“What are you wearing?” Melinda had never seen Emily looking so poorly dressed. “Wait, isn’t that... I had that in a giveaway pile at the house.”
“Long story,” Emily said, her gaze wandering out to the ocean.
Melinda turned to Charlie, arms on her hips. “So where have you been?”
“Also a long story, but short version, had a bit of mermaid mayhem of my own.”
“Is this entire island going crazy ass bonkers?” Melinda shook her head in disbelief.
“I'll fill you in later,” he promised. “Looks like we've got a pretty nasty situation on our hands.” He looked across the beach at the bloodsuckers.
“Melinda has been keeping them busy,” William explained.
She proceeded to blow up another bloodsucker, causing a new fighting frenzy over the newest bloody bits. “See. Fun, huh? One at a time isn't going to work though. We need a way to kill them all, simultaneously.”
“Emily!” someone shouted.
“Michael,” she called back, seeing him enter the beach.
He raced forward wrapping his arms around her. “You know you're killing me, right? Do you suddenly have some penchant for getting into life-threatening trouble?”
“I do seem to be rather prone to it lately, huh? Sorry.” Emily batted her eyes at him. It was impossible for Michael to stay angry, especially as her long blue locks started to sway in a hypnotizing fashion.
“Enough of that for one day,” stated Charlie. “No mesmerizing anyone,” he chided humorously. “Even if it is your boyfriend.”
“Sorry,” Emily apologized, shrugging cutely. “Couldn't help it.”
Michael’s skin flushed. “If I wasn’t so worried about time running out, I’d be taking full advantage of this situation.”
She giggled, stopping when he swooped in and kissed her. “Just stay by my side,” he pleaded in her ear. “I don't want to lose you again.” He noticed the dress, recognizing it as belonging to his sister.
“Long story,” she sighed. “Short version, some mermaids were trying to trick Charlie into taking off his ring. That’s what I heard when I swam away from you. Charlie had been trying to help the mermaids, thinking they were actually in trouble.”
“It was a setup. They came to the house,” Charlie explained. “Claimed to need my help, and they were bare ass naked frolicking in the yard. So I grabbed some of the dresses Melinda had in her giveaway pile before we went traipsing across the Isle.”
“Tricked you for the ring? How would they even know you have it?” Michael pondered.
“No idea. But your girlfriend pretty much saved my ass.”
Michael looked down at Emily. “You did?” He grinned.
“I’m more than just my brain.”
He wrapped his arms around her, pulled her in, letting out an instant groan. “Jesus. You are so very naked under that dress, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” She tried to keep it light, keep her emotions in check, hoping he’d drop the subject before realizing she’d been naked in front of Charlie.
“I’d so like to take advantage of this situation.”
“And I’d like to let you…”
He let out a needy sigh. He had work to do first. Bloodsuckers to kill. Find some way to keep Emily from becoming a mermaid for the rest of her life. “Just… do not leave my side, please,” he begged her.
“I won’t. Promise.”
“So, is there any plan on how to get rid of the bloodsuckers yet?” Michael aimed the others. “Mack’s trying her best out there to keep people off the beach... especially the local newspaper reporters and the like.”
“I put up a barrier.” Melinda nodded to the backside of the beach. “But no. No real plan yet. We need to hurry before they all decide to plop back in the water and move on.”
“Speaking of reporters,” spoke William in a low, irritated voice. “Excuse me a moment.” He darted to the back of the beach.
“Oh. My. God. They're climbing trees now!” Melinda pointed. “They've always got to try to get a snapshot.”
“You can't blame them for trying,” said Michael. “I mean, it keeps tourists coming back. It's good for business...” seeing Melinda's hot tempered face he added, “Not that I condone it of course.”
William returned a moment later. “Reporter suddenly found himself on the ground, didn't know what hit him. Mack's got him now. But I was nice. I let him keep the camera. He had taken only one, very blurry shot.” He was matter of fact in his tone.
“Nicely done,” noted Melinda.
“So,” started Charlie getting back to the issue of the bloodsuckers, “any thoughts on how to...”
