by Anne Bourne
“I should find a razor,” he said but made no move to sit up.
Ephyra saw desire, hard and electric go through his body, and it thrilled her. She’d never seen a man respond quite so quickly to her. Perhaps one … she thought of Jake up above. She felt stupid for not realizing sooner how Jake had felt about her.
“You’ll be safe,” Gabriel said, mistaking her apprehension for fear.
She just smiled at him and lay back, all thoughts of Jake disappearing. Ephyra was glad he followed her down, his mouth just inches away from hers. She felt a flush starting in her abdomen and radiating up to her cheeks. The light sheet they shared seemed constricting and she wanted it off. Gabriel shoved it from between them and suddenly she felt his leg on hers, his broad chest looming over her.
Ephyra waited, holding her breath. She wondered if all human women woke this way with their mates. Gabriel slowly lowered his head and touched her lips. She sighed in pleasure and let him caress her. Foreign warmth began to moisten between her legs and her breasts heaved to touch his bare chest. She found she wanted more than kisses now. Something made her grab his arms and tug him lower.
He slipped one hand down her slim neck, caressed her collar bone and then cupped her breast in his hand. Ephyra gasped at the unexpected pleasure and opened her eyes. It was nothing compared to what she’d read about when humans mated. She felt his fingers pinching her nipple through the shirt’s fabric. All of the sudden she wanted that removed from between them, too.
As if reading her mind, Gabriel tugged the shirt off her shoulders baring her rosy nipples. He bent his head and lavished one with his tongue. Ephyra arched her neck back and unconsciously grabbed his hair, begging him to take it farther into his mouth.
“Oh … ” she gasped as he moved to her other breast and suckled gently.
Gabriel drew back with a fiendish grin. He shifted position so his thigh pressed up between her legs. Then he took her finger and slipped it into his mouth, his tongue creating ecstasy.
Ephyra didn’t have words for what she was feeling. There was no fear now, just a longing that had everything to do with him. She found the friction between her legs growing nearly unbearable as he moved slightly. Ephyra gazed between them, wondering if she was allowed to touch him.
“Tell me to stop anytime,” Gabriel sighed and kissed her so deeply it left her breathless.
“Don’t stop.” She drew her finger out of his mouth and touched his bare chest, marveling at the lines and muscle. Her hands slid lower over his abdomen and then to the buckle at his pants. She hesitated and stared up at him, questioning. Gabriel just grinned at her and waited as she unzipped them.
She had seen anatomy pictures of human men, so his penis was no surprise. However, she didn’t expect to be so turned on by it. If it was possible, the heat inside her grew. Ephyra lightly grazed his shaft with her fingertips and drew a moan from Gabriel. She drew back, afraid she’d caused him pain but saw he was writhing in pleasure instead. Ephyra smiled and touched it again. Gabriel shuddered at her touch.
Gabriel took her hands, pinned them above her head and suckled her breasts again, tasting each nipple, making her twist in the pleasure she’d trapped him in. She felt him caress her stomach down to her long legs and stop between them. With a smile, he dipped his head to lick her there.
Ephyra cried out at this new sensation. She writhed beneath him as his tongue did things to her that she never imagined. It was a human secret that she would never know as a mermaid. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into deeper circles of enjoyment.
Gabriel finally hovered over her, parting her legs as he looked into her eyes.
“I love you, Ephyra,” he whispered fervently. “If it’s too soon … hell, I’m apologizing. I love you.” He strained to wait for her to open to him. Ephyra had never heard such sweet words.
“I love you, too.” She had never uttered words that were so genuine. It didn’t matter it had been only days since they’d met, she felt like she’d known him forever.
He gently pushed himself into her warmth. She gasped at the tightness, of how he filled her in a place she’d never known.
