Merman's Bond (Merman's Kiss, Book 3)

by Dee J. Stone

  I’m so weak right now, and I have no idea how much energy I have left. But I ignore that and grab his hands. Closing my eyes, I focus on transferring some of my life into him. “Please work,” I mutter. “Please.”

  My palms burn. So does the rest of my body. It’s not the same sensation I experience when I shift from one form to the other. This is another kind of burning, one that’s deeply rooted in my blood. It’s almost like my vessels are swelling up, ready to explode.

  My brain tells me to let go of Damarian’s hands, that if I hold on any longer, I’m going to die. But I don’t listen. I need to save his life, even if I have to sacrifice mine. I know that will leave him without a mate, forcing him to remain single for the rest of his life, but at least he’ll still be alive.

  Even though as a mermaid, I shouldn’t feel hot, I do. I’m burning up, every part of me on fire. My eyes roll back and I black out.

  ***

  “Cassie.” Damarian gently slaps my cheeks. “Cassie.”

  It feels like I’m waking up from the deepest sleep I’ve ever had. My eyes refuse to open, as though they’re glued shut, and my limbs are locked in place.

  Damarian taps my cheeks again. “Wake up, my love.”

  Slowly, different parts of me rouse, until I’m wide awake. I blink at Damarian, waiting for his blurry face to come into focus. When it does, I see his relieved smile. Fiske floats near us, his eyes still narrowed at me. It looks like he’s upset I’m not dead.

  Damarian sticks his hands underneath me and lifts me toward his chest, holding me close. “You’re alive,” I say, putting my arms around him and squeezing him so hard I lose feeling in my hands.

  His chest rumbles as a strained laugh leaves his mouth. “My thoughts match yours.” He leans back to look into my eyes, his hand cupping my cheek. “I thought you…” His voice wavers. “I thought you perished.”

  “You died,” I say, wrapping my hands around him again and gripping him tight. “Or you were right at death’s doorstep. I gave you some of my life.”

  He gently pries my arms off him to stare at me. “I do not understand.”

  My eyes dip to his body. My hand grazes his chest. The wounds are gone. He’s completely healed.

  “Cassie?” He tucks his fingers under my chin and lifts my head to his. “To what are you referring?”

  “You weren’t breathing. Your body was badly injured. I took your hands and transferred some of my life into you. Remember how you took some of mine when you were in Leah’s car? When you needed salt water?”

  He blinks at me, then his eyes move away, like he’s deep in thought. “I do not recall the events clearly, for I was in desperate need of sea water. I do not remember much of what happened.”

  “Our bond is stronger than we could even imagine, Damarian. We can give life to one another.”

  His arms close around me and he kisses my temple. “You have saved my life.”

  “I’d do anything for you.”

  His hands run up and down my arms. “Are you all right? Do you understand what occurred when we merged our minds?”

  A shudder passes through me as the events play in my head. “Did you see her? The…the sea serpent inside me?”

  He nods.

  “I…I never imagined they actually looked like that. Like dragons.”

  “Dragons?”

  “Mythical creatures. They’re reptile-like with scales and wings and they breathe fire.”

  Both his eyebrows are arched so high they practically meet his hairline.

  “I’ll tell you all about them and show you pictures when we return to land.” I swallow. “If we ever return to land and can have a normal life.”

  He touches my cheek. “We will, my love. I promise you we will.”

  I tear my gaze from him and stare at a spot on the rock. “It was all me,” I say. “All of them. First I was a human. You and I spent time together doing human things, like playing Hide and Seek and kissing, as we do when we’re on land. Then we transformed into children of the sea and experienced life in the ocean, like we do when we’re in those forms. The human side of me and the mermaid side coexist with one another. That’s why I wasn’t split in half. Unlike with the sea serpent.”

  Damarian nods.

  “The sea serpent is still dormant,” I say. “She hides in the background, waiting until she grows stronger. That’s why I couldn’t see her clearly at first. But when you came with me, we must have woken her up. She wanted to fight me and take control.”

