Merman’s

Forever

Dee J. Stone

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to real life, movies, television, games, or books is entirely coincidental and was not intended by the author.

Titles by Dee J. Stone:

Young Adult Superhero Series:

No Ordinary Hero (Keepers of Justice, Book 1)

Hero’s Revenge (Keepers of Justice, Book 2)

Hero Reborn (Keepers of Justice, Book 3)

No Ordinary Villain (Keepers of Justice, Book 4)

Villain’s Choice (Keepers of Justice, Book 5)

Long Lost Hero (Keepers of Justice, Book 6)

Blue Masked Hero (Blue Masked Hero, Book 1)

Red Masked Heroine (Blue Masked Hero, Book 2)

Secret Villain (Blue Masked Hero, Book 3)

Young Adult Fantasy Series:

World of Duriell, Book 1: Pardem

World of Duriell, Book 2: Andrina

Mark of Platos (Mark of Platos, Book 1)

Teenage Witch (Teenage Witch, Book 1)

Young Adult Romance:

Cruiser (Cruiser & Lex, Book 1)

Second Chance (Cruiser & Lex, Book 2)

Forever (Cruiser & Lex, Book 3)

Cruiser & Lex: The Complete Series Box Set

Chasing Sam

Young Adult Paranormal:

Emily’s Curse

Paranormal Romance:

Merman’s Kiss (Merman’s Kiss, Book 1)

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

Merman’s Bond (Merman’s Kiss, Book 3)

Merman’s Love (Merman’s Kiss, Book 4)

Merman’s Devotion (Merman’s Kiss, Book 5)

Merman’s Forever (Merman’s Kiss, Book 6)

Damarian (A Merman’s Kiss Novel)

Falling for the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 1)

Loving the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 2)

Keeping the Genie (Genie’s Love, Book 3)

Email the author at deej.stone@yahoo.com.

For more information and updates on new releases, check out Dee J. Stone here: https://deejstone.wordpress.com. Or follow on Facebook and Twitter. You can also check us out on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/deejstoneromance and https://www.patreon.com/deejstonefantasy.

Merman’s

Forever

Excerpt from Falling for the Genie

Excerpt from Mark of Platos

About the Author

Chapter One

Mrs. Cassie Sapphire.

It has a nice ring, doesn’t it?

It’s funny how many names a person can acquire over her lifetime. Cassandra Price. Cassie Price. Cassie Price of the humans. Cassie of the Sapphire clan. Mrs. Cassie Sapphire.

My stomach squeezes together, making my legs weaken. I can’t believe this is actually happening.

“Ouch!”

“Sorry,” the woman crouched by my ankles mutters, some pins between her teeth. “You were fidgeting.”

It takes everything I have not to rub the spot she poked me.

“Cassie,” Mom says, her eyes shining the brightest I’ve ever seen. “That dress is just breathtaking on you.”

Leah, who sits next to her on the chair a few feet away, nods, her eyes also shiny, though there’s no mistaking the emptiness in them.

For the hundredth time since I’ve tried on this dress, I look at myself in the mirror. Breathtaking, Mom said. Honestly, I don’t care much about my wedding dress. Obviously I want to look good, but all that matters to me is that Damarian and I will be bonded for all eternity the human way, surrounded by everyone we love.

A year has passed since Damarian proposed to me. We thought we’d wait a little longer to tie the knot, since we both are still very young, but why wait? We’ve been bonded the merpeople way for two years now, have been through so much together, grew as close as we ever could. It’s time we make it official on land, too.

The dress is very poofy at the bottom, since I’ve dreamed of wearing a poofy wedding dress ever since I can remember. The bodice doesn’t dip too low and it has intricate designs from the top to the bottom. One word to describe the dress? Elegant. Regal. Perfect.

“There she goes spacing out again,” Leah says with a laugh.

I laugh, too. “I feel like I’m in a dream.”

Mom comes over and plays with my hair, tossing it over one shoulder, then spreading it down my back. “I’ve been through this twice, and I’m telling you it’ll take a long time until it finally hits you. My daughter, getting married!”

She and Louis got married four months ago. I never imagined I’d be so emotional as I watched my mother declare herself to the love of her life. It’s not everyday kids have the chance to celebrate with their parents on the happiest day of their lives. I did feel a small pang in my chest when I thought of my father and how much I miss him. How much regret I have that I couldn’t do anything to save him, my stepmom, and all the other sea serpents. But like I tell myself almost every day, I need to move on. My dad wouldn’t want me to cry over him for the rest of my life. It’ll be a long journey, but I know I will get there one day.

“All right.” The seamstress straitens up and scans me from top to bottom. “Perfect.”

Now Leah stands before us, too, watching us with a certain look in her eyes. I know what it is. Not jealousy, exactly, but more like hopelessness. After what happened with Jace two years ago, she hasn’t fully gotten back on her own feet. She’s trying really hard to move on.

“You look like a princess,” she says, then rolls her eyes. “Ugh, that sounded so cliché.”

“But it’s true.” The woman circles me, satisfaction in her eyes. “Some women search and search and can’t find the right dress. You, young lady, have found the right dress.”

My cheeks heat up. I’ve never liked being in the spotlight. I know all eyes will be on Damarian and me in two weeks, but I don’t really want to think about that.

Once the seamstress makes sure the dress is perfect and gives me permission to take it off, I go to the back room. Leaning on the door, I close my eyes and gulp in a few breaths of air. Someone please pinch me.

Damarian’s face appears before my eyes. All the nerves in my body dissolve. I know that as long as I have the merman of my dreams with me, I can get through anything.

“Cassie!” Mom calls. “I need to be at the meeting in twenty minutes.”

I carefully slide out of the dress, pull on my shirt and jeans, then leave the room. The seamstress promises the dress will be delivered to my mom’s next week. Mom still believes the groom seeing the dress before the wedding is bad luck, though I wonder if it counts when the groom is a merman.

“Now that the dress is done,” Mom says, “the only thing we have to worry about is the caterer, and then everything will be perfect.”

I swallow. “I’m glad.”

Leah gently slaps my arm. “What are you so worried about? You and Damarian are basically already married.”

I nod, though my throat is still tight.

“Wedding jitters,” Mom says. “Don’t worry, we all get them. Do you want a lift home, Cassie?”

“We want to grab something to eat,” Leah tells her. “A new seafood restaurant opened on the beach.”

Mom kisses my cheek. “I’ll see you later.” She gets in her car and drives away.

Leah and I settle in hers. “I really don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I say. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Not really.” She pulls out of the curb. “When you and Damarian ‘married’ the merpeeps way, it wasn’t planned or anything. It just happened. The wedding preparations are probably scarier than the actual thing.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“You’re not worried he’ll ditch you, are you?”

“Well…”

“Oh don’t you start, Cassie. That fishman loves you to death. He’s practically given up his merman life to live with you on land.”

I’m about to protest, but she holds up her hand. “When was the last time you even visited his home?”

I press my lips together. “It’s not easy when I’m at school. But now that it’s summer, I want us to spend as much time with his family as we can. In fact, we’re leaving to the sea tonight.”

Leah parks the car in the lot and we make our way to the restaurant. The sea water-filled air hits me as soon as I step foot on the beach, beckoning me to leap into the ocean, shift into my mermaid form, and swim around with the fish and dolphins. Considering it’s been a while since I dipped a toe in the sea, it takes everything I have to push the feeling away.

Leah and I choose a booth in the back. No more than a minute passes before a waiter comes over with menus.

“What to choose, what to choose.” Leah runs her tongue over her lips.

“I know what I’m choosing.”

She gives me a face. “Let me guess. Fish, fish, and only fish.”

“We are in a seafood restaurant.”

“Yeah, but there are lots of other things to choose from other than fish.”

I love all different kinds of seafood, but I always crave fish. I guess you can take the mermaid out of the ocean but you can’t take the ocean out of the mermaid.

We give our orders to the waiter.

“So,” Leah says. “How does Damarian feel about all of this?”

I laugh. “You keep asking me how he feels.”

She shrugs. “It’s not like the merpeople have weddings in the ocean, do they?”

“Sort of. They’re called mating ceremonies. It’s basically just a party thrown by family and friends, just like we have here. And the couple is supposed to mate that night.”

“And that makes them bonded for all eternity. I guess it’s not that different from humans. And his family is going to come on land?”

“Damarian’s not sure yet. His dad and mom, Doria, and Kytero might come on land, but everyone else will watch from the ocean, close to the shore. That’s why we’re having the wedding on the beach.”

She keeps her eyes on her empty glass. “Will he be there?” She glances up at me for half a second before focusing back on her glass.

I let out a small sigh. “I can’t not invite Kyle, Leah. But I’ll ask him to stay in the ocean, if that’ll make you feel better.”

She lowers her glass to the table and leans back, waving her hand. “Nah, let him come on land. I really don’t give a damn.”

I bite my lip. “Leah…”

“What? I’ll have Sexy Guy with me, so it’s not like I’ll be pining over him or anything.”

“You’ve seriously got to stop calling him Sexy Guy. What’s his name again?”

She gives me an innocent look.

“Leah!”

“Come on, don’t judge me.”

“You can at least know his first name,” I say.

“It’s one of those hard ones I can never remember. Arnold or something. No, that’s not it...”

“Isn’t it like Armon?”

She snaps her fingers. “Armando!” She sighs dreamily. “He has the hottest accent.”

I wish I could tell her how concerned I am over her. She met the guy two months ago and isn’t serious about him at all, which I guess isn’t a problem since he’s not serious about her either. She hasn’t had a stable boyfriend since Jace. I don’t know if I should beat the crap out of Kyle, because I have no idea what happened between the two of them. Leah refuses to talk about it, and since she’s my best friend I’d rather hear her side before hearing Kyle’s. What I do know is that they fought every time he came on land to see her. It’s obvious she’s scared to commit to another relationship.

“Oh no,” Leah says. “You’ve got that look again.”

“What?”

“The one where you’re going to act like my mom and tell me to pull my life together. I’ll have you know that I’m seriously considering going to law school.”

“That’s great!”

“I don’t need a guy to make me happy.”

“Of course not.”

She narrows her eyes. “Okay, tell me how you really feel.”

The waiter comes with the food. And might I say my fish looks delicious.

Leah puts her hand over mine so I can’t reach for my fork. “Uh uh. Not until you tell me how you really feel.”

“Are you sure you want to hear it? Because it seems you’re more content with distracting yourself with all the Arnolds of the world.”

“Armando!”

“Whatever!”

She snaps her mouth closed, her eyes on her crab salad. “I just…I just don’t want to feel anything.”

I turn my hand over to slide my fingers through hers. “Talk to me, Leah. What happened with Kyle?”

She snatches her hand away. “What’s there to say? He’s a fish and I’m a human. I’m no way in hell turning into a fish. No offense.”

“None taken.”

“What do you expect, Cassie? For me to throw my life away and have little tadpoles in the ocean?”

“Tadpoles? Leah, you do know we’re not frogs…”

“I get how cool you’d think it would be for the two of us to be mated to mermen and swim in the ocean—”

“What? I never said—”

“—but that’s not me. I’m never going to have the kind of love you have with Damarian. You told me that even the merpeeps said it’s rare to have such a deep bond like the one you guys have. So why bother? Why bother about anything?” She sweeps her hand across her eyes.

“Do you love him, Leah?”

She blinks at me. “What? Of course not!”

“Do you?”

“How can I love him? He’s a fish.”

“Okay, that I take offense.”

She throws her hands up. “I don’t love him, Cassie. I can never love him. I don’t think I can love anyone. Don’t you get it? He ruined love for me. Why did I meet him? Why did I let myself fall in love with him?” The tears rain down her cheeks. “He messed me up so bad. No matter how many shrinks I see, I’ll never get better. And then I have to watch everyone around me find love and live happily ever after with their soulmates. And mine turned out to be a monster who almost killed my best friend and wreaked havoc in the ocean. And look at me, two years later and I’m still not over him.”

I swallow my tears away. Some of the other diners are staring at us. I don’t care. Let them stare. It’s not like any of them can understand what Leah’s been through. Even I can’t.

My phone buzzes with a text from Damarian.

Is it considered bad luck to text the bride when she is sampling her wedding dress?

“Is that Damarian?” Leah asks.

I tuck my phone back in my bag. “It doesn’t matter.” I clasp her hand in mine. “Leah—”

“Sorry for what I said. I didn’t mean you and Damarian. I’d give my arm or leg for you and Damarian to keep your happily ever after. I just meant other people.”

“You can blow up on me whenever you want. I don’t mind.”

She snorts. “What a wonderful friend I am.” She wipes her eyes. “I’m sorry for ruining our meal. I don’t like dragging my issues into every aspect of my life. I’m over him. I need to be over him.”

I get up from my seat and walk to her side to give her the strongest hug I can muster. “I love you, Leah. I just wish I knew what to do to make you feel better. If I were able to go back in time—”

“No, Jace had to die. I’m fine with that. I just hate myself for giving my heart to him.”

“Do you wish you never met him? If you were able to go back in time and stop yourself from meeting him, would you? He would still turn into a sea serpent, but you wouldn’t fall for him.”

She blinks a few times as I return to my seat, her jaw slightly hanging open. “I…” Her lower lip trembles. “No. I’m happy I met him. I wouldn’t want to change that.” She shakes her head, a resolute expression on her face. “No, I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

I squeeze her hand. “Maybe now that you’ve realized that, it may make it a little easier for you to move on.”

She nods, but by the look in her eyes, I know she doesn’t believe it.

Chapter Two

“Cassie, my love!” Damarian scoops me into his arms and spins me around in the living room. “How I have missed you!”

I giggle as he splatters my face with kisses. “I was only gone for a few hours.”

“Yes, but every moment I am apart from you feels like eternity. Even after being mated to you for twenty four moons.”

I give him a heartfelt, passionate kiss. “I feel the same way.”

With me still in his arms, he carries me into the kitchen. “May I ask how it went at the dress shop?”

“Don’t worry about Mom and her superstitions. You can ask me anything you want.”

“All right. But she stated she would, ‘Do some serious damage to my manly parts if I were to lay eyes upon the dress before you walk down the aisle.’ She could not have been serious, could she?”

I feel my eyes pop out of their sockets. “She did not say that!”

“No?” He lowers me to the floor and scratches the back of his head. “Is it possible I heard that on the TV? No, I am certain those were your mother’s words.”

“I’m going to kill that woman.”

His eyes widen. Then they relax. “Right. That is a human expression.”

I gently slap his chest. “Don’t worry about any of this. Honestly, this whole wedding thing…” I walk over to the fridge and take out the orange juice. “It’s a bigger headache than it’s worth.”

“Pardon? Are you stating you do not wish to have one? I thought that was your wish, to be bonded as humans.”

I put the carton on the counter and walk over to him, gathering him in my arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make it seem like I don’t want to be bonded to you the human way. It’s just a little different here on land. So many preparations and so much stress. It’s much simpler in the sea.”

He trails kisses down my neck. “I apologize for the stress. I am only glad that you and I will be bonded as humans. That is all that matters to me.”

“Me, too.”

He takes my hand and leads me to the table. “Please sit. I have prepared a meal while you were away. It consists of mushrooms. I am still not certain if I am fond of the taste of mushrooms, but the dish smells scrumptious.”

Even though Leah and I ate a late lunch only a few hours ago, my stomach rumbles at the mention of his cooking. “Thanks so much. I’m starving.”

He hurries to the counter for the oven mitts, opens the oven, and pulls out what looks like mushroom casserole. The aroma attacks my nose, making me sigh in pleasure and my mouth water.

“It smells awesome, Damarian.”

“Thank you. I only hope it tastes delicious as well.”

We dig in. My mouth explodes with all different flavors, but something specific stands out. I take another bite before I realize what it is. “Did you put…sardines in this?” I ask.

He beams. “That was my surprise, my love! I sought—forgive me, browsed—on the internet and saw that one can add fish to the dish.”

I return the smile. “Perfect for us.”

We devour what’s in our plates and go for seconds, feeding each other and stating over and over again how delicious this meal is. When we’re both leaning back in our seats ready to pop, I say, “I’m so excited to finally visit your family again. We’ve missed so many weeks because of my college classes and job. I bet Kyteria and Dorin have grown ten inches. And we’ve only seen Princess Saeria like three times. I can’t get over how beautiful her tail is.”

“Indeed.”

When I held Flora and Kiander’s daughter for the first time, I felt a rush of power pass through me. She is the heir to the crown and possesses an extreme amount of power. The sea witch told Flora that the princess will be the strongest creature in the whole ocean. It wasn’t just her power I felt, though, it was her heart. True and kind, with love for every creature in the ocean, even though she doesn’t know it yet. Her tail is made of all five colors of the clans, the most exquisite tail I’ve ever seen in my life. The castle hasn’t changed colors yet—it’s still comprised of different shades of sapphire—because she hasn’t yet reached eighteen, when she will become queen.

Since I’ve started surfing classes last week and it’s hard for Damarian to take off work, especially now in the summer season, we’ll only be able to visit Damarian’s family for the weekend. I wish we could spend more time there, but our schedules are always packed.

“I’ll do the dishes,” I offer, gathering the plates.

“It is okay, my love. I do not mind.”

“You made the food. It’s only fair that I do the dishes.”

“Yes, but it pleases me to serve you.”

I can’t help but laugh. We’ve been together for two years and still argue over this practically every night. I guess we both have so much love for each other that we want to show it in every way possible.

Damarian laughs, too. “You rinse and I dry?”

“Deal.”

Once I put the leftovers in the fridge, Damarian and I get to work. I love doing everything together with him, even something as simple as dishes. Standing at the sink, I get hit with memories from when Damarian and I first spent time together when he came back to land to get to know me. The first time we did dishes together, I opened my heart to him and told him how my father left me and how hard it was for my mom and me. Even back then, I felt like I could tell him anything and that he’d never hurt me.

The second memory is the time we shared our first kiss. Damarian wrapped an arm around my waist and gently backed me up against the sink. His lips were hesitant at first, but then they moved over mine in desperation, like he had wanted to do that from the moment we first met. It didn’t take too long for me to kiss him just as desperately and passionately.

Then we broke apart. There was so much doubt, so much fear, so much unknown. We’ve come such a long way, and now we’re going to declare ourselves to each other for all eternity on land. Many times I need to pinch myself to make sure this is real and not a dream.

We finish up the dishes and take showers so we can get some sleep before we leave for the ocean.

***

I’m woken up when warm lips are pressed to mine. I moan and smile, reaching for Damarian with my eyes still closed.

He jabs something soft yet slightly rough on my nose. My eyes fly open. “Little Penguin wishes to inform you that it is time we leave for the sea,” Damarian says. “You must leave for the sea before it grows too light, Cassie!” he says in a squeaky voice.

I laugh and hug the stuffed penguin, less than three inches tall, to my chest. Damarian always buys me something from the aquarium gift shop when I attend one of his shows. This penguin is extra special because he bought it for me for our first anniversary, when he took me to the aquarium and we swam with the whales and fed the penguins.

Glancing at the clock, I see it’s four AM. Damarian’s right—we need to get to the ocean before the fishermen start their early catch.

I reach for the bag of essentials I packed last night. We have the ability to shift at will, so we don’t need to dry off as quickly as possible, but it’s nice to have towels when we return. We’ve packed three bags of gummy worms for Zarya, Syd, and Syndin. The other kids are too young to enjoy them yet. And I also packed spare clothes just in case.

We lock hands as we trek to the beach. It’s been a while since Damarian and I have walked here together, since I was busy with school and my teaching assistant job and he spent many hours with the whales. With our hands linked, everything feels much better—the cool breeze whooshing through my hair, the feel of the saltwater-filled air gathering on my exposed skin. The ocean calls for him much more intensely than it does for me, since his true form is a merman, and I feel it. It causes me to also have an undying need to leap inside.

We turn toward our special spot, one with many rocks where most people don’t venture to. I check my right and left, backward and forward, to make sure no one is around, and Damarian does the same. Once I’m sure the coast is clear, we undress, and I bury the bag in the sand. We climb onto the rocks, hold hands, and leap into the ocean.

Before Damarian and I learned how to shift at will, the extreme pain that accompanies every shift hit us immediately. But now we have the ability to enjoy ourselves in the ocean in our human forms.

Damarian throws me onto his back. “Take in some air, Cassie,” he calls over his shoulder.

He dives into the water. He pumps his legs hard as he swims deeper into the water. A few seconds later, he uses all his energy to launch himself through the surface. He doesn’t have as much strength or speed as he has as a merman, so we only manage to do a small flip before plummeting back into the water. He quickly gathers me in his arms. “Epic fail. There is only so much I can do as a human.” He frowns, then his face lights up. “Would you like me to shift into a child of the sea so that I may cast you toward the sky?”

He’s always thinking of ways to make me happy or excite me. There are no words to describe how much I love this guy and how much he means to me.

I tap his nose. “How about I shift into a child of the sea and toss you toward the sky?”

His face shines so bright it’s like he snorted a light bulb up his nose. “That sounds marvelous! I will feel as though I am close to the space.”

Closing my eyes, I focus on transforming into a mermaid. The sharp pain starts at my legs, and it feels like they’re being torn apart. It travels up the rest of my body, as though I’m completely engulfed in flames. I thrash around, making sure not to hit Damarian. After thirty seconds, it’s gone and in place of my legs is the beautiful sapphire tail I love and cherish.

Damarian wraps a hand around my waist and sweeps me toward his body, resting his lips on the side of my face. “Even after all this time, it hurts to see you in so much pain.”

“I don’t care,” I murmur as I stroke his cheek. “Because it means I can have a life with you.”

“How lovely you are, my sweet Cassie. How much love I have for you. You are the most remarkable being in the world.”

I shake my head. “You are.”

“No, it is you.”

“You!”

“It is you, my love,” he says before closing his mouth over mine. Just as he’s about to deepen the kiss, I place my hands on his chest and gently push him away. “Don’t think you can win this by kissing me to shut me up.”

“Oh, but I can.” He leans in for another kiss.

I once again push him away. “The fishermen and surfers will be out soon. I want to toss you in the air so you can get a feel of what it’s like to leap out of the ocean.”

Many years ago, the merpeople weren’t afraid to jump out of the ocean because there were no satellites that could detect them. Now, parents instill in their kids how dangerous it is. When Damarian was in my pool the first time he changed in front of me, I was mesmerized by how he leapt. Since we don’t have a pool anymore and Damarian does his weekly shifts here in the ocean, he hasn’t had the chance to leap, something he loves to do very much. I want to give to him as much as he always gives to me.

“All right, my Cassie,” he says. “But if I am too heavy…”

“Please. I’m a mermaid and you’re a puny human.”

He laughs. “Yes, but my true form is still that of a child of the sea. I may still be too heavy for you.”

I hold out my arms. “Just get in here, you overly considerate Sapphire.”

That makes him laugh again. As soon as he’s right before me, I take him in my arms. I slightly dip into the ocean. Not because I can’t handle his weight, but because I didn’t realize how heavy he is. Even as a human, he’s got a sick amount of muscles.

He pushes aside some hair that’s sticking to my forehead. “Thank you for doing this for me, my love.”

“You’re always finding ways to make me happy. Now it’s my turn. Are you ready?”

“I am ready.”

“Take in a breath. And here we goooo!”

I dive into the water, pumping my tail as intensely as I can, swimming deeper into the ocean. We’re not too deep in the water, so I can’t get that much momentum. I kick my tail into the sand and launch us toward the surface. As soon as we break it, I throw my arms upward, flinging him toward the sky. He raises his arms as though he’s trying to touch the sky, the moon, the stars, space.

When his body starts to drop back toward the ocean, I hurry to get in the right position. I want him to land in my arms so I can shower every part of his face with kisses.

This time, I’m ready for the weight. His entire face is brighter than the sun on the sunniest day. I laugh and cover every inch of his face with my lips. But Damarian has other plans, because he frees himself from my hold, spins me around, and lowers me until my back floats on the water. His leans closer to brush kisses over every inch of my exposed skin.

“Damarian,” I giggle as his lips tickle the spot on my waist where skin meets scales. “Damarian!”

He stops and hugs me tight against his chest. “Every morning, I wake up with a smile. Because it means I have another day to spend with you.”

I snake my hands up until they lock around his neck. “Another day, another week, another month, another year. Because we will be together forever. Always.”

Chapter Three

Damarian and my hands are once again clasped as we swim toward the merpeople colony. Every so often, he’d lift our hands to his mouth, pressing his lips against my knuckles. The temperature is pretty low down here, but his lips feel warm on my skin. That small, soft touch is enough to fill every ounce of me with his love.

I spot a cluster of fish on the left. “Do you mind if we stop to hunt?” I ask. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve hunted. I miss it.”

He scans the many schools of fish swimming around, each one more delicious-looking than the last. “You know something? It has been quite a while since I have hunted and I miss it as well.”

I swim toward one of the schools. I’m so out of practice I’d probably starve to death before catching a fish successfully. Damarian positions himself behind me. “Remember what I taught you,” he whispers, his lips brushing my cheek. “Remain calm. Your movements must be subtle and not sharp, lest you scare the fish. Search for the weakest one in the group. Once you have chosen one, bound for it and bite into the left side of its head to minimize the pain.”

I nod. I’ve got this.

Apparently not. Because as soon as I rush toward a fish, they all quickly scatter around and disappear from sight.

“Try over there, my love.” Damarian points to another school of fish, these smaller than the others.

This time, all I do is move a centimeter and they’re gone.

I slam my fists into the water. “Dammit!”

Damarian chuckles. “Ah, I have missed witnessing the frustrated look on your face. How adorable you are.”

I stick out my tongue. “Just because you manage to nail everything on land for the first time, doesn’t mean others have the same luck.”

He kisses my lips. “All right. I will cease teasing you.”

Furrowing my eyebrows, I concentrate on another group of fish. These are average size and aren’t swimming as fast as the other schools. I make sure my movements are slow and steady as I near them. After watching them closely, I find the weakest one in the group.

“You’re mine,” I mutter before lunging for it. I smash my hands together, catching the fish in my palm. All the other fish in the area scurry away, their movements so swift that the only thing I see are bubbles. If not for my firm grip on the fish, it would have slid out and joined its friends. I quickly bite into the left side of its head before it gets any ideas. The fish goes limp in my hand.

“Excellent, my Cassie!” Damarian cheers as I nibble it. “Now it is my turn.”

The area is pretty devoid of fish, thanks to me. Damarian heads to another spot, where it seems most of the fish have fled to. His head moves from right to left, searching for the perfect prey. I catch sight of a school of fish that swims at a much slower pace than the others. Damarian doesn’t go for them, though. He zooms toward the fastest fish and spins around as his hands shoot out toward the fish. They dart away like mine did, leaving nothing but bubbles in their wake. I’m about to give Damarian a taste of his own medicine, when he raises his arms. My mouth falls open. He caught three fish.

He swims over and holds up the fish, beaming like he won a prize at the carnival.

I playfully slap his shoulder. “Show off.”

“This is for you.” He hands me the juiciest-looking one.

“Okay, I forgive you for showing off.”

He laughs.

I haven’t even finished half of my other fish, but the one Damarian caught for me looks beyond this world. I tuck the old fish under my arm and take a bite of the new one. I moan in bliss. This is definitely one of the best fish I have ever tasted. Nothing beats eating fish just after a catch.

As I munch on it, the fish under my arm slides out and plummets toward the bottom of the ocean. “Shoot,” I say as I swim after it. It took me forever to catch that fish and I’m not just going to let it go.

Though we’re pretty deep in the ocean, it’s not that deep. The water’s temperature grows colder and the water’s pressure gets a little stronger. Nothing I can’t handle, though. The fish grows smaller and smaller as it continues its trip toward the seafloor. I pump my tail harder and catch it right before it reaches the bottom.

I blink at the sight in front of me. I’m surrounded by coral I’ve never seen before. Some are tall, pink, and spongy-looking while others look like DVD discs growing out of the ocean floor. And there’s also some that look like yellow caterpillars climbing out of the ground.

But the ones that are absolutely breathtaking are shaped like daisies and are made of the blackest color I have ever seen. Each petal sparkles with green glitter. As they move in the water, the glitter shines brighter. I move closer to them and just admire their beauty.

“Cassie?” Damarian calls.

“Over here.”

A few seconds later, he appears by my side.

“Have you ever seen these before?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “New coral is always growing in the sea. Especially after the sea serpents. These are remarkable. I need to bring Zarya here. She will love them.”

I don’t move my eyes from them. “The most gorgeous things I have ever seen in my life. Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?”

“Yes,” Damarian says in a husky voice as he moves closer to me. “She is standing right by my side.” He grabs me and digs his lips into my neck.

Laughing, I try to push him off. “You’re comparing me to these?”

His lips dip to my collarbone. “Yes, they are a marvel to behold, but I cannot kiss them like I can kiss you.”

I close my arms around his neck and stare into his eyes. “Your world never ceases to amaze me, Damarian. I’m so lucky to have the chance to experience it all. None of it would have happened if you hadn’t returned to land after I sent you back. Thank you again for coming back.”

He rests his forehead on mine. “Thank you for giving me a reason to return.”

We remain in each other’s arms for a short while. Sometimes, this is all I need.

“Crap,” I say after a few minutes, freeing myself from his hold.

“What is the matter?”

“My fish. I lost it.”

“It is all right. Another creature will enjoy it.”

I frown. “But I worked so hard to catch it.”

“And now another creature will enjoy your efforts. No matter, for my fish was much tastier than yours.” From the crinkle in his eyes, I know he’s teasing me again.

“You know what happens to cocky mermen, don’t you?”

Confusion enters his eyes. “No. What occurs to cocky mermen?”

“They turn into cocky human men.” I shove my tail into his face and whiz away.

“You cannot flee from me!” he calls after me. “I am much swifter than you.”

“Let’s see you try to catch up to me!” I yell over my shoulder.

No less than twenty seconds pass before I feel his arms wrap around my waist. He yanks me toward his body. “I have caught you!”

“Not fair,” I laugh as I try to wiggle free. “Your true form is a merman and you have the advantage.”

He chuckles. “And now for your reward.”

I try to evade his lips as they trail over my face, when I feel a sharp pain on my right arm. A loud hiss escapes my lips.

“Cassie? What is the matter?” Gone is the playful face he had only a second ago. His eyes are filled with nothing but alarm.

I glance at my arm and see red ink flowing out of it. “I cut myself.” I look around for the culprit and notice the black glittery coral. “I must have rubbed my arm against the coral.”

He gently takes hold of my arm and examines it. The gash must be pretty small because it’s already closing up. “That looks quite painful, my love. I will attempt to heal you.”

“That’s okay, Damarian. I don’t want you to strain yourself. It’ll just heal on its own.”

“Are you certain?”

“Look, it’s already starting to heal.”

He tears his eyes from the wound to look into my face. He strokes my cheek, his eyes looking guilty. “Are you certain you are all right?”

“I promise I’m okay. Don’t feel guilty. We were just having fun and it was an accident.”

His gaze returns to my arm. “Yes, it seems to be healing. Forgive me for behaving toward you as though you are a fry. Any injury you receive in the sea troubles me.”

“I know.” I rub the side of his head. “But you don’t have to worry anymore. There are no more sea serpents or rebels. Nothing’s going to hurt us down here. And look.” I hold out my arm. “It’s totally gone now.”

He looks relieved. “Yes, you are correct.” He gathers me to his chest and holds me tight. “My love for you is so profound I do not know what to do with myself.”

“I know. I feel the same way. Come, let’s go visit your family.”

Chapter Four

The first shark we see when we near the entrance to the merpeople colony is Fiske. He’s grown so much over the year that he’s larger than many of the others. He used to look so cute when he was a baby, but now he looks badass. No, more than badass—he looks scary as hell. If not for our past, I’d be scared out of my mind.

He rushes over to us and nuzzles his nose into Damarian’s side and then mine. I am so glad of your arrival. I have missed you two so very much.

Damarian kisses the top of his head. We have missed you very much as well. It brings me great joy that you are the first Sentinel to lay eyes upon. Have you been promoted?

He beams. Due to my large size, the other Sentinels believe I am the best candidate to deter any unwanted visitors from the colonies.

Now I kiss the top of his head. I never imagined you’d grow up this big. You’re amazing, Fiske. And scary as hell. In a good way.

He lowers is head. I am glad I can protect the children of the sea adequately.

You’ll be able to come to our wedding, right? I ask. You and Shoney, plus many other sharks Syren wants bring along.

Yes, Cassie. I would not miss your human mating even for the most scrumptious-looking fish.

I laugh and squeeze his fin. We can’t wait to share our special day with you and the others.

Yes, it means so much to us that you will attend, Damarian says.

He nods.

We wish him goodbye and enter the merpeople colony. I love taking my first “step”, because it feels like I’m returning to my second home. Damarian and I are quite well-known in this world, so many merpeople wave or say hello as we pass. Naturally I don’t know many—if not all—of them, but I make sure to return each greeting and wave. A part of me always worries I will come face to face with a disgusted face or evil eye, but the merpeople are a very forgiving and understanding species. They have accepted me down here, and that means the world to me.

There’s no way to miss the large great white patrolling the entrance to the Sapphire colony. Shoney could sense us—especially me—miles away, so as soon as we swim inside, she bolts over and nearly crashes into us.

You are here. It has been far too long.

I hug her, not paying attention to the rough skin scratching my cheek. Only two months, but it sure feels much longer.

I know you are busy with your human mating preparations. I tried to be patient, but it is difficult.

I kiss the side of her head. I love you so much, Shoney.

And I love you.

Damarian rubs the top of her head. Now that it is summer, we may be able to visit more often.

Shoney nods. I look forward to that.

I kiss her one more time and squeeze her fin before Damarian and I swim deeper into the colony.

“Damarian! Cassie!” a familiar voice calls.

We turn around and find a merman with a sapphire tail floating before us. I do a double take. “Don’t tell me you’re Syd.”

He grins. “Why, of course I am.”

I shake my head. “No way. We were just in the ocean two months ago. There’s no way you could have grown this much.”

He straightens his shoulders. “Indeed I have.”

I blink a few times as I take in all his features. His golden hair is almost as long as Damarian’s most recent haircut, which reaches just past his shoulders. His eyes that were always just a tad larger than his face—a feature that helped me distinguish him from his brother—are now growing into the rest of his face.

“Come here,” I say as I take him in my arms. “I almost didn’t recognize you. I’ve missed you so much.”

“Where is Syndin?” Damarian asks as he wraps his tail around his brother’s.

“With Zarya and Allerion. They wait for the rocks so we can play rock toss.” He holds up two rocks in his hands. “Will you join us?”

“Perhaps later.” Damarian rubs his head.

We make our way toward their family’s cave.

“How long do you wish to stay?” Syd asks.

Damarian and I exchange a glance. “I am afraid only two days,” he says.

He frowns. “That is what I assumed.”

“Forgive me. There are many responsibilities we must adhere to on land—”

“Yes, that is all right. All that matters is that you and Cassie are together and are content, though I wish you visited more frequently.”

I take his hand. “Thank for being understanding. Damarian and I will try to come more often, okay?”

When we near the cave, I see Zarya, Allerion, and Syndin playing with some of Zarya’s treasures. Zarya’s running a very old-looking hairbrush, salvaged from a sunken ship, through her hair. Allerion is sweeping a goblet through the water, his tail whooshing in the water leisurely like he’s bored out of his mind. Syndin is tossing a small gem from one hand to the other. When Zarya catches sight of us, she drops the brush and bolts over. “Dammy and Cassie have returned at last!”

I take her in my arms and spin her around. “It’s only been two months, but it feels like forever. I’ve missed you so much!”

“As have I.” Damarian stretches his arms over the both of us and squeezes us against his chest.

“Cream filling in a sandwich cookie,” I gasp.

“I believe we are injuring Cassie,” Zarya says.

“Forgive me.” Damarian loosens his hold. “Are you all right? And how is your arm?”

I glance down at it. The wound is completely gone.

“Cassie has been injured?” Zarya asks.

“I brushed my arm against the most amazing coral I have ever seen,” I tell her. “You’d love it.”

“I wish to take you there later today,” Damarian promises.

She raises her fists in the air. “I am most excited!”

“Have you retrieved the rocks?” Syndin asks Syd.

He holds them out.

Zarya reaches for Allerion and gently pulls him forward. “Are these adequate?”

He looks unsure.

“Will they be too heavy for you, Zarya?” Syd asks. “I was concerned about that.”

“Heavy for me? Why do you assume it would be heavier for me than for you?”

Syd’s face falls. “I was only concerned.”

“My tail is stronger than yours,” she mutters.

The twins exchange a glance. I look at Damarian with the corner of my eye and see the concerned look on his face. When we were here two months ago, it seemed like Zarya was having a little difficulty with her tail. She’s getting older and it takes more effort for her than it does for everyone else her age.

Allerion tugs on her arm. Zarya moves her ear closer so he can whisper into it. She nods. “Allery claims they are not too heavy. Can we play now?”

“Hey, Zarya.” I slide my hand into hers and take her aside. “Are you okay, sweetie?”

She pastes on a smile, though her lower lip trembles a little. “I am all right, Cassie.”

“Zarya—”

“Please, Cassie. I wish to play.”

I kiss the top of her head. “Okay. Win for me.”

“I certainly will!” She swims off with the others.

Damarian watches as she moves further away from our sight. “She’ll learn to adjust to her growing body,” I assure him. “Our Zarya is a brave and determined little mermaid. We have nothing to worry about.”

He turns his head and gives me an appreciative smile. “You always have the words to ease my mind.”

“They’re growing so fast. Soon it won’t be long before they’re mated and have kids of their own.”

“And perhaps we shall have some fry as well by then.” He doesn’t meet my gaze.

I take his hand. “It doesn’t scare me so much anymore.”

His face snaps toward mine.

“I mean, I won’t lie and say that it doesn’t scare me at all, but not as much as before. And um…”

He takes me by the waist and pulls me against his chest, gazing into my eyes. “Yes, my love?”

“Maybe we don’t have to wait that long.”

His eyes light up. “Are you certain? Because we can wait as long as you wish.”

“No, it’s okay. I mean, not today or tomorrow or a few months. But not years. I’m okay with the unknown. It still scares the heck out of me, but we’ll take one step at a time and see what happens. We have loving and supporting family on land and in the sea. We’ll be okay.”

He cradles me close to his body and gives me the most loving and passionate kiss he has ever given me.

