In another area, I find several heavy gold bars. I know the guys have fantasized about these things, but I can’t figure out why they’d want them. They seem useless to me. I stick one in my duffel, but it’s so heavy I don’t think I can swim if I try to carry more than one of them.
In another section, I find a strand of pearls, and I can’t resist clasping it around my own neck. I should be wearing a royal Pāua shell necklace by now. Grandfather would’ve placed his own around my neck as a symbol of my new status as queen of the shoal during my wedding ceremony. Then, I would’ve placed another one around Kai’s neck, designating him as king.
Instead, Grandfather still wears his, and it will go to a member of a different family upon his death, ending our family’s reign. The highest ranking mermen will fight to the death for the right to wear the necklace and rule the merfolk.
I force the worry from my mind and concentrate on making my way out of the ship. Hopefully, it will be many cycles before a new king succeeds the throne. I find an exit and glide through, slipping the strap of the duffel across my torso so my hands are free. I swim swiftly back the way I came, and my spirit lifts as I near the shallow water. When did the land start to feel more like home than the sea?
When I poke my head above the water, all four of the guys scramble up from the sand and rush towards me. I swim closer to the shore, and they all wade out.
Avery reaches me first and grabs me by the waist, pressing my body against him. I worry that he’ll find my tail strange and unappealing, but his thoughts don’t linger on the sensation of my scales against his skin. “Coral! Where were you? We were worried about you. We thought you left us again.”
I shake my head emphatically, wishing again that I could speak their language. If I could, I’d assure them that I’m never leaving them and make them promise not to ever leave me. Instead, I lift the duffel, and Avery looks at it curiously.
Jude reaches for the zipper. “What’d you catch this time? I hope it’s crab, or lobster!”
He opens the bag, his eyes widening and his breath catching as he peers inside. “Holy shit, Coral! You found treasure!” He lifts out the gold bar and holds it up for the others to see, and they mimic his shocked facial expression.
Gio grabs the bar and examines it, and Jude pulls the coins from the duffel and passes them around, as well.
“You found something for you, too, huh Princess?” Avery fingers the strand of pearls around my neck with a soft smile.
“Coral, where did you find these? Are these from a shipwreck?” Gio asks, picturing a sunken boat. The one in his mind doesn’t look exactly the same, but I don’t know how to explain that, so I just nod.
“She must’ve seen us thinking about it. It’s probably been on all of our minds.”
Avery carries me up to the sand and sets me down, taking off his shirt to dry my tail. The guys watch in fascination as my scales disappear.
“I think I could watch that a thousand times and never be less amazed.” Liam shakes his head, smiling.
He’s promised to keep my secret, but he’s desperate to study me and understand the biology of my metamorphosis. Will his curiosity win out over his loyalty if he ever returns home? I have to make sure his bond with me is strong enough to withstand the temptation.
I look up at him, pouring all my hopes and desires into one smile, and it hits him so hard he gulps, and his eyes pool with water. He smiles back at me and cups my cheek, and I curl into his side.
“Coral, how did you know where this shipwreck was? Have you been there before?” Gio asks, and I nod.
“It must not be too far away if she swam there and back since lunch, plus found the treasure,” Jude says.
“We have no idea how fast she swims, Jude. Swordfish and sailfish can swim 60 miles per hour, or more. I doubt she can go that fast, but we really have no idea.” Liam shrugs, but it’s obvious he’s desperate to know the answer.
“These coins are Spanish. The wreck we were looking for was Norwegian. These didn’t come from that ship. It must be another wreck.” Gio fingers one of the gold coins.
“You think there’s an undiscovered wreck out there?” Jude asks.
“There are probably dozens if not hundreds. The trick is finding them.” Gio glances my way, and the others follow his gaze. No one voices the question, but everyone is wondering if I could lead them to more treasure.
I beam at them, thrilled that I might have given them a reason to keep me.
