“Then it’s time to come out of the basement.” Her winning smile broadened from ear to ear.
Wilfred ran fingers through his wispy hair, sighed with relief, and followed her glory out of his prison, never once looking back.
13
The mermaid pulled Angst down deeper, until the last bit of moonlight faded from his vision. Air filled his cheeks and his chest throbbed while his muscles refused to move. He might’ve been scared, but he was also getting angry. Angst grunted at the effort of lifting his glowing arms upward. Reaching out with his mind, he created an orb-shaped air shield directly overhead, large enough to encompass him and his new companion. He then forced the shield into the ocean, the effort driving the remaining air from his lungs. The remaining bubbles left his mouth and crept around the outside of the air shield as it enveloped him. He grabbed the hand on his foot and jerked her into the orb. Still weak from being trapped, she reached for the gills on her neck as she lay helplessly on the curved floor, her tail flapping listlessly. The cold completely forgotten, he took in desperate gulps of air. Angst stared at her, squinting to watch her movements in the pale light emanating from his arms.
“I just saved your life!” Angst croaked, pointing in the direction he thought they came from. “This is a crappy way to thank me!”
She frowned.
He wanted to pace, but there was nowhere to go. “Usually I get a hug or a thank you.” He was breathing faster and becoming lightheaded. “Hugs are good.” He rested his hands on his knees. “But you, you drag me out to the ocean?” He fought to catch his breath and took a wobbly step forward. “What were you going to do? Kill me and eat me?”
She cowered, covering her face with her arm.
“Stop that. I’m not going to hurt you,” he promised weakly.
“Pirate!” He heard her voice in his mind. “That is what you all say.”
“Look, I’m no pirate, miss.” Was ‘miss’ the right title? He hated this; he was supposed to be a hero and she made him feel like a villain. “I’m going to set you free again, and then I’m going to try to swim back to shore, if you’ll let me.” He began to shiver.
While it was hard for Angst to clearly see the mermaid, she stared at him for the longest time, the anger slowly disappearing from her face. His legs went numb, and he dropped to his knees. In spite of his exhaustion, he really wanted to know what she looked like. The dim glow from his hands only teased with the silhouette of her figure. He forced himself to make eye contact. She didn’t seem to care that she was naked, which made him smile like a twelve-year-old. She frowned at him in confusion, and continued to study him as if reading his mind.
Angst looked around, his neck stiffening. He had to find a way to warm himself, and he had to get back, but the bubble was so dark, he couldn’t see the beach. Could the mermaid be trusted? She had just tried to kill him, but she had also been trapped. He hoped those wide eyes were filled with curiosity, and not crazy. “Um, do you know which way I’m supposed to go?”
The mermaid pursed her lips as though holding back a laugh. “I shall bring you there,” she offered.
“You’re not going to drown me?” he asked. “Or eat me or something?”
“Not yet.” She playfully licked her lips with a snakish tongue. “Let us out of this thing and I shall see you to shore.”
“But I’ll be cold,” he whined teasingly.
“I can read you,” she said slyly. “Look at me and you will not be cold.”
“Ha!” Angst laughed. He took a deep breath and let go of the bubble, leaving them immersed in water. They both watched the bubble rise over them before popping.
“You did that?” she asked.
He couldn’t speak, so he merely nodded. It was awkward trying to wink underwater.
The mermaid came close enough to Angst that he could make eye contact. She hesitated and, for a brief moment, he felt a connection, not magical but personal, as if she were someone he should have in his life. She smiled, and nodded, and moved to hold him close. His body relaxed, his muscles unlocked. Had she warmed him or was he just used to the water now? Gripping his arms, she swam faster than he could’ve imagined. Water rushed around his head, making his ears flap against the current.
When he could finally feel rocks and sand underfoot, she stopped. He expected her to let go and swim away as fast as she could, which made his heart sink a little.
“Carry me to shore,” she said with a smile.
