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

by Dee J. Stone

  I’m not sure how many hours pass before my limbs feel heavy. My pace has slowed down, and I find myself in the back of the pack. Shoney comes over and tells me to hold onto her fin. Giving her a thankful smile, I grab on.

  “I am sorry,” Syren tells me when we catch up to the others. “The journey is quite tiresome.”

  “I’ll be okay,” I assure him. “I just want to get the plant and heal Damarian and Kiander.”

  Hours pass and it gets dark. We rest for a few minutes and eat, then go on our way. When Syren finally stops and tells us this might be the place, every part of me feels like jelly.

  He instructs the others to stay back while he and I seek the plant. Putting my arm over his shoulder and wrapping his around my waist, we swim to an area with a lot of coral and plant life. As we pass through the many species, I study each one, wondering how exactly we’re supposed to know which is the Orja.

  The area is so quiet.

  “Are we supposed to say something?” I whisper.

  Syren looks just as clueless as me.

  “Maybe if we channel our thoughts to Damarian and Kiander, they might sense how much we need them and they’ll come out.”

  “That is a magnificent thought,” he says.

  I close my eyes and think about Damarian, imagining him wounded, putting the images of his burn marks in the front of my mind.

  Nothing happens. The area is dead quiet.

  Suddenly, something sounds in my ears. It’s like a light howl of the wind. Opening my eyes, I see pink plants floating toward us. They move closer and stay suspended in the water.

  I’m about to reach for one, but it jumps at me. The others do the same. I watch in horror as they cover every inch of me. It feels like little needles pricking my skin.

  Syren growls. Glancing at him, I see the plants covering him, too.

  They’re dragging us toward the bottom of the ocean.

  “Syren!” I yell, twisting my body, trying to shake them off. But they’re stuck like glue.

  Syren doesn’t answer. He twists his body in the same fashion. Are these plants going to kill us?

  “Think about Damarian and Kiander!” I tell Syren. “Put everything you have into this.”

  Ignoring the pain, I shut my eyes tight and press my lips together. I think of Damarian, of him lying half-conscious on the stone table. I think about what he means to me and how much more we need to explore and experience together. How despite all the odds, our love for each other can withstand every obstacle that’s thrown in our path.

  They continue dragging me to the ocean floor.

  “Damarian,” I whisper. “I love you.”

  They stop. Slowly, I open my eyes. The plants are no longer on my skin, but float before me and Syren. They don’t appear hostile anymore.

  With a hesitant hand, I reach for one, praying it doesn’t attack me again. My palm closes over it. It doesn’t prick me, but feels spongy. I reach for some more. Syren does the same. After a few minutes, the others dissolve.

  We hurry home, not paying attention to how tired our bodies are. Nothing matters now except for getting these plants to Damarian and Kiander.

  When we reach the Sapphire colony, I feel like I’m going to collapse. Mustering every ounce of strength I have left, I follow Syren into the cave. The mermen’s situation hasn’t gotten better—in fact, it looks like it got worse. A lot worse. They look like they’re in comas.

  We hand the plants to Kiandra, who stuffs them into their mouths. Nothing happens. Damarian and Kiander continue lying there like dead logs. Then Kiander stirs, followed by Damarian. Light seems to creep onto their faces, and the wounds heal before my eyes. It’s not long before they look healthy again.

  “I shall inform Queen Flora at once,” Syren says, but not before he kisses the top of his sons’ heads.

  Kiandra and I help them into sitting positions. But they don’t really need help. They look just as new. After telling Kiander how glad I am to see he’s okay, I squeeze Damarian to my chest, never wanting to let go. Not seeming to care that we’re in front of his mother, he slowly and gently brings his lips to mine. It’s a kiss of passion, of longing, of the days lost. His lips skim lower, to my neck, then back up again, meeting mine in nothing but urgency. Like we need to make up for all we’ve missed.

