“Get out of here.” River’s words boomed over the sand, deep and dangerous.
Edmar stood up, rubbed his jaw, then smirked. “You’ll never have her, you know. Her destiny belongs to the sea.” When River didn’t say anything else, Edmar walked away.
They all watched until he was lost in the darkness. The waves called, and Narissa glanced up at the sky, realizing how close it was to midnight.
“What did he mean, Narissa? That your destiny belongs to the sea?”
“I’m not sure, unless he’s talking about my mother.”
“Go on.”
“I told you she’s one of the seven Mothers of the sea. She wants me to be her heir, but I don’t want to be. I have sisters who would take my place, and Edmar knows that.” She knew her worry was reflected in her words. “That’s something to figure out another time. It’s almost time for the song.”
“That sounds more pleasant than I’m sure it is,” River said, his voice dry.
Narissa shrugged and sat down on the sand. “It’s beautiful and compelling—an invitation to swim with the mers. Those of you who want to be strong enough to stay human must learn to steel yourself against its lure. It will grow stronger every night for the next few days until the full moon, and the more you give into it, the harder it will be for you to resist.”
Stumps, Brody, and Anne sat down in a cluster around her, but River separated himself from them, sitting about twenty yards away. Soon, Narissa heard it… the silver melody that seemed to rise from the waves themselves.
“I hear it,” Anne said, sounding amazed.
Brody leaned forward. “Where is it coming from?”
“It’s the sound of the mers calling from their city below. It rises up through the ocean and beckons for others to join them. Now that you have been sanded, you can hear it.”
For a time, Narissa was amazed that none of her companions gave in to the call, but then, one by one they stood. Except for River, who sat with his arms folded around his knees, tightly, as if restraining himself. She watched him anxiously, wishing he would somehow find the strength to fight it, but not knowing how he could.
A splash in the shallows turned her attention away. There in the surf, a tail rose out of the water, angling down again, and propelling a mermaid onto the beach. With her long, wet hair streaming over her shoulders, she sat up, curling her tail close to her body and bracing herself against the force of the waves crashing around her. Moments later, a half-dozen others joined her, including two mermen. They sang the ancient song and beckoned to the Lovelies who stared at them with fascinated eyes.
First Brody, then Stumps, and finally even Anne stepped into the water, allowing the mers to pull them into the black, shimmering sea. Narissa was not worried for their safety tonight, but the realization of how impossible this task was bludgeoned her as she watched her friends disappear.
Afraid of what she would see, she turned to look for River and amazingly found him unmoved. His muscles bulged as he hunched over his knees. Two more mermaids hung about in the shadows, calling to him, sure of his eventual surrender. How could she help him?
Well, wasn’t she a siren? Her ability to lure was stronger than theirs, and for once, she would use it to keep someone on land. Standing, she ran over to him and knelt in front of him. Placing her hands on his arms, she began to sing a new song. One all her own, with no words, just a sweet, compelling melody. River raised his head and met her eyes.
His jaw clenched as he looked at her, but the rest of his body relaxed some. Hoping that was a sign this was working, she opened her voice and sang more insistently still, losing track of time in her efforts to keep River focused on her. Only when the mer song had ended did she let her own voice die away, leaving behind only the sound of the surf and River’s heavy breathing.
“It worked,” she said, gripping her fingers more tightly around his forearms.
He continued to stare into her eyes for a moment, then his gaze shifted. “I have to go.” He stood and walked away. Soon, he broke into a run and disappeared from sight.
Narissa collapsed on the sand, her heart seared by remorse and longing for what she could not have. She shook with sobs until she could stand no more. Wild with anguish, she stumbled to the water and dove in. She refused to cry anymore, and you can’t cry underwater.
Chapter Fourteen
After a morning working on scuba tours, River dragged himself into work at Beach Bum’s Paradise. It wasn’t hard because he was tired or because he was already sick of dealing with annoying customers. He just simply didn’t know if he could handle being around Narissa.
After her siren song had saved him from being lured into the ocean, he’d been both grateful and scared out of his mind that she could control him so easily. His feelings for her was one thing. Trusting her with that kind of power was another—especially when she came from a different race… or species… or world. Which was why he hadn’t let himself check his phone when he got off the boat. But he couldn’t avoid her at work.
He was also dreading giving Allen his notice. He’d always meant to quit anyway, and now that there was a chance he might not be human in a couple of weeks, it was time. Telling himself to rip the bandage off, he clocked in and went to Allen’s office.
Allen looked up from computer, his eyebrows raised. River gripped the frame of the door in both hands and said, “Hey, I just wanted to give you notice that I have to quit in a week.”
He’d expected Allen to be annoyed or upset, but when the man jumped out of his chair, making it shoot backwards across the room, River flinched back.
“What is going on? First Narissa and now you?”
“Narissa is quitting too?”
“Yeah. She says her uncle needs her to put in more hours at the restaurant.”
River smirked. Yeah, he was sure that was why.
“Do you mind telling me why you’re quitting?” Allen’s face was red and a vein in his forehead twitched with his accelerated pulse.
