by Fawn Atondo
Alex filled her in on what he knew, as far as he understood it.
Falyn waited. She waited to see if this mermaid could somehow make things right. It felt like hours as Alex told their story. It might actually have been, for all Falyn knew, as time didn’t feel the same when she was trapped like this in a dog’s body.
“You picked a great night to come, Alex, because it’s a full moon. I can do the form spell tonight and that will keep her human till dawn,” Break said.
“What about after that?” Alex asked.
Falyn was also waiting for the answer.
“Come dawn she will turn back into what she is now. However, once she is human she can tell us what made her like this. I can test her blood as well to see if there is any way to fix it for good.” Break smiled at Falyn as she said this.
“So we have to wait until tonight for Falyn to turn normal?” Alex sighed in a weary tone.
“Yes, vampire, we do, so for now go out to hunt. I can see you need to feed. I will keep Falyn company.” Break gave Falyn another warm smile.
Falyn felt uneasy the moment Alex was out the door. She paced up and down in front of it.
“Take it easy, Falyn, he’ll be back. Come, settle down,” Break called to her from the living room.
With a soft whine Falyn did as Break asked. She took a seat on the sofa. Resting her head on the arm of it, she studied Break.
“I am sure there’s a lot you want to know, so let me tell you what I think you would ask me if you could,” Break suggested. “First things first. I met Alex a long, long time ago. When I met him he was a very broken man.”
Falyn sat up straight now.
“Aha, this was not something you expected to hear! But it’s true. I too was a little lost, being new to the human world, much like a fish out of water.”
Break laughed. It was like music.
“Alex helped me with an issue – one that helped me accept I would no longer belong to the sea but could still make a home here. Alex had lost someone close to him, and because of it he was cold and never let anyone get close. Yet when someone is in trouble, there is no better friend to have!” Break smiled again. “I’m sorry. I’m being vague, I know, but those stories are best left to Alex to tell you when he’s ready. However, there are plenty more stories I can share fully with you!”
Falyn listened to Break. She talked about other run-ins she and Alex had. The more Break told her about Alex, the more Falyn understood their friendship. It made her feel better knowing they had no romantic interest in each other.
The day was starting to fade into dusk. Sending Falyn into a pacing frenzy. She prowled up and down in front of the porch waiting for Alex to return. She must have done this a very long time because Break came to get her.
“Falyn, Alex was urgently in need of feeding. It may be a while before he returns. Now let’s get you changed back into yourself.”
Break gently encouraged her into the house. Falyn gave one longing look toward the road before following Break back inside. Once inside the living room, Break walked over to a large blue throw rug. Pulling it back she revealed a trap door.
“No worries, the stairs are very easy to get down,” Break called as she ducked into the space.
Falyn quickly padded down the stairs behind her through a long tunnel that led into an open cavern. In the middle of the open space was a tide pool. The moonlight poured down into it from a crack above the cave wall.
“This is called a moon pool. It’s how mermaids catch the magic of the full moon. Normally we use it to become human when we wish, or, in my case, to change back to a mermaid, although I don’t do it anymore.” Break’s tone was a little sad. “Now, I need you to get into the pool.”
Falyn slipped into the tide pool, looking up into the light of the moon. This was a bond she shared with Break; the moon was a power source for them both.
Break dipped her hand into the water, dripping it over Falyn. She chanted in some language Falyn did not understand. The opalescent stone around her neck started to glow with light as Break kept pouring the water onto her head. Falyn felt the magic run along her body, transforming her. Her skin was still tingling as she touched her face with her hands. She was never gladder of anything in all her life.
“Thank you!” she whispered, as she stumbled from the tide pool.
“You’re welcome, Falyn,” Break smiled at her.
“Alex!” Falyn called, turning to head up the stairs.
“Wait, Falyn!”
But Falyn was in too much of a hurry to get back into the house to see if Alex had come back. She slipped on the wooden floor, her body still dripping wet. But it took her only moments to spot Alex. He sat on the sofa, his body hunched forward, his head in his hands. The moment he heard his name, his head snapped up and his eyes locked on hers.
“Falyn! Thank God!” Alex said as he stood up.
Falyn didn’t wait. She rushed to him, crashing into his hard chest with a thud. Tears spilled down her face even as she tried to stop them.
“Alex, I’m so glad to be human again!” she mumbled into his chest.
“I know, little wolf,” he whispered into her wet hair. “I wish it wasn’t only for tonight.”
Falyn cried harder because she too was not looking forward to turning back into a dog.
“Falyn, I’ll give you some alone time with Alex, but first I need to get a sample of your blood to test. Plus you might want something to wear.” Break’s voice broke through her senses.
“Oh,” Falyn said quietly, trying to break out of Alex’s embrace. “Alex, let go! I’m naked!” She pushed at his chest.
“I know. Trust me, I know!” His voice sent shivers up her body.
“Here, let her get dressed, will you, Alex!” Break ordered him.
“Fine,” he grumbled, letting her go.
Falyn quickly slipped into the white dress Break handed her. It fit well, although it was a little tight across her chest.