***

The sounds of babies hit my ears the second we pass through the entrance to the cave. Damarian and I quicken our pace until we come face to face with the merpeople gathered at the stone table in the main room. Syren and Kiandra sit next to each other, a small child with dark red hair in Kiandra’s arms. Ryter is seated across from them with the other baby. Doria and Kytero sit side by side, Doria’s head resting on her husband’s shoulder. After a whole year of being parents, they still appear extremely exhausted.

Kiandra lifts herself off her chair with the small Diamond tucked in her arms and makes her way toward us, an overjoyed expression on her face. “I am so glad you are here.” She kisses my cheek and then Damarian’s.

“Can I take Kyteria?” I ask.

“With pleasure. This one is quite the handful.”

I hug her. “Nothing Aunt Cassie can’t handle, huh Kyteria?”

She smiles widely, showing off her baby teeth. I stare down at her, taking in all her features. She looks so similar to a human baby, at least the top half of her body. Her dark red hair is quite long compared to a human baby the same age, though. And of course her hands are webbed. Her tail has its own shade of diamond, unique to her and future siblings who may inherit a diamond tail.

“Have they learned to swim yet?” I ask Doria and Kytero. Merbabies generally start swimming on their own after twelve months.

“Dorin has a little, yes,” Doria says. “Kyteria only wishes to have fun and not learn.”

I press my cheek to hers. “You definitely are a true Diamond.”

Damarian gently takes Dorin from his grandfather and stares down at him with a loving expression. “They have grown significantly these past two months. It feels as though we have not visited in twelve moons.”

Kyteria closes her hand over my webbed fingers. I smile. Merbabies are not much different from human babies.

Kyteria stretches her arms toward Damarian and makes an impatient sound.

“Yes, little Kyteria?” he asks. “Is it your wish that I hold you in my arms?”

She flaps her arms anxiously.

I frown. “No fair.” Then I give her a big kiss on the cheek. “I forgive you anyway.” I pass her over to Damarian, who now holds both babies in his arms. As soon as they are near each other, they start talking in baby talk.

“Ah, now I understand why you were so eager to be in my arms,” Damarian says. “It is because you wished to be with Dorin, not me.”

Kyteria ignores him and gently tugs on Dorin’s golden hair. He does the same to her.

Damarian smiles to me. I know what he’s envisioning—our future children. We still have no idea if they would be humans or merpeople. Honestly, I don’t know which I would prefer. On the one hand, having a merchild would be awesome. But of course it would make our life much more difficult, not to mention my mother and siblings won’t be able to see them often. Having a human child would certainly make life easier, but would that mean we’d have to keep the merlife a secret until he or she was older? Of course I would accept my child no matter what and do what was best for her or him, make whatever sacrifices necessary. And I know Damarian would do the same. But seeing the joy and wonder on Damarian’s face as he holds the kids, I wonder if he’s hoping our children will have tails.

“Wonder of wonders,” Syren says. “They have managed to fall asleep in Damarian’s arms.”

“You are quite gifted, my son,” Kiandra says as she reaches for Dorin. “You will be a magnificent father.”

“Thank you, Mother.” His gaze moves to mine, still unsure how I feel about it. I nod.

“It is time they receive rest,” Kiandra says.

Doria, Kytero, and Kiandra take the babies to one of the back rooms.

“Damarian and Cassie, you must be famished,” Syren says. He swims over to the corner of the room where there are piles of oyster shells filled with fish.

“It is all right, Father. Cassie and I hunted on the journey here.”

“It’s been a while since we caught fish with our bare hands,” I say. “I forgot how great it feels to eat your catch and how delicious fish taste right after you get them.”

“Please join us at the table and inform us of what is occurring in your life,” Syren says as he returns to his seat.

Damarian and I settle down at the table and update them on our life, specifically the latest wedding plans. Other than that, nothing much has changed, besides for the fact that I have finished my semester and now have more freedom to visit them in the ocean.

“What about here in the sea?” Damarian asks.

“The humans have ceased venturing deeper into the sea,” Ryter informs us. “Kiander and Flora have enlisted the mako sharks to ward them off. They are one of the fastest and aggressive species in the sea.”

“That’s good news,” I say. “Now we don’t have to worry about them when we travel from land to the ocean.”

“Yes, good news indeed,” Syren says.

“What of Zarya?” Damarian asks. “How does she fare?”

Ryter and Syren share a look. Syren says, “She fares well. But now that she is older, I worry she may not measure up to her friends. When I see them racing, it is quite obvious that she cannot keep up with them.” His face holds nothing but worry.

“She’s strong,” I say. “And brave. I know she won’t let anything get in her way.”

“She is so much akin to my Marella,” Ryter says with a faraway look in his eyes. “I see her in Zarya every day. My Marella was quite determined and she was kind to every creature in the sea. Much like Kiandra as well.”

“Yes, Grandmother’s memory lives on in them,” Damarian says. “We will not forget her.”

Ryter lowers his head.

“I do hope your visit here will last more than two days,” Syren says.

Damarian holds out his hands helplessly. “I wish it, Father, but Cassie and I have jobs on land and we cannot shirk our responsibilities.”

Syren nods, but I see the hurt all over his face. I bite my bottom lip. I know I can’t keep feeling guilty for taking him away from his family, but I can’t help it.

I get off my seat. “You guys catch up. I’ll return later.” I’d like to give them some alone time together.

“Where do you travel to, my love?” Damarian asks.

“To the Emerald clan. I need to speak with Kyle.”

Chapter Five

The Emerald colony, like the Sapphire, is bursting with merpeople of all different colors. I’m not sure if more have integrated since last year, but it’s amazing to see them all interacting and getting along. Not that they were at war before Kiander and Flora mated, but they kept to themselves and hardly bonded with someone outside their clan. A Violet mermaid and Emerald merman swim past me, the merman carrying a small child with a violet tail on his back. Her arms are wrapped tightly around his neck and she pumps her little tail in sync with her father. She must be no more than two years old, and from the way she swooshes of her tail, I see she has inherited the aggressiveness of the Violet clan.

“Cassie.”

I turn to my left and find Kyle floating there with another Emerald merman.

“Hi, Kyle,” I say.

He returns the greeting and introduces me to his friend. Then he lowers his head. “Please tell me you haven’t come to bite my head off.”

I sigh. “Can we talk in private?”

“Sure.” He turns to his friend. “It will be no bother to help you hunt for the fish tomorrow. I know your mate will be very pleased.”

His friend lowers his head. “Many thanks, Kyler.” He nods to me. “Farewell, Cassie of the Sapphire clan.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Kyle leads me out of the Emerald colony and to a small area with many stones to sit on. “He wants to do something special for his mate,” he tells me. “They had their mating ceremony just last week. His mate loves a certain kind of fish. I promised I’d help him search for it.”

“You’re a good friend,” I say.

He grimaces. “But a rotten boyfriend?”

“What happened between you and Leah?”

He stares down at the ocean floor. “You visited many times, but this is the first time you’re asking me.”

I fold my arms across my chest. “I finally got it out of Leah. Now I want to hear your side.”

“Cassie—”

“I’d rather not get involved, Kyle. It’s your business. But Leah is…she’s…”

“I know. A mess.”

“Is that why you left her?”

He holds up his hands. “I didn’t leave her. I never left her.”

“Then…?”

He runs his hand down his face. “We fight all the time and want to rip each other’s throats out. But you know what? I love it. And so does she. I’ve tried to get together with so many females when I returned to the sea. But I didn’t feel like any of them understood me. How could they? The only life they’ve ever known is the one in the ocean. Leah knows about this world. Talking to her about it makes me feel closer to her. And she understands what it’s like to be alone. Sometimes our attraction to each other is so strong that we don’t think clearly. On time we almost…” He swallows. “I don’t know what I’d do to myself if I doomed her to a fate she doesn’t want.”

I take his hand.

“What’s the solution, then? That I should throw my life away and live on land? When I was banished, all I wanted was to return to the sea. I missed my family, my friends, my life. I can go right now to King Kiander and Queen Flora and ask them to banish me. I won’t be able to see my family ever again. How could I do that to them? And what if things don’t work out between Leah and me? You and Damarian are lucky you are soulmates and are meant for each other, but not every merperson ends up happily ever after. Of course the love grows between them after many moons, but it’s not always like what you and Damarian have. I may be stuck with someone for all eternity and live a miserable life.”

I don’t say anything because I don’t know what to say. I remember the time Damarian first told me how merpeople mate for life. I thought it was wonderful, before he explained that not everyone gets their happily ever after. He was referring to having to mate with Flora. Damarian needed to meet the right person. So does Kyle. But is Leah the right person for him?

“Instead of fighting about silly things,” he says, “Leah and I fought about serious things. Apparently she doesn’t love me enough to take on the same life you’ve taken on so that you can have a future with Damarian.” He shakes his head. “Who I am kidding? She’d never love me, not when he heart still yearns for Jace.”

“She’s trying to move on, Kyle. She just needs patience.”

“How long can I wait? Everyone around me are having kids. That’s how life is here. My soulmate might be out there waiting for me. My mother doesn’t say anything, but I see it in her eyes. I’m her only child. She wants grandchildren.”

“Kyle, please don’t make decisions based on what other people want from you. Do what you want.”

He leaps off the chair and throws his hands up. “But I don’t know what I want. I mean, I know I want to be bonded for all eternity to the right person. But where the hell is she already? I’ve been waiting for years.” He slams himself on the chair, his chest heaving.

I get up and crouch near him. “If you want Leah, go get her. If you don’t, please let her go.” I squeeze his shoulder. “I don’t know what else I can tell you.”

“Thanks anyway.”

I hug him. “You mean a lot to me. You’re one of my closest friends. All I want is to see you happy. Don’t despair, okay?”

He gives me a small smile. “I’ll try my hardest.” He waves me off. “Now go back to your family. I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? I’d hate to leave you like this.”

“I’m sure. I need to make sense of some things.”

I give his hand a quick squeeze before swimming away. Then I turn around. “Kyle?”

“Yeah?”

“For the wedding, do you want to come on land or stay by the shore as a merman?”

He averts his gaze to his tail. “What does she want?”

“She doesn’t care. Well, that’s what she says. I know she cares or else she wouldn’t be with Sexy Guy.”

His head snaps up. “Who?”

I wave my hand. “No one.”

He gets off the chair and swims over. “She’s with someone?”

“Why do you care?”

“I don’t know.”

I hug him again. “I can’t tell you what you should do. Just listen to your heart. That’s what Damarian and I have always done.”

He returns the hug. “Why are these things never easy?”

***

It’s nighttime by the time I get back to Damarian’s family’s cave. No one is in the main room—they are most probably already in bed. When I enter Damarian’s room, which technically is no longer his room but ours, I find him sitting inside the large oyster shell in the center. He perks up when he sees me.

“Cassie, my love. I was starting to grow apprehensive. Where have you been?” He closes his hands around my waist and tugs me toward him, tucking me to his body so that we fit together in all the right places.

“Sorry for worrying you. I was out exploring after I met with Kyle.” I press a kiss to his shoulder. “I just wanted you to spend some time with your family without me. I feel so bad that you hardly see them.”

He puts his finger under my chin and lifts it, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Please do not carry any guilt. I am content with how things are, because I love you and wish to have a future with you. I very much appreciate you giving me the opportunity to be with my family, but you need not leave me alone with them. They love you and wish to spend time with you as well.”

“I just wish there was an easier way. I know, I’ve been saying this for the past two years.”

He lowers me down on the oyster shell and crawls on top of me, locking one hand through mine and raising it above my head. “This is the best way, my beautiful Cassie. And perhaps one day they will visit us on land, as they have done on our anniversary.”

I’m not sure how willing they’d be, since they haven’t stepped foot on land since that day. They had a great time and loved exploring land. But I understand how scary it can be. Like Damarian says, maybe one day.

“Now that we have been apart for too long—”

“Much, much too long.”

“—we must make up for it.” He dips his head to capture my lips with his. I throw my head back and kiss him just as fervently as he kisses me, as though our hearts and souls are making up for the hours we spent apart.

But something is wrong. Very wrong.

I pull away.

“Cassie?” He touches my cheek. “What is the matter?”

I search his eyes. He didn’t feel…? Shaking my head, I say, “Never mind,” and pull his mouth back to mine.

The strange feeling is still there. As I continue moving my lips over his, I realize what’s wrong. Since the moment we shared our first kiss two years ago, I have felt a fire between us, a passion and love so strong it was out of this world. Every kiss in itself held a million promises and every touch carried all the memories we’ve had together. His kisses made every part of my body throb in yearning, the pleasure he gave me ignited feelings in me I knew I could never experience anywhere else or with anyone else. When we touched, it wasn’t just physically, but beyond what the mind can fathom.

I don’t feel any of that now. Not one bit.

I shift away. “Wait.”

“Cassie?” He touches my cheek again. “Am I hurting you? I did not intend to. I only wish to please you.”

My eyes continue searching his. He doesn’t feel the same way I do. “I, um…”

“My love, what is it?”

I can’t tell him kissing him feels like kissing a shower door. He’ll be crushed. I put on a smile. “Never mind. Please continue.”

“Are you certain?”

I grab his shoulders and spin us around so that I’m on top. “I’ll show you how certain I am.”

Being the active one doesn’t change anything. It still feels like I’m kissing a shower door. What’s going on? I’ve never felt this way before. It’s scaring me.

Maybe I’m just tired. I explored places I’ve never seen before and that took up a lot of my energy. I’m sure everything will be okay in the morning.

Chapter Six

I wake up snuggled in Damarian’s strong, protective arms, my tail curled around his in our oyster shell. It doesn’t take long for the events of last night to cloud my head. I stare down at my merman, watching the way his gills expand and contract peacefully. I love watching him sleep. Other than the fact that he looks adorable and pretty darn sexy, he always looks like he’s happy in his sleep. Many times it’s because he’s having an awesome dream—I should know, since I’ve been pulled into some of them—but mostly because he’s truly content with his life. I wish I could give more to him, especially with spending more time with his family, but he constantly tells me it’s enough that he’s with me. I guess I should be thankful that we can even have a life together and that we have the ability to shift into humans and merpeople at will. Only two years ago, we weren’t sure of anything.

I gently push some of his golden hair out of his eyes and kiss the spot near it. He moans in pleasure, a large smile on his face.

My lips feel tingly. The same kind of tingly I get every time they make contact with his skin. I trail them down the side of his face, once again feeling them tingle. My whole body sighs in relief. Yesterday was just a fluke.

“Mmm, my love,” Damarian murmurs as my lips continue their trek down his face.

I move to the other side of his face.

“My beautiful mate,” he murmurs again. He opens his eyes and his face brightens at the sight of me. “Good morning.” He reaches to grab me by the waist and pull me closer to his body, but I dodge him.

“No way. This time I’m the one in charge.” I press down on his shoulders so that he’s flat on his back and slide on top of him. “Hmm, what should we start with first? Your hair?” I run my hands through it. “Even in the ocean it’s so silky smooth. I remember the first time I touched it, when you were passed out on the beach. I couldn’t believe how soft it was.”

Damarian’s hands tangle in my hair, gently tugging on the strands. “Your hair is always beautiful, whether you are a human or a child of the sea.”

I put my hand on his lips. “Shh. This isn’t about me but you. So, where to next to? Your forehead?” I lean closer to brush my lips across the length of it. “You know what’s so great about your forehead, Damarian? It’s a long patch of skin, the perfect spot to place all different kinds of kisses. Small ones.” I give him a few quick pecks. “Medium ones.” I open my mouth and press a few small kisses there. “And long ones.” I touch my lips to his and leave it there for a few seconds before removing them and moving to the next spot. With every kiss I give him, my stomach gets all twisted and every part of me engulfs in fervor. I may not be the receiver, but I feel it almost as much as him.

“Cassie…” he breathes heavily.

“Now we’ll move onto the next area. Yep, the eyes. And what pretty eyes they are.” I bend closer to lay a soft kiss on each one. “I remember how mesmerizing they were the first time I saw them. I was on the boulder, and the first thing I saw were your eyes. I thought you were an angel.” I give them each another tender kiss. “I love your eyes, my merman. Everything you feel is written inside them. I can stare into them all day.”

His breathing has gotten very laborious and it appears as though he can barely keep his eyes open.

I nuzzle his nose with mine. “I love the effect I have on you.”

“I love the effect I have on you,” he says.

“But this is my time now.” I tap his nose, then look down at his lips. “Ooh, what do we have here?” I rub my fingers against them. “They look like very kissable. Do you want me to kiss you there, Damarian?”

“Yes,” he groans. “Please.”

“Only because you asked so nicely.” I push my lips into his. All the doubt I had from last night flies out of my head like a bird zapped with a super speed. My entire body melts into his as my mouth moves over him in desperation. I have felt this way many times in the past, when we fought so hard to be together, when we thought we’d never see each other again, when I thought I would lose him forever. But this is different. As our lips dance together in their own special beat, I’m reminded that our love is always and constant and that nothing will tear us apart. Never.

I don’t feel my fingers and toes. My stomach twists in all different directions I wonder if it will just slide out of me. Our tails roll over each other’s almost as desperately as our lips.

When we break apart, every part of me gets ice cold. Damarian must feel the same way, because he tucks me close to his body. Our gills are expanding and contracting so violently I wonder if we will ever catch our breaths.

His eyes heavy, Damarian says, “Thank you, my sweet Cassie. I love you so very much.”

Though my head is fuzzy and my body still numb, I manage to laugh. “You don’t have to thank me.”

He kisses my temple. “Yes I do. For I want you to comprehend how much you mean to me and how much I appreciate you and all that you do for me. I cannot thank you enough, my Cassie. You are so very wonderful.”

I shake my head, placing my finger over his lips. “You’re the wonderful one. And don’t you dare try to refute. This will take us all day.”

He opens his mouth to take in the finger that’s on his lips. “Damarian!”

“Every part of you that I can kiss, I shall,” he says with a wide grin. And before I can blink, he spins us around so fast that the next thing I know, I’m lying on my back and he’s on top of me. He grins again. “Now I am in charge.”

I playfully slap his chest. “Do you always have to one-up me?”

“Naturally.”

Once he’s done, I’m so tired I just want to go back to sleep. But we promised Flora and Kiander that we’d stop by today.

Syren and Kiandra are eating at the table. Ryter and Zarya woke up early to go exploring and the twins are still in bed. Damarian and I devour fish like we haven’t eaten in days.

“Please send our love to Kiander, Flora and little Saeria,” Kiandra says as we get ready to leave.

“And hand her this.” Syren places a tiny, bright yellow fish in Damarian’s hand. “I hunted it myself this morning specifically for her.”

“Certainly, Father.”

Shoney races to us as soon as we’re close to the exit of the Sapphire colony. May I accompany you?

Of course, I tell her.

She swims over to the other great whites patrolling the area and gives them orders, then makes her way back to us.

So how is it going? I ask.

All is well. We no longer worry about the humans drawing too near to the colonies. What of you? Is life all right on land?

All is well, Damarian says. We are very much content with our life on land.

Shoney nods curtly.

I sometimes get a feeling, due to our shark/mermaid bond, that a part of her wishes we would abandon our life on land and live in the ocean only. I would have to travel to land every so often and switch to a human so we won’t have another incident of me shifting back into a human thousands of feet in the ocean. But then the other part of her wants to reprimand the other side, because she knows how much I love being a human and how I don’t want to cut myself off from my family. Shoney’s a bit of a loner and has a hard time growing close to others. That’s why she doesn’t want to let me go.

I take her fin. Do you think you’ll ever meet a nice great white and have some pups?

She gives me a face like I fell from the sky. Why would I want that?

I hold up my hands. Just wondering.

I am not made to mate.

Sure.

She glares at me.

It doesn’t hurt to have a male friend, I point out.

Another glare.

Too bad Fiske is much younger than you. But does that even matter? He’s an adult now.

She’s still glaring.

Fine, I surrender.

We’ve reached Eteria, the capital city and where the palace is located. It’s the most beautiful castle I have ever seen in my life. It’s made of different shades of sapphire crystals, each one gleaming, even without sunlight. I know it will look even more breathtaking when Princess Saeria becomes queen, because I’ve seen it. It will be made from sapphire, violet, ruby, emerald, and diamond crystals, representing the five clans, because when she takes the crown, she will symbolize the total unity of the clans.

Damarian floats near me and slips his hand into mine. “I can never get enough of its beauty,” I tell him.

“Indeed. It used to cause me unease many moons ago, for it reminded me that I could not escape my fate of becoming king.” He rubs my knuckles. “But not any longer.”

Like all the other times we’ve visited, the place is swarming with tails of all different colors, plus the five species of sharks that guard them. I remember the first time I came here, when I came to save Damarian. There were mostly Violets with a few Sapphires, and mostly hammerhead sharks. Seeing how they all swim together in harmony fills my heart with warmth.

Shoney waits outside while Damarian and I enter the palace. An Emerald Guard notices us and dashes over. “I will inform the king and queen of your arrival.”

“Thank you,” we both say.

She lowers her head and swims toward the throne room. A few minutes later, she beckons us to enter. Flora and Kiander sit there with many members of the Guard, including Callen. Morteran floats near them.

We bow before the king and queen.

“At ease, Brother and Sister,” Kiander says.

“Cassie and Damarian!” Flora leaps off her throne and wraps her tail around ours. “We are so overjoyed by your arrival!”

Ever since she had Saeria, her behavior has changed. She’s always been more serious and strict, and now she’s softer and more playful.

I hug her the human way. “We’re so happy to be here. Where’s the little princess?”

“She plays with her shark,” Kiander says.

I lift an eyebrow. “She’s already been assigned one?”

“Certainly,” Flora says. “One can never be too careful.” She nods to Morteran. “Please bring my daughter.”

He nods and swims out of the room.

“We will continue this meeting at a later time,” Kiander tells the Guards.

One by one, the Guards leave. Callen stops before us and lowers his head. “Hello, Cassie and Damarian. How do you fare?”

“Very well, thank you,” Damarian says, clasping my hand. “And yourself?”

“I am well. There are no threats in the sea, only minor issues between the many creatures that we can easily resolve.” He touches my shoulder and then Damarian’s. “It gladdens me to lay eyes upon you two once again. And I am very glad that you seem well.”

“You too,” I say. “But I can’t help wondering…”

Callen shakes his head with a smile. “I am afraid I have not met my soulmate, Cassie. But that is all right. I spend my days overseeing the Guards, and that is very rewarding.”

“As long as you’re happy,” I say.

He nods and leaves the room.

A small hammerhead shark swims into the room. A little mermaid rides on her back, clutching on its fin, her tail hanging off her side. The shark moves very slowly to make sure Saeria doesn’t slide off. If she teeters just a centimeter, the shark quickly sways her body the other way to keep her straight.

That tail. I can’t keep my eyes off it. It appears even more mesmerizing than the last time I saw it. Each scale, whether sapphire, violet, ruby, emerald, or diamond, gleams in the water like millions of crystals. Her eyes—the same shade of blue as every other merperson, lights up as she rides.

Flora swims over and pucks her daughter off the shark. “That is enough riding for today. Thank you, Kunn.” She rubs the top of the shark’s head. Kunn nuzzles her nose into of Saeria’s rib. Saeria giggles and pats her head, staring into her eyes. Though she can’t speak, I know she’s communicating with her shark. Kunn once again prods her nose into Saeria’s side, producing some more giggles. Witnessing the budding bond between shark and master is amazing.

Reluctantly, Kunn leaves the room. Flora and Kiander take us to the room, next door, where we sit down on sapphire chairs. Kiander holds Saeria in his arms.

“She’s so beautiful,” I say.

“Thank you.” Flora strokes her daughter’s head. “I never knew how much delight I would feel in my heart. I felt it when I carried her all those moons, but now that she is out here with us…” She kisses the top of her head. “Especially because we have waited so long for her.”

“We’re so happy for you,” I tell them.

“Saeria would not be here with us if not for your aid,” Kiander says. “My mate and I are forever in your debt.”

I shake my head. “We are family. There are no debts to pay. Damarian and I would gladly do it again if we had to.”

“Certainly we will,” he says.

“If I may ask?” Kiander says.

“Yes?”

“Now that my queen and I understand what joy a fry brings, I cannot help but wonder if you plan to have fry as well.”

“It’s definitely been on our mind this whole year.” I laugh. “How can it not be when everyone in the sea are having kids?”

They laugh, too.

“Seriously, though?” I look at Damarian. “Things are different for humans. I’m young, only twenty years old. Many humans have kids at this age, but most wait until they’re a little older. I always thought I’d wait a while until then, but…” I glance at Damarian again. “Maybe we’ll have one sooner than I thought.”

Damarian slides his hand into mine. “I leave the decision up to Cassie.”

“There are a lot of things to think about,” I tell them. “The kid might be human, she or he might be a child of the sea. We may need to live only on land, or we may have to live in the sea.”

Flora nods. “Yes, that is quite a lot to think about. You are correct, there is no need to be hasty.”

“Thanks. So how have things been lately?” I ask. “It feels like forever since we talked. You’re always so busy when we visit.”

“Things are magnificent,” Kiander says. “Since the birth of Saeria, many children of the sea wish to emulate us. Not only are many mating with members of other clans, but they are producing fry, each one wondering which tail the fry will inherit.”

“Majority still mate with children from their own clan,” Flora says. “They have a better understanding with one similar to themselves.”

Kiander nods. “Yes, but even so, I worry that food will soon grow to be an issue.”

Damarian sits forward. “To what are you referring?”

“We are growing in numbers,” Flora explains. “Many children of the sea are venturing further out to hunt for food. With the help of the mako sharks, we need not worry about the humans growing too close to the colony. But Kiander and I have discussed asking the sharks to feed further out, forcing the fish to flee in our direction.”

“We are not certain whether that is the best solution,” Kiander says. “We feel guilt at the thought of leading the fish to their slaughter.”

Flora shrugs. “But we need to feed the children of the sea. We may not have a choice.”

Damarian nods. “You must do what you can to ascertain every child of the sea is safe and nourished.”

“Yes, we have sent the Scouts to search for more fish in the meantime. And to obtain a cure for Zarya.”

Damarian purses his lips. “You still do not wish to yield?”

Flora raises her chin. “I promised her I would do all that I can to help her. A child of the sea does not break her promise.”

Damarian purses his lips again, but doesn’t say anything. I don’t know who I agree with. On one hand, we should always have hope and never give up. On the other hand, Zarya needs to love herself and move on.

“Let us discuss more pleasant matters,” Kiander says. “Your human mating ceremony.”

Flora nods. “Yes, it shall be very exciting, for we never witnessed such a ceremony before.”

“We hope you’ll be there,” I say.

“Certainly,” Kiander says. “We would not dream of missing it.”

Chapter Seven

“What shall we sing tonight?” Damarian asks Zarya as he tucks the seaweed under her chin.

“I do not wish to sing tonight! I wish to hear about what will occur at the human mating ceremony.”

As though they have antennas that reach the sky, the twins hurry inside and sit down on either side of Zarya’s shell. “We wish to hear as well!” Syndin says.

Damarian and I laugh. “Well, it’s very similar to the mating ceremonies you have in the sea,” I tell them. “Damarian and I will declare ourselves to each other for all eternity. We will promise to love and cherish each other, no matter how difficult life gets.”

Zarya squeals and the twins look intrigued.

“Father will not allow us to swim too close to land.” Syndin scowls. “He is afraid humans will take notice of us.”

“Well naturally,” his twins says. “Not every member at the human mating ceremony is aware of our existence, is that not so, Cassie and Damarian?”

Damarian nods. “Syd is correct. I must stress how imperative it is that you listen to Father. Many of Cassie’s friends and family are aware of the children of the sea, but there are others who do not know. You must promise us that you will not venture too close to land. Zarya, Syndin, and Syd?”

“Yes, I promise,” Syd says.

“I as well,” his twin nods

Zarya pouts.

“Zarya,” I say.

She continues to pout. “It is not fair. I will be so close to land but will not be able to see anything.”

I tap her nose. “Of course you will. You have special mermaid eyes and ears that can see and hear miles away.” I glance at the twins. “You, too, guys. You’ll probably be able to see much better than the people on the beach.”

That seems to placate Zarya only a little. “The next time we will lay eyes on one another will be at the human mating ceremony?” she asks.

“Yes,” Damarian says.

She stares down at the bottom of her shell. “I am to understand that you and Cassie will visit the sea even less once you are mated as humans?”

Damarian’s eyes slowly move to mine.

“I don’t know, sweetie,” I say. “I don’t see why it should.”

“You must grow accustomed to Damarian and Cassie lessening their visits,” Syndin says to his sister. “Do you not understand that they have a more meaningful life on land?”

“Hey, hey,” I say. “That’s not true.”

“It certainly feels that way,” Syd mumbles.

Zarya stares at us with wide, curious, and sad eyes.

Damarian and I exchange another glance.

I sigh. “It’s hard, guys. For now, we just have to make do with how things are.”

Syndin’s eyebrows rise. “To what are you referring? Why should matters change in the future?”

Damarian and I exchange another glance, not sure how to answer this question, or if we even should.

“It is due to your fry,” Syd says. “I have heard you discussing this with Mother and Father many times.”

“Syd, please do not—” Damarian starts.

“What of your fry?” Syndin asks.

Now three pairs of eyes are locked on us, each demanding an answer.

Damarian takes my hand. “We are not certain whether the fry would be a child of the sea or a human. If she or he is a child of the sea—”

Zarya shoots out of her shell. “Then you will join us in the sea and live with us!” She starts somersaulting in the water. “That is wonderful news!”

“Zarya, we’re not sure—”

“Oh but I am! Yes, I am so excited! Dammy and Cassie will return to the sea with their fry and we shall all live happily!”

I look away. I don’t want to break her heart and tell her it’s possible our future children could be humans, or a mix—which I would rather not think about right now because my head will explode—but if I want to be honest with myself, I have a feeling that my baby—whenever I will have it—will be a mermaid. After all, as soon as I mated with Damarian I turned into a mermaid. Half the baby’s genes would be a mermaid, and considering I changed, it’s highly likely she or he will change as well.

The more I’ve thought about it, especially now after being back in the ocean and having the discussion with Damarian’s family, the more I want our children to be merpeople. I’ll miss my life on land and my family like crazy, but everything is so much simpler here. The merpeople don’t have many stresses like jobs and money, and they don’t have distractions like technology. They really have all the time in the world to spend together and live life.

I shake my head. I can’t believe the thoughts in my head. A part of me can’t wait to reach that point, but the other half is scared as hell.

Damarian gently grabs Zarya by the waist and tosses her back into her shell. “Mother will grow upset if she learns you are not in your shell.”

“How can I sleep? I am most thrilled!”

Damarian pulls the seaweed up to her chin. “It is possible our fry will be human.”

She shakes her head. “No, I am certain she will be a child of the sea, for Cassie is a child of the sea.”

My thoughts exactly. Zarya’s a smart little mermaid.

Syndin folds his arms over his chest. “Why are you so certain their fry will be female?”

“Of course she will be female!”

“I believe he will be male.”

She scoffs and gives him a what-do-you-know-anyway look.

“I believe she will be female as well,” Syd says.

Zarya beams while Syndin looks betrayed by his twin.

Syd turns to us. “What do you believe, Cassie and Damarian?”

I shake my head. “I don’t want to go down that road. You guys speak as if I’m pregnant. I won’t be for a very, very long time.”

“Not too long.” Zarya pouts again.

Damarian stokes her head. “The decision is not up for debate.”

“But you wish to have a female, do you not?” Zarya asks.

Damarian grins to me. “Yes, I admit it is my wish to have a daughter.” He quickly says to the twins, “And I will be as equally overjoyed to have a male.”

“And you, Cassie?” Syndin asks.

I look down at my flat stomach. God, I can’t even imagine what it would be like…I squeeze my eyes shut. No, I won’t think about it until it happens. Just the thought of it makes me want to throw up.

Damarian lifts himself off the floor. “The hour grows late. Cassie and I must leave before the sun rises.”

Zarya reaches for both our hands. “Must you leave so soon?”

I bend to place a big kiss on her forehead. “The good thing about being away from each other for so long is that our visits will be much more precious.” I give each twin a kiss, too. “Remember what we told you about getting too close to shore. Watch over your little sister.”

Syndin makes a face. “As though we have not been instructed this nearly every day since she was born.”

I laugh. “You two are really good brothers. Zarya’s extremely lucky to have you.”

The twins glance at each other, then grin widely. “Yes, we are great brothers,” Syd says. “Zarya is not aware how fortunate she is.”

I expect Zarya to mutter something along the lines of she doesn’t need brothers to be fortunate, but she’s fast asleep, her gills opening and closing steadily.

“Ah, she sleeps,” Syndin says. “We are at last at peace.”

I can’t help but burst out laughing. I give each one another kiss. “I can’t wait to see you all at the wedding—I mean, the mating ceremony. It means so much to both Damarian and me that you’ll be there.”

“Good night, Syd and Syndin,” Damarian says.

They nod and swim off to their room.

Damarian gathers me to his chest as we leave Zarya’s room. “Are you all right, my Cassie?”

“Yeah, why do you ask?”

He searches my eyes. “I fear the fry were too inquisitive—nosy. They should not have asked such personal questions.”

“You mean about our future kids?” I wave my hand. “I don’t mind it. I’m glad we’re able to talk openly about this. I just worry about Zarya. She has her heart set on us living permanently in the ocean. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

He places his hands on my shoulders, looking into my eyes. “I know what you feel, my love.”

“What?”

“You believe in your heart that our fry will be born a child of the sea, or that she will be born human and quickly shift.”

“I don’t know, Damarian—”

“For if she is indeed a child of the sea—”

“Damarian—”

“I will feel a tremendous amount of guilt.”

I take both his hands and lead him into our room, lowering us to the floor and scooting onto his lap. “Listen to me, Damarian. I’m not pregnant. I hope I won’t be for a while. I don’t know why everyone keeps bringing this up. Maybe because of Saeria, Dorin, and Kyteria. Or maybe because for the merpeople, having kids is the next step after mating. Whatever the case, we are not like everyone else. You’re the one who told me so many times that we’ll deal with whatever comes, when the time comes. You’re the one who’s always told me that whatever happens, we’ll be okay.”

Damarian looks away. “Yes, you are indeed correct. It has always been I who has been positive. But Zarya’s words…” He shakes his head. “I suppose I did not realize how complicated matters could be. It frightens me.”

I touch his cheek, forcing him to focus on me. “I know. It scares the crap out of me. But it also makes me excited.”

Some of the worry leaves his eyes and is replaced with glee. “Yes, I am beyond excited as well.” His eyes move to my lips. “Perhaps now is the opportune time to…”

I playfully shove him away. “No way! Not now.”

He laughs as he pushes me down on the floor and digs his lips into my throat. “Perhaps on our wedding night.”

“Now that is cliché.”

He sandwiches my hand in his and stares down at me with nothing but love in his eyes. “Whatever happens, I know that all will be well. Because we have each other. We have our love. We are bonded for all eternity. We have been through many obstacles since the moment we have met and that has only caused us to grow stronger. I am filled with much trepidation, as you are as well, but we need not be. We must take life as it comes and cherish every moment we have together.”

I raise my head a little off the floor so I can smash my lips to his. “Thanks, Damarian. I agree completely. We have gone through so much together, and our wedding will be another reminder of how much our love means to us. I know it’ll blossom even more in the years to come. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it. As long as we have each other.”

“Yes, my love. The only thing I wish to do right now is lie in our oyster shell with you in my arms, listening to the beat of your heart against my chest. Feel your soft skin on mine and kiss as many locations as I can. But we must return to land.”

I nod. “It’s easy to forget all the responsibilities we have on land when we’re in this magical place.” I give him a quick kiss on the lips. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Eight

It’s already starting to get light. Damarian and I quicken our pace to make it back to land before the fishermen and early surfers arrive on the beach. The merpeople can’t tell the exact time, so every time we return is a small guessing game. We’ve never come too close, though.

After a little while, I find myself lagging behind Damarian. I pump my tail vigorously to match his speed, but it only causes my whole body to grow weak. Damarian slows down until I’m at his pace. “Forgive me, my love. We are swimming too fast.”

“It’s fine. I didn’t exactly get a lot of sleep last night.” I wink.

“Yes, because you are quite irresistible. But, my love, do you wish to slow our pace? I only worry that the time grows late.”

I raise my head toward the surface. He’s right. It won’t be too long before the fishermen start their catch.

“I’m good. Let’s go.”

Except, it becomes very apparent that I’m not fine at all. No matter how hard I pump my tail, I don’t seem to be moving any faster. It’s like pushing a brick wall. It won’t budge, no matter how many times you shove it.

Damarian tries yanking on my hand. The only outcome is him dragging me like a rag doll. “Cassie?” He’s got nothing but worry in his eyes.

“We don’t have time to freak out,” I say, once again trying to push my tail. “Damn, how tired am I?” This hasn’t happened before. And it can’t be because of last night, because Damarian and I have shared many nights like those in the past.

His concerned gaze travels along my body. He raises his head toward the surface, noticing that it has gotten even lighter. He sweeps me into his arms and speeds toward the shore. My head falls onto his shoulder as my eyes grow heavy. The last time I felt like this…it was when we fled to land because I was turning into a human. Could it be…?

It takes everything I have to open my eyes. “Dama…”

He puts his finger on my lips. “It is all right, my beautiful Cassie. Sleep. I will bring us to our home on land.”

It can’t be that I’m switching into a human. I was on land just two days ago. The other time I felt tired…

My eyes flash open. It was when I thought I was pregnant.

No way. It’s impossible. I know that for a fact.

My eyes flutter shut. I must have just overworked myself these past few days.

“We are almost there,” Damarian tells me.

When I open my eyes, I find us near the area on the beach with the rocks. It takes everything I have to look from right and left to make sure no humans are around.

“It is all right,” Damarian says. “The coast is clear.” He closes his hands around my middle and heaves me on the sand. It’s like I’m dead weight. I try to tell Damarian I’m sorry, but I can’t move my lips.

I don’t even know if I have enough energy to switch into a human. I guess I’ll have no choice but to wait until I dry off and turn the natural way.

Except, as soon as my body hits the sand, I’m engulfed in the familiar flames and aching pain. I’m so exhausted that I black out. When I come to, I am no longer tired. In fact, I spring up as though I’ve been zapped with an energy booster.

The lower half of Damarian’s body is still in the water. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t get it…” I look down at myself, realizing I’m totally naked. I quickly dig the bag of essentials out of the sand and wrap a towel around me. “Let me help you out before anyone sees you.”

“That is all right.” He hauls himself onto the sand, landing right on his stomach.