  We would go on for hours, if not for Flora showing up. She and Kiander wrap their tails around each other and nuzzle their noses. It’s a great sight, seeing how happy they are to be together. Ever since Damarian gave up the throne for me, I carried around some guilt, that Flora lost the man she loved and that Kiander was forced to be king and marry someone he didn’t love. But I realize now that these two love each other very much, and that meeting Damarian changed the lives of four people, not just two.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Damarian and I cuddle up in his bed. For the first time, we have a chance to share it. Our lips never leave one another, our hands don’t stop exploring. We talk to each other between kisses, saying how much we love each other and how alone we felt when we were apart.

  “I thought I was going to lose you,” I whisper.

  Damarian buries his face in my hair. “Never, my love. I will never leave you.” His fingers lock with mine. “I survived because of you,” he says. “When I closed my eyes, I saw you. I felt you in my soul. If not for you, I would have perished.”

  I give him a long, deep kiss. “Did we share a dream? When Flora and I tried to find you, I had a dream. It was wonderful.” I tell him about it.

  “Yes,” he murmurs. “It was a world we created together. Thank you for locating me, my love.”

  My fingers trail up his arms as we continue to kiss. After a few minutes, I pull back. “What happened in the cave? How did we get rid of the net?”

  Damarian shifts in the bed, looking uncomfortable.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “There was an incident when I was a fry.”

  “What kind of incident?” I ask, my heart starting to speed up.

  He touches my cheek. “I have not told anyone this. It frightened me as a fry.”

  “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”

  He lays his forehead against mine. “All these moons, I assumed it did not occur but only in my head. I understand now that it is not the case.”

  My heart is now pounding. “You can tell me,” I say softly.

  “It was a game of squid wars. Kiander and I versus two fry. I am not certain how it occurred, but I became trapped in the coral. I shouted for help, but no one heard me for I was far from the colony.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I was frightened. I hit the coral in the hope that I could break it, but I did not have the strength. As I attempted to strike the coral again, as strongly as I could, electricity shot out of my hand. It destroyed the coral, releasing me.” He kisses my temple. “An incident such as that never occurred again. It was forgotten, until today.”

  I stare at him, not blinking. “So…you can shoot electricity from your hands?”

  He shakes his head. “I do not know. However, I am certain I could not have done it if you were not with me.”

  Is he saying he thinks I helped him create that electricity? But how could I when I wasn’t there the first time?

  “Children of the sea have abilities?” I ask.

  He’s quiet for a few seconds before slowly shaking his head again. “If every child of the sea had such an ability, there would be no need to keep it a secret.”

  “So you think only some merpeople have abilities?”

  He shakes his head for a third time. “I believe I am the sole child to have this ability.”

  I stare at him, feeling my jaw fall. “Why only you?”

  “Because I am the true heir to the throne. As fry, we are told stories, stories of the imagination. I never believed them to be true. There is one that is told by many, of a great king with the ability to cause electricity in the sea.” He looks down at his hand. “Perhaps t
hese stories are not tales fabricated from the imagination. Perhaps…perhaps they are indeed true.”

  I gaze at my own hand. “And me? You said you were only able to do it because of me.”

  He nods slowly. “Because I was weakened. When your hand clutched mine, you provided me with strength.”

  I think back to the battle we had with the rebels, how I managed to hit the sharks like I had super strength. Does that mean I have an ability, too? I tell Damarian about it. His eyes widen in surprise. “Perhaps it is because you are my mate.”

  “You mean…the true queen of the merpeople.” A lump as big as my fist forms in my throat.

  Damarian hugs me close, trailing kisses down my neck. “You are not queen of the children of the sea. Flora is.”

  “But if you’re the true king—”

  “No.” His lips continue to press kisses into my skin. “You are Cassie Price. I am Damarian of the Sapphire clan. We are lovers. We will remain together for all eternity. Nothing else is relevant.”

  “Dammy?”

