by Dee J. Stone
“May we return to your residence?” I ask Cassie.
“Okay. Sure.”
She takes hold of her towel and surfing device and leads me to her house. The more I think about my family, the more I grow concerned. I am truly happy to be here with Cassie, but I regret the manner in which I departed. I must ascertain that they are well.
“Well, here we are.” Cassie opens the door to her house. “So what do you want to do? We can swim in the pool. Maybe watch a movie? I can show you the Net—”
“I am afraid I must return to the sea.”
Her words freeze on her tongue. She stares at me, her eyes growing wide and full of betrayal. “W…what?”
I turn around and push some hair aside. Have I offended her? Why am I constantly causing her pain? It seems the more attached I grow to her, the more I hurt her.
Turning around sharply, I lower myself to my knees. I take hold of her hands and look into her face. “Cassie.”
She is blinking rapidly. Is water gathering in her eyes? Tears? I raise myself to my feet and wrap my arms around her, holding her close to my body. All that I feel for her…she feels as well. Just as profoundly. “Cassie.” My hand rubs down her back. “Do not fret. I shall return.”
She removes herself from my embrace. “You’re not leaving for good?”
“No. I wish to visit the sea for some time before returning to you. I worry my family may be concerned of my whereabouts. I do not wish to cause them heartache.” I rub the side of her face. “I cannot leave you, Cassie.”
A strong breath exits her mouth and her entire body seems to relax. She laughs as though she is ashamed of her intense feelings. She wraps her arms around my neck, holding me close against her. “You’re driving me insane.”
“You drive me insane.”
Chapter Fifteen
Cassie kindly offers me a bag of those gummy worms I have grown to love as much as she does. “I believe Zarya will love this dearly,” I say.
Cassie worries the seawater may have a negative effect on these worms and that they will have a foul taste, but I enjoy presenting my little sister with gifts. Though I will be sad to be parted from Cassie, even for a short while, the prospect of seeing Zarya and my family again excites me. I admit I am apprehensive as well, for I have forsaken my duty, but I will have to face them eventually.
“I am ready,” I tell her.
Cassie takes my arm in hers and guides me toward the beach. She searches to and fro, right from left, to ascertain that no humans are wandering about. Then she tightens her hold on me and runs toward the location I am to depart from. I am not accustomed to running on these human legs, therefore I fall on the sand, causing Cassie to fall down with me. She lands on my chest.
As we laugh, I gaze into her face, just as she gazes into mine. She is so lovely. She sweeps aside some hair that rests on my forehead as her eyes continue to bore into every feature on my face, as though she wishes to remember me for all eternity. But there is no need to place my face in her memory, for I shall return. Nothing and no one will hinder me.
I place my hand on the back of her head and pull her face close to mine so that my nose touches hers. “Every second we are apart, I shall miss you terribly.” I press my lips to the side of her head.
“I will miss you every second, too.” Her voice is so quiet it is almost carried away by the strong breeze.
My arms clutch her close to me, my chest pressed against hers. She lowers her head to the hollow area between my neck and shoulder. We remain lying on the sand in this manner, the two of us enjoying the sound of the waves crashing to the shore.
But after some time has passed, I say, “Cassie, I worry I shall soon feel ill.”
It seems as though it takes a great deal of effort for Cassie to raise her head off my body. “Yeah, sorry.”
We climb onto the large rocks and stare down at the sea. It is violent tonight.
“Will it be safe for you?” she asks.
“I have swum in more dire conditions.”
We continue to stand in the same manner, our gazes on the sea. I glance at Cassie, but she does not look my way. I cannot see her eyes from my position, but I understand what causes her unease. She worries I will not return. I raise two of my fingers to the bottom of her chin, lifting it toward me so that I can look into her eyes. “I do not wish to go, but I must.”
She nods curtly.
“I shall return early the next morning,” I say. “Will you be here?”
She strokes my cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
I take her in my arms and haul her to my chest. Her arms enclose me, and we cling onto each other as though we are saying goodbye for all eternity. “It may not be wise to do so,” I whisper, “but it is what I wish to do.” I lift her off the ground and capture her lips in mine. She wraps her legs around my middle and fits her fingers through my hair. At first, our kiss is slow and innocent, but then it escalates to an intensity I did not think I could ever experience. I am no longer here on the beach, standing amidst large rocks. I have been transported to another world, one that is not on land or in the sea but in a location where I experience sensations that causes me to lose all thoughts in my head and all feeling in my body. Cassie moves her lips against mine in an almost desperate manner.
Suddenly, she stops and lowers her legs to the ground. That is when I realize I have almost lost my bearings and fallen off the rocks. Both our chests rise and fall wildly.
“Wow,” she says.
I do not understand the term, but I believe I have experienced this “wow,” as well. I have often seen my parents kiss passionately and while many children of the sea do not feel comfortable displaying affection in public, I have seen my share. I never imagined it could feel like this. And while I have not shared passionate kisses with Princess Flora, I am certain it would not be like what I have just experienced with Cassie Price. I do not think I can experience that with anyone but her. And that is all I desperately want—to continue learning about her, growing close to her, and sharing passionate kisses with her.
