by S. E. Smith
In the light of the orbs, he could see the glass was deeply etched from the squid’s suckers. A relieved smile curved his lips when he saw Jenny raise her hand. The relief turned into confusion when her other hand rose as well. The movement was fluid. It wasn’t until he drew closer that he could see her hair floating around her face like one of the ghostly images of an elemental.
“No!” Orion cried in horror.
The pod was filled with water! The realization of it hit him hard. The liquid that gave him and his people life had taken it from the beautiful woman he had claimed as his wife. His mind exploded in denial. Behind him, he could hear Kapian call out for Juno to stay back.
Sweeping the trident horizontally in front of him, the glass cracked and broke apart. Jenny’s body floated forward and out of the escape pod. Orion’s fingers loosened on the trident and he released it to pull Jenny into his arms. He gazed down into her pale, still face. Her lips were slightly parted, and her skin icy to his touch. He looked into her eyes and wanted to weep. There was no mischievous humor looking back at him—no fire, no desire. The brilliance of the colorful sea glass was gone—dimmed by the lack of fire that used to burn inside her.
His fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her against him. His body shook, and his mind felt like it was shattering. A sob caught in his throat and his body was wracked with violent shudders.
“No, she can’t die. The Goddess said Jenny is our mother. She can’t die,” Juno sobbed, fighting to break free from Kapian. “The water showed Dolph where to find her.”
“I’m so sorry,” Orion whispered, running his hand over Jenny’s hair.
“Orion…,” Kapian said.
Orion looked at Kapian with tortured eyes. His friend had Juno in his arms. His youngest son was sobbing uncontrollably. Turning his gaze back to Kapian, he opened his mouth to speak before closing it and shaking his head.
“I will take him back to the palace,” Kapian said.
Orion nodded and looked away. His heart wrenched when he heard Juno’s cry of despair. Closing his eyes, he held Jenny tightly, unable to let her go. Only when he knew that they were alone did he allow the tears to fall. Gut-wrenching sobs shook his tall frame.
Sunlight from above streamed down through the now clear water surrounding them. The fish, that fled when Architeuthis and the other squid appeared, were returning. Life was returning to the underwater kingdom. Orion cried out in denial and tilted his head back to stare up at the flickering light from above.
No man should have to sacrifice so much or feel such pain, he thought.
He wanted to curse the Goddess for giving Jenny to him only to take her away. This beautiful woman had captured his heart and his imagination from the first moment he saw her. Drawing in a deep breath, he buried his face against her neck and pressed a kiss to her cold skin.
“Forgive me, Jenny. Please… forgive me for I don’t think I will ever be able to forgive myself,” he begged.
Orion slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes when he felt the brush of warm water swirling around him. His eyes widened when he saw the trident floating behind Jenny. The Eyes of the Sea Serpent were glowing in a brilliant swirl of colors. The trident’s staff was shimmering with a radiant golden glow.
He gasped when bands of golden light reached out and wrapped around Jenny, pulling her from his arms. The protest on his lips died when a wave of warm, calming water swirled around him. Hope filled him when he saw the bands of light and a curtain of spiraling bubbles engulf Jenny’s body.
The light from the trident danced across Jenny’s skin, moving over her body like the ebbing tide against the soft sands. Her body glowed from within and the colors of the sea serpent’s eyes began to absorb into her skin. Iridescent scales ran up her arms and along her neck and cheeks. Her shoes disappeared, and he watched in awe as her body twitched and her back bowed. Her arms floated upward. and her fingers spread. Thin webbing appeared between each digit. The same thing happened to her feet.
Her body stiffened as she drew in a deep breath through the thin narrow slits on each side of her neck. A stream of thin bubbles escaped her mouth when her lips parted. Her eyes that had been devoid of life just minutes before gazed upward. He could see her lashes flutter before she blinked several times. She stared up at the surface and the streams of light filtering through before her head slowly lowered and she gazed back at him with wide, confused eyes.
“Orion…,” she whispered in uncertainty.
