Starving for Love

by Nicole Zoltack

  The boy scampered off and returned a few minutes later with a large bowl. Sirena lifted the small metal object to her mouth. Most of the liquid dripped back into the bowl, but she managed to eat the contents quickly. It filled her stomach, although it did not taste appealing.

  "Thank you," she said after she swallowed her last bite.

  "You're welcome."

  Sirena held up the metal object and could see her new reflection: a hideous hag.

  She gasped. Although she had never thought herself a vain creature, she would be lying if she said she didn't comb her hair with fish bones every day until it shone or practice her singing until every note was perfect. Now her looks had been stripped and even her new voice sounded rougher and raspier than normal.

  What did that matter? She wasn't here to find love but to hunt a zombie.

  Tears prickled her eyes, but she refused to allow them to fall. Her reaction to her changed reflection bothered her. As much as she tried to brush it off and say it didn't bother her, it did.

  She shakily climbed to her feet only to fall back down.

  The boy scampered off, and Sirena sighed. She had wanted to ask him about the zombie.

  Taking her time, she climbed to her feet again and leaned heavily against the rock. Her toes curled into the sand, a curious sensation. Gritty, but almost comfortable. Sirena couldn't decide if she liked being on the beach or if it was too much of a reminder of all she had given up.

  Time to take another step. The mermaid used the rock to help her stand upright. A sharp prickling feeling flooded her lower legs and feet, an almost numbing sensation. She picked up her right foot and placed it down. There, that wasn't so bad. Now her left. Good so far. Now let go of the rock…

  Sirena tumbled forward, sand pressing against her face. She spat it out and rubbed it from her face. Annoyed yet determined, she used the rock to stand yet again. In lieu of lifting her feet, she shuffled forward and managed to go a few feet before falling.

  Instead of grainy sand, she felt strong arms. A young man held her.

  "Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her regain her balance.

  "Thank you. And yes." Sirena closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She wasn't used to being so flustered. Or incapable. Or alone. Even when she had been in her room seeking solitude, her family was never far away.

  "What happened to your shoes?" he asked, staring at her feet.

  Sirena glanced down. Sand and dirt covered her feet, as well as dark purple and black blotches that crept up her legs.

  "You're all bruised. Has someone hurt you?" The man's face became suspicious, and fierce anger filled his eyes. He gripped her shoulders. "Did the zombie come after you?"

  Sirena shook her head. "No."

  He sighed, dejected. "I can't find it."

  "Are you hunting it?"

  "Yes. I plan on — pardon my manners. I'm Blaise."

  "It's nice to meet you, Blaise." Sirena realized he was still holding her, and she shuffled back a little to increase the space between them. Blaise was a handsome man, not that she would ever have a chance with him, not in this body. Not that she cared.

  Blaise raised his eyebrows. "And you are…"

  "I'm…" She paused. Was she still Sirena in this body? "I'm Rena."

  He furrowed his brow. "Rena?" Blaise glanced toward the water then scratched his head.

  Sirena stared at him, curious. Did he suspect that she wasn't completely human? She resisted the urge to look at her backside to see if she had a tail of some sort.

  "I want to help you find it," she said.

  "The zombie?"

  "Yes."

  The man blinked several times, sniffed, and wrinkled his nose. "I think I'll help you find a bath first."

  ****

  Blaise lived within the castle — why, Sirena never did find out, although she supposed he was nobility of some sort. He secured her a tiny room there. Over the course of the next week, Sirena learned how to use her land legs. Each successful step caused her legs to ache. She didn't know if the pain would ever leave or if it was now a part of her — the new her. Rena.

  Each day, she missed the sea, but she did enjoy her time on the land. In a way, she was accepting her new life, no longer waking up in a panic, no longer calling out for her sisters. She did, however, hope her father wasn't too displeased with her. By now, he must have combed every inch of the ocean and realized she had to be on land. Perhaps he had even spoken to Merlinasea.

  Sirena shuddered. That conversation would not have been a pleasant one, if it had indeed taken place. Surely Father wouldn't do anything to risk breaching the treaty between the merfolk and the sea witches.

  A knock sounded at her door.

  "Come in," she called, still in bed. She glanced out the window to see the sun up high in the sky, the fog of the early morning burned away long ago, then turned back to the door.

  A young girl popped her head in and glanced at the hardly touched breakfast tray. "Didn't you like your food?"

  "I'm sorry, Bethany. I'm just not hungry today." Sirena winced at the dejected look on the handmaiden's face. "It tasted delicious."

  Bethany's frown flipped up into a smile. "Blaise was asking for you. He's in the library. Do you know where that is?"

  After Sirena nodded, the maiden left the room.

  She rubbed her forehead. Despite not liking to lie, how could she tell the girl she still wasn't used to human food? Some of the food was quite good, but some she doubted she would ever become accustomed to.

  The room was much smaller than her bedroom had been in her sand castle, containing only a bed and a small bureau. This castle was made of stone and the furniture of wood, everything in neutral colors. How she missed the vibrant colors of the world beneath the waves! Other than her shells, she had had no other clothing. Above the waters, she had two dresses, both plain and simple. Sometimes the skirts got caught in her legs. Maybe she could ask Blaise for some pants when they started hunting the zombie. Which she hoped would be soon. Perhaps that was what Blaise wanted to talk about.

