by Milly Taiden
“You can nap.”
“Wait a minute...” Olivia looked around at the packed beach as if seeing it for the first time. “Are we here because I look tired?” Normally Markus and Kirsten would have gone for hikes in gorges and on mountain tops. They were related to goats, Olivia was sure.
Kirsten shrugged, looking only slightly guilty. “We enjoy a quiet day on the beach, too, once in a while.”
“No, guys, you shouldn’t have done that. I can hike, you know.”
Markus pulled his towel over his face. “It wasn’t for you, it’s for me. Kirsten wore me out last night. I need my rest.”
With a snort, Kirsten threw her hat at him, which he dodged. “Shut up.”
They read their books, dozed, waded into the water and even started a splashing match. Kirsten insisted they had to make a sand castle, because she hadn’t made one since she was little, and Olivia who barely remembered ever making one was happy to help.
Early afternoon came and went, and hunger pushed them to find a taverna for a late lunch. Their trusted German guide book mentioned a couple of good places. They walked in the sweltering heat, winding through the narrow streets of the town, stone-built houses with wide porches and tall trees flanking them. They chose a seafood restaurant and sat in the shade. The song of the cicadas was deafening.
Not enough to drown out her thoughts, unfortunately.
The afternoon passed in a haze. The effort it took to concentrate on the here and now, to laugh along to jokes and smile when she caught Kirsten’s or Markus’ gaze on her was exhausting.
It wasn’t fair. She wanted to have fun with her friends. She wanted to give them an honest smile and show them how much she loved them for being with her.
She missed Kai. Dammit, how was that possible?
It was the mystery surrounding him. That had to be why. If only she could find out why the locals thought he was a merman, maybe she’d be able to put her mind to rest.
She pretended to doze on the way back to their hotel, curled on the back seat. Faking it was too damn hard. Always had been.
The sun was setting when they reached the hotel and by the time she had showered and changed, night had fallen.
She hurried down to the empty, dark beach. The only lights on were at the beach bar and she walked under the thatch roof.
Matt smiled at her. “Hi. What will it be?”
She glanced around. Two more customers sat at the bar, another two at a table. “A beer.”
He passed her a local brew. “There you go, luv.”
“Have you seen Kai today?”
“Yup, he worked until four, like every day.”
She nodded and sipped her beer. “I think I’ll walk on the beach.” She took her bottle and hopped off her stool. She just wanted to see Kai.
From a distance. Only from a distance, she told herself, because he was like a drug and she couldn’t get close or she’d be hooked again.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
She paused with her back to Matt, her heart picking up speed. “Yeah.”
“It’s this family,” he muttered. “This magic.”
“I don’t believe in magic, Matt.”
“Well, maybe you don’t have to believe it for it to be true. That’s what Professor Skinny says, anyway.”
She turned around. “Professor Skinny?”
“Well, Professor Skein, actually, but he’s really skinny, so...” Matt shrugged.
“Who is he?”
“A professor from Cambridge. Used to be famous for his folklore studies in the Aegean, digging up old legends and rituals.”
“Used to?”
“You see, one day he began believing this stuff. Satyrs, fairies, mermaids, you name it. Lost his credibility, then left England and moved here. He lives in the area. Took a Cretan wife, too.” He snorted. “We all do, once we’ve been here for a while.”
“All do what, take a Cretan wife?”
“That, too. I meant, we all start to believe.”
“In mermaids?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light.
He wiped a wet rag over the bar. “Maybe.”
Oh man. Maybe you had to start believing in order to be able to live among these people, or risk going off the deep end. “You don’t think Kai is a merman, too, do you?”
“Merman. That’s a good word.” He nodded. “Sea people, they call them here. I don’t know what to believe, to tell you the truth.”
“I think you do believe. Why?”
“Uh, the man swims like a fish. He can swim through storm and tempest, I swear. He swims throughout winter, the whole year round, in the worst weather you’ve ever seen. It’s mind blowing.”
“Still sounds like a human to me. Unless there’s more you’re not telling me.”
He shook his head. “Go and see the professor, if you’re interested in the legends.”
“Where can I find him?”
“He lives up the road, in a tiny village called Platani. Twenty minutes walk.”
“Thanks.” She turned away, beer clutched tightly in her hand, and headed out to the starlit beach, taking off her sandals. The sand cooled her feet as she strode down to the water, then she followed the soft wavelets to the pier, expecting to see Kai’s familiar, broad-shouldered figure.
But he wasn’t there. Disappointed, she retraced her steps and walked to the other end of the beach, to the jagged rocks. Again, emptiness and quiet.
She turned her back to the sea, reaching up to touch the smooth stone hanging at her throat. He said he lived in a hut on the cliff, but she could see no light burning past the bar and the hotel.
The world was in darkness.
*
“Come with us,” Kirsten said, reaching across the breakfast table to catch her hand. “Please, honey. Was yesterday too boring for you? We could hike in a gorge if you like.”
Markus was watching them under lowered lashes, looking confused. “Why don’t you want to come along?”
Because lying was easier than faking it. “I have a headache. I’d rather rest and read.”
“You didn’t have a good time yesterday,” he said, frowning.
