Rive: Little Mermaid Retold (Shadow Immortals MC Book 1)

by Daniela Jackson

  I lower my head as my nose touches her cheek. “That’s not true.”

  I can kill every monster on the face of the earth. I can compel every creature. I can dance. I hope so. I’ve never tried that, but, fucking hell, I’m the most powerful creature on Earth. I can do everything.

  I hold her hand in mine and wrap my arm around her waist, swaying in a parody of a dance. It’s fucking humiliating. Anger wells up in my chest, but it melts the moment I notice the joy painted on Rive’s face.

  My little mermaid is happy and so am I.

  The music seeps into me and I let it carry me. Rive erupts into laughter as I bend with her in my arms and straighten.

  “You see?” she gasps. “Fun. That’s fun.”

  Her joy pricks my skin and makes my dick grow hard.

  Share your joy with me. Kiss me. Touch me.

  She drifts away from me, twirling around the dance floor. Her body mixes with other people’s ones, as a primal fear stabs my heart. I need her buried in my embrace. I need her body pressed against mine and I need that more than anything else in the world.

  I move forward and grab her wrist.

  “Time to go home,” I say and move back, pulling her to me.

  We walk towards the exit, elbowing our way through the majestic tangle of soft human bodies, the smell of sweat all-pervasive.

  As we pour out of the club, Rive sighs. The cloudless navy night envelops us like a piece of velvet, the cold air rejuvenating.

  “I really like it here,” she says.

  “We can come here more often.”

  “A lot of human women here would be happy with your presence here. They wanted to devour you. I noticed that.”

  “Human women are stupid.”

  Rive gazes at me with surprise. “Why did you say so?”

  “They’re easy.”

  “They’re easy for you because you look better than any other human man and your aura pulls them to you like a magnet. That’s all. My sister chose to be a human. Her friends are humans. And they’re not stupid. They’re good people.” She shivers as though she regrets her honesty. “I—“

  A sense of shame wafts through me. “No, that’s okay. Maybe I am stupid. I don’t know. Maybe I should respect humans more.”

  “I’m sorry, sir.”

  “Kadmiel.”

  “I’m sorry, Kadmiel.”

  “Don’t be.” I lean towards her and scoop her up in my arms. “You’re tired. Time to go to bed.”

  She curls into my chest. I can sense the subtle vibes of her yearning for Ethan for a moment then trust and respect replace it. Her trust in me. She is not afraid of me anymore. Then more and more warmth radiates from her to me, bringing hope to my heart. She has warm feelings towards me. That’s a fucking good sign.

  I take her to the castle then put her to bed. She rolls on her side and glances at me with sleepy eyes, pulling up the duvet so it covers her body from the waist down.

  “I loved our dance,” she says and freezes in anticipation.

  “I loved it too.”

  “You can’t dance.” She easies her weight onto her elbow, her breasts almost pouring out of her lace bra as her cheeks turn bright red.

  I fucking hate it when she regrets her honesty. I want her to be honest with me. Always.

  “It seems like there are things angels can’t do,” I say. “You will teach me to dance.”

  She raises her thumb up then her forehead wrinkles like she’s thinking feverishly about something. “I wish I could teach you to love. Maybe you could even be a father and husband. It could be fun for you.”

  My fingers roll into fists and I fucking want to punch holes in the walls of my bedroom. I can love. I never loved until Rive appeared in my life and I learnt what love was.

  Rive notices my anger so I lean over her and kiss her temple then leave the room to join my boys in the great hall. We gather around the table, ten bottles of wine spread across the top.

  The boys grin at me and nod.

  “Having fun?” I ask.

  They nod like I’m a monkey in a circus.

  “What’s so fucking funny?” I growl.

  “So, how did it go?” Micah asks.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I growl. “Really? None of your fucking business.”

  They guffaw, sipping wine and a thought hits me. They’re genuinely interested. Curious. Intrigued even. None of us has ever been on a date. None of us has ever loved. None of us has ever yearned for love.

  “It’s, you know,” I start. “It’s different. Stressful like hell, but pleasant.”

  Theo winces in disgust. “Stressful but pleasant. It’s fucking ridiculous.”

  Sabrael shoves Theo’s arm. “Maybe it’s fun. You haven’t tried it so you shouldn’t have an opinion.”

