He starts singing a catchy song about life under the sea, and I chuckle at the silly rhymes. After a few rounds, he nudges me with his elbow. “Come on, Coral, sing! It’s fun.”
I open my mouth and try to sing along with Jude. At first, my voice is soft, tentative, barely a whisper, but after a few lines I let myself go, and my voice rises higher and higher, the notes floating on the air, echoing through the trees. Jude stops singing and falls behind me, and I turn to look at him.
His face is slack, his eyes glazed, and every move I make he imitates. “Jude, Jude!” I stop singing and grab a hold of him in panic.
He shakes his head, and his eyes refocus. He smiles at me like nothing happened. “What’s up, Princess?”
I struggle to settle my breathing as my anxiety dissipates. I know that our singing voices are supposed to captivate humans, but I had no idea it would put him in a trance like that. I don’t know the words to explain what happened, and I’m afraid of what he might think, so instead, I just point to the nearby trap.
Jude cranes his neck to get a better look, and his face brightens. “Hot damn, Princess, we caught something!”
He dashes over to the trap where a large, brown bird is chirping frantically. He carefully reaches in and grabs the animal, twisting its neck. The panicked chirping stops, and Jude holds up his prize, grinning.
“What is it?” I ask, always trying to grow my vocabulary.
Jude shrugs and heads back towards the beach. “Beats me, but let’s hope it tastes like chicken.” He pictures a large, round bird bobbing its head and making funny noises. I’m fascinated by all the different foods that humans eat. Jude is constantly dreaming about one thing or another.
“Is chicken your favorite food?” I reach for the bird, wanting to examine it. They usually fly away before I can get a good look at them.
“Chicken is great; fried chicken is awesome, but if I have to pick a favorite food, I gotta say steak.” He imagines a brown hunk of steaming meat that doesn’t look very interesting.
“What kind of animal is that?”
“Steak is from cows. So are burgers, and roast beef, and taco meat…” His mind flicks through pictures of different dishes as he fantasizes about them, but mine is stuck on the first image — a giant, black-and-white spotted animal with a long, flapping tail that makes a loud, bellowing sound.
My mouth falls open. I can’t even imagine how they eat such a huge thing. Merfolk don’t usually eat anything we can’t hold in our hands.
I listen and watch Jude’s memories in fascination as he explains how they cut up the animal into smaller pieces and prepare each kind of meat. It’s obviously something he’s very interested in, and his passion makes me curious.
“Jude, I want to try all those things someday. Will you make them for me?” I loop my arm through his, and Jude smiles at me and chucks me under the chin.
“You got it, babe. There’s nothing I’d rather do than cook for you. I’ll make you something different every day till you’ve tried it all.” His voice is thick with devotion.
His words are like a rare delicacy, satisfying cravings I didn’t even realize I had. I stop walking and turn towards him, putting my hands on his chest. He’s lost weight since he’s been here, and his body is firmer, his features more defined.
I reach up and stroke his jawline, and he drops the bird he caught and trails his hands up my sides, resting them on my waist.
“I know I’m not as smart as Liam, or as strong as Gio, or as pretty as Avery, but I would do anything for you, Coral. All I want is for you to be happy. I’m sorry for getting upset.”
His words prick my heart, and a tear forms in the corner of my eye. How can he possibly think he’s any less than any of the others? He’s funny, and silly, and lighthearted, and kind. He’s perfect in his own, special way.
“You make me happy, Jude,” I whisper in his ear then let my lips graze his cheek.
His gaze locks with mine; his warm eyes melt like the chocolate he fantasizes about, and I stare at them with desire, licking my lips. Jude’s mouth descends on mine, sucking and tasting like I’m his favorite food, and my belly churns with a hunger only he can satisfy.
We kiss until our chests are heaving and my entire body aches with need. I want him as much as I wanted Liam yesterday, but there’s no good place to lay down here, and the others will come looking for us if we’re gone too long. I don’t want to rush, I want to take my time and enjoy every new sensation the guys have awoken in me.