Orion slowly swam toward Jenny as the light and bubbles began to fade around her. He instinctively reached for her when she held her hands out in front of her and began to float upward. His hands slid along her arms as she studied the webbing between her fingers with a puzzled frown before she looked up at him again.
“Oh, Jenny. The Goddess has gifted me with my own beautiful mermaid,” Orion said in a tender voice.
Chapter Fifteen
The sound of sobs pulled Jenny from the dazed confusion she was feeling. Orion slid off the back of his sea dragon and turned to help her down. She gazed down at him for a moment before she placed her hands on his shoulders.
They hadn’t spoken since he swept her up onto the sea dragon and carried her back to the underwater city. Jenny had been in shock from her memories of drowning, and she was trying to understand what her mind was telling her about her transformation. Orion’s arms tightened when he felt her shiver.
“Are you still cold?” he asked.
Jenny shook her head. No, she felt—good. She touched her arm with her hand. Her skin was warm to the touch and dry, thanks to the blast of air when they entered through the barrier tunnel that sealed the city from the water surrounding it. Several of the warriors turned when they entered, their eyes widening in shock when they saw Jenny.
“Who’s crying? It sounds like Juno,” Jenny said.
“He… He is very worried about you,” Orion said.
Orion didn’t go into the details of why Juno was upset—he didn’t need to. Jenny already suspected that Juno must have seen her when she was…
No! I didn’t die. I just… went to sleep for a little while—under the water—where there was no oxygen, Jenny decided.
“I died,” she groaned.
“Yes,” Orion replied.
Jenny stopped on the front steps leading into the palace. Her legs were trembling so much that she wasn’t sure they would support her. Lifting a hand to smooth back the tangled hair from her face, she paused and looked at the webbing between her fingers.
“You could have lied,” she whispered, staring at her hand.
“Never to you, Jenny. Besides, according to Kapian, Coralus, and Kelia, I’m not very good at it,” Orion replied.
Jenny could feel her lips twitch in amusement. She opened and closed her hand several times to see if having the webbing made it feel different. Her toes curled on the smooth stone under her bare feet. A frown creased her brow.
“Where are my tennis shoes?” She asked, looking up at Orion.
Orion shrugged. “Somewhere in the ocean. I can search for your shoes if you are attached to them,” he offered.
Jenny giggled and shook her head. “Now I know I’m dead! Who in real life would offer to search an entire ocean for a pair of tennis shoes?” she teased.
“I would, for you,” Orion quietly replied, capturing her hand and lifting it to his lips.
“I think my legs will work now. It is breaking my heart to hear Juno so upset,” Jenny said.
They both looked up when they heard footsteps hurrying toward them. Kapian and Coralus skidded to a stop outside the open doors. Kapian released a colorful curse while Coralus stared at Jenny in relief.
“You’re alive,” Kapian said.
Jenny burst out laughing at his incredulous, open-mouthed announcement. It would appear she wasn’t the only one who was amazed by the fact. Gripping Orion’s hand, she finished climbing the steps to the entrance.
“Yeah, and I’ve got webbed feet
like a duck,” Jenny replied. “Now, where are Juno and Dolph?”
Both Kapian and Coralus pointed inside. Jenny released Orion’s hand and hurried past the two men who were standing with their mouths hanging open. Once she reassured the boys that she was fine, she would deal with everything that happened earlier, including more exploration of the physical changes to her body. Her lips lifted into an uncontrollable grin as she thought about what she could do now.
“Hot damn, I’m a real-life mermaid!” she breathed.
“She can’t be gone. The water said she was the one,” Dolph defiantly argued, glaring at Kelia and Karin.
Jenny’s heart broke when she saw the older boy’s red eyes and trembling chin. They were grouped together in the center of the rotunda. Kelia was holding Juno, who was noisily sobbing against her chest.
“I don’t understand it either, Dolph. Let us return to your living quarters, and we can talk there,” Kelia encouraged.
