by Zelda Knight
“I guess that might sound a little strange. I mean, we hadn’t even met.”
Slightly dazed, he couldn’t help but be entranced by her beauty as he looked into her eyes.
Kaia gazed back at him. She felt her feelings deepening. Shaking off the emotion, she offered, “I can show you where I saved you, if you trust me.”
Almost swooning at her beauty, he replied, “Of course I do.”
“Hold your breath. Then, when you need another one, just squeeze my hand.”
She grabbed his hand, and they jumped into the ocean.
He was amazed as he watched her suddenly gain a large tail under her dress. He tried not to stare when she shed the dress and held it in her hand. “I’ll keep this for next time.”
Then she took his hand and led him underwater, across the bay.
After a minute, he squeezed her hand. She stopped, turned to him, and kissed him. As she did, she breathed oxygen into his lungs. He felt lightheaded. Samuel wasn’t sure if it was the air situation or the kiss from Kaia. He felt it was probably the latter.
Soon, they rounded the cliffs that housed her cave. After several more “air kisses” that Samuel did not object to, they reached an air-filled cave containing many pools. From the deep pool, Kaia pulled herself up and onto the cave’s floor. She then helped Samuel up before putting the dress back on. As soon as she pulled her tail out of the pool, it transformed back into two legs. Samuel marveled at the sight.
She motioned to the dress. “I thought it might be a good idea to keep the dress, as without it I’d be naked.” She giggled.
‘She’d get no complaints out of me,’ Samuel thought.
Kaia made her way over to the pool with the waterfall as Samuel followed. “This is a freshwater pool. Isn’t it lovely? I love waterfalls. It’s like my own private little cavern here. I brought you here after the mermaids attacked you.”
He touched her face. “It’s beautiful, Kaia. But it’s not as beautiful as you. You saved my life. How can I ever thank you?”
Tears began streaming down her face.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“I need your help, Samuel.”
“Of course. Anything.”
Kaia sat on a rock next to a box. “My sister, Coral, is dying, and it’s up to me to save her. But I don’t know what to do. This box fell off a ship and my sister found it and opened it.” Kaia opened the box to show him. “Don’t touch the crystal, whatever you do. My sister picked it up and it burned her hands. Then she lost consciousness. She still hasn’t woken up. It’s like the crystal is poison or something. I know of this type of rock. It’s called a ‘petra.’ They are rare and found deep in the ocean. But I have never heard that they are poisonous. I have to find where this box came from to see if there is some kind of antidote. The only clue I have is this name on the box, ‘Seagate.’ That’s why I was at the tavern. I found out it’s the name of a ship that occasionally comes into port. A man at the tavern told me it brings supplies, like to the bakery and probably the general store and what have you. The box fell off a ship, so maybe it was the Seagate. I have to find that ship and see if anyone knows about the box. I just hope Coral can hang on until then.”
Samuel pulled Kaia close and comforted her as she cried into his chest. Then she pulled back to look into his eyes as he smiled at her. She reached up and softly touched the scar under his eye. “What happened?”
He pointed to it. “This? It happened during a fight on board the Dreadnought. I barely escaped a pirate’s cutlass blade. Any farther up, and I guess I’d be wearing an eyepatch now.” He chuckled. “I don’t mind the scar so much. It’s better than losing an eye.”
“You fought pirates?”
“Yeah. Used to be one, too. Then we all went clean, the whole crew. Feels a lot better to try and help people. We still look for shipwrecks, but to save the survivors. That’s how I got taken by those mermaids. One of them was pretending to be a survivor and I was trying to save her.”
“Stupid cow! I wish I’d hit her harder than I did. Just a tail slap was too good for her!”
“It’s alright. I’m thankful. Look at us now. And it’s all thanks to her, really.”
Kaia was already overcome with emotion over her sister, and now, being so close to Samuel was too much for her. She leaned up and kissed him … a tender but meaningful kiss. Then she touched his face.
