by Dee J. Stone
It takes as much time as usual, but right now it feels like hours. When it’s finally over, I move closer to him with the towel and dab his forehead, then his hair that’s still slightly wet. I lay myself over him, pressing my cheek to his.
“Cassie,” he says, his voice laced with relief, joy, and love.
“Damarian,” I whisper, stroking the side of his face.
“How are you?”
I almost forgot about everything that’s happened. When I’m with Damarian, it feels like the world is made of rainbows and chocolate bunnies. Swallowing, I say, “I’m okay.”
He caresses my cheek. “I apologize, my sweet Cassie. I do not believe I can remain on land.”
It feels like he slammed a hammer into my heart. I raise my head and look into his eyes. “What?”
“All is not well in the sea,” he says, his voice barely audible. I have to lean in close to hear him.
“What…what do you mean?”
He glances back at the ocean again. “All is not well in the sea.”
“You said that already. Damarian, what’s going on? Does this have anything to do with the shark attack?”
He encloses me in his arms. “You must listen carefully,” he whispers into my ear. “Do not enter the sea. Do you understand?”
My body feels numb. “Why?”
He looks away from me. “I did not inform you of this matter sooner, for I did not wish to upset you. But you must be aware of it now. You are in grave danger.”
I’m officially spooked. Tears choke me. “Damarian.”
“Do not cry, my love. I shall protect you.”
“Why—why am I in danger?”
He doesn’t answer.
I touch his cheek. “You need to tell me. You can’t protect me all the time. I need to know what’s going on. Please.”
He nods slowly. “Very well.” He presses me closer to his body. I feel his heart beating at a very fast pace. “There are children of the sea who do not approve of the union between King Kiander and Queen Flora. They have rebelled against the kingdom.”
I can’t feel my limbs. No, no, no. Why does this keep happening? All Damarian and I want is to be together. Why does it seem like forces are purposely trying to screw us over?
“But you said they want a Sapphire to rule. Your brother is a Sapphire.”
“Yes, but I am the true heir to the crown. The true king.”
“What difference does that make?” Every part of me pulses in anger. “Kiander agreed to be the king. What more do they want from you? Isn’t anything ever enough for you people?”
As soon as the words leave my mouth, I regret them. I just called Damarian’s kind “you people.” I’m just so frustrated and hurt. All I want is to be with Damarian. I don’t want to have to fight for him all the time. I just want him to be mine.
He rests his forehead against mine. “Children of the sea are very traditional, my love. We are not fond of changing our ways. The battle many moons ago tore the crown from the true king. Many want it returned to where it belongs.”
My chest huffs and puffs as I try to regulate my breathing. It isn’t fair. None of this is fair. I thought we could finally be together once Kiander agreed to marry Princess Flora and become king. He lifted the banishment off Damarian and Kyler. He’s a good king. Why can’t the merpeople appreciate what they have?
They aren’t that much different from humans.
“They are aware that I have been on land,” Damarian says, slowly and carefully so I hear every word. “They believe I pushed my duty aside for a fantasy.”
“It’s not a fantasy,” I utter, tears rolling down my cheeks.
“They wish for me to be ruler.”
I grip his shoulders and cry into his chest. “No. No!”
He runs his hand up and down my back. “Fret not, Cassie.”
I lift my head off him and stare into his eyes. “That’s why they attacked Kayla,” I realize. “They wanted to punish the humans. Punish me. Us.”
Damarian nods, his lips in a straight line.
Kayla is dead because of me. It is my fault. Bitter tears prick my eyes. She didn’t deserve it. “Who sent the shark?” Please don’t say Kyle. I can’t bear the thought that the guy I once loved, and the guy I helped return to his home, would betray me like this.
“I am not certain. It is one of the rebels from the Emerald clan.”
“Kyler?” I croak.
His eyes flash with surprise. “Kyler of the Emerald clan? No.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, he is not a rebel.”
My body sags a bit in relief. “Who are these rebels?”
“They are members from many clans. Most belong to the Emerald and the Diamond clans, for they are supporters of the Sapphires.”
I can’t take this anymore. I don’t want to believe any of this. I just want to be with Damarian. Why can’t I be with him?
“Do they know about me? That I’m…that I’m a mermaid?”
Darkness conquers his features. “I do not believe so. I fear to think how they would react if they discover you are a child of the sea.”
My heart is beating so fast I’m growing lightheaded. “What do you mean by that? You think they’d kill me?”
He looks away. “I do not know.” He takes my face in his hands. “Do not enter the sea. I beg you.”
Tears pool out of my eyes as I nod.
“Do not fret, my love,” he says. “I will allow no harm to come your way.” His lips tickle my ear. “All will be well. I shall make it so.”
“They…” I clear my throat. “They can come on land.”
He shakes his head. “They will not be quick to leave the sea.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It is not our nature or our will to leave the sea.”
“Even to kidnap me?” I ask.
He nods.
“So what are we supposed to do now? Stay parted forever?”
His arms come around me. “I will return to the sea and we shall make peace. I am yours, Cassie. For all eternity.” His lips graze my cheek. “I shall return to you as soon as I can.”
