Edward finally moved further into the room. With calm reassurance, he assisted Megan to a chair by the bed. He whispered something in her ear, before lifting the handset of the phone on a bedside table and dialing the front desk.
The two hotel employees lifted Dylan off the floor and carefully laid him on the bed. Once they’d finished their assigned task, they seemed to wait for the next set of instructions.
Valerie heard her father’s voice. “Room one fifty-six. Yes, as quickly as you can.”
“Is there a doctor here? In the hotel?” Valerie asked.
“I didn’t ask,” Edward responded.
“Why?”
Edward ignored her question, instead turning his attention back to the security personnel. “I don’t think we’ll need any further assistance from you gentlemen.”
Without a word, both men nodded their acceptance and turned to leave. Even the mainland hotel staff knew who Edward Richardson was. There would be no interference from security.
Valerie knew if her father wanted to drag her from the hotel kicking and screaming no one would come to her assistance, except perhaps Dylan. Glancing back at the bed, she realized he’d be no help. His eyes were still closed and a trickle of blood oozed from his broken nose.
Valerie’s thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Edward moved to open it and spoke softly to another hotel employee. A wheelchair was pushed through the doorway and the employee exited quickly.
“What’s that for?” Valerie asked.
“We need to get Dylan to the water,” Edward replied, as he pushed the chair toward the bed. “Megan, dear, please see if there’s an extra blanket in the closet.”
Valerie opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again.
Edward stared at her, no smile on his lips or in his eyes. “Val, snap out of it, please. We need to take care of Dylan.”
No. What was her father saying? Why did they need to take Dylan to the water?
“Valerie.” Edward’s voice rose slightly. “If you’re not going to help at least step aside.”
Without protest, Valerie stepped away from the bed. She watched as Edward lifted Dylan into the wheelchair and Megan draped a blanket over his knees.
Water. Water was healing for Mer people. Humans needed doctors. Thoughts ran around Valerie’s head at light speed. Dylan is a human. He needs a doctor.
Valerie watched as Megan opened the sliding door which led outside. She saw her father push the wheelchair through the opening and start across the concrete patio toward the beach a few yards away.
Her feet carried her forward, following silently out the door and toward the incoming waves.
Edward stopped when he reached the soft sand, the wheels of the chair no longer willing to move. With Megan’s help, he lifted Dylan and half carried, half dragged him to the water’s edge.
Valerie watched in stunned silence as her father stripped the clothes from Dylan’s body. Seconds later Edward, Megan and Dylan disappeared into the water and its surrounding darkness.
“Oh, God.” Valerie slapped her hand over her mouth, trying to push the truth back inside her body. “Oh, God.”
She turned around. “He’s a merman.” Valerie fell into the wicker chair next to the open door. “Did you hear me, up there?” Valerie yelled at the sky, “He’s a fucking merman.”
Valerie dropped her head forward into her hands. Tears of frustration ran down her face as she realized her father knew Dylan was Mer. He’d known the only thing that would heal Dylan was the water. “Why?” Valerie raised her eyes toward heaven. “Do you get some kind of sick pleasure out of screwing with my life?”
“Valerie Richardson, you will calm down and stop swearing, right this minute.”
Katherine’s voice came from the shadows nearby.
“No, Mother. I will not calm down.” Valerie stood and without further words ran away from her mother. She could hear Katherine ordering her to stop, but she didn’t care. Without a backwards glance, Valerie continued down the beach, running hard, trying to escape the truth.
Chapter 5
Tracee heard the front door slam open and footsteps slapping the wood floor of the cottage. Rushing to the living room, she saw Valerie sink into a chair and cover her face with her hands.
The sound of her friend’s gut-wrenching sobs drove Tracee forward. “Valerie, what’s wrong?”
Tracee sat on the coffee table in front of Valerie, waiting for an answer.
“He’s a…” Valerie started.
“What?”