  “You all should try,” I say.

  “With a mermaid?” Zarall explodes. “Ours is cute, but others are disgusting.”

  “Ours?” I ask as my jaw drops.

  “She’s living with us so she’s ours,” Micah says. “You fuck her and we protect her.”

  “Good, you know the rules.” I nod at them as they salute me.

  Something has changed in the castle, in me, in boys. I can feel it like a delicate breeze brushing against the back of my neck. Before Rive, I was a warrior. I knew my age, my job, my castle. I have no past-no memories of childhood, no knowledge whether I was created or born, just the present-fighting with demons on the area under my team’s protection and getting drunk. The overwhelming sense of duty.

  Now, I have a future. My boys have a future. It’s fucking scary and wonderful at the same time.

  I feel like I belong to myself. That’s a fucking human thing. That’s intriguing.

  But, most of all I belong to Rive. For eternity.

  I drink some wine and go to my bedroom. Rive is fast asleep as I lie down beside her and bury her in my embrace.

  “Kadmiel,” she mumbles, half dreaming.

  “What is it, baby?”

  She emits a sigh then crawls on top of me and drifts off into oblivion, sprawled on my chest like a little frog as I stroke her back. She has only her underwear on and it feels wonderful to have her sleeping on my bare chest like this. I push my energy into her, engulfing her mind and body in the peace of my powers so she’ll have some proper rest. I stroke her back, kiss her head and whisper her name. She purrs in her dream like a contented kitten.

  The next morning, I wake up first as always and the routine starts. I cook her favourite seaweed, take her for a walk along the beach and we visit her sister. Carl takes me to the garage he’s running and I really enjoy it. There is a barbeque, Nineve’s interrogation and her suspicious glances, the kids tugging at my hands. I love it. I fucking love every second of it. I love it even more each time my eyes sweep over Rive’s happy face.

  Chapter 8

  Kadmiel

  Days pass with my boys spoiling her more and more. They’re bringing bags of clothes and cosmetics for her, teaching her basic fighting movements, singing for her, cooking for her, telling her jokes. Loving her in their crude angel way. I’m fucking stunned each time I see my little mermaid among them.

  She seems to be happy. The garden becomes her kingdom. She’s growing tomatoes, strawberries, chives and flowers. Her tiny hands are often covered with soil and butterflies seem to enjoy sitting on her head.

  She is a nurse when my boys return wounded from their escapades. They don’t need her treatment because we heal quickly, but helping them makes her happy and they like seeing her happy so they’re eager to submit themselves to her skilled little hands.

  Rive and I are sleeping in one bed, but I will never touch her as a lover would. Not until she says she wants me to touch her like this.

  I jerk off in the shower regularly though. I can’t walk with blue balls all the time, right?

  And finally, the dance classes. Hell yeah. This is the best part of my life now. I can hug Rive during the dance class; I c
an squeeze her, I can grope her and everything will go unnoticed because she thinks I’m clumsy on the dance floor.

  I fitted an LED disco ball in the great hall and Theo bought some DJ equipment as the rest of the boys helped to build a small dance floor opposite the fireplace.

  Like I said-whatever makes our little mermaid happy.

  One day, Rive asks about Ethan and my heart fills with an agonising pain. I search space with my mind to localise that piece of scum then I take Rive to town so she can watch him enjoying the most important day of his life.

  As we appear at my secret spot behind the Cathedral, I hide my wings and drag Rive to the nearest church. The red medieval building rises in front of us, shop windows exhibiting wedding dresses at its left flank and a Chinese restaurant at its right flank. Rive stares at the wedding dresses as we cross the road. What an irony.

  The door of the church creaks open as we stop. We’re standing on the pavement, hidden behind one of the cars parked along it. Human chattering and laughter drift to us.

  Rive freezes as her eyes turn glassy, pearly tears trickling down her cheeks.

  “I shouldn’t have brought you here,” I say.

  “No, that’s fine. I’m happy I know.”

  A newlywed couple walks down the stairs, wedding guests clapping and cheering, some of them throwing rice and rose petals.

  “It hurts, huh?” I say.

  Rive takes a shaky breath and looks at me with her sad beautiful eyes. “Ethan said he liked me. He said he wanted to see me again. I thought—“

  “You thought he would marry you but he married his fiancée instead?”