He wanted to kiss her again, but refrained and simply smiled instead. “How can I help save your sister?”
She wanted to kiss him again too, but instead, as she stood, she replied, “I guess we need to find out the next time that ship will make port in town. I’ll swim with you back to town and we can ask the baker. The man at the tavern mentioned that the bakery often received supplies from the Seagate. Oh, and I almost forgot.”
She walked to a chest on the other side of the cavern. When she opened it, Samuel could hardly believe his eyes as she grabbed a handful of gold coins.
“Here, take some of these, as many as you want.”
“W-where did you get all of this?”
She laughed at his surprised reaction. “I find lots of sunken ships on the bottom of the ocean, and many of them have treasure. It comes in handy when I go to town, so I collect what I find.”
He approached her and took her hand. “When we get back to town, I’m taking you out to dinner.”
She smiled at him as she looked into his eyes once again. With the way she was feeling about him, Kaia was afraid that if they didn’t leave the cavern now, they would never get to town.
“Remember to squeeze my hand when you need a breath.”
“Absolutely.” He smiled, looking forward to more of those “air kisses” from her.
She guided him by the hand to the deepest pool that led to the ocean, and they both jumped.
Chapter Three
The Seagate
That night, Samuel bought them both dinner at the tavern. While there, they asked around about the Seagate. Some told them the ship docked there weekly, while others said it docked monthly. They had to talk to the baker, but it was late and the bakeshop was closed.
As they walked through the town, Kaia said, “Look, they have an inn. We could stay there and then talk to the baker in the morning.”
The thought tempted Samuel. Staying in an inn with Kaia, although not proper, was a beautiful image. He knew that she’d made the suggestion in all innocence.
He took her hand. “That sounds lovely, Kaia. But in all honesty, I have to get back to the Dreadnought. The men don’t know what happened to me after the mermaid attack. I’m sure my friends are worried. I just need to let them know I’m alright. I think they were planning to dock in town tonight. So I can still meet you in the morning. Do you want to meet at the inn or the bakery?”
“I’ll probably just stay in my cavern tonight. So I’ll meet you at the bakery at, say, ten o’clock?”
As soon as she’d made the suggestion about the inn, she’d regretted it. ‘Well, that was quite inappropriate, Kaia,’ she thought. For a man to have turned down such an invitation, he must really care about his crewmates. What a truly wonderful person he was, and she was falling in love with him.
Samuel kissed her hand. “Goodnight, sweet Kaia.”
As he was about to walk away, she blurted, “Wait!”
He turned back and was almost knocked over by her kiss as she threw her arms around his neck. He happily kissed her back.
Kaia pulled back before she got carried away. “I just wanted to thank you for helping me. It means the world to me.”
‘She means the world to me,’ he thought. He wanted to tell her, but he was afraid it would sound silly, as they had met just the day before … though Samuel felt like he had known her for longer than that. Still, he kept his thoughts to himself, and simply smiled and kissed her hand. She turned and headed to the cliff. Once he had seen her jump safely into the water, he started toward the boat docks.
“Samuel! You�
��re alive!” The captain gave Samuel a big hug and a slap on the back.
“What happened?” Roger asked.
Samuel knew no one would believe the truth, so he had to alter it a bit. “I’m not sure. I blacked out and woke up on the beach today. Crazy, isn’t it?”
“Man, you’re lucky to be alive! The men wouldn’t even let me go in after you. They thought you might have a better shot without having me as a threat to the mermaids. I didn’t sleep a wink last night. This is a miracle!” The captain directed the rest of the crew, “Men, let’s celebrate our ‘miracle first mate’!”
Cheers arose as rum and ale were passed around to all. That night, the men of the Dreadnought had a feast.
Samuel didn’t want to over-indulge, as he had a breakfast meeting with a beautiful woman in the morning. So he left the party a little earlier than the other men and made his way to his quarters.