“He’s a merman,” Valerie cried.
Tracee’s concern grew. “Who’s a merman?”
“Dylan.”
Jumping to her feet, Tracee circled the room once. Valerie continued to cry and repeat Dylan’s name over and over, like a CD stuck on replay.
Returning to the coffee table, Tracee once again sat down. “Val, listen to me. You need to get a grip and tell me what’s happened. How do you know Dylan is Mer?”
Valerie sniffled and took a deep breath. “Because my father hit him.”
Tracee tried to understand. “Okay. Why?”
“Because he thinks Dylan seduced me.”
“Well, he did, damn it.”
Valerie started crying again, her anguish pouring out in loud gasping sobs.
“Okay,” Tracee consoled, “please stop crying and talk to me.”
Once again, Valerie gained control enough to blurt out more of the story. “When I got to Dylan’s room, my father was there. Dylan was lying in a pool of blood, Megan was screaming, and my father… my father was demanding to know what Dylan had done to me.”
“I can’t believe your father hit him.” Tracee shook her head.
“Well, he did, damn it.” Valerie’s tears seemed to be gone, replaced by an angry flush.
“Okay, but that still doesn’t explain why you think Dylan is Mer.”
“After hotel security—”
Tracee interrupted, “Hotel security? How did they get involved?”
“I think Megan must have called them, because two security guys showed up and confronted my father.”
“And?”
“And he told them Dylan seduced his daughter and he’d come to the hotel to collect me,” Valerie spat the last words. “Collect me, like I’m a sack of potatoes or something.”
“So they didn’t call the police?”
“Are you kidding, Tracee?” Valerie shook her head. “They believed every word he said and simply left Dylan’s room without a care.”
“You still haven’t explained how you kn…”
“Well, if you’d stop interrupting me.”
“Fine. Just tell me.”
“After we got Dylan on the bed, my father called the front desk. I thought he was calling for a doctor, because frankly, Dylan didn’t look too good. A few minutes later, a wheelchair arrived, and my father and Megan pushed Dylan to the incoming tide and they all disappeared below the waves.”
“All right, then. Dylan is a merman. What now?”
“I’d like an answer to that question as well,” Katherine stated as she walked through the open front door. “Along with a lot of others.”
“What are you doing here, Mother?” Valerie demanded.
“I think that’s my cue to exit. Hello, Katherine. Goodbye, Katherine.” Tracee bent down to give Valerie a quick peck on the cheek, then hurried from the room. This was one mother-daughter conversation she didn’t want to witness.
* * * *
Megan’s clothes lay in a pile with Dylan’s and Edward’s on the beach. She now struggled to hold Dylan’s weight, as she moved closer and closer to the water’s edge, knowing her brother would be lighter, easier to hold up once they were in the water.
Dylan groaned. “Leave me alone.”
“Shhh, Dylan. You will be all right,” Megan comforted. “We’ve got to get you in the water, heal your body.”
“No.” Dylan seemed to gain some of his strength back. “Whe
re is Valerie?” he demanded, as he tried to break free from her hands.
“Stop,” Edward’s voice commanded.
Dylan stopped struggling and allowed himself to be walked into the waves.
The water was warm like it always was here in St. Kitts and Megan wished it were not. She wanted to feel the cool waters of home. “We’re almost there,” Megan assured her brother.
Edward lowered Dylan’s body into the knee-deep water and Megan’s body went with him. Her knees bending to rest on the sandy bottom, the water now hitting just above her waist, she continued to support the left side of Dylan’s body. Megan knew they would need to keep his head above water until the last possible second because of his weakened state.
“Megan, can you support him by yourself for a moment?” Edward asked.
“Yes.”
“Keep his head up,” Edward ordered, before releasing his hold on Dylan and diving into the water. Megan struggled to hold all of Dylan’s weight as she waited for Edward’s return. She could feel the scales forming on the lower part of her body and with her free hand, felt to see if Dylan was also transforming. She felt the soft scales on his legs. They would need to submerge soon, but she couldn’t hold Dylan by herself.