“Will you be in danger? Can they hurt you?”
He hesitates before saying, “No.”
“Damarian—”
“They will not harm me, Cassie. I am quite certain of it, for they wish me to be their king.”
Fresh tears form in my eyes.
“Cassie,” he says softly.
“Kiss me.”
He tucks his fingers under my chin and lifts my face to his. Dipping his head, he slowly brings his lips to mine, stopping just a few inches away. I feel his warm breath on my face. My whole body throbs with the anticipation of feeling them once again on my mouth. He inches them closer and closer at a very slow pace. Like he wants to savor the moment because he’s not sure when the next time will be.
When his lips finally make contact with mine, my mouth explodes. I pull him closer to me, molding my body against him until every single part of me touches every single part of him. Our lips move over each other urgently and desperately. I feel so much in this kiss. The fear, the uncertainty, the passion and love. The determination not to give up on one another. People want to tear us apart, but we won’t let them. I hold my merman tightly in my arms and raise a fist in the air. Nothing and no one will come between us. Nothing and no one.
“Cassie,” he says between kisses. “Cassie.”
We don’t stop kissing. We just pause for air and to moan each other’s names. I feel protected in his arms and know that no one can hurt me. But what will I do when he’s gone? How long is he going to stay away? And will he be able to make peace with the rebels?
He lays me down on the sand and showers kisses all over my face, my neck, my upper chest. My fingers cling to his hair and I pull on the strands. I don’t want his lips to lose contact with my skin. I don’t want him to return to the ocean. I fasten my legs around him and don’t let him go. I won�
��t. He and I are going to stay together forever.
Damarian’s lips trek up my neck to my lips, then he lays his forehead against mine. “I shall return to you as soon as I can.”
I tighten my legs around him. “Don’t go. Please.”
“My beautiful Cassie,” he says, bringing his lips back to mine. This kiss holds so much love and longing that I’m left breathless. His fingers dig into my waist as he kisses me long and hard. Every time he tries to break away, I yank him back to me. He’s not leaving me. He’s not.
“Do not enter the sea,” he whispers against my lips.
“Stop,” I say. “We’re not saying goodbye.”
“Do not allow strangers into your house.”
“Stop!”
“In case they are to come on land, be vigilant, my love.” He buries his head between my neck and shoulder. “I do not wish any harm to come your way. My Cassie.”
My hands play with his hair. “This isn’t goodbye, Damarian. Please don’t let it be goodbye.”
“The sun is in the sky,” he says into my shoulder. “I do not wish to part with you, but I must.” When he raises his head, I see his cheeks are caked with tears.
I throw my arms around him. “Damarian.”
“I must go, Cassie.”
“No,” I cry. “Please, no.”
“Be vigilant.” He gently untangles himself from me. “I shall return soon.”
“Damarian,” I say weakly as he dives into the ocean. “Damarian!”
I’m still lying on the sand. I’m too broken to sit up. I only manage to lift my head. His head peeks out of the water. He blows me a kiss and waves.
“No,” I beg. “Come back. Please.”
“I shall return to you, my love,” is the last thing I hear. My head falls back and I stare at the light sky. Tears rain down my cheeks and I can hardly breathe through my nose. My chest rises and falls violently as I try to catch my breath.
I curl into a ball and weep into my hands. “Damarian.”
Chapter Twenty
I texted Leah to come over as soon as her shift ends. The second she walks through the door, she yanks me in for a big hug. “Are you okay?”
“Not really.”
We sit down on the couch and I tell her everything, about the rebels, how they might want to kill me, how Damarian is in the ocean now, trying to make peace.
Her eyes and mouth are the widest I’ve ever seen. “This sounds like something from a book or a movie.”
Sticking my hands under my knees and staring at the floor, I mumble, “That’s not the half of it.”
“What?”
After taking a deep breath, I say, “Follow me.”
I lead her down the stairs and into the pool room. Her eyebrows rise in confusion and curiosity. My fingers reach for the hem of my shirt. “Don’t freak out, okay?”
“What are you doing?”
I pull the shirt over my head, then shimmy out of my pants. “Just promise me you won’t freak.”
She blinks at me. “You’re stripping naked. How am I not supposed to freak?”
Don’t say I didn’t warn her. Raising my hands over my head, I jump into the pool.
It hits me at once, the tingling, the pain. I twist and flail around, every cell in my body crying out. In the back of my mind, I know this will end soon, but as I’m burning in an invisible inferno, all I can think about is how much I want to die, just so this will be over.
And then it is. My body falls to the floor of the pool. Kicking off, I break the surface. Nothing could have prepared me for the expression on Leah’s face.
She backs away, her eyes so wide they look like they’re about to pop out of their sockets. Her mouth opens and closes. She stumbles back, trips over her feet, and hits the ground.
Pretty much the same reaction I had when I saw Damarian in his merman form for the first time.
I prop my elbows on the edge and lift myself a little so I can peer at her. She’s splat on her back, her eyes locked on the ceiling, not blinking. It’s like she’s in shock.
“So as you can see,” I say. “I’m not pregnant.”
A large breath breaks out of her mouth. She turns her head and gapes at me.