  “Perhaps she would have, had I not been there,” Damarian says.

  I finally look him in the eyes. “You’re right. When I tried to fight her on my own, I was too weak. If not for you, she might have won.”

  But there’s more to this. The sea serpents have tasted the power I took from Damarian, which is why they’re going stronger. Even though we were split, she still must have been able to taste the power, or else she wouldn’t have been so strong. Does that mean that Damarian and I have only fueled her with more power when we tried to fight her off?

  “We couldn’t fight her off.” My lower lip trembles. “Even with our energies fused together. Did you see the abilities she had? How she turned invisible and that thing she threw at us. It melted our skin. Like venom from a snake.”

  “A snake?”

  “It’s an animal on land. It shoots poisonous venom and kills.”

  Damarian looks shocked. “I was not aware such creatures exist on land.”

  There is still so much I need to teach him about my world. Will I be able to or are we destined to be torn apart?

  “Why did she attempt to kill me?” Damarian asks. “The sea serpents require me to take the throne so that my full power will be restored.”

  “I don’t think she meant to kill you. She probably was in full-on fighting mode and had no idea what she was doing.”

  He nods slowly.

  “There’s no hope,” I say. “She’s going to take complete control over me.”

  He takes me in his arms again and rocks back and forth. “No, I refuse to accept that. We will not allow that to occur.”

  “But what else can we do?”

  He doesn’t say anything just continues to rock us. Is he just as lost as me or is he in denial? After what we experienced just moments ago, I don’t see how he can still be in denial.

  “Damarian?”

  His lips sweep across my face until they press into mine. “We will think of a solution, my love. Do not fret.”

  I push off him. “Do not fret? Are you kidding me? How can you be so calm?”

  “I am not calm. It is my wish to comfort you.”

  I grab the sides of my head. “I don’t need comfort, Damarian. I need answers.”

  “I understand—”

  “Stop saying you understand! Because you can’t possibly understand what I’m going through!” I leap toward Damarian, shoving him into one of the rocks. My hand closes over his throat.

  Something gray knocks into me, throwing me against another wall. I release a hiss and charge at Fiske. The shark opens his mouth, showing razor-sharp teeth.

  “Stop!” Damarian yells. “Stop this instant!”

  I raise a fist and am about to slam it into the shark, when Damarian throws himself at me. He pushes me down to the ocean floor, holding my arms in place.

  “Let me go.” I struggle against him and hiss again.

  “Win the battle, my love,” Damarian says softly. “Do not allow the serpent to prevail.”

  I continue struggling against him.

  “Cassie.” His fingers stroke my cheek, but I pull away, glaring at him. “You have the ability to win,” he says. “I know you do. I love you so very much. You are my Cassie, the one who holds my heart. Please return to me.”

  I stop moving. I look up at Damarian, who stares at me with concern floating in his eyes, then at Fiske who is by our side, a hostile expression on his face. When I glance at my arms, I see they are covered in scales.


  Damarian reaches to stroke my cheek, but I slide out from underneath him. “N-no,” I say. “You need to stay away from me.”

  “Cassie—”

  “I attacked you!”

  “I am all right.” He moves closer to me.

  “Damarian, please.”

  He envelops me in his arms. I try to push him away. Doesn’t he get that I wrapped my hand around his neck? Doesn’t he get that I had this rage inside me and that I wanted to kill him?

  “It is all right,” he says in a soothing voice. “I understand you did not intend to behave in the manner you did.”

  “You can’t just keep forgiving me like this.” I sob against his chest.

  “I love you, Cassie.”

  “But you can’t love what I’m becoming.”

  Fiske swims forward. There are intruders outside the cave.

  Damarian raises his head, his eyes darting toward the entrance. His eyebrows furrow. “Not intruders. Syd and another child of the sea.”

  Syd? I follow Damarian to the entrance. “It might be a trap,” I tell him.

