“It sounds wonderful!” Aliya sighed. “But to do that, I’d have to be human, wouldn’t I?
“Yes, that’s how it would have to work.”
“But I’m a mermaid.”
“Right now you’re a mermaid, but that could change…just temporarily, of course.”
“What? Can we do that?”
“Of course we can. All you have to do is wish it.”
“I wish it!”
“Not so fast; let’s think this through. First, tell me very plainly what it is you are wishing. These things have to be precise, after all.”
Aliya thought for a moment, then asked, “You say it can only be temporary?”
“Twenty-four hours. That’s all I’m authorized to do on this sort of thing.”
It was almost the truth, and she certainly wasn’t going to mention the details of her bet with Kyne. After all, the annoying Summer Fairy hadn’t exactly specified that she had to use a human virgin. He may have indicated it, sure, but really his word had been simply “virgin.” Who could possibly be more of a virgin than a genital-free half-fish mermaid girl? She’d get Aliya to agree to this and get Kyne to admit he was overreacting in his suspicions of her interest in those wishes she was granting. Ha! Before the end of tomorrow he’d admit he was wrong and he’d go off and spend time spying on other fairies. She wouldn’t have to look into those intense, golden eyes of his and explain her actions ever again.
But Aliya seemed to be wavering. She’d seemed so eager to make her wish right at first, but suddenly Raea could sense hesitation. Perhaps she’d pushed her too hard. Mermaids were conservative creatures, not given to risk or adventure. Maybe she’d better let the girl get a little more comfortable with this outrageous idea, let things sink in a bit and let the desire for passion have time to work on her.
Yes, Aliya seemed truly affected by the human’s desire. She cared for him, in fact. When asked to make an immediate decision she might shrink back and decline, but if Raea gave her some time, she felt fairly certain the girl’s curiosity and interest in the human would win out. Raea just had to handle her carefully.
* * *
Aliya warred with her conflicted emotions. Could Raea truly be offering her such a wondrous opportunity? She would be with Devin in the way that he wanted! She could touch his soul and his body, and he could be satisfied as he desired. His pain would abate, and so would hers. She would understand the full ways of desire.
It was a terrifying proposition, of course. To be made human? Completely against the Great Code. What would her mother say if she learned of it? The consequences could be enormous. Aliya could be expelled from the community.
But that would happen only if anyone found out. Surely she could hide things for just twenty-four hours, couldn’t she? No one would suspect, so they’d never think to probe her mind for such a thing. And she could be with Devin, truly with him in every human way.
The fairy was offering something Aliya almost could not refuse. She wanted that human so badly…yet everything was at stake. How could she accept?
“But you probably shouldn’t decide right away,” Raea announced. “After all, perhaps you don’t care for that human so much.”
“I do care for him. I can feel him like no other human I’ve ever encountered.”
“So you want to do this? Well, I can’t let you. No, I’m afraid this wish is a bad idea, after all.”
“No! Please, let me wish for this, Raea. I want to.”
“Hmm, I’ll tell you what. I want you to think about it for a while. Contemplate your life, cold and damp, swimming around alone all day in this big murky lake. Then consider what you’d be doing, how you would be joining that human in ways most mermaids can’t imagine, experiencing all the pleasures of human desire. If that is truly what you want after you’ve thought about it, then I will grant your wish.”
Oh, but the way the fairy described it was so tantalizing, indeed. She wanted Devin so badly she could taste him even now. Yes, she could carefully consider, but she knew already which way her desire was leaning.
“All right. I will think about it. When must I decide?”
“Tonight, just as the sun is setting on the horizon,” Raea replied. “If his boat returns, meet me nearby. If you truly want me to grant you your wish, then I will consider. But remember, it is for twenty-four hours only, and then all will be returned to the way it should be. You will be a mermaid again, and he will forget his obsession and return to his life on the land.”
“And he will forget about me? About everything?”
“Yeah, that’s the deal. I agree it doesn’t sound like a perfect happily ever after, but it will solve our immediate problems.”
“He’ll be spared from the Old Revenge. He’ll have some hours of pleasure and will be released from his obsession. And you are certain he’ll forget me? He won’t waste away searching for something he’ll never find?”
“Well, not thanks to this Old Revenge thing,” Raea replied. “He’s still a human, and they are prone to a lot of useless pining. No doubt he’ll be right back out here with one of his females.”
The thought of Devin with another woman cut into her, but of course she had no right, no reason to feel anything like that. Perhaps, though, if she gave him all that he wanted, his loneliness would be lessened even once she was gone. Perhaps he would not need so many wishes with other females. She would certainly keep that in her thoughts.
“Very well. I will contemplate all of this and will meet you at sunset to give you my answer.”
“Fine. I will look for you then,” the fairy said, then added offhandedly, “if you decide to come back.”
“I will. I promise you that.”
They said brief good-byes and Raea went off to grant more wishes somewhere. Aliya sank down into the water. The fairy had been right; it was cold and murky. Aliya did spend most of her days alone, just as she said. It was simply the way of things and she’d never thought anything of it. Not until now, at least.