I wait for him to undergo the change, something I’ve seen more times than I can count. It’s almost like second nature to us, even though it hurts to see him in pain during every transformation. But he doesn’t shift.

“Damarian?”

He lifts himself off the sand as much as he can, gazing down at his tail. “I do not understand. Why do I not shift?”

“Are you trying to shift at will?”

“Yes, certainly. I am doing what I usually do.”

My eyebrows crease. “I must have exhausted you. Just lie there and wait for the change to take place. I’ll help you dry off.” Reaching into the bag, I take out two towels, handing one to him and drying off his tail. Then I dress into the clothes I put in the bag.

Damarian doesn’t shift.

We wait another ten seconds.

Twenty seconds.

Thirty.

A full minute.

Altogether, a minute and a half has passed. That’s way too long. Damarian should have shifted by now.

Panic starts to seize my limbs. “What’s going on? Could you be sick?” I crawl over and touch his forehead. He doesn’t feel warm—actually, now that I’m a human and he’s a merman, his skin feels very cold against mine. Neither of us has gotten sick these past two years, so I have no idea if that could affect the transformation. Merpeople don’t really get sick in the ocean, so this must be a human thing.

“Do you feel sick?” I ask.

He shakes his head. “I feel fine. Just as I always do.”

But this isn’t like every other time. Something serious is going on, and it’s freaking me out. Not to mention that people will appear on the beach very shortly.

I take his hand. “I’m going fill you up with some of my energy. You’re probably just wiped out.” I close my eyes and focus on melding us into one, like I have done countless times in the past. But this doesn’t feel like all those other times. Something feels wrong. Very, very wrong.

I don’t feel Damarian.

Trying to ignore the extreme panic invading my body, I squeeze my eyes tighter and put everything I have into finding his energy. It feels like minutes have passed. I don’t sense him.

“Damarian…I don’t…”

“Yes, I do not feel you either, my love.”

I jump to my feet. “I’m getting back into the ocean. People will come on the beach any minute.”

I help push him back in the water, then climb onto the stones and dive in. Sill as I human, I break the surface and reach for Damarian’s hands. “I do not understand.” His tail is moving so fast it hits my legs.

“Calm down,” I say, rubbing his arms. “Just remain calm.” I skim my lips across his temple. “Just concentrate on shifting.”

His chest inflates and then deflates as his eyes close. “I…I believe I am calm. But I do not feel you, Cassie. I have always felt you.”

“I’m going to try to change into a mermaid.”

He nods. His grip on me has lessened a bit, but his tail keeps whacking at my leg and his body trembles.

I concentrate on shifting into a human. I’ve done it so many times that it doesn’t take much effort. But nothing happens.

I imagine swimming in the ocean, amongst the beautiful fish and coral, soaring with the dolphins and whales. But again, nothing happens.

“Cassie?”

I gaze into his anxious eyes. “I…I can’t change.”

His stares down at my body in disbelief. His webbed hands go to my waist, then move lower to my legs. As though his hands must be playing tricks on him, he submerges underwater and once again touches my legs. Then he pops out. “You cannot shift into a child of the sea?”

Swallowing, I shake my head. “I can’t change into a mermaid and you can’t change into a human.”

“But why? We have successfully transformed many times in the past. Perhaps we can no longer shift at will?”

“But I’m in the ocean. I should change. And you were on land for over a minute and didn’t change.”

He grabs at his hair, his eyes beyond terrified. Then his head whips toward the entrance to the beach. “The humans. They are arriving.”

I don’t have my mermaid ears and eyes, so I can’t see or hear them. “You need to leave before they see you.”

“But…” His eyes rove over my face. “But…”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we don’t have time to figure it out now. Go back to your family. We’ll meet tonight.”

“No, I cannot return home. I do not wish to cause my family any unease.”

“Yeah, I don’t want them to worry, either. Then can you stay somewhere until tonight? We can’t figure this out with all the surfers hanging around.”

Damarian nods, though his mind seems to be elsewhere.

“Stay out of sight. The fishermen will be starting their catch.” My chest tightens at the thought of…no, I can’t afford to think that. I grab him and press him close to me. “Be careful, Damarian. Please be careful.”

“I do not understand…I…” He quickly pushes away from me. “The surfers will soon sail the sea. I must go.”

I clench his hands. “I love you.”

“I love you as well, my sweet, beautiful Cassie. Please kiss me before I go. I must show you how much you mean to me.”

I lock my arms around his neck and our lips meet in violent desperation. But as my lips soak in his, it feels as though…I’m kissing a shower door.

Oh no. Not again.

When we pull apart, Damarian’s lips are a little swollen, but not like how they usually are after we kiss. His eyes dip to my lips, then to my eyes. “I have not felt…”

Tears fill my eyes. “I didn’t feel it, either.”

He just stares at me, totally lost.

I give him a small shove. “You have to go. And please for the millionth time, be careful.”

He nods. “Farewell, Cassie. I will see you tonight.” He dives under the water, as deep as he can go so his tail doesn’t stick out of the ocean. When the splashing stops, I know he is out of sight.

The tears drip down my cheeks. I just remain in the water, not paying attention to the waves that push me from all directions. All I see before me is Damarian lying on the sand, still in his merman form. Me in the water, still as a human. The only thing I feel is my empty, cold lips.

I didn’t feel Damarian at all. It’s like the past two years never happened.

Chapter Nine

“You’re not the boss of me! You can’t tell me what to do!”

“Well, I’m the assistant surfing teacher, so you have to listen to me.” Someone tugs on my arm. “Right he has to listen to me, Cassie?”

I blink at the person next to me. Timmy. “Huh?” I ask.

The other boy, whose name is Mikey, folds his arms and scowls. “Some surfer you are. You’re not even in your wetsuit.”

My eyes lower to my body. He’s right. I’m dressed in the clothes I put on after I got on land. They are still damp.

My heart hurts. Damarian.

Timmy tugs on my arm again. “Are you okay, Cassie? Do you want me to take over? I can teach them how to pop onto their boards.”

Mikey snorts. “I’m gonna tell my dad to get his money back. This is a joke.”

“Will you be quiet?” I snap. “There are bigger problems in the world than your learning how to surf!”

His eyes widen and he stumbles back.

Shit. “I’m sorry.” I rub my forehead. “I am so sorry, Mikey. I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

He still stands far away.

“Timmy will teach you the right way to pop onto your boards while I take a walk. Trust me, you are in good hands.” I nod to Timmy. “Are you sure you can handle it?”

He puffs out his chest. “Of course! I’m ten, I can do anything.”

I force a smile before walking away. I have no idea where I’m headed until I find myself at the ice cream stand. The guy is selling Popsicles.

My heart hurts. Damarian.

I run away from there as though my legs are on fire. Dropping onto the sand, I gulp in some air and let it seep out of my nose. Even on land in my human form, I was able to sense him. But I don’t feel him at all. Not even a bit.

In the distance, I see Timmy trying not to get annoyed with the students. Many of them don’t want to be here but are here because their parents forced them. I can’t let them down and I can’t dump the responsibility on Timmy. Whatever’s going on between Damarian and me, I can’t let others suffer for it.

Tying my hair into two braids, I make a stop at one of the shops and rent a suit and a board. Not that I have money, but the guy knows me and trusts I will pay him later. When I get back to my students and they see my attire, they look impressed.

“Are you gonna show off now?” Mikey asks.

“That depends. Do you want me to show off?”

He folds his hands over his chest. “If you think you can surf as good as any guy.”

Timmy’s mouth falls open. “You did not just say that to Cassie.”

Mikey juts out his chin. “And what if I did?”

“I can whoop any guy’s ass,” I say, plucking the surfboard off the sand.

“She’s gonna own!” I hear Timmy yell as I run toward the ocean.

The fear and unease I’ve been feeling the past few hours encompasses every cell in my body. I paddle into the ocean, the only thing on my mind Damarian. His soft face, beautiful deep blue eyes, loving lips, caressing hands. I always felt his presence with me. But not any longer.

When my feet land on my board, I imagine crushing the feeling of terror that has conquered me, body and soul. As I sail the wave, the only thing on my mind is the life we have built for ourselves and the future we wish to have. We have gone through so much these past two years, and I’ll be damned if I let any other obstacle get in my way.

When I’m back on the beach and shake the water out of my hair, I tell myself that Damarian and I will make sense of everything tonight and that we will soon find ourselves curled in each other’s arms in our human bed.

Timmy’s jumping up and down when I’m standing before my students. “That was so badass!”

“Thank you.” I pin my eyes on Mikey. “What do you think?”

He jumps up and down, too. “Teach me how to surf like you! You are so cool!”

Smiling, I ruffle his hair. One of the reasons I love teaching kids is because they can take me away from my personal problems. Mikey and the others are completely enthralled and over-exuberant about the next thing I teach them. Times flies so fast and before I know it, their parents have arrived to pick them up.

Once they’re all out of sight, everything comes crashing down on me. I drop to the sand, burying my face in my knees.

“Cassie?”

I raise my head and find Timmy standing there.

“Hey. I thought you went home.”

He shakes his head, then lowers himself next to me. “Are you sad?”

I force a smile. “Thanks for asking, but I’m okay.”

He returns the smile, but it doesn’t look like he believes me.

“So how’s your summer going so far?” I ask.

His face brightens. “It’s awesome! Especially because I’m helping you teach the surfing lessons.”

“And you are the best assistant teacher in the whole world.”

He gives me the widest grin I’ve ever seen on a person.

I’m so proud of him. He went through such a hard time two years ago when his sister Kayla was killed in the shark attack. I was worried he would never recover, but he seems to be doing really well. Of course he still carries the grief, and he probably will for the rest of his life, but it looks like he’s in a good place.

He frowns. “I just wish I could surf like you.”

“Hey, it took me many years to get to where I am. And I saw you surfing before class started—you’re practically a pro now. I have no doubt in my mind that you will be even more amazing when you’re my age.”

The frown vanishes from his face and is replaced with another huge grin. “You think so? Because I haven’t been surfing all year and I’m rusty.”

“No way are you rusty. It’s like you never left the ocean. Kayla would be so proud of you.”

His hand closes over the shark pendant hanging off his neck. “I feel her whenever I surf. I know she’s watching me and loves to see me ride the waves.”

I rub his arm. “I know she’s very proud of her older brother.”

He nods. “I try to think of her as often as I can. Sometimes when I’m lying in bed, I almost forget how she looks like, and I get really scared.”

Scooting closer, I wrap an arm around him and pull him to my chest. “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

“It’s okay. I just don’t want to forget her.”

“As long as you keep her alive in your heart, you’ll never forget her.”

He remains in my arms for a few minutes before getting to his feet and lifting his surfboard off the sand. “You don’t have to worry about me, Cassie. I’m going to be okay.”

“I know you will. You’re a strong little boy.”

“Hey, I’m not little anymore! I’m ten.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. All the kids I know are growing up too fast.”

He laughs. “Why do adults always say that? Obviously we’re going to grow every year. It makes no sense.”

I stand and ruffle his hair. “I guess you’ll understand when you’re older.” I look out toward the waves. “Want to surf?”

“Heck yeah!”

***

Leah is in the middle of arguing with a tall guy with light orange hair when I step into Misty’s Juice Bar. The guy looks familiar, but I can’t place it. As her face puffs up with annoyance, it finally clicks. He’s the high school guy who tried to hit on her two years ago. Though I guess he’s no longer in high school anymore.

“Can’t you take no for an answer?” she practically yells.

“Why do you think it’s okay to lead a guy on when you have no intention of getting together with him?”

“Leading you on? Leading you on? If you think a girl handing you the smoothie you paid for counts as flirting, then you’ve got serious issues.”

He scowls as he sweeps his change off the counter. “It was more than that and you know it.” He storms out of the shop.

I hop onto one of the stools in front of the counter. “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” She glares at the door where he just walked out of. “Dude has problems if he thinks every girl who says a single word to him flirted with him.”

I raise an eyebrow.

She rolls her eyes. “Fine, maybe I did flirt with him. But that was like months ago, when…” She stops and clears her throat. “It doesn’t matter. I have enough things to worry about than some stupid high school guy’s feelings.”

“He’s no longer in high school,” I remind her.

“Your point?”

“It wouldn’t be too weird to go out with him. I mean, he’s only two years younger than us.”

It looks like steam’s coming out of her nose. “Seriously, Cassie? You’re so desperate for me to be normal again that you’d throw me into anyone’s lap.” She grabs a rag and cleans the counter.

“Sorry,” I say as every part of me fills with guilt. “I was just trying—”

“I know. To help. And once again I treat you like crap.”

“No. I’m the one treating you like crap. I have to learn to stand back and let you move on at your own pace.”

She scoffs. “My own pace? It’s been two years and I’m still a mess.” She shrugs. “Whatever. I can’t deal with this right now. Too many issues. You want a smoothie?”

“Sure. Surprise me. What issues are you dealing with?”

With her back facing me as she works on my smoothie, she says, “Just future stuff. I’m still not sure if I want to go to law school. Kyle said…”

I perk up. “He said what?”

“God, can’t the jerk just leave my head?”

“What did he say, Leah?”

She sighs and turns around, lowering my mango smoothie onto the counter. For some reason, she always makes me mango smoothie when she’s upset, and she knows that I don’t like it. I guess I have developed a slight taste for it, considering she made it loads of times over the past few months.

“He says he thinks I’d be a really great lawyer.” She rolls her eyes. “What does he know anyway? He’s a fish.”

“First of all, he’s half fish and he did live on land for two years, so he knows what he’s talking about. And second of all, I agree with him. I think you’d make an awesome lawyer.”

“Why? Because I have such a big mouth?”

“No. Because you don’t like to give up.”

Her eyes drop to the counter. She turns around to get me a straw. “I do give up,” she says in a quiet voice. “I’ve given up on love.”

“No you haven’t. Or else you wouldn’t be so hurt right now.”

Her back faces me again, but I see her wipe away some tears. When she turns around, she says, “I have a date with Armando tonight. Do you and Damarian want to double date?”

It all comes crashing down again, so hard and fast that I sway in my chair.

“Whoa, are you okay?” Leah asks.

I stick the straw into my cup and suck up the liquid. I don’t taste it as it slides down my throat.

“Cassie, you’re kinda freaking me out here.” She places her hand over mine. “Cassie.”

“I don’t feel him.” Tears prick my eyes. “I haven’t felt him all day. Maybe it’s pathetic to say this, but I don’t feel like myself when I can’t feel him inside my heart. It’s like half of me is gone.”

Her eyebrows shoot to the roof. “What on Earth are you talking about?”

I swipe at my eyes before the tears slide down. “I don’t know. When we came back from the ocean last night, he couldn’t change into a human.”

Her eyes widen. “Really?”

I’m about to respond, when a mom and two kids walk up to the counter. “I want rainbow colors!” the daughter says.

“Ask nicely, honey.”

“Can I please, please have rainbow colors?”

“And I want chocolate!” the boy says.

“Coming right up.” Leah gives me an apologetic look before working on their smoothies.

I notice a picture of a mermaid on the girl’s shirt. My stomach plummets to my flip-flops. Why, out of all the images in the world, does it have to be a mermaid?

The girl gives me a look when she finds me gawking at her shirt. I blink. “Sorry. Your shirt is very cool.”

She flashes her teeth as she stares down at it. “I know! Aren’t mermaids the coolest? I love them. Mom says they don’t exist, but I don’t believe her. What do you think?”

“Sally, please stop bothering the nice lady.”

At any other time, I might have given the girl a smile and tell her to believe in whatever she wants to believe. But seeing the mermaid tail…I just can’t.

As soon as they leave with their smoothies, Leah says, “I wish we can talk privately, but it’s just me today. That means no breaks for me.”

I nod absentmindedly.

She leans forward to whisper, “How can Damarian not shift into a human?”

“I don’t know. We came back from the ocean like we always do, but he couldn’t change. And when I went back into the ocean and tried to change into a mermaid, I couldn’t.”

Her jaw hangs open.

I swallow and straighten my shoulders. “It’ll be okay. Damarian and I will meet at the beach tonight and we’ll make sense of it.” I don’t know if I’m trying to convince her or myself.

Leah quickly nods. “Yeah, I’m sure there’s a logical reason for it.” She’s trying to be strong for me, but she can’t hide the worry in her eyes.

I shift in my seat. “Is it okay if I hang out here? I don’t want to go home. The apartment is too empty.”

“Sure, just make sure you’re drinking your smoothie because my boss might stop by. She’ll be pissed if she sees me talking and not working.”

I slap my forehead. “Speaking of bosses, Damarian’s must be wondering where he is.” I reach into my pocket for my phone, but realize I don’t have it with me. “Can I use your phone, please?”

She hands it to me.

I don’t know his boss’s number, so I call the aquarium instead. The person who answers the phone gives me Mr. Powell’s personal number. Taking a deep breath, I dial the number. I can’t mess things up and cause Damarian to lose his job.

Maybe he won’t need a job on land if he can never turn into a human again,

No. I throw those thoughts away. Damarian will turn into a human and he will come back on land. And I’ll turn into a mermaid again.

“George Powell here.”

“Hi. Um, this is Cassie Price. Damian Sapphire’s girlfriend. I mean, fiancée.”

“Hello, Cassie.” His voice sounds wary and a little disappointed.

I clear my throat. “Damian couldn’t make it today.”

“Yes, I am quite aware of that.”

“He, um…he’s really sick.” Which is not a complete lie, since something is very wrong with him. And me.

“I figured as much. Just please call in advance the next time. I had to cancel a few shows due to his absence.”

I know. Canceled shows means disgruntled customers and less money. “Thanks so much for understanding. And I’ll try to call earlier next time.” A lump grows in my throat. Will there even be a next time? If we can’t figure out what’s wrong and Damarian can’t come onto land, he could lose his job. This feels very déjà vu. Just last year I was making excuses for him when he ran off to the ocean because he thought we were the reason Flora and Kiander couldn’t have kids.

“That went well,” Leah says once I hang up.

“As long as Damarian can come to work tomorrow.”

She pats my hand. “I know he will. You guys always figure out how to overcome things. You’ll figure this one out, too.”

I want to believer her, but I don’t know if I can.

Chapter Ten

The waves seem very violent tonight, almost like the ocean is rebelling. Maybe that’s just the way I’m interpreting it, because that’s how I feel.

I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting here on the wet sand, letting the waves wash over my feet. Hours, maybe. The sun set a long time ago. I close my eyes for the millionth time and let go of the guard I always keep up when I’m in the ocean as a human. I let nature take over so my legs can turn into my beautiful sapphire tail and for my hands to become webbed. But nothing happens. The waves continue crashing over my feet, spraying my face with salt water. Salt water I used to crave whenever I was near the ocean but feel nothing for now. I don’t even crave fish but chicken. And meat. And vegetables. And grains. Basically everything that does not come from the ocean.

This time, I let the tears fall.

Gazing out toward the dark waves, I look for any signs of Damarian’s arrival, like splashes in the water. But I don’t see or hear anything.

Dread nestles inside me. Has something happened to him? Maybe the reason I can no longer feel him is because…No! I refuse to believe that something happened to him. I didn’t feel him last night, either.

I clutch my head. I can’t stand this anymore. I just want to be at peace. Happy and at peace.

“Cassie!”

My head jerks up, but I don’t see anyone.

“Cassie!”

I leap to my feet and squint at the ocean, spotting Damarian’s head sticking out of the surface. He waves before diving back inside and swimming toward the shore. I race toward him, into the water.

Damarian meets me and gathers me in his arms. He kisses the side of my head, my forehead, my cheeks. But I don’t feel any warmth or any butterflies in my stomach. I might as well be receiving a kiss from a crab.

“I thought you weren’t coming,” I say.

“Forgive me. Fiske insisted I eat before I arrived. I have not eaten all day, for I was so apprehensive.” He nods to the spot behind him. I follow his gaze and see the large great white poking out of the water.

“He stayed with you all day?” I ask.

“Yes, for I did not wish to return home and cause my family unease. We spent the day in the cave I lived in twenty four moons ago, when I did not wish to live in my home.”

Two years ago. That seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened, but it feels as though we are right back where we started. A shiver runs down my spine.

“You are cold,” Damarian says. “Let us return to land.”

I don’t know if I want him to come on land. I don’t want to face the truth, because if he can’t switch into a human, I don’t know what I’d do.

When he moves closer to shore, I lower myself to the ground and help pull him onto the sand. The bag of essentials sits a few feet away, but I pay no attention to it. I need to believe that we won’t need the towels. I need to.

When his body is completely out of the water, I settle next to him and study his tail. It’s only been a day, but I miss his tail. I miss mine. When I glance down at my legs, a strange feeling passes through me. It’s as though my body is telling me that the only things that belong there are my legs. Not my tail. I touch his tail but don’t feel anything. I swallow the tears away.

“Can you switch?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

I tear my eyes away from him and rummage in the bag for the towels. I dry off his tail while he takes care of his upper body. Then I throw the sheet over him. This definitely feels like when we first met.

“How was your day?” Damarian asks with a cheerful smile. Even without feeling him, I sense how fake that smile is. But I know he’s trying to be brave for me. For both of us.

“Cassie?” He touches my cheek.

“It sucked.”

He laughs lightly.

“Please don’t try to be strong. Show me how you really feel.”

He lays his head on the sand. “I feel confident.”

“Confident?”

“Yes. In only a few more seconds, I will undergo the shift from child of the sea to human.”

He may be confident, but I’m realistic. I know exactly how this will play out. I turn away and bury my face in my hands. A part of me, the smallest part, is hopeful that at any second, he will cry out in pure agony. For the first time in my life, I would welcome his pain with open arms. I would throw a party.

He doesn’t cry out in pain.

I can’t turn back around. I can’t.

“My love.” He hand is on my back, softly rubbing it. “Please face me.”

“What’s going on?” I whisper.

“I do not know, my Cassie. But please turn around so I can see your face.”

“You won’t like what you’ll see.”

“I wish to dry your tears. Please, my love, allow me to hold you in my arms.”

I slowly spin around, my eyes on the sand. Damarian tucks a webbed hand under my chin and lifts my face. His expression fills with pain and regret when he sees my tear-stricken face. He closes his hand over my wrist and gently pulls me toward him.

As soon as I’m in his arms, I cry onto his chest. His hand rubs circles on my back, but it’s not comforting me like it has so many times in the past. It’s like I have a fountain behind my eyes—the tears are so abundant and strong and never-ending.

“Do not fret, my love. It is all right.”

“How can you say that?” I sob into the bare skin of his chest. “You don’t believe any of it. You’re just trying to comfort me.”

He doesn’t respond, just continues rubbing circles on my back.

Finally, when it seems the fountain has run out, I pull back and look into his eyes. “You’ll…you’ll get sick if you’re out of sea water for too long.” Like what happened the day I found him washed up on the shore and brought him to my house. He would have died if I hadn’t filled my pool with synthetic sea salt.

He strokes my cheek. “I am not going anywhere.”

“Then I’ll go into the ocean.”

“The sea is too cold for you. I will remain out here as long as I can.”

Another shiver runs down my spine.

“Fret not, my love. Let us attempt to make sense of what has occurred.” He wipes my tears away with his thumbs.

“Okay. When was the first time you felt something was wrong?”

His eyebrows crease. “In the sea yesterday. When you did not have enough energy to swim home. It was as though your body…”

“Was changing back into a human. Or didn’t want to be a mermaid anymore.”

“Indeed. Was that the first instance you felt something was amiss?”

I bite my bottom lip.

“What is the matter?”

“That wasn’t the first time…”

“When was it?”

I look away.

“What is the matter? What is it that you do not wish to tell me?”

I look into his eyes again. There’s worry and fear in there, but every emotion is dwarfed by the all-consuming love he has for me.

“It was the night we came back from land. When we were making out in our shell.”

A puzzled look overtakes his face. “I do not understand.”

“Since the first moment we’ve ever kissed, I’ve felt such intense feelings. Our love for each other takes over my whole body, makes me feel things I hadn’t felt before. It’s like out of this world.”

Damarian nods as he caresses my cheek. “Yes, I am aware of how you feel, for it is the way I feel every time as well. And I sense everything in your heart and soul whenever we grow that close.”

“Right.” I swallow, not wanting to hurt him. “But I didn’t feel anything that night.”

“Nothing at all?”

I shake my head. “It was like I was kissing a shower door.”

His gaze moves away from mine and looks out in the distance. I’m not sure what expression he has on his face. Not hurt, like I thought, but more like he’s not surprised.

“I don’t get it,” I say. “You look like you were expecting me to say something like that.”

He slowly moves his eyes to mine. “That is because I, too, have felt as though I were kissing a useless item and not my mate.”

Every part of me perks with shock and confusion. “What? You didn’t feel anything that night?”

“No, my love. I did not feel anything the next morning.”

“The next morning? You mean, when I took charge?”

He reluctantly nods, a regretful expression on his face.

“But…you seemed so into it. You made it seem like you were really enjoying yourself.” I remember how relieved I was that I finally felt him again, because I didn’t the night before.

“Your actions did bring me pleasure, my Cassie,” he tells me. “But not like in the past. It was though a stranger was attempting to please me.”

It feels like he just slapped me across the face. With both hands.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” I demand, anger and betrayal settling in my heart. I take a deep breath and let it out. There’s no reason for me to get upset. It’s not his fault he felt that way.

“I apologize, my love.” He gathers me close to his chest and lays my head in the hollow space between his neck and shoulder. “I did not wish to cause you any pain. You know that all I wish is to make you happy. I thought I was tired or…I am not certain.”

I shift away from, him so I can make sense of my thoughts. So I was wrong. Damarian did feel that something was off, but he didn’t want to hurt me. Just like I didn’t want to hurt him. If either of us would have said something earlier, maybe we could have fixed this. Whatever it is.

When I glance back at Damarian, I see nothing but pain and bewilderment on his face. He doesn’t look pale, though. I don’t know how long we have until he has to go back into the ocean.

When I’m once again sitting right before him, I say, “We were fine the morning we left for the ocean. We were fine the whole day. We were fine before we left. Things seemed to have gone wrong when we got to the merpeople colony.”

Damarian nods slowly. “Yes. That must mean that something occurred during the travel from land to sea.”

I tap my chin as I wrack my brain. I know we had fun—hunting fish because we hadn’t done it in a while, Damarian not being able to keep his hands off me…

Then it hits me. “The coral.”

“Pardon?”

“My fish fell to the bottom of the sea, remember? There was beautiful coral there, black with green glitter.”

“Yes, I recall. What of it?”

I hold out my arm. “I rubbed up across it. It cut my arm.”

Understanding enters his eyes. “Yes, you were injured! Are you stating you believe…that somehow the coral is the cause of the lack of passion between us?”

“Maybe it made me sick.” I glance down at my arm, but there’s nothing there other than my peachy skin.

“I do not know, my love. As a fry, all I did was brush up against the coral. As did my brothers and sisters, and all the other children of the sea. We did not fall ill.”

“It’s the only explanation. You’ve never seen that specific species of coral before, have you?”

He shakes his head.

“It must be rare. It probably has some sort of poison.”

“But do you feel ill?” He touches my forehead and my cheeks. Merpeople don’t really get sick in the ocean, so it warms my heart to see him care for me in a human way. But of course I don’t feel it as much as I did in the past.

“I’m fine,” I say. “But this is an aquatic disease. Who knows what kind of symptoms I have?”

“But if you are correct and have taken ill due to the coral, why am I affected?”

He has a good point. I puff out my cheeks.

Then it hits me. “Because we’re mated. I feel what you feel and you feel what I feel.”

“Yes, but you have fallen slightly ill a few times since we have mated, acquiring a human disease. I had not fallen ill.”

“Because that was a human illness,” I say. “Like I said before, I contracted an aquatic disease and we have no idea what the effects are. Maybe it’s contagious through mates.” I cover my mouth. “Or maybe it’s contagious to all the merpeople. Damarian, I might have gotten you all sick. Just like with the sea serpent poison.”

Damarian’s hand flies to his forehead and he sways a little.

I grab his arm. “Damarian?”

“I feel a bit ill.”

“I did get you sick.”

He shakes his head as his eyes snap shut. “No, this feeling is quite familiar. I fear I have been on land for too long and require sea water.”

I jump to my feet. “We have to get you back in the ocean.”

Clutching his head and with his gills straining to open and close, he says, “I do not wish to leave you. I cannot leave you.”

“But you have to. Not only because your body needs sea water, but because you need to go back home and tell your family about the coral. You all might be affected.”

He starts to release those awful sounds, like a whale crying out in pain.

I take hold of his arm. “Please get back in the ocean, Damarian.”

It looks as though he wants to argue, but he’s too weak. With my help, we drag his body into the water, until he’s fully submerged. A second later, his head pops up. “Are you able to enter the sea?” he calls. “I wish to hold you in my arms.

“Of course.”

I strip out of my shirt and pants, remaining in my bikini. I put it on before I left for the beach because I anticipated I would have to go into the ocean. I walk to the edge of the water, feeling the cold water swallow my ankles. Like I expected, I don’t change. I keep walking until every part of my body, except my head and neck, is underwater.

Damarian reaches for me and tugs me into his arms.

“I don’t feel you,” I say, swallowing a fresh batch of tears. The little hope I had inside me is gone.

He tucks some hair behind my ear. “I know. I will return to our home in the sea and learn all that I can. Fret not, my love. I will return to you with only good news. I promise.”

“Don’t promise, Damarian. I don’t think you can keep it.”

He presses his forehead to mine. “I have confidence that I can. And that I will.” His lips skid across my cheek until they meet mine. I open my mouth to welcome him, but once again feel like I’m kissing a shower door.

I miss how good he made me feel. I miss how good I made him feel. I miss him.

“I shall meet you tomorrow night,” he says, his lips moving to various parts of my face. Even though I don’t feel anything, the act itself makes me feel loved.

“It feels like we’ve gone back in time, to two years ago when we first met.”

“After tomorrow, it will no longer be that way. I promise.”

I shake my head. “Another one you can’t keep.”

He puts his finger on my mouth. “Another one I am confident I shall keep.”

I can’t look into his eyes. I don’t want to say goodbye. Who knows what Damarian will learn when he speaks to his family and the other merpeople? What if I’m dying? Or worse, what if I once again poisoned all the merpeople? True many—if not all—of them will most likely never yearn to be a human and come to land, but there could be other effects of the poison. Maybe in a few months’ time, they’d all be wiped out.

“No.” He softly wipes my eyes. “I may not be able to sense you, but I know the thoughts you have in your head. Please do not think such thoughts. All will be well.”

I want to believe him, but I don’t think I can.

He squeezes me tightly to his chest. “I have so much love for you, my sweet Cassie. My heart bursts with it. Never forget that.”

“I won’t.”

He reluctantly frees me and turns around, to where Fiske emerges out of the water. He nods to me, and from the look in his eyes, I know he’s trying to tell me something.

“I can’t communicate with him,” I say. “Or to any creature of the sea.”

“He is only reassuring you that all will be well. He does not wish for you to worry.”

“Thanks, Fiske. I’ll try to stay positive.”

Damarian once again envelops me in his arms. “Parting with you is so difficult. I miss you so much.”

“Me, too.”

“But I must go if I am to find answers. Please do not be sad. It causes me such pain when you are hurting.”

I touch his cheek. “As long as I’m apart from you, I’ll hurt. There’s nothing anyone can do about that.”

“Then I shall return to you with only good news.”

We break apart, but our hands are still clutched. Damarian moves further away, our hands drawing further apart. When they’re both stretched to the limit, he lets go and disappears under the water. I stare at the waves, watching them go from volatile to calm. Then I turn around, stuff my clothes into the bag of essentials, and trek home, my vision blurry from my tears.

Chapter Eleven

“Thanks so much for spending the afternoon with the kids,” Mom says as she bends to sweep a few toys off the floor. “Ruthie! What did I tell you about putting your toys away?” She shakes her head with a small smile. “That child…”

Louis comes downstairs, dressed in a casual shirt and shorts. “Allen and Meg said they’ll meet us at the club in twenty minutes.” He looks her up and down, taking in her short skirt and heels. “You’re wearing that to golf?”

Mom lowers the toys into the large bin near the wall of the living room, which Ruthie has turned into a pseudo-playroom. “I have no idea what to wear! I’ve never been golfing before.” She kicks off her shoes. “Your friends are going to think I’m a complete idiot…” she mutters as she goes to her room.

Louis grins to me. “I find it so adorable how nervous your mother gets when she meets my friends and family. Have I ever told you how I had to practically drag her into my parents’ home when she met them for the first time? Yeah, I must have told you that already.” He chuckles.

I manage a small smile.

“You okay, Cassie?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about something.”

He takes a step closer. “Are you having problems with the…” His eyes dip to my legs.

“What? No, everything’s fine with the, um, stuff,” I lie.

“Oh, okay. I was just wondering because you haven’t spoken much. Are you and Damarian doing all right?”

It’s so liberating that Louis knows Damarian’s true identity. When Mom first broke the news to him, he thought he hit his head and imagined the whole thing.

“Everything is fine,” I lie again. “Thanks for asking and being so cool about it. I know it must still make you feel weird.”

He smiles again. “I love how it keeps life interesting. I’m really looking forward to the wedding. Can’t wait to meet some of the merpeople. Well, I met them by your anniversary but I didn’t know they were mythical creatures. My whole mindset is different.”

My throat feels like it’s stuffed with cotton balls. Will there even be a wedding?

“Are you sure you’re okay, honey?”

I put on a fake smile. “Yeah. Just nervous about the wedding.”

He wraps an arm around me. “I know what you mean. But just remember that your wedding day marks the day you will be giving yourself over to your soulmate. And he’s giving himself over to you. Just look into his eyes the whole time. Trust me, nothing else will matter.”

“Thanks.”

He glances at his watch. “Now if only your mother would get dressed a little faster.”

I laugh. “No chance of that happening.”

Ruthie runs into the room, her Build a Bear bunny held securely in her arms. “Hi, Cassie!”

“Hey!” I take her in my arms and spin around. “Where have you been hiding? I’ve been here for like ten minutes.”

“Bobby’s in the middle of playing Crypt Madness. Could you believe he made it to level 50?”

“There goes my hope of actually having a conversation with him this afternoon,” I mutter.

She sticks the bear in my face. “Bunny says hi!”

I smile as I stroke the top of her head. “Hi, Bunny. Ooh, I see your friend Ruthie bought you a new dress and matching shoes. You look so pretty.”

“It’s mom’s favorite color. She always loved to wear purple.” She turns to my stepfather. “Can I have another ride, Louis? Please, please?”

He makes a face as though granting her request is such a chore.

She puts her hands on her hips. “Stop fooling around and give me a ride!”

He makes a monster sound and scoops her off the floor, throwing her over his shoulder. Ruthie shrieks in delight.

It’s so hard for me to be happy along with them when I have this huge weight on my mind and heart, but I need to be. I don’t want to miss out on sharing great times with my family. I need to believe that everything will work out and that we’ll soon put this behind us.

Once Ruthie is back on the floor, she says, “Now do it to Cassie!”

“No way!”

“I think your sister is a little too old for my shoulder.” Louis pinches her cheek.

“Ugh! I hate when you do that.”

“But your cheeks are so squishy.”

“Stop! Joanie! Your husband’s abusing me!”

Mom comes out of her room, dressed in appropriate golf clothes. “Louis, stop abusing Ruthie.” She does a little spin. “Better?”

“Much.” Louis takes hold of her arms and draws her in for a sweet kiss on the lips.

“Gross!” Ruthie covers her face with Bunny.

I ruffle her hair. “It’ll only be a few more years until you no longer find that gross.”

She makes a face. “Never.”

As soon as Mom and Louis leave, I scoop Ruthie into my arms and balance her on my hip. “So what’s the plan for today?”

“Eat junk food and watch PG-13 movies?”

“Do you really want to stay home all day? Let’s go to the park or to the beach. No, forget the beach.”

“What’s wrong with the beach?”

I want to have fun with my siblings and not be constantly reminded of the turmoil going on in my heart. “I taught there this morning and am a little sick of it.”

Her eyes bug out. “You’re bored of the beach?” She puts her hand on her forehead. “The world is coming to an end.”

I laugh and tickle her.

“Immune!”

“No, you’re not.”

“Okay!” she says as she tries to avoid my hand. “Okay, I’m not immune! Ooh, let’s go to the aquarium and see Damian’s whale show.”

And there goes the turmoil. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ruthie. He told me one of the whales is not feeling well. I think they canceled the shows for today.” I hate lying to my siblings.

She frowns. “Oh okay. So can we stay in and watch Pg-13 movies? Please, please, please?”

Why do kids have the power to win you over with their begging eyes?

“How about we keep the movies PG?” I say.

She raises a fist in the air. “Hooray!”

“But only if your brother agrees to join us, too.”

“Good luck with that.”

Ruthie and I enter his room and find him at his desk, his eyes glued to his computer screen.

“Oh look, he breathes,” I say. “For a second there, I thought he was a zombie.”

Ruthie giggles.

“Shut up,” he mumbles.

“Come on.” I put my hands on his shoulders. “It’s not every day your awesome big sister comes to babysit. Your wish is my command. At least for today.”

“Then my wish is to play this game all night. I need to beat Timmy.”

“Cassie promised we’d watch PG-13 movies and eat junk food all night, Bobby!”

“I said PG movies.”

She gives me a face like she knows she’ll get her way. Which she probably will.

“Not interested,” Bobby says.

“We won’t choose any girly ones. Promise.”

He sighs and exits the game. “Fine.”

I ruffle his hair again as we leave his room. “I love spending time with you, Bobby.”

His shoulders hunch. “I know. Sorry.”

He’s still dealing with his parents’ deaths, though he has come such a long way and I’m so proud of him. It’s a little easier for Ruthie, since she was much younger and doesn’t fully understand what losing someone means. For now, she’s content in knowing that her parents are always with her and watching over her. I’m not sure how she’ll feel when she’s older, but I’ll do whatever I can to make her happy.

“Bobby chooses this time,” I say as he crouches before the DVD cabinet in the living room.

“And you can choose PG-13!” Ruthie hops onto the couch.

“Ruthie…”

“What? Just make sure it doesn’t have nakedness and too many swear words.”

I can’t help it but laugh.

“Okay.” Bobby gets up from the floor. “I choose this.”

I read the label. They rated this movie PG-13 because of scary images. I’m always hesitant about this sort of thing because of what the kids have been through with their parent’s deaths.

“Are you sure you guys will be okay with this?” I ask.

“Yes!”

“Okay, because if you have nightmares tonight and want to sleep with my mom, don’t put the blame on me.”

