by Dee J. Stone
“Another thing we have in common.”
I rub my nose against hers. “Yes.”
Just as she asks me if I would like breakfast, the door to her room opens and a female human appears in the entryway. She has hair a similar shade as the tails of the Ruby clan, although it is a much shorter length, at her chin. Her eyes are brown, like Cassie’s, and she resembles her. She must be—
“Mom?” Cassie gasps.
“Cassie?” Cassie’s mother’s eyes move from her to me, her expression utterly bewildered.
“What are you doing here?” Cassie asks, her cheeks red.
Cassie’s mother stares at us, her mouth opened. Then she steps toward us and stretches out her hand to me. “I’m Joanie.”
I shake her hand. “Damian.”
“What are you doing home?” Cassie asks.
“I feel so bad for always leaving you. So I spoke to my boss and got a few days off.”
I do not understand what she has just said.
Cassie glances at me, then at her mother Joanie. “Um, Mom, can you please give us some privacy?”
“Oh, sure.” With her back facing the door, she walks to the exit. “And you and I are going to have a talk,” she says to Cassie.
Cassie remains still, her cheeks redder than before. I unbind the blanket from around her body. “You resemble your mother.”
“Yeah. You know what this means? You can’t…I mean, the swimming pool...”
At first I do not comprehend what she is referring to. Then understanding fills me. “I cannot shift into my merman form.”
She nods. “I’m so sorry, Damarian. I didn’t know she’d be back—”
“It is all right. Do not fret.” I attempt to smile, but I am not sure I have succeeded.
She wraps her arms around me. “We’ll think of something, okay?”
I nod, though there is nothing but unease in my body. Cassie rests her head on my chest, her hand rubbing circles on my skin. After some time has passed, she says, “Do you feel okay?”
“Yes.”
Her eyes seem troubled.
“What is the matter?” I ask.
“I’m just thinking.” Her eyes seem even more troubled.
“Please do not fret.”
Her eyebrows dip toward her nose, then she sits up. “We can take a boat and ride deep into the ocean where no one else is around. No people, no boats.”
I very much appreciate how Cassie cares about my predicament. But I do not wish to put her in danger. “Are you certain it will be safe for you to be so far out in the sea?” I ask.
“I don’t have a lot of experience in sailing, but we’ll be okay.”
Though I am worried for her safety, I cannot think of another option. I nod.
We are both silent, each caught in our own thoughts. Cassie wraps her arms around her knees and rocks.
After some time has passed, I begin to feel ill. “When are we to head to sea?”
She leaps to her legs. “You’re feeling sick?”
“A bit.”
She takes hold of my hand and leads me out of the room. I am overwhelmed with a scrumptious smell of food. It is similar to the breakfast dish Cassie and I ate at the restaurant. I do not recall the name, only that it resembles a stingray.
“The smell is divine,” I say.
“My mom’s making breakfast. Pancakes.”
Ah, yes, of course. Pancakes.
As we are set to descend the stairs, Cassie stops and studies our clothes. “It might be a good idea to change.”
I return to my room and she to hers. She placed all my garments in the wooden object she refers to as a dresser. I locate suitable clothes and change into them. Cassie and I meet at the stairs and enter the kitchen. Joanie Price stands at the device known as the stove, preparing the pancakes.
Once she catches sight of us, she smiles. “Hey, kids.”
“You’re making breakfast,” Cassie says. Her tone holds shock and awe. I suppose it is not common for her mother to prepare breakfast.
“Yes, I am.” Joanie’s smile widens.
Cassie looks at me. “Um…Damian needs to run. Family emergency.” Her eyes scrutinize my face, most likely searching for signs that I am not too ill. I admit the pain increases every minute that passes, but I do not wish to cause her any concern.
Joanie’s expression shifts from joy to dejection. “I thought we can eat together. Catch up. Get to know one another.”
I do not wish to be a burden to Cassie and her mother. She has told me that she and Joanie do not share a lot of time together due to her job. But the pain is starting to increases at a very fast pace, and I worry I will collapse soon. “I am afraid I must take my leave.”
Joanie lowers a flat-looking spoon onto the counter and steps close to me, her eyes examining every feature on my face. “Where are you from? I’m trying to pinpoint your accent.”
I look at Cassie, dread and fear filling every part of my being. Cassie squeezes my hand as she pulls me toward the door. “We’ll talk later. Okay, Mom? We really need to run.”
Once the door shuts behind us, Cassie says, “We need to work on your speech.”
“I agree.”
She smiles as she squeezes my hand again. She brings me to a different part of the beach, to an area where human vessels float in the water. I understand Cassie and I are to travel in one? The prospect causes me to feel excited, for I have always wondered what it would feel like to travel on such a vessel.
Cassie speaks to a male human, who rents us a vessel. I learn they are referred to as boats. Cassie assists me into the vessel, then awakens the object with a loud sound.
As we sail deeper into the sea, I cannot help but marvel at how fast we are moving. It is not nearly as fast as the speed I travel when I am a child of the sea, but it is quite fast. And it is quite exhilarating, feeling the wind in my hair.
