by Anne Bourne
“Come on, maybe getting your whole body wet will help,” he said mischievously.
“I can’t swim very well,” she said and lowered herself into the water. Holding on to the ladder she idled there.
“I remember,” Gabriel responded and swam over to her. He tried to place her hands around his neck but she pulled back with an arched brow.
“I am capable of handling myself.”
He chuckled, “Fine.”
Despite her words, Ephyra struggled at first to remain balanced. She had to admit that Gabriel’s swimming ability impressed her. He glided through the water as if he were a merman.
“If I may offer some advice, kick your legs,” he instructed haughtily and she gave him a glare.
Ephyra was surprised when her human body managed to make some headway in the water. The movement was jerky and very unlike her tail but she stayed afloat to breathe. It was a foreign thing to be this buoyant on the surface. She had been afraid of falling heavily under the water, dragged to the depths by legs she still couldn’t control on land or sea. Ephyra was reluctant to let go of him but soon found herself dog paddling next to Gabriel.
“Why don’t you try the snorkel so you can stay under the water?” he suggested.
Gabriel reached into the boat to pull out a black tube that looked like the letter J and a set of plastic web feet.
“Make sure this part stays above the surface or you’ll get mouthful of salt. And the fins should help you with the kicking.” He geared her up with the equipment.
Ephyra was delighted at how the fins propelled her even faster through the water. She had seen humans using them before and had simply thought they wanted to be mermaids. Her anxiety lessened in the water. She knew exactly where they were — near a secret spot she and Muriel often visited to chat. Did she dare look for it to see if it had survived Erebos’ attack?
“There’s a spot I think I remember,” she said tentatively to Gabriel. “Would you like to swim over with me and check it out?”
Ephyra could practically hear his skeptical thoughts. She remembers a random place in the middle of the ocean? But she just beckoned him and set off, leaving Gabriel no real choice. He donned his own mask, wiggled the snorkel in place and sunk under the waves. The sun’s rays illuminated the coral but instead of shades of colors, she saw only a wide, gray expanse. It was depressing to see such life had been destroyed.
They passed over the patch and the reef returned to normal. Stalks of coral were broken here and there, but the marine life splashed to life in vibrant colors that peeped out. Crabs walked along the rocks, blending in with the décor. Gabriel steered away from a jellyfish that hung suspended, its tentacles spread for a meal.
Ephyra made sure to stay close to Gabriel, telling herself it was only because she feared for his safety. He didn’t know the dangers could come from more than sharks or stingrays. She liked watching his smooth, powerful movements in the water and more than once, she caught him fixated on her. Ephyra couldn’t deny she liked it. She led him under a cavern and then up through a maze of rock. They popped to the surface in the middle of a cave pool.
“Wow, this is amazing. I didn’t think anything like this existed.”
Gabriel craned his head to get a better look at the rocks lined in various patterns along the walls — and there were even convenient structures that doubled as small steps. He climbed up on them, taking off his mask.
“No one makes it out here often,” Ephyra said under her breathe. This particular cavern was a place that was shielded by merfolk magic. Humans could stumble upon it but they couldn’t ever find it again.
Ephyra stayed in the water, enjoying floating. She was shyly pleased at how much he liked the place. The water lapped softly at the rocks and sparkled down in little waterfalls from small holes in the ceiling.
“Wish I had a camera.” Gabriel smiled at her.
The sunlight bathed his body and for a moment Ephyra thought he resembled one of the pictures in the tales passed around the merfolk. Head tilted back, hair black with water and muscles ready for action. He took her attitude in stride and Ephyra almost felt bad for dragging him around like a helpless seal pup.
She was about to say something when she sensed a presence to her left. Ephyra looked just in time to see the one of Erebos’ spies from her nightmares, its giant eye staring at her and its spiny body slunk in the water. She let out a terrified squeak and began flailing to get out of the water.
Through her screeches, she heard Gabriel’s splash as he leaped into the pool to try to drag her out of harm’s way. She saw him reach forward for her and miss.
“Don’t! It’s poisonous!” she shouted.
Gabriel heard her but she saw determination on his face to get to her. He froze for a second in terror as he came face to face with the great eye. The yellow orb, slit by a black scythe-like mark glared at him. Without warning, spines shot out from its sides and scraped his arm. He pushed Ephyra away as it thrashed toward her.
Ephyra saw the creature pulling him under the water; saw the panic on his face when Gabriel realized he was running out of air. She grabbed a rock and plunged toward him. Together they slashed in desperation at the one-eyed monster fish. Blood pooled around them in a hazy cloud. The fish floated to the bottom, dead, but Ephyra saw a shadow of another dart away. Another of Erebos’ spies.
Gabriel gasped at the surface and dragged himself up onto the rocks where he collapsed. Ephyra was beside him in an instant, her concerned face hovering over his. She could see the poison already running in his system. He’d be feeling hot and chilled at the same time.
Ephyra carefully examined the deep gashes on his chest and arms. She bit her lip worriedly. The fact he was still alive was a miracle in itself. She wouldn’t let it go to waste.
“I’ll be right back,” she told him and dove into the water again.
