Sirens and Scales

by Kellie McAllen

  11

  The weekend finally arrived, and Rowan planned to celebrate in style, which in translation meant drinking alone since he didn’t feel much in the way of partying.

  Rowan felt tremors rattle the glass vials within the storage room’s fridge as he put away some vaccines. He scrambled to the doorway and stood, waiting it out while his stomach lodged itself in his throat, and within thirty seconds the quake was over. Bermuda hadn’t felt a quake in over six years.

  “Did you feel that?” he shouted down the hall, but no one answered. Rowan peered over at the clock, realizing it was late in the day and way past time for Rowan to clock out. The others probably slipped out unnoticed once the animal feedings were done.

  Work had been brutal today at Bermuda’s Clearwater Marine Sanctuary, but it was a labor of love. This love stemmed from a five years ago nightmare.

  A mermaid rescued him.

  No one believed him, but he still held firm to his story. How else could he explain the girl he saw drifting back into the water with vibrant, luminescent purple scales? Whenever he thought about her, he could still feel where her fingers glided over his face. She must have thought he was still unconscious.

  From that day, he dreamed of being a marine veterinarian. He busted his ass through school and graduated early with honors. He currently worked as an intern at the sanctuary.

  Sliding into his truck, it came to life with a turn of the key, and the radio chimed in recanting the news of the earthquake Rowan felt moments ago.

  “…at seven forty-six pm, a four-point-two magnitude earthquake struck the Atlantic Ocean thirty miles off the coast of Bermuda. Residents have reported feeling tremors in their homes and businesses. Only mild damage has been reported. The BWS has issued no tsunami watches or warnings at this time…”

  The news faded, bringing back the song playing prior to the announcement. Rowan turned the radio up to sing along.

  He made a quick stop at Burrows to purchase a bottle of rum for the night’s festivities. A drive-thru escapade yielded dinner for the evening as he set out for Warwick Long Bay Beach to watch the sunset. The beach was a local hangout, but he crossed his fingers, hoping it wasn’t too busy. Maybe the quake would keep people in their homes.

  Rowan eased his truck into a parking spot and cut the engine. He grabbed his bag of dinner and slid out of the cab, heading down to the pink, sandy beach.

  His gaze lingered from the empty beach to the gorgeous sunset. He let out a sigh as the tension melted from his shoulders. The blue, pink, yellow, and orange hues smeared together into a canvas of epic proportions creating a sight to behold. He stared in awe, watching the muted golden rays from the sun dance along the waves.

  The other beaches on Bermuda would be swarming with tourists, but Warwick Long Bay Beach was a quiet and secluded area, the way he wanted it.

  He found an unoccupied stretch of beach and parked his cargo-shorts-covered bottom, discarding his shoes, he wedged his toes into the warm sand. Not a soul in sight.

  He pulled out his fish sandwich, barely unwrapping it before he took a huge bite. Food hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind today. He hardly ate breakfast, if coffee counted, and lunch was all but forgotten.

  Rowan squinted, catching a glimmer of something near the tide coming in. He tried to make out the shape. Was that a girl? A swath of long, dark hair covered the body.

  Managing to get half the sandwich on top of the paper sack, he jumped up and raced toward the edge of the water. His breath caught at the vision before him. A girl lay face down in the sand, her arms stretched inland. His gaze trailed down her body until it met scales.

  Scales.

  Mermaid scales.

  What the hell had been in that fish sandwich? Maybe the restaurant undercooked it. His brain couldn’t process the fact a real, live, actual… scratch that, she might be alive, but a mermaid laid right in front of him.

  Oh, God!

  His head jerked left, then right, looking down the length of the beach in either direction. A good distance to his right he spotted a couple walking along the shore. With the sun casting them as silhouettes, he couldn’t figure out which direction they were walking.

  Panic set in. He couldn’t leave her out here to be discovered. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He’d spent years trying to prove mermaids existed. Now, he was trying to make sure no one found out. She didn’t need to become a specimen in a lab.

  There was no time to bring the truck closer. He’d have to drag or carry her. Gently, he flipped her onto her back and swept her hair out of her face. He cringed when he discovered gashes marring her cheeks, burn marks on her arms, and her tail looked even worse. She’d been through quite an ordeal.

  She was definitely a she as he caught a glimpse of her breasts, diverting his eyes out of respect. He fought the urge to keep his eyes averted and failed. Wet sand caked against her chest and stomach, but beneath it all, nipples pebbled after being exposed to the evening breeze. He noticed her chest rose and fell, and he was reassured when her pulse thrummed faintly beneath his fingers, confirming she was alive.

  Easing his arms under her, he gauged her heft. Her tail added a remarkable amount of weight, but he calculated that he could lift her.

  He hoisted her with a grunt, stumbling before getting his footing in the sand. The couple walking the beach was getting closer.

  Shit!

  Commence freak-out mode. Could they see the shadow of her tail dangling from his arms? He couldn’t think like that. His objective was to get her out of here before anyone noticed.

  “Why are you so heavy?” He questioned her, not really expecting a response. She was anything but fat, what with her narrow waist and corded abs, but the muscles in her tail weighed a ton.