With an embarrassing grunt, he hefted the mermaid to a nearby stone jutting out several feet from the sandy shore—the very stone she’d been shackled to. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her face was close to his. Her firm breasts were squished against his drenched tunic. In spite of their wet bodies and the cold air, it was nice. He placed her on the rock as gently as he could, and she slowly let him go.
Angst took several steps back until he could see her in full. He drew in a deep breath but stopped mid-sigh to gawk. Until now, he’d only seen her in sand and water. He covered his open mouth, but couldn’t tear his eyes away from her exotic beauty. Her torso appeared human from breast to waist, which rode low, very low, to her shimmery silver tail. Delicate scales began below her stomach like pants that covered too little. He inched around her as she squeezed water from her blue hair, which streamed onto her very pale blue shoulders in curls, partially covering her chest. An inch of fin jutted from her spine and the back of her thin, muscular arms.
There was a distant, low hum of music from Dulgirgraut, and Angst flicked a glance over his shoulder to see a burgundy glow. “Now?” Angst waved it away dismissively. “Of all times, you want to start talking now? How about shush it!” The music continued, but was quiet enough to be drowned out by the waves licking at the long-forgotten numbness of his feet.
She shifted her body to face him, and lifting a hand from her rocky throne, beckoned him closer. He walked slowly, still straining to make out her face with the bright moon shining behind her. The glow from Dulgirgraut hinted at large black eyes and very full lips. The mermaid looked dangerous, and wild, and intoxicating.
She smiled at his reaction before looking down at her body with a touch of concern, as though worried about her appearance.
“Maybe we should start over,” he said, offering his hand. “Hi, I’m Angst.”
She took his hand in both of hers and held it near her chest. He smiled stupidly and his heart fluttering in his chest.
“What are you?” she asked. “Are you pirate?”
“No, definitely not,” he said. “I’m, uh, I’m a human.”
She tilted her head to one side and frowned. “Is that what you do? You hooman?”
“Well, no. Of course you’ve only seen the bad hoo, er, humans.” Angst rolled his eyes at how incredibly smooth he wasn’t. There were days he longed for Dallow’s book smarts. “I’m not a bad human, really. I’m, well, I’m a hero.” He arched his back and stuck out his chest proudly, though he couldn’t help noticing that his stomach stuck out too.
“Hero?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he replied. “I try to save people.”
“Are you the one come to save us, An-gst?”
“I really hope so,” he answered dumbly.
At this, she smiled and reached for his hand. Hers was surprisingly warm, but her grip was weak. Dark blood dribbled from her arms. He wanted to heal her. He’d seen Rose do it, and Dallow, but he couldn’t do it without help. Angst reluctantly pulled away and walked to Dulgirgraut.
“Do not leave me.” She sounded worried.
He returned with the giant sword, which still glowed softly. She looked concerned, and wiggled on the rock as if considering a quick exit. He took her injured arm as gently as he could. She tried jerking it away but seemed unable.
“Please trust me,” he said with all the charm he could muster before closing his eyes. “I’m a hero, remember?”
How did they do this? She was far too pretty to leave damaged. There was a trickle of i
nformation, no more than a tiny drop of condensation on a parched tongue. Was it Dulgirgraut? He thought he felt a connection between them, and a tingling sensation made the flesh of his arm itch. Angst tried drawing in a little more. The itch became hot, and his pulse soared. He could do this! He could heal her. Without hesitation, he pulled the wounds into himself, and immediately wished he hadn’t. The rush of pain made him cry out. The steel jaws had chipped bone, driving splinters into muscle. Gritting his teeth, he willed their bones into place, urged their muscles to knit, and their skin to reform whole. Finally, the intense pain became heat once again, and then a numbing tingle in their arms.
The moment passed, and the mermaid’s high-pitched voice sighed in his mind as he opened his eyes. The wound on her arm was gone, and she sat comfortably upright with renewed vigor. He smiled proudly. He’d healed someone. Her eyes filled with gratitude, she pulled him in for an embrace. Her heart beat in his own chest, an irregular gallop, a new band that couldn’t find the beat. Angst gazed into her large black eyes.