“Yes, I did. It was great. Really, guys. It’s not that.” Yep, lying was easier. “I’ll be fine. I’m dying to finish reading this novel anyway.”
“Don’t forget to have lunch, okay?” Kirsten waited until Olivia nodded. “Promise.”
“Promise.”
She watched them go in the rented car and waved.
Then she started up the road toward the village of Platani and Professor Skein. She had her wide-brimmed hat on, and had applied loads of sunscreen. Still, after twenty minutes of tracking on the hot asphalt, her shoulders felt crispy and sweat ran freely down her back, soaking her bikini top and her bright red dress. Her beach bag felt like it weighed a ton.
She reached the first houses of the village, a coffee house with a vine shading its yard, and asked a middle-aged woman where to find the professor. With her limited English, the woman broke the bad news.
The professor was out of town. He’d return in a couple of days.
Olivia pushed a strand of hair, sticky with sweat, behind her ear, and accepted gratefully the glass of water the woman offered her.
Her plan had only reached this far. Then it occurred to her to ask the way to Navagio Beach. Matt had said it wasn’t far.
The woman narrowed her eyes and shook her head, but pointed up the road. She gestured and signaled that Olivia was not to swim there. Danger.
Olivia thanked her and got on her way.
She walked on top of the cliffs, among wild flowers. By the time she saw the beach with the wrecks below, the sun had risen to the summit of the blue sky, its rays vertical and scorching.
Behold, at long last, the infamous Navagio Beach. Pretty, with its white sand and rocks and the few trees growing at the base of the cliff. The three boats lay on their sides on the sand, like bleached whale skeletons.
She skidded down the path, raising small clouds of dust and insects. A red flag on a post fluttered in the faint breeze. No swimming, it warned.
She only wanted to have a look around, see what the fuss was about.
Because she wasn’t going to see Kai, had to keep away, and this was as close as she could get to his mystery.
Oh god, she was in deep.
She dropped her beach bag on the sand, pulled her sandals off and went to dip her toes in the water. She yelped. It was ice cold.
“Hey, what are you doing?” A man’s voice, and looking up she saw a chubby man in khaki shorts waving at her from the cliff. “You cannot swim. Don’t you see the red flag? Rip currents. Very dangerous.”
“I know, thank you. I’m just cooling my feet.”
“Stay away from the water.” He wagged a finger at her. “It’s treacherous when it’s awake.”
She frowned. “Awake?”
“Only one person ever swims here.”
“Who? Why?”
But he was already stepping back, disappearing from view.
She chewed on her lip, looking back at the sea. The water was like a mirror. The sun reflected on it, blinding her with golden shards, and made her pendant glow like a flame. Shading her eyes, she strolled toward the rocks. The water is asleep. She’d never seen the sea so calm.
Mermaids. Yeah, right. She skirted the wrecks, running a hand along their smooth, weather-worn planks. Such a peaceful place.
Climbing onto the rocks, she clutched her pendant and scowled at the blue expanse, following its shadings to the horizon where it became dark like despair.
“So, where are you?” she whispered. “Where are you hiding? I don’t believe you exist.” She sneered. “Stupid superstitions.”
She wanted to yank her pendant and throw it into the waves — a mermaid scale? really? — but she only shook her head and climbed on a higher rock.
“I’m a rational person,” she muttered, negotiating the cracks between rocks and stepping on a flat stone. “I’ve read a lot about folklore, and mermaids don’t exist. What did Kai do, appear to the townsfolk with a tail and fins, huh? Dammit.” She’d stepped on something sharp and winced.
She stopped, trying to see. Hell, she was bleeding. Shit. Everything was against her today. Sitting on a rock, she splashed her foot in the water to clean it and hissed when the salt stung the wound.
Figured she’d hurt her foot the only day she’d have to walk back to the hotel. Okay, it could have been worse. At least she hadn’t slipped and broken a bone. Right?
She was suddenly aware of how alone she was — not a single tourist in sight, and the sea had begun to heave although no wind seemed to be blowing.
She licked a finger and held it up. Nope. No wind. Weird.
A wave splashed her and she jerked back, wiping water from her eyes. What the hell, sea?
Another wave washed over her, drenching her. Dark clouds were gathering overhead. When had that happened?
Fear gripped her and she struggled to her feet. The rocks were slippery and her foot still bled. She turned, stepping over to the next rock.
Water smashed into her, throwing her down, and dragged her back, into the sea. She screamed, trying to hold on to something but slipping down under, sinking into the cold water.
Kai, she thought. Oh god, I’m gonna die.
The undertow dragged her deep, into white foam and clouds of sand. She scraped her leg on a rock, swirled around, flailing, fighting to grab something. Treacherous sea. Her red dress floated around her. Red flag. No swimming. Nobody around.
Her lungs burned, and she couldn’t see. Had lost her lenses. Blindly she groped for something, anything, panic taking what little breath she had left. Another rock smashed into her side, and she gasped, swallowing water. It burned her throat. Still she fought, struggled to go up.
Up, Liv.
Can’t end like this.
Please.