  He labored with each footstep as it sank deep into the sand. The distance hadn’t felt too far when he walked it earlier, but with people approaching and his heavy burden, it felt like time slowed to a crawl. At this rate, he was never going to reach his truck.

  A sigh of relief passed his lips once his bare feet hit the pavement of the parking lot. The concrete was still warm from soaking up the rays of the sun all day, but easier to manage than sand.

  He stood at the back of his truck, holding her bulk and trying to figure out how to get her in the bed. Without the tailgate down, the truck seemed impossibly high. He wasn’t sure if he should set her on the ground to open it, but he was left with no other choice.

  Releasing the tailgate allowed him to pull out a moving blanket from the large toolbox bolted in the back. With some willpower and maneuvering, he managed to get her on the blanket and secured to avoid her sliding around.

  With a careless wave, he left his shoes and sandwich on the beach. The whole way home he kept glancing out the back window, checking on his unexpected passenger. She didn’t budge during the entire ordeal. He arrived at the gate to his house, punched in the security code, and pulled his truck around back to the attached garage.

  Slowly, he crept around to the bed of the truck and peeked over the edge. He was positive she would have woken up on the drive to the house, but there she laid, still out cold. Her skin appeared too dry in the harsh light of his garage. She needed to be in the water, but he also needed to address the wounds littering her body. Should he treat her like a human or did she need to be cared for like a marine mammal?

  A brilliant idea came to light as he turned to face his saltwater pool nestled in his backyard. She’d be at home there and he could tend to her wounds, then once she healed, he’d find a way to get her back to the ocean without anyone noticing her. Keeping her wasn’t without risk, but it was worth it.

  With a backward glance at the mermaid, he dashed inside and collected the necessary supplies: a large fluffy comforter, first aid kit, a couple clean rags, and towels. Venturing back outside, he set everything down and spread out the comforter next to the pool. He got the first aid kit and everything set up beside it. This would have to do.

  Wi
th the tailgate unlatched and the straps undone, he tugged at the edge of the blanket she was on, bringing her closer. He slid her closer and managed to pick her up once again.

  Laying her back down wasn’t as easy. He let her tail down first, then lowered her to the comforter-covered ground with care. She had several burn marks oozing blood and sand. Her wounds held no prejudice between scale and skin, covering her from head to tail.

  Once he cleaned, dressed, and covered her wounds, Rowan jumped into the pool fully clothed. As he eased her into the pool, a contented sigh escaped her. Her eyes remained closed and her body remained slack.

  He hesitated before lowering her under the water. By all accounts, she should be able to breathe underwater. She was a mermaid, for crying out loud. He saw the gills on the side of her neck when he brushed her hair away to treat another wound, making sure he’d flushed them with salt water as best he could.

  With a silent prayer, he let go of her body and watched her drift toward the shallow bottom.

  He didn’t want to leave her.

  He couldn’t.

  Folding the comforter in half after shaking off the sand, he made himself a pallet, complete with a pillow fetched from the house. He’d make sure she didn’t wake up alone and scared. He was thankful distance, trees, and shrubbery separated him from the closest neighbors to help keep his secret hidden from the rest of the island.

  Honestly, it didn’t matter. Everyone thought he was crazy, but he didn’t need to give them another reason.

  12

  Meriya stretched her arms out eliciting a wince as she drew them back into her sides. Her body ached all over. The pain radiated from her head all the way down to the tips of her fins. She fluttered her eyelashes open, catching the streaks of light filtering through the water to reach her at the bottom.

  She shifted and scraped her body along a hard surface, one that was not her bed. This didn’t feel like home and the salinity of the water was off.

  Confused, she blinked a few more times to clear the image above her. This wasn’t right. Her bedroom was deep within the recesses of the sea. Light usually didn’t penetrate the waters this far down.

  She shifted, causing her hair to fan out around her face. To her left, she spotted a set of stairs connected to a wall. A wall, which upon further scrutiny, wrapped all the way around her, caging her in with no door in sight.

  Was she a prisoner?

  Her mind backpedaled, feeling around the fuzzy memories floating just out of reach. Bits and pieces of the eruption played through her head until her memories ended, and blackness took over. Was she captured by a neighboring kingdom while she was unconscious? She thought they were currently at peace. How long had she been out?

  She turned over in the water and swam toward the stairs, running a hand along the surface. The texture was rough to the touch, like stone, but this stone was too well shaped to be natural. She pulled herself up the stairs and over the edge, breaking through the water to meet the warm, dry air.

  A huge dwelling loomed to the left of her and a black fence lined the property, cutting off any escape. This didn’t feel right, but she knew next to nothing about the other kingdoms.

  Definitely a prisoner.

  Her scales scraped across the rough ground as she dragged herself toward the fence. She took a moment to rest, reaching a hand out to tap at the perimeter keeping her in. The post echoed with an odd, hollow sound.

  Something foreign tugged at her face and arms as she tried to move once again. Strange white squares with a clear, shiny layer created a patchwork across her torso and tail.

  She screamed, clawing at the unknown objects attacking her body, unsure of their intent.