“Uh, I make more money diving.” He wished he had a better answer.
“Well, great then. Go make more money. Leave me high and dry just as the season is amping up. Do you know how hard it is to hire people this late in the summer?”
River stood silent. He had lived in Destin long enough to know the job market here very well, but he didn’t have helpful suggestions for Allen. They stared at each other for a minute until someone else came in the back door. They both turned to look at Brody.
The guy staggered in. He was steadier than usual, but he looked awful. His skin was tinted pale grey and beaded with sweat. His eyes were blood shot, as if he hadn’t slept all night and his hands shook as he tried to clock in.
“Brody?” Allen asked. “Are you sober?”
“Yes. I figured it was time I gave it up.”
“Why?” Allen was clearly shocked. “You’ll be no good to me like this. You’re going through withdrawals. Do you have to do this when River and Narissa are quitting on me?”
“Yeah, I have to. Oh, and I’m quitting too. I only have a few days left. Figured I’d better let you know.”
Brody’s words were raw and clearly came only after a great deal of mental effort. Compassion for the guy stirred in River’s chest. If he’d had a rough morning, Brody’s must have been awful. “Want me to get you some coffee, man?”
Brody shook his head. “I’m trying to drink water.”
Allen growled and clamped his jaw shut while he turned as red as a newbie tourist who’d been out in the sun all day. River held his breath, sure that the man was going to explode. Instead, he slammed his office door in their faces.
River and Brody stood together facing the white metal door with peeling paint, then turned to each other.
“Didn’t take that too well, did he?” Brody asked.
“Can’t say I blame him.” River turned and walked out onto the sales floor. “So, you’re going for it?”
Brody’s eyebrows drew together in confus
ion, then his expression cleared. “Oh, you mean am I going to become…” He paused, looking around. “One of them? Oh yeah. Wasn’t last night awesome? Dolphins, man! I didn’t know there were so many out there.”
“I didn’t go. I stayed on the beach with Narissa.”
“What? You totally missed out. I saw things I can’t even describe and some of the mermaids were beautiful… like Narissa. And they were all over me. I can take my pick. And the best part is, it gave me the motivation to give up alcohol. You should go for it too.”
River looked across the sea of t-shirt tables to where Narissa stood at the register. “I’ll think about it. I don’t know what I want.”
Brody elbowed him. “Yes, you do.”
River gathered his courage and wits and walked over to Narissa. He squeezed behind her in the narrow space between the counter and the wall, then opened the register next to her.
“Hey,” he said. Yep, his brain was failing him.
“About time you showed up,” she said.
“Been busy?”
“No, I’ve been worried.” She scanned a pile of three-for-twenty t-shirts. “Not that you care.”
River gaped at her as she handed the customer his receipt. His brain slowed to a crawl as he processed the fact that Narissa was in a bad mood too.
“Hand check,” Narissa said, looking down at his hand.
River glanced down and saw he was holding a nasty mug shaped like a woman’s breast in a very inappropriate way. He almost dropped it. “Ugh. Why does Allen sell this crap anyway?”
Narissa pointed at the college-aged guy buying it, grinning and shameless. “Because losers like him will buy it.”
The guy’s friends snorted.
River smiled for the first time that morning. “It’s a good thing you’re quitting anyway. Talking like that could get you fired.”
She shrugged. “I was only ever here for Brody anyway.”
“Brody?” River stared at her, incredulous.
“Uh, yeah. I’m sure you can figure out why.”
River shook his head. “Funny, since I only ever stuck around for you. Just for different reasons, obviously.”
Narissa turned away from him and smiled at a little girl who came up to the register wanting to buy a mermaid doll. Her nose barely reached the top of the counter and the ten-dollar bill she held out to Narissa was crumpled and limp.
“Here you go, darling.” Narissa handed the girl her change. “I like her pink hair. Most mermaids I know would love to have pink hair like that.”
River was so surprised, he dropped a handful of change all over the floor instead of into the guy’s hand who was waiting for it. “Sorry, man.”
When the customers left and they got a free minute, River leaned back against the counter with his arms across his chest. “You’re unbelievable, you know?”
“Yes. I do. It’s sort of the theme of my whole existence.”
He shook his head. “Talking to you is like walking in sand. I’ve always thought there were secrets and double meanings behind almost everything you said, but now that I know your secrets, it still throws me off.”
Narissa put a hand on her hip and squared up to him. “Yeah? Well, I can’t figure you out either. Last night, you left like you couldn’t stand the sight of me. And I know I deserve that. So why did you come in here today acting like normal? Do you hate me or not? Just decide so I can deal with it.”
She walked off, leaving River to stare after her in frustration. For all his confusion about what he wanted, he suddenly realized that he cared just as much about what she wanted. Was all his sulking and freaking out going to make her not want him? He’d never been in such a complicated relationship before. But what else could happen when your girlfriend was a mermaid?
Was she still his girlfriend?