“Tomorrow,” I whisper, and Jude nods and pulls away from me.
20
We tromp back through the trees, and Jude raises his catch in the air, grinning from ear to ear, as we join the others on the beach. “Once again, chef Jude has procured a delicacy for your dining pleasure this evening!”
Gio snorts, and Liam looks curiously at the bird, trying to identify it. I settle close to him and watch with interest as Jude cuts it open and removes the insides and the skin and feathers, then starts to cook it.
“Jude, who taught you how to cook?”
Jude shrugs. “The internet, I guess. I like to eat, so I just searched up how to make what I wanted.”
He’s mentioned the internet before, but despite the images in his memory, I still can’t quite understand it. Maybe someday I’ll get a chance to see it for real and it will make more sense.
When the aroma from the roasting bird starts to float through the air, the other guys meander over to the fire, sniffing.
“Smells good, Jude. What is it?” Gio pokes at the bird. Jude shrugs.
“Beats me. Ask Liam. He’s the biologist.” Jude pulls the bird out of the fire and lays it on some leaves to cool.
“Marine biologist. Totally different specialty. But that looks like a type of pheasant to me.” Liam sits down next to me.
“I’m just grateful for something other than fish. I don’t even like fish.” Gio scrunches his nose in an expression that looks out of place on his normally serious face. “I’d give anything for a plate of pasta right about now.”
His eyes get wistful as he stares into space, remembering family dinners with his parents and sister before the accident that changed their lives forever.
Jude cuts the bird into sections, and I watch as his knife finds just the right spots, sliding easily through the flesh and dissecting the joints. “Here, try this part; it’s the best.” He hands me the leg then passes out the rest of it.
I sniff the meat, inhaling the savory aroma, then take a tiny bite. It’s nothing like fish, but it’s good, and I quickly nibble the rest of the meat off the bone.
“What is your favorite food, Avery?” I ask on a whim. Jude said his is steak, and by the dreamy look Gio got when he talked about pasta I’m guessing that’s his favorite.
Avery bites his lip to hide his grin. “Well, I’d like to say something sophisticated like sushi or oysters or something like that, but… it’s grilled cheese and bologna sandwiches. My mom used to make that for me when I didn’t want to eat the deer meat my dad was always bringing home. My dad used to get mad at her for catering to my sissy-boy pickiness, but she did it, anyway.”
He frowns for a moment but then his face softens into a smirk. “When I learned that bologna was named after a french city, I thought it was something fancy. I started pronouncing it that way, instead, until a kid at school humiliated me in front of the whole class when he told me bologna was for poor people and it was made from all the gross, leftover parts of different animals. I never took it to school again, but I still love it.”
“What about you, Liam?” I smile up at him.
“Well, believe it or not, I never ate a bologna sandwich till I was away at college. My parents were never willing to buy it; they said it was a worthless, disgusting byproduct.” He chuckles. “My mother used to put things like chilled salmon in my lunch when all I really wanted was peanut butter and jelly. I do love a nice slice of foie gras, though.”
Jude makes prete
nd gagging sounds and holds his hand over his mouth.
Liam ignores him and looks at me. “What about you, Coral?”
“Red snapper, maybe?” I shrug. Food is simple under the water. We catch something and eat it. We don’t cook or combine different foods together into complicated recipes like I’ve seen in the guys’ minds. I like some fish better than others, but there’s not that much difference between them. It seems kind of strange to me how much effort humans put into their meals.
“Well, I’m going to make it my mission to teach you all about good food when we get off this island.” Jude waves the bone he’s been chewing on at me.
“All this talk about food is making me hungry. Have we got any left?” Gio picks a tiny morsel off the carcass.
Unsatisfied, he gets up and heads for the spot where I left my last catch of fish. There are a few left over, and Gio grabs one and skewers it, holding it over the fire. He doesn’t have the patience to wait for it, barely warming it up before taking a bite. He makes a face when he swallows, but he chews a few more bites before tossing the fish away.
