by Dee J. Stone
She claps her hands. “Wonderful.”
I really hope we didn’t just give ourselves a horrible sentence.
She moves closer to me and lays a hand on my stomach. “I will speed up the process and help her choose a form. Remember, if she chooses to be a human, you will need to return to land as soon as possible.”
Damarian and I nod.
“But you understand the problem if she chooses to be a mermaid,” the witch says.
Damarian and I exchange a glance. “No, what?” I ask.
“You are a human, are you not?”
Damarian’s face grows white. “Cassie needs to travel to land at least twice a month when she’s in the sea because her true form is a human.”
My stomach twists. “Will my baby survive if I were to go on land?”
“Probably not.”
“Then what can we do?” I ask.
“Hope the baby will be a human?” She puts her hand on my stomach and closes her eyes.
“No, wait!” I cry. “I don’t want to do this. Not if there’s a risk she’ll choose to be a mermaid and will die inside me!”
The Enchantress eyes light up a lavender color. She mutters words under her breath. Some kind of spell. I grip Damarian’s hand. What have I done? If my baby chooses to be a mermaid, she won’t survive. The damn witch tricked us. She didn’t tell us all the details.
She stops muttering the words and the light leaves her eyes. “It’s done.”
“What did she choose?” Damarian and I demand.
“Relax. With my influence, she’s chosen to be a human. You only have a few hours before you need to get back to land—” Her eyes widen. “What the…” She quickly puts her hand on my stomach. “What is this?”
“What?” Damarian and I cry.
“I did not foresee this.” She closes her eyes. “Yes, I see. Yes, it would certainly kill her.”
I grab her. “Tell me right now what’s going on! What will kill her?”
She flicks her hand off me. “Touch me one more time and I’ll change you into tuna.”
“Sorry. Just please tell me what you’re talking about.”
“The human side and mermaid side were at constant war. The human side now reigns supreme. But if she samples the luscious taste of sea water, it will fuel the mermaid side. It will rage war on her human side. Her human side would not be able to conquer such a foe. It will kill her.”
The area around me grows dizzy. Damarian wraps his arms around me. “Cassie, Cassie, please relax.”
“She’ll die if she goes near salt water?”
“Yes. I suggest you leave at once and make sure she never goes near the ocean. At least until she reaches maturity.”
“Maturity?” Damarian asks.
“Yes, when her body will be able to withstand both the human and mermaid side. Only when she is of age will they be able to live harmoniously together. She will be tied to sea, just like her mother, but she will be able to shift from any form at will, just like you two can.”
“When will she reach maturity?” I ask. “At puberty? When she’s eighteen?”
The Enchantress shakes her head. “That I can’t tell you. But it definitely will happen. If she survives until then, that is.”
“She will,” I stress. I take Damarian’s hands. “We need to move to an area far, far away from the ocean. It’s the only way to keep her safe.”
He nods. “Yes, we will move immediately.”
“But you need to shift into a merman,” I say.
“We will figure it out later. But first we must leave this place.”
The Enchantress nods. “You are free to go.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
“She will die?” Kiandra asks as we hurry back to the Sapphire colony.
“That’s what the Enchantress claimed,” I say.
“But all is not lost,” Syren says. “She will actually shift into a child of the sea.”
“Yeah, whenever that will be,” I say.
We enter the Sapphire colony, bid goodbye to our sharks, and swim toward their cave.
“We will not see you,” Kiandra says as Syren goes to rally the kids and Ryter.
“Not for a long time,” Damarian says.
She wraps her tail around him. “You are doing what it best for your fry.”
“We don’t have another choice,” I say. “I just don’t know how Damarian will shift. We can’t keep a pool in the house.”
Damarian slides his hand into mine. “I have found a solution,” he says. “I will do what Kyle did and ask Flora and Kiander to banish me.”
“No,” I say. “I won’t let you do that.”
“I must, my love. It is the only way we can be a family on land.”
“But how do you know what kind of affect being a human long-term can have? What if you can never shift into a merman?”
“I am willing to make the sacrifice. For our daughter.”
I fasten my arms around him. “I know you’d do anything for her, but I can’t let you. We’ll figure out a way. Maybe you can travel to a beach once a week.”
“Cassie…”
“You need not make a decision right now,” Kiandra says.
Ryter and the others have joined us, the kids looking scared and confused. Ryter swims forward. “Cassie is correct. There may be unwanted consequences after living on land as a human for so many moons.”
“We’ll make it work,” I tell Damarian. “We’ll do whatever we can to make sure we’re all safe and healthy.”
“Will…we ever see you?” Zarya asks.
“Of course.” Damarian kisses the top of her head.
“You do not speak the truth. You do not believe we will see each other.”
“I’m sorry, Zarya.” I reach for her. “We didn’t plan any of this. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But it won’t be long until you’ll be old enough to come to land.”
Syren frowns.
So does Zarya. “I do not like it, but I must be strong for you and for my niece. I have not yet met her, but I love her very much. I wish for her to be safe.”
I hug her tighter. “Thanks so much for being so understanding. I’m going to miss you so much. All of you.”
