Merman's Touch (Merman's Kiss, Book 2)

by Dee J. Stone

  “I’ll be fine, Cass.”

  I glance at the other injured merpeople who are getting ready to return home. “Go back,” I tell Kyle.

  “Never.”

  “Don’t be stubborn.”

  “I’m going to help rescue Damarian and Kiander.”

  I fold my arms. “I’m guessing Emeralds are extremely stubborn?”

  He grins.

  “Fine,” I say. “But get some rest.” After giving him a quick hug, I make my way to Syren.

  “Are you sure you are well?” he asks. “Forgive me for pushing you.”

  “It’s okay. You kind of saved my life. Thanks.”

  He bows his head, then tilts it to the side. I step closer and widen my eyes. Two Guards are holding down a Diamond merman.

  “You caught one,” I say.

  “Yes. He will provide us with the answers we need.” Regret enters his eyes. “Even if we will need to acquire it forcefully.”

  Bile rises in my throat. He’ll have no choice but to torture him.

  “I do not wish for the others to see what I am to do,” Syren says. “Perhaps you would not like to witness it, either.”

  I nod. “Thanks. Let me know if you find anything.”

  I return to Kyle, who looks a lot better than he did a few minutes ago. I examine his injury. It seems to be healing, though it looks painful.

  “I told you I’m fine, Cass.” He smirks. “When was the last time you looked at your face?”

  Rolling my eyes, I wipe away the gunk from my eyes, nose, and mouth. “A shark exploded all over me.” I glance at Shoney, who is with the other sharks, keeping watch. “My shark is pretty bad-ass. I’m lucky to have her.”

  “You’ll never find a more loyal creature than a shark,” Kyle says.

  Kayla’s bloody body and arm stump enter my head. I wonder if Kyle and the rest of the merpeople know about the attack. Would they even care? I don’t bring it up because I don’t want to start anything. Not when we need to put all of our focus on finding Kiander and Damarian.

  Shouts are heard. Everyone’s bodies grow tense, their eyes darting in all different directions. Callen holds his hand up and informs us that everything’s okay. Bile rises in my throat again. Syren is torturing the Diamond.

  The shouts grow louder, more frantic, laced with pain. It’s so hard to hear.

  “What’s going on?” Kyle asks.

  I swallow a few times before saying in a shaky voice, “They captured one of the rebels. They’re trying to extract information from him.”

  Kyle’s face gets dark. “Look what all this is doing to us. Torturing?”

  “He has no choice.”

  “I know. It’s just terrible.”

  We sit in silence, and I try to block out the screams. By now, everyone knows exactly what’s going on, and they have similar reactions. Torturing a fellow merperson is not something they do.

  After a few minutes, I hear groaning, and then nothing. Syren motions for me to come. Every cell in my body fills with dread. Did the Diamond die?

  As I approach, I see the Guards carrying away the half conscious, bloody Diamond.

  Syren’s eyes seem to match the tortured yells of the Diamond. “I now have the knowledge required to appease the fish. Let us go.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Once again flanked by Callen and the other Guard, Syren and I are back at the opening to the Deep. I keep looking around, expecting more rebels to jump out at us. The others are not too far away, ready to fight and defend if necessary.

  Syren picks a stone with a jagged edge off the floor and positions it over his other hand. Without hesitating, he slices his palm. Blood seeps into the water. Leaning over the opening, he thrusts his hand inside and waves it around.

  Nothing happens.

  I’m about to ask him what’s going on when a hiss slips through his lips. He jerks his hand out of the Deep. Two fish hang from his hand. They are about three inches long, with skin that looks like little balls of light attached together by a piece of thread.

  They start sliding up his arm, one nestling on his shoulder and the other one on his upper chest. They’re like leeches.

  “Do not fear,” Syren tells me. “They will not drain your body of blood.” He picks up the stone and slices his other hand, then sticks it into the Deep. He leaves his hand in there longer than the last time. After about a minute, he releases a few hisses and pulls his hand out. A dozen more of those fish are attached to his skin, sliding to different parts of his body. His whole body starts to glow, growing more and more transparent.

