, "I don't mean about me. Leroy is coming up beneath you and is going to nose your legs."

  "No freaking way." Reba looked between them, laughing unexpectedly and wiggling in the water as the manatee rose higher, brushed her lower back. "That tickles. He won't bite, will he?"

  "Only once or twice." Alexis grinned. "I'm kidding. No, he won't bite."

  Reba shifted her gaze back to Dante. "So what does that make you?"

  "He's part vampire, part something else."

  "I was kissed by a vampire. Wow. Okay, I am awake, right? Tell me I'm not hallucinating on my meds. Because if I am, I'm going to be so pissed."

  THEY only half convinced her she wasn't, but she came to the conclusion that even if she was hallucinating, it was best to make the most of it before she detoxed. Alexis got the small tank strapped onto her, and then, when she was ready, she had her put on the mask, loosen her grip on the ladder and slowly descend into the large tank. Despite her bravado, initially Reba clung to her fingers. Alexis expected Dante to take some time to enter, but in short order, he passed them, headed to the bottom of the tank. He controlled the descent so he didn't move too fast, but it was obvious there was no buoyancy to his body. He simply sank, the strength of his arms alone capable of moving him. Reba pointed to him, her lips stretching into a grin around her mouthpiece, and then they were floating down to join him. The other manatee was there, sleeping, but Leroy rammed him, as if reminding Buick they had guests.

  Alexis smiled and guided Reba's hand to the area behind Leroy's ear where they liked being scratched, and then behind the front flippers. Since she was down here, Lex did another quick examination of Buick's propeller wounds and confirmed they were healing well.

  As she did, Reba's questing fingers slid over her wing, another hand finding her tail. When she shifted her attention, Reba froze, but Alexis smiled and nodded. The girl, relieved, continued to explore, touching the tail fins, their flowing texture. She bent to study the overlap of her scales, then gazed upward at the froth of feathers flowing through the water as Alexis used both tail and wings to balance herself. Reba's eyes shone when she looked back at Alexis. While Alexis had always loved being a merangel, seeing the pleasure such a thing brought to Reba made her even more fiercely glad of it. Speaking in the manatee language, she asked and the creatures accommodated, bringing their bodies close to the girl, delighting her with their proximity and letting her put a hand on each of them as they slowly swam to the other end of the tank, carrying her along.

  When they returned, coming to rest on the bottom of the tank again, Dante moved closer, reaching out to touch as well. Buick floated, examining this new variable. While it appeared he had his doubts, Lex reassured him that Dante was a friend, even if he was somewhat scary. Buick made an accepting noise and returned his attention to Reba. After a brief investigation of the creatures, Dante moved off another few feet. He passed his hands back and forth through the water, turned, lifted his feet. Using his arms to move upward and then back down, he did a somersault, testing the properties of the water. Looking toward her, she saw some of the same shine of discovery in his eyes she had in Reba's. It made her want to never leave this moment.

  But after no more than fifteen minutes, Alexis felt Reba fighting her exhaustion. Dante recognized it, too. When the girl shook her head, a stubborn set to her chin, he simply caught her around the waist and propelled her upward, even though she called him something around the mouthpiece Alexis knew wasn't complimentary.

  When they surfaced, Dante lay her on the concrete apron next to the pool so she could get her breath. Alexis came to the ladder, holding the slick metal handrails as Dante squatted over the girl, his dark hair pasted in lo
ng wet strips down his broad back. His crimson eyes intent on the girl's face, he touched it with light, questing fingers, so that she opened her eyes and nodded in reassurance.

  "I'm all right. Wow." She looked toward Alexis. "Was that one of those, 'I can't have what a lot of kids get, so I get something maybe they never will?' Like crazy Make-A-Wish Foundation shit?"

  "Maybe. You're worth something like this. I like you."

  "Oh. Well, it was great, probably the best thing ever. I'd still trade it for sixty years of normal boring life, you know? But don't tell anyone, because that sounds so uncool."