A disturbing scream echoed across the water and onto the beach.
Emily covered her ears as if to block out a terrible noise and started to shake, frightened. “Sisters,” she cried out in angst.
She escaped Michael’s grasp; he grabbed after her but she was too fast. She darted through the bloodsuckers on the beach reaching the water's edge.
“My sisters, they're dying!” Emily shouted back. “I must help.” She ran into the water, diving, her legs and feet transforming as the saltwater absorbed into her skin.
“Holy freaking mermaids...” uttered Melinda, upon seeing her friend swim away.
Michael followed Emily, but stopped at the water's edge. He didn't even bother shouting her name, but rather put his hands to his head in complete frustration. He saw her dress surface and grabbed it. An eddy of blood swirled up to the surface.
Michael froze. He’d lost her. She wasn’t coming back to him. He’d finally just told her he loved her, after being a dumbass for stringing her along all these years, and now he’d lost her.
Warnings shouted in his direction. He spun around to see bloodsuckers plunging their way across the beach right at him. No not him. They were after the blood. But they wouldn’t stop for anything in their way. It was a mass evacuation of slithering bloated bellies. Each fighting to be the first into the bloody water.
Michael fled out of their path, and rejoined Charlie, Melinda and William.
“We have to do something. Now!” Michael’s chest heaved. “I'd like to at least still have a girlfriend when this day ends, even if she is a mermaid!”
“This is very bad,” Melinda exclaimed, holding her hand to her mouth, fearing she might be ill. “Those poor mermaids... they're all going to die.” Her eyes popped wide in angst when she saw Michael's face.
Charlie’s gaze darkened, his eyes focused on the suckers fleeing into the water. “Not on my watch,” he announced decidedly. He jogged to the shoreline running into the water, diving when it was deep enough. He allowed the wolf to surface, just a little. He needed his wolf’s silver eyes to see better under the water. And the strength to fight the bloodsuckers if necessary.
Not far ahead, he saw a frenzy of bloodsuckers and mermaids, tangled in a brutal battle to feed, and stay alive. Much to his surprise, however, the mermaids were holding their ground. Their deft movements through the water kept them from getting caught.
Back on the beach, they’d lost sight of Charlie.
Emily was nowhere to be seen.
William eyed the suckers slithering across the sand. He let out a growl and flicked his head to Melinda and Michael. “I’ll handle the beach. You deal with the water.” Blackness engulfed his emerald eyes, burning with a predatory hunger. He sprung into the air sailing twenty feet away, letting out an enraged snarl as he landed. Icy fingers connected with hot bloodsucker. William yanked the sucker’s mouth open and with one thrust, tore it down the middle. Ending its bloodthirsty reign.
Melinda sucked in a quick breath, her eyes wide at the sight. Any show of William's strength always gave her pause. Her William, the man she saw most days, made it easy to forget he wasn’t a normal guy. That he was capable of dangerous and deadly things. It didn’t scare her in the least. It only made her want him even more. Shit. Really, Melinda? He’s off fucking limits so get over it already! Yo
u’ve already crushed him, isn’t that enough damage for one day?
William groaned. Melinda’s heart did that flutter again. He could hear it even across the beach. He twisted to catch a glance of her and caught her looking away from him. This human is going to be the death of me… he tore his gaze away, focusing on the closest bloodsucker and lunged. He landed with a soft thud, grabbed hold and yanked its soft jaw free from its body.
Michael grabbed Melinda and pointed out across the water. Charlie’s head surfaced. They ran to the water’s edge to meet him. Michael’s heart stalled when Emily popped up next to him.
“Two sisters injured, but they got away,” she told Charlie.
Charlie nodded that he’d heard her.
“We know what to do,” Emily continued. “My sisters can stop them. But they need time to gather.” She never stopped moving the entire time she spoke, swimming nimbly through the churning currents, avoiding the bloodsuckers and the blood trails swirling around them.
“Blood not sister’s,” she went on to say. “Found dead shark. Its blood attracts creatures. It’s war down there!”