“I’ll microwave popcorn,” Bobby says.

“Bring cookies, potato chips, and soda, too!”

As we settle down to watch the movie, images start to play in my head, of a future I can have. If Damarian and I decide to have kids and they turn out to be humans, they’ll be part of Ruthie and Bobby’s lives. But if they turn out to be merkids, they won’t get to know their aunt and uncle. I still have no idea when I plan on telling them about me and Damarian being merpeople, but it seems like it’ll be a long time down the road. I wish my kids can live in both land and sea, but I can’t see how that’s possible.

I guess Damarian and I will just have to figure it out once we get there. Assuming we get there. No, Damarian will give me answers tonight and we’ll find a solution and then we’ll go back to living happily ever after.

I’m sure of it.

Chapter Twelve

Once again, I’m feeling déjà vu.

I pace around the beach, kicking some sand and watching the grains tumble in the air. Two years ago when I waited for Damarian in the same manner, I didn’t know if he and I would have a future together. And now I’m worrying over the same thing.

I swear the universe has a sick sense of humor.

Falling to my knees near the tide, I stick my hands into the sand. “Please come back to me, Damarian,” I say. “I need you.” I have no idea how far he is and whether he can hear me, but I can no longer bear this waiting.

The wet grains feel good in my palms, but not as good as it feels when I’m a mermaid. The same with the ocean water as it hits my face or lands on my lips. As a mermaid, I yearned for it, needed it. As a human, it just feels good.

“Damarian,” I say. “Just come already. Please. I can’t take it anymore.”

Minutes pass and I’m still sitting here. The only things playing in my head are memories of all the times I’ve waited for Damarian like this. In the past, I would embrace the memories and cherish them, because if not for them Damarian and I would not have gotten to where we are. But what does any of that matter if we can never been together again? If he can no longer turn into a human and I can’t turn into a mermaid, will this be our fate? To meet every night at the beach, spending only a few moments together? And if we decide to have kids, how could we raise a child, a family?

“Cassie! My love!”

I nearly launch to the sky at the sound of his voice.

“I am here. I have heard your calls and swam as fast as I could. Are you all right?”

Searching the waves, I find him a few feet away from the shore. “Yeah, sorry!” I call. “I didn’t mean to worry you. I just had to see you.”

His swim to the shore is so swift I could have missed it if I blinked. I race toward him and throw myself at him. He catches me by the waist and spins around, falling onto the wet sand. Our lips immediately seek each other’s. Like before, I don’t feel anything, but it’s comforting to be kissing him and held so closely in his arms.

“How are you?” he asks when our lips finally draw apart. “I have missed you so.”

“Me, too. You have no idea.” I rest my forehead against his and just breathe.

The only sounds are the heavy breaths coming out of my mouth and his gills expanding and contracting. My hand moves to different parts of his body, missing the feel of his hard muscles and his tail beneath my palms. As a mermaid, touching his tail felt amazing, but as a human, it’s sticky and slimy.

“Have you been well, my love?” Damarian plays with a few strands of my hair. Even the slightest touch like stroking my hair would always send a shiver down my spine, but not now. Still, it’s comforting.

“I’ve been okay. I spent the afternoon with Ruthie and Bobby.”

“Ah, I very much miss your brother and sister.”

“And I miss your family. So much.” I put my hands on his shoulders and look into his eyes. “Have you learned anything?”

It’s like our reunion meant so much to him that he totally forgot about everything’s that happened. His face shifts from delight and relief to terror and fear in less than two seconds.

My stomach sinks. “What’s wrong? Did you learn something bad?”

He tears his gaze from me. “I cannot tell you. I cannot bear to…to see the pain in your eyes.”

The biggest lump I have ever gotten materializes in my throat. I try to swallow it away, but it seems to grow bigger. My voice shakier than an erupting volcano, I ask, “What did you learn?”

Nothing but pain in his eyes.

I cup his chin and lift his face to mine. “Hey, don’t be worried. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. We’ve been through so much together, and I know we’ll get through this, too.”

He frees his jaw and gently pushes me off him. His eyes are on anywhere but my face. “No, my love. This time we will not be able to get through this together.”

My heart beats so hard and fast I’m growing dizzy. “What do you mean by that?”

His eyes are dead-locked on the wet sand.

“Damarian.” I edge closer.

He holds up his hand. “No, do not, Cassie. Please, do not. I cannot bear it. It is too painful.”

He’s really scaring me right now. “Damarian, what is going on?”

He shakes his head. Now my stomach sinks to my toes. He’s crying. Not just crying, but bawling. I’ve seen him cry a few times, but nothing like this. It’s as though he’s feeling the most intense pain he’s ever felt before. And I’m not talking physical pain but emotional.

I try to crawl closer, but he shakes his head again, keeping his hand raised.

“Damarian.” Now tears rain down my cheeks.

He must hear how choked up my voice is because his head snaps to mine. “No, my sweet beautiful Cassie. Please do not cry. It makes this even more unbearable.”

“How can I not cry? You’re really scaring me. And you don’t even want me near you.”

“Because when you hear the news…” He shakes his head, his gills expanding and contracting so intensely it looks painful. “You think you feel pain now, my love, but you cannot imagine the amount of agony you will feel once I tell you what I have learned. And I cannot bear to cause you such ache.”

I wipe my eyes. “I really appreciate that you’re trying to spare me, but I need to know. And you have to be strong, my merman. We’ll get through this. Whatever it is. We always have. Because we have each other and our love is so strong.”

He shakes his head.

“Damarian, just tell me. You need to.”

He stares at his tail.

“You’re the only one who can. Unless you’d rather send another child of the sea. But I want to hear it from you.”

He slowly moves his eyes to me. “I do not wish to hurt you.”

“I know.” I’m sliding over to him and he’s not stopping me. “But I’m strong.”

“Yes, one of the strongest creatures I know. I have so much love and respect for you.”

“Then you know I can handle whatever it is you need to tell me.”

It appears like he’d rather die from lack of sea water than tell me, but he reluctantly nods. “Yes, you are correct.” His gills expand to the max before deflating. “As soon as I arrived to our home in the sea, I sought out the assistance of Grandfather, Father, and Mother. I informed them of the events that have transpired. Mother and Father were not aware of such a species of coral, but Grandfather…he heard tales of such coral, though he thought they were myths.”

“I’m starting to think everything you guys think are a myth are actually true,” I say.

He nods slowly. “You may be correct.” He flattens one of his webbed hands on the sand and presses down, examining the shape it makes.

“Damarian,” I say softly. “Please stop stalling and continue.”

“The coral is called the Lovers’ Tear.”

“Why?”

He squeezes his eyes shut. “Because…” His gills are going crazy now.

Though it’s killing me, I force myself to remain patient and let Damarian take as much time as he needs.

But after some time passes, I ask, “Why is the coral called the Lovers’ Tear?”

His eyes still closed tight, he says in such a low voice I nearly miss it, “Because it tears away the bond of lovers.”

I remain planted in my spot, the area around me spinning. I try to move my lips, but they’re fastened shut.

“And because it causes the lovers nothing but tears,” Damarian continues.

I’m still frozen.

I can’t make sense of the thoughts racing in my head.

I don’t feel anything but the violent beating of my heart.

I’m not sure if I’m even breathing.

“Cassie.” Damarian shifts over until he’s at my side. He reaches to fold me in his arms, but I move away.

“Are you…” Fresh tears make it hard for me to see or talk. I swipe them away. “Are you saying…?” I don’t know if I can get the words out.

“Yes, my love.” It seems like it’s hard for him to get his words out, too. “We are losing our mating bond. As the days go on, we grow further and further apart. Until we are no longer bonded at all.”

I scramble to my feet and glare down at him. “You’re lying.”

He has nothing but grief in his eyes. “I am afraid I am not.”

“How can this be? You told me that merpeople mate for life and that nothing can tear them apart. Now you’re telling me that some unknown species of coral did this to us?”

“You cut your arm,” he says, his voice quaking. “The poison must have entered your blood. And it transferred to me when we mated.”

“But…but…” This can’t be happening. I refuse to believe this. I mean, getting poisoned by coral? This has to be a joke. I need to believe that it’s a joke. Because I think I’ll drop dead if this is the truth.

“Cassie.” He raises his arms like he wants to gather me to his chest, but he can’t reach because he’s sitting on the sand. “Please, let me hold you.”

“Not until you tell me the truth.”

“It is the truth! Why would I fabricate such a tale?”

“I can’t, Damarian.” I turn around and fall to my knees, burying my hands in my face. “I can’t accept this.”

“I refused to believe it at first as well, my love. But look at the signs. You did not feel anything for me when we were together the night after you were wounded, for that was the start of the separation. You are no longer able to turn into a child of the sea because—”

“No.” I press my hands to my ears. “Stop talking.”

“All right. I will stop.”

“You mean the world to me,” I whisper, my lips tasting the saltwater of my tears. “We’ve fought so hard to be together. I thought we finally had our happily ever after. And now this? And a week before our wedding?”

He’s quiet for a few seconds before he says, “You are correct. I forgot about the human mating.”

I slowly turn to face him. “Can’t we just mate again after…the bond is gone?”

He shakes his head. “Once we are separated, we can never mate again. That is why I cannot shift into a human.”

I’m going to throw up every organ I have in my body. I lean over and heave, but nothing comes out. I end up having a coughing fit.

“Cassie, are you all right? Cassie!”

“You’ll mate with another mermaid. You’ll live happily ever after with her. I’m being punished for messing with the natural order of things. We’re two different species and were never meant to be together. Every time we got through another obstacle, it was all an illusion.”

“Cassie, do you think I wish to mate with someone else? I could never love another female. You are the sole being for me.”

“I think others disagree,” I mutter.

“Others?”

“The universe? Mother Nature? I don’t know.”

“Come here, my love. I need to hold you in my arms.”

“What for?” Now I understand why he couldn’t bear for me to be near him earlier. The thought of being close to him but not really being close to him…

The Lovers’ Tear. It totally fits. The love of my life is being torn away from me. Forever.

“Cassie…”

He sounds too weak. When I move my gaze to his, I find him lying flat on the sand, grabbing at grains of sand like he’s in extreme pain but is trying to fight it. I’m at his side in a second and touch his cheek. “Are you feeling sick? You need to get back in the ocean.”

“Cassie.” He places both hands on my face and stares into my eyes. “Do not pull away from me. Please, do not leave me.”

“I need to get you in the water.”

“No, not until—”

“You’ll die!”

“I will die if you do not allow me to hold you in my arms.”

I search his eyes and see how much love he has for me. Despite all that’s happening to us, he still feels the same as he did before. And so do I. “I promise I’ll be in your arms the moment you’re in the water.”

It looks like it takes everything he has to nod. I close my hands around his arms and pull. He pushes with his tail. We only manage to move him a few inches, but it’s enough for the tide to sweep over him.

Immediately, he closes his arms over me and holds me to his chest. His lips graze my temple. “My Cassie. I have so much love for you. You are my Cassie.” He keeps muttering the same words over and over again.

“I can’t lose you.”

“You shall not. I will do all I can to fix this.”

I shake my head against his chest. “You’re just saying that to comfort me. You don’t believe you can fix this, or else you wouldn’t have been so distraught when you came to shore.”

“You are correct, my love. I do not think I have ever felt such hopelessness before. But once I uttered the words and saw the pain on your face, I knew I had to do all I can to remove it and replace it with joy. I have nothing but determination in my being. I will not surrender until I find the means to correct this. You and I will not lose our bond, my sweet Cassie. I will not allow it.” He wipes away my tears.

“I don’t feel…anything. Maybe it’s too late and we’re not even bonded anymore.”

He puts his finger on my lips. “We must not despair. Father, Mother and Grandfather are meeting with the elders from all the clans as we speak. Mother promised she will seek the Enchantress if they do not find answers.”

“The Enchantress? She can’t. That sea witch is a monster. Who knows what horror she’ll put her through?”

“Do not fret. It is the last option.” He rubs his hands up and down my back. “I am now more determined than ever to ease your heart and mind, my Cassie. You are my world. You are my past, my present, and my future. I wish to continue building a life with you. I wish to raise a family with you. I wish to grow old with you. I will not yield until my dreams come true.”

I lock my arms around his neck and press my cheeks to his. “I love you, Damarian. So, so much. All I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. I ache to spend forever with you. I won’t give up on us, either.”

His lips brush my jaw until they meet with mine. Like before, I don’t feel anything, and that causes a hole to form in my chest.

“Should we cancel the wedding?” I ask.

“No, by the time our human mating arrives, you and I will be fully bonded as children of the sea. I promise.”

I shake my head. “Again, you’re making promises you can’t keep.”

“But I shall keep this one as well.”

“Damarian…”

“Yes?”

“If we are not technically bonded, but still mate…what do you think would happen?”

“I asked the very same question to Grandfather. He stated that if you and I were to mate as an unbonded pair, we would…” Though it’s hard to tell due to the night sky, his face turns dark.

“We’ll die,” I finish.

He shakes his head, his face getting even darker.

“I’ll die?”

He reluctantly nods.

“Why me?”

“The bond exists only in my world,” he says. “Humans can mate as many times as they wish but they will not be eternally bound to their partner. But that is not so for children of the sea. That is why it is more likely that you will perish.”

I guess that makes sense, in a weird fantastical way. The power of the bond comes from him and not me, since he’s the mythical creature. After all, I’m the one who had to turn into a mermaid to fix the natural order of things.

Laying my head on his chest, I listen to his heart. It’s beating quite fast. For all the bravery he’s showing to make me feel better, he’s just as terrified as me.

“This…might be our last time together,” I say.

“No. You told me you will not give up on us, my beautiful Cassie. Cling to the hope. Cling to me.”

“I’m trying, but I don’t know if I could.”

He sweeps his lips over mine. “Know that I hold immense love for you. Love I have never felt for another being. Trust in that love. Believe in it.”

“I’ll try,” I promise.

I don’t know how long we remain in each other’s arms. It seems like only five minutes, but I’m sure an hour or two have passed. The sky is getting lighter.

My arms tighten around his neck when he starts to pull away. “No.” I bury my face in his chest. “I don’t want you to go.”

“You know that is far from what I desire as well.” His warm breath tickles my cheek, but it doesn’t send goosebumps all over my skin like it used to. “But I need to return to the colony so that I can find a cure.” He cups my cheek, raising my face to look into my eyes. “It will not be long until you and I will be completely mated again. I assure you.”

I nod, though ninety percent of me refuses to believe him.

He places both hands on my cheeks and gazes deeply in my eyes. “I love you, Cassie. No matter what we feel—rather, what we do not feel—in our time apart, never forget that my heart belongs to you. My soul belongs to you. For all eternity.”

I nod again, unable to talk because I know I’ll cry and never stop.

“Perhaps it is wise we meet in two days,” he suggests. “I am not certain how long it will take for me to seek answers, and I do not wish for you to wait for me.”

In the past, the notion of being apart from him for two whole days would make me feel like half of me was gone. An ache would form inside me and wouldn’t go away until I’d be reunited with my merman. But I don’t feel it as strongly now. It’s still there, of course, because I love him to death, but I don’t feel it in every fiber of my being.

“I’ll be counting down the minutes,” I say. “No, the seconds.”

He shakes his head. “Please do not let this weigh you down. Do not let it consume you. Carry on like always, my love, all right? In two days’ time, hopefully all will be well.”

Hopefully.

He leans forward to press a sweet, gentle, loving kiss on my lips. “Farwell, my Cassie. We will meet in two nights.”

My hand clings onto his as he moves away from me. And like the last time we had to part, I don’t let go until our arms are stretched to the max. He dives inside, then waves his tail around. Then the splashing is gone and the only thing before me are the calm waves.

Two nights. It might as well be two centuries.

Chapter Thirteen

“Cassie!” Someone knocks on the door.

My eyes flash open and immediately find the small clock on the night table. 2:46 PM. I groan as I cover my face with my blanket. The person outside is Leah, but I don’t want to face her or anyone. I just want to lie here until 3 AM tonight.

“Cassie!” The knocking is now banging.

“It’s okay,” Mom’s voice says. “I have a key.”

I throw the blanket off my face as I sit up. She brought my mom? Ugh! I fall back down and cover my face.

A few seconds later, I hear two sets of footsteps headed for my room. The next thing I know, the blanket is once again off my face and two worried faces are staring down at me.

“I’m cold.” I fold into the fetal position.

“What’s going on, Cassie?” Mom demands. “Uncle Jim told me you canceled class yesterday and this morning, too. I couldn’t get hold of you the past two days.”

“You’ve been ignoring my texts and calls, too,” Leah says.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

The bed sinks as Leah sits down near me. “Does this have anything to do with what you told me?”

“What did she tell you?” Mom asks as she sits down on the other side of my bed.

I wish they’d leave. I don’t want to talk to anyone. I just want to lie here all day and dream that the world is perfect and that my life with Damarian is perfect and that we can have a perfect future together.

“Um,” Leah says. “I think Cassie should be the one to tell you.”

“Cassie.” Mom rubs my shoulder. “Are you feeling okay, honey?”

I shake my head.

“Is it…is it because of the mermaid thing? I told you I don’t like the whole idea of—”

“You don’t have to worry.” I clutch the side of the mattress. “Because I won’t be turning into a mermaid anymore.”

The silence is so thick I feel it on my skin.

“W…what?” Leah asks, her voice beyond bewildered.

I slowly sit up and push my hair out of my eyes. “I told you I couldn’t feel him, right, Leah?”

She nods.

“It turns out you were right. There is a reason for it. Though it defies logic.”

“Can someone please tell me what you’re talking about?” Mom asks.

I tell her what I told Leah two days ago. When I’m done, she looks confused, worried, and alarmed.

“It’s because of coral,” I say. “I rubbed my arm against it when we were in the ocean and cut myself. Damarian’s grandfather heard tales of this species of coral, but he thought they were a myth. Just like everything else.”

“And what exactly did this coral do to you?” Mom asks, the same emotions still present all over her face.

“It’s called the Lovers’ Tear. Because it’s tearing away at our bond.”

Leah’s jaw nearly sweeps the floor.

I tell them everything Damarian and I discussed two nights ago. Like I expect, they look overly worried confused, and not sure what to believe.

I drop back on my bed and cover my face. “I’m sorry for ignoring you and I’m sorry for being so irresponsible with my job, but I can’t…you have no idea what it’s like.” My chest heaves as I try to catch my breath. “I don’t feel him anymore. I don’t feel the strong connection we’ve had since we mated for the first time. It’s something I can’t describe, but it’s like a whole part of me is missing. Like I only have half a soul. I don’t know if I can be normal again.”

Mom lies down near me and pulls me to her chest. “It’s okay, honey. I don’t think I can ever understand what you’re going through, but you don’t have to do this alone.”

“Your mom’s right,” Leah says. “We’re here for you.”

I lower my hand from my face. “Thanks. I just don’t want to worry you, Mom. And I don’t want to discuss my bond with you, Leah. I feel like a jerk every time I talk about my love life problems. I really have felt alone these past two days.”

She slides her hand into mine. “Hey, I told you a million times that you can talk to me about whatever you want. I really don’t mind.”

“And while I am constantly worrying about you, honey, I don’t want you to shut me out.”

I give her a small smile. “Thanks, Mom, but there are some things I can only talk about with a best friend.”

She frowns. “Don’t I know it.” She sits up and rubs my thigh. “Have you been in bed all this time?”

I give her a sheepish nod.

“Damarian wouldn’t want you to wallow like this,” Leah says.

She right, but I don’t think I can do anything until I know Damarian’s found a cure.

Mom glances at her watch. “I need to get back to work. But we should meet up after. We’ll find things to do to take your mind off things. If you’re up for it.”

“I don’t know…”

“I take it back. I’m forcing you to hang out with me whether you like it or not.”

That gets her another small smile. “Okay.”

She kisses my forehead. “Please eat something.” She nods to Leah. “Make sure she does.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” She salutes.

Mom waves before leaving.

Leah leans back against the wall. “So now I’m ready to hear the version your mom can’t know.”

I hug my knees to my chest. “I told her everything there is to it.”

“But?”

I sigh. “If Damarian doesn’t find a cure and we’ll no longer be bonded, we can never be bonded again. So if he and I were to…mate, Damarian thinks I’d die.”

Her eyes pop open. “What the heck?”

I shrug. “The ocean is so fantastic, so mystical. There are plants that can heal wounds, fish that can turn my body into lights and help me survive in the deep ocean. And apparently there are kinds of coral that can sever a bond between mates. We can’t question anything anymore. Just accept it.”

“But you can’t accept this, Cassie. You need to fight.”

“Fight? How? Damarian is in the ocean looking for a cure and I’m just sitting here. I wish I could do something. I feel so helpless.”

“But what can you do?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Nothing but fantasize about the life I want to have.”

She wraps her arm around me.

“And another thing? We might have to cancel the wedding.”

Her arm slips from my shoulder.

“That’s another thing I didn’t want to tell my mom.”

Leah whistles. “This is all too intense.”

I nod. “Now I understand why you’re so hesitant to be with Kyle.”

She plays with my blanket. “I’ll admit that everything that’s happened to you and Damarian since the moment you met was hard and you’ve been through so much. I can’t imagine going through all that. But look at what you’ve gained. You have a man who loves you in a way I’ve never seen a man love a woman. You have such a strong connection—”

“That’s dwindling as the hours go by—”

“—and you understand each other in a way that’s beyond normal. You’ve gained a new family and a new life in the ocean. You’re so lucky, Cassie.”

Tears break through and roll down my cheeks. “I don’t think I’m lucky. I just want to be happy. Why do things always seem to get in the way of my happiness?”

She hugs me. “I want to tell you that everything will be okay, but I know you’ll bite my head off.”

I laugh lightly. “You’re right. I want everyone to stop telling me it’ll all be okay. I just want our bond to be restored.”

“Let’s get out of here and do something fun.”

I pull out of my arms. “Like what?”

“Not sure, but I’m not going to let you lie in bed all day. My mission is to get you to smile by tonight.”

I frown. “You’re a force to be reckoned with when you’re on a mission.”

She leaps off my chair and heads to my closet. After rummaging around for a few seconds, she pulls out a light pink shirt and jeans. “Put these on. You and I are going to see a movie and then we’ll meet your mom at the pizza shop and then we’ll shop until our toes fall off.”

“Sounds painful.”

She yanks on my hand. “Sounds fun! When was the last time the three of us did something together?”

She has a point. Damarian has always been with us. Is this a preview of how my life would be like now? No, Damarian?

“What?” Leah asks when fresh tears drip down my face. “Did I say something wrong?”

I shake my head. “No, I just hope this isn’t what my life would be like from now on.”

She gathers me in her arms. “It won’t be. I may have lost faith in certain things, but I’ll never lose hope in you guys. You are meant to be, no matter what.”

Squeezing her to my chest, I say, “You’re the most awesome friend in the whole world. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I can feel her grin capturing her whole face. “I know.”

***

Waiting for Damarian near the rocks has become a habit. I don’t want it to be a habit. I won’t be able to bear if it continued to be this way. Though if we lose the bond and are severed forever…no, I can’t think like this. Like Mom and Leah told me this afternoon as they tried to cheer me up, I need to stay positive. I need to believe in my happily ever after.

I glance down at the sapphire-colored bracelets on my arm. I caught sight of them in a window of a small shop Leah and I passed on our way to the theater. I hug the hand to my chest, feeling the bracelets rub against my shirt. They will forever be a symbol of our love. If Damarian has found a cure, they will be a reminder that no matter what obstacle is thrown in our way, our love will prevail. If he hasn’t found a cure…well, at least we’ll have something to remember each other by.

Some of my tears drip into the sand. Maybe they, and my surfing, are the only ways I’ll be connected to the ocean from now on.

Lying down on the sand, I stare at the beautiful sky. The stars twinkle at me, like they, too, are assuring me that everything will work out. A promise from the universe? Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.

“I am here, Cassie! But where are you?”

I jerk up at the sound of his voice.

“Yes, I have located you!”

I squint at the waves and find him swimming to the shore. Like the other times, I race to meet him and throw myself toward his arms. But as my body soars through the air, I smack into what feels like a wall and am propelled backward. I’m sailing at such a fast speed and hit the ground hard, skidding across the sand. My entire left side stings. When I glance down, I see a patch of peeled skin near my knee.

“Cassie, are you all right?” Damarian asks, from where he is near the tide.

I hiss as it burns. “I’m fine. What happened?”

“I do not know. Are you certain you are all right?” His eyes widen when he sees my knee. “I am so sorry, my love.”

I get up and limp toward him. “Don’t worry about it. Let me help you onto the sand.”

When I reach for his hands, I am once again thrown back. This time, the force isn’t so strong, and I just cough when I land on my back.

I carefully sit up and stare at Damarian. He’s starting at me, totally baffled. I slowly crawl closer to him, making sure not to scrape my wound on the sand. When I’m only a few feet away, I lift my hand and touch the space before me. It’s like there’s a brick wall there.

Damarian raises his hand, too. Our palms face each other, about a foot away. When I push at it, the wall pushes back, once again knocking me down.

“We…can’t go near each other,” I say.

Damarian bangs his fists on the wall. He, too, gets tossed backward. He sits back up and does it again.

“Damarian, you’ll get hurt.”

“I refuse to allow anything to keep me from you.” More bangs. More tosses. And is that blood on his knuckles?

“Please stop,” I beg. “You’re only getting hurt.”

“Perhaps I need to get out of the sea.” He rolls onto the sand, his entire body no longer in the water. He’s about to reach for me, but then he grabs hold of his neck and falls limply on the ground, making those crying whale noises I have come to dread.

“Damarian!” I dash to drop by his side, but the invisible wall flings me away. I land on my stomach, some sand falling into my mouth.

“I…do not understand,” Damarian wails weakly. “I have…only just left…the sea. I should…not be getting ill.”

As I watch him writhe in agony, I know exactly what’s going on. “It’s because…” I swallow back the tears coming to the surface. “It’s because you can’t come on land anymore. We can’t get within a foot of each other. The poison is not letting us have any chance of being together.”

Scratching the sides of his neck and moaning as he rolls back and forth, he mutters, “That is not so. I refuse to believe this.” Then he cries out.

“Please, Damarian! You need to be in the ocean. I have no idea how long you’ll have until…” The tears spill over. “Just please get back in the water.” If not for this damn wall, I’d be yanking and tugging on him until his entire body was submerged in the ocean.

“Does this mean…you will no longer be able to enter the sea?”

Despite the complete terror filling every cell in my body, warmth overtakes me. Here Damarian is, in extreme pain, and all he’s thinking about is me, how much I love the ocean and how devastated I’d be if I couldn’t surf or swim again.

“Damarian!” He’s as still as a dead fish.

I push at the wall, but it pushes back with twice the power. This time, my arm receives its wrath, but I have no time to pay attention to a new wound.

“Damarian, please get up!” If not for his weak groans, I’d think he was gone. I probably only have minutes.

Taking a deep breath, I race toward the rocks and dive into the water. I wait to be thrown back by another invisible wall, but that doesn’t happen. I kick my arms and legs as fast as I could, toward the spot on the shore where Damarian is. My limbs are burning and feel like they’re about to fall off, but I push forward. I don’t think I’ve ever swam this fast before.

Stopping about a foot away from him in the ocean, I see his skin has gotten very peachy. I’m not paying attention to the fact that my lungs are about to burst and I can’t breathe. Using every last bit of energy I have, I thrust my arms forward, spraying Damarian with ocean water. Damarian springs upward, like his batteries just got recharged.

“Cassie?” he asks as he looks around.

“In here,” I tell him. “I’m going to swim away so you can come into the ocean. Please hurry.”

I dive underneath and kick my arms and legs, but I’m so weak I can hardly move. I sink toward the ocean floor. The water here is shallow, but I have no energy to stand on my feet. My back hits the sand.

“Cassie!” Damarian calls. “Cassie!”

He sounds like he’s on another planet. My head is getting fuzzy and my vision spotty. This is it. After everything Damarian and I have been through, after fighting time and time again to be together, we’ve lost. My eyes flutter shut.

Something sweeps me off the ground. A second later, oxygen enters my lungs. I open my eyes and find myself hanging over a gray object. It takes a second for me to realize it’s a shark.

“Fiske,” I mutter, taking in large gulps of air.

“He has felt my distress and swam here immediately,” Damarian calls. I hope he’s back in the ocean. I’m so tired I can barely keep my eyes open. “Take in air, my love,” he continues. “Fiske will support you for as long as you need.”

With my eyes still closed, I focus on getting my breathing under control. My body’s begging me to sleep, but I force myself to stay awake. After a short while, I feel much better and open my eyes.

“Fiske.” I rub his skin. “Thanks so much.”

I can’t communicate with him, but feel him nod. I’m about to slide off, but he stops me.

“Fiske wishes for you to gain more strength before he releases you,” Damarian tells me.

“Thanks so much.” I press my fingers to my lips, then to his skin. “I love you, Fiske.”

I feel him nod again.

“Shoney must have felt I was in trouble, too. Is she on her way?”

Fiske’s body goes completely still.

I lift my head. Damarian is on the side, most of his body in the water. I can’t see his expression that well, due to the distance and the dark, but he looks apologetic.

“What?” I ask.

“Fiske informed me that Shoney stated to him earlier today that she does not sense you any longer. I am truly sorry, my love.”

My head falls back on Fiske. Of course. I should have anticipated that.

When my breathing has regulated, Fiske gently slides me off his back. I find a small boulder and sit on it, hugging my knees to my chest. Damarian floats a foot away, with Fiske close by.

“I have never felt such fear in my life,” he says, raising his hand like he wants to stroke my cheek. “When I first saw you plummeting to the sea floor twenty-four moons past, I was overtaken by a terror I had not felt before. I was quick to help you and refused to leave until I was certain you were all right. But now? I have never felt so helpless before. It is a terror that is beyond anything I could have imagined.”

I rest my cheek on my knee. “I never felt so helpless, either. Seeing you on the sand, crying out on pain, without being able to help you.” I sniff into my knees. “I don’t want to ever feel that again.”

“Perhaps you will no longer have to experience that, my love.”

I lift my head. “You found a cure?” Hope sparks inside me, but it dies down when I see the uncertainty in his eyes. “You didn’t?”

“Flora knows of a plant that may be able to help us. I believe you are familiar with it as well.”

“Are you talking about the Orja plant? The one your father and I searched for to heal you and Kiander after you were captured by the rebels?”

“Yes. And I am sure you are aware of how it works.”

“From what I remember, the plant only reveals itself to someone who is in dire need of it. Or to someone who is close to that person.” Hope sparks inside me. “So we can get healed now.”

He shakes his head. “You forget, my love, that we are no longer completely bonded. It cannot transfer from me to you like the poison did.”

“But you can get it for me, can’t you?”

He shakes his head again. “It will most likely not reveal itself to me for the same reason. We are not completely bonded.”

All my hope deflates.

“But there still may be hope. Palaemon believes the Orja plant grows on land as well. He believes both the plant in the sea and the one on land are needed to cure us. Since I am of the sea and you are of land.”

“And if we mix them together and eat them, it should reverse the effects!” I’m once again pumped with hope.

“Your confidence fills me with faith, my Cassie, but how are you to find the Orja on land?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if I don’t find a way.”

“How I wish I could hold you in my arms and show you how much love I have for you.”

I look away. “My heart aches for that, too.”

“I am not certain how much time we have,” he says. “Our bond grows weaker and weaker as the days pass. We must hurry.”

“Okay. I’ll get straight on it. I won’t let us down, Damarian. I’ll do whatever it takes to restore our bond and keep our happily ever after.”

Damarian pats Fiske’s head. “Fiske has agreed to remain here and be the means of communication between us. He will pass your message to the other sharks, who will pass them to me.”

I give the great shark an appreciative smile. “Thanks so much for all your help. And if you see Shoney, can you tell her how much I miss her?”

Fiske inclines his head.

“Fiske states that Shoney wishes to see you, but she is worried what affect that will have on her. You are human and she is a shark. And since you no longer have the master and shark bond, she worries she will see you as nothing more than another human.”

What he means to say is that Shoney might see me as dinner. The thought that my shark would even consider hurting me…

I nod, my throat tight. “I get it. It is her nature, after all. Just please let her know that I love and miss her and that it won’t be long before we’re once again master and shark.”

“I will inform her,” Damarian promises. He moves a little closer, but the invisible wall pushes him back.

“I guess…this is goodbye,” I say.

If I don’t find the plant on time, or at all, this may be the last time I’ll see him again. I can’t even touch him anymore.

“Fret not, my beautiful Cassie. For you will be successful in your quest, and I will be successful in mine. It will not be long before we are in each other’s arms again.”

I dip my hand in the water and send a ripple his way. “That’s me giving you a kiss.”

Damarian does the same. “And that is me giving you a kiss.”

I bring my fingers to my lips and then hold it out to him. “And that’s me giving you another kiss.”

Damarian does the same. “And I am returning the favor.”

Swimming toward Fiske, I take hold of his fins, then kiss the top of his head. “Thanks for all your help and for saving my life.”

He nods.

“And please give this to Damarian.” I slide the second sapphire bracelet off my hand and hold it out to Fiske. Then I say to Damarian, “It’s a symbol of our love. I’ll never take mine off, no matter what happens.”

“And I shall never remove mine.”

“I love you, Damarian.” It takes all I have not to cry my eyes out. “Bye.”

“Not for good, my love. Goodbye for now.”

“Goodbye for now.”

Chapter Fourteen

“This plant is called what? Orpa?” Leah asks, her fingers poised over her laptop keys.

“Orja. I think it’s spelled O-R-J-A.”

She leans back on my bed, balancing the laptop on her knees. “No results.”

“Please keep looking. Palaemon thinks the plant grows on land, too, and that both are needed to cure Damarian and me.”

“Remind me again who Palaemon is, please.”

“Flora’s father and the former king.”

“Right.” Her fingers hit the keys. “Nothing again.”

I tap my chin as I stare at the words “No results for Orja plant” on my laptop screen. “Maybe it goes by a different name.”

“How the heck are we supposed to find it, then?”

I have no clue, but there’s got to be a way. I’ve never been very good at doing research, which is why I’ve asked Leah for help. She’s not a pro either, but two heads are better than one.

“You seem different,” Leah says. “More…determined, I guess.”

“Well, if an invisible brick wall separates you and the man you love, and if you nearly died trying to save him, it kind of lights a fire under your butt.”

She whistles. “Sounds intense.”

“You have no idea.”

“This determination is good,” she says. “And you can count on me to help you.”

“Thanks.”

“Are you going to tell your mom?”

“I don’t know. I already regret telling her everything else. I just don’t want her to worry about me.”

“She’s your mom,” Leah says. “She’ll always worry.”

“I know. But I just want her to have peace of mind that I’m okay. She’s starting a new life with Louis and the kids and the last thing I want is for her to worry about her mermaid daughter who is losing her bond with her mate and may be single for the rest of her life.”

Leah studies her fingernail. “I was wondering about something…”

“Yeah?”

“Now this isn’t going to happen, but what if you and Damarian were separated from each other—for good—and there was no way for the two of you to get bonded again. Would you…?” She shakes her head. “Never mind. I feel like such a jerk for even asking.”

“It’s okay. I bet my mom and Damarian’s family is wondering about it, too. I don’t think I could ever be with someone else. I don’t think I can ever love anyone else.”

She’s still looking at her fingernail. “I guess…now you understand where I’m coming from.”

I place my hand on hers. “I don’t think I can ever fully understand how you feel, but…yeah, if I’m no longer with Damarian…”

“We don’t have to talk about this.”

“Maybe we should. I can’t hold everything in.”

“So…what about Damarian, then? Do you think he’d move on?”

A dream I had last year when I thought Damarian might dissolve our bond flashes in my mind. He was mated to another mermaid and she was pregnant. It was one of the worst dreams I’ve ever had in my life. I play with my sapphire bracelet. “I…I guess I’d want him to move on. I’d want him to be happy.”

“Is that how you really feel?” Leah asks. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

“Okay. I’d be really crushed if he loved someone else. I know what it’s like to have that strong bond only merpeople have. I don’t want him to be that close to someone else.” I look down at my knees. “But at the same time, I don’t want Damarian to mourn over me for the rest of his life—and merpeople live for many, many years. I just want my merman to be happy.”

Now Leah stares down at her lap. “I wonder if Jace feels that way, too.”

“I’m sure he’d want you to be happy, even if it meant you giving your heart to someone else.”

She swallows a few times and nods. “Yeah, I know he’d want that. All he’d want is for me to be happy.” She focuses back on her laptop. “So what should I search then?”

I sigh. “No idea. The plant is located in a special place in the ocean and it only reveals itself to someone who desperately needs it. Or to someone who has a close bond to a person who needs it. Maybe it has the same qualities on land.”

“Got it.”

We try many different search phrases, but still don’t seem to be any closer to finding the plant. When I glance at Leah, I see her tearing at her hair.

“Maybe Palaemon is wrong and it doesn’t exist on land. I’ll need to find a way to get it from the ocean and eat it. Maybe it’ll get rid of the poison.”

“Will it work on you, though? You’re no longer a mermaid.”

Good point.

My phone rings. I hope it’s not Mom. I really don’t want to tell her anything until I find the plant and know I can be cured. But when I scan the screen, I see it’s an unfamiliar number. “Hello?”

“Cassie? Hi, it’s Timmy. I hope it’s okay I called you. Your mom gave me your number. Well, Jim gave me your mom’s number because he wasn’t sure if he should give me yours, so then I asked your mom if I could have yours and she said I could. So I called you.”

I smile at how cute he is. It feels like forever since I’ve seen him and my other students. As much as I need to find a cure, I can’t ignore my life. I have no idea how to balance it all, though.

“Hi, Timmy! I’m glad you called. How are you?”

“I’m okay. Me and the other kids are worried about you. Well, the truth is that we don’t really like Jim. I mean, he’s nice and all, but he’s not you.”

A warmth I’ve never felt before flows over me. I knew these kids looked up to me, but I didn’t know how much they cared. Tears fill my eyes. Maybe because my emotions have been a mess ever since I found out about the poison. Or maybe because with all that’s going on, it’s nice to feel something good for a change.

“I’m sorry I missed the last three lessons, Timmy.”

“Are you sick?”

“Um, not exactly. I’m just preoccupied with some things. Grown up stuff.”

“Oh. Is there anything I can do to help? You know I’m a good helper.”

“Yes, I do. But unless you know anything about rare plants, I doubt you can help,” I mutter.

“Rare plants?”

“It’s okay, Timmy. I was sarcastic.”