“Hey, I taught Coral a song today. Why don’t you sing it for them?” Jude winks at me, and my eyes go wide. After the way Jude responded earlier, I don’t ever want to risk singing around them again.
I shake my head and stare at my lap, pretending to be too embarrassed. “No, you sing it.”
“Aww, come on, Coral! You know I’m terrible. They want to hear you, not me.” Jude sticks out his lower lip and begs.
I clench my fingers nervously in my lap and keep my head down. Avery glances at me and puts a reassuring hand on my leg.
“You know who’s a good singer? Gio. I heard him in the shower once,” he says, trying to take the attention off me.
“First of all, why the hell were you in the bathroom while I was showering?” Gio complains.
Avery rolls his eyes and snickers. “I wasn’t in the bathroom; that deep, manly voice of yours just carries a long way.”
I giggle. “Sing for me, Gio. I want to hear it. Please?” I gaze up at him, and his stern expression softens, his wrinkled brow relaxing, his frown turning into a grin as he shakes his head.
He opens his mouth, sucking in a deep breath, and belts out a peppy tune about the moon and pizza pie and a world that shines. The other guys gape at him as he performs, his voice deep and throaty, and he hams it up, throwing his head back and his arms out wide as he ends with, “That’s amore!”
I clap, laughing and bouncing on my calves that are tucked under me. I don’t know a lot of the words, but the tune is happy and makes me smile. “Gio, I loved it! But…what is amore?”
“Amore, my sweet Coral, is the Italian word for love, and nobody knows love like the Italians.” He wiggles his eyebrows at me in an uncharacteristically silly way, and I understand what the song is saying. Love makes you feel all kinds of wonderful that you just can’t explain.
“I like music.” I smile and bob my head to the tune still repeating in my mind.
“You know what’s even better than good music, Coral?” Avery grins at me, and I gape at him and cover my mouth with my hand, thinking he’s talking about sex.
Avery throws his head back laughing. “Get your mind out of the gutter, girl! I’m talking about dancing.” His eyes twinkle, and he holds out a hand.
I look at him curiously, but take his hand, and he pulls me to my feet. “Dancing is a good excuse to get close to somebody you like.” He pulls my body closer till I’m skin to skin with him then wraps an arm around my waist and holds up my other hand near our shoulders.
“Sing it again, Gio. Slower this time.”
When Gio starts singing, Avery moves my body around in time to the music with swooping steps. My feet tangle in his at first, but soon I figure out the pattern and move with him. Eventually, he steps back and holds my hand high, urging me to twirl around, then grabs me around the waist and dips me before bringing me back up for a kiss. I laugh as my body melts in his arms.
“That called a waltz, Coral, and it’s a dance every princess should know. Too bad you don’t have a silk gown and a tiara.”
He imagines me dressed in long layers of shiny fabric, the skirt swirling around my feet as we dance in what a human palace must look like. The image is enchanting, and I’m suddenly longing for something I’d never even imagined a few minutes ago. Will I ever get to experience these magical things the boys dream of, or will I spend the rest of my life on this island? I wouldn’t mind staying here, except the images I see in their heads make me realize how much I’m missing.
I try to put the fantasies out of my mind and focus on the moment, enjoying the cool, ocean breeze and the warm, flickering fire, the birds chirping, Gio’s deep voice echoing around me, and the waves of pleasure that pulse through me as I dance with Avery. This is good, this is enough. I’m happy here, with them.
When the song is over, I beg for another, but Gio complains that his stomach is upset and heads off for the trees. He comes back a short while later looking a little unsettled.
“Are you okay, Gio?” I stare at him as he sits down slowly, rubbing his stomach.
He waves me off. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Probably shouldn’t have eaten that leftover fish.”
Jude takes over the dance lessons, putting a twang in his voice and singing a song about an achy-breaky heart that makes me laugh. The moves are fun and fast, but I like Avery’s dance better only because it kept me in his arms.
“Now, these dances are good if you go to a ball or a country bar, but if we take you to a club, you gotta learn to bump and grind, baby girl.” Jude makes strange sounds with his lips and mouth, creating a fast beat, and starts gyrating his body against mine.