“Sounds like we need a distraction,” said Charlie. “And nothing attracts a bloodsucker like more blood.” He turned to see Michael and Melinda stepping into the water.
“Don’t come in any deeper,” advised Charlie. “Use that dinghy.” He pointed with his head. It wasn’t far away.
Michael raced to the dinghy to see if the paddles were inside. They were. He untied it while Charlie explained to Melinda what he wanted them to do. Michael dragged the dinghy over to Melinda. He froze for a second when he saw his sister blow up a sucker and go elbow deep in its bloody chunks.
“This is so totally the grossest thing I have ever done,” she said hotly, as she threw the bits into the dinghy.
“Yeah, I kind of have to agree with you on that one, Sis.” Regardless, Michael dug in, helping her. Once full, they hopped into the dinghy and paddled out, meeting Charlie.
“Wow. You two are covered...”
“Shut up, Charlie,” Melinda and Michael said at once.
Melinda took a bloody chunk and threw it in the water.
Emily dragged Charlie away from the boat as the bloodsuckers began racing mercilessly towards the bloody chunks. Melinda and Michael hoped the sucker’s frenzied movements wouldn’t capsize the dinghy. It wasn’t that sturdy. Meant only to get passengers to larger boats, docked further out. It wasn’t meant for strong currents.
Once out of harm’s way, Charlie asked Emily what the mermaid’s plan was. For a second, Emily sounded a bit more like Emily, and less like a mermaid.
“My sisters will use their sonic call to kill them. The only problem is, it will also kill every other living thing in the water that’s too close.”
“I think I can help there,” said Charlie. “We can put up a barrier, like we did on the beach, which should keep the sonic call within its confines.”
“I tell sisters.” Emily sounded mermaidish again. She did not leave, however, but rather went silent. After a moment, she smiled at Charlie. “They agree. They think will work. They gather now, just below, as creatures surround boat.”
Charlie shook his head, looking at Emily. She grinned, even in all this chaos and battle raging. It wasn’t really her though, he knew this. The mermaid was taking hold. He started to worry Michael might lose her to the ocean…
He had to set that concern aside. It would do no good right now. He shouted for Michael and Melinda, filling them in on the mermaid’s plan. “Just keep the blood coming and keep them busy as long as possible. I’ll be back as fast as I can.”
Emily dove into the water. Michael’s heart stalled again. Each time she disappeared, he wondered if it would be the last time he’d see her.
“We’re not going to let the ocean claim her, Michael,” Melinda comforted. He glanced at her, she saw no hope in her brother’s gaze.
Is this all love could do? Hurt… crush… squeeze your heart until there’s no breath left. She started to wonder if it was worth it. “C’mon. Let’s keep feeding the suckers.” She tossed another bloody chunk over the side of the rocking dinghy.
Charlie ducked under the water, casting his breathing spell and followed Emily. What he saw impressed him. Hundreds of mermaids all gathered, joining hands in a large circle, surrounding the fury of bloodsuckers feeding on the bits thrown into the water by his siblings. He knew there were many mermaids in the area surrounding The Demon Isle, but had no idea just how many there truly were.
The two mermaids that had tricked him earlier that day swam closer, looking forlorn. Their hair didn’t look so vibrantly blue under the water. And sparkly scales covered their nakedness in all the necessary places. He was glad for that… more so for Emily’s sake than his own. At least in the water they had some natural coverage.
“We are sorry, Charlie who is Howard.”
“Yes, sorry,” the second one sang.
Their voices were musical, yet as clear to him as though speaking on dry land.
“We do not like hurt.”
“No. Not like. The mean one...”
“Forced us.”
“It's okay,” Charlie spoke into his air bubble. “I get that it wasn't your fault.” He was still not entirely clear on what had really happened, but it did at least seem clear that these two mermaids did not wish him any harm. They approached, one on each side, and kissed his cheeks. This made it hard to stay angry, or on task. They giggled and swam away, rejoining the line their sisters were creating around the bloodsuckers.
Once the line was completed, Emily gave Charlie a nod.