“Oh. But maybe I can still help. What plant are you looking for?”

He’s such a sweetie pie for wanting to help me, but I can’t involve him with this. And honestly, I’m starting to lose hope that this plant even exists on land.

“Thanks, Timmy, but it’s okay. I’ll make it to the lesson tomorrow. Promise.”

“Yay! Thank you so much, Cassie! I can’t wait.”

I smile as I hang up. “That kid is too cute.” I frown. “Well, if I lose Damarian, at least I’ll have something to focus myself on.”

Leah wraps an arm around me. “I’m not about to lose hope and I won’t let you either. If that Paloosy merdude says that plant exists on land, then we’ll find it.”

I laugh. “You’re so terrible with names.”

She grins. “Nah, I know his name is Palaemon. I was just trying to get you to smile. And it worked, didn’t it?”

My cheeks hurt from the next smile. “You are a woman of many wonders.”

She grins again. “I know.”

***

Sleeping alone sucks. It makes me wonder how I’ve ever slept alone in the past. Two nights ago, all hope was gone. I was so depressed I couldn’t even get out of bed. Now, I have some hope, even if it’s a miniscule amount. I hope Leah and I will have more luck today and actually find something. Because if today is also a bust, I worry all my hope will be completely gone.

At least I have my surfing class to look forward to. As I dress into my wetsuit, I tell myself to be one hundred percent there for my students. Sometimes I forget how much they mean to me. I can’t let them down.

Eating along sucks, too. My chest stiffens at the thought that this might be my new reality. I’ll have to switch out my king-sized bed for a smaller one because I wouldn’t be able to stand all that empty space. I’d have to learn to cook for one. Clean up after one. Shop for one. Walk to the beach alone.

No. I’m not giving up yet.

“Yay, Cassie’s here!” Mikey says as soon as I walk up to our meeting spot. “Your uncle sucks!”

“Hey, that’s not nice,” I say as I lower my board to the sand.

“But it’s true.” He pouts.

“He hurt his leg surfing two years ago,” I tell him. “He’s not yet back to where he was, but I think he’s pretty decent.”

“Not like you,” another student says.

“Stop it. You’ll make my head big. Do you want me to get a big head? I mean, just imagine me having this humongous head and a tiny body. I’d look funny, wouldn’t I? And I definitely wouldn’t be able to surf. The weight of my head would make topple over.”

They giggle.

“You’re weird,” Mikey says, still giggling.

“Cassie!” Someone hugs me from behind. “You’re here.”

“I told you I would be, Timmy, didn’t I?”

He runs around and holds out a piece of paper. “Look what I have for you.”

“Cool, let me see.” I assume it’s going to be a drawing or maybe a note telling me how much he and the others missed me, or maybe a get well note or something. But as my eyes move over the words, every part of me perks up. “Where did you find this?”

“I was online all night looking for rare plants. Then I came across a website that lists stores that have unique and hard-to-find-stuff. Do you think that shop will have what you’re looking for?”

I grab him for a hug.

“Too tight!”

I loosen my hold. “Sorry. But how did you find this? My friend and I were searching for something like this for hours.”

“Um, because I’m a kid?”

I pull back to give him a look. “Are you calling me old?”

“No! But you’re twenty, right? That’s kind of old.”

I playfully whack the back of his head. “You’re only ten years younger than me.”

“But ten years is a lot!”

I laugh and hug him again. “Why did you do this for me, Timmy? You spent the whole night researching. You didn’t have to.”

“Because he has a big crush on you!” Mikey says. “Cassie and Timmy sitting in a tree. K-I-S—”

I kick sand on his feet. “Get out of here before I send you home and tell your mom I no longer want to teach you how to surf,” I joke.

“No! I love surfing!” He runs away.

I look at Timmy. He blinks at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Well…because of everything you did for me after Kayla died. You came to see me to make me feel better. You’re always talking to me about her. No one does that, not even my mom and dad. You help me keep her memory alive.”

I hug him again. “You’re an amazing kid, Timmy. I’m so glad I was able to help you get through your sister’s death. I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks.” He gently pulls free. “So you think the store has the info you need? Why are you looking for a rare plant anyway?”

I pat his head. “It’s just a project. And it’s the only lead I have now, so thanks so much. But are you ready to surf now?”

“Heck yeah!”

Chapter Fifteen

The store is located two hours away and it’s called Everything Rare and Magical. Hmm, I’m not so sure about the name. Is a place like that actually legitimate? Then again, it’s the only lead I have.

The website states they have many books that list items with special properties that can help people with whatever they need. Things that can cure cancer and other ailments, PTSD, other mental health problems, and they can even reverse aging by twenty years.

“That’s a load of baloney,” Leah says as she reads the text on the screen with me.

“Maybe. But it’s the only lead we have.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “I guess we’re going on a small road trip?”

“Can you take off from work? I want to get my surfing class in, but I’d like to leave right after.”

“Sure.”

My class will start in an hour. Leah goes home to pack a few items we’ll need for the trip, and I head to the beach. When my class is over, she waits for me in her car. I make a quick stop at the bank to withdraw some money.

Once I’m back in the car, Leah asks, “How much did you take out?”

“A few hundred. I’m not sure how much a book like that will cost.”

Leah shakes her head. “This better not be a load of baloney.”

It’s been a while since Leah and I have been on the road together. We turn up the music, sing along with our terrible voices, and lower the windows and let the wind mess up our hair. I forget about the Lovers’ Tear and my doomed bond with Damarian. I forget that I’m on a mission that may not be a success. I forget that in only a short while, I may lose the love of my life forever.

But it all comes crashing down when Leah parks the car in front of a small store with the words Everything Rare and Magical.

Leah looks the store up and down. “A peeled off sign. Not a good sign.” She cracks up. “Get it?”

I put my hand on the door handle. “Sorry, I’m too nervous to laugh.” My stomach is doing cartwheels and somersaults and flips and headstands. I don’t know if I can go in there. If I can’t get the answers I need, I have no idea what I’ll do.

Leah touches my arm. “Hey, whatever happens, it’ll be okay. If this is a bust, we’ll find another lead.”

I puff out my cheeks. “Okay. I’m ready.”

We get out of the car and make our way toward the door. Peeking inside, I see the store is dimly lit with many shelves with ancient-looking books. A middle-aged man, whom I assume is the owner, is in the middle of talking to an elderly couple, delicately holding a worn-out book.

“This is it,” Leah says in an overdramatic voice. “No turning back. This moment right here will determine the fate of your life.”

I laugh. “If that’s supposed to calm my nerves, it’s not exactly working.”

Leah holds out her palms and shrugs. “Can’t say I didn’t try.”

With a shaky and mildly sweaty hand, I close my fingers over the knob and pull the door open. The bell makes a little jingle, causing the owner’s head to whip in our direction. He makes a one-minute gesture with his finger before turning his attention to the couple.

“Let’s look around,” I tell Leah.

Now that we’re inside, I realize there are many more books than I thought. It would take forever to look through them all. I was hoping we’d be able to browse without alerting anyone’s attention, but it looks like we’ll have no choice but ask the owner for help.

“God, they have so many things here.” Leah’s eyes scan the spines of some of the books. “Medieval curses, lore and folktale, books claiming witches, genies, werewolves, and other mythical creatures actually exist. Hmm, I wonder if mermaids are in here.”

“Shh, keep your voice down. Do you see anything about foods or remedies that can cure diseases?”

Her fingers brush over some more spines. “Nope. But there is something here about ancient legal methods. Hey, that might be cool.” She takes out the book and her eyes widen when she opens the flap. “Holy crap. I’m not paying two hundred bucks for this!”

Her voice must have been too high, because the owner and elderly couple stare at us.

Leah laughs lightly as she puts the book back in place.

We continue browsing and find a lot of cool things, but nothing about healing plants.

“Hello, my name is Wes. Is there anything I can help you with, ladies?”

I look up from the book I’ve been leafing through and find the owner standing before us. I carefully shut the book and put it back. “Yeah, do you have any books about healing plants?”

“Sure. I’ve got a big collection of books on healing herbs from all over the world,” he says, leading us toward a shelf a few feet away. “Hundreds of years ago, there was no modern medicine and people discovered plants that could cure all different ailments. Many people in distant countries still use them today.”

He removes three books from the shelf and hands one to me.

I know this isn’t what we’re looking for, but I leaf through it. The stuff inside this are fascinating, but there’s nothing here about the Orja plant.

Leah and I check the others, but find nothing.

“No?” Wes asks. “What exactly are you looking for?”

Leah and I exchange a glance.

“Um…I heard a myth about a rare plant,” I say, “one that grows in the ocean and on land. Both are needed to heal someone with an incurable disease.”

Wes’s face fills with surprise. “Where have you heard this?”

I shrug. I’m definitely not going to tell him I learned this from my merman fiancé.

“All right. But without details about this plant, its origin, how it looks, I’m afraid it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack.”

I can’t tell him the name of the plant because I don’t want to put the merpeople at risk. “It’s said to restore a bond of lovers,” I say.

His eyebrows shoot up. “I don’t think I’ve heard of anything like that.”

“Are you sure?” Leah asks. “Can’t you look through your database or something?”

He shakes his head. “I have written down the name of books, not what’s inside them.”

There goes all the hope. “Thanks, anyway,” I say.

“Wait,” Leah says. “There has to be something here. Have you ever gotten a book about healing plants?”

“Of course—”

“No, I don’t mean your typical healing herbs that’s supposed to get rid of bad spirits. I mean, something mystical and magical. Something so rare that no one knows it actually exists.”

Wes holds up his hands. “Young lady—”

“No, I won’t take no for an answer. You’ve got to have something here.”

“Leah, it’s okay,” I say.

“No, it’s not! I’m not leaving here until my best friend gets the answer she needs. If she doesn’t, I’ll lose all my faith in love. In happily ever afters. My heart has been smashed to a million bits and I have no idea if I can paste it back together again. I won’t let the same thing happen to my best friend. So go to your computer and find us what we need.”

I just gape at her, my mouth probably sweeping the floor. Her chest heaves and her eyes have a determination I have never seen before on her.

Wes takes a step back, his palms upward. “Look, girl, these are just books. Most of them are myths and fibs.”

I move forward. “What are you saying?”

“People love to hope in mystical and magical objects, but do you honestly think they exist? Some people are just so gullible, they’d believe anything.”

Leah folds her arms over her chest. “So you’re taking advantage of your customers.”

“No. I am a father of four trying to make a living.”

Leah throws her hands up. “This is just great. Couldn’t you have told us this before we drove two hours to get here?”

Wes looks guilty. “I apologize, really. But you’re welcome to have any book I have. On the house.”

“No, thanks,” I say. I just want to get out of here.

Leah narrows her eyes. “It’s not right what you do. Some people are looking for real answers.”

“Then I suggest you find more realistic means to get what you need,” he says, his eyes flicking to me. “I don’t know if it’s you or someone else who has this incurable disease, but I suggest you take your head out of whatever fantasy world you’re in and come back to reality. If you or a loved one really is as sick as you claim, cherish the time you have together and stop going on useless quests.”

I move forward again until I’m only a few inches away from him. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. And I’ll never give up on the man I love.” I grab Leah’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

When the door slams behind me, I say, “Can you believe that? He’s a fake. All those customers who come to him and spend hundreds of dollars on useless books.”

“They’re not all that useless, though. Some are very informative and historical.”

I shake my head. “It was our mistake for putting so much faith into this.” I open the passenger door. “We can’t expect anyone to know anything about this. We’ll just have to—”

“Hey, wait up!” someone calls.

Leah and I turn around and see a girl about twelve years old sprinting toward us. “I know about the plant you’re looking for.”

“What?” I ask.

“I’ve grown up with this stuff. My dad doesn’t believe in any of the mystical things. He just likes collecting books about them so he can sell them and make money. But I know a lot of the stuff really exists.”

Is this girl toying with us?

“The plant you’re looking for is called the Orjalion White Heart because it only reveals itself to a person who has a true heart and only wants to use it for good and not take advantage of it. It grows on land and in the ocean. But the one in the ocean is pretty useless because there’s no way we can get to it.”

I beg to differ.

“I’m telling you the truth, guys!”

“Wait, where did you even come from?” Leah asks.

“I was in the back of the store. Most of my dad’s customers are so boring, always asking about things like ways to make themselves look prettier or get richer. But you’re the only ones who’ve actually asked about something real.” Her eyes soften at me. “Who’s sick? Your boyfriend?”

I swallow hard. “Fiancé. Well, me, too.”

“The Orjalion White Heart will work on you.”

“How are you so sure?” I ask.

She holds her head up high. “I’m good at researching. They used to grow the plants in the late 1800s. It cured diseases and plagues, and even helped women with difficult births have healthy babies. But the plants eventually died. They couldn’t live that long.”

“Another bust,” I say, my heart sinking.

She shakes her head vehemently. “No, there are still some around, but they’re kept hidden. I know where you can find some.” She pulls a crumpled piece of paper and pen out of her pocket and scribbles something down. “That’s the address.”

I take it from her. “All the way in California?”

She nods.

“Are you messing with us?” Leah asks.

“I swear I’m not.”

“Why are you helping us?”

Her gaze lowers to the ground. She kicks her shoe on the floor. “My mom died when I was four. If I would have known about the plant, I could have saved her.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say.

“She had an incurable disease, too. I know the Orjalion White Heart would have worked on her.” She straightens up. “You guys need to go there and check it out.”

“Thanks, we will,” I say.

She waves and runs off.

Leah looks at me. I look at her. “What do you think?” she asks.

“I have no idea.”

“Kid look pretty determined. I bet she’d wager her whole allowance on the plant actually existing.”

“Yeah, all the way in California,” I say. “We’ll need to take a plane. But I can’t have you miss work.”

She waves her hand. “Because my job of serving liquefied fruit to people is so important.” She rolls her eyes. “What about you? Your students are counting on you.”

I look away. “As much as it pains me to say this, Damarian is more important.”

She nods. “Then let’s buy tickets for the next flight to California.”

Chapter Sixteen

Leah and I are at the gate waiting to board our plane.

“I just wish I had time to tell Fiske about our plans so he could relay the message to Damarian,” I say.

“Maybe it’s better this way.” Leah squeezes her small bag to her chest. We both packed light, since we didn’t really have time. “In case this is another bust, you don’t want him to get too hopeful.”

“You’re right.” I lean back in my seat and sigh. “Are we pathetic? Following the words of a twelve-year-old girl.”

“I thought she looked more like thirteen.”

I give her a look.

“Maybe we are nuts. But she did have a determined and intense look in her eyes. She really believes that plant exists.”

“Just because she believes it exists, doesn’t mean it does. I just hope we’re not wasting time. I don’t know how long Damarian and I have until the bond is completely severed.” I blink away tears.

“Do you feel him at all?” Leah asks.

I shake my head. “And I’m finding it hard to like…remember what it was like when I was able to hold him in my arms. When I was able to get lost in his beautiful eyes. When I felt his lips against mine.” I touch my lips, feeling how cold and empty they are.

Leah pats my back. “This trip won’t be a bust. I’m sure of it.”

I touch my bracelet. I don’t feel him, but it comforts me to know that at this moment, he could be touching his own bracelet and thinking of me. I wonder if he found the Orja plant, if it revealed itself to him. For all I know, it may be too late and the plant refused to help him.

My phone rings. “My mom,” I tell Leah. “How does she know I’m up to something? It’s like she has a superpower.”

“You’ll have to answer your phone eventually, or she’ll call the cops.”

“Maybe.” I slip my phone back in my pocket. “But not right now.”

A few minutes later, Uncle Jim calls.

“Great, she’s sending reinforcements.”

Leah scans the screen. “Maybe now would be a good time to take one of their calls.”

“But what will I tell my mom? That I’m flying across the country to seek a plant a twelve-year-old girl told me about? She’d call the airline’s security and demand they hold the plane until she got there so she could drag me off herself.”

“Cassie, give her some credit. She’s been taking this whole mermaid thing very well. I’m sure she’d understand.”

I don’t know if she’ll understand, but she’ll definitely worry. And I hate making her worry. But it suddenly dawns on me that avoiding her calls is doing just that. I press the answer button. “Hey, Uncle Jim.”

“She’s alive.”

I laugh lightly.

“So what is going on? Your mom called me all frantic. She’s acting as though you were abducted.”

“Can you tell her not to worry? I can’t speak to her right now, but just tell her that I’m fine. I’m with Leah and we’re um…” I glance at her for help.

“Taking a small break from life.”

“Taking a small break from life,” I say, then give her a what-did-you-make-me-say? look.

Uncle Jim is quiet for a bit. “Taking a break from life? Cassie, your wedding is next week. You have time to take a break from life on your honeymoon.”

My wedding. Next week? Tears blur my vision. I don’t think there’s going to be a wedding.

Leah takes the phone from me. “Leah here. Cassie’s been really stressed about getting married. You know how it is, promising yourself to someone forever, all the preparations…it can take a real toll on a girl’s emotions.”

I don’t know what Uncle Jim says, but Leah smiles.

“Yes, and we need to make sure Cassie is emotionally healthy for the wedding. So don’t worry, by the time I’m done with her, she’ll be the perfect bride.” She grins widely. “All right. Bye!”

She hangs up and hands me the phone, the grin still on her face.

“What on Earth did you just do?” I ask.

“It works on my dad all the time. Just tell the guy you’re feeling emotional, and they get all bent out of shape. And to be honest, nothing I said was a lie. You are an emotional wreck and when I help you find the plant, you will once again be bonded to Damarian and you will be the perfect bride.”

I lean back in my seat again and close my eyes, forcing myself to relax. Leah’s right. I’ve been so stressed about the wedding and then about the bond. But I don’t know if I can relax.

“Cassie, this will be our first time in California. Think of it as a mini vacation.”

Still with my eyes closed, I shake my head. “We’re not going there to have fun. I can’t lose sight on the mission.”

“Of course. But it wouldn’t kill you to make the most out of a sucky situation.”

I open my eyes and nod. Once again, she’s right. Being in a sour mood won’t slow the severing of the bond or restore it. I need to go with a positive mind and hope for the best.

***

“Are you sure this is the place?” Leah asks the cab driver.

He throws her an annoyed look. “How many times do I have tell you that this is the right place?”

We’re parked before a huge house in a very wealthy part of LA. I don’t know what Leah and I were expecting, but not this. I suspected the address the girl gave us was a private home, but such a rich one?

“Don’t lose hope,” Leah whispers to me. She turns to the driver. “Wait here.” She opens the door and gets out, and I follow.

“I’m trying to be positive,” I say, “but I’m starting to think the girl was just screwing with us.” We’ve wasted money and emotions, but mostly importantly, we’ve wasted time.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Leah stabs her finger into the bell.

I hear it echo throughout the house and that makes my heart race. Please, please let us find the answers we need.

“Hmm, maybe no one’s home,” Leah says.

I hug my upper arms. Once again, we’re back to square one. I can’t even get a message to Damarian because Fiske is waiting for me in the Atlantic Ocean and not the Pacific. And it’s not like I can communicate with other sea mammals or fish to get him the message.

“So…how about some California pizza?” Leah asks, pasting on a smile.

I know she’s trying to lighten the mood and make me feel better, but I feel so helpless and lost.

Just as we turn to leave, the door to the house opens and a woman in her mid-twenties appears. “Can I help you?”

“Oh, good you’re home,” Leah says.

The woman’s eyebrows crinkle. “Do I know you?”

“Oh, no. I’m just glad we didn’t come all this way for nothing.”

She looks even more confused.

“What my friend means,” I say, “is that we’re looking for information.”

“Yes, about what?”

I glance at Leah, once again not sure what to say. She gives me a reassuring nod. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Do you know anything about a special plant that has healing powers?”

She looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. I don’t blame her. Perhaps I should have spent the five-hour flight formulating a plan.

“I’m not a botanist,” she says. “I think you’re at the wrong address.”

“No, of course you’re not,” Leah quickly says. “Um, the plant was grown in the late 1800s and most of them died out. But there are some hidden around. Do you, er, know anything about this?”

This is too humiliating. We seriously should have thought this through. I mean, this woman lives in a beautiful house in a super wealthy neighborhood. I highly doubt she’s harboring a long-lost plant.

“Honey, what’s going on?” The door widens and a man comes into view. “Is everything okay?”

The woman shakes her head, giving us a polite but semi-scared look. “These girls are looking for…sorry, I don’t really understand what you’re looking for.”

I tug on Leah’s arm. “Let’s get out of here. This is stupid.”

“No, please don’t leave,” the man says. “Are you sure we can’t help you?”

I shake my head, fighting the wave of helplessness that’s about to crush me.

“You don’t by any chance know of a plant with healing powers, do you?” Leah asks, ignoring me as I continue tugging on her arm. “We came all this way from Florida. Do you know anything about it?”

The man shakes his head. “I’m sorry—”

“Are you sure? Look, if you’re keeping it a secret, I get it. But you’ve got to help us. This is a matter of life and death.”

Okay, maybe she’s being overdramatic, but if I’m no longer bonded to Damarian, it would certainly feel like death.

The man raises his hands, giving her an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. I have no idea what you’re talking about. My family is in real estate, not plants.”

I tug on Leah’s arm once more. “I want to leave.” I face the man and woman. “Sorry for bothering you. Leah, come on.”

She finally lets me pull her away and down the stairs. “I don’t want to fail you, Cassie,” she says.

“Just because I may lose love, doesn’t mean you can’t achieve it. Don’t base your life on mine, Leah.”

“It’s not that.” She folds her arms across her chest. “I just want you to be happy. You’re my best friend. You’ve been through so much—”

“Dad, please don’t,” the woman’s voice says, slightly worried.

I turn around and see an elderly man, maybe in his early 80s, hobbling on a cane toward the top of the stairs.

“Dad, you know how hard it is to go down the stairs.” The woman takes his hand and stops him before he tumbles down the steps.

“You, girl,” her father says, not paying attention to her. “You spoke of a plant?”

I step closer. “Yeah. Do you know anything about it?”

“Of course I do!”

“Please don’t take what he says seriously,” his daughter tells us. “He has Alzheimer’s.”

He yanks his hand away from his daughter’s. “I don’t have Alzheimer’s. I’m not talking crazy.” He pins his eyes on me. “The plant you’re seeking, the Orjalion White Heart? I know about it.”

It feels like the wind just got knocked out of me. I dash up a few steps. “Yes, that’s the plant. How do you know about it?”

“My great grandfather was the person who discovered the plant. It was purely accidental—he had been digging for gold on some land he bought and found it. It made him very rich. People from all over the country and the world afflicted with any every disease known to man came to buy the plant from him. My grandfather continued growing it after him. But after seventy years, the plants starting dying. My grandfather spent a good portion of his years searching for more of the plant. He couldn’t find any more. A local fisherman found a plant that looked identical to it caught in his net. My grandfather wanted to plant it, but the plant didn’t survive after a few hours. He hired as many sailors as he could to search the ocean, but not a single sample was found. At this point, all the plants on his land had died.”

My stomach feels fizzy. “So there aren’t any left.”

He shakes his head. “There are some that have survived, but they are not easily acquired.” He looks me up and down. “Not many people are aware of its existence. How do you know about it?”

My tongue gets dry. If I don’t tell him the truth, he won’t tell me where I can get the plant. But how can I tell him?

“Um.” I hug myself. “It’s kind of a personal matter.”

“Well, without a good enough reason, I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

Leah pushes before me. “Look, I know this is a rare plant and you can’t just give it to anyone, but Cassie’s not just anyone. She’s um…well…er…” She tips her head back. “She has a very strong connection to her fiancé. I’m talking about really strong. They have the most epic love story in the world. I’m telling you, their life should be a movie.”

I give her a look.

She clears her throat. “What I mean to say is that their love is special. The kind of love that only happens in fairytales. Out of this world, smack in your face, head over heels, hearts in your eyes, a big ass cupid arrow—”

“Leah, I think he gets the point,” I mutter.

“They deserve each other,” she says. “They deserve to be happy. Without the plant, they’ll lose their strong connection and their love. They’ll lose each other.”

The daughter and her husband just stare at us, totally baffled. Her father’s eyes move from her to me, lingering on me for a long moment. Finally he says, “I see in your eyes how desperately you need the plant.”

I nod. “You have no idea.”

He’s quiet for a few seconds, his eyes still on my face. Then he says, “Okay. I just want to know one thing. How did you learn about the plant’s existence?”

It feels like my mouth is clogged with cotton balls. “I…I can’t tell you that.”

Again, his gaze remains on my face. He’s going to say forget it. After coming so close, we’ll just have another door slammed in our face.

He nods slowly. “Very well. The fact that you refuse to disclose that information is a good sign. It means you won’t divulge the secret of the plant.”

“I won’t,” I say. “I promise I won’t.”

He turns to his daughter. “Please get me a pen and paper, sweetie.”

She still looks totally lost, but she disappears into the house.

“Dad,” her husband says. “You never told us about this…this plant.”

“And this is all you will hear of it.” He narrows his eyes at him. “Many selfish people have spent their entire lives searching for this plant. It destroyed them, it destroyed their families, it destroyed their lives. It cannot fall into the wrong hands.”

He looks taken aback.

“Yes, I think you are selfish, young man. I still think you’re not good enough for my daughter.”

The man shifts in his place. “Dad, we have company.”

He mutters under his breath that he doesn’t care that they have company, and adds a few curse words, too.

His daughter returns with the paper and pen. “Here you go, Dad.”

He writes something down and hands it to me. It’s another address, but in a different city.

“I don’t know where this is,” I say. A city called Mushberry. I can see the laugher in Leah’s eyes. Who names a city Mushberry?

He chuckles. “Of course you don’t. It’s not on the map. Good luck.” He hobbles back into the house.

The husband rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. My father-in-law…well, he is a character.”

“This is the sanest I’ve seen him in the past two years,” his wife says. “I hope whatever he’s telling you is the truth.”

I slide the paper into my jeans pocket. “I hope so, too.”

Chapter Seventeen

We try Google, the phone book, asking around. But we find no information on Mushberry, California.

“Maybe the old dude was talking crazy and this place doesn’t exist,” Leah says, taking a bite of her ravioli. The small café is not very crowded, but we picked a table in the back so no one can overhear.

I play around with my fettuccine alfredo. “He was telling the truth. I don’t know how to explain, but I just know.”

She takes another few bites. “Yeah, he did know the name and the story behind it, and that there’s one that grows in the ocean. It matches what the girl told us.”

“For all we know, she could be his granddaughter and believes the stories he tells her.”

Leah taps her chin. “Good point. We should have asked the daughter and husband if they’re related.”

I finally take a small nibble. “Forget it. We don’t have time to take a cab over there. And like I said, I feel like he told the truth.”

“What I don’t get is why we can’t find anything about the plant online. Surely it would have been documented in historical books.”

I shrug. “I guess they didn’t want people to know about it. Even back in the late 1800s they kept it a secret.”

She nods as she thinks my words over. “So what happens now?”

“Well, I was hoping we’d find the plant and would leave for Florida tonight. But it looks like we might have to stay another day.”

She smiles. “I’m not going to lie. I’m loving our mini vacation. The only thing we have to do is some shopping and I can die a happy girl.”

My stomach growls, but I can’t seem to get any more food passed my lips. When I offer my plate to Leah, she gladly accepts.

“Some of the locals have to know about the town,” I say.

“We can ask around when we go shopping.” She flashes her teeth.

I laugh. “Okay, Leah. I got the hint more than once. We’ll go shopping after we’re done eating.”

“Woohoo!”

“But I’m not leaving California without the plant. If it exists.”

She salutes. “Aye, aye, captain. And we’ll have to find a hotel.”

As soon as we’re done eating, we ask around and are directed to a large mall. Leah looks like she won a million dollars. As she scurries from store to store, I step up to a few salespeople and ask if they’ve heard of the town of Mushberry. None have.

I sit down on one of the benches, trying to keep my thoughts positive. Every time it seems like we have a lead, we’re just yanked back to square one.

A shirt is held in front of my face. “What do you think?” Leah asks as she shakes it. It has a picture of a blue whale. “Isn’t this the most awesome thing you’ve ever seen?”

I smile. “Is that for me?”

“Yep. We both need some clothes, since we hardly packed anything.”

I hug it to my chest. “Thanks. I love it.” It reminds me of the ocean, Damarian, his family, the war with the sea serpents, how hard Damarian and I fought to be together. It doesn’t make me feel helpless. Rather, it pumps me with determination. We’ve gotten this far, and I’ll be damned if I don’t let us get even farther.

“Okay, no more Miss Nice Girl.” I step up to a woman whose selling custom-made hats. “I’m looking for a town called Mushberry—”

“I’m sorry, but I told you I don’t know—”

“And I’m not leaving until someone here tells me where it is. So make phone calls, speak to your coworkers, or ask your family. I don’t care. But I need answers.”

The woman looks at me like I just threatened to shoot her in the head.

Leah pats my arm. “You’ll have to excuse my friend. We’ve had a long day and are still nowhere close to finding what we need. Is there any way you can get us the information we need? Please, we’re really desperate.”

The woman’s eyes move from me to Leah. “I don’t know…I mean…my son is good at research…”

“Can you please ask him?” Leah asks.

“Okay.” She whips out her phone and walks off to the side.

Leah gently slaps my arm. “Stop scaring people.”

I rub my head. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I guess I’m just so sick and tired of feeling helpless.”

“Don’t lose hope. You feel in your heart that the old dude was telling the truth. Hang onto that.”

The woman returns to us. “My son told me he’d get back to me.”

“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. It’s just that…never mind.” I doubt a stranger gives a damn about what’s happening to me and Damarian.

She gives me an understanding nod. “Don’t worry about it. Everyone has stress they’re dealing with.” Her phone rings. “Excuse me.” She steps aside to answer it.

“Damn, I wish my parents were as understanding,” Leah says. “My dad’s always on my case, asking me when I’m finally going to make a decision about law school. Actually, he just wants me to make a decision about something and not spend the rest of my life working at a smoothie shop. If only he knew what I’ve been through and that I need some time.” Her eyes flick to mine. “You’re lucky you told your mom about everything. Keeping so many secrets takes a big toll on a person.”

“Did you ever consider telling your parents?”

“What? That my boyfriend turned out to be a sea monster and nearly destroyed the ocean? That he wanted to kill my best friend, who happens to be a mermaid?” She snorts. “Yeah, right. Besides, that would mean I’d have to tell them that mermaids exist. Not that they would believe me, anyway.”

I take her hand. “Sorry about all of this. Just remember that Damarian and I support you.”

“Thanks.”

The woman returns to us with a road map. “I just got off the phone with my son. He told me he heard rumors about a small town that can’t be found on any map. He’s not sure of the name, but it doesn’t hurt for you to check it out.” She opens the map over the counter and motions for Leah and me to join her. “My son thinks the town should be somewhere around here.” She circles an area with a red pen. It should take you about four hours to get there.”

Four hours? That seems like forever. With every second that passes, I’m breaking further and further away from Damarian.

“Thanks for your help,” I tell her.

She smiles. “No problem. But might I suggest you book a room tonight and travel tomorrow? It’s starting to get late and I’d hate for you two to drive at dark.”

My heart tells me to screw the dark. Every second—no, every millionth of a second—is so important. But my body is begging for sleep. I haven’t slept at all since last night, if those few hours can even be counted as sleep. The same goes for Leah. She’s trying hard to be strong for me, but there’s no mistaking the exhaustion in her eyes.

“Thanks,” I tell her.

She nods. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Outside, Leah stretches her arms high over her head. “So are we ready for mini road trip number two?” She covers her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“I know you must be tired. Let’s spend the night here and leave first thing in the morning. Of course we’ll have to rent a car which will cost a lot of money, not to mention the cost of the hotel room…”

“Are you sure?” she asks. “Because I can totally keep myself up.”

Liar. “I’m sure. Besides, we have no idea what that town is like. What if like there’s a serial killer there or something? Going at night would be too spooky.”

Leah’s eyes widen. “You’re right! I don’t want to be the star of the best horror movie of the summer.”

I laugh. “I’m sure no serial killers live there. Still, I’d feel better going in the morning.” I check the time. “Let’s find a hotel.”

***

It’s been so long since Leah and I have had a sleepover. Not that this is a sleepover, but it feels like it. We hadn’t packed pajamas, so we’re both lounging on the huge bed in our underwear. Leah put on some lame comedy show that is anything but funny, and we’re having fun mocking it. Always in the back of my mind is the worry that while I’m spending time laughing with Leah, my bond with Damarian is growing weaker and weaker. I need to have faith that we still have time.

“Don’t worry,” Leah says. “It’ll all work out.”

“I’m that obvious, huh?”

“Well, the guy just said the most offensive thing against women in the world and I didn’t hear a reaction from you.”

“Oh, sorry.”

She waves her hand. “It’s okay. I kind of can’t stand waiting around, either. Nighttime can be such a bore.”

That gets her a small laugh.

“Too bad we’re not near the ocean,” she says, “It would be awesome to surf on the Pacific.”

“We can still go early tomorrow morning. Maybe catch a few waves before we leave.”

She clasps her hands in a begging manner. “Ooh, can we?”

The least I can do is make this trip enjoyable for my best friend. She’s awesome for coming with me and putting up with all of this. I don’t know what I’d do without her.

“Wake me up at four, and the ocean will be ours,” I tell her.

She throws her arms around me. “It’s going to be so much fun! I wonder if the waves are different here. Nah, it’s still an ocean. But still, I can tell everyone back home that I surfed on the Pacific.”

I’m so glad to see the shine in her eyes. Surfing has always been one of the things that could take us out of any mood and make us feel better. Leah hasn’t been surfing much these past two years because the ocean reminds her of Jace, but I guess the one here won’t be as strong of a reminder because the war with the sea serpents happened in the Atlantic. I hope she realizes how much she misses it and starts surfing back home again. I miss hitting the waves with her.

“Okay, we need to go to sleep if we want to wake up early tomorrow.” Leah dives under the blanket.

I get under and turn to face her.

“What?” she asks, most likely seeing the smile I’m trying to hide.

“Nothing. I’m just glad to see you excited about surfing again.”

She frowns like she hasn’t realized how she’s been behaving.

“No, don’t feel bad,” I quickly say. “I’m so happy to see you this way. I hope you’ll feel more comfortable getting back in the ocean in Florida.”

She stares off in the distance. “Wow, I didn’t think about Jace at all since we started discussing going surfing. It’s like I’ve entered a new life.”

I grab her arm with both hands. “Please don’t tell me you want to move here and start over. I want you to be happy, but I wouldn’t be able to stand you living so far away.”

She blinks a few times. “Move here?” She gets that faraway look again. “No way. I can’t move away from my friends and family. Plus I have Armando.”

“Yeah, because he’ll die if you leave him,” I mutter.

She rubs her forehead. “You know, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I don’t have any bad memories here. Maybe that’s what I’ve needed all this time: a fresh start. It’s the only way to completely forget about Jace.”

I can’t be selfish. I can’t be selfish. As much as it hurts, I need to push Leah’s feelings before my own. “You have everything here,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “The ocean to surf, a beach which probably has a plethora of smoothie stands to choose from...”’

She sticks out her tongue and whacks my arm.

“And you can decide if you want to go to law school or just enroll in college. The future is full of possibilities.”

She rolls onto her back and stares up at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I never considered this before.” She closes her eyes and sighs. “The thought that I can finally move on…that makes me feel really excited for the future.”

I squeeze my eyes shut. I might lose Damarian, and now I might lose Leah as well. I don’t know how much ache my heart can take, but I need to do what’s best for Leah, and if that means letting her go, then that is what I’ll have to do.

My eyes spring open. “You know…if I’m no longer bonded to Damarian…” My voice quivers. “I guess I’d need to start over, too.”

Leah takes me in her arms. “I’ll do everything I can to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Chapter Eighteen

Once we’re done renting a car, we drive to the beach to squeeze in surfing before we need to head out to a small town in the middle of nowhere. We rent surfboards and wetsuits from one of the shops and waste no time riding the waves. It feels nice to let loose, to let go off all the stress and worry and just enjoy sailing on the water. It’s just the ocean and me now. And while of course I’m reminded of Damarian, I don’t feel a burning ache in my chest. Maybe because I loved surfing before I fell in love with Damarian. Surfing will always hold a special place in my heart, no matter what. And it doesn’t hurt that getting wiped out occasionally wipes out my thoughts for a few seconds.

Leah paddles over as I climb back on my board. “You suck,” she jokes. “Me on the other hand? It’s like I was born to ride this ocean. The thought of moving out here appeals more to me every second.”

She’s so excited and hopeful. I don’t want to down her mood with my selfishness. I force a smile and say, “I’ve never seen you surf any better. This is totally your place.”

She beams before popping onto her board and riding a wave. I dive under and let it go, watching Leah have the time of her life. My cheeks hurt from smiling. I don’t know when was the last time I saw her this happy.

I hate to pull her away, but time is ticking. When she wipes out, I wave my hand to catch her attention. She nods and motions toward the beach with her head. I ride one more wave before running back to the beach to return my board and suit.

“You guys are awesome,” the guy at the store says. He looks around our age, maybe a year or two older. “Your friend totally owned those waves.”

I turn my head and watch her sailing on the ocean. “Yeah, she’s amazing.” When I glance back at the guy, I see him looking at her with that look. Before my eyes, I see what future can lie here for Leah. Happiness. The possibility of a new relationship. Maybe with this guy, maybe with another, but all that matters is that she’ll finally be able to move on.

“Why are you looking at me so funny?” Leah asks as she lowers her board to the sand. She gives the guy a what-are-you-staring-at? look, and then her cheeks grow pink. I haven’t seen her blush since…well, since Jace helped carry Damarian to my house when he passed out on the beach. It seems like a million years ago.

Once we’ve returned everything and walk toward the exit of the beach, I poke Leah with my arm. “Someone caught the attention of a cute boy.”

She pokes me back. “Shut up, Cassie.” She unlocks the car and gets in the passenger seat.

“Ugh, I’m driving?” I ask.

“Yeah, because I’ll get us lost trying to find your nearly non-existent town. And I seriously don’t want to be the cause of our severed limbs.”

I shake my head as I laugh. “I never should have put that thought in your head.”

She leans back, crossing her ankles on the dashboard and letting her hair fall lose. I can’t help but feel so proud and happy for her. A little hurt and betrayed, too, and abandoned, but mostly happy. If she does decide to move out here, I know she’ll make a good life for herself.

“GPS won’t get us there,” I say as I buckle up. “How good are you at reading maps?”

“You don’t want to know the answer to that.”

