“Your check?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, I need to find another flight.”
Panic lit Joe’s eyes. She turned away. Whatever had happened between them, he needed to understand that she couldn’t even remember meeting him, let alone spending the week with him.
The bartended handed her a bill. “Right now you’ll be rushing to wait in line with everyone else. Trust me, they won’t have this sorted out for hours. No one is going anywhere.”
Joe tapped his knuckles on the bar. “He’s right.” He turned to Anna. “How about we have some dinner?” He gestured to an empty table. “This probably won’t be as romantic as roasting rabbit over a campfire, but it will have to do.”
Anna rolled her eyes. This story just got deeper and deeper. As if she’d actually eat something they’d just caught out in the mountains. Something about the thought, though, made her sigh, as if she could feel the fire warming her face.
That was crazy, though. She didn’t even like camping.
But what had they been doing out there, and how did she catch this crazy dragon fever?
He slipped his fingers around hers and drew her from her barstool. Even his touch felt familiar, strong, and unbelievably right.
He led her to a table in the back as a few other travelers filtered into the restaurant. She told her feet to stop moving, that she should be more worried about flight plans than eating, but something drew her along. There was such a sense of ease about Joe, like she’d known him forever.
He pulled out her chair and she sat as he took his place opposite her. His long tresses framed his face in soft waves that were closer to white than blond, and his large, knowing eyes were light blue, nearly crystalline. He almost didn’t look real. A smug smile crossed his lips.
Anna blushed, hiding her eyes. “I am so sorry for staring. You must get that a lot.”
His smile widened. “I do, actually, when I visit the city. Where I come from, everyone looks like this. Well, at least everyone in my clan does.”
Did that mean the hair, the eyes, or those etched features? He almost looked Elven, all grace and perfection. She’d have to convince him to pose for a selfie before they parted ways.
Her breath hitched as a pain twisted in her chest. Why did the thought of leaving— of leaving him, suddenly put her in a panic? She had to go home, didn’t she?
The word no exploded in her head. She gasped.
Joe reached across the table and caressed her hand. “Are you all right?”
As soon as their fingers met, she relaxed, as if his touch made everything wrong in the world okay. That was ridiculous, though.
She massaged her temples. “I feel so strange.”
“Dragon fever can do that to you.”
She drew her hand back. “Do you know anything about dragon fever? Will I get my memory back?”
“It’s different for everyone, but even if you don’t remember.” He reached for her hand again. His touch was so gentle, so warm. “We can create new memories.”
She rolled her eyes. “I don’t think we’ll be able to create anything as exciting as you saving me from a dragon.”
“Maybe not.” He wove his fingers through hers. “But I’m really looking forward to trying.”
The sincerity in his gaze drew her in, lulling her into the deepest sense of ease she’d ever experienced.
As ridiculous as it sounded, maybe she had loved this handsome stranger. The familiarity in his touch, the warmth she felt simply from being in his presence— was it possible that her body remembered what her mind had forgotten? Her chest thickened, and a deep ache settled at the base of her throat. There were emotions there, sitting on the edge of her psyche, waiting to be tapped. Strong emotions for a guy she couldn’t even remember.
A stream of guilt flooded her, and her eyes blurred with tears.
Joe tightened his grip on her. “What’s wrong?”
She tried to pull away, but he only gripped harder.
“What’s wrong?” She puffed out an ironic breath. “Everything is wrong. You, me, everything.”
She dropped her forehead onto her palm. Dammit! Why couldn’t she remember?
Anna raised her gaze. “I felt something for you. I know I did. I just can’t remember what.” She closed her eyes and swallowed. “I feel horrible that I can’t recall…” How safe I felt in your arms, how you listened when I prattled on, how your heartbeat lulled me to sleep at night.
Anna shivered at the memory. No, not really a memory, but the sensation of a memory. She’d slept beside him, and she’d never slept so soundly. She suddenly yearned to pull his arms around her, to bask in his warmth, to drink him in and never let go.
Everything he’d said was the truth. Well, maybe not the part about saving her from a dragon, but she’d get the truth about that later. Anna looked into his eyes, and her heart leapt when she saw the raw emotion there, the heat, the undeniable adoration. She didn’t know how it had happened, but they were in love.
She couldn’t go back to Philadelphia. Not now, at least. If she went home, if she took him home, they’d be sightseeing and running around and meeting people. That wasn’t the way to get to know Joe again. She needed to know everything, and to find out why these intense feelings existed.
More people filed into the restaurant, looking for a place to stay until they figured out their flight plans. It wasn’t right for her and Joe to use this table when they weren’t going anywhere.
She stood. “Let’s go. I don’t want to have dinner here.”
Joe rose slowly. The pained, frightened expression returned to his eyes. “Wh-why not?”