“You are the one,” she said hopefully. “You can save us, An-gst.”
“Save you from what?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“We are trapped and dying. All of us. I am dying, An-gst.” She leaned closer to him.
He started to pull away, but she drew him closer, her lips an inch from his. Her breath smelled of the salty ocean. A pencil-thin forked tongue flicked around his mouth. His breath caught; he didn’t know what to do. He leaned in, or she did, and their lips met as she thanked him. Hers were warm, and her thin tongue darted into his mouth. He froze, not knowing if he should pull away because this was wrong, or stay because...hot, naked mermaid.
“Thank you for finding me, An-gst. You can save us.” Her thoughts were a whisper. “You will save me.” She sat upright and glanced over her shoulder, down the long beach.
“Who are you?” His head was spinning. When was the last time anyone had kissed him like that other than his wife?
“I am Moyra. Find me.” She kissed him once more, licking his lip seductively before launching into the air. Moyra’s silvery tail shone in the moonlight and another tall fin jutted from her neck and back. She dove far into the distant ocean.
Her head popped out of the water. Even at this distance, he could feel her looking at him, through him, and more than anything, he wanted to help. She smiled at him, her fuller-than-full lips grinning. The smile was all for him, not distracted by cute boys or diluted by a bitter wife look. He lost himself in that smile for a moment before she dipped her head into the water and was gone.
“Um, Angst?” Hector said. “Your sword is glowing. I take it that’s a good sign?”
He jerked around to see Hector on the other side of the rock. He looked down instinctively.
“So are your cheeks,” Hector observed quizzically.
“Oh, yeah, of course.” Angst rolled his eyes. A sudden chill came over him now that she was gone. “Dulgirgraut, being stupid,” he said dismissively.
“Why do you sound nervous?” Hector walked around the rock. “And why are you soaking wet?”
Angst looked out at the ocean. There was no sign of Moyra, and he wondered if he would ever see her again. “It’s nothing. So, why are you here?”
“Dinner is ready.” Hector’s voice was filled with concern. “I wanted to see how things were going. To see if you were all right.”
“Oh, just fine.” Angst glanced at Hector before looking off.
“Why do you keep staring at the ocean?” his friend asked. “You look like you just saw a mermaid.”
“I just...well, I—” Angst sighed and his shoulders dropped.
“Oh no,” Hector said.
14
Back at the camp, Angst had stripped to nothing but a blanket, shivering violently before the fire. Even his bones were cold. And the sand! Every time he shifted, another layer spilled off. There was so much of the stuff, he was convinced the sand had actually mated in the folds of his skin.
Victoria placed a hand on Angst’s flushed cheek and gasped, pulling it back as if he were tainted with every disease. “A mermaid?” Tori’s eyes widened, and she crossed her arms. “I thought they were just stories.”
“They are,” Dallow said, scratching beneath his kerchief. “Or were.”
“Nope,” Angst said, trying not to look at the ocean, or Victoria. “She was definitely real.”
“Really? A mermaid,” Tori said in disgust, hugging herself tighter while tugging on a long strand of hair. “Aren’t they dangerous?”
“Yes, if the stories are true. Very.” Hector’s bushy eyebrows furrowed as he studied Angst. “Are you certain all your parts are still there?”
“Yes,” he said sardonically. He turned to Tori and, as heroically as he could, tried to sell the situation. “She needed help.”
“Right,” Tori said, dripping skepticism. “A creature that isn’t supposed to exist, and is known for eating men, needed help.”
“She was trapped. What was I supposed to do?” Angst said in frustration.
“What did she look like?” Dallow asked, far more excited than the others. “Did she have gills?”
“Yeah!” Angst said with a broad grin, his focus completely on Dallow. “She was gorgeous. Full figure, firm breasts, blue and silver scales, with large dark eyes, and a fin along her spine.”