Now that she’d met Devin. After feeling his touch, knowing what true warmth felt like, she could hardly feel satisfied with the life she’d always known. How could this be? Had her interaction with him already changed her in some way, even without the help of Fairy Dust? What could this mean for her future?
If she already felt so very changed, how would she feel after twenty-four hours experiencing him as a human? Would she be content to return to her life? Perhaps Raea was right and she ought to think long and hard about this.
The sun was sending bright beams down into the water now and she realized it was time for Morning Gathering. This was not a mandatory thing, but perhaps given the circumstances she ought to show up. Not only would it be a good idea to present herself and assure everyone that all things in her watch area were quite well, but the community would be less likely to notice if she did not show up tomorrow. Yes, she would present herself today and use the opportunity to truly evaluate her options.
Was this life worth rejecting Raea’s offer, or would she dare risk everything for twenty-four hours of the sweetest imaginable wish?
She left her watch area and swam along the lake bottom. The upper shelf dropped off dramatically and she followed the sheer sides down, down into the darkest depths of the Great Lake. Sunlight couldn’t penetrate here, but she had other senses that were every bit as accurate as sight. She could feel the rock formations around her as surely as if she could see them. Vibrations from currents and creatures resounded around her, forming detailed images in her brain so that she could maneuver as surely as if she had been at the surface.
The gathering was already under way. She could feel the minds gathered in the semicircular cleft of the deepest valley in this part of the lake. The erratic formations in this area made it the best possible place for those like her to make their home. Humans had no reason to visit this area, and their sensing devices were inaccurate when mapping the floor. The Veil extended around this area, made strong by the energy from
mermaid minds, keeping their world perfectly hidden. They could gather at will and never worry about human detection.
She felt her mother’s mind greet her as she moved into the circle. Mother was nearby, along with some of her sisters and aunts and several dozen other mermaids who were well known to Aliya. She sent a friendly greeting back to her mother and was glad to feel that heavy matters were being discussed today. Her mother was distracted by these and paid no mind to any of the things lingering deeper in Aliya’s mind.
She turned her focus to listening, taking in the matters at hand.
It seemed one of her older sisters was being commended for rescuing a human child who had fallen unseen off a boat. If Teela had not been carefully monitoring, it could have been several more minutes before the family aboard even noticed he was gone. Acting immediately, Teela created a disturbance that alerted the humans to the child’s distress and he was saved without anyone suspecting mermaid intervention.
What could have turned into a tragedy that brought entire fleets of search and rescue vehicles out here had been heroically averted. The child was preserved, the humans were happy, and the mermaids did not have to worry about being discovered. Teela truly did deserve her commendation.
Mother was exceedingly proud of her, as of course all of them were. When one mermaid acted honorably, then honor was brought to the whole community. Aliya sent her thoughts of pride and appreciation to her older sister, which was the proper thing to do. Teela gave a casual reply and the discussion continued.
Other matters were brought up—concern over a new human facility that was being constructed and would most likely mean the introduction of certain chemical compounds into the water, and a plan was decided upon for monitoring this. Mother was especially gifted in areas that dealt with things of this nature, so her opinion was sought and given. No further attention was paid to Aliya, and when the time for general reports was announced, she needed to do nothing more than send thoughts of peace and assurance.
No one asked her any questions and she was happily ignored beyond anything more than polite, superficial greetings. This was the usual way of things. No one had any reason at all to worry that she might have extraordinary things on her mind and she gave them no reason to probe. It was a typical Morning Gathering and she should have left the lake floor with a sense of contentment and belonging.
She did not. As the group pleasantly disbanded with the usual polite well-wishing all around, she took an extra moment to reach out for her mother. Somehow, she felt the need for that extra touch from one of her kind. Mother responded, quite pleased, actually, and even took the extra effort to move closer to Aliya so that she felt her presence almost tangibly in the dark waters.
“I am happy to find you here, Aliya,” Mother said. “You are proud of your sister?”
“Very proud, Mother,” she replied. “Teela is a credit to you.”
“To all of us. As are you, of course. No doubt you will have your day of honor at one of our gatherings. All of my children give benefit to the community.”
“Yes, Mother. I…we try to do right.”
“All of my daughters make my name great in the community, just as my mother’s name is still revered to this day. It is good to connect with you, Aliya. I am happy you are well.”
“Thank you, Mother,” she replied, hoping the niggling worries of guilt in the back of her mind weren’t obvious in the vibrations around her.
But Mother’s mind was too caught up with Teela’s success and the concerns of the community for her to notice the things Aliya was keeping carefully hidden. Her life here was good, and she was proud of her mother and the honor of her heritage. The community was peaceful and she could count on everyone to work tirelessly to preserve that. Everything was calm and predictable and just the way it should be. She had nothing to fear and a long, secure future ahead of her.
Was she really going to sacrifice all of that for twenty-four hours with a human? She was only a mermaid, after all. They were not a species known for courage and impulsive behavior. She knew nothing of passion and risk. Her life revolved around responsibility and honor; they were the only reasons she had been given life. How could she possibly consider anything outside of that?