A loud slapping rebounded against the shoreline and echoed back over the waves to Megan. Edward’s head broke the surface a foot away from her and she could see his transformation was complete.
Reaching his hands forward, Edward took Dylan’s weight from Megan. “I’ve got him,” Edward assured her. “Swim.” She released her hold on Dylan and swam with mighty strokes toward the open ocean. Her lungs needed the oxygen pulled from the salty water.
Megan’s tail fluke formed and with a powerful kick, she shot downward to a lower depth where the water was cooler. Opening her mouth to allow the water passage, she felt her gills open and reveled in the feeling of freedom her Mer shape allowed.
Stop, you have to help Dylan, Megan reminded herself. With steady strokes, she returned to the tidal area, to find Edward still supporting Dylan.
“I think his body is healing. I can feel his muscles getting stronger,” Edward reported.
“We need to get him deeper.”
“Yes,” Edward agreed. “We will take him to Colesca.”
“How far is that?” Megan had heard of Colesca, but she’d never been to the underwater Mer city.
“About twenty miles out from the north shore. It will take us about an hour to get there.”
“Can Dylan make it?” Megan was concerned about her brother’s weakened state.
“I’ll be fine, Megan.” Dylan’s voice sounded weak, but his strength was returning. His tail fluke hit the water with a loud crack. “I need to dive.”
Edward and Megan both released their hold on Dylan and with a groan of pain, Dylan sank below the waves.
Megan followed her brother under the water, watching for any signs his gills hadn’t opened. She sighed her relief when the healing water took its first pass through his now open gills.
“Follow me,” Edward commanded. Dylan reached for Megan’s hand and together they swam after the rapidly disappearing body of Valerie’s father.
“Have you been to Colesca?” Megan asked.
“Yes. The last time I was on St. Kitts I spent a few hours there.”
“I’ve read about Colesca. It’s supposed to be a series of great caves, millions of years old.”
“That’s correct.” Edward joined their conversation. “Colesca is one of the oldest Mer cities on earth.”
“Why not go to Isca?” Megan inquired. “Isn’t it closer?”
“Yes. Isca is closer. However, your brother needs to maintain his Mer form for a few hours to assure his continued health.”
“Thanks to you.” Megan suddenly remembered why this pre-dawn swim was necessary.
“Megan,” Dylan cautioned, “there’s no need to bring that up now. Mr. Richardson had his reasons, as did I.”
“Yes, well…” Megan started.
“No,” Dylan interrupted. “This is between Edward and me. You will remain silent and allow us to work out our differences.”
Megan could tell by the tone of her brother’s voice their conversation was over.
Damn him. This holier-than-thou attitude of his really didn’t sit well. So what if he was Prince of Darnax, she was his sister and her concern for his welfare came naturally.
* * * *
“May I sit down?” Katherine stepped closer to the chair Valerie was sitting on.
Valerie looked up. Silent tears ran down her cheeks and her nose was moist.
Katherine couldn’t help but notice the hard look in her daughter’s eyes. “What do you want, Mother?”
Before answering, Katherine took a seat on the sofa across the table from Valerie.
“We need to talk.”
“Do we?” Valerie’s voice was harsh.
“Yes.”
“About what?” Valerie demanded, then without waiting for an answer, continued. “Do you want to talk about why you signed me up for an online dating service, as if I’m not capable of making my own decisions?”
Valerie didn’t seem to take a breath. She just continued to hammer away. “Or, maybe you’d like to discuss exactly why my father knew Dylan didn’t need a doctor?”
“Dylan…”
Valerie interrupted her again. “Dylan, Mother. You know Dylan. The human I’ve been sleeping with for the last week. The man who has turned my world upside down. The merman who apparently secretly knows my father.”