  Dante drew back to the other side of the ladder, one foot in the water while he sat on his hip facing the two women. His toes grazed Lex's thigh and her glance strayed toward him. He was now studying her damp shoulders, the beads of water rolling down her neck onto the upper curves of her breasts.

  "Why don't you guys go and swim for a while? It's going to take me about thirty minutes before I can even move from this spot, so you might as well go do what it's obvious you want to do." Reba closed her eyes, a wistful smile playing on her face. "The things I'm too young to know about. That I'll always be too young to know about, right?"

  "I don't think it's wise to leave you here . . ." Alexis began.

  Reba shook her head. "I'm going to lay here like a dead fish. I promise I won't move until you get back. Unless I get the sudden urge to run the New York Marathon. Then I'm history."

  Lex smiled, stretched over the ladder and closed her hand on the girl's thin leg. "All right. We'll go check on the adjacent tanks, and be back soon. I can sense strong emotion, Reba, so if you need us to come back, concentrate really hard and I will return."

  Dante put his hand on her other leg, drawing Reba's eyes to his. "And if you break your promise to her, and endanger yourself, I will not be happy with you."

  Reba shut her mouth at his expression and looked toward Lex. "Something 'other,' huh? It's kind of creepy awesome. Sexy and scary."

  Lex bit back a smile. "In so many ways, Reba. All right, we'll be back." She slid back into the water, the soles of her feet touching Leroy's back as he passed under them, making another loop in the tank. He did that often, reminding her how much happier he'd be once he was rehabilitated and in the open ocean again, where he belonged. Glancing at the vampire descending next to her, using his arms to keep an even pace at her side, she knew he was another creature like that. Right now, everything was new, and except for the collar at his throat, the limits of his world seemed suitable enough. But by the time thirty days were done, he'd be itching to explore the full extent of this new world, far beyond the narrow scope of her own. A wild creature couldn't handle confinement.

  That day is not today. Dante's voice resounded in her head. His hand enclosed hers, his features all the more clear and potent beneath the water. Your own world is limitless in a far different way, Alexis.

  He didn't pursue that further because the manatees circled them, curious what they were doing. Alexis opened the narrow gate that led into the larger exhibition tank and gave them both a parting scratch, gesturing Dante in so she could close the gate behind them.

  This tank has a lot more fish. There are also manta rays and a couple sharks. They're predators, but they won't hurt us. They've fed. Plus, no animal ever tried to hurt her. Bran found it remarkable but also useful. Whenever they had a difficult treatment to do on an animal with teeth or claws, she was the one called to hold and soothe the creature during the procedure.

  Dante nodded, acknowledging her thought, and then she let them into the Conservancy's most popular exhibition tank. She'd told Bran she'd check the filters on the water processor, so there was a practical reason for being here, but part of it was wanting Dante to see another part of her world. As he gazed about, she thought of his words and wondered if he was right. How many creatures had access to the water, earth and sky the way she did? She could show Dante things he'd never seen before, in all of those places.

  The fish ranged in size up to three feet long, their silver bodies a soft glow as they glided among schools of more colorful fish. The manta rays swept by in majestic flight. Everything was in motion in the water, though at night she'd seen them resting in groups on the ledges of the coral reef, moved only by the slight cavitation of the water. It was a quiet world like that. More than once she'd floated to the bottom and lay on the rocks with them as she did in the ocean, keeping them company, wishing they could all return to the sea. This was not a bad place, where manatees, sharks and dolphins were only kept if they couldn't be rehabilitated and returned to the sea, but she wished they all had that option, to swim as far and free as they wished.

  The sharks made a curious pass around Dante, but veered off sharply and moved away, sensing a predator far more dangerous than themselves. A manta ray brushed her leg with the cat fur softness of his wing. The filter was in good shape, so she snapped the grid closed and moved back to Dante.

  What do you think of it? You should see Neptune's kingdom. I'll take you there if you want. It would be a little tiring to pull yourself all the way up, but I could help with my tail and wings. The trip down would be easy, though.