Jude’s stomach growls, and I hop up, intent on satisfying his needs. “Fish,” I say and point towards the ocean.
“That’d be great, Coral.” Jude grins at me.
I head back to the water with the now-empty duffel bag, wondering if I’ll be able to dive or if my happiness will keep me floating on the surface.
“Wait, Coral.” Liam chases after me. “Can I watch?”
I nod and reach out to take his hand, wading into the surf, and lay on my back in the shallow water. Liam stares as my scales pop out, covering my legs, and my fin blooms out wide. I swim out slowly, and Liam tries to follow, but he can’t keep up with even my slowest strokes. Eventually, I leave him behind and dart out into deeper water.
I manage to catch a few fish, but then a crab scuttles by, and I remember the images that popped into Jude’s head when he saw me come out of the water with the duffel earlier. Merfolk don’t usually bother eating crab. Their meat isn’t worth the trouble, but Jude apparently likes it, so I grab the crab and a few others before heading back to the shore.
Liam is standing in the shallow waves, waiting for me, and I swim up to him and swirl around his legs a couple times, splashing him with my tail just for fun. He grabs me around the waist, and I flip over onto my back so I can see him. He lifts me out of the water, cradling me in his arms, and I wrap an arm around his neck and give him a peck on the cheek.
The guys are relaxing by the fire, so Liam carries me over to them and sets me down. I reach in the bag and carefully extract one of the crabs, trying to avoid a pinch, and hold it out to Jude.
“Crab! My favorite!” He reaches for it, and the crab snaps his claw at him. Jude flinches and pulls back his hand. “Uh, anybody got any ideas for how to eat this thing?” The others laugh at him and shake their heads, reaching for the fish instead.
“Oh hey, I got a crab joke for you guys.” Jude says later, sucking the meat out of a crab leg. The others groan and roll their eyes at him, but he ignores them.
“What game do nerdy crabs like to play?” He glances around the circle, wiggling his eyebrows. “Anybody?” Nobody takes the bait.
He licks his fingers and smacks his hands together, grinning. “Dungeness and Drag Nets!”
The joke garners a few chuckles out of the other guys, and I pout because I don’t understand it.
“Aw, Princess, what’s wrong? You didn’t think my joke was funny?” Jude gives me a little jab in the side with his elbow. I throw up my hands and shrug in frustration.
“Coral, do mermaids have their own language? Do they… talk?” Liam asks, his voice full of curiosity.
I raise an eyebrow and frown at him. What does he think we are, imbeciles? Of course we communicate with each other. We’re not bottom feeders.
Liam lifts the corner of his mouth in a conciliatory smile. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it offensively. I just imagine it would be hard to speak underwater, and you never spoke any words to us other than the ones we taught you. Can you say something in your language?”
I rattle off a few sentences, but I can’t make them sound right out of the water. Liam still listens with rapt attention, repeating the syllables under his breath.
“I hear traces of Greek and Latin in there, and something else that sounds familiar, maybe Sumerian?” He smiles, his eyes twinkling. “Fascinating.”
He thinks of a few things and asks me what I call them, and I answer as best as I can then try to repeat the English word for it. Every once in a while he catches himself thinking of some
thing from the human world, and I grin and shake my head at him. In between, I point to things around the island, and he teaches me the words. It’s too much for him or me to remember it all, but Liam seems to love teaching me, and it takes his mind off the impossibility of what I am.
“I wish you could tell me more about what your world is like.” Liam sighs and stretches out on the sand, trying to imagine life underwater, He pictures merfolk swimming around and catching fish all day, and he’s not that far off. Life is simple down there, a lot simpler than their world, if their memories of it are any indication. But I still long to see it for myself.
Liam rolls over onto his side and props his head up with his hand to look at me. “Why are you here, Coral? Why don’t you go back to your kind?”
My heart stutters and I suck in a breath and stare at him with wild eyes.