  With a groan, she climbed out of bed. Her back was hunched, courtesy of Merlinasea, and she tried not to think of it. Best to go on living her life without looking back.

  A few minutes later, she entered the library. Hundreds of books lined the walls. Several tables dotted the wooden floor. Only one was occupied.

  She walked over to Blaise. He gestured for her to sit, and she complied. "Is there word of the zombie?"

  He stared at her curiously as he often did. "Why are you so intent on killing it?"

  "Why are you?" she countered, not wishing to recount the lie she had told him previously: She had been traveling with her husband when they were attacked by the zombie. The zombie ate her husband, and she had managed to escape and reached their kingdom by herself. It had been the perfect explanation and gave her a reason for wanting to hunt and kill the zombie. So much more believable than her being a mermaid who got land-legs in exchange for her looks and the inability to return to the sea so she could keep a promise she had made to a young boy because the zombie had eaten his parents. Even her head swam when she thought of it all. "Did it…" She trailed off, unable to vocalize her awful trail of thought.

  "No one I know personally," he answered her unfinished question.

  She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  "At least I don't think so." He frowned.

  "How can you not know?"

  "Shortly before the zombie showed up, a good friend of mine, the prince of this castle, disappeared." Lines formed on his forehead.

  "You don't think the zombie ate him, do you?"

  "No. He was in love with a girl. I think he ran off with her, and they're living happy lives right now." Blaise shook his head as he rolled his eyes, a slight smile on his face.

  As much as Sirena considered herself to be friends with Blaise, she couldn't care less about this friend of his nor his happily ever after. The prince may
have given up his crown for love, but she had given up her family and her life in the sea for a quest to kill a zombie.

  Shaking her head, she covered her face. She would not let sorrow win.

  Sirena opened her eyes to see someone had joined them — the young boy she'd promised to help. Her nerves steeled up at the brave face he wore. At least her family still lived, even if she would never see them again. The poor boy was all alone now.

  "This is Jacob." Blaise nodded to the boy then said to him, "I'm told you have some news concerning the zombie."

  "Yeah. I saw it an hour ago. It was near the docks. A fisherman scared it into the water."

  Sirena clenched her hands into fists. The first lead they had on the zombie and of course it was near the water.

  "It didn't like the water very much so it headed toward the market," the boy continued.

  Blaise stood, his hands gripping the table. "There are so many people there."

  Sirena nodded. "Let's go."

  "Are you sure you're ready for this?" he asked.

  "Yes."

  "All right. Gun, spear, sword…"

  She winced when he suggested "spear." "A knife."

  Blaise rubbed his chin. "A sword would be better. It has a longer reach."

  "I'm more comfortable with a knife." It was the only weapon she had ever used. Of course she had never used it in battle — merely for collecting plant leaves for meals. And it wasn't as if she had to do that often because of her status. Some of the merguards used spears, but she couldn't picture herself using one with any semblance of accuracy. The same applied to guns.

  The trio walked to the armory. Blaise grabbed a gun for himself, as well as several small boxes of something, Sirena wasn't sure what they were. She had always been a quick learner, but some things she had yet to explore or discover. The human world was so vast.

  He handed her a long serrated knife.

  Jacob held out his hand.

  "Sorry, little guy. I can't help you."

  Sirena opened her mouth to argue that the boy deserved to have a weapon, to go after the monster, but it wasn't her place. She held her tongue more in the world above than she ever had beneath the waves.

  Jacob waited until Blaise walked away to wink at Sirena. Whistling, he lifted his shirt to reveal a small dagger tucked into his waistband. He must have nabbed it when Blaise wasn't paying attention.

  She almost smiled, respecting the boy's gutsiness.

  It was time to go zombie hunting.

  Chapter Twelve

  So many people. So many loud heartbeats. So many screams.

  It had been some time since he had eaten someone. The hunger inside him was growing, and it tore him up, consumed his every thought, controlled his actions. His heart beat for one simple reason: to keep him alive so he could feed.

  Too slow, he reached for the nearest person, but the man ducked behind a table.

  He yanked on the back of a woman's dress and pulled her toward him. She screamed, kicking and punching. Several of her blows connected, but he felt no pain. With a groan, he tilted his head back, his mouth open, when one voice shouted above the crowd's panicked cries:

  "There he is!"

  It was a loud voice, one full of emotion. Which emotion it was, he couldn't remember. All he knew was hunger.

  The woman still squirmed in his grasp. He lowered his mouth to her neck when he felt the sudden gust of wind near his back.

  Turning on his heel, almost falling down, he whirled around. A short, hunched-over hag glared at him, her eyes crazed, a long dagger in her hands. She touched his tattered clothes, her arm bent back, ready for another blow.

  His movement slow yet rushed, he shoved the woman toward the armed hag and ran. Others with weapons had come after him before. One had almost hacked off his left arm. Weapons, he hated. They hurt and only served to increase his appetite. There weren't enough people alive for him to eat to satiate his hunger.

