by Dee J. Stone
“For stealing Damarian from you.”
She circles me, once again examining me from top to bottom. “I will admit it was my desire to punish you,” she says. I shut my eyes. “But that was how I felt initially.” My eyes open. “It was before I met Kiander.” Her voice is soft, filled with love.
I stare at her. I assumed both Kiander and Flora married for duty. “You loved him before you mated?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “When he approached me with the proposition to be my mate, I had different feelings toward him. Ones I did not feel for Damarian. I realized it was love and that he was to be my mate.” She smiles wryly. “You have done me a service, Cassie Price.” Her eyes narrow again. “I however do not appreciate that you are human.”
So much for thinking she might actually like me.
She circles me again. “What does a child of the sea see in a human?”
I swallow a few times. “Children of the sea are not that different from humans, Your Highness.”
“So claims your mate.” She comes to a stop in front of me. “Syren informed me you have transformed into a child due to your mating with Damarian.”
Is it normal in this world to talk so freely about one’s personal life? “Um…yeah.”
“I have not heard of such a thing.”
“Am I the only human who turned into a mermaid—a child of the sea?”
She shrugs. “I am not aware of another.”
I don’t know what to say to that.
She grabs hold of my arm. “Let us sit.” She leads me to a small room on the left, where there is a table and chairs made out of sapphire crystals. She sits at the head and tells me to sit on her right.
“You are a human,” she says. “Damarian is a child of the sea.”
I raise my eyebrows, not understanding what she’s telling me.
“You are two different species. It is against nature for you to mate.”
I’m about to open my mouth and tell her where she can shove it, but she raises her hand. “Children of the sea mate for life. Since Damarian is tied to you for all eternity, nature had to make it so that you can remain mated.” Her eyes intensify. “That is the reason you are now a child of the sea.”
I just stare at her as her words swirl around in my head. “You’re saying it wasn’t the actual mating that caused me to change, but because it’s the only way Damarian and I can stay together?”
She nods. “It is what I believe. As queen of the children of the sea, I have the ability to return you to a human. Only a human.”
My head springs up and hope fills me. “That’s right. You can.” Just like Kiander was able to unbanish Damarian and Kyle.
She holds out her hand again. “But if I were to change you to a human—permanently—you would no longer be mated to Damarian.”
My whole body deflates as the hope seeps out of me.
“There is more,” Flora continues. “As I already stated, children of the sea mate for life. They cannot take another.”
My heart lurches as I finally grasp what she’s telling me. If she changes me back to a human, Damarian and I can no longer be mated because it goes against nature. Since merpeople mate for life, it would leave Damarian without a mate. He will be single his whole life.
This sucks. So bad. Tears enter my eyes. I’m stuck being a mermaid. It never occurred to me that there might be a way for me to change back to a human and only a human. I just accepted it for what it was. Now I learned there is a way. But it has a price. A very big price.
“You do not have to make decisions now,” Flora says. “We have a more pressing matter to attend to.”
“We do?”
“Syren informed me that you are able to sense your mate.”
I nod.
“Many have not believed my words as true. Father stated it is my deep desire that has made me think I feel my mate.”
“You sense Kiander?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Why can we sense them when no one else can?”
For the first time, I see a different emotion on her face. Grief. “They are our mates,” she says, her voice low. “Our beloveds. A bond shared with a mate is like no other bond. It is deep, made of intense, eternal love. It cannot be broken easily.” Her eyes bore into me. “It is not like bonds human mates share. We share a heart, a body, a soul. And when our bodies become one, so do our minds.”
I understand completely what she’s saying. I felt so close to Damarian when we were both merpeople. It was something I couldn’t explain, something that wasn’t tangible. We haven’t slept together in these forms, but from what Flora’s telling me, it sounds wonderful.
“I did not wish to believe Father,” she says. “I know Kiander is alive.”
“Then why won’t you let Syren gather a party to look for them?”
She shakes her head. “They are in the Deep.”
“So?”
“We cannot survive there. As queen of the children of the sea, it is my duty to protect each and every one of my kind. Venturing into the Deep would only cause deaths.”
“What else can we do?”
Her eyes suddenly light up, like an idea entered her head.
“What is it?” I ask.
“You sense Damarian.”
“Yeah.”
“I sense Kiander.” She mutters something under her breath. “Is it possible?”
“Is what?” I ask, losing all my patience.
“What do you sense?” she asks. “Tell me in detail.”
I close my eyes and try to concentrate. “I feel his heartbeat.”
“What else?”
“I don’t know. I can’t explain it. It’s like I feel him in my heart. Do you feel the same?”
She nods. “Individually, we may not be able to locate our mates. But perhaps together we might.”
“What?”
“I do not wish for Syren to venture into the Deep because he does not know where to look. But if he were to know where the rebels are holding them, perhaps they can save them.”
“You think we can locate them together?”
“Perhaps. Are you prepared?”
I’m ready to do anything. “Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Flora holds out her hands. “Place your hands in mine.”