I place my hands on the steering wheel. “Then get ready for another adventure.”

The first three hours go by fast. We sing along with the music on the radio, make a stop for breakfast, and talk about childhood memories. Leah has been great at reading the map and giving me the right directions, but then we end up on a road that seems to lead to nowhere.

Leah turns the map upside down, then back on the right side. “Well, I guess I ran out of brain cells.” She looks around. “Where the heck are we?”

I scan around and see nothing but trees, grass and dirt, and a road that stretches as far as my eyes can see. “I guess I’ll follow this road and see where we’ll end up.”

“As long as it’s not in some freak’s refrigerator, I’m good to go.”

My heartrate speeds up the further we go. I was hoping we’d come across a house or gas station and ask for directions, but there doesn’t seem to be anything here. “Maybe we should just turn around and come back from where we came from.”

Leah’s tapping on her phone. “GPS isn’t picking us up. It’s like we don’t exist.”

“There must be no service out here. Wherever out here is.”

All the fun I had with Leah over the past few hours vanishes. The only thing I see before my eyes is my merman. “I’ll find the answers we need, Damarian,” I whisper. “I haven’t given up on us. I promise.”

Leah’s head snaps to mine. “Did you say something?”

I shrug. “Just trying to send a message to Damarian. Not that it worked.”

“Hey, you never know.”

Something bangs on the car, causing Leah and me to yelp and nearly rocket out of our seats. A man stands at the hood of the car, dressed in an orange shirt and overalls. He has a dark cap on his graying hair and is glaring at us.

“Oh my God!” Leah shrieks. “The serial killer!”

I motion for her to keep her voice down and lower the window a tiny drop. “Um, hi?”

“Go back to wherever you came from,” he snarls. “You are trespassing. We don’t want you types over here.”

“You types?” Leah whispers. “And where the heck did he come from? I don’t see any cars or houses.”

“Shh,” I hiss. Then I say to the guy, “Sorry. We didn’t mean to trespass. We’ll get out of here as soon as possible. Can you please direct us to Mushberry?”

A strange look passes over his face. “What are you looking for in Mushberry?” he demands.

I swallow. I was only kidding with the whole serial killer thing, but now I’m terrified.

“I’m telling you we’re going to end up in that guy’s refrigerator.” Leah voice shakes as bad as an earthquake. “I admit there were times I was feeling so badly about Jace that I wanted to die, but I never actually wanted it to happen. I’m too young to die!”

“Just relax. We’ll be safe as long as we stay in the car. Besides, I highly doubt the guy wants to kill us.”

He bangs a fist on the car. “What business you got in Mushberry?” he demands again.

“Don’t touch the car,” I mutter. “It’s a rental.”

“Ain’t I gonna get an answer?”

“We’re just tourists,” Leah squeaks.

His eyes flash. “No tourists come to Mushberry. Not many people know it exists.” He moves closer. “Now tell me what business you got there.”

I want to close the window, but I don’t want to piss this man off even more. “We’re looking for a healing plant,” I say. “We heard we might be able to find it there.”

Gone is the hostility and suspicion. His entire face is taken over by surprise. “You’re looking for a healing plant?”

I nod. “So if you’d be so kind and direct us to Mushberry, we’d very much appreci—”

“There ain’t no Mushberry,” he says. “I’m Mushberry.”

Leah and I just gape at him.

“People can’t be cities,” Leah finally says.

“It’s a code,” he says. “The only way to keep it a secret.”

“Keep what a secret?” I ask.

“The special items I have.”

I’m getting a headache trying to make sense of his words. “Mr., can you please just explain what’s going on? Because I’m confused.”

He folds his arms over his chest. “It ain’t your business who I am and what I carry. The only thing that matters is what you know.”

“We don’t know anything!” Leah throws her hands up. “We just want the damn plant.”

“What’s its name?” he asks.

“The Orjalion White Heart,” I say.

Leah grabs my arm. “Why did you tell him that?”

I motion for her to keep quiet.

Another surprised look passes over his face. “You want the Orjalion White Heart? The rarest item I have. How did you learn about it?” He’s back with his glaring eyes.

“Um…it’s kind of a long story…”

He shrugs. “I got time.”

Well, I don’t. “I can’t tell you everything, just that…” My eyes well up. “I might lose the love of my life. I can’t tell you how or why, but what I can tell you is that the Orjalion White Heart plant is my only hope. Please, sir. I really need it.”

I expect him to tell us to screw off, but he looks intrigued. “Who does the plant reveal itself to?”

“To someone who desperately needs it. And to someone who is pure of heart and won’t take advantage of it.”

He nods. “If you meet those requirements, then the plant should reveal itself to you.” He motions to the open area around him. “The only one stopping you is yourself.”

My eyes move around. “You mean…it’s here somewhere?”

He shrugs. “If you are indeed pure of heart and in desperate need of it, then you should have no problems. But it might be smart for you to get out of the car.”

“So he can chop us up into a million little pieces?” Leah mumbles. “No thank you.”

“What if he’s telling the truth, Leah? I need to go out and see.”

“He may look old, but I bet he’s stronger than an ox.”

“We’ll be okay,” I say.

“How? You don’t have powers anymore, do you?”

“Yeah, of cou—no, I guess I don’t.”

“Humph.”

I look around for something, but there’s nothing here.

“Are you gonna get out or what?” the guy asks.

Leah and I don’t move.

His eyebrows shoot up. “I’m not gonna hurt you. Geez, you girls have seen too many horror movies.”

I give Leah a face and push the door open, getting out of the car. “My friend has an overactive imagination. Can I ask where you came from? We haven’t seen anyone since we started down this road.”

“I live near here. Heard your car coming down the road. I don’t get many visitors.”

“Oh.” I look back at Leah and motion for her to get out of the car. She shakes her head.

“Probably best,” he says. “The plant only shows itself to those who really needed it.”

Like the Orja plant in the ocean. Syren and I had to go alone or else the plant would have stayed hidden.

The man follows me as I head toward an area filled with rows of bushes. “Your lover dying?” he asks.

Why is everyone so nosy?

“Not really,” I say. At least, not physically.

“He cheatin’ on you? The plant won’t heal a broken heart, change the past, or turn into a love potion.”

“No, he’s not cheating on me.”

“What? He got twelve fingers instead of ten?”

I spin around. “The plant won’t reveal itself to me if you’re breathing down my neck.”

He holds out his hands and steps back. “Sorry. I don’t meet many folks. Was just trying to make conversation.”

I turn back toward the bushes. The area goes on for what looks like miles. How am I supposed to find anything here?

When I’m done with this area, I move onto another. There’s nothing here but dirt, though. I walk for a good few minutes, but I find no sign of the plant.

This feels very familiar. It’s exactly what happened two years ago when Syren and I sought the Orja plant in the ocean. What did we do to get the plants to reveal themselves? It feels like it happened ages ago.

Closing my eyes, I wrack my brain and remember Syren and I had to channel our thoughts to our loved ones. Since I’m the one who is desperate need of it, I’m not sure the same method would work. I focus my thoughts on Damarian and how much we mean to each other. I focus on all the good that has happened to us since the moment I first met him, how we fought so hard to be together and refused to give up. Due to our love, we eradicated a threat that would have destroyed the ocean. We need each other, just like I need air and Damarian needs sea water.

Something shines against my closed eyes, forcing me to open them. I nearly get blinded by a strong light. I hold up my hand as a shield as my eyes tear. The man, who’s a good distance away, doesn’t seem to be affected by it. Could it be…?

I hurry toward that direction. But there isn’t anything here.

“Please,” I beg no one. “I love him so much. I can’t imagine my life without him. We’re perfect for each other. I don’t see a future with anyone else.”

A pink plant appears before my eyes, floating toward me. It looks exactly like the Orja plant. It moves closer to me until it floats only a few inches away. I reach for it, but it leaps toward me. The plant splits into many more, and they each latch onto me, covering my body from head to toe. It feels like little needles pricking my skin. Just like I felt in the ocean.

I’m thrown to the ground and sink in, as though a powerful force is shoving me into the earth. It’s just like in the ocean, when the plants were dragging me to the bottom of the sea.

“No,” I croak, all my energy being sucked away. I hurt all over. “No, I’m not giving up. I…I’m not going to…let you do this. Damarian and I…we’ve been through so much. Our…love has gotten us through…everything. We’ve experienced a lot…but there is so much more…we need to discover. I’m…not going to lose him. I’ll be…damned if I let anyone….take him from me.” My head turns to the side, my lips scraping across the earth. “I love you, Damarian. Forever.”

The pain stops. I’m no longer getting pushed into the earth. When I open my eyes, I see the plant floating before me.

“My God, she’s done it!” the voice of the man says. “She’s actually gotten it to reveal itself! First time I’ve ever seen this.”

I hold out my hand and the plant floats into my palm. Like the Orja, it doesn’t prick me but feels spongey.

Leah gets out of the car. “Holy crap.”

“I don’t have anywhere to put it,” I say, every part of me wound up. I can’t believe I finally have the plant. All the searching, all the hoping…there’s a chance for Damarian and me. We actually have a chance!

“Here.” The man gives me a jar. “Just don’t put on the lid and the plant will be okay.”

Leah dashes over and flings her arms around me. “I was so scared! I thought you were going to die.”

“I’m…I’m okay.”

“Yeah, scared shitless but okay.”

I carefully put the plant in the jar. “I wonder how we’re going to get this past airport security.”

Chapter Nineteen

After five long, antagonizing hours, Leah and I make it back to Florida. The only problem is that it’s still too early to meet with Damarian. Fiske won’t be there until late at night, or else he’d scare all the people at the beach.

We spend the time watching movies, ordering food, and talking, though I’m not sure how into them I am. Leah is very understanding and forgiving. She leaves for an hour to talk to her boss and see if she still has a job. Thankfully, her boss is so desperate for employees this time of the year that she looks past this.

The clock moves slower than the slowest snail on the planet. Somehow, the hour finally arrives. I pack a bag of essentials, hoping I’ll actually need the towel and Damarian’s clothes. Part of me beats with anticipation. We might actually be able to restore our bond. I can’t wait to hold Damarian in my arms, to shower kisses over every inch of his skin, touch every part of him, feel his heartbeat against mine. But the other part of me holds nothing but dread. If the plants don’t work and Damarian and I can’t fix our bond, we’ll be lost to each other forever.

Stay positive, I tell myself. Stay positive.

Leah walks with me to the beach, even though it’s out of her way. She holds my hand, pumping me up with encouraging words. I hold onto each word, allowing them to fill every cell in my body, clinging to the hope each one promises.

When we’re at the entrance to the beach, Leah hugs me “Good luck with everything.”

I squeeze her. “Thanks so much for being there for me. Traveling with me all the way to California, putting up with my whining, never letting my hope die. You’re such an awesome friend.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

I lean back to look into her eyes. “You deserve to have nothing but the best.”

She twists her mouth. “Tell that to the universe.”

I raise my head to the sky and hold out my hands. “Universe? Bestow upon my best friend, Leah Arnold, only good things. Happiness, health, love. Specifically, an awesome guy who will appreciate the wonderful person she is and someone who will bring her joy and love and will never hurt or betray her.”

When I focus back on Leah, she gives me a wry smile. “If only the universe gave a damn.”

I hug her again. “I won’t let you give up, just like you’re not letting me give up.”

“Thanks. I’ll try. Now go get your man.”

We wave before parting. My legs practically sprint toward the large rocks on the beach. I fall to my knees and touch the water. “Fiske, are you out there?” I hope he hasn’t given up after waiting for me these past two days.

“Fiske?” I call, a little louder.

It’s hard to see due to the night, but I’m pretty sure there’s a shark fin heading my way. I jump to my feet and wave my hands. “Fiske!”

A few seconds later, he breaks the surface and swims over to me.

“Fiske, I found the plant! Did Damarian find the Orja?”

He nods.

A huge smile captures my lips. “Can you tell Damarian to meet with me? I’ll wait here.”

He nods.

“Thanks so much, Fiske.”

He nods again before going under. I climb onto the rocks and stare at the beautiful dark waves, that huge smile never leaving my face. The only things I feel right now are happiness and hope. Every negative emotion has been snuffed out. In just a little bit, I might be in Damarian’s arms again. In just a little bit, I might have my merman back in my life.

The minutes once again move slower than a snail. My eyes don’t leave the waves, looking for even the slightest hint of movement.

Finally, finally, I see Fiske’s fin again, swimming toward the shore at an incredibly fast pace. There’s something on his fin, though. It looks like…a hand? When they’re only a few feet away from the shore, Damarian’s head pops out of the water. “Cassie!” He lets go of Fiske’s fin and waves both hands. “My love!”

My heart, body, and soul want nothing more to do then fling myself into his arms and show him how much I’ve missed him and how much I love him. To let him show me how much he’s missed me and how much he loves me. But I remember clearly what happened the last time we tried to get close—invisible force field. Hours have passed and I’m scared to think how much more separated we are from each other.

Damarian opens his palm and I see the pink Orja plant. The exact same one I used to heal Damarian’s wounds after he was tortured by the rebels. I open my bag of essentials and produce the Orjalion White Heart plant. Damarian’s face lights up. “Now we can restore our bond, my beautiful Cassie. I cannot wait until you are in my arms.”

“Me, too.”

“Per Flora and Palaemon’s instructions, we will both need to eat the plants. But first we must combine them. I will move away so you can place your plant by the water. Then I will combine them and we will each need to consume half.”

I nod, not able to talk because I’m one big mess of nervous. Damarian submerges under water. I wait for the splashing to stop before walking to the tide and lowering the jar onto the wet sand, though not too far so the water can’t sweep it away. I’m not sure if the plant can survive in the water.

Then I move back. Damarian returns and sticks his hand into the jar. He holds the Orjalion White Heart in one hand and the Orja in the other. He raises his arms high above his head then slams his hands together. Lightning crackles in the sky, then shoots down at Damarian’s hands. His whole body lights up.

“Damarian!” I call. He’s not crying out in pain, but his eyes are open as wide as they can go, his lips pressed together, and his hair stands on edge. It looks like his hands are glued together. I hope he’s not in pain. I couldn’t bear it.

The light vanishes and Damarian blinks. When he pulls his hands apart, I see two small, identical purple plants. Damarian places one in the jar and pushes it toward me. “This is your half, my love.”

“Are you okay?” I ask.

He nods. “Yes, I am very well.” He swims back so I can get to my plant. I carefully slide my hand in the jar, hoping not to break the plant. It looks extremely fragile.

“We are to consume them simultaneously,” Damarian tells me. “It is the only manner in which it will work. And you must eat the entire thing.”

“Okay. On the count on three.”

He nods.

“One…two…three!”

We both stuff them into our mouths. I assumed the plant would either have no taste, taste like salty fish, or like the most foulest thing I’ve ever had in my life. But it tastes sweet. Like honey. But it burns as it goes down my throat, my stomach, and as it travels to the rest of my body. I fall to the ground the same time Damarian drops into the ocean. My body is engulfed in a burning sensation, but it’s not like the one I get when I shift from one form to the other. This one seems to go beyond the physical body. It’s like my soul is being burned.

It only lasts for a few seconds, but I’ve never felt such exhaustion. I manage to lift my head and see Damarian’s peeking out of the ocean, he too looking beyond wiped. As the seconds tick by, so does my exhaustion. It’s not long before I no longer feel weak.

“Cassie?” he asks.

“Damarian?”

“I shall attempt to go on land and shift,” he says.

“I can’t wait for that.” I get to my feet and race over to him, throwing myself at him. I brace myself to get knocked back by the invisible force field, but that doesn’t happen. I hit the hard muscles of Damarian’s chest instead. His arms wrapping around me, he squeezes me tightly to his chest. His lips press kisses into every part of my face.

I feel him. I actually feel him again. And it’s more intense than ever before.

“My love. My Cassie. My sweet, beautiful, wonderful Cassie.” He gives me the most loving and passionate kiss I have ever received from him. I clutch onto his arms, my lips moving over his desperately.

“This has been long in waiting,” I say between kisses.

“Very much.” He doesn’t stop kissing me. He doesn’t stop touching me. He doesn’t stop telling me how much he loves me every time we pause to breathe.

“Cassie.” His hand closes over the back of my head as he leans his forehead against mine. “My Cassie.”

His cheeks are wet. Mine are drenched. He doesn’t remove his arms from around me. I don’t move mine from him.

“I knew you would be successful,” he says. “I knew we would be able to restore our bond. I told you, my love—you and I will be bonded for all eternity. I will not allow any evil tear us apart. You are mine, Cassie. And I am yours.”

“Sorry I didn’t have the same faith as you.” I pick off a strand of hair that has gotten stuck to his tear-soaked cheek. “Sorry for all the doubt I had.”

He puts his finger on my lips. “Do not fret. It’s understandable that you felt that way. We have been through a lot since we met and our love and bond has been challenged many times.” He takes my hand and lifts it to his lips. “I only hope we no longer have to endure any more challenges.”

“Me, too.”

He pulls me even closer to his body, until we are practically fused. I don’t want to ever let go of him and it seems like he doesn’t want to either. His lips keep skimming over my skin and I keep touching every part of his body. I don’t know how much time passes, but I’m pretty sure it’s been an hour.

I gently pull back so I can look into his face. “Now the moment of truth. Can we shift at will?”

He nods. “Shall I attempt first?”

“Yeah. I’m too nervous.”

“All right, my love. But first.” He bends forward to capture my mouth with his again. Our lips move over each other’s in such desperation and longing, I don’t know if we’ll ever lose this feeling. It’s like we’re making up for all the time we’ve lost and like we’re promising what we want the future to hold. More of this, for sure, but a lot more. A life together. A family. Happiness.

“I can’t feel my lips,” I laugh when I need to gulp in some air.

Damarian reluctantly lets go and lays his forehead against the top of my head. “I cannot feel mine either. I do not think I have gotten my fix of kissing you. I do not know if I ever will.”

I cup his cheek. “Me, either. But now our bond is fixed and we have the rest of our lives to make up for the time we lost.”

“You are correct, my love.” He lowers his arms from around me and moves a few inches back. “I will go on land and attempt to shift into my human form. You try to shift into a child of the sea.”

He rolls onto land and closes his eyes. I close mine and focus on transforming into a mermaid. As soon as the pain hits me, I cry out. But it’s not in pain. It’s in joy. Pure, blissful, joy. When it’s over, I don’t let my body rest for a bit like I normally do. I dive deep into the water and do a few more somersaults. I’ve missed being a mermaid so much. Cassie of the Sapphire clan is back!

When I break the surface, I find Damarian doing a victory dance on the sand. Totally and completely naked. My jeans are floating in the waves in strips. I forgot to take them off.

“Damarian,” I call, laughing so hard my stomach hurts. “You’re naked!”

He continues doing his dance. “My sweet, beautiful Cassie and I are once again mated. Everything is once again fine in this blessed world. I am the happiest being in the world.”

I continue laughing. “You’re lucky it’s four AM and no one sees you.”

“I do not care. All that matters is that I am once again bonded to you.”

“And all that matters to me is that I am once again bonded to you,” I say.

He runs into the water and swims over to me. He gathers me to his chest and lifts me, so high half my tail sticks out of the water. “You are a child of the sea, Cassie! And what a beautiful sapphire tail you have. And look at me! I am a human. Look at my leg.” He kicks it out of the water.

His excitement and exuberance makes my insides melt. I love this man, so so much. My heart is filled with so much love I’m scared it will burst.

“I love you as well,” he says, pressing a cheek to the side of my neck.

“I didn’t say that out loud.”

He taps my nose. “You did not need to tell me. I see it in your eyes and your face.” He moves his hand to my heart. “I feel it beating inside here.”

I place my hand on his chest. It’s pumping fast, but I feel something else, too. The love he has for me.

He takes my hand off his chest and presses a kiss to my palm. “A moment, please. I must speak to Fiske.”

We both turn around, to where Fiske’s fin sticks out of the water. Damarian shifts into a merman and swims over to him. I follow.

Thank you so much for all you have done, Fiske, he tells him. It means so much to us.

We can’t describe how much it means, I add.

Fiske inclines his head. You do not need to explain. I understand perfectly and I am glad to help. You and Cassie are the most important beings in my life. I would do anything for you.

I know. Damarian kisses the top of his head. You are a fine shark and one of my greatest companions. I have an abundance of love for you.

And I love you to death, too, I hug the shark so close his rough skin rubs against my cheek.

He inclines his head again. Thank you.

Damarian’s hand reaches for mine. I believe it is time I return to land and continue showing my Cassie how much I have missed her and how much I cherish her. Please inform my family that all is well.

And remind them about the wedding. It’s in four days.

Ah, yes. In just a few days, we will be bonded as humans. Damarian runs his lips along my jaw. I cannot wait until that wonderful day.

Me either. I turn to Fiske. And can you please give a message to Shoney? Tell her I’ve missed her so much and can’t wait to hug her. And remind her, too, about the wedding. And don’t you forget either.

Fiske nods. I will deliver the messages and I will certainly remember to attend your human bonding ceremony. Damarian and Cassie, I am so glad that all is well between you two. I have not rested easy these past few days and neither has Shoney.

I rub the top of his head. That means a lot to us, Fiske. I kiss his nose.

He nods once more before going under.

Damarian gathers me to his chest to shower some more kisses on my face. “Let us go home. Together.”

I smile. “I thought I’d never hear you say those words.”

Chapter Twenty

I can’t believe this is happening. I cannot believe this is happening!

“Cassie, stop fidgeting,” Leah says from the chair next to me. Us women are getting ready at Mom and Louis’s house while he and Damarian are at our apartment.

The makeup artist laughs. “That’s okay. Happens all the time.”

I wring my hands in my lap and force myself to hold still. But how can I when I’m getting married today? I know I shouldn’t feel this nervous because Damarian and I have been practically married for two years, but now we’re going to be husband and wife.

Since I was a kid, a part of me worried I would never reach this point. With Dad walking out on us and my mom staying single all those years, I thought guys were ruined for me. But now all my dreams are coming true.

The woman leans back and smiles. “Beautiful.”

Leah sticks her head in front of me. “Gorgeous!”

Mom bursts into the room, her hair in curls. “How is our bride doing?” She stops dead in her tracks. “Oh my…” Her eyes fill with tears. “My little girl. You’re beautiful.”

The pair of three eyes admiring me causes me to wring my fingers even more. “Stop. You’re all freaking me out.”

“I would hug you, but I don’t want to ruin your makeup,” Mom says. The tears continue gathering in your eyes. “I wish your father was here.”

I look down at my lap. “I wish he was here, too.”

Mom walks over to rub my shoulder. “I know he’ll be watching and will celebrate along with us.” She air kisses me. “I’m giving you a kiss for him.”

Holding back my tears, I say, “Thanks.”

“Oh, no. She’s going to ruin her makeup,” Leah says. “No sad talk!”

Mom wipes her eyes. “You’re right. Today is a happy day, one of the happiest of my life.” She gently takes hold of my chin and tilts my head so I look at her face. “I love you, Cassie. And I’m so proud of you.”

“Stop, you’re going to make me cry,” I say with a laugh.

A phone beeps.

“Is that mine?” I ask.

Mom walks over to the night table. “It’s mine. Louis just texted me. He and Damarian are all set and ready to go.”

Every part of me tenses up. “Oh my God. This is actually happening.”

Leah playfully slaps my arm. “I think you need to calm down so you can actually enjoy your own wedding.”

The door bursts open again and Ruthie runs inside. “I feel like a princess!”

“Look at you!” I say, scanning her pretty dress. It’s off-white with lace and flowers. “You definitely look like a princess.”

“But you’re going to look like a queen.” She hops over and jumps onto the vacant chair next to me. “Have you been dreaming about this your whole life? My best friend Chandra says that she knows exactly how she wants her wedding to be. But I don’t really think about it that much.”

“I didn’t think about it that much when I was a kid, but I knew I wanted a poofy wedding dress.”

“And you found it?” she asks with wide eyes.

I tap her nose. “I did.”

“Yay! You’re going to look so beautiful!”

“Thanks, sweetie.”

She hops back off the chair and twirls around. The door once again opens and Bobby walks in, dressed in an adorable dark gray suit and blue tie. He plays with it. “Do I really need to wear this thing?” he asks with a frown.

“Of course you do,” Mom says. “Your sister is getting married.”

He tugs on it. “I don’t get the point of weddings. Why does it have to be this huge thing? People get married all the time. It’s like buying clothes. We don’t have a celebration every time we buy clothes.”

The women in the room chuckle. “We’ll see how you feel when you’re madly in love,” I say.

He makes a face like the thinks that’ll never happen.

Ruthie jumps back on the chair. “Are you and Damian gonna kiss a lot? Because that’s totally gross. At my wedding, I’m not going to kiss him.”

Again, we laugh.

“And we’ll see how you feel when you’re madly in love,” I say to her.

She makes a face. “I’ll be in love, but I’m not gonna kiss him. Yuck!”

Mom looks at her watch. “We have forty five minutes until we need to be at the beach. Everyone who isn’t supposed to be here, please clear the room.”

“Aw,” Ruthie mumbles as Mom asks her and Bobby to leave. “I want to see Cassie get into her dress.”

The makeup artist does a few more touch ups before announcing that I look perfect. Then she starts working on Mom’s face while Leah gets my dress.

“I feel like I’m on autopilot,” I say as I slide off my robe.

“Just remember to breathe.” Leah pulls the dress over my shoulder. “And smile.” She pulls it over my other shoulder. “And enjoy the moment.”

“I’ll try.”

“Turn around.” She zips me up, then grabs hold of my shoulders and spins me around. “Hair done, makeup done, dress on. I think our bride is ready.”

“You forgot the veil,” Mom says.

“Oh, right.” She puts it on my head. “Now our bride is ready.”

I face the mirror. I can’t believe the woman staring back at me. She looks like me, but she can’t be me. Because she looks way too happy.

I shake my head. I am happy, and I have every right to be. I have to stop denying myself the one thing I want most—a happy ending. Maybe it’s because of all the obstacles Damarian and I had to climb over before we reached this point. But we have reached this point. That’s all that matters.

“Cassie…” Tears drip down Mom’s face. “My little girl…” She wipes her eyes. “I’m sorry. Just…she…” She shakes her head. “I think I need a minute before I can get my makeup done.”

The woman nods. “Take all the time you need. I’m going to step out for a moment.”

“Well, you don’t have all the time you need,” Leah says as she slides into her maroon-colored dress. “The wedding will start in half an hour.”

“Half an hour?” Mom nearly shouts. “Quick, get that woman back in here! I’m not at all ready.”

It would probably be best for me to make myself scarce so Mom won’t tear up every time she looks at me. I stop before the mirror in the hallway and do a small spin. I still can’t believe it. Only a few days ago, I thought I would lose Damarian forever. Now we’re getting married. Someone, please pinch me.

“I was looking for you.” Leah stands near me and gazes at our reflections.” Daaaamn! We look good.”

Despite the humongous butterflies flapping around in my stomach, I laugh. “You look amazing, Leah.”

“No, you’re the one who looks amazing. Holy shit, Cass. You’re getting married.”

I laugh again. “Now it hits you?”

“Oh, I’ve been freaking out quietly since we got to your mom’s house. I was just holding it in not to freak you out. But now that we’re actually about to leave…holy shit.”

“Makes me wonder what a bundle of nerves you’ll be by your wedding.”

“If I ever will have one,” she mutters under her breath. I’m about to say something when she says, “It’s your wedding. You don’t need to make me feel better.” She slips her phone out of her bag. “Where is that boy?”

I take a peek at her phone. “So Armando does plan to show up?”

She chucks her phone into her bag. “Of course. He owes me for when he dragged me to a fund raiser his father threw last week.”

It’s not that I don’t like the guy, I just wish she would try to find a suitable guy instead of distracting herself with someone she knows she’ll never end up with.

Ruthie runs over. “I can’t wait! I can’t wait.”

Bobby stomps toward us, still tugging on his tie. “You’ll ruin it,” I say.

He shrugs. “Maybe then I won’t have to wear it. Why do men have to wear these stupid things?”

“Because it makes you look so devilishly handsome.” I pinch his cheek.

He pulls away. “I’m too old for that.”

“You wish. My uncle Jim abused my cheeks until I was practically a teen.”

He rubs his cheeks. “Doesn’t mean you have to do that to me.”

Mom’s door opens and she steps out. She’s wearing a breathtaking light purple dress. “Mom, you look amazing.”

She holds out her arms and does a slow spin. “Who said women over forty can’t look good?”

“Um, no one?” Leah says.

“Forty is sooo old.” Ruthie spins. “I’m never going to be forty. It’s sooooo old.”

Mom gives her a mock glare. “Careful what you say or you might have to leave the wedding early.”

“No I won’t. I’m the flower girl.”

“Yes, but your services are only needed at the beginning of the wedding,” Mom continues to tease.

Ruthie pouts. “I’m sorry. Forty is soooo young. I can’t wait until I’m forty. It’s sooooo young.”

We laugh.

Then the butterflies start again. “Can we just get there already before I throw up?”

Mom takes my hand and leads me out of the door, with Ruthie and Bobby lifting the bottom of the dress. Leah hurries after with my bouquet. I don’t pay attention to my surroundings as Mom leads me to the beach. The sounds of traffic, people, the roar of the wind…it all disappears. The only thing on my mind is one thing: Damarian.

My heart hasn’t stopped pumping violently. I’m pretty sure the hand clasped in Mom’s is beyond drenched. Mom keeps patting it, sending me smiles and holding back tears. When we reach the entrance to the beach, I spot Syren, Kiandra, Doria, Kytero, and Kyle.

“Oh, great,” Leah mutters before making herself scarce.

Kiandra flings her arms around me. “You look exquisite.” She kisses both my cheeks.

“Thanks. And thanks so much for coming.” My eyes sweep over their outfits. “You guys look amazing.” Kiandra and Doria are dressed in pretty dresses and the men have suits on.

Syren, Doria, and Kytero give me hugs and kisses, too. “The fry, Ryter, Flora, Kiander, Fiske, and Shoney are watching from a distance.” Syren nods toward the ocean. “They send their best wishes as well.”

“I’m so glad they’re celebrating with us.” Thanks to their merpeople eyes and ears, they’ll be able to see and hear everything as though they’re on land with us.

“Cassie.” Kyle gives me a quick hug and a grin. “You look gorgeous.”

“Thanks.”

His eyes skim around, and I see the question in his eyes. He’s looking for Leah. But when he sees me watching him, he forces a smile and gives me another quick hug. “I’m so happy for you and Damarian. Really. I wish only the best for you.”

“Thanks. And I hope you meet the right one soon.”

“Me, too.”

As soon as he and the other merpeople walk back into the beach, Leah appears with a tall man hanging onto her arm. None other than Armando. I have to admit that he’s one smoking hot guy. Olive skinned with the darkest hair I’ve ever seen—even darker than the merpeople of the Emerald clan. Striking blue eyes and an amazing physique. Definitely the right material for a fling, but not for a long-term boyfriend.

“My congrats to the bride,” he says.

“Thanks.”

Leah’s looking around—two guesses for who? I try not to grit my teeth. This is my wedding day and I will not play matchmaker. I crane my neck to get a glimpse of the setup. Mom and Leah took care of everything. From what I can see back here, it looks amazing.

Mom steps before me, rests her hands on my shoulders, and looks into my eyes. “Are you ready?”

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m ready.”

She turns to the kids. “Do you have the rings, Bobby?”

“Yep.”

“Your basket’s all ready, Ruthie?”

“Yeah, I’m so excited!”

“And I’ll make sure they do their jobs,” Leah promises.

Mom tucks my hand in her arm. “I guess I’m ready to give my daughter away.”

I know it’s traditional for the father to walk the bride down the aisle, but obviously we can’t do that. Louis or Uncle Jim would have been great, but I really wanted my mom. It’s been the two of us for so long. She sacrificed so much for me, gave me everything she could. I can never repay her for any of that. But one thing I can do is give her the chance to share one of the most special moments in my life.

The next part passes in a blur. I see familiar faces as Mom and I make our way down the aisle, specifically Damarian’s family, but I can’t see, hear, or even think past the hammering in my heart. I see Kytero standing down there, since he is the best man.

Then I see Damarian, dressed in a crisp black tuxedo, his long hair hanging loosely over his shoulders. As soon as his ocean-blue eyes meet mine, the air gets knocked out of me and I momentarily freeze in place. Mom’s forced to give me a slight nudge. I can’t breathe. I think I might die.

“Breathe, honey,” Mom whispers to me. “Just remember that today marks the beginning of the rest of your lives. Revel in the moment, Cassie. This day is all about you and Damarian.”

Damarian’s eyes soften and shower me with nothing but aching love. My body starts to relax. In just a few minutes, I will be forever bound to that wonderful merman, the guy who stole my heart the moment he washed up on shore, the guy who opened my heart to love and made me realize that dreams can come true and that anyone, no matter who they are and what they’ve been through, can have their happily ever after. This is the guy who’s shown me what it’s like to be truly and deliriously happy.

Ruthie is totally basking in her moment. She takes baby steps and drops a petal every five seconds. But no one seems to care because she’s so adorable. I’m glad for the extra seconds because I can make sense of my thoughts. Or at least try to.

Somehow, Mom and I make it to Damarian. He takes my hands and we stand before Barry, the man who is going to marry us. He’s a good friend of Louis.

Damarian rubs both my hands with his thumbs. I see his sapphire bracelet sticking out of his sleeve. I glance down at mine and smile, my chest feeling warm. “You look so beautiful, my sweet, amazing Cassie,” he says. “I love you so much.”

“And you look so handsome, Damarian. I love—”

Barry clears his throat. “Perhaps we should save that for the vows.”

Some members of the audience laugh. I force my eyes away from Damarian and look out at them. I catch Damarian’s family and Kyle, each of them looking beyond joyous. Kiandra has tears in her eyes, which seems to surprise her a little because she normally doesn’t see her tears. My eyes move to my friends and coworkers, Uncle Jim and his family, other relatives, Leah’s parents and siblings, and then Timmy and his parents. He waves enthusiastically.

Then my eyes drift over to the ocean. I can’t see any heads sticking out of the surface, but I know the rest of Damarian’s family and our sharks are there. I can sense them. They’re far enough for people on the beach not to spot them but close enough to see and hear every word. I can’t feel Shoney’s emotions completely since I’m in my human form, but I get a taste of happiness and pride.

“Are we ready?” Barry asks.

And so it begins. I don’t pay attention to much of the words because I’m once again lost in Damarian’s gaze, but when it’s time to exchange vows, I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. I don’t know why this part of the wedding has me all bent out of shape.

“Damian,” Barry says.

Damarian nods before squeezing my hands. “Cassie Price. You are the most amazing person in the entire world. I truly believe fate brought us together. I loved you the moment I first saw you and my love has only grown over the past two years. And it will continue to grow in the years to come. It is limitless, like the abyss of the ocean. When I look at you, at your expressive beautiful brown eyes and loving face, I know I can do anything. You inspire me to be the best person I can be. You have a heart of gold, are loyal to those you love, and always strive to do the right thing. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you. I am so happy I washed up on shore that day two years ago. I’m so happy you were the one who found me. I didn’t realize then that my life would forever change. I didn’t know I could have the dream I’ve always wanted.”

He swallows. “I vow to you on this day, my love, that I will love you for all eternity. Nothing and no one will come in the way of our happiness. I have fought for it many times in the past and I will continue to fight. Because the bond we share is rare and special, even from where I come from. I will love you until there is no more air in my lungs, when my hearts stops pumping, when I am at death’s doorstep. And I vow to always make you happy, to never hurt you, to always put a smile on your face. I vow to be the best mate—sorry, husband—in the entire world.”

Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Though I don’t know how I can’t when it looks like Damarian is fighting his own tears.

Now it’s my turn. I take a deep breath. “For many years, I didn’t think I could ever find true love. I thought it was something that happened to other people, or something that only happened in movies and fairytales. But then you washed into my life. A man like no other, claiming my heart, my body, and soul. You have taught me so much, opened my heart to a love I thought I could only have in my dreams. But I don’t need to dream anymore. It’s time I wake up, because what’s going on right here and now is not a dream but a reality. My reality. I also vow to love you with my very last breath. I can’t wait to start our next chapter. And I don’t need to be scared, because I have you in my life. I don’t need anything else, as long as you are by my side.”

Damarian’s tears break through and gush down his cheeks. That causes my tears to fall, too. I hear a few sniffs from the audience.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” Barry announces. “And now you may kiss your bride.”

Damarian gathers me to his chest, dips me a bit, and slowly, antagonizing slowly, brings his lips toward mine. I swear a space shuttle can get launched in the time it takes for our lips to make contact. But when they do, I am engulfed with so many emotions that I don’t know what to do with myself. Our lips come together in harmonious bliss, moving as one, because we are now bonded as humans. Our lips don’t leave each other’s, not even to breathe. The audience goes crazy with applause, but I tune it all out and just focus on kissing Damarian and showing him how much he means to me. It holds an extra meaning, because we were so close to losing each other again. This kiss symbolizes the power of our love. We will fight for it as long as we live.

When we break apart, the audience once again erupts in cheers. Damarian spins me around and holds me close to his chest.

“Can the mother of the bride squeeze in a hug?” Mom asks.

Damarian reluctantly releases me. “I do not wish to ever let her go.”

Mom wraps her arms around me. “She’s not going anywhere, Damarian.” She presses a million tiny kisses on my face. “I love you so much, honey. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve grown up to be.”

I give her a wry smile. “You’re proud of every part of me? Every part?”

She plays with my veil. “I don’t love that part of you, but I know it’s made you a stronger person and a happier person. Damarian is the right man for you, and I know how happy he makes you.”

“Beyond happy.”

“That is all a mother can ask for.” She kisses my forehead. “Just please no more sea serpents or broken bonds.”

“We’ll try our hardest.”

Louis gives me a strong hug, almost crushing my lungs. When he pulls back, he’s got tears in his eyes. “I’m so proud of you, too. I know I’ve only been in your life for a short while, but I truly feel like you’re my daughter.”

“Thanks.”

“I know I can never replace your father, and I sure as hell would never try to. But I hope you see me as a father figure and can come to me if you ever need help or advice.”

I put my arms around him. “I told you at your own wedding that I do see you as a father figure and that I will definitely come to you if I need to.”

“I know. I just want to remind you.”

I kiss his cheek.

Louis shakes Damarian’s hand. “You are a great young man. Now that you two are married, I see you as my son. I want you also to know that you can come to me with whatever you need. Even for money problems. Don’t be ashamed.”