His own eyes widen in response, and he puts a hand over his mouth then reaches out to lay the other hand on mine. “No, Coral! I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t want you to leave. I’m just trying to understand. Did you run away?” The others perk up at this question.
I nod slowly, tears pooling in the corner of my eyes.
Liam wrinkles his brow and sits up, curious. “Why?” I drop my head and let out a shaky breath. That would be too hard to explain even if I knew the words.
He quirks a sad smile. “Sorry, I know you can’t really answer that. Were you being hurt?”
I shake my head emphatically.
Liam frowns. “Were you scared of something or someone?”
I contemplate his question for a moment then give my head a small nod. I wasn’t scared in the way he’s thinking, but it’s a good enough explanation.
“Are you going to go back?” he whispers, and suddenly all eyes are on me.
I shake my head slowly, hoping they understand that I want to stay with them.
The guys exchange meaningful glances, and I know they’re contemplating what that means for them.
“Coral, do you want to stay with us?” Avery finally asks what they’re all wondering, and I nod my head.
“Do you want to go with us if we leave this island?” Liam paints a clear picture in his head.
“Yes,” I say loudly, making sure they know I mean it.
16
“We should take turns manning the fire on top of the hill at night,” Gio says as the sun starts setting. “Maybe two up there at a time, taking shifts. I’ll go first; who wants to go with me?”
The others glance at each other, and I jump up and grab Gio’s arm. “Me,” I say, eager to help.
Gio looks down at me and raises an eyebrow. “You want to go up the hill and keep watch with me tonight?”
“Yes.” I say firmly, and he smirks.
“You’re not afraid of falling?”
I shake my head and wrap my arm around his. I trust him to keep me safe. He stares at me for a moment, his eyes softening.
“No fair! Why do you get Coral all to yourself?” Jude pouts.
Liam frowns at us. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Gio? You might get… distracted, up there alone with her.”
“I’m sure we can stay focused.” Gio scowls at him then turns back to me. “You’ll have to help me keep the fire going and watch for lights out on the water. Can you handle that?”
I nod again, and Gio smiles. “Okay, why not? Coral and I are going up the hill. We’ll whistle as loud as we can if we see anything, and you all do the same.”
The others mumble their agreement and watch us closely as we head off into the trees.
“So, why’d you want to take watch with me tonight, Coral? Did you want some time alone with me?” He chuckles, teasing, but I stare up at him and slowly grin, and his eyes go wide. I mainly just wanted to be helpful, but spending time alone with one of the guys does sound nice. As much as I enjoy being with the whole group, the few private moments I’ve had with each of them have been special.
He carries a torch in one hand and a container of water in the other. I offer to take one of them, but he waves my hand away. Gio’s body is steady and firm against mine, making it easier to climb, so I keep my hold on him as we trek up the hill to the small shelter they built.
He points out a few things on the way, and I repeat the names, learning words like bird, ant, and snake. I jump at the sight of the last one, clinging tighter to Gio.
Gio chuckles and pats the hand that’s digging into his arm. “Not all snakes are dangerous, Coral, only certain ones, but until you know which ones to look out for, it’s probably better to avoid them all.”
When we reach the top, I marvel at the view below. This is not the same hill I climbed before, with the dangerous drop off, but this one is even higher and gives a better view of the island. I can see the SOS sign they created, and I don’t know what it means, but I assume it’s a message for any potential rescuers. How would anyone see it unless they were up high like us, though?
Gio sees me looking at it, and he must realize I’m confused. His mind conjures up an image of a creature that looks like a bird sailing through the sky, but it’s smooth and shiny and has no feathers on its wings. There are people inside of it! Can humans fly in these things? I gaze at Gio with my mouth hanging open.
“It’s called an airplane. Other people might come looking for us in one. The sign will help them find us.” He pictures the machine landing on the water and floating towards the shore, and all of us climbing inside and flying away. I yelp at the image.