“Thank you again, Break,” Falyn said, smiling now that she was dressed.
Break nodded then quickly went over to the table. She lifted up a large, wicked-looking needle.
“Sorry, but this might sting a bit,” Break apologized before pricking her finger.
Falyn felt the sharp pain of the needle but it was over quickly. Red blood started to drop from her finger into a tiny jar Break was holding.
Once she had enough, she told Alex to come seal the wound. Before Falyn could ask how he was going to do that, Alex took her hand. He ran his mouth over her finger, his saliva quickly closing the skin.
Break then picked up a small white flower. Pulling it apart, she dropped it into the bottle. She shook it until it was mixed with the blood.
“Falyn, while I wait for the results tell me how you came to be stuck like this, and don’t leave anything out.” Break took a seat, motioning for her to do the same. “Then I will leave you and Alex alone.”
Falyn told them how her grandfather had rescued her from the cell. She told them what he had said to her about freeing her, and how it would lead to her being stuck as she was now, but if she wished to be free it was the only way.
“Did he tell you how to get back to normal?” Alex asked.
“Not really. He only told me the magic was not from our world.” Falyn was still not sure what that meant.
“Hmmm,” Break said, as she got up to check on the blood in the bottle. “It’s as I thought. It seems you are under a blood spell. That’s a spell which locks your true forms apart from each other. Seeking out the magic of the Immortal world is the only way to break this bond.”
“What magic?” Falyn wanted to know.
“Magic to free your bloodlines,” Break informed her.
“How I am going to seek anything when I can’t even work my druid magic to open this so-called Gate? Does it mean I’m going to be like this for the rest of my life?” Falyn asked.
“You have to
learn how to use your druid power,” Break told her.
“My father spent months trying to force me to learn how to use it and it got him, and me, nowhere! How am I going to unlock it when I’m a mutt?” Falyn demanded to know.
“Break, the magic is from the other world. Is it possible I could find a fix to it there?” Alex broke in.
“Yes, I’m sure that’s very possible Alex, but how do you plan to get there?” Break asked.
“I still have some elf magic I haven’t used. It will open the portal to the other world, but I only have enough to open it once.”
“But you would not be able to come back through!” Break cried in horror.
“You don’t know that. I could seek out the Immortal Guard – they would be able to open the Gate for me,” Alex replied.
“Surely you’ve heard the rumors. It’s said the Guard is no more, the Dark Druids overthrew them!” Break was giving him a worried look.
“It is only a rumor, Break, we don’t know for sure,” Alex soothed.
“Wait! Why can’t I open the portal? If what I have been told is true, then I’m the Gatekeeper on this side. I can open it.” Falyn was trying to work out a plan.
“No Falyn, you’re being hunted for exactly that ability. Since Malcom, Shadow wolves and even the mystics in this world know about your powers, the inhabitants of the other world will too. Which means you would be in danger. I can’t risk that, Falyn. I’ll go alone. I will seek out a cure and if I can’t find it, if I can’t get back, then it’s no less then what I deserve for giving you to Malcom.” Alex’s tone was harsh.
“Alex, it’s my cure to seek, not yours! I’m in danger in either world. Isn’t this true?” Falyn asked him.
“You would have been in danger as you were, but like this? No, you are useless – to your father and anyone else.”
“No,” Falyn whispered, as she sunk into the sofa, her hand covering her mouth.
Falyn got it now. Alex planned to leave her here as a dog so she would be safe while he went on some wild goose chase to find a cure in the other world, with a good chance of never returning.
“This spell is underlain with something more. It could be fated Falyn’s destiny is linked to this, meaning she will have to go,” Break told them.
“But it might be something else altogether, Break. It might be the fact she is the only one of her kind in the world you’re picking up! You have no way of knowing for sure,” Alex pointed out, as he ran his hand through his hair.
“Maybe, but can you leave her alone here, stuck as she is?” Break wanted to know.
Alex looked at Falyn, who had not said anything this whole time, her mind reeling with the truth, Alex was prepared to let her stay as she was.
“If she is safe, then yes, I will go and I will find a cure. If I don’t, then whether I return or not, Break, you must do all you can to help Falyn get back to normal.”
“I will,” Break promised softly.
Falyn sense they were leaving something out, but all she could think about right now was the fact she was going to be trapped as a dog!
“Now, if you don’t mind, we need to go for a walk.”
Alex took Falyn’s hand and they left the house together.
“Alex, I’m so confused!” Falyn cried as he led her down to the beach.
“Hush, you’re going to be fine. Let’s not worry about it right now.”
It was a warm night and the moon was still bright. Alex kept an arm around her shoulders as they walked.
“I am sorry, Falyn, more than I can say…”
Falyn didn’t want to hear him say it again.
“Enough, Alex. I don’t blame you. Just hold me… Okay?” she asked him.
“Okay,” he murmured into her hair.
It started as a kiss as he ran his hands down her arms, and then back up, making Falyn more than ready to feel him inside her.
“Alex, I want you to make love to me,” she whispered into his ear as he kissed a path down her neck.
“You’re sure?” His gaze locked with hers.