  She nods. “Why do humans lie? Cheat?” Her body shakes.

  I grip her arm and pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her and kissing the top of her head. “Some of them are weak. Not all of them. Not Carl for example. He’s a good man. But some human men will treat women like this. Ethan is weak. Forget about him. He’s not worth your tears.”

  “It hurts,” she shrieks.

  “I know.” I stroke her head.

  “I thought I’d get married like my sister, have children, love. I want to love someone. I don’t want to be alone.”

  So why don’t you want to love me? I’m here waiting for your love and you’re mourning over that fucking piece of scum.

  The burning pain of her loss and humiliation fills my veins and breaks my own heart. “I will take care of you. You will stay with me forever.”

  “Why would you want to do that?”

  “I’m your friend.”

  For now.

  I guess I need a better plan to convince her that she should love me. If she loves me enough, she may want to spread her legs for me.

  She chuckles. “I’m your friend too.” She beams then her face sharpens.

  I fucking want to kill Ethan for all the pain he’s caused to Rive and I want to force her to look at me as she would look at her lover, but I can’t change her feelings or the lack of them. Friendship is good, a good start. Friends can touch one another, be close, hug one another and that’s what I want. I want her to be close to me so I can stroke her head and kiss her knuckles. Make her love me one day.

  “Come on, Rive, let’s have some fun.”

  “Fun?”

  “I’ll take you to a nice place.”

  She locks her eyes onto mine and a smile parts her seductive lips. I want to slam my lips on hers.

  No—

  I want to take her to a nice hotel room and fuck her for a month. Or longer. For ten thousand months. Then for ten thousand years.

  No—

  Forever.

  Oh yeah, the boys will be cooking for us and we’ll spend our eternity in bed to practice every position I can imagine. She’ll be on all fours first, impaled on my cock. Fuck yeah. I’ll watch my cock sliding in and out her tight mermaid cunt. I’ll stretch her other hole with my finger. I’ll fucking wreck her.

  But now, I’m taking her to a nice place. She’d love it there.

  I drag her to the nearest private spot so I can use my wings.

  Rive

  I steady my breath and look into Kadmiel’s eyes. Warmth flickers in his gaze. I’ve never seen warmth in his eyes. It feels like that warmth of his is radiating from him to me, and it wraps around me like a soft shawl.

  Something has changed, but I can’t tell whether it’s me or him. Thoughts tumble in my head. Different thoughts, good, bad, unexpected, a whirl of thoughts.

  I meant what I’d said. He is my friend. I care for him.

  I’m crying because I’m ashamed of my stupidity, ashamed that an angel has just watched me being trashed. I was naive. It’s difficult to find a decent human mate; Nineve told me that, but I thought I knew better. Ethan seemed to be a perfect prince for me.

  Too perfect.

  Even angels are not perfect.

  Kadmiel is not perfect. There is a violent warrior inside of him; he has a bad temper, he’s not patient at all, but he’s been a friend to me since we met. He’s feeding me, dressing me, cuddling me, entertaining me and making me yearn for something else I can’t name.

  He is now for me. I need him and he is for me.

  I would have been Ethan’s one-night stand if Kadmiel hadn’t taken me under his roof.

  I sometimes wish Kadmiel were a human. Maybe we’d fall in love with one another if he was a human. Maybe he’d even propose to me if he was a human.

  Ethan’s hurt me because he made me aware that I would be lonely. Kadmiel will always keep me as his pet and I will dry out, yearning for true love. He will cuddle me but he will go to fuck human women, that’s my future.

  Suddenly, I hate all the human women. Except my sister, of course. I hate the order, I hate my origins. I wish I were a human. Kadmiel would notice that I have a pussy and breasts. I am a mermaid, but most of all I am a woman. It’s fucking unfair. Mermaid love is as eternal as that of wolves or dragons. It’s fucking unfair that Kadmiel is unable to take my love.

  What am I thinking about? My stupid thoughts are violating the rules of the order. I should be quiet, grateful for Kadmiel’s care. He isn’t a man to me. He is my authority.

  I compose myself. I decide to enjoy my life how it is, and I cling to my scary angel. He leads me to a narrow empty street and spreads his wings.

