Merciless

by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

  Liv listened to the voices bouncing around inside the Great Hall. Roen, Lyle, Dana, Holden, Dr. Fuller, Amelia, everyone was there. Even the mermen who were once loyal to Shane now ranted with anger over what had been done to Liv.

  And then there were those whom she’d never met. She couldn’t count them all, but there had to be well over a thousand women, some standing inside the cavern and just outside, every one of them vowing to do whatever it took to save Liv.

  It was very touching.

  “We will not let history repeat,” said Jason, who was one of the men who’d thrown her to the maids to be eaten alive. Of course, he had been under orders and mermen were notoriously loyal, so she didn’t exactly hold a grudge. “I owe you and Liv everything, Roen. You gave me back Amelia. You freed us. I can’t…”

  I don’t believe it. Is mister tough-guy merman crying?

  Liv listened to a crack in his voice followed by the distinct sound of a hiccup. Ohmygod. Why can’t I see this?

  “Roen, please tell me someone is videotaping this just in case I get my body back, because I really want to see a merman cry.”

  “Hey. Do not make fun of me,” Jason grumbled.

  “You can hear me?” Liv asked.

  “Yes. I can.” Even he sounded surprised.

  “Anyone else?” Liv asked.

  An ocean of voices responded.

  “But how? Why now?” Liv wondered aloud.

  “I think,” Roen said, his voice deeper and louder than all of the others, “if you open yourselves to Liv, you’ll be able to hear her.”

  “Liv? Oh shit. Liv! Are you okay?” Dana said.

  “I’m here, honey. I’m fine.” Liv felt the connection growing stronger.

  It’s amazing. For years, she’d hypothesized that the bond between people wasn’t simply mental or emotional. There was something real that connected one person to another—mothers and children, soul mates, siblings, best friends—however, people today simply lacked the science to measure it. But her thesis paper had focused on this very thing. She’d even gone as far as creating experiments to measure brain waves of a person when someone who loved them thought about them. It proved that the connection between people far exceeded the sentimental realm. Love’s reach went beyond what anyone could see or sense.

  She glowed with a sense of deep, humbling emotion. She couldn’t see, but she could feel the connection with these people who loved her. Of course, the connection with Roen and Dana felt stronger.

  “If I had a body right now, I’d be passing out hugs. Thank you, everyone. Can I ask a question here?” Liv wondered aloud. “I read some of the old translated text. One of them said that your people once had the power to control the air and water around them. It said that mermen and mermaids were once beautiful and magical. If this place draws from the energy of everyone, would it—I mean, wouldn’t I be more powerful if…well, you know?”

  “You mean that we should stop drinking the water,” Roen said.

  “It suppresses the fish gene—or whatever,” Dana pointed out.

  “We are not fish, woman,” chimed in one of the men.

  “What I think Dana is trying to say is that in our human forms,” Roen said, “we are weaker because we are not in our natural state. If we were to return, we could be more powerful.”

  Liv could feel everyone connecting the dots, just as she had. If they were all connected and she and this place could literally draw their energy, wouldn’t she be more powerful if they were more powerful? “I might be able to push Salla out if I were strong enough.”

  “We owe everything to you and Roen,” said Lyle. “I will stop drinking the water.”

  “No. You should stay here by my side,” Roen argued. “I may need you if something should happen to me.”

  “I think we should all stop drinking the water,” Holden said. “Everyone except for Lyle. Hell, who knows? Maybe we’ll like being fish again.”

  Multiple people booed him. They hated being called fish.

  “Then it’s decided,” Roen announced. “We are going to stop drinking the water immediately and give Liv everything we can so that she can send Salla straight to hell. Or wherever the foke evil souls of our kind go.”

  “Roen…” Liv said. “I didn’t mean we’d do this today. We have to wait until after the baby is born.”

  “So she’ll have a chance to kill it? No. We do this as soon as possible.”

  “My body has no heart, Roen.”