“Valerie, you will need to calm down if you want to discuss things. I can only answer one question at a time. Especially if you continue to interrupt me.”
“Oh, believe me, Mother, I’ll let you explain, because I want some God damned answers.”
“Swearing will not be…”
Again Valerie interrupted. “I’m old enough to swear if I want to. Just tell me how Daddy knew Dylan was a merman.”
Katherine looked at her daughter. Her brown eyes were filled with anger. “I told your father.”
“I should’ve known.”
“I didn’t start out to deceive you, Val. I just knew if you could meet Dylan, you’d realize he’s the man for you.”
“How can you possibly know what type of man I want?” Valerie countered.
Then it hit her. Dylan had to be from the dating site.
“I know you better than you think, my darling daughter, and I think we both know that. Isn’t Dylan everything you’ve been looking for?”
“That’s beside the point.”
“How?” Katherine couldn’t help smiling. “Tell me, Val, isn’t Dylan perfect?”
“He’s a merman,” Valerie countered. “Someone from that damned dating site you contacted and tricked into coming here to seduce me.”
Katherine was losing patience. “I didn’t trick Dylan.”
“So what, Mother, did you and Daddy pay him to take me off your hands?”
“Valerie Adrian Richardson, that’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve said in a long time and if you’d just sit there and listen for a minute or two, I’ll happily explain who Dylan is and why he is here.”
“Oh, this should be good.” Valerie crossed her arms and pushed back into the chair. She stared at her mother, waiting for Katherine to start explaining.
Katherine gave Valerie one of her stop it looks and shifted on the couch. This story was going to take a little time.
Chapter 6
Tracee heard muffled voices coming from the living room. Katherine had been in the cottage for almost two hours and so far there had been very little yelling.
Thank goodness, Tracee thought. She’d been so worried when Valerie’s mom had walked in that they’d spend hours fighting and nothing would be accomplished.
Tracee was too aware of Valerie’s stubborn streak and she also knew Dylan had become an important part of her life. His being a merman made things so much easier and hopefully, Valerie would
realize that.
The first blush of dawn was just peeking through the windows when Tracee heard the front door close. Valerie walked into the bedroom and dropped on the bed next to her.
Silence hung in the air for a few moments, then Tracee lifted up on her elbows and looked at her friend’s face. “Are you okay?”
“Yep.” Valerie’s voice sounded drained.
“You don’t sound okay.”
Tracee watched a single tear trickle from the corner of Valerie’s eye and slowly fall toward the bed. She waited, hoping her friend would talk. Maybe between them they could figure out a way to make things better.
Just as Tracee thought Valerie had drifted off to sleep, she spoke. “My mother joined that dating site six months ago. Can you believe it?”
“I’m not surprised.”
Valerie turned onto her side, facing Tracee. “Dylan’s online name is Wolffish. My mother chose him because of his sexual competence and sperm count report.” Valerie looked disgusted. “Apparently, she was honest with him about being my mother.”
Tracee had a million questions. “How come Dylan pretended to be human?”
“Mom told him she thought I’d be more willing to accept him as a human. For some reason she believes I’d marry a human just to spite her.” Valerie actually smiled.
“You would,” Tracee stated with confidence.
“True. Anyway, apparently Dylan was here, on St. Kitts, a couple of months ago. He met with my mother and they hatched their little deception. He even visited Colesca to get a look at the goods.”
“The goods?”
“Yes. Me.”
“Oh.”
“Apparently he liked what he saw, because they cooked up this plan for him to come back, play the tourist, and seduce me. They thought if I fell in love with him, the fact he’s a merman wouldn’t matter.”
“And are you?”
Valerie shook her head. “In love?”
“Yes.”
“No,” Valerie said too quickly.
“Val?”
“Stop it, Tracee. I’ve known the man for all of three weeks.”
“Three weeks, during which you’ve spent most of your free time with him, not to mention the nights you’ve spent in his bed.”
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