  “Hold on to me,” he says and kisses the top of my head.

  “I hate it when we travel like this.”

  “You love it.”

  “No, I hate it. Your wings are good for you, but they’re not good for me.”

  He leans towards me and tickles my chest. I wiggle and burst into laughter.

  “Don’t do that, you big scary angel,” I moan.

  “I’m big, but I’m not scary.” He tickles me again.

  My chest slides against his as I wriggle in his embrace and dig my fingers into his forearms. The smell of his light sweat mingling with his angel allure hits me hard, tantalising like never before.

  He grasps my waist and lifts me up, setting me on his hip. I encircle his neck with my arms and bury my face into his hair. He smells divine. I love keeping my nose in his hair or against his neck.

  “I’m sure you’re really big,” I say into his ear, my voice low.

  I didn’t just say that. He’s an angel and I shouldn’t flirt with him. He’ll twist my neck or throw up. Well, I’d prefer the first option to the second one.

  Kadmiel grips my neck and gazes into my eyes, his face dark, a violent blaze pervading his eyes. He looks like during the training sessions with his boys when they’re fighting, using bare fists or swords.

  “You want to check me out?” he asks as he rests his forehead against mine so I inhale him and he inhales me.

  I don’t know whether he’s joking or is serious. All I know is that the smell of grass and wind diffuses into my lungs and wildness spreads in my blood.

  “Your women check you out regularly,” I say.

  “I have only one woman, Rive.” His fingers tigh
ten the grip on my neck, causing me pain.

  Something jabs my heart like a thorn. “Lucky her. You’re a good and caring man. I would do anything to meet such a good man as you, to have the love of such a good man as you.”

  His jaw muscles twitch. “You’re my woman.”

  Right. He is joking. It’s part of the daily entertainment served to his pet.

  “I’m your pet, Kadmiel.”

  “No, you’re my woman. I love you.”

  “Yeah sure, I like your sense of humour.” I kiss his cheek. “Of course, you love your pet. I’m doing my job properly to earn your love.”

  I expect him to laugh, but that doesn’t happen. My heart leaps and I kiss the corner of his mouth, but that seems to make him angry. Angry as hell.

  Kadmiel

  I want to twist her neck. She’s not listening to me, at all. It’s as though her mind is strangled by her origins, as though she’s blind and deaf, separated from me by a dark wall. Respect all the angels-that thought hammers in her head each time I touch her.

  “Hold on to me,” I bark as my wings flap.

  We appear on my favourite little island. Nobody lives here, except some rare birds, a few turtles and a bunch of rodents. Rive stiffens in my embrace, then her head turns in every direction and she squeaks with excitement at the sight of palm trees and the sound of the leaves rustling. Her eyes shine dark green like philodendrons in the Victorian botanical garden as she sweeps them over the white ribbon of sand stretching along the blue sea. She hops in my arms and separates herself from me. I watch her remove her clothes and underwear and run into the sea. Her lush ass sways gracefully, sending heat to my dick. She dives underwater, clouds of drizzle rising up. I remove my t-shirt and jeans, sitting on the sand in my pants on. Trying to calm myself. I guess a cold shower would do me good. Watching her is both a torture and salvation to me, agony and pleasure, violent desire and the fear of losing her. All those emotions well up in my chest, creating a force. A force pushing me harder and harder. A force wiping away my rationality.

  Rive’s tail reflects the sun’s rays like a piece of stained glass in all shades of green and silver as it wiggles above the water. She emerges from the sea and waves her hand to me. I watch her arms working through the water, carrying her body towards the horizon then back towards the shore as clouds of drizzle mark her way. As she reaches dry land, I approach her, lean over her and scoop her up in my arms, carrying her towards the piece of grass surrounded by the black rock. Rainwater lingers in the hollows chiselled by time and harsh weather as patches of moss adorn it like green jewels. Rive sits with her mermaid tail forming a circle, and with her hand against the ground for support. The rock wall shelters her upper body in the humid shade as a few of the sun’s rays illuminate the tip of her head like a crown. A few more of the sun’s rays touch her tail that glitters like a dust of diamonds. Her neck arches back, drenched hair meandering like a snake down her spine. She’s not ashamed of her nakedness, at all, seductively pristine in her mermaid form. Primal and mysterious like the sea.