“Many thanks, Louis. May I hug you?”

“Of course!”

Damarian envelops him in a huge hug, even lifting him a few inches off the ground.

“Give me a ride!” Ruthie squeals.

“And me!” Bobby says.

“No, you’ll ruin your clothes,” Mom says.

I hug Ruthie. “Thanks so much for being my flower girl. You did an amazing job.”

“Really? Because Bobby said I went too slow and held back the whole wedding.”

I give my brother a look. “Now why would you say that to your sister?”

He shrugs. “Because it’s my job?” He looks out in the distance and his face lights up. “There’s Timmy. Later.” He runs off.

“Wait for me!” Ruthie calls as she races after him.

The merpeople and Kyle step up, each giving Damarian and me hugs, kisses, and well wishes. I hold onto Kiandra and Syren for a few minutes, so thankful they’re here and are able to share in our celebration.

I notice Kyle’s eyes move to someone to the left. When I follow his gaze, I spot Leah and Armando chatting, with Leah laughing a little too loudly. Her eyes dart in Kyle’s direction every so often.

I shake my head but keep my lips sealed.

“Hey, Cassie?” Kyle rubs the back of his head. “That guy Leah’s with…”

“Not serious,” I say.

“He’s good looking.”

“So are you.”

He snorts.

“Dude, you’re a merman.”

He removes his gaze from her. “Not everyone finds them as irresistible as you.” He forces a smile. “Congratulations. And may you enjoy many, many moons together.” He lowers his head and walks away.

“Perhaps I do not understand human ways,” Damarian says. “But is Leah fond of Kyle and is he fond of her?”

“I think they both are but are too scared to admit it.”

“That is not only the ways of humans,” Kiandra points out, stealing a glance at her husband. He gives her a warm smile. She’s referring to their own journey of love. They grew up side by side and both had feelings for each other. But both were too scared to admit it. Syren finally did when Kiandra’s father suggested another merman to her.

Damarian slowly nods. “I see. But if Kyle—”

“There’s my girl!” Uncle Jim yanks me in for a hug. “She can be stubborn at times and maybe a little irresponsible—especially when it comes to showing up for a surfing class—but damn it if we don’t love her to death.”

My aunt and cousins each take a turn hugging me. I can’t breathe until I’ve received one from every one of the guests.

Timmy skips up to me. “Hi, Cassie and Damian! Thanks so much for inviting me to your wedding. I don’t usually get invited because I’m a kid. It’s so cool that it’s on the beach.”

I ruffle his hair. “I like to think so.”

“But when are we going to eat?” His eyes jet to the area few feet away, to where tables and a buffet are set up. “I’m starving!”

“Soon,” I promise.

“Cool. I’m going to catch up with Bobby and Ruthie.”

Timmy’s parents wish us congratulation as well and thank me for being supportive to Timmy.

We all head over to the reception area. The little kids waste no time grabbing plates and forks and piling mountains of food on their plates. Mom calls for attention. “Now Mr. and Mrs. Sapphire will have their first dance together as husband and wife.”

Mr. and Mrs. Sapphire. Husband and wife. Someone please pinch me.

Damarian offers me his hand. “My love, will you do me the honor of dancing with me?”

I place my hand in his. “Nothing would bring me a greater pleasure.”

Damarian and I have danced together many times, but that was when I wasn’t wearing a poofy dress that drags the sand around. I laugh as he trips over my dress. “Somehow, I find this even more romantic.”

He leans forward to whisper in my ear, “You are the most exquisite being I have ever laid eyes upon. When you walked down the aisle, I thought I was experiencing the most wonderful dream. But like you said during our vows, this is not a dream. You are here dancing with me with the largest smile I have ever seen on your face. All I wish is to make you happy.”

“You don’t have to wish it. You’re doing a damn good job.”

He dips me, then straightens me. “I am so glad we have many supportive friends and family.” He stares out toward the ocean. “I cannot see the rest of my family and friends, but I know they are there and that they are celebrating with us.”

“And they couldn’t be more thrilled.” I lock my arms around his neck and gaze into his eyes. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy.”

“Me either, Mrs. Sapphire.”

That sends butterflies into my stomach. “I can get used to that.”

More couples have joined us in dancing, including Leah and Armando. Kyle stares at them with a frown. I sigh. “Excuse me for a second, Damarian.” I walk up to Leah, take her arm, and drag her away from Armando.

“Hey, what the heck!”

I fold my arms over my chest. “What are you doing?”

She raises an eyebrow. “Celebrating in your wedding?”

“No, I mean with him.” I nod toward Armando.

“Um, dancing with my date?”

“Are you trying to get Kyle jealous?”

“Kyle? Oh, he’s here?” She stretches her neck and turns her head in different directions. “Didn’t see him.”

I tap my foot. “Nice try. You’re totally trying to get him jealous. First of all, that’s not cool to Armando. And second of all, you’re messing with Kyle.”

“I don’t give a damn about Kyle,” she says through clenched teeth.

“I think you should talk to him. He’s been glaring at Armando since he got here.”

“Well, that’s his problem. Now, if you excuse me.”

I grab her arm before she can scurry away. “Oh no you don’t. You are going to walk right up to Kyle and talk to him.”

She yanks her arm away. “I will do no such thing!”

“Please, Leah. I don’t know if he’ll ever be on land again. You guys really need to talk.”

“Good, he shouldn’t come back to land again. Let him drown in the ocean for all I care!”

She said that too loud because some of the nearby people gape at us.

“Keep your voice down,” I hiss.

“I would if you’d stop telling me to talk to that jerkwad.”

I fold my arms again. “It’s my wedding and I want you to talk to Kyle.”

Now she folds her arms. “What, it’s your wedding so all your requests have to be fulfilled?”

“Yes.”

She presses her lips together.

“Come on, Leah,” I beg. “You guys just left each other with no conclusion. Neither of you will move on if you don’t talk. Do you want to spend your days hooking up with guys like Armando or do you want a real relationship?”

“A real relationship with Kyle? Hello, do you want me to grow a tail?”

I throw my hands up. “I don’t know! But you two clearly have feelings for each other—”

“I don’t have any feelings for that fish.”

“—and you need to figure it out.”

She tightens her arms on her chest. “I’m not going and you can’t make me.”

“Please.” I clasp my hands in a begging gesture. “Just do it for me.”

She narrows her eyes, then groans. “Fine! Only because it’s your wedding.”

“That’s all I ask.”

Louis dances with me, followed by Uncle Jim and Timmy. I have to force Bobby to dance with me for at least five minutes. I peek at Leah and Kyle, who are sitting alone at a table, deep in discussion. Armando is flirting with another girl.

Soon, I am back in Damarian’s arms. I squeeze myself against him and sigh in content. “It feels so good to be in your arms again.”

He strokes my cheek. “My beautiful Cassie. We are now mated as humans.”

I touch his cheek. “Now, we are finally complete.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Damarian carefully lowers me on our bed and climbs on top of me. It’s a little hard because of my dress, but he manages to win the battle.

“Don’t ruin your tux,” I say. “It’s a rental.”

“I cannot promise that I will not.” He opens the jacket and lays it over a nearby chair. “I hope I will not damage your dress. But I find it ever so tempting to take it off, bit by bit.”

My stomach throbs, making my fingers and toes grow numb.

Damarian bends his head to take my lips with his. “I cannot ever truly understand what it means to be mated as humans, but I am very glad that you are Mrs. Sapphire.” He nuzzles my nose with his. “Now I will begin to kiss every part of you, removing any clothes that get in my way.” He takes off his shirt and pants. “These garments are too stiff to my liking.”

I laugh. “Next time, we’ll make sure to order an extra soft tux for a spoiled merman.”

He licks the skin between my nose and lips. “Next time? Is there something you are not telling me?” he teases.

“Yes, that I had so much fun bonding to a merman that I want to do it again with another one.”

He grins and brings his lips to mine, keeping them an inch away. “Is that so? Well, then perhaps you do not deserve this kiss.”

Every part of my body yearns to feel his warm lips against mine, to be consumed in the fervent feeling I always get when our lips touch. “I…I want it,” I rasp.

“You do, do you not? But maybe I do not wish to give it to you.”

I raise myself off the bed so I can smash my lips to his, but he’s quicker and pulls away. “A valiant attempt, my love.”

“Don’t think you’re the only one who can be a tease.” My hand moves to his bare chest. “Is this a naked chest? I wonder what will happen if I gently run my hand along these hard muscles.”

His body stiffens as my hand treks down the length of his torso. He catches my hand before it can move another centimeter. “You are quite the tempter.”

“Temptress,” I say, lifting my chin.

He licks my nose. “You are quite the temptress.”

I giggle as I wipe my nose. “Enough with the games. Just kiss me already.”

“With pleasure.”

He starts off with the top of my head, pressing small kisses to my forehead and eyebrows, then sweeping his lips across my eyes and the bridge of my nose. His movements are so gentle, so loving, so passionate, that it feels like I’ve been transformed into a cloud and am floating high in the sky. His hands roam over my body, but he can’t touch my skin due to my dress. He hikes it up my thighs so he can caress my leg.

All thoughts leave my head. The only thing I feel is the throbbing in every part of me.

“I never tire of witnessing how your body reacts to my touch, my Cassie,” he murmurs,

I would torture him in the same manner, but my arms have turned into noodles.

“What have we here?” Damarian asks when his lips stop by mine. “One of the areas on my love’s body that brings her an immense amount of pleasure. I shall return to this area later.”

“Total tease,” I say.

“Yes, indeed.”

He struggles to unzip the back of my dress so he can slide one of my straps off my shoulder. He pops more of those gentle, loving kisses on my skin. It’s so slow and erotic that I no longer feel like my body is attached to me.

“Do you enjoy this, my love?” he whispers.

Unable to talk, I nod and moan.

“Like I have promised to you many times, all I wish is to make you happy. Now I am fulfilling my promise.”

He slides off the other strap and the top of my dress, kissing every bit of skin that gets exposed. More of my dress is removed and more areas get kissed. By the time he reaches my toes, I feel like I have died and gone to heaven.

“Did you enjoy that?” he asks.

Again, I only manage to nod.

“But we are not yet finished,” he says as he brings his lips back to my face. “I believe I have saved the best part for last.” Slowly—once again, agonizingly slowly—he touches his lips to mine. My head lifts off the bed so I can swallow his lips in mine and kiss him like I’ve never kissed him before. Damarian’s hands clutch my waist and I grip the back of his head as our lips continue devouring each other’s. I once again don’t feel anything but the throbbing that has overtaken every single part of my body. The soft moans coming out of my mouth seems to fuel Damarian.

I am so wiped out when he’s done that my eyes close.

“No, my love,” Damarian says gently. “You cannot sleep. I have a wedding present for you.”

My eyes slowly open. “You do? We said we weren’t going to exchange any gifts.”

“It is not a gift, exactly.” He swings his leg off the bed and bends to open the drawer of the night table. He produces his journal.

I sit up. “You’re going to read to me?”

“Yes.”

I pat the spot next to me. “I can’t wait.”

He settles down and flips through the pages. It’s been a while since he’s read any of his entries to me. He doesn’t write in it as often as he did in the past. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“More than ready.”

“My beautiful Cassie lies next to me, two nights before our human bonding, what they call a wedding. It is not the night before, for we are to sleep in separate homes in order to feel excited for the special day. I watch my sweet Cassie sleep, watch the way her chest rises and falls in a steady rhythm. Her eyes flutter sometimes and at times she releases a few satisfied sounds. I believe it is because she is truly happy. As I watch her sleep, I am filled with a love that is so thick I am certain I can bottle it. Perhaps I can even sell it for a hefty price, because I am certain that the kind of love I feel for her is so rare that it is not easily found, not on land or in the sea.”

He smiles at me before turning the page. “Only last week, she and I were parted from each other. I felt our bond slip away every hour. I felt a fear I have never felt in my life. It was not fear, but terror. Yes, I was terrified that I would lose the love that is so rare in this world. But I did not give up that we would find the means to restore it. For when you love someone as much as I love my Cassie, you do not surrender. You fight until you win. My Cassie loves me dearly, but she sometimes feels that she is not deserving of my love. I have felt this way many times in the past. My journal can attest to that. But I have learned that I do deserve it, as much as the next person. Because of that, I never wish to take her or what we have for granted.”

He turns another page. “In just two days, we shall be mated as humans. I am not certain how our lives will change, but I know that it will. I cannot wait to see what lies in store for us. I cannot sleep as I write this because every part of me is filled with excitement and joy. I do not believe there is anyone out there who is happier than me. I wish to read this to my Cassie. I want her to know that I will strive to be the man or child of the sea who is worthy for her love. She is the most important being in my life and I look forward to the family we will create together. Cassie, my love, I know that these past few days have been extremely difficult and has caused us to feel a fear we never wish to feel ever again in our lives, but I hope it will not hold you back from living your life to the fullest. Please do not carry around the fear that we will constantly fight to be together. I will not allow that to happen. We are meant to be together for all eternity.”

I scoot over to fling my arms around him. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to live life in constant fear that I’ll lose you. I know that whatever happens, we’ll do everything we can to be together.” I squeeze my cheek to his. “I love you to death, my merman.”

“No, Cassie. We love each other to life. Because that is what we have to look forward to in our future: our life together.”

“Thanks.” I kiss him. “You’re so amazing.”

“No, you are the amazing one.”

“Before we start arguing who is the more amazing one, I have a present for you, too. It’s from Mom and Louis. It’s not amongst our other gifts because we need to open it right away.” I hand him an envelope.

Curiously, he opens it and withdraws a printed piece of paper. “This is a hotel…near Disney World?”

“I know we discussed not going on a honeymoon yet, but you’ve always dreamed of going to Disney. I spoke to my mom about it and she and Louis have paid for all expenses for a whole week. It’s my wedding gift to you, and theirs, too.”

He takes me in his arms. “Yes, I have always wanted to explore this Disney World so many of you have spoken of. But what of my job? I cannot abandon the whales.”

“Don’t worry, I took care of it. For the next week, we are going on our honeymoon.”

He kisses me. “How much love I have for you, my human and child of the sea. I cannot say this enough: I will love you for all eternity.”

I hug him tighter. “That’s all I want to hear.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Eight months later

Mom pulls a pan of baked chicken and potatoes out of the oven. “This looks just about right. Damarian should be home in…half an hour? Just keep it inside here on low heat and it’ll be warm for when he comes home.” She puts the pan back in the oven.

“Mom, I told you we’re fine.”

“And how are you doing with your classes? Can you keep up? Did you quit your teaching assistant job? I told you to quit. It’s too much to handle.”

“Mom, I’m six months pregnant, not on crutches.”

It seems my words have flown past her ears, because she grabs a broom from the closet. “Don’t you lift a finger. I’ll take care of your cleaning.”

I give up. I lean back on the couch and breathe through my nose. Maybe the best thing to do is let her baby me. This pregnancy is new to her as much as it is to me. I suspect she worries because of what I’m actually carrying inside me, but I told her countless times that the baby is human. Damarian and I were hesitant to see a doctor when we first found out because we were scared there could be a merbaby in there, but I had all the symptoms a human gets and my body didn’t beg for sea water. I took a risk and made an appointment with the doctor my mom used when she was pregnant with me. Damarian and I had a plan if she or the technician saw a strange creature in my belly. We would hit them over the head and then claim Damarian was so excited about the baby that he accidentally hit them. Totally lame, I know, but at least we didn’t have to follow through with it.

“Don’t you have to go home?” I ask Mom.

She’s now mopping the kitchen floor. “Louis is watching the kids. Do you need help with any papers? Maybe Louis can drop by.”

“Mom, I love you for all you’re doing, but I’m perfectly capable of going to school and cooking and cleaning my house. Besides, Damarian does more household chores than me.”

She finally focuses her attention on me. “What was that?”

“I appreciate all you’re doing for us, but Damarian and I can handle it.”

She rests the mop against the wall. “Are you sure? I’m more than willing to help.”

“I’m sure. We’ll let you know if we need help.” I pick myself off the couch and walk over to her. “Thanks for everything. And for making us dinner.”

She smiles. “No problem.” She kisses my cheek, then bends down to place a kiss on my stomach. “So when are you going to find out if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

“I don’t know. Damarian wants to be surprised, since merpeople have no idea what they’re having until the fry is born. I think I want to let him have his surprise.”

“That’s sweet.” She glances at the time. “Speaking of which, your husband should be home soon. I get the feeling you want some alone time with him.”

“He’s been working so many hours at the aquarium that we haven’t spent a lot of time together.” Not to mention my mom has been over practically every day.

She nods. “Okay. Just let me know if you need me to come over.”

“Thanks.” I walk her to the door, hug her goodbye, then close the door after her. I love my mom, but I’ve never wanted a quiet house so desperately before.

I park myself back on the couch and pick up the baby book Mom bought for me yesterday. Baby. It’s been months, but it still hasn’t sunk in. Maybe it won’t until I’m holding the baby in my arms.

Footsteps at the door, followed by keys jamming into the lock. The door opens to reveal Damarian. As soon as he notices me sitting on the couch, his entire face lights up. “Cassie, my love!”

He has the same excitement every day when he comes home from work. I always feel the same warmth in my chest when I see how happy he is to see me.

“Are you well?” he asks as he sits down near me and kisses my lips.

“I’m fine, thanks. I managed to get rid of my mom.”

He makes an overly exaggerated expression. “How did you manage that?”

I playfully slap him. “Stop. She’s just worried about me. Plus, she made us dinner again.”

“I appreciate her efforts, but I wish to prepare a meal for you. It has been a while since I have cooked.” His hand moves to my stomach. “How does the little fry fare?”

“She or he is doing great.”

A look of relief passes over his face. He sits back and smiles.

“Damarian?”

“Yes?”

“I was thinking. About the baby and all…”

He puts his finger on my lips. “Do not fret. I have told you I am content with living life on land. Our child will be human and I am willing to sacrifice everything I hold dear for her.”

I look away. “I wish there was a way. It seems so unfair to you. And to me. I miss your family like crazy.”

I haven’t been in the ocean since I found out I was pregnant because we’re not sure what would happen to the baby. So far, my mermaid side hasn’t demanded sea water. Maybe I don’t need it because my true form is a human. Let’s hope it stays this way until after the baby is born.

Damarian puts both his hands on my cheeks and looks into my eyes. “Our child will be the most important person in our life. She comes first. Always. Would you not do the same if the situation was reversed and you carried a child of the sea?”

“Of course. I would live in the sea for the rest if my life. Well, other than when I need to get to land to shift into a human.”

“So you understand the way I feel,” he says.

I nod slowly.

“My family has reassured me that they will visit us as often as they can. Zarya and the twins will one day be old enough to come to land. Our fry will not be without a family.”

True, but I regret not being able to share the amazing world under the waves with our child.

“Let us take one step at a time,” he says. “First we will wait until our baby is out in the world and then we shall see. Whatever happens, we will be all right. We will be happy.”

I lean my forehead against his. “I am happy. Very happy.” I touch my stomach. “I can’t wait until she or he is born. You’re going to be an awesome father.”

“Thank you, my love. You are going to be a magnificent mother.”

“I’ll try.”

***

“Geez, you don’t even look like you’re pregnant,” Leah says as she drops down on a chair next to me in the baby room. Damarian and I have only begun to decorate it. We’ve painted the walls sapphire. Every time I look at them, I’m filled with guilt because Damarian will be forced to put his merman life behind him. I mean, I guess it won’t be completely behind him since his family promised to visit us, and he’ll need to go for a swim once a week, but it’s not the same. I need to push these feelings aside and embrace the life I’m about to have. A baby. Someone Damarian and I created together, out of love. That really is all we need.

“My mom wasn’t huge when she was pregnant, either,” I say.

“I bet I’d be huge,” she says.

“Speaking of which…?” I lift my eyebrows.

She holds up her hand. “Hold your horses. Kyle just got banished a few weeks ago and is learning to adjust once again to life solely on land. I’m keeping my distance so he can adjust.” She bites on her bottom lip. “I just hope he made the right decision.”

The only way for Kyle and Leah to have a future together was for one of them to give up their life. Kyle made the sacrifice. He asked Flora and Kiander to banish him to land so he doesn’t have to be tied to the sea. Leah was against it and begged him not to give up anything for her, but the two have fallen madly in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together.

“Don’t have any regrets,” I tell her. “I’ve watched the two of you struggle to find love. You two were made for each other. I don’t think anyone can understand you like Kyle can, and I doubt any mermaid can understand Kyle the way you can.”

She hugs herself. “I know. I just worry that we won’t last.”

“Leah—”

“I guess there really isn’t any harm. Kyle’s no longer a merman, so he’s not eternally bonded to me. He can always ask Flora and Kiander to lift the banishment and he’ll be able to return to the ocean and mate with whomever.”

I grab a cushion from the nearby chair and gently whack her in the face. “Stop this crazy talk right now. You and Kyle aren’t going to break up.”

She hugs the cushion. “I hope you’re right. So, future mother, what do you think you’re having?”

“No clue. Damarian’s certain it will be a girl. He wants it to be a girl. Last week, he saw a beautiful dollhouse on display at a store window and wanted to buy it. It cost two hundred bucks. There’s no way I’m letting him spend that much money, especially if we’re not sure we’re having a girl.”

“She’ll be one spoiled little princess,” Leah says with a laugh.

“I know. He’s totally going to make me have to be the bad guy.”

“Is he ready, though?” she asks. “Raising kids here on land is nothing like raising them in the ocean. There are so many dangers out here…”

“I know. We’re trying to take one step at a time. Let me just get past the pregnancy and birth.”

Leah leans back on the chair and shakes her head in disbelief.

“What?” I ask.

“I just can’t believe how our lives turned out. You’re mated to a freakin’ merman and are going to have a baby. I’m with a banished merman…” She shakes her head again. “It really does feel like we’re in a fairytale.”

“Is that fairytail with a t-a-i-l?” I ask.

She giggles. “Definitely.”

Her phone beeps. She digs it out of her back pocket and scans the screen. “Great, a reminder that I need to fill out my college applications. I really need to stop pushing it off…”

“Do you still want to apply to law school?” I ask.

“That’s the plan, though I highly doubt I’d get in. Kyle thinks I can.”

“Well, he’s right. I think you can, too.”

“Thanks.” She still looks doubtful.

“And have you and Kyle discussed moving out to California? I mean, now that you guys are together and seem really happy, there’s no point of running away there, right?”

“Aww, you’re going to miss me.”

I grab her cushion and gently whack her in the face again. “Of course I’d miss you!”

She shields her face. “Okay, stop assaulting me! True I’m happy with Kyle, but living here still reminds me of everything I’ve been through. Maybe the only way to start fresh with Kyle is to move out there.”

I don’t say anything, though my heart stings a little. Now that Damarian and I won’t be able to return to the ocean, I’ll need all the support I can get. But I can’t be selfish. Leah needs to do what’s best for her.

“But,” she continues, “these reminders don’t make me sad anymore. It’s like…I’m a better person because of what I’ve been through. Stronger. If I stay here, I’ll always be reminded of that. Plus,” she says with a grin. “There’s no way I’m not going to be part of your kid’s life.”

I sigh in relief. “You have no idea how happy that makes me feel!” I put my arms around her and yank her in for a strong hug. When I pull away, a wave of dizziness takes over.

“Whoa, Cassie.” Leah grabs my arm before I fall of my chair. “Are you okay?”

I touch my forehead. “I just got dizzy.” When I lift my eyes to hers, her face holds nothing but concern.

She jumps to her feet. “I’ll get you some water.” She dashes out of the room and returns so fast it’s like she has teleportation powers.

“Thanks.” I gulp it down, not realizing how thirsty I am.

But a few seconds later, nausea whirls around in my stomach.

“Cassie?” Leah asks, appearing even more concerned.

“I think…I might throw up the water.”

She reaches for my arm. “I’ll help you to the bathroom.”

“Too dizzy to move.” I touch my forehead again.

Leah once again dashes out of the room and returns with the mop bucket. I bend over to vomit, but I only dry heave.

Leah rubs my back. “Is nausea normal at this stage of pregnancy? What’s your doctor’s number?”

“It’s on the fridge—” I cry out when I feel a sharp pain in my abdomen.

“Cassie!?” Her voice is beyond frantic. “I’m calling your doctor right now. Or should I call for an ambulance?”

“Wait.” I grab her hand as my other one goes to my stomach. “It’s not…you can’t call my doctor or an ambulance. You need to call Damarian.”

“Why?”

“Because I sense a merbaby inside me.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

The door bursts open and Damarian and Kyle rush into the baby room.

“Quick, help me get her to the tub!” Leah nearly shrieks, catching me before I fall over again. I cry out when I feel another sharp pain in my stomach.

“She requires water?” Damarian gathers me in his arms.

“Water,” I moan. “Please…water…”

“Yes, my love. It is all right. Your body must require to shift into a child of the sea.”

I’m in a half-sleeping state when Damarian hurries toward the bathroom. I see doors and the floor. This feels exactly like when I shifted into a mermaid for the first time.

“The baby…” I croak. “Merbaby…”

He pauses outside the bathroom door. “The fry? You believe she’s…” His hand goes to my stomach and his eyes widen.

I groan as another wave of pain takes over my stomach. That knocks Damarian out of his frozen state, and he quickly and carefully lowers me into the tub. “Please, Kyle,” he calls over his shoulder. “Can you get the synthetic sea salt from the hall closet?”

He nods and dashes away.

“What’s going on?” Leah asks from outside the bathroom. “Do you also sense the baby is a child of the sea?”

Damarian turns on the water. “It does not make sense. I have touched Cassie’s stomach many times and have felt the fry. I did not sense a child of the sea.”

The only thing on my mind is the baby. Is she or he okay? I hope nothing will happen to him or her during my transformation.

Kyle returns with the sea salt. He peels of the lid, and together with Damarian, they tip the bucket over the tub, letting the salt drop into the water. We’ve kept buckets of sea salt in our closet for moments like this. Every organ in my body yearns for the sea water, needs the sea water. I know that if I don’t change, I won’t make it.

I don’t need to make myself change. It happens as soon as the water is filled with salt. I try not to flail or writhe in agony. I force my body to remain completely still, because I don’t want to do any damage to my unborn child. Thirty seconds feel like thirty minutes. But eventually it does stop, leaving me weaker than I’ve ever felt before.

“Cassie?” Damarian asks.

I slowly open my eyes and find his face panicked. My eyes dip to my sapphire tail. It feels like forever since I’ve seen it. “I’m…okay.” My eyes move from Damarian to an equally panicked Leah and Kyle. “I’m okay.” My hand rests on my stomach. “The baby feels okay, too. But, Damarian…”

He cups my cheek. “Yes, I sense she is a child of the sea as well.”

“So…” I swallow. “Our baby isn’t human after all. She or he will be a merperson.”

The room becomes silent. Leah and Kyle exchange glances, not knowing what to say or do.

“I do not understand,” Damarian says after a short while. “When I felt her earlier today, I did not sense a child of the sea. I am very concerned, Cassie. We should travel to the sea and speak with my parents. We have not seen them since we discovered you were to have the fry. Perhaps they will tell us what is occurring.”

“Okay. Just help me out of here.”

He stares at my tail, an anxious expression on his face.

“I can’t go to the ocean like this, Damarian.”

“But if the fry is indeed a child of the sea…”

“What am I supposed to do? Remain here until the baby’s born?”

He shakes his head. “Of course not, my love. It will be all right.”

Damarian sweeps me into his arms and gently lowers me to the ground. I wrap a towel around my waist. Closing my eyes, I tell my body to shift back into a human. Like before, I try to remain as still as possible. When I open my eyes, I find three pairs of worried eyes staring at me.

I hug my stomach, like I’m protecting my baby from all harm.

“Do you feel ill now that you are out of sea water?” Damarian asks.

“I feel fine.”

“Nonetheless, I wish to speak to my parents.”

We don’t have time to pack a bag of essentials. Leah and Kyle walk us to the beach, asking us over and over if they can do anything to help. By the time we get there, a headache is starting to form and I feel thirsty. I don’t tell Damarian, though, because he’s wasted enough nerves. But I can’t hide anything from him. He tightens his hold on my hand and quickens his pace a bit, stopping by the large rocks.

“Are you all right?” he asks.

“I’m fine. Let’s just get inside.”

Leah wraps her arms around me. “Feel better. I won’t stop worrying over you.”

Kyle hugs me next while Leah hugs Damarian. “Same here.” Then he claps Damarian on the back. “Take care of Cassie and your baby.”

He inclines his head. “With every fiber in my being.”

Kyle and Leah turn away as we strip out of our clothes and enter the ocean. This time, the change doesn’t happen automatically. When Damarian and I are in our merpeople forms, he gathers me to his chest and searches my face. “How do you feel?”

“Much better.”

He lays his hand on my stomach. “I fear something might be going on with our fry. I will not rest easy until I speak to my parents. Do you think you can travel in such conditions?”

“No different than any other pregnant mermaid, I guess.”

“They swim normally, yes, but at a much slower pace, and they rest a lot when they are close to giving birth.”

I take his hand. “Let’s go.”

We wave goodbye to Leah and Kyle then go under. Damarian travels at a slow pace for my sake, but that’s not really necessary. Still, I don’t want to cause any strain on the baby, so I don’t ask him to speed up. It takes forever when we finally reach the entrance to the merpeople colony.

Fiske bolts over to us. I sensed something was amiss. Are you all right, Damarian and Cassie?

We hope so, Damarian tells him. I must speak with my parents.

Please inform me if you need my help.

We thank him and swim to the Sapphire colony. The place is basically deserted, since it’s in the middle of the night. But when we get to Damarian’s family’s cave, we find Syren waiting outside.

“Father?” Damarian asks as we swim up to him. “What are you doing awake?”

“Mother and I have sensed you and Cassie in the sea. I thought you stated that Cassie would not enter the water. What has happened?” he asks as we enter the cave.

Kiandra is pacing around. As soon as she sees us, she dashes over and wraps her tail around me and Damarian. “Is everything all right?”

“We are not certain.” Damarian brings his eyes to me.

“Please touch my stomach,” I say. “What do you feel?”

Kiandra’s eyes dip to my stomach. She gently lays a hand on it. A second later, her eyes widen. “You carry a child of the sea.”

Syren does the same and his face also fills with shock. “I do not understand. You stated you were carrying a human fry.”

“That’s what we thought,” I say. “And we saw a human baby on the ultrasounds. I have the photos as proof.”

Syren rubs his chin. “Perhaps it has been a child of the sea all along but has only begun to develop a tail.”

I guess that would make sense, but I’m pretty sure I saw the baby’s legs numerous times.

Kiandra touches my face. “You appear exhausted, Cassie. Please rest. We shall speak more of this in the morning.”

She’s right, I’m way beyond exhausted. I thank her and Syren, and Damarian and I leave to his room. He helps me settle down in the oyster shell and holds me close in his arms. “Fret not, Cassie. All will be well.”

“I guess we’ll have to live in the sea for the rest of our lives and not land,” I say.

He looks into my eyes. “Does that upset you?”

I shake my head. “Of course not. I will always push my child over myself. I will do anything and everything to make sure she or he is happy and healthy and safe. It just sucks that she or he will never know my family.”

The merpeople can always come to land, but it’s impossible for humans to survive in the deep ocean.

“I apologize, my love. Truly, I am sorry.”

I put my finger over his lips. “Don’t be. I’m ready to sacrifice everything for our child. And living in the ocean has its perks. We don’t have to worry about money and all that other stuff humans have to deal with. I think we’ll have a really great life here. I’ll just need to travel to land twice a month or so. And maybe when she or he is old enough, we’ll take them to land so they could meet my family.”

Damarian nods. “That does not sound like a terrible future.”

I kiss him. “Not terrible at all.”

I have no idea how long I sleep, but it seems long enough. Damarian and I are woken up by Zarya, who is zooming around the room.

“You have returned! Father and Mother informed me that you would raise your fry on land because she will be human, but now they have informed me that the fry will be a child of the sea! How exciting.”

Damarian laughs and pulls her arm to slow her down. “You carry too much enthusiasm this early in the morning.”

“I will be the best aunt to her, I promise!”

“We know you will be, for you are fine aunt to Dorin, Kyteria, and Saelia. Am I not correct, Cassie?”

I’m moaning under my breath, rolling back and forth in the shell.

“She does not seem well. Shall I fetch Mother?” Zarya asks, her voice holding the same unease as Damarian.

“One moment.” He cups my cheek. “Cassie?”

“I…I can’t explain how I feel…I…” My eyes stare up at the ceiling. “I need to get out of the ocean.”

“Pardon?”

My body forces me to a sitting position. “I can’t be in the ocean, Damarian. I need to get to land.”

His eyebrows crease in confusion, but he shakes his head and nods. “Yes. Right away.” He gathers me in his arms. “Please inform Father and Mother that I am taking Cassie to the surface,” he calls to Zarya as he swims swiftly out of the room. We pass the twins, Ryter, and Kiandra and Syren on the way to the exit. They all stare after us with bewilderment and concern.

“I can’t be here,” I keep muttering under my breath. “Please. Get me out of here.”

He brushes his lips against my cheek. “I am swimming as fast as I can. I will bring you to the closest sandbar, my love. Please hang in there.”

I don’t know if I can. When I glance down at the lower half of my body, I see my tail still there. Every part of me is still mermaid, not a hint of my human side taking over. Why do I desperately need to get to land if I’m not changing into a human?

Now my breathing has gotten laborious. When I touch my neck, I see my gills are still there. How can I be losing oxygen when my gills are still intact?

“Cassie?” he nearly shouts when I gasp for air. “Cassie! There is no air here. You have your gills. Use them!”

I am, can feel my gills expanding and contracting, but my lungs aren’t getting the oxygen I need.

“We are almost at the surface,” Damarian says, pumping his tail. “Breathe in air the moment we reach it.”

I don’t know if I’ll make it. I see the surface, can almost reach it. But it’s still too far.

“Cassie! Do not close your eyes. Remain with me, my love.”

His voice sounds so far away.

“Think of the fry, my love.”

My baby. If I die here in the ocean, so will my baby. I can’t let that happen. Hell no. Not my child. I open my eyes and pump my tail. I’m not longer deadweight but help Damarian. We break the surface in no time.

I gulp in air and that helps my breathing, but it’s not enough. I need to get out of the damn ocean. I’m so desperate that I push against Damarian, using his chest to launch me onto the sandbar. I make sure to land on my back. I immediately shift into a human.

Bending over, I cough out water as though I nearly drowned.

“Are you all right, Cassie?” Damarian asks. It seems that all he’s been asking these past few hours.

I nod, then touch my stomach. The baby is moving around. “Do you still sense a child of the sea in here?” I ask him.

He holds his hand a few inches off my stomach, scared to touch me in case I’ll shift back into a mermaid. He shakes his head.

I wipe away tears that are gathering in my eyes. “Something is wrong with our baby, Damarian.

He wipes away his tears, too.

I should have known it wouldn’t be so simple to have a child with a merman.

“Perhaps…perhaps there are two babies,” Damarian says.

My eyes snap to his. “What?”

“One is a human and needs to be on land. The other is a child of the sea and requires the sea.”

I shake my head. “The doctor only heard one heartbeat.”

“Perhaps she did not hear the other because she is a child of the sea.”

I shake my head again.

“Twins seem to be common in my family,” Damarian says. “Syd and Syndin. Dorin and Kyteria. Children of the sea are not aware they will have multiple children until the actual birth.”

“I love how hopeful you are, but there’s only one baby in here.” A baby I don’t think will survive. I cover my face and weep.

“Cassie, please do not cry.”

“How can I not? Clearly something’s wrong with the baby. It won’t be long until I’ll need to get back in the ocean. We’re going to lose our child.”

“No. We will not lose her. We will seek answers.”

He dives into the ocean and produces seaweed to cover me with. Then he touches the surface of the water. “Fiske!” He calls. “Please come. I require your aid.”

A few minutes pass before the large great white comes to the surface.

Please ask Father, Mother, and Ryter to join us here.

He nods and goes under.

Damarian lays his hand on the sandbar like he wants to touch my hand. “All will be well, my love. Please do not despair.”

I can’t allow myself to hope for the best, because if I lose my baby, I don’t know what I’d do. I have to prepare myself for the worse. It’s the only way to survive this.

Damarian continues to give me encouraging words and false promises. He’s trying hard to mask his own fear with courage. All for me. Because he thinks it’s his job to protect me. But nothing can protect me from the reality that I might lose my baby. Damarian and I will not be able to have any kids. It’s as simple as that.

Kiandra’s head pops out of the water, followed by Syren and Ryter. Then another creature comes to the surface. Shoney. She hurries to the sandbar and shakes her fins.

“She wishes to know if you are all right. She could not see you earlier, for she was on a mission with the Scouts.”

I just look away, tears blurring my vision.

“What has happened?” Syren asks. “Why is Cassie a human?”

Damarian tells them all that’s happened since yesterday. “Can you help us, Mother, Father, Grandfather? We fear the fry will perish.”

I look at them and see them exchange blank faces.

“A human has never become pregnant with a child of the sea,” Ryter says. “Not ever in our history.”

“Honestly, I feared it was not possible,” Syren says. “You are of two different species. I thought it would be impossible to breed.”

“Nature forced Cassie to shift into a child of the sea,” Kiandra says. “Surely it can accommodate a fry.”

“Perhaps not,” Syren says, glancing at Ryter. He shrugs helplessly.

Every part of me begins to shake. Damarian and I have had to jump over many obstacles these past two and a half years, but I don’t think this is a hurdle we can overcome. If I lose this baby, nothing will be the same. I can’t lose her or him. I can’t.

“She is cold,” Damarian says. “I will seek a vessel and bring her to land.”

“Don’t bother,” I say. “I bet I’ll have to shift into a mermaid in the next few minutes.”

“Father, Mother, Grandfather, my mate has lost all hope. Please tell her that she must not despair. There has to be an answer.”

They are all quiet.

“Please?” he begs.

“I do not think there are any answers,” Syren finally says.

“Not from us,” Ryter mutters.

I turn to him. “What does that mean?”

“You have sought answers from another being in the past. Perhaps it is time to seek her out once more.”

“The Enchantress?” Kiandra asks. “No, not again.”

“My daughter—”

“They nearly died the last time. Perhaps she will not be as lenient this time.”

I sit up. Of course, the Enchantress! She should know what’s going on. When Damarian, Flora, and I sought her out last time, she told us our child would have great amount of power. Maybe that’s why all this is happening, just like what happened with Flora’s baby. Maybe she’s too powerful for me. And the fact that she stated I will have a child means I actually can have a baby.