Carefully, she searched the reef for the roseate snails. She knew the spy would probably report to Erebos within hours and they still had this little matter of getting back to the boat. Ephyra shook it away — there would be time to do that if Gabriel lived. She shuddered.
A colorful, slow trail alerted her to the snails. She plucked two and kneaded them in her hands even as she swam to motivate their slime production. Thrusting herself up out of the water, she applied them to Gabriel’s wounds. Instantly, she saw the color change, the wounds closing, and the inflammation going down.
He was still struggling to breathe and to open his eyes. Ephyra could only imagine the pain he was enduring. Tears blurred her vision, and she wiped them away in frustration. It was such a human thing to do. She found herself rambling, wanting him to know the truth, and the truth was easier to confess while he was half unconscious. Something had snapped in her heart and she couldn’t live with herself if she was responsible for his death.
“I’ve never seen a human win against a Shoal spy.”
Gabriel’s eyes fluttered at her last words. She watched as he worked to move his arms and legs, muscle shaking under the toxin’s effect.
He opened his eyes and tried to smile to reassure her until he became aware of the mass of bites and scratches across his torso. His raised eyebrows said it all.
“They’ll heal over and you shouldn’t have any scars. The toxins will wear off in a while. But I need to tell you the truth,” Ephyra whispered, her eyes full of fear. “I don’t have amnesia or whatever it is you think I have.”
Gabriel tried again to speak, but his vocal cords were frozen. She saw him probing her eyes with his, wanting to understand.
“I must leave to protect you,” Ephyra took a deep breath. “I’m not human. I don’t know much about living on land.” She tried to shrug nonchalantly, but the gesture wasn’t convincing, even to her. “I didn’t expect you’d stay with me. I can’t let anything happen to you because of
me. I’m a mermaid.” Ephyra let the words ring out in the cave.
She nearly laughed out loud. “A mermaid on the run actually, I need to find a warrior on land.” Ephyra stroked his hair, his brow, knowing it was probably the only time he’d let her.
His eyes were darting all around her face, searching for lies but finding only fact. She held his face in her hands, the better to memorize those indigo eyes, the stubble on his jaw and the wonderful heart that had saved her. The toxin was slowly working its way out of his system but he couldn’t yet move his body.
“You know the way out of here. It should be safe for you, but as soon as you can, get back to your boat,” Ephyra sighed and leaned down. With a swift motion she kissed his cheek and then splashed into the water. The fins on her feet propelled her down and under the pass to exit the cave.
Her heart was like a compass that wanted to point her back to his side, to feel something she’d only heard about. But her mind wouldn’t let it and Ephyra swam as hard and fast as she could to the shore. They hadn’t sailed all that far and she reached the beach without difficulty. Their white boat still bobbed in the ocean, anchored and waiting for the next adventure. She had no doubt he would live, but she wondered how she would live without him.
Chapter Fourteen
Gabriel faded in and out consciousness but finally felt strong enough to sit up. The sunlight was weaker but not quite twilight. He saw the cuts and bites were actually healed and only a faint trace was left. That’s when he remembered Ephyra’s words, spoken in what he had assumed at the time was a hallucination brought on by the attack.
Did she say mermaid? He shook his head. Maybe she did, maybe she didn’t. Gabriel had never had slime cure bites before, so could mermaids be far behind? He stood shakily and reached down to retrieve his snorkel and mask on the ground.
Get to your boat as fast as you can, her words floated back to him. Gabriel slipped the mask on and gently eased himself into the chilly water. He dove swiftly and left the cave behind. Checking the Invicta, he saw it was nearly the time to turn the boat back in. The sun was sinking into the horizon as he motored back to the harbor. He hoped the rental guy didn’t remember he’d gone out with a woman and returned alone.
Gabriel slipped his shirt on, hoisted the bag over his shoulder, and turned in the keys to the boat. The man merely nodded at him. Gabriel flipped open his phone to find three texts and a voicemail waiting. He listened to Marcus’s worried voice and sat in his car, deciding whether it warranted going straight over there or going back to the hotel for a shower.
Gabriel conferred with his watch again and saw it was almost seven P.M. He opted for the hot shower first and steered the Mazda toward the hotel.
How hard will it be to find a woman who doesn’t know anything about human customs? He couldn’t dump the thought from his mind as he showered and changed. He also couldn’t understand why it mattered so much to him. He’d met her for a few days and now he needed to be next to her, to be the one to expose her to new things?
Exactly forty minutes later, he parked and walked into the dimly lit Hannah’s BBQ. He gingerly sat down in a booth, across from Marcus’s pale and nervous face.
“Okay,” Gabriel groaned as he moved his abdomen. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong with you?” Marcus asked in concern.
“Nothing.” He grimaced. The waitress interrupted any further conversation.
“What can I get ya?” She smacked her lips and held a pad of paper.
“Scotch on the rocks,” Gabriel said, in need of alcohol. “And the black Angus burger, medium rare.”
“You ready now, hun?” She turned her attention to Marcus.
“Same burger, thanks.”
She walked away and Marcus turned to his brother.
“Look, I’m sorry about the fight … ”
“Wow, was that an apology?” Gabriel cut him off sarcastically. Marcus only smiled, refusing to take the bait.