As soon as I do, my eyes flutter closed and my vision gets bright, like someone is shining a flashlight in my face. Gradually, it dissolves until I can see again. I’m chasing Damarian in the park on rollerblades. The place is deserted, of people, birds, everything. I hear his laughter as he speeds farther away. “How are you such a pro?” I call as I try to catch up.
“It is because I am a child of the sea,” he calls after me, rolling faster.
“That makes no sense! You shouldn’t be walking well, let alone blading.”
If I go any faster, I’m going to trip and fall. Coming to a stop, I bend over and rest my hands on my knees, breathing heavily as my chest burns. I scan around, but don’t see my merman anywhere.
“Damarian?” I ask.
Complete silence.
“Where are you?”
Nothing.
I push away the alarm gathering in my heart. “This isn’t time for games.” Something rustles in the bushes nearby. I whirl around. “Damarian?”
Something jumps out and tackles me to the ground. Damarian splatters me with kisses. I slap his shoulder. “You scared me.”
“I apologize.” He kisses me again. “I am really enjoying myself. Are you?”
“Of course. As long as you’re with me, I’m the happiest person alive.”
He rests his forehead against mine. “Your feelings match mine.”
My fingers comb through his hair. “You’ll never leave me, Damarian, will you?”
“Never, my love. Nothing can ever keep me from you.”
My hands pull on some strands. “What if we were miles apart and it was raining fire?”
He fingers my bottom lip. �
��I would risk getting burned.”
“What if there was a tornado keeping us apart?”
He nuzzles my nose. “I do not know what that is.” He gathers me in his arms, dipping his head to plant more kisses on my face. My head rolls back and my eyes close. His lips are warm, inviting, and they taste like salt water.
“You taste good,” I mutter.
His chest rumbles as he laughs. “It does not compare to how you taste.”
That makes me laugh. I untangle myself from his arms and get to my feet. “Catch me if you can, merman.”
I race away. Only a few seconds later, I feel him behind me, and less than a second after that, his arms come around me and lift me, flipping me upside down so that my hair nearly sweeps the ground. It reminds me of the time I tried to race him in my pool. There was no way I was going to win—I was no match for a creature from the sea. And it seems I’m just as unskilled on land.
“Do you have to show off?” I tease.
“Yes, for I enjoy seeing the fire in your eyes.”
He lowers me to the ground and leans against a tree, tugging me close. He puts both hands on my waist and bends forward to press a kiss on my throat. Then he strokes my cheek. “My Cassie,” he murmurs.
I return the stroke. “My Damarian.”
His fingers take hold of one of my braids and starts undoing it. Even though he’s done this many times, every experience feels new, like it’s the first time. Romantic and special. When he’s finished with the second one, he brushes his fingers through the strands, raising his hands until they massage my scalp. A soft moan escapes my mouth.
Slow music starts to play. It sounds like a symphony. At first, I think it’s in my head, due to Damarian skimming his lips up and down my neck. Then I realize it’s real. I look to my right and left but don’t see anything. All of the sudden, we’re no longer wearing rollerblades. Damarian wraps his arms around me and starts to sway to the beat of the music.
I gaze into his eyes. “Where did you learn to do this?”
“From the TV. Do you enjoy it?” He presses his lips to my ear.
“Mmm. I like it a lot.” I lock my arms around him. “You never cease to amaze me.”
He kisses my forehead. “Your feelings match mine.”
Firecrackers shoot in the sky. Damarian and I continue swaying to the music. “Thanks,” I tell him. “For being in my life. For saving me when I wiped out surfing. But most importantly, thanks so much for coming back after you returned home the first time.” I brush some hair out of his eyes. “And thanks so much for always coming back when you visit your family.”
He takes my hand in his and twirls me around. Then he dips me. Before I have a chance to blink, he throws me into the air and catches me in his arms. He kisses me before saying, “You do not have to thank me. It is enough that I hold you in my arms.”
He lowers me to the ground and spins me around so my back presses into his chest. With his hands around my stomach, we continue to sway to the music. Every so often, his lips run up and down my neck, sending chills all over my body.
“I love you,” I whisper. “Forever.”
“And I love you,” he whispers back. “For all eternity.”
He lays me down on the grass and settles on top of me, putting his weight on his elbows so he doesn’t hurt me. I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer to me. The sky gets dark and stars twinkle in the sky.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this happy,” I tell him. “We have our whole lives ahead of us, Damarian. I’m so excited to share every part of it with you.”
“As am I.”
He kisses me passionately, causing every part of me to throb. As I close my eyes, I feel like I’m rising to the sky, floating on a cloud. When I open them, I see we’re flying, heading to.... “Space,” I say, smiling up at him. “The place you want to explore.”
We’re out of Earth’s orbit and continue floating. I show Damarian the planets, the moons, our satellites. He watches everything with intrigued eyes. “Your world fascinates me,” he says. “I cannot wait to learn all I can.”
“And I can’t wait to learn all I can about yours.”
Suddenly, we plummet to Earth, down and down, heading toward the ocean. We land on my surf board. The waves, which started out flat only a few seconds ago, turn more violent, perfect for surfing. Damarian’s arms are clasped around me as we ride the waves. I’m wearing my royal blue bikini and Damarian has matching swim trunks on. Water splashes at us from all different directions.