“I want you to show me the mountains. I want to eat at a campfire. I want to see this magic cave.” She wanted it all. Everything. Like he’d said, she wanted to fall in love with him all over again.
A smile burst across his lips. “What about getting home to your dog?”
Her mom could watch Dixie for a few more days. Anna had another week of vacation coming to her, and she couldn’t think of a better way to use it.
Joe was right, though. She needed to think about her little pooch. “Do you like dogs?”
Joe grimaced. “I don’t have a problem with dogs, but they don’t tend to like me.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes. They tend to run away.” His lips turned up slightly. There had to be a story behind that adorable grin.
“That won’t happen with Dixie. She loves everyone.”
Anna thought about the hissing-barking incident last year when her neighbor’s iguana got loose. That hadn’t gone over well.
As long as Joe didn’t have a big pet lizard they would do just fine.
She took a deep breath. “I’ll have to call my mom and let her know.” She grabbed Joe’s hands and gazed deep into his spectacular eyes. “I’m staying.” At least for now, but the rustling inside her left her wondering if for-now would end up for-ever.
Joe’s smile reached deep into her heart, swirling up all the emotions hidden inside and basking her in a warmth that trumped all worries of her life back home. Something new skittered on the edge of the horizon.
Something exciting.
She hugged Joe’s arm, her heart thumping in anticipation of starting fresh, experiencing new things, and falling in love with this amazing person all over again.
Maybe finding a guy in New Zealand wasn’t so crazy after all.
The End
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About the Author
www.jennifereaton.com
Jennifer M. Eaton hails from the eastern shore of the North American Continent on planet Earth. Yes, regrettably, she is human, but please don’t hold that against her.
While not
traipsing through the galaxy looking for specimens for her space moth collection, she lives with her wonderfully supportive husband, three energetic offspring, and a duo of poodles who run the spaceport when she’s not around.
During infrequent excursions to her home planet of Earth, Jennifer enjoys long hikes in the woods, bicycling, swimming, snorkeling, and snuggling up by the fire with a great book; but great adventures are always a short shuttle ride away.
Mermaid Adrift
Jennifer Laslie
Mermaid Adrift © Copyright 2017 Jennifer Laslie
* * *
Copyright notice: All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Mermaid Adrift
When disaster strikes, Meriya must decide whether to stay on land or return to the sea.
Washed ashore after a natural disaster, Meriya finds herself in the human world, injured and running out of time. Unsure whether her family survived, she must determine the better course: stay on land, and thus become human, or return to the sea calling to her.
When young Rowan claimed a mermaid rescued him after a boating accident which took his father's life, no one believed him. Now, with Meriya recovering in his pool, he must do everything in his power to keep her a secret.
Can Rowan convince Meriya to stay in his world or will her betrothed and the secrets swirling in the ocean's depths prove a stronger pull?
1
Five Years Ago
Lightning crackled across the sky, illuminating Meriya’s home below the surface of the water. A storm brewed on the eastern horizon. Thunder shook the white-capped waves, sending them crashing down upon the tumultuous sea. A thrill shot up Meriya’s spine as adrenaline coursed through her body. She loved thunderstorms.
Her tail propelled her through the sea, cutting a path to the surface faster than a school of yellowfin tuna. She planned to watch the show. Breaking through the water, another bolt of lightning lit the sky and sent streaks dancing amongst the tips of the choppy waves. For a split second, the clouds were a brilliantly lit display against the pitch-black sky.
The wind whipped strands of her dark brown hair into her eyes, but she smoothed them back easily, holding them in place. Gills, located on the side of her neck, closed up to allow her to take in the salty air through her nose and mouth. Above the surface, she could breathe the air like any human.
Technically, children weren’t allowed to go to the surface without an adult present, but the weather would keep the humans and their ships away. Meriya didn’t see any problem with sneaking away for a few minutes. The fresh air would do her good before she suffocated from the confines of her parent's overbearing nature.
Leaning back, she floated atop the water, staring straight at the threatening sky. She had no fear as thunder sent vibrations through her body and for some reason, the storm brought her peace as the cradle of waves rocked her. With a heavy sigh, she righted herself and resolved to go back home.
A white blotch bobbing in the water suddenly caught her eye. Waves tossed it about as she soon realized the shape dotting the surface of the water was a boat. Two figures frantically attempted to keep themselves upright, but the swells pitched to and fro.
Swimming closer, she could barely make out their features, but she dared not approach the humans. One was a boy who appeared to be close to her age and the other was older, perhaps his father. Between the distance and the darkness, she wasn’t completely sure. Humans were an odd race after all.
Her fingers twitched at her side, trying to call forth any magic she could use to shield herself from the humans, but it was useless.
She was useless.