“I think that is a wonderful idea. Do you think we could get something to eat as well? I’m starving,” Jenny said, slowly walking up to the group.
“You’re not dead!” Juno exclaimed with a hiccup.
“No, I’m not… dead,” Jenny chuckled, opening her arms to Juno when he hastily pulled away from Kelia and ran to her.
Jenny bent over and picked up Juno, holding the boy in her arms. Tears streamed down both of their faces as they held each other, laughing and crying, and hugging each other. Tears of happiness blurred her vision when Juno reached up and cupped her cheeks to look at her.
“I saw you…,” Juno said, searching her face.
“I’m so proud of you, Juno. You were so brave,” Jenny said, not wanting Juno to focus on what he had seen of her dead body.
“I swam faster than I ever swam before. I think I could’ve beat Dolph! Oh! I saw Magna. I told her to go away. She helped me get past the squids—squid—well, almost past them. One caught my leg, and then Father made this huge light, and it let me go. Kelia bandaged my leg so you can’t see the marks right now, but….”
Juno was talking so fast that all Jenny could do was nod her head and make a few ‘wow’ comments. He still held her face between his hands, so she couldn’t look over at the others. She drew in a deep breath when the little boy finally finished telling her what happened after he left the pod and wrapped his arms around her neck.
“I love you, Mother. I’m glad you aren’t dead,” Juno whispered in her ear.
“Mom. How about just calling me Mom? Mother is a bit formal for me. I love you, too, Juno,” she said in a choked voice.
“Mom. I like that,” Juno replied. “I think you should put me down now. I don’t think warriors are supposed to be held.”
“Warriors more than anyone need to be held,” Orion said, stepping up behind them and placing his hand on Juno’s back. “There is no shame in needing a hug, Juno. But… I do think you would get very heavy.”
Juno lifted his head from Jenny’s shoulder and grinned at his father. He held his arms out to Orion, and Jenny released him. She wiped at her damp cheeks, the tears starting again when she saw Orion’s eyes briefly close with emotion as he held his son tightly in his arms. When he opened them again, she could see the flash of fear and the residual emotion of grief and despair in his eyes.
“Kelia, would you mind asking the chef to prepare a light meal for us?” Orion asked.
“With pleasure, Your Majesty,” Kelia said, recognizing that Orion wanted some privacy with his family.
During the exchange, Jenny was quietly watching Dolph. The older boy was standing to the side, his head bowed. His shoulders were stiff and his fingers were clenched into fists. Walking over to him, Jenny knelt down and tenderly cupped his hands. She waited until he relaxed his fingers before she spoke.
“Thank you,” she said.
Dolph refused to look at her. His fingers tightened on her hands, but all he did was maintain his rigid stance in front of her. Jenny waited. After several long seconds, Dolph drew in a shuddering breath.
“For what? It is my… my fault that… you…,” he started to say before a soft sob escaped him.
“It wasn’t your fault. What happened, happened for a reason,” Jenny said, lifting a hand to wipe a tear from Dolph’s cheek.
“You died,” Dolph mumbled in a thick voice.
“Yes, and I awoke a mermaid,” Jenny said with a soft chuckle. “If you had asked me if I thought that would happen today, I’d have said no,” she teased.
A reluctant smile tugged at the corner of Dolph’s mouth, and he quickly glanced at her face before looking down again. That brief look was enough for Jenny to know that she was making progress. She saw the glimmer of hope and curiosity in Dolph’s eyes.
“What else?” he asked.
“What else? You ask what else?! Like being turned into a mermaid and being able to breathe underwater isn’t awesome enough?” Jenny laughed.
“It is fun,” Dolph agreed.
“Fun?! Are you kidding me? I’ve dreamed of being able to breathe underwater like a fish my whole life. Then, your brother fought off a legion of squid to find your dad who was battling this enormous beast with a mouth big enough to eat a hundred grown sea dragons and that had tentacles that went on for miles and miles,” Jenny released a long, dramatic sigh. “The historians will be talking about this for ages!”