“Yes,” she told him, bringing her mouth to his.
He pulled his shirt off and, with little effort, undid the buttons on her borrowed dress. Her bare skin prickled with goose bumps as the air washed over her, followed by the warmth of his breath.
He took her breasts into his mouth in turn, sucking each nipple until they were hard little mounds. Then he moved his lips lower to her stomach, before ending up between her legs. His mouth teased her until she was ready to lose her mind. Just when she thought she could take no more, he spread her legs and thrust into her.
He moved slowly, easing her ever so close to her breaking point. Then he went faster, each thrust harder and quicker than the last, till she cried out. She clutched his shoulders as he carried her away from everything but the pleasure he brought her. Her cries washed away with the sounds of the thundering sea.
They made love until it was nearly dawn. Then Falyn fell asleep. Alex held her as he watched her chest rise and fall. She was still more beautiful than any one woman had the right to be. No mortal could hope to be so lovely, yet she was also much more. And this kept him coming back to the idea she was not meant for him. He had never been a one-woman kind of man, but he had not thought he would ever find a woman like Falyn.
And it was his fault she was now in this awful situation for he had sent her into hell when he gave her over to her father. He should have trusted his gut! Now it was too late for ‘what ifs’: he had to go find a way to make this better.
Alex held her as the light of dawn touched the sky. He held her even as the light stuck her and she once more became a dog. He then got up without a sound. He didn’t have the heart to tell her goodbye because it would only make it so much harder to leave her behind
Chapter Nine: Tide Pools
Falyn stood on the cliff top, watching the waves as she had every day since she’d awoken to find Alex gone. And while she was used to roaming around as a wolf, this was different. This dog was not anything close to what her wolf side felt like. Being stuck, unable to change back, was the most horrible feeling of all.
As the days turned into weeks, Falyn was getting stir crazy. She paced so much Break often sent her outside to walk it off.
The next full moon was tonight. Falyn was more than ready to take on her human form again. This time she was going to tell Break she had to go find Alex. True, she might not be able to get her powers to work in order to open the stupid gateway, but maybe just showing up would be enough. If there was one of these Immortal Guards there, surely he would let her in.
It made sound reasoning to her and she hoped it would to Break. After all, Alex was her friend too and she wouldn’t want him trapped in the other world either.
The moment Break finished the changing spell, Falyn shared her plans with her.
“I’m sorry, Falyn, but you can’t go seeking the gateway as a dog. In that form you have no powers and my magic is linked to this pool only,” Break informed her sadly.
“Then I’ll go as a human,” Falyn announced firmly.
“How are you going to go as a human when you only have one night a month like this?” Break asked.
“Damn it, Break, can’t you change me at the Gate itself or something?” Falyn demanded, her voice going up a notch.
“The gate is across the sea at Stonehenge. How exactly do you plan to make it there in one night?”
Break’s logic was starting to wear on Falyn’s nerves!
“You’re a mermaid; don’t you have magic?” Falyn cried in frustration.
“I have some magic, as you know, but nothing that will get you to England fast enough.”
With a loud sigh, Falyn gave up arguing and picked up the clothes Break had laid out for her. She got dressed and then ate dinner with Break, trying her best not to be mad at the friendly mermaid. None of this was Break’s fault.
Still, she had to won
der if Break could help her more than she was letting on. A gut feeling she had told her Break was not being one hundred percent honest with her.
After dinner, Falyn went to walk along the beach, hoping the night air would take some of the edge off of her frustration. What she was not excepting was the dark shadow on the beach. The man just seemed to pop out of the shadows, making her heart stop. Falyn’s first thoughts were her father had come for her. But as the moon cast light on the figure, she saw it was her grandfather.
Still a little uneasy, she made her way to him. Stopping a few feet away she waited for him to turn to her.
“Falyn, it’s good to see you.” He smiled at her.
“I can’t say I feel the same…” She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.
“I told you what the price would be, didn’t I?”
His reminder did nothing to cool her rage.
“Yes, but I didn’t think it would be so hard!” Falyn snapped at him.
“I understand, be glad you did not have my fate.” His words made her look at him sharply.
“What do you mean?”
He seemed unharmed as she looked him over.
“Your father found out quicker than I thought that I had helped you, and now I stand before you a mere ghost.” His eyes darkened with sorrow.
“What do you mean, a ghost…? He killed you?” Falyn was in shock.
“Yes, and now I come to tell you the mermaid has found a way to keep you human longer.”
Those words sent a rush of hope through her body.
“How do you know this?”
“I’m a ghost. I see everything. She found out a few weeks ago, dipping an object in the tide pool on a full moon and then placing that object on your body will keep you in human form, but she doesn’t want to break her promise to Alex about keeping you safe as a dog.”
Falyn felt goose bumps prickle on her skin. At first she was mad. How dare Break keep something like this from her? But after she thought it through a moment, she knew the real person she should be mad at was Alex. He was the one who’d left her here, stuck like this! Then immediately she felt horrible for even thinking such a thing. Alex was doing all he could to help her, Falyn knew that.