  He shoved people out of his way, the ones who hadn't already moved aside, and risked a glance behind him. The armed woman was gaining on him. A tall man was making his way toward them, and he wondered if that man, too, had a weapon.

  Trying to go faster, he hobbled along out of the market, away from the dock, and toward the forest. The shadows there were his friends. If he could make it there, he would be live to eat another day.

  Sand was beneath his feet. If he could only cross the beach before they caught up to him. He glanced back. The man was nowhere to be seen, but she was right behind him. She jumped toward him, lunging with her weapon.

  Somehow, he sidestepped the blow and shuffled back a few steps. She started to fall. In order to right herself, she reached out and touched his hand.

  A flash of bright light crossed his vision, and he saw a beautiful girl, her long black hair flowing in the wind, her eyes sparkling, a smile on her face, a smile meant for him.

  He blinked. The light faded. Still he saw the beautiful girl. The hag was nowhere in sight.

  His mouth fell open. His prey often spoke, but he never said anything other than groans and moans before. But now, now he had something he wanted to say.

  "Uhh … uhh…" His lips and tongue weren't cooperating. He tried again. "Llll … llluhh…"

  The girl leapt into his arms and reached her hand out to touch his face.

  "Love," he managed to choke out.

  The girl paused a moment. She stepped back and fell to the sand.

  For the first time since he became aware, he felt something other than hunger. Terrified, feeling some of the panic humans felt when they saw him, he backed up and lumbered away to the forest, to the shadows where he belonged.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Tears blurred her vision. Yelling, cursing, screaming, she tried to stand up but couldn't. Her right leg was in so much pain she thought she would pass out. After blinking several times, she managed to clear her vision.

  The zombie was gone.

  Sirena shook her head. Had it tried to talk to her? She could have sworn it said, "Love." Love. Ha. What did a zombie know about love?

  She had been so close too! If only her ankle hadn't rolled, she would have been able to kill it.

  Slamming her fists down onto the soft sand, she winced and cried out in pain. The movement had jostled her wounded leg something fierce. Tears streamed down her face.

  Closing her eyes, she recalled the strange sensation that had come over her when she had touched the zombie. The face of a handsome man had crossed her vision. A face she felt as if she should recognize although she did not. She shook her head, her thoughts returning to the agony from her leg.

  "Rena? Rena! I've been looking all over for you. I couldn't find it after we split up. Did you…" Blaise ran across the beach to her then gasped. "What happened? Did it attack you?"

  Sirena shook her head. "No. I was about to kill it, but I hurt myself, and it got away." She stared at the sand, unable to look Blaise in the eye as she confessed her failure. It had taken her some time to convince Blaise to allow her to hunt the zombie with him in the first place.

  He bent down and examined her leg. "I think you broke it. Here." Blaise helped her to her feet.

  The blood drained from her face, and she swayed. Blaise instructed her to put all of her weight onto him, but before she could, she passed out.

  ****

  When Sirena awoke, Bethany sat near her on the bed.

  "Oh, good, you're awake."

  She struggled to sit up and was only able to with the handmaiden's help.

  "You broke your leg," Bethany said. "The doctor splinted it for you."

  "When will I be able to walk again?"

  "Not for some time, I'm afraid. Now, hush, no more talking. You need to eat to build your strength back up."

  Sirena could not believe her awful luck. It had taken her quite some time to master walking and running. To now be bedridden was beyond frustrating.

  No amount of begging would get Bethany to give her details co
ncerning the zombie, leaving Sirena no choice but to eat. The food was quite good, but whether she was becoming accustomed to human food or she was just hungry enough she would eat anything, Sirena couldn't be certain.

  She meant to ask Bethany to fetch Blaise, but her full stomach increased her fatigue and she fell asleep.

  Two weeks passed with Sirena doing little more than eating, sleeping, and putting on even more weight. At long last, there was a knock at the door and someone other than Bethany entered: Blaise.

  Smiling, she used her arms to sit up in bed. "Have you good news? Is the zombie dead?"

  "No, but I did fashion you a cane." He handed it to her. Made out of wood, the cane was wrapped in seaweed.

  Sirena blinked back tears. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She struggled to get out of bed to test it out, but Blaise shook his head.

  "The doctor has to give you the okay first."

  She stuck out her lower lip. "Why sea … why seaweed?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.

  "You seem afraid of the water, but … I don't know. It suits you." He shrugged.

  Sirena gulped. There it was again — the suspicion in his eyes. But how could he know her secret?

  She rushed to ask, "No one has seen the zombie?"

  "There have been several sightings, actually. But…" Blaise scratched his head. "The zombie hasn't attacked anyone since the day you broke your leg. It hasn't eaten anyone since before that."

  Sirena furrowed her brows. "Why do you think that is?"

  "I have no idea." He stood. "I had best be going. The king wants to talk to me. Oh, and the queen wanted me to tell you that your bravery is quite commendable, and you are welcome to stay here in the castle as long as you like." He nodded deeply, almost a bow, and left the room before she could say anything.

  Sirena leaned against the wall while still sitting on her bed. The zombie wasn't feeding anymore. Was it not hungry anymore? Or was there another reason?