  He nodded absently, watching a group of fish turn in unison. Another fish dove down abruptly, chasing a school with a burst of speed. Both altered their course to narrowly miss the outcropping of rock that had been added to the area to simulate their natural environment. She could imagine him standing there for hours to do just this, while visitors walked past the viewing area and wondered if he was a life-sized form of one of those tiny figures often put in a home fish tank.

  Did you ever think about it? Doing something that would end your pain?

  He didn't look at her. I did. I found you.

  Alexis touched his arm. I mean like the morphine thing. Did you ever think of killing yourself so it would all be over?

  He kept his gaze on the fish. No. I did not know what existed after death. Except for my mother, all those I have seen die, died fighting, as if they saw through the eyes of approaching death what lay after, and it was worse. Plus . . . it was never quiet enough to think about it.

  I'm not glad for that. But I am glad you never considered it. Never did it.

  Dante did look at her then. He'd noted how nothing in the tank made aggressive movements toward her. Not sharks, or any other creature considered her food or enemy. Nothing attacked her or had the desire to do so, except a vampire more focused on himself than her well-being. But he knew how the creatures in this tank felt, because he was feeling it himself, right here and now. A simple desire to be near her.

  She floated in the water without motion, her pale wings holding her, the red and gold jeweled tail balancing her, so the only sway to her sinuous body was from the water's movement. Her eyes were so vivid beneath the water, the blue capturing his attention, drawing it to her pink mouth. The delicate gill slits below her ears were only a flutter, giving her air. The feathers moved as if in a breeze. He'd not been told whether she was the only one of her kind, but it struck him now that was possible. Like him, she might be the only one.

  But her uniqueness wasn't in her physical form. It was in the way she looked at life, at everything, at him. Her belief in his spark, as she called it, existed, no matter her species. No matter how he adapted to this world, it was likely he'd never find anyone else who saw him that way. He didn't even see himself that way. But he didn't doubt her belief. He was in her mind, knew she was pure light and truth. Though he was a vampire, that light could draw him out of any shadow, even if it meant burning in the sun.

  She had her hand out to her side. Lifting his own so their fingertips touched, he pulled her toward him. She drifted to him like a cloud moving across a blue sky on a sunny day, something he'd never seen until these past couple days. When she reached him he circled her waist, stroking his knuckles over the scales layered low on her hip, the bare hipbone above, then toying with the tiny jewel winking at her navel. Fish passed above, behind, around
them, and there was a silence to the water that was a sound all its own.

  Shift to your human form. I want to be inside you here, and I want to see your face.

  I won't be able to breathe.

  I'll give you air. Just because I don't have to breathe doesn't mean I can't provide you breath.

  Her hands came to rest on his shoulders. With his feet braced apart on the tank floor, which was covered with sand and shells, pieces of shiny rock, her tail curved inward, the fins brushing his ankles, the muscular column of it sliding along the inside of his thigh. Her eyes were luminous, and though he felt the response of her body, something made him tighten his grip on her, commanding her attention before she shifted.

  Alexis, do you want this? For me to be inside you now?

  Her lashes were so long and thick, and the way they swept down, that sweet surrender, a sign of submission, tightened things inside of him. But for some reason he wanted the sweetness of hearing it was willing, that it reflected her desire as much as his. Not because he overwhelmed her, not because she thought he needed it. Not because it was a temporal experience only.

  Leaning in, she pressed her mouth to his sternum, then stretched so she was at his throat, and her teeth marked him there, making blood surge into his cock and his hand tighten on her even further, desire starting to overtake thought. Her wings briefly closed on his shoulders, then slipped away, a silken touch.

  I've wanted you inside me from the second I woke this morning. And even before that, in my dreams.

  Her body moved against his, a sinuous ripple of movement, and the wings simply dissolved before his eyes, shimmering away out of existence with no evidence they'd ever been there. The scales became something smooth and different in texture, the soft skin and firm muscle of her calves and thighs. Lifting them to wrap around his hips, she used her hands to push the swimming trunks out of the way, working them over his arousal and then down, one agile foot taking them the rest of the way. Holding her with one arm, he guided her down on his length, and plunged into a body warm, slick and willing for him, causing him to groan.