  I just stare at him. He’s like an ethereal ghost.

  Syren hands me the stone. “The puncture will sting.”

  “Okay.” With a shaky hand, I take it from him. I’m not queasy about blood, but I’ve never cut myself before. And what happened to Syren scares me, to be honest.

  But I need to do this. It’s the only way to survive down there, the only way to save Damarian and Kiander.

  After taking a few seconds to clear my head, I dig the stone into my palm. I count to five before cutting myself. Holding back a wince, I shove my hand through the opening of the Deep. My heart thumps loudly in my chest as I wait for the fish to bite me.

  I don’t expect it to hurt this much.

  When I wrench my hand out of there, one fish hangs off me. It doesn’t hurt anymore. I can see its mouth latched onto me. The feeling…it’s hard to describe. It’s like energy flows through me, giving me life.

  Syren nods at my other hand. Counting again to five, I slice my second palm, then quickly push it into the opening. I need to get as many of these fish as possible. I’m not too keen on slicing any more parts of my body.

  I feel one bite, then another, followed by a few more. My hand gets numb for a few seconds. When I pull it out, seven fish are latched onto me. They start moving to other parts of my body, and once again, I feel like energy is being pumped into me.

  Warmness spreads through me. I glance down at my hand and see it looks exactly like Syren’s.

  The others move toward the opening to the Deep and start cutting their palms and dipping them into the water. One by one, they turn into light creatures. The sharks come next. Then we’re all set.

  Callen swims forward. “I will enter the Deep first.”

  Syren rests his hand on his shoulder. “Be vigilant.”

  Callen does a quick nod before diving in with his shark. The rest of us wait.

  And wait.

  And wait some more.

  We exchange glances. Did the rebels get him?

  It seems like forever before his head pops out of the opening. “I did not encounter any rebels,” he reports.

  “That is no assurance that they are not present there,” Syren says. “Are we able to survive down there?”

  “Yes.”

  Syren faces us, telling us to be extra careful. Then he takes my hand. “When you enter the Deep, your sense of Damarian will most likely grow more powerful. We must locate him as soon as possible.”

  I muster everything I have to give him a confident nod.

  A few members of the group dive in with their sharks. Tightening his hold on my hand, Syren tugs me closer to the opening. Together, and with our great whites by our sides, we jump in.

  At first, all I see is darkness. But then it’s like a light switch goes off in my head and I can see everything clearly. The many unique sea creatures swimming around, the ocean floor and rocks beneath.

  A pulse goes through me. Damarian. He’s so close I can almost touch him.

  “Which direction?” Syren asks.

  I point to my left and our party heads that way. Every part of me prickles with fear, anticipation, and nerves. This is it. If we can fight off the rebels, it won’t be long before Damarian will be in my arms again. Before I can feel his warm, sweet loving lips on mine.

  A sharp jolt of electricity sparks through me. It starts at my back, then moves to every part of my body. I groan and
twist in different directions as the pain grows more intense. I feel my tail shove Syren away.

  They’re torturing Damarian. They might be killing him. Maybe they learned we’re down here and decided to screw their mission and just kill Damarian and Kiander.

  The pain stops and I’m left shaking. I find myself in someone’s arms. Opening my eyes to slits, I see it’s Syren. “We…need to hurry,” I force out.

  Syren cuts my arm with a piece of stone, and a few seconds later, a fish bites me. Energy flows through my veins. After making sure I’m okay, Syren asks me where Damarian is. The pulse is the strongest it’s ever been. Blinking a few times, I see something in the distance—a large cave. It almost looks like a building

  Raising a trembling hand, I point to it.

  Everyone intakes a breath. The building isn’t the only thing in the distance. A group of rebel merpeople are, too. And they’re headed this way.

  Syren pushes me behind him. “Be prepared,” he tells us.

  A tall, skinny merman swims forward, a massive tiger shark at his side. A few more follow, like they’re his bodyguards.