Ephyra felt a slight pain at first and struggled against him but as he let her get used to him, powerful sensations began to take hold of her body. She felt the boat rocking under them as Gabriel mimicked the motion. She was aware only of Gabriel’s breathing, their hearts bursting with exertion. He plunged deeper inside her and she moaned at the feeling of his thickness, his intimacy. Ephyra thrust her hips forward instinctively, wanting him to go faster, harder. Gabriel complied and soon he was spiraling her into a frenzied high. They culminated in a clash of passion that left them both shaking.
Gabriel collapsed to the side of her, and she cuddled into him, relishing the scent of his sex and the sea.
“I do love you,” she said sadly.
“Don’t look at me like that.” He smoothed some hair off her face.
“I can’t be with you,” Ephyra sighed sadly. “The war is coming. You should know the truth.”
Gabriel sat up and draped his shirt back over her in case someone came down. Ephyra wondered briefly if Jake knew what they’d done. She wasn’t even quite sure herself except that she wanted to do it again. Soon.
“I’ll do whatever you need. So, why can’t you change into a mermaid?” he asked and listened attentively as she explained her family’s massacre and the limited days she had left on land. Ephyra loved him all the more for trying to understand, especially the mercode for war and her search for a warrior.
“So, this sea witch made you human to hide you. Is she on your side or his?”
Ephyra shrugged and hoped Scyllane hadn’t been killed by Erebos yet. She figured if she was still human, then the witch’s spell was still intact. Still, Scyllane hadn’t said if she perished the spell would revert.
“Erebos was supposed to be locked away for eternity,” Ephyra said bitterly. “I’m only here because I have to find someone strong enough to fight … ”
Gabriel frowned.
“We found Jake, are there more merpeople here?”
Ephyra smiled despite herself. Merpeople. She loved the way he used words.
“No, I have to find a warrior to fight for my realm. It’s merfolk law that if the throne is challenged you have seven days to find a champion to face the opposing force’s chosen champion. It was made so anyone could be a ruler, but my father banished it when it started a slave trade. Merfolk would start collecting the toughest merlings and train them to be warriors.”
“Merlings?” Gabriel nipped at her lower lip despite the severity of what she was saying. Ephyra realized he thought she was cute.
“Babies. Merlings.”
“Ah. So, you think there’s a warrior on land that can fight in the water?” he asked skeptically.
She shrugged. “There must be.”
“Is there any way you could just stay here?” He grasped at a long shot. She could tell he wanted to just pretend she wasn’t what she said.
Ephyra could see the struggle on his face at the consequence of what they’d done. She was now irrevocably linked to him but her brain told her this wasn’t possible.
“I don’t know but I never thought I would love you this way,” she said and rested her head on his chest. His breathing was soothing.
“I will help, Ephyra, I don’t care what it takes.” Despite the severity of his words, his stomach growled with hunger. She smiled up at him, feeling the first stirrings of hope. “I’ll get food first and then we’re going to think about all this quickly.”
• • •
Fifteen minutes later, Gabriel’s phone rang. It wasn’t Marcus.
“Hey, Mom,” he said with a grimace.
“Gabriel, how are you? Have you found Marcus? There’s a big storm front coming to
south Florida,” his mother’s chipper voice came over the line.
He could picture her alone in the house, in the kitchen with her tea, overlooking her extensive gardens. She loved to grow things.
“Yea, I found him and we’re enjoying the nice weather while it lasts. I didn’t know there were storms coming.” He glanced at Ephyra, wondering if this was significant. She looked worried at the mention of the change in weather. How powerful was this merman sea monster?
“I didn’t want to bother you two, but can I speak to Marcus? I want to see if he’s coming home for Thanksgiving this year, you know how much advance notice he needs,” she asked with a grim chuckle. Marcus hardly ever made it to any holiday but Christmas. Since it was nearly September, Gabriel couldn’t fault her for asking now.
“He’s actually out running some errands but I’ll have him call you when he gets back.”
