Tears blurred her vision. Yelling, cursing, screaming, she tried to stand up but couldn't. Her right leg was in so much pain she thought she would pass out. After blinking several times, she managed to clear her vision.
The zombie was gone.
Sirena shook her head. Had it tried to talk to her? She could have sworn it said, "Love." Love. Ha. What did a zombie know about love?
She had been so close too! If only her ankle hadn't rolled, she would have been able to kill it.
Slamming her fists down onto the soft sand, she winced and cried out in pain. The movement had jostled her wounded leg something fierce. Tears streamed down her face.
Closing her eyes, she recalled the strange sensation that had come over her when she had touched the zombie. The face of a handsome man had crossed her vision. A face she felt as if she should recognize although she did not. She shook her head, her thoughts returning to the agony from her leg.
"Rena? Rena! I've been looking all over for you. I couldn't find it after we split up. Did you…" Blaise ran across the beach to her then gasped. "What happened? Did it attack you?"
Sirena shook her head. "No. I was about to kill it, but I hurt myself, and it got away." She stared at the sand, unable to look Blaise in the eye as she confessed her failure. It had taken her some time to convince Blaise to allow her to hunt the zombie with him in the first place.
He bent down and examined her leg. "I think you broke it. Here." Blaise helped her to her feet.
The blood drained from her face, and she swayed. Blaise instructed her to put all of her weight onto him, but before she could, she passed out.
****
When Sirena awoke, Bethany sat near her on the bed.
"Oh, good, you're awake."
She struggled to sit up and was only able to with the handmaiden's help.
"You broke your leg," Bethany said. "The doctor splinted it for you."
"When will I be able to walk again?"
"Not for some time, I'm afraid. Now, hush, no more talking. You need to eat to build your strength back up."
Sirena could not believe her awful luck. It had taken her quite some time to master walking and running. To now be bedridden was beyond frustrating.
No amount of begging would get Bethany to give her details concerning the zombie, leaving Sirena no choice but to eat. The food was quite good, but whether she was becoming accustomed to human food or she was just hungry enough she would eat anything, Sirena couldn't be certain.
She meant to ask Bethany to fetch Blaise, but her full stomach increased her fatigue and she fell asleep.
Two weeks passed with Sirena doing little more than eating, sleeping, and putting on even more weight. At long last, there was a knock at the door and someone other than Bethany entered: Blaise.
Smiling, she used her arms to sit up in bed. "Have you good news? Is the zombie dead?"
"No, but I did fashion you a cane." He handed it to her. Made out of wood, the cane was wrapped in seaweed.
Sirena blinked back tears. "It's beautiful. Thank you." She struggled to get out of bed to test it out, but Blaise shook his head.
"The doctor has to give you the okay first."
She stuck out her lower lip. "Why sea … why seaweed?" she asked, her voice thick with emotion.
"You seem afraid of the water, but … I don't know. It suits you." He shrugged.
Sirena gulped. There it was again — the suspicion in his eyes. But how could he know her secret?
She rushed to ask, "No one has seen the zombie?"
"There have been several sightings, actually. But…" Blaise scratched his head. "The zombie hasn't attacked anyone since the day you broke your leg. It hasn't eaten anyone since before that."
Sirena furrowed her brows. "Why do you think that is?"
"I have no idea." He stood. "I had best be going. The king wants to talk to me. Oh, and the queen wanted me to tell you that your bravery is quite commendable, and you are welcome to stay here in the castle as long as you like." He nodded deeply, almost a bow, and left the room before she could say anything.
Sirena leaned against the wall while still sitting on her bed. The zombie wasn't feeding anymore. Was it not hungry anymore? Or was there another reason?
"Love," she murmured. Then she shook her head. Zombies were incapable of love.
And yet, weren't legs and mermaids incompatible as well?