  We both lift our heads to find Zarya standing there, watching us with eyes the size of the stone chairs in the main room. We quickly untangle ourselves from around each other. I think the merpeople need to seriously rethink the lack-of-doors-in-rooms situation.

  “Zarya,” he says.

  “You are well!” She bolts toward him, throwing herself into his arms, her tail whipping into my face. She wraps it around his.

  Damarian kisses the top of her head. “How I have missed you.”

  “As have I. Have you learned anything as you explored the sea?”

  Damarian exchanges a look with me. He doesn’t know that she’s not aware of what really happened to him. I motion with my eyes that he should go with the flow. Shaking his head, he says, “I am afraid I have not.”

  She frowns. “Will you bring me along the next time you explore the deep sea?”

  He taps her nose. “Not until Father believes you are old enough.”

  She pouts.

  “The hour is late,” Damarian says. “Why are you not asleep?”

  “I wished to sleep with Cassie.” She beams at me. “I did not expect to see you in here.”

  He strokes her cheek. “Perhaps we shall return you to your shell.”

  “Will you sing?” she asks. “Please.”

  He kisses the top of her head again. “All right.”

  The two of them get out of Damarian’s bed. “I shall return shortly,” he tells me.

  “May Cassie come as well?” Zarya asks. “Come, Cassie!”

  A warm feeling invades every part of me. She wants me to help tuck her into bed. I feel a large smile capture my mouth. “Of course I’ll come.”

  We swim to Zarya’s room. The shell is smaller than Damarian’s. She dives headfirst into it, her whole body disappearing under the seaweed. Her head pops out, then her hands, which she folds over her stomach. She smiles widely.

  Damarian sits down next to her. “What shall we sing tonight?”

  She scrunches her eyebrows together. “I do not know. You choose!”

  He pulls some of the seaweed up to her chin and starts to sing:

  “The sea is so vast with creatures inside,

  From the deep black waters to the sandy tide,

  Tell me, young fry, are you an explorer today?

  What beautiful sights have you observed on this day?”

  Zarya continues the song:

  “I have searched the waters far and low,

  To all the secret places that most do not know,

  But I have learned a fact that is only true,

  The place I call home is where I am with you.”

  Damarian kisses her forehead. “And now, my young explorer, it is time you sleep.”

  “Good night.” Zarya’s head turns to me. “Good night, Cassie.”

  I head over to her and kiss her forehead, too. “Good night, Zarya.”

  With a content smile on her face, she turns to her side.

  Hand in hand, Damarian and I leave her room. “You’re so sweet with her,” I say. “It’s lovely to watch.”

  He wraps his arm around my waist and tugs me close.

  Something blasts at us, so fast it looks like a blur. A second later, there’s another blast. At first, I think we’re getting attacked, but then I see sapphire tales and golden hair.

  It’s the twins.

  One of them—I think it’s Syd—hides behind us while Syndin tries to catch him. As Syndin dashes behind us, Syd comes in front of us. All the while, they are yelling at one another. I can’t help but laugh how similar they are to humans.

  Damarian grabs Syndin by the waist and throws him upside down over his shoulder. He does the same to the other. That doesn’t seem to stop the fighting—their hands slap at each other.

  “It is quite a shame you are quarreling,” Damarian says. “For it was my desire to play squid wars.”

  Simultaneously, they both stop.

  “Please!” Syd says. “Let us play!”

  Damarian gives me a smug smile. “Do you wish to play, Cassie? It is quite difficult to beat Syd and Syndin, for they have an extremely strong bond. But as they are quarreling...”

  I’ve always wanted to play squid wars ever since Damarian told me about it. It’s like the human version of paintball.

  Still hanging upside down from Damarian’s shoulders, Syd and Syndin narrow their eyes at one another. “We will triumph,” Syndin says. “Even though my brother shares a face with the lump fish.”

  Syd tries to slap him. “Your face is identical to mine.”