Most mer-children came into their own powers around the age of ten. At twelve summers old, she was still unable to find her magic, or what type she possessed if any, which made her feel like a failure. She wished it had come to her as easy as it did her two older sisters.
She watched a rogue wave curl around the boat like a lover’s caress, the vessel tilting dangerously on the edge before the ruthless ocean smashed it to pieces.
Indecision warred within her as her curiosity peaked. The rules of her Kingdom forbade them from having contact with humans, let alone rescuing them. They corrupted the waters surrounding them and destroyed the Earth without a second thought toward their actions, soiling the water Meriya and her people lived in.
Quickly, without regard for the consequences, Meriya jumped into action. Diving into the water, she thrust her tail to obtain optimum speed, heedless of the punishment she would face. Chunks of wood, along with human trinkets, sunk slowly to the depths beyond.
Shifting to the left, she avoided being caught under a large portion of the boat as it sunk to the sea floor, but a piece of splintered wood managed to snag her fin, slicing a rift in a part of it. She winced, giving the injury a glance, then noticed the father. He was too large for her small frame to save. The son though, while not a simple matter, she thought she could rescue.
Frantically searching the waters, she spotted him slowly drifting toward the bottom, the ocean taking Her payment. The ocean always provided. She gave, but She also demanded sacrifice. Meriya hoped She would forgive her this slight.
Wrapping her arms around the boy, she raced to the surface. When she reached air, she struggled to keep his head above water. He appeared to be breathing after coughing up water once his head was out of the ocean. Without worrying about the distance she’d have to haul him, she set out in the direction of the nearest land.
Bermuda was the only land close enough for him to have come from, to live on, just a small dot of land amidst a vast sea. The waves jostled her around, almost forcing her to lose her grip on the human.
Rain pelted down in tiny pinpricks against her skin as the wind picked up speed, lashing about angrily. She squinted against the onslaught. Her passenger groaned making her wonder how lucid he was.
Meriya wasn’t sure how many miles she swam and she’d lost count of the times he’d almost slipped from her grasp. Twice, she had to stop to catch her breath. She wasn’t used to exerting herself above the water and she knew the human couldn’t breathe below the surface.
Finally reaching land, she lugged his limp form up onto the beach, then checked his breathing again. Meriya had shown no promise when it came to the healing arts during her tests. If the boy was injured, she wouldn’t have the power to help him.
The rain had died down to a gentle sprinkle, and the sun began to edge through the clouds, which gave her just enough light to see her charge. She’d been right when she estimated him to be around her age. His sandy blonde hair curled around his ears and a trail of freckles draped across the bridge of his nose.
Above his eyebrow, she found a cut which appeared to have stopped bleeding, which was good considering she had not the time nor skills to fix it. Already, a bruise formed around the gash.
A corner of her mouth lifted into a half smile; he was cute for a human, but she wondered why they cut their hair. The males in her kingdom let their hair grow as long as the females. Yet this boy mesmerized her as she swept a lock of hair from his eyes, studying his features.
Her fingers wandered over the contours of his face, brushing against his cheek, nose, and bottom lip. He was beautiful f
or a human. Resisting the urge to trace each freckle into a pattern, she withdrew her hand and pushed her fingers into the sand, thus avoiding temptation.
Trouble would soon follow her like it always did, if she didn’t get home soon. If her dad discovered her actions, he’d be furious. She’d pushed her luck with coming into contact with a human, let along coming onto dry land where she could be seen by more. At least this one was unconscious and wouldn’t remember this misadventure.
Shifting her body down the pink, sandy beach, she slipped back into the water, gritty sand working its way into the cut on her fin. Her body hummed with the pleasure of having the cool, salty liquid glide over her skin and scales and the Ocean welcomed her back into its arms. The ocean would forever be her home.
When Meriya arrived back at her original spot, the clouds were still present, but the storm had moved too far away for her to enjoy. Her amethyst eyes gazed at the minuscule flashes of lightning in the distance, wishing to be in the center of the destructive winds. Her life below the surface was too calm, too planned out. She yearned for adventure, danger, and her own free will.
Someone broke the surface of the water next to her and Meriya cried out in alarm, her hand fluttering to her chest, lungs heaving.
“Tandy! You scared the scales right off me!” Meriya gave Tandy her best angry face, but she couldn’t stay mad at her sister for long.
A smile tugged at Tandy’s lips as she circled around her. “Tsk, tsk, tsk. You’re on the surface again.” She stopped in front of Meriya once she’d made a full lap. “I’d wondered where you’d swam off to. Mom and Dad are going to kill you.”
“Not if they don’t find out.” Meriya’s words laced with threatening intent. Tandy was hard to read sometimes. Meriya knew her oldest sister loved her, even when she tattled on her, but she could never tell if she told the truth about whether she’d keep Meriya’s trips to the surface a secret.
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