  “You will do exactly as Salla has done.”

  Meaning she’d do what? Make a heart out of water and push it into her body?

  “I don’t know how,” Liv said.

  “Liv, let me ask you this: do you believe that Salla has good intentions for our child? Do you believe that she wouldn’t kill it in a heartbeat to serve her own purpose?”

  “No. And no.”

  “Then we must take this risk. If you fail to push Salla out, I do not believe she’d give up your body or destroy it—she’s wanted her freedom for far too long.”

  Roen had a point. If Liv failed, little would change. And she agreed that Salla would not give up her body or change course. They lost nothing by trying.

  Liv wanted to draw a sobering breath, but that was what people did—people who had lungs.

  “Promise me,” Liv said, “if anything goes wrong, if it looks like she’s going to threaten the baby, that you’ll all back down.”

  No one spoke up and Liv could feel the anxiety spike.

  “There’s been enough dying,” Liv said, “and now we all know the truth about this place, about her…it’s only a question of time before we end Salla. Let’s not do that at the sacrifice of one more innocent soul.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Later that evening after the meeting concluded, Roen called Salla and set the wheels in motion. He had only his faith in his love for Liv and the ruthless instincts he’d cultivated in his human life to guide him through this.

  “What? You’re at the island?” Salla barked over the phone.

  “I am not well,” Roen explained.

  “Oh. When did this start?” she said innocently.

  “I think the moment I left the island. I don’t know for sure, but I passed out, and when I woke, I asked the pilots to fly me here.”

  “Did you drink the sacred water?” she asked.

  “Yes. But—” he coughed for effect “—it only gave me temporary relief. I thought if I came back here, I might heal. I don’t know what that foking island did to me.” Roen didn’t want her to suspect that he’d caught on. He had to convince her that he was still blinded by the body and face of Liv.

  “How are you feeling now?” she asked.

  “I won’t lie; I feel the same.”

  “I’m coming there.”

  “No,” he protested. “There’s nothing you can do and the island is not safe for you. Now that you’re carrying our child, you must stay away from this place.”

  “Roen—”

  “Listen to me, Liv. You heard how I spoke to you before. I treated you like shit, and I didn’t care. Something is happening to me. Something bad. You must stay away.”

  He heard a loud sigh. “If you are not well, I must be at your side.”

  It was exactly as Roen hoped, but they weren’t quite ready for her yet.

  “I cannot prevent you from coming,” he said, “but I ask you to do what’s right for our child.” Of course, she didn’t give a shit about the child, and she would try to get on a plane to the island as soon as possible. Unfortunately for her, there were only three corporate jets. One was on the island. The other two were in for repairs—a manufactured coincidence, of course. “I’ll call you later, but I have to go now.”

  “Okay,” she said solemnly.