But the heated passion begins to fade away and is replaced with a minor pain in the lower half of my body. Reluctantly, I say, “I am afraid we must part, Cassie.”
She nods, seeming unable to speak.
After carefully placing the bag of gummy worms on the rock, I remove the pants and undergarments and shirt from my body. Cassie takes them from me and holds them close against her chest, as though she is gathering comfort from them. She does not look my way. I am not certain whether it is due to her missing me, or the fact that I am bare. I once again put two of my fingers under her chin and raise her face so that our eyes meet. I place a small, light kiss on her lips. “I shall see you early the following morning.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I take the gummy worms and turn toward the sea. The wind rushes past us, sending Cassie’s scent my way. My eyes close as I inhale her divine smell. I turn back around to face her, not certain I will be able to enter the sea.
“I wish I could come with you,” she says.
Her words pass through my ears and enter my heart. She and I…we are of two different worlds. I am able to enter hers, but she cannot enter mine. Is it possible for us to be together for eternity?
I take hold of her face in my hands. “Let us not be concerned over what shall or shall not happen.” My lips sweep against her cheek. “When I sleep tonight, my dreams will be filled with the beautiful human girl I long to hold in my arms.”
Water enters her eyes and rush down her cheeks. How much it hurts my heart to see her tears. My thumbs move under her eyelids and rub the tears away.
She looks at the sky. “It’s getting late. I don’t want anyone to see you.”
I step away from her, toward the edge of the rock, and look at the sea. I turn back to Cassie, and she waves a quivering hand. I give her a final nod before diving into the sea.
The pain in the lower half of my body eng
ulfs me, mixing in with the pain I feel in my heart. My tail pushes through the waves and protrudes out of the sea. I quickly pull it in and break the surface. “Cassie,” I call. Then I dive back into the sea.
As I swim deeper into the ocean, I hear her soft voice say, “Damarian.”
Chapter Sixteen
It does not take long for me to sense Fiske swimming in my direction. The two of us surge toward each other, and I nuzzle my nose into his rough skin. How I have missed you, Fiske.
Are you all right? Have the humans injured you? Being unable to sense you very well has been quite frightening.
I laugh. No, they have not injured me. They do not know I am a child of the sea, save for Cassie.
He moves back and looks into my eyes. Something is different.
To what are you referring?
His eyes sweep over every part of my face. Your heart…
Yes?
It is filled with joy. I have never felt your heart possess this much joy. The human…
I swallow. Yes, the human Cassie Price has taken my heart.
His emotions bombard me at once. The happiness he feels that I am happy, as well as the trepidation he feels at the thought that I am fraternizing with the humans. The humans who have always posed a danger to the creatures of the sea.
She will not harm me, Fiske. What she and I share…I cannot describe it. It is what I feel in my heart. I did not think I could feel this way.
Fiske does not say anything. He is not my parent only my guard, sworn to protect me. I welcome your thoughts, I tell him.
He turns around and swims toward the colony. My thoughts are irrelevant.
They are relevant to me. You are aware that they are always relevant to me.
I only worry about you. A part of me was certain you would grow bored of land and the humans and will wish to return to the sea, but the other part was concerned that the human would indeed steal your heart. I am not certain what to feel.
Swimming to his side, I say, I am not certain what I should feel as well. I have not put proper thought into this. A human and I…it is not possible.
He glances at me before focusing on his swimming. It is possible. If you wish it to be so.
I am afraid I still do not understand how you feel. Your thoughts and emotions are in disarray.
I apologize. Try as I might, I cannot make sense of them.
He wishes for me to be happy, but he is my sworn protector and is obligated to keep me safe. Many sharks would attempt to force me to remain in the sea if they felt it would protect me. But Fiske would never do so.
How does my family fare? I ask.
He does not respond.
Have they worried about me? Have they questioned you of my whereabouts?
After a few seconds, Fiske says, Perhaps this is something you should discuss with them.
His words cause my heart to race. I cannot bear the thought that my family has been worried about me. All I feel is guilt for the manner in which I left the sea.
We do not speak as we make our way to the colony. My thoughts drift to Cassie, of the moment we shared on top of the rock before we parted. I can feel her lips touch mine, her body pressed so close to mine. Her smell, her breathing on my cheek. How I wish to be back on land with her.
I cannot be both in the sea and on land. Wanting to be with Cassie forces me to choose between her and my family. Is it possible for me to have both? Will my family learn to accept us one day? Will they learn to accept my decision not to take the throne?
The Sentinels do not give us a difficult time as they had done in the past, either due to the fact that they have grown accustomed to my comings and goings, or because of Fiske. I bid goodbye to him before entering the outer colony and making my way toward the Sapphire colony. As I study my familiar surroundings, a sense of peace comes over me. I am at home. But at the same time, there is an emptiness deep within my chest, in my heart. I do not believe I will ever be whole if I am not with Cassie. I know my thoughts and feelings may be immature—I have known her for a short amount of time—but I have never felt so certain about anything before in my life.