He cast his spell. The barrier started as a glass-like shimmer forcing its way from the ocean floor, up to the surface. It surrounded them in an impenetrable bubble.
“You must get out of the water,” Emily sang. “The sonic call will kill you, too.”
Charlie wondered if his ring would protect him, but decided not to test it and surfaced immediately, swimming toward the dinghy, his body thumping against swarming bloodsuckers.
Michael pulled him into the dinghy while Melinda plunked her last bloody chunk into the water. They paddled into shore, escaping the dinghy, feet back on solid ground. Charlie explained what the mermaids were planning and warned them to stay out of the water.
“Brilliant idea.”
Charlie turned to see William behind them. The vampire’s eyes danced with wild abandon.
“Sonic call should make fast work of it.” William spoke as though they’d already won the battle.
Charlie choked out a laugh as he looked over the beach. “Looks like you had some fun yourself, William.” Melinda turned to look. Michael kept his gaze across the water, for any sign of Emily.
The beach was a bloody massacre. Torn apart sucker parts strewn everywhere.
The vampire craned his neck and stretched his arms. He toyed with licking his bloodied hands, but decided against it. “I had a little energy to burn.”
Charlie reached out and patted his shoulder. “William, if you’ve got that much energy to burn, you seriously need to find yourself a girlfr...” William cut him off with a cutting glare. One that said the consequences of finishing that sentence would be severe.
Charlie sucked in through his lips, keeping his smug reply to himself. He’d seen William do some frightening things, but this took the cake. He joined Michael watching out over the ocean.
William licked across his teeth. His tongue could practically taste the blood surrounding him. His gaze found and stuck on Melinda. Covered in bloodsucker bits, and blood, from head to toe. Her new beige dress soaked in rusty stains, and ruined.
A desire pushed to the surface. The darkness he carried longing to be set free.
His tongue craved to bathe in the mixture of blood and warm skin. His fangs ached to drop. Red splotched her thighs. Her arms. Her heaving chest.
His eyes rose upward, freezing on her wide gaze pinned firmly on his.
Her body shudd
ered, a swallow stuck in her throat.
Melinda was pretty sure William had just mind-licked her entire body.
A day like any other her heart stammered. Right…
There was no going back to the way things had been. They could pretend, but they could never go back. Not for real.
The vampire tore away his gaze, his desires disgusting him. And the fact that she’d shot that flutter at him when he looked at her like she was dessert.
Melinda blinked.
William vanished.
Nowhere to be seen.
She let out quick exhale and looked over the beach. He’d fled. Again.
“It’s starting.” Charlie called out. His wolf could hear the sonic call.
Michael frowned. He heard nothing.
Melinda sucked in her unraveled nerves and joined her brothers. Glad that Michael’s empathy could not pick up on the vampire’s feelings, and was too overwhelmed with panic because of Emily to pick up on hers.
She listened, but heard nothing either. The sonic call was not within her range to hear, but the results of it came quick. Ripples tickled the surface. They expanded, widening across the water.
Melinda jumped, startled, when an unpleasant screech exploded out of the water.
“The bloodsuckers,” mumbled Charlie. “They’re dying.”
It was difficult to see exactly what was happening below the water. But they did see shadows swarming, and their ears stung from the hideous screeching. Thumps and thwacks tested Charlie’s barrier. It held firm, keeping the suckers from escaping out to sea or back onto land.
The mermaids held their line, tightly, with mouths open wide. A human ear could not hear their sonic cry. But Charlie could. Even with all the screeches from the dying suckers.
“It's remarkably beautiful as it is haunting.” William spoke it, his voice giving Melinda a start. He’d returned to the beach, standing alongside Charlie. She kept her gaze off the vampire, and out across the water.
Within minutes, bloodsuckers floated to the surface, dead. It had worked. The mermaids had succeeded.
Michael searched for Emily, hoping she would reappear when it was over. There remained just a couple short hours until sunset.
Bye Bye Bloodsucker (Wicked Good Witches Book 3) Page 10