  Now all that was left to do was focus everything they had on Liv. If anyone could finally put an end to Salla, it was her. The love of his life with a heart big enough to fuel an entire island with hope.

  ~~~ />
  Three days later…

  “She’s on her way,” said Lyle.

  “What? Now? We need another day. Or perhaps even two.” Roen set his book down on the coffee table in front of the fireplace. He’d been reading to Liv, listening to music with her, and spending every moment he could laughing and sharing memories. The good ones, anyway. There had been so little time for the two of them to simply talk and know one another. Liv, for example, told him that when she was growing up, she and her two sisters had dressed up as mermaids for several Halloweens. “It was fate you became my mate, then,” he’d said. He’d told her how when he was little his best memory was of his mother’s smile. Things had never been easy for him and Lyle growing up, but her warm eyes and reassuring smile never failed to comfort him.

  Meanwhile, life around them on the island had slowly begun to change. He and Lyle were the only ones taking water. The rest of the men—nearly two hundred total—had all decided to endure the painful change back to their natural state. Even some of the women asked to be bitten, but Liv wouldn’t hear of it. She said they’d all suffered enough.

  So now it was up to the mermen to make this happen. What everyone wondered, given how the island had changed, was if they would become those creatures with the yellow glowing eyes or turn into the creature of their legends. No one knew.

  “She got tired of waiting. She chartered a plane,” Lyle explained.

  “Foke. That gives us five hours at most,” Roen said.

  “I think we should rethink this, Roen. We’re not ready,” Liv chimed in.

  “I think we need to check in with Dr. Fuller first.” She’d been monitoring everyone and documenting their transformations. Like before, each man was growing weak and black spots appeared on his skin. And as of this morning, about half looked like they were about to die—shallow breathing, weak pulse, coma-like state. “If we need more time, we’ll have to figure something out.”

  “You can always take her to bed,” Lyle suggested.

  Roen shot him a look.

  “What?” He shrugged. “It will keep her busy for a few minutes.”

  “Very foking funny, brother. Can you be serious for a moment?” Roen grumbled.

  “I am being serious. Pretend to be excited to see her. Spend the next few days keeping her in your room.”

  Roen hung his head. “I can’t. There’s no way my cock will get hard for her.”

  “You’re a foking merman. You’ve faced greater challenges.”

  “He’s right, Roen,” Liv chimed in. “You have to buy us more time. No one’s transformed yet.”

  Foking bloody hell.

  “Just pretend it’s me,” Liv pushed.

  That was impossible. His imagination wasn’t a superpower. “I will try to play the role of passionate mate and attempt to distract her. But if it doesn’t work, be ready to move forward, Liv. Do what you can.”

  “Just remember. You promised me that you’d back down if she threatens our baby.”

  “I will. I promise,” Roen said.

  “Okay, then tell everyone it’s time for radio silence. They can’t hear me. I can’t hear them. Salla can’t know that we’re all so strongly connected now, and she certainly can’t know that you and I have been talking. Complete radio silence.”

  Everyone had already discussed this point before they initiated the plan. Hopefully no one would slip up. Salla would arrive, see the island in a new state—that couldn’t be helped—and Roen would whisk her away to bed while everyone else finished transforming. Once Dr. Fuller gave the green light, Liv would begin pulling strength from them and push Salla out. To where? No one knew. But the souls of the dead went somewhere. Liv simply had to break Salla’s bond to this place.

  “Just one last thing, Roen: I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Liv.”

  “I’m afraid,” she said.

  As was he, but the one thing he’d come to learn from all of this was that one couldn’t give up hoping and trying. If you failed, you just dusted yourself off and kept going. How many times had he almost died these past few months? How many times had they faced the impossible? Honestly, he’d lost count. But as long as life kept giving him chances, he’d keep taking them.

  “The mermen have a saying, Liv. There is a time to eat. There is a time to fuck. And there is a time to kill.”

  “Jeez. How inspirational. I’m feeling the tingles of victory already.”

  “The point is, Liv, there is nothing else. It doesn’t say a time to feel sorry for yourself or give up. It doesn’t say there is a time for fear or even a time to die. Because those aren’t options. There is only living and fighting. That’s it.”

  Liv sighed.

  “So what time is it?”

  “Time to kill,” she said reluctantly.

  “Try it with a little more conviction, woman.” Roen laughed.

  “I’ll never make a good merman.”