The pain in my body grows more intense, and without my knowledge, my body bends forward toward the waves, yearning to feel the seawater on my skin.
“No, don’t!” Cassie yells.
I am thrown out of my state and startle. We are still too close to the shore, with too many humans around. “Forgive me,” I say. “I have forgotten. The sea calls for me.”
“It’s okay. We’re almost there.”
As we sail even deeper into the sea, Cassie stares down at the water, her expression a little frightened. Perhaps she is worried of the sharks, perhaps she is worried that the boat will not remain afloat so far into the sea. But I will protect her—she has nothing to fear. I will not allow any harm come her way.
The pain is now much more profound. I do not wish to worry Cassie, but I lean toward the sea, hoping it will ease me.
“Feeling okay?” she asks.
“I feel a bit ill.”
We sail a little longer before she stops the boat. She scans the area, most likely looking for other human boats. Then she turns to me. “Are you ready?”
I raise my hand toward her cheek, noticing how it trembles due to the pain. “I do not wish to part with you.”
She covers my hand with hers. “We won’t stay apart for too long. We’ll figure something out. But you need to get into the ocean first.”
Yes, she is correct. I fear I may collapse at any moment. But before I stand on my legs, I lean closer to Cassie and touch my lips to hers. Her hands clutch onto my shirt and tug me toward her body, her mouth opening eagerly to receive mine. Her actions are so vehement that I lose my balance and fall onto her, causing us to tumble to the bottom of the boat. For a moment, I worry I injured her, but her lips tell me she is quite all right. Our lips move over one another’s almost violently, as though we worry this will be our last time.
I do not wish to end this, but I must. I press my face into her luscious hair. “I shall miss you, Cassie. Very much.”
Her hands grab at my arms. “Me, too.”
“I love you.”
Her body grows still for a moment. Then she rel
axes and whispers, “I love you, too.”
How glad I am to hear that she shares my feelings. “Meet me tonight,” I say. “At the rocks. I will wait for you.”
She does not hesitate to say, “I’ll be there.”
I stare into her eyes. “I cannot bear to live without you.”
She places her hands in mine. “I feel the exact same way. Tonight?”
“Yes.”
The water calls for me. I feel every part of my body longing for it. I kiss the back of Cassie’s hand before raising myself to my legs. After glancing at her, I dive into the sea. At once, I am assaulted by the pain of the shift. When it ends, my head breaks the surface. Cassie is bent over the boat, her worried eyes on the water. They relax when she sees I have successfully transformed into a child of the sea.
She extends her hand toward me. I lift mine. Our hands connect, and I feel a sensation I have never felt before. Complete. This human is the female destined to be my mate. I am quite certain of it.
“I shall see you tonight,” I say.
“Enjoy your time with your family.”
My family. No, I cannot go back there. As much as I wish to, I cannot. Not if I want to spend all eternity with Cassie. But I am sure Cassie would be upset if she were to learn this, therefore I say, “Yes, thank you.”
I lower my hand and am about to swim away, but then I turn around and lay my hand on her cheek. “Parting with you is so difficult.”
Moisture—tears—gathers in her eyes. “I know, but we’ll see each other soon.”
Now that my head is above the sea, I feel tears gathering in my eyes as well.
She leans over the vessel to place a kiss on the top of my head. “Don’t go meeting other human girls.”
“Never. I do not wish to be with anyone but you.”
The tears slide down Cassie’s cheeks. I rub them away with the fingers of my right hand, then touch my own tears with my left. I bring my hands together, causing our tears to fuse and become one. “I am only a sea away,” I say.
She smiles, though it is sad. “Bye, Damarian.”
“Goodbye.”
I turn around, then look back at her. Our eyes remain on one another before I force myself to dive into the sea.
Chapter Twenty-One
I do not call for Fiske, but he meets me after only a few minutes of my being in the sea.
They are furious with me, I say. It is not a question.
It seems Fiske is unsure how to respond. He says, It is because they worry.
The princess? I ask.
He shrugs.
Does she not plan on choosing another mate?
I believe your father still convinces her to wait for you.
I turn away. No, I cannot bear the princess waiting for my return. It is unfair for me to treat her in this manner. But what I am to do? If I go back, Father will force me to mate with her. I shall be tied to her for all eternity. I do not love her and she does not love me. I have experienced love with Cassie Price, and it is my wish for the princess and every child of the sea to experience what I have. Because it is the most loveliest and beautiful thing that exists in the world.
I cannot return, I tell Fiske.
He inclines his head. I understand.
She will eventually choose another mate, I say. Perhaps one that will love her in a way I never could.
He inclines his head again. If you do not wish to return, where will you go? He examines the area. Humans have not ventured this far out, but I must protect you.
I scan the area. Fiske is correct. I cannot remain out here. My cave, I say. It is not too far from the colony, but it is well hidden and I am quite certain no one is aware of its existence. And it is certainly not close to land so I need not worry about the humans.
Very well, Fiske says.
What of your training? You need not remain with me.
You come first, Damarian.
I kiss the top of his head. Many thanks.