  “It is not!”

  I swim forward and press my hands on their chests, forcing them apart. “Game on, mermen. Game on.”

  ***

  Damarian and I are wedged tightly together between two rocks. The space is so tiny I’m amazed the life is not getting squeezed out of us.

  Syd and Syndin are good. Too good. This is our fourth game, and they lead two to one. I take full responsibility for the first loss since I’ve never played before. I blame the second loss on my squid, who refused to shoot ink at the twins. They won’t cut me any slack but treat me like I’m a pro.

  Damarian’s lips dip to the side of my neck. “This is quite wonderful,” he says.

  “Mmm.” I don’t know if we’ve ever been this close before. It feels really nice.

  The squid in my hand starts moving around. I tighten my hold on it. “I don’t think this squid likes me.”

  He chuckles and is about to say something, when we hear movement. He puts his finger on his lips. If I twist my neck, I can see through a small crack in the rock. I point to my eyes and then to my ears, telling Damarian I’ll tell him when it will be the best time to attack. He nods.

  Syd and Syndin are swimming back to back, their squids held in their hands like guns. They seem to have a weird twin telepathy bond where they know exactly what the other one is thinking.

  As I’m trying to find the perfect time to jump out at them, I feel Damarian’s lips graze my jaw. I’m about to motion for him to stop because we need to kick their asses, but it feels so good, and I find myself melting into him.

  A soft moan escapes my lips.

  Crap.

  Peeking through the hole, I don’t see the twins. Maybe they left? I strain my ears, but I don’t hear anything.

  Suddenly, black ink shoots at me. I squeeze my squid, squirting my own ink, but I have no idea where I’m aiming.

  “We are triumphant once again!” the twins say, surging upward and slapping their tails together in a high five.

  Damarian is also covered in ink. I give him a face. “This is all your fault. We totally had them.”

  Laughing, he pulls me closer and whispers in my ear, “You are competitive.”

  “Well, no. I mean…maybe.”

  His chest rumbles as he continues to laugh. “It is ‘hot.’”

  That causes my stomach to flutter. “You are hotter. And I see you haven
’t forgotten human phrases.”

  “Let us begin the next game!” one of the twins whines.

  Damarian and I squeeze ourselves out of the rocks, and I raise my squid. “It’s on, boys.”

  We lose this game, too.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  With interlocked hands, Damarian leads me out of the merpeople colony. There have been no signs of the rebels, but everyone’s guard is still up. Flora made it perfectly clear that the threat is not over and that we will not rest easy until we know every last one is captured and reprimanded.

  I have no idea where Damarian is taking me. He told me it’s a surprise. Wherever it is, it’s far away from home, but not too far that we need to worry about the rebels.

  We dive deeper, underneath a row of rocks. It looks like it leads to nowhere, but Damarian twists his body to the left and dives between a gap that can fit only one person at a time. He makes sure I get through before continuing. There’s an opening to a cave in front of me.

  “Most are not aware of this cave,” he tells me, then leads me inside. This cave is completely different from the ones the merpeople live in. It’s darker with green coral all around. The contrast between the dark blue water in here and the green coral makes the whole place look exquisite. As we move further inside, it slopes upward, like we’re climbing a mountain. There isn’t a lot of space to move around.

  Damarian lets go of my hand and lowers himself on the mountain. He pulls me to him, pressing my back to his chest and wrapping his hands around my stomach.

  “This place is beautiful,” I say.

  “It is where I go when I wish to be alone.”

  I lean my head on his shoulder. “Thanks for showing it to me. I love it.”

  His lips tickle my ear. “It is where I remained when I fled from home.”

  My head twists to look up at him. When my mom stayed home for a few days, Damarian had to return to the ocean. But he didn’t want to go home because his father was pressuring him to marry Flora and become king. He stayed here.

  I reach to kiss his lips. “Your dad is much more understanding of us now.”