“That’s amazing!” Dallow leaned forward, his eye sockets glowing. “Like the pictures in my books. If it’s all true, you need to be careful. They really do eat men.”
“I didn’t get that impression.” Angst looked off. “She was actually affectionate.”
“What?” Victoria placed her hand on his before he could stop her. “You kissed her?”
“Another one?” Tarness grunted. He was drawing in the sand with a burned stick.
Hector shook his head as he sat down beside Dallow, handing him a stick with cooked meat something on the end.
“She kissed me.” Angst realized he’d been staring at the ocean again, and looked at the fire with a sigh.
“I’ve heard that one before,” Victoria said with a hmph, releasing his hand. She tugged on her hair. “What is it with you?”
“Exactly!” Hector agreed.
“Do you have to make friends with everything that has boobs?” she asked.
“Well...yeah!” Angst said, trying to be funny.
“I don’t believe you kissed an ugly fish!” She cringed.
“She’s not a fish! And she kissed me...” He felt baited. “Is that what this is really about? That I kissed another girl?”
“The issue isn’t that you let another girl...thing kiss you.” Victoria huffed.
“No?” He huddled into a shivering ball; the fire wasn’t warm enough to battle the frost coming from Victoria.
“The issue is you don’t have a pair! You run from your destiny, not to it. You keep getting lost in the moment, because now is easier than what you may have to become later.” She was pounding on his chest, her fists thumping loudly. “You’re willing to sacrifice everything for those you love, and even those you don’t, but maybe it’s time for less sacrifice and more doing. It’s time for you to become who you were meant to be and stop running away from your potential like a little boy.”
“Wow,” Dallow said.
“Wow,” Tarness agreed.
“Exactly why she’s going to be a great queen,” Hector said proudly.
“Wait, so was she ugly?” Victoria asked.
Hector sighed heavily, shaking his head.
“Do you really want to know?” Angst held out his hand to Tori.
“Of course she wasn’t,” Tarness said, throwing his stick into the fire. “It’s Angst.”
“The question is, what does she want?” Hector sounded worried.
“She said something about saving her.” Angst shrugged. “I don’t know what from.”
“We should get some sleep,” Hector urged. “We have a day’s ride ahead.”
Which was when Angst noticed there were only four tents.
Despite Angst’s desire to race toward their destination, they rode snail’s-pace slow. He could feel time wasted with every step, as if the sand underfoot were an hourglass holding them back. But Hector advised, and Tori agreed, that they should approach with caution.
“We aren’t exactly invited guests,” Hector reminded him every time Angst whined about their pace.
Angst spent the day trying to sneak looks at the ocean without getting caught by Tori. By mid-afternoon, he’d counted twelve icy glares and one turned-up nose. It was like a game, and he was pretty sure he was losing. Especially since he saw nothing but gray and waves—his new friend was apparently keeping her distance.
“We should walk the rest of the way,” Hector said, dismounting his panther swifen molded from dark sand. “They’re wary of magic being used openly. It’s very ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’“
Angst patted his ram, which snorted loudly before disappearing. His gear dropped to the ground. He watched the others detach their equipment before dismissing their swifen.
“I always forget to do it like that,” Tarness remarked with a smirk, his dark mood from the other night mostly abated.
Angst hefted his tote on his back, pushing Dulgirgraut to the side so they wouldn’t bump. He took several steps to grab Victoria’s bag.
“I can carry my own,” she snapped.
“I know.” He smiled, throwing her bag over his other shoulder, trying not to look like an overburdened mule with both bags and Dulgirgraut all leashed to his back. “Stop being angry at me.”
“No,” she said curtly. The ends of the hair nearest her mouth were frayed and disheveled from fidgeting.
“How do you know this place?” Tarness asked Hector, effortlessly schlepping three full bags of supplies and gear on one broad shoulder.
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