  He raises his eyes toward the entrance and shakes his head. “No, I am certain it is Syd. My sense for him is extremely strong.”

  He slips through the opening. Since it’s so narrow, I can’t see what’s going on out there, but I hear them whispering. There are three voices—two male and one female. Is the other person Doria? Damarian would have sensed her if it was.

  After a few minutes, Damarian sticks his head inside. “Cassie, I am lowering Syd.”

  “Okay.” I hold up my hands, ready to take him.

  After a few seconds I see a small fin, followed by a small tail, slipping into the opening. I put my arms around his waist and catch him. “Hey, Syd,” I say.

  He looks spooked. I hug him.

  Next, a sapphire tail falls through the opening. It’s not Damarian’s and it’s not Doria’s. As the body lowers, I realize it’s a female’s. It’s not until she’s completely through that I know who this mermaid is. Hareta, Doria’s friend.

  I just stare at her.

  “Hello,” she greets me.

  “Um, hi.” I glance at Syd, who still looks like he saw a ghost. Then I look at Hareta. What are they doing here? And how did they leave the colony?

  Damarian slides back into the cave. “Where is Syndin?” he asks his brother.

  “He was too frightened to come.”

  “What’s going on, Damarian?” I ask.

  “Syd and Hareta have informed me that they have urgent news they must discuss with me.”

  I take a good look at Hareta. Like Syd, she looks freaked out. I don’t know her well at all—I only saw her once or twice when she hung out with Doria—but even I know something serious is up. Considering she came here with Syd, I’m almost positive this involves Doria.

  “Where’s Doria?” I ask.

  Damarian faces them. “Yes, where is she?”

  Hareta hesitates. If I were able to see tears in the ocean, I know Syd would have them in his eyes.

  “Syd,” Damarian says softly, reaching for his hand. “What has happened?”

  “She.” He hiccups. “She is lost, Damarian.”

  “What?” both Damarian and I nearly shout.

  Damarian takes his brother by the shoulders and looks carefully into his eyes. “Explain, Syd.”

  He looks at Hareta. We look at her, too.

  Her whole body trembling, she moves forward. “I have not seen her for quite some time. Last I did…” Her voice trails off.

  The dots connect in my head. “Hareta, did she go to see Kytero?”

  She nods, her eyes wide.

  “Who is Kytero?” Damarian asks.

  I shut my eyes for a second, wishing I didn’t have to drop the bomb on him in this manner. Like humans, mermen are very protective over their sisters. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, I face him. “Doria told me when we visited your family that she was seeing a merman. A member of the Diamond clan.”

  Damarian nods slowly. “Why did she not inform me or Father or Mother?”

  Hareta and I exchange a glance. I don’t know how much she knows, but I’m pretty sure she knows just as much as me, probably more. “His family is part of the rebels,” I say.

  Damarian’s face is a mixture of shock, betrayal, and disbelief. “My sister consorts with a rebel?”

  “That was my reaction, too,” I say. “But you can’t hold him responsible for something he didn’t do. It’s his family who are part of the rebels, not him.”

  Although Damarian’s face is clouded with anger and suspicion, I see it softening. He loves his sister very much and wants her to be happy. He squares his shoulders and looks at Hareta. “How has she formed a bond with him?”

  “They played together as fry,” Hareta answers. “I am certain you remember.”

  Damarian’s eyes get unfocused. I can see the wheels spinning in them, how he’s sifting through his memories to pinpoint who Kytero is.

  “She has fled with him?” he asks.

  “I believe so.” Hareta’s tone is barely a whisper.

  Damarian’s eyes travel to Syd. “Why have you taken my brother from the colony? You are aware how unsafe the sea is.”

  “It—it was my decision,” Syd says. “I sought the assistance of Hareta to locate you. I was certain you would know what to do.”

  Syd is mature for his age. While his twin and Zarya seem to be oblivious to what’s actually going on in their world, Syd has been listening with open ears. He was probably too afraid to approach his parents, so he asked the help of the only person who knew exactly what Doria was up to.