“Come on, Coral. Let loose and feel the music. Do whatever you like.”
I copy Jude’s movements at first, eventually feeling confident enough to make up a few of my own. When he sidles up behind me, I rub myself against him, and he grabs my hips and pulls me even closer. “Damn, girl. You’ve got moves. I better not take you to a club or somebody else might take you home.”
I glance at the other guys and notice that Liam and Avery are watching with interest, but Gio’s face is red and damp, and he’s clutching his stomach again.
I stop dancing and drop to my knees beside Gio, rubbing a hand across his sweaty brow. His forehead feels hot, yet his body is shivering. “Gio, what’s wrong?”
He looks up at me with glazed eyes, then his body convulses, and he turns his head away and vomits into the sand. Long strings of saliva dangle from his mouth as he wretches over and over again. When he’s done, he flops onto his back and closes his eyes, groaning.
Liam walks over to the half-eaten fish that Gio discarded, leaning over to peer at it. “Probably scombroid poisoning, possibly ciguatera. He’ll be okay, but it might take a few days.”
I hold one of the water containers up to Gio to drink, helping him lift his head so he can take a sip. He groans as he flops his head back down. I dunk a shirt in the water and wipe the sweat off his face.
“How can I help him?” I look up at Liam.
“That’s about all you can do for him.” He motions towards the water. “If we had some Benadryl I’d give him one of those because the scombroid bacteria releases histamines, but otherwise, all you can do is keep him comfortable and hydrated.”
“Gio, do you want to go to the raft?” The soft, air-filled boat would be more comfortable than the cold, hard sand.
“I don’t think I can make it that far, Princess.” Gio’s voice is hoarse and weak.
“The guys can help you,” I suggest, but Gio just shakes his head.
I grab some clothes from the duffel bag and fold up some shirts to place under his head. The others I drape over his curled up body. I wrap myself around his back, trying to warm him, and run my fingers through his hair. The barely-there fuzz has grown out just enough to soften his appearance.
“Princess?” he mumbles, barely loud enough for me to
hear. “Will you lay on this side?”
I climb to my feet and walk around to his front then settle down right next to him. He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me tight against his middle, and I bury my face in his chest. He tucks his head down against mine, and his breath is warm on my scalp. A short while later, Gio is snoring. It’s time for Avery and me to go to the lookout, but I don’t feel right leaving Gio.
Avery takes one look at me curled up with Gio and says, “Hey Jude, you want to go to the lookout with me tonight?” I’m grateful he understands. “Liam should probably stay down here to keep an eye on Gio, since he knows what to watch out for.”
I make eye contact with him and whisper, “I’m sorry.”
Avery gives me a gentle smile. “It’s okay, Coral. I’m glad he’s got you.”
21
“There’s a boat!” Liam hollers and whistles as loud as he can, tossing more logs on the fire.
The flames shoot higher, and smoke billows up into the sky. He races to the other fire and stokes it as well. When I turn my head towards our lookout spot, I can see that Jude and Avery are doing the same and have even set the shelter on fire. The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon, so hopefully the fires are still easy to see.
Gio gasps and sits up, holding his stomach. He’s too weak to do anything but gaze out into the water, hope and disbelief warring on his face. Liam starts jumping up and down, waving and screaming as the boat comes closer, and Jude and Avery come barreling out of the trees, whooping and hollering.
The ship drops anchor a little ways away from the shoreline, and soon a smaller boat appears and motors towards us. Liam, Jude, and Avery all rush to the water’s edge, laughing and yelling, while Gio clings to me, excitement thrumming through his body.
“We’re going home, Princess. We’re finally going home,” he whispers to me, and fear and excitement crash into me in overlapping waves. I’m not ready for this yet!
An older, heavyset man climbs out of the boat, his clothes faded by the sun and sea, and his eyes scan the guys by the shoreline then glance towards Gio and me. He runs a hand over his scraggly, gray-streaked beard and adjusts the battered hat on his head.
Sirens and Scales Page 18