I hug Syd and Syndin, Syren and Kiandra. We travel to Doria’s house to wish them goodbye as well. It’s a good thing they can’t see my tears in the ocean, because I’m sure I’m crying buckets. Then we return to Damarian’s family’s cave.
“You will be all right,” Kiandra says, once again wrapping her tail around us. “And we will see each other again.”
“It’s not goodbye forever,” I say. “Just for now.”
Syren gives me a human hug. “I will miss the two of you very much. And your daughter. But I do not think it would be wise for any of us to visit you. It may cause your daughter to seek answers.”
He’s right. She’ll be safer if we keep this world a secret from her. Until she’s ready.
“Hurry back before it is too late,” Syren says.
We kiss everyone goodbye one more time before we leave. Fiske and Shoney meet us at the exit of the Sapphire colony.
We will miss you both so much, I tell them, wrapping my arms around both of them.
As will we, Shoney says.
Fiske nods.
Damarian takes hold of his fins. Please watch over Zarya and the twins.
He nods.
After hugging and kissing them another time, we get back to land and shift into humans, finding our discarded clothes on the beach. Then we call my family and Leah, Kyle, asking them to meet at our apartment. It’s a little early, but they must sense the urgency in my voice because they agree with no questions or complaints.
When everyone is here, I ask Ruthie and Bobby to play on the computer so we can speak to the adults. We’ll say goodbye to them later.
“Cassie,” Mom says, looking alarmed. “What’s going on?”
“Is this about the baby?” Leah asks. “Is it okay? Are you ok
ay?”
I take a few gulps of air, resting my hand on my stomach. “She’s okay. At least for now.”
“For now?” Mom demands.
“She?” Leah asks.
I hold up my hands. “Damarian and I will tell you everything.”
When we’re done, they look like we hit them over the head. Hard.
“She’s…a mermaid?” Mom asks.
“She will be,” I say. “One day. But for now she’s human and she can’t go anywhere near salt water. Until she reaches maturity.”
“That is why we must live far from the sea,” Damarian says. “We do not want her to be tempted.”
“I was thinking Arizona,” I say.
Louis nods. “That’s a good option.”
“You’re leaving us?” Mom asks.
“We don’t have a choice, Mom. This is for our child’s safety. She comes first. Always.”
“Yes, of course. But are you sure there isn’t another way?” She glances at Louis. “We can’t just pick ourselves up and go with you.”
“I never told you to. Your life is here in Florida. Damarian and I will be fine.” I swallow. “We’ll make it work.”
Damarian wraps his arms around me. “I will do all that I can to ensure my family is safe and well.”
Mom wipes her eyes. “I don’t like this.”
“You can visit whenever you want. It’s not forever. Just until our daughter is ready to learn the truth about who she really is.”
“My family cannot visit us,” Damarian tells Mom. “We do not wish for our fry to ask questions and learn the truth before she is ready. But we will need you and your family to support us.”
Louis nods. “We will help as much as we can.”
Mom grabs me and hugs me tightly. “I’m not ready to let you go. But I need to.” She kisses my cheek. “I’ll miss you so much. And we’ll visit as often as we can.”
I rub my tears away. “Thanks. Ruthie and Bobby? Can you come in here, please?”
They don’t take the news very well. Even Bobby doesn’t try to hide his tears.
I get down on my knees before them. “But you’re going to visit us a lot. Think of all the plane rides you’ll take!”
“Is Arizona far from here?” Bobby asks. “I’ll have to look at a map later.”
Closing my arms around them, I yank them in for a hug. “I’ll miss you so much.”
“Now please go back to the computer,” Mom says. “There’s a lot we need to discuss with Damian and Cassie.”
“If you’re leaving, can I have your computer?” Bobby asks.
“We just bought you a computer,” Louis says.
“But I like theirs better.”
I ruffle his hair. “Nice try.”
Once the kids are back at the computer, Kyle says, “What job will you have, Damarian?”
“Not one in an aquarium,” Leah says. “God, I can’t believe you’re moving.”
I hug her. “I’ll miss you so much. And Damarian can have any job he wants. He doesn’t have to worry about the ocean.”
“You’ll still have to shift into a child of the sea,” Kyle reminds him.
He nods. “I will travel to an ocean once a week.”
“It won’t be easy,” I say. “But we’re both determined to make it work.”
“We’ll help you pack,” Mom says.
“You need to find a place to live first,” Louis points out.
“Cassie will have to transfer to a new school,” Leah says.
I rub my head. “You guys are giving me a headache. We’ll figure everything out, one thing at a time.”
“We’ll do whatever we can to help,” Louis says.
Kyle nods. “Us, too.”
My knees knock into each other. My lower lip trembles. A whole new life. After we’ve fought so hard to live this life, we’ll have to move away and start from scratch.
Damarian takes my hands. “Do not fret, my love. It may be hard to start fresh, but I know we can, for we have each other.” He lays a hand on my stomach. “And we will have a wonderful daughter. This not the end, but a new beginning.”