Juno giggled behind them. “Mom crushed one of the squids with the pod, Dolph,” he said.
“You did?” Dolph asked, his eyes round with awe.
“Yes,” Jenny replied, tapping his nose with the tip of her finger. “I sure did.”
“It was gross. There were guts floating in the water,” Juno added.
“Lots or just a little?” Dolph asked curiously.
Orion’s rich laughter echoed through the rotunda. “Why don’t we continue the graphic details of the demise of the bigger-than-legend squid after we have refreshments,” he suggested.
Both boys eagerly nodded. Jenny stood up and waited for Orion to set down Juno. The two boys immediately began talking animatedly to each other—Dolph asking his brother questions, and Juno lavishly sharing his adventure. Jenny smiled at Orion when he slid his arm around her waist.
“What about the city? Shouldn’t you be overseeing things and being—well, all kingly and such?” Jenny asked with a wave of her hand.
Orion released his grip on her waist to grab her hand. Threading his fingers through hers, he shook his head. Jenny’s lips twitched at the mutinous expression on his face. The boys definitely got that look from their father.
“Kapian and Coralus can handle things. I have done my duty to my people today. Now I want to spend time with my family,” he said in a serious tone.
“Family. I like the sound of that,” Jenny softly admitted.
Chapter Sixteen
“Put your hand out and feel the water—listen to what it tells you,” Orion gently instructed.
“Like this?” Jenny asked, spreading her fingers.
“Yes, what do your senses tell you?” Orion asked.
Jenny bit her lip and concentrated. She focused on processing the data she was receiving as the water flowed around her fingers and across the webbing between them. Her lips parted when she felt the vibration and a slight change in temperature.
“I feel a slight vibration… actually a bunch of them,” she said before she paused and frowned. “But I also feel like there is something else—bigger. It feels almost like a wave rolling onto shore.”
“Very good! Now, which direction?” Orion asked, swimming over to where she was floating.
Jenny slowly moved her hands back and forth. She felt like a living metal detector—waiting for the beep to tell her she was close, then moving back and forth in smaller and smaller sweeps until she found her treasure. When the vibrations felt the strongest, she stopped and pointed to the east. The other movement was a little more difficult to narrow in on. Each sensation came like a rolling wave breaking on a ree
f. She finally stopped and pointed to the north.
“Excellent. Keep your eyes open, and you will see what the vibrations are from,” Orion said, wrapping his arms around her.
“This is like having built-in fiber optic Internet,” Jenny joked, holding up her hands.
“I’m not sure what this fiber optic Internet is,” Orion said with a frown.
“Orion, look!” Jenny whispered.
Swimming toward them was a school of small fish. Jenny’s eyes lit up with delight when the vivid sky blue and silver fish circled around them. A juvenile paused in front of Jenny before darting forward. She giggled when the tiny fish nipped at her floating hair before trying to swim through it.
“Go on with you,” Orion ordered in a firm voice.
Jenny’s mouth didn’t fall open this time like it had the first time Orion had ordered a sea creature to do something and it did. She grinned when the fish flicked its tail at Orion before swimming off to join the rest of the school.
“That’s why there were so many vibrations in the water,” she said, watching the school disappear.
“Yes,” he said, turning her to the north.
Jenny’s head fell back against his chest when she saw the dark shadow approaching from the north. Her hand wrapped around Orion’s, and she pressed against him. She felt him press a kiss behind her ear.
“Watch,” he murmured.
“I am,” she muttered.
If Orion hadn’t been holding her, Jenny would have bolted for the nearest rock to hide behind. That sense of unreality, which had been her constant companion since she arrived, swept through her once again, threatening to overwhelm her. Orion had sensed her confusion, especially since her transformation and had been incredibly patient with her as she adapted to all the changes in her body.
One of the not-so-surprising things she’d been dealing with was her growing feelings for Orion. While she loved his chivalry and protectiveness, she was ready for some serious, lets-get-the-sheets-dirty action. Over the past several weeks, she had learned that Orion was a master when it came to foreplay.