The current tugged at her, sucking her down, holding her back. She couldn’t breathe. Her chest burned. Her vision was darkening.
Kai...
Something locked on her arm and pulled. She let it, the dark rising like a giant maw, swallowing her.
***
CHAPTER NINE
Speak low, if you speak love.
Shakespeare
Don’t speak, lock the words inside. Watch them grow and bloom and die.
Myra Crow
“Liv!” Her name. strangely echoing, spoken in a man’s voice. Who?
No air. Drowning.
“Come on, Liv.” Something slammed into her back. “Breathe.”
She opened her mouth to comply and a cough wracked her. No air, she couldn’t... Her chest spasmed and water came up her nose and mouth, salty and stinging. God, that hurt. She was lying on her side. Where?
She coughed, desperately trying to get some air into her starved lungs, and a hand rubbed circles between her shoulder blades.
Concerned dark eyes entered her sight. “You’ll be all right.”
Kai? She coughed more, managing to suck in a bit of air before another fit gripped her. Tears streamed down her face. Her throat burned like fire.
He wiped her cheeks, pushing her dripping hair out of her eyes. “You scared the hell out of me,” he whispered.
“How did you...?” Crap, she couldn’t speak without drawing air, and to draw air she needed to stop coughing. She’d apparently swallowed half the bay.
“Laurence told me.”
Laurence? She must have made a questioning noise, because he replied.
“It’s a British guy who likes to walk the area and draw pictures of the plants. He came to warn me, said he saw you at the beach. Nobody ever swims here.”
“I wasn’t swimming.” She pushed the words out in between a cough and a shuddering breath.
“I know.” He pulled up a strap of her dress that had fallen off her shoulder, patted it in place. “How did you fall in?”
“Cut... my foot.” Now she remembered, it hurt. Probably got sand and salt in the wound. She shifted and pain flared along her side. Her ribs hurt. And her shin burned where she’d scraped it on a rock.
“Let me see.” His fingers were gentle on her abused foot. “It’s cut, but not so bad. We’ll clean it up back at the hotel.”
“Rip currents... don’t throw you into the sea.” She panted, her breathing still painful.
“No, they don’t.” He pulled her up to lean on his chest. “You fell.”
I was snatched, she wanted to say, but it sounded crazy. “A wave hit me,” she muttered. “Pulled me in.”
She heard him draw a sharp breath, his muscles tensing against her back. His hands smoothed down her arms.
“You shouldn’t have come here,” he said.
“Then maybe they should cordon off the whole beach,” she whispered, her voice raspy.
He said nothing, resting his chin on her shoulder, the sound of his breathing soothing.
“Kai...”
“We should head back as soon as you’re able to stand.”
“I’m fine, I just...” Oh god, I almost died. A tremor went through her, and his arms wrapped loosely around her, steadying. If he hadn’t come...
“You’re okay, but far from fine.” He spoke in her ear, his voice very soft. “I have the truck parked on top. We need to climb.”
How had he dived in that maelstrom and pulled her out? Only one man swims in this bay, Laurence had said.
“You come and swim here, don’t you?” She took his silence as agreement. “Why, if it’s so dangerous?”
He pulled back and said nothing for a moment. Then he got to his feet. “I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving and Panos will be worried. Come on, it’s time to go.”
*
The shakes didn’t start until she was halfway up the path, and Kai pulled her closer, slinging his arm around her waist.
“I can’t see,” Olivia whispered.
“What do you mean?”
> “I lost my lenses. Again.”
He snorted and shook his head, droplets flying.
The sun was warm but she felt chilled to the bone. In the pickup he found a blanket and wrapped it around her, seating her inside.
He didn’t speak as he drove back to the hotel, water dripping from his hair in his face and down his throat. His feet were bare, his shoes thrown in the back. She leaned toward him, studying his clean profile, the light stubble on his cheeks, and tried to bring her heartbeat back to normal.
“Don’t tell the others about it,” she said. “I didn’t mean to worry anyone. I shouldn’t have gone there alone and it will seem so—”
“I won’t.” His mouth pulled into a half smile. “I understand.”
He probably did, with so many secrets of his own. “Did I thank you for saving my life?” She swallowed hard. “Oh shit, I didn’t. How can I thank you enough?”
“It’s okay.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think... I wasn’t...” She wanted to cry, and that would be damn embarrassing. She was okay, she was alive. Everything was fine.
He parked the car in the hotel lot and placed a warm hand on her leg, over her soaked dress. “You can pay me back.”
She looked up, willing the tears not to fall. “What?”
“You don’t have to, of course, but I’d accept a kiss for my trouble.” He smiled widely. “I’m only a poor boy, miss, and I’ll take anything you care to give.”
He was trying to make her feel better. It was sort of working.
“I’ll see what I can do,” she whispered, biting her lip.
He came around the car to help her out and hauled her inside the hotel. He said something in Greek to a silhouette standing behind the desk, probably Panos, picked up her key and led her to the elevators.
“What did you tell him?” she whispered as the elevator doors closed.
“That I brought you a drink on the beach and a huge wave drenched us.” He suddenly looked uncertain. “It was the best scenario I could think on the spur of the moment.”