  Syren moves closer. “Gyron.”

  Gyron smiles. “Syren.”

  He must be the leader of the rebels.

  Gyron’s smile gets bigger. “I understand you learned of the Yoki fish. Marvelous creatures, I must say.”

  “I will attempt to speak with you in a peaceful manner,” Syren says, his tone the most serious I’ve ever heard.

  If Gyron’s smile were any wider, he’d have no lips. His eyes trek to mine, curious. “The human. You have brought her here. She is a child of the sea.”

  Saliva pools in my mouth.

  Syren keeps me behind him. “Release my sons, Gyron. There is no need for violence.”

  With his gaze still on me, he cocks his head. “She is the cause of all this. A wretched human, meddling in our affairs, tearing the king from his throne.”

  “Kiander is king,” Syren stresses. “He is a fair one. Do not be foolish.”

  He cocks his head the other way. “Ah, so you approve of the union between this human and your son.”

  “Yes,” Syren says to my surprise. He didn’t even hesitate. “Cassie is a good mate for my son.”

  Gyron laughs like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. Spreading out his arms, he faces the rebels behind them. “Have you all witnessed what Syren, of the royal Sapphire clan, has just claimed? He approves of the union between his son and a human.” He spits the last word. “Humans! They destroy the sea and her creatures. They throw their wastes into our home.” His hand shoots toward me. “This is the mate he wishes for Damarian, the one who is destined to be our king.” He shakes his head. “The Sapphire clan is corrupted. Perhaps it is time we choose a new king.”

  “We are free to choose our mates,” Syren says.

  Gryon glares at him. “A king thinks of his subjects before himself.”

  Syren pushes forward. So does Gyron. They stare each other down.

  The tiger shark right next to Gyron opens and snaps its mouth. Open and snaps it. Its amused eyes are pinned on me. Why the hell is it looking at me like that?

  She was scrumptious. The female human fry.

  My chest freezes up. I move a little closer. “What did you just say?” I ask the shark.

  Syren holds out his hand, telling me to stay back.

  “What did you just say?” I repeat, my voice rising an octave.

  It snaps its mouth again. I have not tasted anything quite as delicious as her.

  “You bastard!” I lunge at it, slamming my fist into its mouth. The force is so strong that the shark tumbles back like a tomahawk.

  At once the place goes crazy. Sharks charge at other sharks, merpeople flee. As a hammerhead zips toward me, I raise my tail and slam it into its middle. Another tiger is a few inches away. I stab my elbow into its face. Its teeth graze my arm.

  Syren grabs me by the waist and hauls me away. “Do you wish to be killed?” he shouts. He deposits me on the side. “Do not move from this location.”

  My arm stings from the shark’s teeth, but that’s not enough to stop me. I shoot forward, ready to strike, when I hear Damarian’s voice in my head. My love, do not put yourself in harm’s way.

  “Damarian?” I ask.

  Please.

  He’s alive and conscious and knows exactly what’s going on. “Damarian!”

  I don’t hear him.

  “Damarian?”

  Nothing.

  My body fills with newfound vigor. Concentrating hard, I focus on Shoney, merging our minds into one. Swimming toward her, I hold out my fists in front of me. Together, I tell her.

  She nods.

  A tiger storms toward us. Without having to say a word to each other, Shoney and I rush to it. She bites into it while I slam my tail into its other side. When a blue shark comes from behind, I shoot my arm backward, getting it in the head.

  We do the same to the other sharks coming toward us.

  As the battle rages on, the number of sharks on the rebel side diminishes. They are so shocked to be left defenseless that they are paralyzed in place, not sure what to do.

  They run.

  Kyle swims over to me. “Cass, are you crazy?”

  My chest rises and falls wildly, my mind swimming with the realization of what I just did. Hitting sharks with my fists? I must be losing it.

  Syren moves forward, a firm look on his face. “That was reckless.”

  I lower my head. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “You are the mate of my son,” he says. “You are my responsibility.”