Gabriel motioned for Ephyra to stay put while he left his ear to the cell phone. He climbed out on to the deck of the boat where Jake stood, alert and ready, holding his weapons. He motioned leaving and Jake nodded.
“Mom, I have to go, now,” he interrupted her happy chatter. “Thanks for calling and I’ll give you a heads up when I’m coming back. Maybe I can talk him into Thanksgiving, all right?” He smiled, knowing she’d hear it in his voice.
“Oh, that would be wonderful. Have fun, dear.” Gabriel put the phone in his pocket and wondered what she’d say if he brought home a mermaid. He grinned — she’d probably be delighted. Their father had imparted his love of the sea to the entire family.
Gabriel headed toward the nearest hot dog stand.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Scyllane slipped the chains off her wrists and around her tail. She wiggled experimentally and her tail had enough strength to move her. She held out the mirror, now turned into a weapon. It seemed to weep over her tail, over her now empty egg pouch. Soft beads of pale light dripped from its surface and she felt the puffiness recede, the pain subside. The mirror didn’t cure it but the wound didn’t throb anymore.
“Perhaps you know what it’s like to be barren,” she whispered conspiratorially. It wasn’t unusual for enchanted objects to harbor old souls. But the mirror just shined back her. She gripped it for courage and swam a short distance to one of the holes in the wall of the cavern. She slipped through the hole and couldn’t decide which she wanted more: her freedom or revenge.
She spied Sevag and hate rose in her to smolder just beneath the surface. Scyllane felt the mirror begin to vibrate in her hand, its surface shining and the point sharp. She swam out of the cavern and toward the surface where Sevag was playing with weapons. The water became lighter and she felt currents swirling around ferociously. Scyllane imagined what the tides were like up above, imagined the clouds twisting into funnels of fury. She called to its power and the water responded.
Like a shadowy bolt of lightning she launched herself at Sevag from the side, the mirror spear drawing blood from his shoulder. He shouted in pain and whirled to see his attacker. Scyllane had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen in surprise as she let out a shriek and plunged the spear again toward his heart.
He swerved to the side and drew out his knife. Sevag grinned nastily as they danced in a tight circle, their tails flickering like lightning as they parried. Scyllane felt her strength waning against his brute force. Sevag came down hard on her arm and she felt it break.
“A nice attempt,” Sevag taunted and swept around her.
Scyllane switched the mirror spear to her other hand and held her injured one to her side. She blocked out the pain as she focused on Sevag’s scarred face.
“Why did you tell Erebos I was unfaithful to him?” she shouted and dodged his knife.
His tail whipped at her, the spines on it coming dangerously close to her face. She flared her own layered fins and blocked them.
“I had good information, bitch,” Sevag spat and dodged her as she flew at his left side. The mirror spear drew a small cut in his side. Sevag narrowed his eyes.
Scyllane panted. Good information? “From who?”
She saw they were heading into a strong current. It swept them up and her head momentarily broke the surface. Scyllane glimpsed clouds dark with storm. She dove back down under the water but felt the current sweeping her up again. Sevag was struggling as well, his long thick tail thrashing like a shark’s. Scyllane whipped around with her spear glinting in the dim light.
“Who was it?” she screamed and lunged at him, her face contorted in rage.
Sevag ducked just in time to feel her flying over his head, leaping out of the water and then crashing back in. He pivoted to try to stab her but she was too quick. He charged her and swiped at her broken arm, making contact as she screamed and darted away.
Scyllane suddenly felt the currents surging. She let it propel her up and leaped with it out of the water and high into the tempestuous air where she could look down like a hawk to spot her prey. He was a small shadow under the waves, fighting to stay down. Scyllane let out a piercing cry and folded her body to plunge faster and faster back beneath the churning waves.
Her spear catapulted down true and she felt it slice into Sevag’s shoulder. Her force drove it down through his chest and he let out a gurgle of rage. Scyllane let the current drag her down and with it she maintained a death grip on the spear. It tore down through his chest and into his abdomen. Sevag writhed in pain and his blood formed a purple cloud around him.