His sapphire bracelet catches my eyes. We both haven’t taken them off. Ever. Just like we’ll never lose our love for each other. Or for our future family.
I touch his cheek. “You’re right. From this day forward, we’ll start living our new forever.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “Our new forever.”
Dear reader,
Thank you so much for being part of Damarian and Cassie’s journey. We hope you had as much fun and joy reading the series as we had writing them. Though it’s sad to let these characters go, we’re glad to end this chapter in their lives.
But don’t worry! The children of the sea aren’t going anywhere. We hope to publish a few spin-off series in the years to come. You may see a book or series about Zarya, Timmy, and even Damarian and Cassie’s child/children. Stay tuned! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and keep checking our website where we constantly update the projects we’re working on. There are a lot of exciting things to come!
In the meantime, check out our Patreon. Patreon is a platform where we can share all kinds of things with you, like short stories, serials, sneak peeks, cover reveals, and much more, while we are in between projects. We will post a chapter or two of a new short story or serial once or twice a week, so you’ll have something to enjoy as you wait for the next books to be released. We offer many rewards for your support, so please check it out! https://www.patreon.com/deejstoneromance
Thanks for reading and your support.
Dee J. Stone
Read on for an excerpt from Falling for the Genie, now available on Amazon!
Chapter One
“Waitress? Over here, waitress,” the four teenage guys call and whistle from table number eight. I sigh and give my best friend Macy a look. She lifts an eyebrow.
“Take them,” I say.
She shakes her head. “No way. I served them yesterday. It’s your turn.”
I can’t argue with that. Those jerks gave her a hard time. “Why are sixteen-year-olds so annoying?” They’re only two years younger than us, but it feels like ten years.
“Believe me, they’re no better at our age,” Macy says. “Just take their orders and leave.”
Easier said than done. I sigh again and tuck my curly auburn hair behind my ears. Time to get this over with. Putting on a fake smile, I head over to their table. “What would you like to order?”
One of the guys, a redhead, scans my nametag longer than it should take. “Hello, Lily. What a nice name.”
I try not to roll my eyes. Did he forget he says that to me every time? “Do you want to hear the special?” I ask.
A blond winks. “I already see something special standing before me. How about you come meet me out back when you’re on your break?”
I tap my foot. “We have many people waiting for a table. Can you please order?”
The guys laugh loudly and eventually order, making sure to sneak in obnoxious remarks, which I ignore.
Screw this job. Except, I can’t. How else am I going to pay for culinary school? When I applied for a job here at Inferno—a restaurant known for serving spicy food—I wanted to work in the kitchen, but they wouldn’t hire me because I had no experience. The only other choice was to be a waitress. I took it because it was better than nothing. The more experience in a restaurant I can get, the better.
The guys laugh and whistle when I return with their food. The blond raises his eyebrows and points his thumb toward the back doors. I pretend he’s wallpaper.
When my shift is over, I go to the dumpster to throw out all the trash. A shadow sprints away. Looks like it was someone dumpster diving. We get that a lot.
I’m about to hurl the garbage into the dumpster when something shiny catches my attention. It’s buried deep inside, and I plow through all the smelly trash to get it out.
It’s a lamp. A golden lamp. Not t
he kind you’d have in your bedroom, but the kind from Aladdin. It looks similar to the genie’s lamp. It’s bigger than a football, and has these swirly designs all over that make it look exotic. Like something from a fairytale. Some kid must have had it for a Halloween costume and dropped it in here. It’s a shame to throw it out like that. It’s really a beautiful lamp, but I’m not going to keep it. I’ve learned to never take something from the trash, no matter how gorgeous it is.
I toss it back in the dumpster, except it won’t fall. My fingers are curled around the end of it, and no matter how many times I try to pry them off, it’s like they’re glued. What the hell? I shake my hand, but no luck. The thing won’t come off. Some kid must have put glue on it as a joke, and lucky me got caught. I’m having such an awesome day.
I look to my right and left. No one’s around. How ridiculous am I going to look when I walk into Inferno with a genie lamp attached to my hand? There’s no hiding it, so I figure I’ll just add this incident to the “sucky things that happened to Lily today” list.
When Macy sees me, she smiles. “Finally time to go home.”
I hold up my hand. “I found this in the dumpster. There must be glue on it or something. Can you help me get it off?”
Her eyebrows knit. “Get what off?”
“The lamp.”
“What lamp?”
I stare at my hand. “The genie la—you don’t see it?”
She gives me a look like I fell from Mars. “All I see are fingers that need to be manicured.”
How can she not see the lamp? Am I completely losing it? I rub my eyes. The lamp is still there.
“Lily, you sure you’re okay?”
No. I’m not sure about anything. There is a lamp attached to my hand. I’m not crazy. Am I? “Yeah. Just tired,” I lie. “I need to go home. I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Have you called your mom?”
“Twice, but no luck.”
Her face softens. She opens her mouth to say something, when I change the subject. “So what are your plans with Andy for tonight?”
Her boyfriend got an internship over the summer with a great company in Boston and is in New York for the weekend. He and Macy barely see each other.