“Let’s go.” I slide to the edge of the sandbar to get into the ocean.

“Wait, Cassie,” Damarian says. “Are you sure it is your wish to visit the Enchantress?”

“Do you remember what she told us when we saw her?”

“Of course, but—”

“She said we’ll see each other again. Maybe she was referring to now.”

“But what if she spoke empty words? She is a witch, Cassie. We cannot trust her.”

“We have no one else to turn to.”

Damarian looks from me, to his parents, to his grandfather. “I will seek her alone. I do not wish for you to travel down to that horrible place while carrying the fry.”

“No, it needs to be me.” I drop into the water and change into a mermaid. “I don’t know how much time I have until I need to get back to land. Let’s go.”

He doesn’t move.

“Damarian, let’s go.”

“Cassie, she will force us to do something terrible.”

I swim over and take hold of his face. “Do you trust me?”

“For certain!”

“Then trust me that this is something I need to do.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

The journey to the Deep is too familiar. I can’t believe I’m once again traveling down there to seek help from a malevolent creature who only cares about herself. Every time I think Damarian and I have solved one problem, another comes up. Is this how it’s going to be for the rest of our lives? One problem after another, after another?

Our party consists of me, Damarian, Kiandra, Syren and our four sharks. Kiandra insisted she come along despite Syren’s pleads. Shoney hasn’t left my side since I got back in the ocean. But I don’t know if the shark’s protection will be of any use, since they weren’t allowed down there the last time.

I see the entrance to the Deep in the distance and my heart thuds in my head. Damarian takes my hand, gives it a loving squeeze, and leads me over there. I bend down to look inside, once again seeing the sci-fi fish. “Time to call the Sinisters,” I say.

They feed off desperation, despair, and pain. The four of us will have to revisit our most painful experiences. Lowering myself to the ocean floor before the entrance, I dig my hands into the sand so I won’t fall into the Deep like I almost did the last time. I close my eyes, thinking of all the hard times I’ve had throughout my life. My father abandoning me, feeling so alone when my mom was out working all the time. The breakup with Kyle, the betrayal of Damarian when I found out he lied about being the true king of the merpeople and how he was engaged to Flora. The sea serpents, the loss of my father, Zarya’s injured tail. How hurt I was when Damarian gave me the cold shoulder because he thought he was the cause of Flora’s miscarriages. And finally, the heartache and agony I felt at the thought that Damarian and I would be torn away from each other because of the poison I got from the coral. And last but not least, the torment I’ll feel if I lose my baby.

When I open my eyes, I find the shadowy beings peeking out of the entrance. I quickly look around to make sure every member of our party is okay. They all look fine, just a little shaken up from reliving their worst memories.

I move closer to the creatures. “Tell your queen that Cassie of the Sapphire clan is here and wants to speak to her. Take the four of us down there. The sharks will stay behind.”

They all look at each other like who the hell am I to order them around?

“Please,” I say. “Just take us to see her. I don’t know how much time I have left.”

Again, nothing.

“We risked our necks for her last year,” I say. “Because of us, she has someone to take care of her baby for the rest of its life. She knows how much it means to care for your child. She has to know where Damarian and I are coming from.”

I fall over as a deep voice enters my head. “The abomination and her mate have returned, along with the new abomination growing inside her.”

“Don’t you dare call my child an abomination!” I say.

“Tsk, tsk. Anger, anger.”

I grab the sand on the ocean floor as her voice nearly bursts my head open.

“You…are a mother…” I manage to say. “You know what it feels like…please, I’ll do anything you want. Just…help us.”

Quiet.

“Only the sea serpent and her mate.”

The next thing I see is darkness.

***

When the blackness is gone, I don’t find myself in that cave Damarian, Flora, and I were the last time. We are in the Enchantress’s lair. She floats before us, looking exactly like she did the last time. Seven feet tall, a dark blue body, her face and neck resembling a human but with tentacles for arms. Her bottom looks like a jellyfish.

She grins. “Welcome back to my home.”

Damarian gathers me to his chest. “As you can see, Cassie is nearing the end of her pregnancy. Please do not send us to the Sea’s Abyss or any other location to procure a rare item for you.”

The Enchantress laughs. “She’s nearing the end of her pregnancy? She’s still got a few months left.”

Damarian’s hands fist. “I will not allow you to put my mate and fry in harm’s way.”

She swoops over and glares at him. “Did you think you could come down here and make demands without doing anything in return?”

“We’ll do anything you want,” I say.

“Cassie…”

Now I understand why Flora was willing to do whatever this witch wanted to save her baby. I’ve never felt so desperate before.

Damarian puts his hands on my shoulders and looks into my eyes. “I know how much worry you have, for I have it as well. But we must think over this very carefully.”

I know he’s right, but we’ll never have any leverage over this witch. I doubt begging would do any good. Sure it’s gotten me down here, but I don’t think it will get my any farther.

I kiss Damarian’s cheek before moving closer to the Enchantress. “What do you want from us?”

She starts fluttering around her room, tapping her chin. “What can I possibly want from the true heir and his mate?”

“We are no longer the true king and queen,” Damarian says.

“Maybe. But that doesn’t mean you’re not as powerful. Or that your child won’t have power.”

“You said that the last time,” I say. “That means our baby will be born.”

“Well, not without my help.”

I throw my hands up. “Then what the hell do you want from us?”

She shrugs. “Nothing.”

My heart slides down my tail. “What? You won’t help us?”

She folds her tentacles. “Oh, I never said I won’t help you. I just said I currently don’t need anything from you.”

“Currently,” Damarian says.

The Enchantress nods. “Currently.”

I wish I could strangle her. “Stop with your riddles. Will you help us or not?”

“I will. But I’ll need a raincheck on returning the favor.”

“No,” Damarian says. “My mate and I refuse to carry a debt for you.” He takes me aside. “What if we agree to help her and she one day asks us to take a life? We cannot agree to this.”

“But what other choice do we have?”

“Cassie, you are not thinking clearly. I understand how much fear you have, for I have it as well. But we cannot allow this desperation to cloud our judgment. The creature is vile and manipulative and—”

“You do know I can hear every word,” she says.

“I do not care if the entire ocean can hear my words,” Damarian practically yells. He looks into my eyes. “Let us leave and find answers elsewhere.”

“Hmm, I believe some time has passed since Cassie shifted into a human. How much longer do you think she needs? Tick tock.”

Damarian takes my hand. “We will not be seeking your help. Come, Cassie.”

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“We said we don’t need your help,” I say. “I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure my child is safe, healthy, and makes it into this world.” We turn toward the entrance to this place.

“Yes, but the thing is, only I can send you up there.”

The entrance disappears and is replaced with a wall.

Damarian and I turn to face her. “You’re going to keep us down here?”

“Sure, why not? My child has never feasted on mermaid flesh before.” Her eyes rake over my body. “I’m sure the organs of an unborn baby will be absolutely delicious.”

Damarian swoops in front of me. “If you dare lay a hand on my mate and fry—”

The Enchantress flicks her hand, hurling Damarian into a wall.

“Damarian!” I call, about to bolt over to him. The Enchantress’s eyes snap to mine. My breath gets caught in my throat. I back away.

She appears before me. “That man of yours? Such a drag. But don’t worry, he’s fine. Now, let’s have a talk, mother to mother.”

I force my eyes from the unconscious Damarian to her. “I can’t promise to owe you a favor when I don’t know what it’ll be,” I say.

“But that’s what makes it so fun!”

She’s crazy. I need to wake Damarian and find a way out of here.

“You want your baby to survive, don’t you?” she asks.

“Of course. Or else Damarian and I wouldn’t have risked coming down here.”

“Then you know what you must do.”

I shake my head.

“She is at constant war with herself,” the Enchantress says. “And in a lot of pain, I might add.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Who?”

“Your child of course.”

I freeze, my fingers feeling numb. “She? You mean—”

“Yes, yes, yes. You’re going to have a girl. Oops? Did I spoil the surprise?”

I stare down at my stomach. “What do you mean that she’s at constant war with herself?”

“Well what did you think would happen if you created a child with half her DNA human and the other fish?”

I gently rub my stomach. “So she’s both human and mermaid. And they’re fighting with each other.”

“Much like your human side fought with your sea serpent aside.”

“That’s why when I’m in the ocean, I need to return to land, and when I’m on land, I need to return to the ocean.”

“Ding ding, you got it.”

“She’s in a lot of pain because of that?” I ask, hugging my stomach as though I can take away her pain.

“Do you not feel pain every time you shift?”

“Will it ever stop?” I ask.

“Eventually, when her body chooses one form.”

“How long can that take?”

“Days, maybe. Weeks. Perhaps until she is ready to be born.”

“What can I do to take away the pain? Is there a way I can stop the shifting?”

“Do you think I run a free service here? Now you know what ails your daughter.” She flicks out her hand. “The only question is, what are you going to do about it?”

I glance at the unconscious Damarian.

She takes hold of my chin and turns my head so I look at her. “Forget your wuss of a husband. What are you willing to do for your child?”

“Anything,” I say, feeling my tears in the ocean.

“Like any good mother would do.” She flutters around her room again. “So here is my proposition. I make a small spell to speed up the process. Your child will choose to be either a mermaid or a human. And you will pay me when I ask for it.”

“I’ll agree only if you promise I won’t hurt anyone.”

“I can accept that.”

“I want to talk this over with my husband first,” I say.

“Naturally,” she mutters. She swims over to Damarian and pokes a tentacle into his chest. His eyes open, scanning the area, and he bolts upward. “Cassie.”

“I’m fine. I need to talk to you about something.”

I tell him everything the Enchantress told me. At the mention that our daughter is in a lot of pain, his face falls. But then I tell him there’s a way we can help her.

“I didn’t know she was in pain,” I say as I gently rub my stomach. “My poor baby. She’s in pain because of us.”

Damarian nods. “We must stop her pain at once.” He turns to the Enchantress. “As long as you assure us that we will not be forced to harm anyone, we will accept your terms.”

She claps her hands. “Wonderful.”

I really hope we didn’t just give ourselves a horrible sentence.

She moves closer to me and lays a hand on my stomach. “I will speed up the process and help her choose a form. Remember, if she chooses to be a human, you will need to return to land as soon as possible.”

Damarian and I nod.

“But you understand the problem if she chooses to be a mermaid,” the witch says.

Damarian and I exchange a glance. “No, what?” I ask.

“You are a human, are you not?”

Damarian’s face grows white. “Cassie needs to travel to land at least twice a month when she’s in the sea because her true form is a human.”

My stomach twists. “Will my baby survive if I were to go on land?”

“Probably not.”

“Then what can we do?” I ask.

“Hope the baby will be a human?” She puts her hand on my stomach and closes her eyes.

“No, wait!” I cry. “I don’t want to do this. Not if there’s a risk she’ll choose to be a mermaid and will die inside me!”

The Enchantress eyes light up a lavender color. She mutters words under her breath. Some kind of spell. I grip Damarian’s hand. What have I done? If my baby chooses to be a mermaid, she won’t survive. The damn witch tricked us. She didn’t tell us all the details.

She stops muttering the words and the light leaves her eyes. “It’s done.”

“What did she choose?” Damarian and I demand.

“Relax. With my influence, she’s chosen to be a human. You only have a few hours before you need to get back to land—” Her eyes widen. “What the…” She quickly puts her hand on my stomach. “What is this?”

“What?” Damarian and I cry.

“I did not foresee this.” She closes her eyes. “Yes, I see. Yes, it would certainly kill her.”

I grab her. “Tell me right now what’s going on! What will kill her?”

She flicks her hand off me. “Touch me one more time and I’ll change you into tuna.”

“Sorry. Just please tell me what you’re talking about.”

“The human side and mermaid side were at constant war. The human side now reigns supreme. But if she samples the luscious taste of sea water, it will fuel the mermaid side. It will rage war on her human side. Her human side would not be able to conquer such a foe. It will kill her.”

The area around me grows dizzy. Damarian wraps his arms around me. “Cassie, Cassie, please relax.”

“She’ll die if she goes near salt water?”

“Yes. I suggest you leave at once and make sure she never goes near the ocean. At least until she reaches maturity.”

“Maturity?” Damarian asks.

“Yes, when her body will be able to withstand both the human and mermaid side. Only when she is of age will they be able to live harmoniously together. She will be tied to sea, just like her mother, but she will be able to shift from any form at will, just like you two can.”

“When will she reach maturity?” I ask. “At puberty? When she’s eighteen?”

The Enchantress shakes her head. “That I can’t tell you. But it definitely will happen. If she survives until then, that is.”

“She will,” I stress. I take Damarian’s hands. “We need to move to an area far, far away from the ocean. It’s the only way to keep her safe.”

He nods. “Yes, we will move immediately.”

“But you need to shift into a merman,” I say.

“We will figure it out later. But first we must leave this place.”

The Enchantress nods. “You are free to go.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

“She will die?” Kiandra asks as we hurry back to the Sapphire colony.

“That’s what the Enchantress claimed,” I say.

“But all is not lost,” Syren says. “She will actually shift into a child of the sea.”

“Yeah, whenever that will be,” I say.

We enter the Sapphire colony, bid goodbye to our sharks, and swim toward their cave.

“We will not see you,” Kiandra says as Syren goes to rally the kids and Ryter.

“Not for a long time,” Damarian says.

She wraps her tail around him. “You are doing what it best for your fry.”

“We don’t have another choice,” I say. “I just don’t know how Damarian will shift. We can’t keep a pool in the house.”

Damarian slides his hand into mine. “I have found a solution,” he says. “I will do what Kyle did and ask Flora and Kiander to banish me.”

“No,” I say. “I won’t let you do that.”

“I must, my love. It is the only way we can be a family on land.”

“But how do you know what kind of affect being a human long-term can have? What if you can never shift into a merman?”

“I am willing to make the sacrifice. For our daughter.”

I fasten my arms around him. “I know you’d do anything for her, but I can’t let you. We’ll figure out a way. Maybe you can travel to a beach once a week.”

“Cassie…”

“You need not make a decision right now,” Kiandra says.

Ryter and the others have joined us, the kids looking scared and confused. Ryter swims forward. “Cassie is correct. There may be unwanted consequences after living on land as a human for so many moons.”

“We’ll make it work,” I tell Damarian. “We’ll do whatever we can to make sure we’re all safe and healthy.”

“Will…we ever see you?” Zarya asks.

“Of course.” Damarian kisses the top of her head.

“You do not speak the truth. You do not believe we will see each other.”

“I’m sorry, Zarya.” I reach for her. “We didn’t plan any of this. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But it won’t be long until you’ll be old enough to come to land.”

Syren frowns.

So does Zarya. “I do not like it, but I must be strong for you and for my niece. I have not yet met her, but I love her very much. I wish for her to be safe.”

I hug her tighter. “Thanks so much for being so understanding. I’m going to miss you so much. All of you.”

I hug Syd and Syndin, Syren and Kiandra. We travel to Doria’s house to wish them goodbye as well. It’s a good thing they can’t see my tears in the ocean, because I’m sure I’m crying buckets. Then we return to Damarian’s family’s cave.

“You will be all right,” Kiandra says, once again wrapping her tail around us. “And we will see each other again.”

“It’s not goodbye forever,” I say. “Just for now.”

Syren gives me a human hug. “I will miss the two of you very much. And your daughter. But I do not think it would be wise for any of us to visit you. It may cause your daughter to seek answers.”

He’s right. She’ll be safer if we keep this world a secret from her. Until she’s ready.

“Hurry back before it is too late,” Syren says.

We kiss everyone goodbye one more time before we leave. Fiske and Shoney meet us at the exit of the Sapphire colony.

We will miss you both so much, I tell them, wrapping my arms around both of them.

As will we, Shoney says.

Fiske nods.

Damarian takes hold of his fins. Please watch over Zarya and the twins.

He nods.

After hugging and kissing them another time, we get back to land and shift into humans, finding our discarded clothes on the beach. Then we call my family and Leah, Kyle, asking them to meet at our apartment. It’s a little early, but they must sense the urgency in my voice because they agree with no questions or complaints.

When everyone is here, I ask Ruthie and Bobby to play on the computer so we can speak to the adults. We’ll say goodbye to them later.

“Cassie,” Mom says, looking alarmed. “What’s going on?”

“Is this about the baby?” Leah asks. “Is it okay? Are you okay?”

I take a few gulps of air, resting my hand on my stomach. “She’s okay. At least for now.”

“For now?” Mom demands.

“She?” Leah asks.

I hold up my hands. “Damarian and I will tell you everything.”

When we’re done, they look like we hit them over the head. Hard.

“She’s…a mermaid?” Mom asks.

“She will be,” I say. “One day. But for now she’s human and she can’t go anywhere near salt water. Until she reaches maturity.”

“That is why we must live far from the sea,” Damarian says. “We do not want her to be tempted.”

“I was thinking Arizona,” I say.

Louis nods. “That’s a good option.”

“You’re leaving us?” Mom asks.

“We don’t have a choice, Mom. This is for our child’s safety. She comes first. Always.”

“Yes, of course. But are you sure there isn’t another way?” She glances at Louis. “We can’t just pick ourselves up and go with you.”

“I never told you to. Your life is here in Florida. Damarian and I will be fine.” I swallow. “We’ll make it work.”

Damarian wraps his arms around me. “I will do all that I can to ensure my family is safe and well.”

Mom wipes her eyes. “I don’t like this.”

“You can visit whenever you want. It’s not forever. Just until our daughter is ready to learn the truth about who she really is.”

“My family cannot visit us,” Damarian tells Mom. “We do not wish for our fry to ask questions and learn the truth before she is ready. But we will need you and your family to support us.”

Louis nods. “We will help as much as we can.”

Mom grabs me and hugs me tightly. “I’m not ready to let you go. But I need to.” She kisses my cheek. “I’ll miss you so much. And we’ll visit as often as we can.”

I rub my tears away. “Thanks. Ruthie and Bobby? Can you come in here, please?”

They don’t take the news very well. Even Bobby doesn’t try to hide his tears.

I get down on my knees before them. “But you’re going to visit us a lot. Think of all the plane rides you’ll take!”

“Is Arizona far from here?” Bobby asks. “I’ll have to look at a map later.”

Closing my arms around them, I yank them in for a hug. “I’ll miss you so much.”

“Now please go back to the computer,” Mom says. “There’s a lot we need to discuss with Damian and Cassie.”

“If you’re leaving, can I have your computer?” Bobby asks.

“We just bought you a computer,” Louis says.

“But I like theirs better.”

I ruffle his hair. “Nice try.”

Once the kids are back at the computer, Kyle says, “What job will you have, Damarian?”

“Not one in an aquarium,” Leah says. “God, I can’t believe you’re moving.”

I hug her. “I’ll miss you so much. And Damarian can have any job he wants. He doesn’t have to worry about the ocean.”

“You’ll still have to shift into a child of the sea,” Kyle reminds him.

He nods. “I will travel to an ocean once a week.”

“It won’t be easy,” I say. “But we’re both determined to make it work.”

“We’ll help you pack,” Mom says.

“You need to find a place to live first,” Louis points out.

“Cassie will have to transfer to a new school,” Leah says.

I rub my head. “You guys are giving me a headache. We’ll figure everything out, one thing at a time.”

“We’ll do whatever we can to help,” Louis says.

Kyle nods. “Us, too.”

My knees knock into each other. My lower lip trembles. A whole new life. After we’ve fought so hard to live this life, we’ll have to move away and start from scratch.

Damarian takes my hands. “Do not fret, my love. It may be hard to start fresh, but I know we can, for we have each other.” He lays a hand on my stomach. “And we will have a wonderful daughter. This not the end, but a new beginning.”

His sapphire bracelet catches my eyes. We both haven’t taken them off. Ever. Just like we’ll never lose our love for each other. Or for our future family.

I touch his cheek. “You’re right. From this day forward, we’ll start living our new forever.”

He rests his forehead against mine. “Our new forever.”

Dear reader,

Thank you so much for being part of Damarian and Cassie’s journey. We hope you had as much fun and joy reading the series as we had writing them. Though it’s sad to let these characters go, we’re glad to end this chapter in their lives.

But don’t worry! The children of the sea aren’t going anywhere. We hope to publish a few spin-off series in the years to come. You may see a book or series about Zarya, Timmy, and even Damarian and Cassie’s child/children. Stay tuned! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and keep checking our website where we constantly update the projects we’re working on. There are a lot of exciting things to come!

In the meantime, check out our Patreon. Patreon is a platform where we can share all kinds of things with you, like short stories, serials, sneak peeks, cover reveals, and much more, while we are in between projects. We will post a chapter or two of a new short story or serial once or twice a week, so you’ll have something to enjoy as you wait for the next books to be released. We offer many rewards for your support, so please check it out! https://www.patreon.com/deejstoneromance

Thanks for reading and your support.

Dee J. Stone

Read on for an excerpt from Falling for the Genie, now available on Amazon!

Genie y bought 22 merged 2

Chapter One

“Waitress? Over here, waitress,” the four teenage guys call and whistle from table number eight. I sigh and give my best friend Macy a look. She lifts an eyebrow.

“Take them,” I say.

She shakes her head. “No way. I served them yesterday. It’s your turn.”

I can’t argue with that. Those jerks gave her a hard time. “Why are sixteen-year-olds so annoying?” They’re only two years younger than us, but it feels like ten years.

“Believe me, they’re no better at our age,” Macy says. “Just take their orders and leave.”

Easier said than done. I sigh again and tuck my curly auburn hair behind my ears. Time to get this over with. Putting on a fake smile, I head over to their table. “What would you like to order?”

One of the guys, a redhead, scans my nametag longer than it should take. “Hello, Lily. What a nice name.”

I try not to roll my eyes. Did he forget he says that to me every time? “Do you want to hear the special?” I ask.

A blond winks. “I already see something special standing before me. How about you come meet me out back when you’re on your break?”

I tap my foot. “We have many people waiting for a table. Can you please order?”

The guys laugh loudly and eventually order, making sure to sneak in obnoxious remarks, which I ignore.

Screw this job. Except, I can’t. How else am I going to pay for culinary school? When I applied for a job here at Inferno—a restaurant known for serving spicy food—I wanted to work in the kitchen, but they wouldn’t hire me because I had no experience. The only other choice was to be a waitress. I took it because it was better than nothing. The more experience in a restaurant I can get, the better.

The guys laugh and whistle when I return with their food. The blond raises his eyebrows and points his thumb toward the back doors. I pretend he’s wallpaper.

When my shift is over, I go to the dumpster to throw out all the trash. A shadow sprints away. Looks like it was someone dumpster diving. We get that a lot.

I’m about to hurl the garbage into the dumpster when something shiny catches my attention. It’s buried deep inside, and I plow through all the smelly trash to get it out.

It’s a lamp. A golden lamp. Not the kind you’d have in your bedroom, but the kind from Aladdin. It looks similar to the genie’s lamp. It’s bigger than a football, and has these swirly designs all over that make it look exotic. Like something from a fairytale. Some kid must have had it for a Halloween costume and dropped it in here. It’s a shame to throw it out like that. It’s really a beautiful lamp, but I’m not going to keep it. I’ve learned to never take something from the trash, no matter how gorgeous it is.

I toss it back in the dumpster, except it won’t fall. My fingers are curled around the end of it, and no matter how many times I try to pry them off, it’s like they’re glued. What the hell? I shake my hand, but no luck. The thing won’t come off. Some kid must have put glue on it as a joke, and lucky me got caught. I’m having such an awesome day.

I look to my right and left. No one’s around. How ridiculous am I going to look when I walk into Inferno with a genie lamp attached to my hand? There’s no hiding it, so I figure I’ll just add this incident to the “sucky things that happened to Lily today” list.

When Macy sees me, she smiles. “Finally time to go home.”

I hold up my hand. “I found this in the dumpster. There must be glue on it or something. Can you help me get it off?”

Her eyebrows knit. “Get what off?”

“The lamp.”

“What lamp?”

I stare at my hand. “The genie la—you don’t see it?”

She gives me a look like I fell from Mars. “All I see are fingers that need to be manicured.”

How can she not see the lamp? Am I completely losing it? I rub my eyes. The lamp is still there.

“Lily, you sure you’re okay?”

No. I’m not sure about anything. There is a lamp attached to my hand. I’m not crazy. Am I? “Yeah. Just tired,” I lie. “I need to go home. I haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Have you called your mom?”

“Twice, but no luck.”

Her face softens. She opens her mouth to say something, when I change the subject. “So what are your plans with Andy for tonight?”

Her boyfriend got an internship over the summer with a great company in Boston and is in New York for the weekend. He and Macy barely see each other.

She knows I don’t like to talk about my mom, and never pressures me. We’ve been friends since kindergarten, but after everything that happened four months ago, we’ve drifted apart. It’s my fault, not hers. She’s been trying really hard to be there for me, and I appreciate it. I just can’t deal.

“He’s going to surprise me,” she says with a smile.

“Have fun,” I say.

“Thanks. Are you absolutely sure you’re okay?”

I force a smile. “Totally.”

We hug before I leave the restaurant and walk through the July heat to my apartment. I live in Brooklyn, five blocks away from work. The people passing by don’t seem to notice anything wrong with my hand. Do they not see the lamp, either? I give it a tug to check if it’s real. It is. What the hell is wrong with me?

After throwing my front door open, I go straight to my room for Vaseline. I put some on and try to yank my fingers off the lamp. They won’t budge. This is crazy. I’ll have no choice but to try to smash the thing. In the kitchen, I’m about to slam it down on the granite countertop, when it suddenly flies off my hand and drops to the floor. It rolls around like it has a mind of its own. A second later, smoke starts to shoot out of it. It’s so thick that it fills up my entire kitchen. It has a strong smell of exotic spices.

The smoke enters my lungs and I fall to my knees, clutching my chest and coughing.

“State your wish,” a voice says.

The smoke disappears from my lungs and I can breathe again. When I look up, I see a tall guy standing above me with his arms crossed over his chest. I scramble back. He looks about my age, has long dark hair that falls into his blue eyes and an expression of annoyance, yet respect at the same time. He has golden skin. My gaze dips to his chest. His naked golden chest. He has nothing on except for long, black pants. No shoes, either. My eyes spring back to his chest and my breath gets caught in my throat. He’s beautiful. Exotic looking.

“I said, state your wish.”

I tear my gaze off his chest, my cheeks warming up. “W…what?”

The smoke is completely gone from the kitchen. The lamp is still on the floor, but it’s no longer moving. Did this guy come from it?

“State your wish so I can get out of here.”

I get up. “Wish? What are you talking about?”

He makes a face like he’s done this a million times and is bored out of his mind. “You rubbed the lamp. I’m here to grant you three wishes.”

I back up into the counter behind me. I won’t believe this. I can’t. My head spins. “You’re a…genie?” That’s impossible. Genies don’t exist.

“Uh huh. Here to grant you three wishes. So let’s get this over with, Master.”

His chest gleams under the strong kitchen light. As he crosses and uncrosses his arms, his muscles flex.

He sighs loudly. “When you make up your mind, give the lamp a rub.” Smoke appears once again, surrounding him.

“Wait!”

But it’s too late. He’s gone.

Buy now from Amazon

Read on for an excerpt from Mark of Platos, now available on Amazon!

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Chapter One

Someone or something is chasing me.

I can feel his hot breath on my back, his large feet stomping behind me. But I don’t look back. I can’t. When I did a few minutes ago, I saw yellow, snake-like eyes that looked like they could devour me whole.

I want to yell, but no sounds come out. I don’t know where I am. I’m pretty sure in a forest, since many trees surround me and twigs snap under my feet. But that’s about all I know. Not who’s after me or what he wants.

I need to get somewhere safe.

He grunts and huffs behind me. My own breath is heavy, my chest aches, my limbs are on fire. I swear I’m seconds away from collapsing to the ground.

Run, Lizzy, my mind yells. I don’t know to where. Maybe that cave in the distance is the only chance I’ve got.

Fingers close over my wrist, and I’m yanked to the side. A hand clamps over my mouth, and all I see are deep blue eyes gazing into mine.

Heart pounding, I jump up in bed and look around. I’m in my room, safe. It was just a dream.

I shudder. A dream that felt so real.

“Lizzy,” a voice calls, along with the birthday song. The door opens and Mom walks in with a bright smile on her face. “There’s my birthday girl.” She sneaks in some kisses. “I know you’re sixteen and too old for this, but I don’t care.” She kisses me again.

I just lie there, staring at the ceiling, reliving that dream over and over again. What did it mean? Who was chasing me? And who was that person with those intense blue eyes?

“Lizzy? Is everything okay?”

Groaning, I turn to the other side of my bed. Whatever that was, I need to forget about it. It was just a dream.

She lifts my blanket to whisper in my ear, “Remember our date tonight?”

Though my eyes are heavy with sleep, I smile. Mom and I are going to spend my birthday the same way we do every year, something we’ve been doing since I was a little kid. Eat out at a fancy restaurant after school, just the two of us. Try out dishes with names we can’t pronounce, catch up on what’s going on in our lives, and talk about our best memories. Then I’ll come home to the apartment decorated for my party.

“Get up and let’s get this exciting day started, Lizzy.” Mom pats my arm through my blanket.

Another groan. This may be an important day for me—sweet sixteen and all—but I still have to get through school first. It’s not that bad. I mean, I have a best friend who’s great and I’m a good student. But still, it’s high school.

I finally drag myself out of bed as Mom leaves my room. After washing my face in the bathroom, I study my reflection in the mirror. Blonde hair down to my shoulders, the exact shade as Mom’s. Big, brown eyes just like Mom’s, too. Except mine are too big for my face.

I don’t know who my father is or what he looks like. Mom refuses to talk about him. Every time I want to demand answers, I catch the pain in her eyes. It seems he’s more than your average jerk who abandoned the woman he got pregnant. No, whatever happened between my parents must have been bigger than that. Like maybe he’s from the CIA and he and my mom had a fling one summer. Or maybe he’s a hero who died saving people’s lives. I tell myself he has to be someone amazing because that’s the way I want to feel about him.

As soon as I leave the bathroom, the smell of pancakes attacks my nose. Mmm. Mom usually doesn’t have time to make breakfast—she works in one of the largest hotel chains in New York City—so I either eat cereal or drink a glass of orange juice. But she makes time on my birthday.

She must hear my footsteps moving closer to the kitchen, because she starts singing that lame birthday song again. I have to give her props for her amazing voice. Me? I sound like a toad that choked on a fly.

“Sit down, birthday girl,” she sings as she places a stack of blueberry pancakes before me.

“Thanks, they look awesome.”

She sits across from me and we dig in. I fall back on my chair and sigh. These are seriously the best pancakes in the world.

“You should really talk to your boss about making these for the hotel,” I say as I gobble one down. “You’d make a fortune.”

She waves her hand, trying to hide a pleased smile.

I’ve been telling her this since I could talk, but she always brushes it aside. It’s like she wants to stay off the radar for some reason. Like she doesn’t want to bring attention to herself or me. I once asked her about it and she told me I was talking crazy. But it’s not just about the pancakes. We’re not registered in the phone book, we shop at a different grocery store every week. We’ve moved around a lot, too (this is my sixth home, though we’ve been here for two years). I tell myself it’s because she and my CIA dad had a romantic excursion that may have put him or her at risk, so we’re keeping things on the down-low.

“I’d better go or I’ll be late,” I say as I bring my plate to the sink. Mom kisses me goodbye, wishes me a good day, then I’m off to school. It’s not far from my house—within walking distance. Every morning, I meet my best friend, Carly, at the corner of my block. But she’s not here yet. That doesn’t surprise me, since I’m usually the one waiting for her. But it’s late.

I’m about to text her when tiny pieces of colored-paper are sprinkled all around me. “Happy birthday!” A second later, Carly throws herself into my arms.

I laugh and open my mouth to thank her, but something black creeps into my peripheral vision. Thinking it’s a cat, I ignore it. But I can’t ignore the chill shooting down my back. My vision grows a little blurry and everything begins to sway.

“Whoa.” Carly places her hands on my shoulders to steady me. “You okay?”

Blinking, I take in her green eyes and spikey, purple hair. She promised her mom she’d stop with the hair dying, but she never could. It’s part of her.

“Lizzy?” Carly asks. “What’s wrong?”

I swallow. The area around me isn’t blurry anymore. The cold sensation is no longer down my back. What in the world was that?

“Hello?” Carly snaps her fingers in my face. “Is this some sort of birthday prank? Because you’re really starting to freak me out.”

I scan around. Everything is as it should be. I must have imagined the whole thing. Smiling, I say, “Confetti, nice. And I was starting to think you were running out of ideas.”

“For you? Never. So, please tell me your birthday party is still on for tonight. It’s going to be epic.”

Epic? My party? Yeah, right.

Carly must see the expression on my face because she frowns. “It will be. Everyone is going to be there. Everyone.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

I know exactly who she’s referring to. Logan Hall.

I make my way toward school. Carly chases after me. “You’ve had a crush on him since forever.”

“Since eighth grade. Not forever.”

She rolls her eyes. “Same thing.”

I can’t help but laugh. “There are more important things than parties and boys, Carly.”

She says something, but I’m not paying attention because once again darkness seeps into the corner of my eye. The same chill goes down my spine, and the area spins.

“Okay, you need to sit down.” Carly clutches my shoulders, lowering me to the ground. “Should I call your mom?”

I shake my head. “I’m just a little dizzy.”

She nods, biting her lip. We sit in silence, until this weirdness starts to disappear. What the heck is happening to me? I can’t be the only one feeling this way, can I?

“Carly, there isn’t…I mean, you don’t…?” I can’t finish my sentence because of the look she gives me. Like I fell from another planet. The people rushing to work or school seem to be as normal as ever. No one’s collapsing to the ground. It’s safe to say I am the only one feeling this way.

“I don’t what?”

I shake my head.

“Lizzy, you’re not making any sense. And you’re, like, the most sensible person I know.”

I want to snort. If I’m so sensible, why do I feel like I’m seconds away from completely losing it? First the dream and now this?

“I…I’m just tired,” I say.

That seems to calm her down a bit, but she still looks worried. Getting up from the ground, I paste on a smile and continue on toward school. Carly hurries after me. I bring up different topics until the concern is completely gone from her eyes. Me on the other hand? My eyes keep scanning around, looking for more of that whatever it was. But everything seems normal.

At school, we separate to our lockers. I gather the books and things I need for my first period class and close my locker. And come face to face with Logan Hall.

I nearly drop my books.

He leans against the lockers, pushing his brown hair away from his forehead. “Hey, Liz.” He flashes perfect white teeth.

Hugging the books to my chest, I try to muster a smile, but my lips shake. “Hi, um, Logan.”

“Happy birthday.” He plucks something out of his jeans pocket. A card.

“Thanks.” I open it and it starts to sing happy birthday. The volume is so loud that it echoes off the hallway walls. Seriously, it’s as loud as a blow horn. Some kids look at us and laugh.

I slam the card shut, but not before I read the message inside: To the awesome Lizzy Reed. Happy birthday and I hope all your wishes and dreams come true.

Logan laughs. “Sorry. It didn’t sound that loud at the store.”

“No, it’s great. Thanks. And I love the message.”

“I meant every word.” He moves his hand toward mine and locks his fingers around my right wrist. He gently pulls my hand toward him and turns it around so that my palm faces him. “Still there, huh? I thought it was a temp.”

I have no idea what he’s talking. He’s touching my hand.

“Liz?”

I blink a few times. “What?”

“Your tat. Is it actually real?”

My eyes dip to my palm, to the black five-pointed star that’s carved into my skin. It’s so large it covers my entire palm. I’ve had it since I was a baby. Mom swears she has no idea how it got there or if it means anything. “Yeah, it’s real. I’ve had it since—”

“You’re cool, Lizzy,” he says. “And your mom must be pretty neat, too, to let you have it at fifteen.”

“Well, sixteen. It’s my birthday today.”

He and the rest of the kids don’t know the truth, that my mom didn’t let me get a tattoo. Why not pretend when it makes Logan think I’m cool?

He chuckles lightly. “I know. I’m the idiot who bought you the worst card on the planet.”

“No,” I quickly say. “It’s not the worst card on the planet. I love it. I mean, I really like it. Thanks.”

He smiles. “So why a five-pointed star?”

I shrug. “It seemed…cool.”

He flattens my palm over his and traces the lines of the star. Gosh, he’s sending this tingling feeling all over me. It takes everything I have not to yank my hand back.

Darkness creeps into the corner of my eye. I’m about to turn my head toward that direction, but then my palm stings. At the spot where Logan’s tracing my star.

A hiss escapes my lips as I grab my hand away and clutch it to my chest. The burning sensation grows stronger, traveling up my arm, my shoulder, my neck, all the way to my head, where it pounds.

“Lizzy?”

Just as quickly as the pain came, it’s gone. So is the darkness. Did I imagine the whole thing?

“Lizzy?”

I blink. “Yeah, I’m okay.” I force a smile.

He returns it. “Okay.” He bends in close. “I’ll see you tonight?”

“Tonight?”

“At your party.”

My jaw nearly reaches the floor. “You’re coming?”

“Am I not invited?”

“No! I mean, of course you are.”

He sends me another smile. “Great. I’ll see you then.”

He walks off toward his class while I stand there staring after him, trying to convince myself that conversation actually happened. Logan Hall is into me? He’s into me.

“What was that about?” Carly sneaks up behind me.

I turn around. “He’s coming to my party.”

“Told you.”

I hold out the card. “And he gave me this.”

She snatches it out of my hand, her eyes devouring the words like they’re candy. I don’t even pay attention to the loud song. “I hope all your wishes and dreams come true.” She closes the card. “Wow. He’s so into you.”

My cheeks feel hot. “I can’t wait for my party tonight.”

She wraps her arm over my shoulder. “Me, either. But first we have a long, long, long day of high school to get through.”

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About the Author

Dee J. Stone is the pseudonym of two sisters who write young adult and adult novels. The Keepers of Justice series, The Blue Masked Hero series, The World of Duriell series, Mark of Platos, The Cruiser & Lex series, The Merman’s Kiss series, The Genie’s Love series, Emily’s Curse, and Chasing Sam are now available on Amazon. You can check out Dee J. Stone here: https://deejstone.wordpress.com, email them at deej.stone@yahoo.com, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Want more stories? Hop on over to our Patreon pages and check them out! We post chapters weekly. https://www.patreon.com/deejstoneromance and https://www.patreon.com/deejstonefantasy. Thanks for your support!

Stay tuned for more titles, coming soon.