  “What do Mother and Father believe has happened to Doria?” Damarian asks.

  “They are overwhelmed with worry,” Hareta says. “They are not certain what has become of her. They suspect she has been captured by the rebels, for no one can sense her in the sea.”

  More dots connect in my head. “All this time, she’s been sneaking out to see him. That’s why I caught her coming home so late. Kytero must have run from the Diamond colony when Kiander and Flora sent the Guard to question the loved ones of the rebels. He must have thought they would arrest him because his family is with the rebels.”

  “Where has he been concealed all this time?” Damarian asks.

  “Your father said he didn’t understand why the Guard couldn’t sense any of the rebels,” I say, my own wheels starting to spin. “They’re somehow making themselves unable to be detected. Maybe Kytero is using the same method.”

  Dread crawls onto Damarian’s face. “Then perhaps this Kytero is indeed with the rebels.” He runs a hand down his face. “It was his plan since the beginning. To cause Doria to fall in love with him. So that I would agree to take the throne for her release.”

  If that’s the case, my heart goes out to Doria. When I first entered the ocean, Doria seemed to be really lonely. I’m not sure if she was already seeing Kytero—she did seem to be hiding something—but I really hoped she’d meet a nice guy who would make her happy. When she told me about him, I saw the way her eyes lit up, how much love she has for him. If he really is going to betray her, I feel terrible.

  “It is hard to believe Kytero’s feelings are not sincere,” Hareta says. “Doria has told me many tales of their encounters. I believe he truly loves her.”

  Damarian shoves his hands through his hair. “No matter the reason, we must search for her. Hareta, have you any ideas to where they journeyed?”

  She shakes her head. “Doria would not tell me.”

  Damarian looks at his brother. “Syd, I am upset with you. You should not have left the colony. You are aware of what is occurring now, are you not?”

  He gives a solemn nod. “I worry about Doria.”

  Damarian locks his arms around the little merman and hugs him close to his chest, kissing the top of his head. “As am I. But I am concerned for your welfare as well.” He pats his back. “Have you told Mother and Father where you
have gone?”

  He shakes his head. “I have told no one, save for Syndin.”

  “Mother and Father will be overly concerned. You must return home at once. But we must locate Doria first.” He nods to Fiske, then to me. “We will search the sea for her. Syd and Hareta shall remain here, where no harm will come their way.”

  “But I wish to join you,” Syd says.

  Damarian places his hands on his brother’s shoulders and looks into his eyes. “I understand how much you wish to search for Doria. But it is imperative that you remain here where it is safe. I promise I will return with Doria alive and well.” He ruffles his hair, then presses him to his chest. “I promise.”

  Syd clutches onto Damarian.

  After a few moments, Damarian reluctantly pulls away. “Let us begin the journey.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  We travel deeper into the ocean with Fiske by our side. The ocean is huge, and Doria could be anywhere. Damarian said he’ll search the sea inch by inch until he locates his sister.

  The thing is, we’re only two merpeople with one shark. If Doria is being held captive by the rebels, I don’t know how we could take them on.

  Damarian’s eyes dart everywhere as we zoom through the water. Mine, do, too, and I try to sense her. But I don’t feel anything.

  “I will kill him,” Damarian mutters. “That Diamond imbecile.”

  I take his hand. “You don’t know the whole story.”

  He keeps his gaze in front of him. “He has deceived my sister.”

  I tug his hand, forcing him to look at me. “I know you’re upset and scared and worried. But we need to see the full picture before we jump to conclusions.”

  “What if they are torturing her?” he whispers.

  I stroke his cheek. “Wouldn’t you feel it?”

  “I do not know. I do not sense her. Perhaps…perhaps she is no longer…”

  “No. Don’t even go there.”

  He tears his eyes from me and stares straight ahead.

  “Damarian, I have an idea.” I take both his hands. “You remember how we pooled our energies together to contact Fiske when we were too far from the colony?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let’s try it to locate Doria.”