“Surprise,” I mutter.
“Mer…” she chokes. “Mer…”
“Mermaid,” I offer.
She slowly sits up, her whole body shaking. She blinks, her mouth wide open. She backs away until she hits the wall, mumbling things I can’t hear.
I hold out my hand. “Leah, it’s okay.”
“Are you insane? How is it okay? You’re a mermaid. Holy shit, you’re a freaking mermaid.”
I flinch. “At least you’re no longer in shock.”
“Think again.” Her breathing is heavy.
The room gets dead silent.
“What the hell, Cass?” Leah finally says. “You’re a mermaid. Look at your hands. They’re webbed!”
I nod. I almost forgot Leah’s never seen a mermaid, or merman, before. I’m so used to how Damarian looks, but she’s not. I’m not surprised that she’s freaking out like this, though it does make me feel like a freak.
“And your eyes are blue! They look exactly like Damarian’s.”
“I guess all merpeople have the same color eyes.”
“Do you know how crazy this is?” Leah says.
“I’m the mermaid, aren’t I?”
She shakes her head in disbelief.
I reach to touch her, but she’s too far away. And I don’t miss the way she cringes. It’s a slap across the face, but I guess I don’t blame her.
“So you’re a mermaid now?” she asks, pressing her lips together like she’s scared of my answer.
“I guess.”
She hangs her head between her legs. “This is so insane. My best friend is a fish.”
“Thanks for making me feel better.”
She lifts her head, her expression apologetic and full of regret. “Sorry. I just…you’re used to this kind of stuff. You see Damarian change every day. Me…not so much.”
I nod. “I understand how freaked you are. But I needed to tell you. You’re my best friend.”
“How long have you been like this?”
“A few days. I’ve been in the ocean, Leah. Swimming with Damarian. It was amazing. Like scuba diving, but with so much more freedom.”
She shakes her head in disbelief again. “I can’t believe I’m having this conversation.” She crawls a little closer, though not too close. “So you need to swim in there twice a day?”
I stare down at the water. When was the last time I swam? Was it two days ago? It was definitely more than twelve hours. If I was Damarian, my body would have been crying for salt water after so many hours without it. Is it different for me?
“I…I don’t know,” I say.
We’re both quiet. I see how Leah keeps her gaze mostly on my face and not the lower half of my body. It stings a little because I don’t want this to affect our relationship.
“I guess I’ll get out,” I say.
I’ve never gone out of the water on my own before as a mermaid. Damarian always gave me a lift. “Can you help?” I ask.
She looks at me like I asked her to slice off my arm with a saw. “Uh…sure.”
As she stands, her knees wobble. She breathes in and out, rubbing her hands down her clothes. I watch as she hesitantly scans me, from head to tail. “That tail is so pretty.” She covers her face. “God, I can’t believe this.”
Again, I don’t blame her. I was so blown away when I saw Damarian’s tail for the first time.
“Take my hands and pull me,” I tell her. “I’ll try to swing my tail.”
She blinks a few times. “Swing your tail. Right.” She looks down at my webbed hands. “Um…”
“It’s okay…” I say, holding them out. She slowly brings hers closer, inch by inch, until they’re only a few centimeters apart. Then, she slides them into mine.
She yanks them away. “Weird.
They feel like normal hands yet they don’t.” She takes hold of both my hands again and yanks me. Her eyes bulge as she stumbles forward, nearly falling into the pool. “What is that thing made of? Stone?”
“Sorry…”
She takes in another large gulp of air. Squeezing my hands, she groans as she pulls me. I try to swing my tail over the edge, but we’re not working together, our movements not in sync. I lose all my energy and slip back into the pool. Luckily, Leah lets go before I take her down with me.
I sink to the bottom of the pool.
“Cassie!” Leah’s voice is frantic.
I wave my hand, telling her I’m okay.
“I was just about to dive in to save you, then I realized you can breathe underwater. Duh.”
When I get some energy, I swim to the surface and rest my elbows on the edge of the pool. “Let’s try again, but we need to work together.”
“Okay.”
It takes a few tries, and maybe ten minutes, but I finally manage to haul myself out of the pool with so much force that I bang into Leah. She gets tangled around me and a chair tips over, falling on top of us.
She rubs her elbow. “Damn, you’re strong.”
“Sorry.”
She stares at me, from the top to my head to my tail. “So…what happens now? You change?”
“Yeah, once I dry up. Can you please bring me a few towels from the upstairs closet?”
“Sure.” She heads for the door, then looks back at me, at my tail. She shakes her head in disbelief once again before disappearing up the stairs.
I think she’s taking this whole thing rather well.
When she returns with two large towels, I wrap one around my torso and ask her to do the same with my tail. She crouches down to her knees and stares at it for a bit before slowly wrapping the towel around it. I fold my arms over my chest and lean against the wall. A few minutes pass.
“How long does it take?” Leah asks.
“I don’t know. It depends on how dry—” I cry out when I feel acute pain in my lower abdomen. My back hits the floor and my palms flatten on the tiles as I try to clutch onto something—anything—as the pain travels from my stomach all the way to my toes.