He and I travel further into the sea, to a location where many large rocks line the floor. I turn my body and slip through a small opening between two of the rocks. I wait for Fiske to pass through. Before us is an opening to a cave.
It is not like the cave the children of the sea dwell in, for it is quite dark and contains nothing but dark green coral. It is small in size, but it is the perfect location if one wishes to be alone.
I am certain my family will sense me in the sea, but they will most likely be unable to detect my precise location because the cave is so well hidden. It is my hope that they will surrender their attempts at searching for me. As much as it hurts for me to think this, I fear I have no choice. Perhaps if the princess would choose another mate, I will return home. Perhaps then I will tell Father and Mother about the human who has taken my heart. Perhaps then, all will be well.
Fiske and I will remain here until nighttime arrives, until I can once again be with my Cassie.
***
When I awaken, I leave the cave and stare up at the surface. Nighttime has arrived. Fiske is by my side, prepared to escort me to land. I rub his nose, then begin my journey. I worry I may meet a child of the sea, perhaps Father or Doria. But no one is around.
Cassie sits on the rocks, her arms wrapped around her knees. It seems as though she is worried. She must have been waiting for quite some time. I did not realize I am late. I bid farewell to Fiske before swimming to the shore.
“Damarian!”
Cassie waits for me near the tide. I raise my arms and wave enthusiastically.
Once I reach the shore, she takes hold of my hands and heaves me onto the sand. A second later, we are tangled in each other’s arms.
I gently grab hold of the back of her head and bring my lips to hers. As soon as they make contact, I feel as though I have been tossed toward the sky. My entire body is bathed in heat, and my heart pounds wildly. Cassie slides on top of me, her mouth never leaving mine, her hands touching every part of my body.
When she touches the area where my skin meets my tail, she pulls her lips off mine. She opens the bag she brought with her. “I got a blanket to cover you.” She examines the area before stretching the blanket over me. She hands me a towel, takes one for herself, and then we begin drying off my body.
A warm, wonderful feeling fills every part of me as I watch Cassie dry my tail. She is my human, my Cassie. I have so much love for her, I do not know what to do with it.
Once she has finished, she crawls onto me, closing her arms around me. “I want to comfort you during the change.”
I touch her hair. “You do not have to do so.”
“I want to. It hurts me so much to see you in pain.”
“It is all right. I have grown accustomed to the pain. It is more bearable now.”
Just as the words leave my mouth, my body is engulfed in pain. I force my mind to think of Cassie, of her beautiful face, her warm and soft body pressed close to mine, the wonderful conversations we share, the feeling of our lips attached to one another’s.
She mutters words of comfort. “The…pain…” I say. “It is not any more bearable than in the past.” But with Cassie holding me in this manner, it alleviates me a little.
Once it is complete, Cassie brushes a towel on my forehead. Though I am extremely exhausted, I smile to her. “Thank you.”
She takes hold of my hand that is closed in a fist and flattens it out. I slide it into hers, gathering much comfort from her.
Cassie’s entire body grows utterly still. I caress her head. “Cassie?”
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”’
Though it is dark, the moon shines on her face and I can see it is red. “Well…you know...”
She will not meet my gaze. I lift her face so that I can look into her eyes. “I am afraid I do not understand.”
She exhales heavily. Then she mutters, “Sex.”
I feel my eyebrows furrow. “Sex? What is sex?”
Cassie moves, seeming completely un
comfortable. From the look on her face, it seems to be a word that can be quite embarrassing. “So…um. Well, when two people want to have a baby…” She moves again. “You guys do have babies, don’t you?”
“Are you referring to mating?”
“Oh, yeah! Of course. Mating.”
“Certainly we mate,” I tell her.
For a second, her eyes move to my legs before returning to my face. “So how exactly…?”
I cannot help but laugh at how endearing my Cassie is. “The scales move aside when the child of the sea is…excited.”
She merely looks at me as though she does not understand me. Then she nods. “Oh. Yeah.”
“Why do you ask?”
“No reason,” she is quick to say. “I guess that’s one of those things a human might wonder about a merman…”
I gather her to my chest and whisper into her ear, “I think about it.”
Cassie does not move, though I feel her heart beat rapidly.
“I wish to mate with you,” I say.
My words cause Cassie’s eyes to flutter shut and her body to grow limp, her breathing unstable. I gently place my hands on her middle and twist us around so that I am the one lying atop her body. “As a human, I feel it more,” I say.
She does not speak, her breathing more unstable, her eyes barely open.
My finger sweeps across her cheek. “Have I upset you?”
“No…not at all,” she says in a barely audible voice. “I’m finding it hard...to do anything.”
“The emotions overwhelm you?”
She nods.
I gather her closer to my chest. “We cannot, Cassie.” My voice holds nothing but regret.
“Why?” Her voice is almost pained.
“I am not certain what…what shall be the result.”
She is a human and I am a child of the sea. If we were to mate and have fry…what if it would injure her? Kill her? I do not think I could bear it.
And then there is another matter. Children of the sea mate for life. I love Cassie very much, but I cannot declare myself to her yet, not when there are so many uncertainties in my life.
“So what do we do?” she asks.