  “There’s a reason Salla chose you; you’re strong. Stronger than she is. You just don’t know it yet. And with us helping you, you’ll be even stronger. Now, can I get another one? What time is it?”

  “Oh, stop being so corny. I think I liked you better when you were a complete hard-ass.”

  “What’s that? I couldn’t hear you. Did you say you like my hard ass?”

  Liv laughed. “No, I said—”

  “Because I cannot blame you. It is mighty and strong like a manly oak. Or is my ass more like two halves of a boulder? I don’t know.”

  Her laughter died down. “I love you, Roen. Whatever happens, just know that I’m glad I got to meet you—it’s been one hell of a ride.”

  “The ride’s not over yet, my love. It’s just getting started.”

  But as that plane grew closer, even he could feel Salla’s cold presence growing stronger. There’s no time for doubt, man. That’s not on the list of options either.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Roen felt Liv’s spirit all around him. It was the one thing giving him comfort in this very critical moment.

  Salla was only a few minutes away, and according to Dr. Fuller, no one had completed the transformation.

  “It can’t be long now,” Dr. Fuller said, looking up at Roen with her deep, worry-filled brown eyes, holding a stethoscope over Holden’s heart. “His body is fighting, but he’s barely got a pulse.”

  “I think you need to lock yourself in a room upstairs—just to be safe,” Roen said.

  “Why would I do that? Someone’s got to stay and document what happens,” Dr. Fuller argued.

  Stubborn landlover. They were always so damned curious. Funny, he sort of liked it. It reminded him of Liv. Nevertheless… “If they turn into those voracious creatures, you’ll be nothing but a meal to them.”

  “I’m not leaving Holden.”

  Roen looked at her, beginning to understand the situation. “You like him.”

  “He’s a doctor. I’m a doctor. We have a lot in common, including our fascination with this island. And he’s still single.” She shrugged.

  “Okay. Well…good luck to you, then. I hope he doesn’t bite your head off. Literally.”

  “I’ll take that risk. Good luck with Salla,” she said.

  “Thank you. Where’s Dana?”

  “She’s doing the rounds with Lyle, checking on everyone and reporting back in to me.”

  Holden groaned, and Dr. Fuller leaned down and kissed his forehead. For a moment, Roen could see the spark of love in her eyes.

  Of course, mermen were irresistible to human women. That said, he could see that perhaps her feelings were more than lust. Given how long Holden had been alone, mateless, he could see him being happy with a smart woman like Dr. Fuller.

  “You two would have beautiful children together.” Holden was your typical-looking Irish, pale skin, bright green eyes, curly, long flaming red hair. Dr. Fuller was a lean, athletic beautiful black woman with short curly hair.

  She gave Roen a strange look. “Do I look crazy
to you? I’m not marrying a fish.”

  Roen glared at her, and she cracked a smile.

  “Ha. Funny,” Roen said.

  “I’m sorry, you know. I’m sorry for all of the trouble I caused everyone.”

  “It wasn’t your fault,” Roen replied. “You were a pawn—no different than any of us. And now, you’re going to help us usher in a new era.”

  “We could heal a lot of people with the water here,” she said.

  Generations from now, this island might be the key to stopping much larger problems on the planet. And there wasn’t enough water here to save every sick person in the world. “Tell the public about this place—the instant healing effects of the water—and every government in the world will be fighting to get their hands on it. The powerful and greedy will destroy this island. We must protect this place, study it, learn from it. With that knowledge, we can do more than simply help a few people.”

  She blinked at him and smiled. “I guess you’re right.”

  He dipped his head. “Now all we need is a little luck. Be careful, Dr. Fuller. Once he changes, he’ll be hungry.”

  She winked at him. “Oh. I hope so.”

  Oh-foking-kay.

  ~~~

  Roen stood at the end of the landing strip, feeling like he was about to go on stage in front of an audience of thousands. Yes, it was something he did well, like any CEO who had to give speeches in front of one hundred and fifty thousand employees or investors all around the world. Being under pressure was where he excelled.

  This situation, however, was an audience of just one, but everything was on the line. Breathe slowly. Calm. Confident. You are foking Roen Doran.

  The plane’s doors flew open and the small staircase extended out. Salla emerged looking like she’d put some effort into dressing more like a grown-up—a snug T-shirt and jeans. She’d left her hair down today.

  Showtime. He pasted on a smile, but did not go to her. He had to act as though he wasn’t feeling well, as he’d told her on the phone.

  Holding a small travel bag, Salla made her way to him, the expression on her face as she looked around displaying her shock.