Gio wraps a comforting arm around my waist with one hand and cups my chin with the other, his black eyes deep with emotion. “Do you really want to go with us, Coral? This island is not our home any more than it is yours, but I’ll take care of you if you want to come home with me. I understand what it’s like to be all alone in the world, to not have a home of your own anymore.”
Sadness and longing shadow his face, and I want to comfort him and let him know how I feel. I lift my lips and brush them gently against his, sliding my hands around his waist. Gio moans and pulls me closer, pressing my soft curves against his own large, hard body as his lips capture mine. My body aches for even more contact, and my fingers slide up his broad back, pulling myself impossibly closer. Gio runs a hand through my hair, pulling back my head and exposing my neck. He trails kisses down the side of it, and I go limp in his arms as the sensation courses through my whole body, making me quiver.
Gio lifts his head when he gets to my chest and pulls in a ragged breath, his own chest heaving. “Oh God, Coral. I want you so bad, but I don’t want to take advantage of you. I don’t think you have any idea what you’re doing. You’re not even human!”
He shakes his head and lets out a hard laugh as he pulls away from me, and I huff and scowl at him. His face puckers with concern, and he runs a hand down my cheek. “Don’t take that the wrong way, baby. It doesn’t mean I want you any less, it just makes it wrong for me to do what I want to you, even if you seem willing.”
I pout, but Gio just smiles and chucks me under the chin. “Come on, Princess, let’s go light the fire before I ignite from those looks you keep giving me.”
He puts the torch to the kindling the guys set up beforehand, and soon the fire is blazing. We settle down beside it and stare out at the open ocean, looking for lights, but there’s nothing but dark blue water as far as the eye can see. The air is cleaner up here, a gentle breeze blowing away the pungent odors of man, fish, and sea, the saltwater lightly perfuming the air.
Like the dancing flames that burst out of one spot and then disappear only to flare up somewhere else, Gio’s thoughts flit rapidly from one worry to another. I can’t keep up with them all, but most of them revolve around the girl with the dark hair.
“Gio?” I touch his arm, rousing him from his daze. I stare at him, trying to express my concern with my eyes.
He shakes his head. “Just human problems, Princess. Nothing for you to worry about.”
I frown at him, and he sighs and gives me a smal
l smile. “You want me to tell you about it? Not sure how much you’ll understand, but I’ll try, anyway.”
I smile at him and scoot closer, resting my head on his shoulder. He grins and gives me a peck on the forehead.
“My parents died when I was fifteen. Car accident — got hit by a drunk.” Memories of the accident flash through his mind, and I gasp at the horrific scene — the vehicle mangled beyond recognition and his parents’ bodies bloodied and broken.
“My parents were immigrants, and we didn’t have any family around to take us, so the state put my kid sister and me in foster care.” He pictures himself and the dark-haired girl, years younger — still children. Is that who she is — his sister?
“I told them I could take care of us both, but I knew they’d never let me. I couldn’t even drive yet.” I don’t understand exactly what he’s saying, but I can sense the helplessness he felt, and it reminds me of my own situation.
“They kept us together at first, but I was a pretty angry kid, and I screwed up and got kicked out of a few homes. Eventually, I ended up in a residential treatment center while Bella stayed with a family. I tried to run away a few times, but I always ended up back on the inside. I guess I should be glad I didn’t end up in prison.” His voice breaks with guilt and regret, and the smoke from the fire obscures his face some, but I think I see a tear run down his cheek. He wipes an arm across his face.
“At 18, I left for good. Bella was nine then, and I wanted her to come stay with me, but I couldn’t afford to support myself, let alone a kid, and the state wouldn’t even consider giving me custody. I didn’t have any skills or any money, and I knew I wasn’t college material, so I enlisted in the Navy.”
He chuckles darkly and rubs his head with his hands. “I had all these dreams, you know? I thought I was a badass, and I wanted to be a Navy Seal. I lasted a few years, but I didn’t have the self-discipline to make a career of the military, and I was discharged before I even finished my term.”
Sirens and Scales Page 15