“Sure. I know I should be more responsible, I get that. But I’m in a bit more trouble than I can handle at the moment,” Marcus swallowed apprehensively.
“Funny, it seems to hit us both down here,” Gabriel reflected.
Marcus noted his brother’s drawn face and the scratches on his face.
“You go first,” Gabriel said as he finished the Scotch.
Marcus gulped. “I made a deal with a man named Sanchez, yes, he’s a drug lord and yes, I realize I am a retard. My partner pretty much just sold me out a few hours ago.”
Gabriel eyed him with a raised brow. He accepted the scotch from the waitress.
“Okay, and?”
“And my partner, Red, told him we could find whatever Sanchez is looking for. He expects the job to be done and I can’t do it.” Marcus blew out a frustrated breath.
“You owe him money, don’t you? How much,” Gabriel asked wearily.
“More than I’d ask to borrow.”
“What does this Sanchez want?” Gabriel watched his brother roll his eyes.
“He wants anything unusual from the sea, probably a damn mermaid,” Marcus said and snorted sarcastically.
Gabriel glanced at him sharply to see if he was kidding. There was no way Marcus could know about Ephyra … he felt his heart beating faster.
“And why does he think you can find one?”
“Because I’ve found half the dives around here and remember Australia? I got written up in a book for that one,” Marcus said with a small grin. He sobered quickly. “Remember dad used to say they were around if you looked hard enough?”
“I found a mermaid,” Gabriel said suddenly, unable to keep the words from pouring out of his mouth. He wanted to try them out loud and see if he believed it anymore. He instantly regretted it when Marcus’ eyes lit up and he learned forward.
“No shit.” Marcus stared at him as if he’d just won the lottery. “Are you in on this or something?”
“I wondered the same thing. But you didn’t know about the woman I saved from drowning right?”
“Really?”
“Didn’t think so. But it doesn’t matter, she left and I probably won’t find her again,” Gabriel said, aware of the angst in his voice.
“I need you to find her.” Marcus was like a shark now and Gabriel frowned.
“I wouldn’t give her to you even if I knew where she was, Marc. I only have her word she’s a mermaid anyway.”
“Sanchez is a drug lord who will kill me, is that what you want?”
Gabriel heard the fear in his brother’s voice. He ran a hand over his face and sighed.
“He’ll kill Jane, my girlfriend and maybe he’ll come after you, too, I’m sorry. I fucked this up but I just need to show him she’s real. I won’t ‘give’ her to him,” Marcus said pleadingly.
“Yea, I met Jane, she seems nice. Mistook me for you.”
“I love her, Gabe. Please, help me. I know I don’t deserve it but I want to walk away from this.”
Gabriel hadn’t ever heard his brother say he loved someone other than himself. He looked into Marcus’ eyes and his heart clenched painfully. He didn’t want to share Ephyra with anyone, no matter the consequence.
“If I find her, I’ll ask her.” He left it at that.
They paid for their meal and as they walked out of the restaurant, the sound of shocked gasps drew their attention. Surely, this was another dream: a naked woman, this time with long burnished red hair, walking along the beach toward the dinner crowd seated an outdoor cafe. Well, she wasn’t completely naked — she wore a smile and a necklace.
He groaned while Marcus whistled in that cocky way all males had in the presence of female nudity. At least in the darkness the shadows covered her.
“Hey,” he called and the red-haired woman turned to him. Her eyes showed som
e fear and Gabriel slowed his rush, not wanting to resemble a charging bull.
He whipped off his shirt for the second time in as many days to cover an unclothed woman. She didn’t complain as the material settled over her upper half.
“Oh, thank you,” she said pleasantly curious.
“You been working out?” came Marcus’s annoying observation. Gabriel gave his brother a sarcastic glance and turned back to the situation.
“What’s your name?” he inquired of her.
She turned brilliantly green eyes on him. She was just like Ephyra in that wide-eyed, innocent amnesia patient kind of way.
“Muriel.”
“Okay, Muriel, did you come from the ocean, too?” Gabriel asked as he steered her toward his car.
“How did you know?” Muriel exclaimed.
“A guess.” He smiled. “Can I take you back to my hotel room and get you some clothes.” It was not so much a question as a command.
“I don’t need help, thanks,” she said and made to move off.
Gabriel growled under his breathe, reaching his limit with proud mermaids and put a firm hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the hotel lobby.
“I need you to help me find Ephyra.”
“You know her?” Muriel asked excitedly.
“I did,” he said pointedly but didn’t elaborate as she gave him a quizzical look.
The brothers hustled Muriel into a large foyer, which she gazed at in awe, then into an elevator before shuffling down a hallway to room 315. Gabriel noticed she was just as amazed that a plastic card opened the door as Ephyra had been.
“I need to speak with Ephyra immediately!” Muriel said with as much haughtiness as she could muster. Marcus followed and closed the door.
“I would speak with her myself, if I knew where she was. Are you telling me you don’t?” Gabriel asked menacingly.
He was in no mood to play games. Marcus put a hand on his shoulder and motioned him back a few steps. Gabriel acknowledged and fell back.