“You okay there, buddy?” Brody asked as he walked by with a giant pizza floatie. He looked a little better, and even smiled a little like he knew what was troubling River.
“Leave me alone.”
“Sure, but I’m not your problem. They are.” Brody pointed back over his shoulder to where a tall guy with stubble and floppy hair and a shorter guy with tattoos were chatting up Narissa near the dressing room.
“It’s cool,” River said. “She won’t give them the time of day.”
“No, she won’t. Think about that for minute or two.”
Brody walked away, smirking like he knew something. And quite possibly he did. Because from the way these two guys were checking her out, she’d have little problem having her way with them if she wanted to. River had felt the pull of her magic. Combined with her beauty and unique, other-worldly magnetism, he had no doubt that she could claim any man she wanted for the mers. But she didn’t.
Not too many days ago, he’d stood in almost this same spot and questioned what made her tick. He still didn’t know, even after everything he’d learned. But maybe now, he at least knew the right questions to ask.
More customers came up to check out, so River had to turn his attention away from Narissa and her admirers. When he looked up again fifteen minutes later, however, the men were still there. River raised his eyebrows, and when Narissa turned and looked at him, he saw the aggravation on her face. He called out to Brody, who was stocking the boogie boards. “Hey, man. Come run the register for a minute.”
“Sure thing.”
River headed toward the back, coming up behind the two dudes in time to hear the short one say, “Come on, baby. We’re only in town a couple more nights. Your boyfriend will never know.”
River clenched his jaw in a fierce effort to hang on to his temper. Folding his arms across his chest and pulling himself up to his full height, he said, “Don’t be so sure of that.”
The two of them turned quickly, their mouths falling open in surprise. River wasn’t the Hulk or anything, but he was tall and built from his years of swimming and back-breaking work on boats. He was definitely in another weight class than these two morons.
“Guys, meet River,” Narissa said in a sing-song voice. “Since you won’t take my word for it that I’m not interested, maybe he can persuade you.” She walked off, disappearing into the storeroom.
With her out of the way, River didn’t hesitate to say, “I don’t appreciate you giving my girl a hard time. She told you no. Now get out of here before I have to persuade you.”
“We’re gone,” the tall one said, grabbing a fistful of the short one’s shirt and tugging him along behind him.
River watched them go, making sure they left, then dropped his arms and went to find Narissa.
He walked into the dim room, inhaling the familiar scent of cardboard and stale air. At first, he couldn’t find her, but then he caught sight of her legs sticking out from behind a row of shelves. Walking softly, he turned the corner and stared down at her, surprised to see her leaning against the cinderblock wall, sitting on the bare floor. She was eating M&M’s as if they might cheer her up.
“Thanks,” she said.
“No worries. Sorry I didn’t kick them out sooner.”
“It’s not your fault. Unfortunately, this close to the full moon, my magic is at its peak. I wish sometimes that I could repel men, not just attract them.”
River crouched down in front of her. “I can see how that would come in handy.”
“It’s a curse. I hate it. I’m just holding on every day, hoping Poseidon will decide to make me human.”
“You really prefer the land over the sea? I would think it would be amazing to live underwater.”
Narissa stared down, avoiding his eyes as she said, “It can be. In safe, warm waters. But most of the ocean is cold and deep and dangerous.” She visibly shuddered. “I like sunshine and cool things to eat and wrapping up in blankets and having the ground beneath my feet without worrying something is going to swim up and swallow me whole. And I like being safe in the dark.”
“You may not get this, but I’m extremely curious to see your world.”
She looked up at him sharply. “Is it the spell?”
“No. That feels like a harpoon in my chest with someone dragging me out. This is different. I’m a marine biology major, Narissa. Remember? And I’m a diver. Aren’t you curious to explore the lands you’ve never seen?” Narissa nodded, so he continued. “Look, I don’t know what’s going to happen with this whole thing, but could you show me some of it?”
“Yes, if you’re sure.”
“Definitely.”
“We’d have to take precautions.”
“Okay. But why?”
Narissa smiled. “Because there are dozens of nubile young mermaids swimming around out there who desperately want a human mate. And well, you’re…”
“What?”
She blushed so red it was visible even in the shadows. “Every mermaid’s fantasy come true.”
River laughed, surprised. “Even yours?”
“You know you are. And it’s pretty much ruined everything for me.”
River’s chest tightened at the sorrow in her voice. More than that, though, he realized her voice was devoid of hope. And he had done that to her. He held his hand out to help her up. “Come on, Rissa. This isn’t over yet.”
She stared at him a moment, her green eyes glistening darkly. Then, with quick decision, she put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. “Can you go after work?”
He nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Chapter Fifteen
By the time they made it down to the beach, most people were packing up to head home. The sun was gliding toward the horizon and the western sky was just starting to brighten with the brilliant wash of sunset. River glanced sideways at Narissa, appreciating the sight of her strong but feminine figure in a green bikini. Her dark red hair blew around in the stiff, gulf breeze, glinting with fire in the setting sun.
The Lovely Deep (The Mer Song Trilogy Book 1) Page 10