Since it was nearly daytime when I entered the sea, it is quite well into the morning when I enter my home. The little ones are playing on the floor while Mother, Kiander, and Doria sit at the table with the remnants of breakfast.
“Dammy!” Zarya leaps off the floor and barrels into me, wrapping her tail around mine. “You are home at last! Why are you always exploring by yourself? It is not fair.”
As I pat the top of her head, my eyes move to Mother, Kiander, and Doria. They do not seem pleased with me.
“Have you located any treasures?” Zarya asks, spinning around me and grabbing my hands. She notices the bag of gummy worms clutched tightly in my palm. “What is this?”
“Gummy worms,” I inform her. “A delicacy I have discovered a great distance away.”
I open the bag and hold it out to her. She shies away. “It is scrumptious, Zarya. I assure you that you will love it very much.”
Syd and Syndin now join us, their curious eyes on the worms.
“Will it poison me?” Zarya asks, blinking at them.
“Of course not.”
She hesitantly takes hold of a light blue one and bites off half of it. At first, her eyebrows descend, but then her entire face lights with glee. “It is indeed scrumptious!”
The twins grab for some as well and marvel at its tastiness.
“May I have a word with you, Damarian?” Mother asks.
The smile that I most certainly have on my face vanishes. I nod before following her into a private room toward the back of the cave. She floats before me with a stern expression on her face. “Where have you been these past two days?”
My gaze disconnects with hers. I cannot bear to see the disappointed look in her eyes. I have seen it one too many times on Father’s face, but it causes me pain to see it on Mother’s. Every part of my being wishes to tell her all that I have experienced the past week, how I met a lovely female and wish to spend more of my days with her. How happy I am. But Mother worries about us, and if she was aware that I have traveled to land and have exposed myself to a human, she would not rest easy. She would constantly worry about me, and the last thing I wish is to cause her pain. I know that if I wish to spend eternity with Cassie Price, I will have to inform her, but as of now, I do not wish to cause her any unease.
As much as I do not appreciate lying to her, I realize I do not have another option. Returning my gaze to her face and raising my head in confidence, I say, “I have been far from the colony, Mother. I needed to be alone to make sense of my thoughts.”
Concern enters her eyes. “You have spent your hours far from the colony? That is dangerous! You could have stumbled upon a rogue shark or been spotted by a human or perhaps gotten captured in their nets or their hooks or—”
I swim closer and lay my hands on her shoulders. “Do not fret, Mother. Fiske was with me. I have not been in danger. I am all right.”
The concern does not fade from her face.
I touch her cheek. “Please do not worry about me. I am able to protect myself outside the colony.”
“Can you?” She pushes away from me. “The humans have moved deeper into the sea. One day…” She swallows.
“No, they will never reach the colony. The Sentinels will make certain of that.”
Mother returns to me, taking hold of my face in her hands. “Can you promise me that you will not leave the colony again?”
My head turns away. No, I cannot make that promise. I wish to return to Cassie. But I do not wish to cause Mother and my family alarm. When I look back at her face, I see her nerves have only increased. I touch her cheek again. “I am no longer a fry, Mother. You should not fret over me in this manner.”
“You will always be my fry. A mother never stops being concerned over her fry.” She examines my face closely, then presses her lips to my forehead. “If you must leave, I cannot sto
p you. You are indeed no longer a fry. But please be careful. Take Fiske with you on all your travels.”
My tail coils around hers. “I wish you did not worry.”
“It is no matter. Soon you will be mated with the princess and will take the throne. I understand your need to journey through the sea before you accept such a responsibility.”
My chest feels stiff. She and every single child of the sea still believe I will take the throne. Princess Flora must not have told Father how I fled from her. All my life, I did not fully understand how Mother felt about my taking the throne. Father has been adamant about it because the crown belongs to his family. He is the rightful king. I suppose Mother only wishes to do what is right, and the right thing is for the true prince to take the crown.
I turn away from her and return to the main room where the little ones are enjoying their gummy worms on the floor. The bag is nearly empty. Doria and Kiander still sit at the table, Kiander chewing on some fish bones. I join them.
“You should not have done this to Mother,” Doria says. “She worried about your whereabouts.”
“There was no need. Fiske assured you I was well and safe.”
“No one is well and safe outside the colony, Damarian! The humans—”
“I have left the colony many times,” I say. “More than you know. It is not as perilous as you claim. King Palaemon is too strict.”
“And I suppose you will be less strict?” Kiander asks.
My gaze drops to the fish bones on the table. I take some in my hands and break them. “I am not certain.”
“Have you not been contemplating your rule day and night? You will be sworn to protect every creature in the sea.”
“I am well aware of that, Brother.”
“You cannot make decisions within seconds. Every thought and decision must be weighted and—”