  “No, no!” called a male voice, “don’t rip them off!”

  Startled, she screamed again, but this time at the top of her lungs, trying desperately to scoot away from the human while on land. She winced, her screeching turning to cries of pain. She aggravated her injuries and needed to take it easy, but faced with an enemy, while injured and trapped, made her feel defenseless.

  “Shh! I’m not going to hurt you.” He held his hands up in surrender.

  “Who are you and where have you taken me?” The quiver in her words gave away her fear.

  The human stopped his approach, the same fear reflected in his brown eyes. Why would he be afraid of her? She was the one in a strange place, cornered by a human, no less.

  “I’m Rowan. You’re at my hou—”

  “So you’re the one who has taken me prisoner. What are your demands?” She paused, her confidence shaken once again as he stared at her, confused. “My father doesn’t have much, wait, no…” Her father had no money for ransom, but Cayson and the Chancellor sure did. Did word of her betrothal spread that fast?

  At the mention of her father, she choked up. They hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but if the volcano had reached the village or the palace—she wouldn’t think that way. No, her family was alive. The blast had knocked her out because she was so close to the volcano, doing her research.

  Her family was alive. They had to be. And if her father didn’t have the money, she knew Cayson’s family did.

  “Nothing—”

  “Nothing? Surely, you’re after something.” She brushed aside a strand of matted hair out of her line of sight, watching his eyes track the movement before his gaze dipped lower, his cheeks reddened as she made eye contact once again.

  Strange.

  “If you’ll let me explain.” He eased down onto the hard ground to sit, legs crossed as he leaned back onto his hands. The same ground, despite not moving, that pressed painfully into her scales.

  She gave a nod, eyes narrowing into slits before she shifted her posture to something more comfortable.

  “I found you washed up on the beach.” He raised a hand to halt her interruption. “You had wounds all over your body and I couldn’t leave you there for someone to discover. I brought you back here and dressed your wounds.”

  “Am I free to leave?” She eyed the black bars holding her hostage from the Ocean.

  She could hear the lulling woosh like a melody, followed by crashing waves beating against the shore in a fevered staccato. She was calling to Meriya from down the hill and across the beach, an invisible string pulling her toward Her depths. She missed Meriya.

  “Yes, of course, but I’d rather you stayed for a while until you’re fully healed.” He brought his knees up to his chest, resting his arms there. The fear fled his eyes, replaced by a deep sadness she knew all too well. This human must be missing something of great importance.

  “Then I’m still a prisoner. You want me to stay, but I need to get back home.” She held her chin high and pointed toward the ocean.

  “You’re not a prisoner.” Rowan appeared to struggle to find the right words. “You’re… you’re a guest, one I want to take care of and… make sure she’s healthy before I release her back to the ocean.”

  She looked away from him again, gathering her thoughts. All her life, society taught her humans were vile creatures, bent on consuming all the earth had to offer. They would take and take, but never give back.

  How could she trust him? Her kingdom considered humans the most dangerous enemy, even above other mermaid kingdoms.

  Looking back up at the man who held her captive, she took stock of his features. The shoulder-length blond tousled hair, dark brown eyes, and sharp cheekbones. A familiarity tugged at the back of her subconscious. She squinted, studying him closely.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  Avoiding his question, she asked him one of her own. “How long do I have to stay here?” This would give her some insight into his character and if he was trustworthy.

  “Like I said, only until you’re healed. Then, I’ll take you back. I promise.” He ran his finger over his chest in an X pattern. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away, feeling sick to her stomach. She w
ould not cry and show him how weak she felt. Her heart yanked her toward the Ocean, her home, her protector. The Ocean’s emotions poured out, washing over her, questioning where she was. Soon, she thought, not knowing if She could read her mind this far inland.

  “Okay.” She sighed in defeat, her shoulders slumping, hair falling into her face.

  “Do you want help back into the pool?” He stood in one fluid motion and Meriya took note of the muscles in his arms and legs as he took a tentative step toward her.

  “Pool?” Wrinkling her brow, she pointed to the watery prison. “That thing?”

  “Yes, it’s called a pool, a saltwater pool. You’re injured.” He took another step in her direction. “Let me help you back into it before you dry out.”

  She reared back, lashing her tail out in front of her. “Don’t touch me!”

  He retreated several paces back getting closer to the building behind him. She’d never seen such a structure. Where were the pieces of coral or shell? The construction of her home consisted of natural elements. Nothing about his home was natural, like the pool he wanted her to get back into.

  Grunting with effort, she scraped her body back across the torturous ground and dove back into the pool. She whipped her tail through the water and propelled herself toward the deepest end, hiding out away from prying eyes. This side still wasn’t deep enough to feel like home.

  Her hiding spot situated her under a ledge with water cascading over the lip. The sound soothed her, but the sight of the human approaching through the rippling surface put her nerves on edge.

  He stood there watching her.

  When his form disappeared from view, she relaxed against the wall. Her fingers grazed over the cool square tiles laid out side by side, noting how much smoother it was than the stairs. She wondered what they were made of and wished the bottom of the pool was covered with these squares so she could sleep a little easier.