  “I’m no one’s responsibility. Just my own.”

  “Her heroics saved us,” Callen states. “We would all be perished if not for her.”

  A mangled cry escapes my lips as my body feels like it’s getting electrocuted. I sink toward the bottom of the ocean.

  Kyle and Syren catch me. “Cassie, what’s wrong?’ Kyle asks.

  “It’s Damarian,” I gasp, my eyes rolling back. “He doesn’t have that much time left.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Kyle throws me on his back. “Let’s go.”

  With every step we take, I grow weaker and weaker, like someone is sucking out my life. Syren cuts me, attracting more of the Yoki fish to latch onto me, but it’s no use.

  “Stay with me, Cassie,” Kyle says, gently slapping my cheeks.

  The area around me spins. I can barely lift my head.

  “Is she dying because of Damarian?” Kyle asks Syren.

  “She will not die,” Syren says, his voice choked up. “What she is experiencing is the…the loss of her mate.”

  No! No! I want to yell it, but I’m so weak.

  “We’re too late,” Kyle says.

  “One does not lose hope,” Syren says.

  We speed up until we reach the wall of the cave. Kyle lowers me to the ground. “Where’s the entrance?” he asks.

  Through my blurry vision, I see them touching the wall, looking for openings. After a few seconds, Syren is at my side. “Cassie.” He touches my face. “Be strong, Cassie. Do you know if there is an entrance to the cave?”

  My head rolls back. An image enters my mind. “Your fingers,” I mutter, my voice barely audible. “Bring them down across the wall. Then upwards, then toward the left.”

  He lifts me into his arms and dashes to the cave. He does what I tell him and the wall moves to the side. We hurry in.

  At least five rebels are inside. After transferring me to someone else, Syren sends his shark to attack. A few minutes later, the rebels and their sharks are dead.

  Syren returns to me. “Which direction?” he asks me, his voice eager but patient. I point to the right.

  The cave is huge.

  I lead Syren to where I sense Damarian, and then I see him lying on the floor with Kiander next to him. A net is thrown over them. They’re not made out of lights like us. They look normal.

  The sight of Damari
an ignites something in me. I free myself from Syren’s hold and rush toward him.

  “Stop!” he says.

  I freeze.

  His eyes are shut tight and he’s lying face down on the ground. I gasp when I see his body covered in wounds. They look like burn marks.

  “Damarian,” I whisper.

  “The…the net,” he manages to say. “It is electrified.”

  Tears pool in my eyes. Glancing at Kiander, I find him also covered in wounds. I fall flat on my stomach and slide my hand underneath the net. Damarian’s hand grips mine. “Cassie.” A smile crawls onto his face. “My sweet Cassie. You are here.”

  “You called for me.”

  “No. I did not wish for you to enter the sea.”

  “I heard you,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. “In my dreams.”

  His eyes open for a few seconds before closing. “I have seen you in my dreams as well.” His eyes flutter again. “How I wish to see your face.”

  “We’re going to get you out of here.”

  He shakes his head. “Cassie…I am afraid I must part with you.”

  “What? No! Stop. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “You feel it,” he whispers. “In your heart.”

  More tears enter my eyes. I rip my gaze away from Damarian and look at his dad. “We need to get rid of this damn net.”

  “It is not possible,” Damarian says. “There is no way to destroy it.”

  “Damarian.”

  “We must…” He swallows. “We must say goodbye.”

  I raise my hand to snatch the net off him, but someone grabs my arm. “No.” It’s Syren. “It will kill you.”

  “Please,” I beg him, feeling Damarian’s pulse growing fainter and fainter. “Do something. Don’t let them die.”

  “I will do all I can.” He instructs two Guards to search the area for anything that can help us.

  Syren swims as close as possible to his sons. Looking from Kiander to Damarian, a pained expression on his face, he says, “Damarian.”

  “Father.” Damarian’s voice has more life to it. “Father, you are here as well.”

  “Please forgive me for all I have done.” He looks like he wants to apologize to Kiander, too, but he’s unconscious.