Scyllane lifted the spear from his torso and came to float next to his face. She put hers close to his, her eyes boring into his clear blue ones.
“Don’t worry, I’ll let your brother know of your death,” she hissed and swam away as he sank to the dark blue abyss.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“So, this weather is Erebos’ doing?” Gabriel asked skeptically. He finished his first hot dog and reached for another. Jake and Ephyra munched on theirs pensively for a few minutes as all three watched the waves rolling bigger and bigger. Storm clouds were scattered in the distance.
“Probably,” Jake finally answered. “He’s most likely pissed off because he can’t find Ephyra. He might already know she’s on land.”
“Maybe,” Ephyra sighed.
Gabriel saw her face and wanted nothing more than to take her away.
“Tortola is an island, we can’t take you there. I think we should avoid the water,” he said quickly forming a plan. “We still have over three days. I’m taking you home.”
There was stunned silence.
“Home?” Jake demanded.
“Yes, to my apartment in Chicago. Jake, you’re invited, too,” Gabriel said but the merman shook his head.
“I’ll stay. I don’t think running away will help. He’ll find her.”
“I want to go, Jake. He’s right, Scyllane gave me this time on land to find a champion and I shouldn’t be near water where Erebos’ spies can find me,” Ephyra said seriously.
Gabriel was on his phone changing his flight and adding a seat. Marcus would have to fend for himself and Gabriel wasn’t too concerned. His brother could come track him down if he wanted. Maybe Marcus could even go to their original plan on Tortola and keep an eye out there.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Gabriel inhaled the familiar scent of home, relieved they’d make it from Miami to Chicago without incident. Ephyra had been terrified for most of the flight and then exhausted. He settled her on his couch but her eyes were alert now, taking in his simple set up of the townhouse. Marcus had left a voice message, saying cryptically that he was making Jane was safe. He sounded frazzled. Gabriel called him as soon as they’d gotten in his apartment door, but got his voicemail. He relayed the change of plan.
Gabriel grabbed her bag of clothes from the living room floor and moved it to his spare bedroom. It wasn’t big but it
contained a queen-sized bed and a nightstand. Ephyra followed him in, flicking the lights on and off at the switch. He thought it was cute that she was still amazed at electricity.
“I can smell something different in here,” she said curiously.
“You have a good nose. I try to keep it clean, but you probably smell Dag. He’s my dog, the one thing missing here,” Gabriel chuckled. “He likes to sleep on this bed but don’t worry, I’ll shut the door.”
“Oh, a dog!” Ephyra said with a nod. “I have smelled them on shore many times. Is yours very large?”
“Dag’s a Labrador retriever, so if your definition of large is about ninety-pounds, then yes,” he said with a smile. He’d have to make arrangements yet to pick Dag up from the kennel.
“Unless you don’t want a dog here,” he added to her. Ephyra shrugged with a smile.
“I’ve never met one.”
“You’ll like him and even if you don’t, he’ll love you.” Dag was pretty friendly to anyone, true to his Lab nature.
“Are you hungry?” he asked but she had moved on, exploring the other rooms.
“Where do you sleep?”
Ephyra was in his bedroom and Gabriel liked the way she fit there.
“Here.” He smiled at the large bed covered in black sheets and bedspread, a sparse nightstand, stereo and adjoining bathroom. How good it would be, sleeping in his own bed tonight, he thought.
“Where did you get this?”
Ephyra went to the dresser where a conch shell sat glimmering, rimmed with silver.
“My dad found it and gave it to me, along with a whopping tale that I now think is true.”
“I put the silver on this,” she said in a hushed voice. Gabriel came to stand behind her.
“I’m sure he didn’t know it belonged to anyone. You can have it back,” he said gently.
Ephyra turned to him and smiled.
“No, it’s yours. It’s just odd that you ended up with it.”