“This is incredible!” Damarian shouts. Keeping one hand on my waist, he raises the other one and spreads it out. “It is like flying.”
We ride the most massive wave I’ve ever seen. We don’t wipe out, just continue sailing forever. The wave never ends. Damarian turns me around and holds me close. We should topple over, but we don’t. We stare into each other’s eyes as we continue to sail, experiencing a deep, magical moment.
The surfboard disappears and we drop into the water. The waves turn calm. Damarian’s legs kick against mine as he treads. “Legs,” I say. “You have legs in the ocean.”
He stares down at himself, his face surprised, fascinated. Giving me a sweet smile, he drags me closer to him, placing my legs around his middle. I don’t feel the stickiness of his tail, but skin.
Damarian’s lips find mine. “I never imagined I would experience this with you,” he murmurs. He falls on his back and spreads out his arms. I’m sitting on top of him, resting my hands on his chest and staring into his beautiful eyes. As merpeople, we shared a unique bond in the ocean. Now as humans, we share another bond, different but just as deep. We’re not in his world now, but mine.
No one is around. No boats, nothing. It’s like Damarian and I are in our own little world, where no one can keep us apart. I lie down on him, resting my lips on his jaw. “I can stay here forever.”
“How I long for it,” he says softly.
We float in the water like this, talking, laughing, kissing. The waves carry us deeper into the ocean. A blue whale soars in the air, startling us. We tip over and crash into the water. Laughing, we break the surface.
The whale swims closer to us. Reaching out my hands, I touch it. It feels soft, smooth, and warm. Damarian rests his hands on it, too, and it takes off, diving deep into the water. I’m not a mermaid, but I can breathe and see clearly. My legs kick after me as the whale swims. Its massive tail is so graceful as it pumps him forward. Damarian and I lock eyes on one another and smile. “Have you done this before?” I ask, surprised I can talk underwater.
He shakes his head. “These creatures like to keep to themselves.”
My legs transform into a tail, without any pain. When I glance at Damarian, I see his familiar one. Together, in sync, the three of us leap out of the water. We soar high in the air, and I swear I can almost touch the sky. I stay suspended in the air for what feels like forever, in slow motion, my arms spread out, my face raised to the clouds. The whale is between us, but somehow, Damarian and I lock hands.
We dive into the ocean and leap again, doing this a few more times. The whale swims away, and I’m in Damarian’s arms. “We were in my world,” I tell him. “Now we are in yours.” I gaze up at him. “Total freedom, without anything or anyone getting in our way. It’s what we’ve always wanted.”
“There is more,” he says against my mouth. His lips sweep across it. “More I would like to share with you.”
I touch his cheek. “Show me.”
Taking my hand in his, he submerges underwater, pulling me along. We pass the fish, the frogs, the seaweed, the turtles, the rays, and all the other creatures. Our hands run along the coral, our tails wrap around each other. Damarian takes me by the waist and spins around in the water, showering me with kisses. We somersault, we leap out of the water.
Then he takes my hand and leads me further deep.
The temperature drops. The area gets cold. I feel pressure by my ears, pressure I’ve never felt before
. “Damarian?” I pant as my ears ring.
“You will love it,” he tells me, clutching my hand tighter and towing me along.
“Damarian,” I groan. “Stop. It hurts.”
We swim further into the ocean. The place is ice cold and pricks my skin. Glancing down at my hands, I see they are blue.
“Damarian!”
He continues pulling me along.
“Where are you taking me?”
We slip through an opening in the water. The area gets pitch black.
“Damarian?” I call frantically, reaching for his hands. I don’t find them.
“Cassie!” his voice calls.
“Where are you?” I shout, squinting, desperately searching for him. But I can’t see a thing.
“Why did you come?” he asks, his voice weak, defeated.
“Damarian.” There’s a sob in my voice. “Where are you?”
“Stay out of the sea, my love,” he whispers. “Out of the sea.”
“No! I came to find you. Tell me where you are.”
There’s a flash of lightning. He shouts out in pain.
“Damarian!” I surge forward, but knock into something hard. Like a big piece of stone. My fingers trace it. It’s smooth. “Damarian,” I whisper.
“Out of the sea, my sweet Cassie.” His voice is barely audible now.
Another flash of lightning, another cry. But this time, my own cry explodes out of my mouth. It feels like I’m getting electrocuted. My body twists and turns, my tail throwing me around. This is nothing compared to how I feel when I shift from one form to the other. I didn’t think I could feel any pain worse than that, but I do.
I lift weak hands toward the wall and bang my fists on it. “Damarian…”
Suddenly, I’m shooting in the air, and that same light blinds me. When I open my eyes, I find myself on the floor of the palace, a violet tail in my face.
Two Sapphires and a Violet rush inside. They lift Flora, then me. “I…” I sputter. “I know where they are.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“As do I,” Flora says.
The three mermen stare at us.
“They are indeed in the Deep,” Flora says. “Together with Cassie Price, I know their precise location.”