As he began playing on his mandolin, he heard her voice. “I was hoping you would play tonight.”
“Kaia!” He rushed over to the window. “I’ll play whatever you like. Oh,” he remembered. “I hope no one saw you.”
“No, it’s deserted out here. Don’t worry.”
He smiled and went over to his bed to fetch his mandolin, then sat at the window and sang for her:
Oh, Sally Brown, she's a nice young lady,
Way, hay, roll and go.
And we rolled all night,
And we rolled all day,
Spend our money on Sally Brown.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Kaia ducked down into the dingy boat.
“Hey, Samuel! Why’d you leave so soon? The night is young!”
“Alright! Give me a minute and I’ll come back up.” Then he turned to the window. “Kaia, I’m sorry. They are just so happy that I’m alive, they threw me a party.” He laughed. “But I wish you could be there. After all, it’s all thanks to you, love.” He touched her chin.
She took his hand and kissed his palm. “I’ll see you in the morning at the bakery.” Then she smiled and jumped into the water.
“Love?” Had he just called her “love”? Did he love her? She knew her feelings for him. She knew that she was madly in love with Samuel … forbidden or not. Somehow, she was going to save her sister. Then she would leave the merfolk clan and never return. She made this promise to herself. She only hoped that she could somehow be with Samuel instead, and that he would want to be with her in return.
She waited outside the bakery shop in a new dress. She even wore flowers in her hair.
“Kaia! Good morning. My, you look beautiful.”
She spun around. “I wanted to look pretty for you.”
‘She’d look gorgeous in a potato sack,’ thought Samuel. “Shall we?” He offered his arm as they went inside.
Behind the counter was a gentleman about Kaia’s age. In the back was a woman, a little older, preparing dough.
“Can I help you?” asked the gentleman.
Samuel began, “We’re looking for some information on a ship called the ‘Seagate.’ I believe that you periodically receive supplies from it to your shop here?”
The gentleman stuttered and suddenly appeared quite nervous. “Y-yes, we do on occasion.”
“Good morning.” The woman approached, wiping flour off of her hands with a dishrag. “How can I help you? Interested in a breakfast pastry?”
Kaia’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Could I have a raspberry tart, please?” She set a gold coin on the counter.
The woman’s eyes widened. “Certainly! And for you, sir?”
“Yes, I’ll have the same. Thank you.”
It was clear that this woman was in charge and that the nervous helper was her assistant.
Samuel directed his questions to her. “I was wondering what you can tell me about a ship called the ‘Seagate.’ Do you know when it makes port in town?”
“Seagate, yes. I’m actually expecting some supplies to come in later this afternoon, if they’re on time.” She laughed. “They sometimes make it a habit of being late … sometimes a whole week late.”
Kaia hoped this wouldn’t be one of those times. She had no idea how long her sister had left. She hoped Coral was still alive.
“So, are you awaiting supplies from them, too?” the baker asked.
“No,” Kaia said. “I think I found a box that was lost from their ship during a storm. I just want to return it.”
Suddenly, the assistant turned almost pale white. “I-I need to go take that cake out of the oven.”
Kaia watched him rush to the back. ‘Something’s off about that lad, and it isn’t just his odd behavior,’ she thought. She just couldn’t put her finger on it.
Samuel and Kaia went to the boat docks to wait on the Seagate. They’d had the baker wrap some cheese and biscuits for later. Then they found a nice shade tree to sit under and have their lunch.
Some time had passed as they waited. Kaia yawned.
“Hey, are you tired?” Samuel asked. “Why don’t you rest for a while? You can lean on me. I’ll watch for the ship.”
Admittedly, falling asleep while snuggled up next to Samuel was a lovely thought. So she nuzzled close to him as he put his arm around her. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, sighing at the feel of being in his arms.
Samuel enjoyed having Kaia in his arms. What was it about her? ‘Everything,’ he thought. She was beautiful and kind and giving. She was wonderful, and he was falling for her. Truth be told, he had fallen for her.