* * *
Raea made another pass over the boat. Yes, the human had returned to the lake just as on so many evenings before. The sun shone as a huge, fiery ball resting on the horizon. The man’s wishes filled the air around Raea and she knew he was in the full throes of his lustful fixation.
He wanted that mermaid. But where was she? Had Raea gambled too much? Maybe she shouldn’t have let the girl swim away, to go off and think of things all day. It had only given her time to forget her desire, to remember who she was and what she was. Now Raea was left with a sex-crazed human and a wager that was nowhere near being won. How was she going to locate another virgin in the short time their arrangement allowed for?
But wait…what was that in the water? By the Skies, it was Aliya. So, the mermaid had shown up, after all. Raea darted down toward the glinting surface of the water to greet her.
“I was afraid you might not show up,” she said as Aliya burst through the surface.
“I very nearly didn’t. I kept thinking how my actions would dishonor my people.”
“So you aren’t going to make your wish? You can see the human is here, and I assure you, he hasn’t forgotten.”
“No, I can feel that. He…he is making his desires very well known.”
“His desire for you,” Raea added. “He’s been sending up wishes all day long.”
“And you haven’t granted them?”
“He’s wishing for you. And he didn’t bring a female with him tonight.”
“He didn’t?”
“No. As we worried, he’s truly obsessed. I don’t know what else to do, if you won’t help him through this…”
“I will help him! That’s why I’m here.”
Raea tried not to look smug. Things had gone her way, after all. She would win her bet and Kyne would give up his suspicions of her. She’d be doing a good deed for her friend, too. Aliya really seemed to care about this human. It would be a great relief to know that he would give up his silly obsession. Yes, all the way around she was pleased with her accomplishment.
“You’re ready now?” she clarified.
“Yes. I’m ready. I can’t leave him in his obsession, Raea. It’s my fault for letting him see me, so it’s my responsibility to help him now. You will grant me my wish, won’t you?”
“Yes, of course. As long as you understand the terms.”
“I do. Twenty-four hours, then everything is back to the way it should be. He is released and he won’t die.”
“Not from that stupid Old Revenge, at least. Go ahead; make your wish.”
Aliya beamed. She held herself up very straight in the water and met Raea’s eyes with a huge, confident smile.
“I wish to become human for one day and spend it with Devin so he can have enough of me and forget all about that terrible obsession and be safe from the Old Revenge.”
Raea smiled. Ah, easy as cake. The wager was hers for the winning. Kyne was an idiot.
“Okay, sweetheart. Now, hold on to your gills because this is kind of a biggie. I don’t think I’ve ever done a mermaid before!”
Chapter Eight
It was nearly sunset and Devin urged the boat to slip faster through the water. Ridiculous, he knew, but Aliya was out there. All day he’d tried to make sense of things and he finally ended up leaving the office early and heading for the boat.
He had to find her. Was she real or simply his fantasy? He had no idea. His body thought she was real. Did that make any sense? Absolutely not. He didn’t care.
So here he was, sailing aimlessly out into the water, convinced somewhere in this vast expanse he would find a mermaid. A real one. Positively insane. But of course he couldn’t stop himself. He had to find her.
How long had it been since he’d
brought the boat out here alone? He couldn’t recall. After he lost Judith he’d been afraid to be alone out here. It would have been too tempting to give himself over to the water and never go back, so he always came out only when he brought a guest.
And few of them ever got a second invitation. He hadn’t wanted anyone to become familiar, hadn’t wanted to get used to a face. It was better that way.
But not today. Today all he could think of was Aliya. All he could see in his mind was her face. Now, with the first hint of pink seeping into the late afternoon sky, hers was the only face that was familiar to him. Even Judith’s features were obscured, tangled in his memory with pale skin and crystalline eyes that matched the lake.
Somehow his little mermaid had taken him over.
Had it been merely the physical connection? Possibly. That had been indescribable. But that wasn’t the whole of it. No, there was more than just lust.
Sure, he wanted her. His body had been taut, tense, anticipating her all day. But there was another aspect he couldn’t even grasp. Something inside her, that psychic thing she had going on. Her mind had managed to wrap itself around him and hadn’t let go, not even after he’d slept a few hours, not after a day at work, and not now.
The fact that he would find her was as undeniable as the fact that he must breathe. Aliya was here. And he would find her. Eventually. Somehow.
“I just wish I knew where she was.”
A fish splashed beside his boat. Light from the sun’s sinking rays played like Fairy Dust on the water. And Devin’s eyes shifted to a formless glow, some sort of shape that appeared in shadow just off to the north. It hovered over the water. No…his eyes were playing tricks. It was in the water. He hadn’t noticed it before, but now he couldn’t take his eyes from it.
A tree? Driftwood? Out here? Maybe, but there was something more, something far more precious than the floating bits of vegetation. He knew without thinking that Aliya was there. He wasn’t sure exactly how he knew it, but the certainty was there. In a heartbeat he had scrambled the boat to port and glided toward the floating object.
Kissed by the Wave: A Forbidden Realm Novel Page 7