About an hour had passed when he heard a familiar voice.
“Samuel!” Roger yelled as he approached them, waving.
“Hi, Roger!”
Kaia awoke and sat up, stretching.
“Fancy meeting you here. And who is this beauty?” Roger eyed her with much approval.
“Roger, this is Kaia.”
“Hello.” She smiled as Roger kissed her hand.
“Why do you hang out with us sea dogs when you have a beauty such as this for company?”
“Well, Roger, you’ll notice that at the moment, I’m not hanging with you sea dogs, now am I?”
He chuckled. “No, that’s true. Well, I just came into town to replenish some drink … oh, and food.” He laughed again. “I’ll see you later, Samuel.”
Kaia turned back to Samuel. “Your crewmates seem nice. They were concerned about you and then threw you a party. And that gentleman was very polite and chipper.”
“Yeah, they’re my mates. They’re great. I wouldn’t trade them for anything.”
Kaia lowered her head sadly. She had visions of her and Samuel starting a life together, just the two of them. They couldn’t very well do that on his ship with all of his mates.
“Hey, you alright? Are you thinking about your sister?”
She nodded.
He tried to lighten the moment. “You’re so different from the other mermaids. You’re sweet and giving and they’re … well, you know. Is it just you? Maybe you’re only half-mermaid or something?” He laughed.
“My sister is sweet, too. She would never do what they did to you. I hope we aren’t too late. She just accepted a proposal for a bonding ceremony. She was so excited.” At his questioning look, she explained, “A bonding ceremony is like a wedding. Basically, he proposed and she accepted. After the ceremony, they will officially be ‘mates.’ It would be the same as a ‘spouse’ here in your world.”
He was amazed. “So, you have male mermaids, then?”
She giggled. “Yes. They’re called ‘mermen.’ And they’re a pain, in my opinion. They’re arrogant and full of themselves. And for the most part, they treat mermaids like objects to possess. Coral’s merman isn’t all that bad. But most of them are disgusting. One in particular, Marinus, is the worst of them all. Unfortunately, he has his sights set on me.” She noticed Samuel’s eyebrows rise as she continued. “He won’t leave me alone. He’s the reason I dread going home. It’s like having a large, arrogant barnacle att
ached to you all the time.”
Samuel grinned.
“He hates it when I go to the surface. Luckily, because I go so often and because Coral is my sister, they voted that I would be the best choice to find a way to save her.”
Samuel hesitated, then said, “So, it doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a mate among these ‘mermen’ then?”
“No! In fact, I promised myself that as soon as I can get Coral better, I’m leaving the clan for good. I’ll live the rest of my days on the surface. I just haven’t worked out all the details yet. But the bakery is a good start.”
“You want to work in the bakery?”
“That would be great! You did know that the only thing in the world we merfolk can’t resist is sweets, right?”
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“Oh, yes! That’s why mermaids show up at shipwrecks. They aren’t looking for treasure, and toying with humans is just a fun side game to them. They’re really there looking for cakes and pies and cookies! If you’d had a cookie in your pocket the day of the attack, they would have snagged it and left you alone while they all fought over it!” She laughed.
“I see. So if I ever want you to do something for me, I just need to bake you a pie?” He grinned.
“No. You just need to ask,” she replied in all seriousness.
She looked into his eyes as his smile softened. His gaze fell to her lips. The urge was too overwhelming to ignore. He leaned over and kissed her. She responded eagerly, putting her hand behind his neck. He was about to deepen the kiss when they both heard the yell.
“It’s the Seagate!”
The couple pulled back from the kiss and looked over toward the docks. The dockworkers were helping to bring in the Seagate, finally. Although, once again, the bakery was now closed. Maybe they could still get some information and then head to the bakery in the morning.
* * *
They watched the crew file off the ship. When they spotted a man who appeared to be the captain, they approached him.
