Siren’s Desire: A Dark Tides Novel

by Devyn Quinn

  She’d just managed to free an arm when Mason swam up. A couple of dolphins followed in his wake, guarding his flank.

  “You okay?” His words came through their psychic connection.

  She nodded. “I think so.”

  “Let me get you out of this.” He tugged at the thick netting, helping her work it down her hips. A moment later the tangled mass fell away.

  Addison flicked her tail in relief. She hadn’t liked the feeling of the rough material rubbing against her sensitive scales. “Thank the goddess,” she said.

  Mason smiled and gave her the thumbs-up signal. Everything was going to be okay. “I think we’re in the clear.”

  She smiled back. “Thanks to our new friends here.” The dolphins were much larger than any she’d ever seen, stretching to what had to be at least six feet in length, maybe more. Up close she could see their skin had a strange bluish, white-green tinge that really made it stand out.

  “You think they understand us?” Mason held out a tentative hand toward the closest dolphin.

  The dolphin swam closer, nudging his palm with its snout the way a dog would its master’s hand when it wanted attention.

  Mason tentatively petted the creature’s massive head. Delighted by his touch, the dolphin rolled in response, briefly going belly up. “They seemed to understand we needed help.”

  Addison eyed the creature. “As much as I’d love to stay and make friends, we should get back to the surface.”

  He reluctantly nodded. “We should let the others know what happened. There’s no telling what they must have seen from above.”

  She tipped her head back, looking toward the surface. They were perhaps a hundred feet under now, maybe more. “Probably a lot of thrashing water.”

  Mason gave the dolphin a final pat on the head. “Thanks for the help, buddy.”

  As though it understood him, the dolphin doffed its head.

  Addison put a little twitch in her tail. Stretching out her arms, she propelled herself toward the surface.

  Mason followed at a slower rate. To prevent the excess formation of bubbles that led to decompression sickness, divers had to limit their ascent rate to about thirty-three feet per minute.

  “You’re fine to surface,” she called out through their psi-link. “No bends from a Mer’s breath.”

  They shot toward the surface together, breaking through within seconds of each other. Right before she hit the surface, Addison shifted back into her human form. A series of sparks covered her skin, returning the wet suit she’d initially dived in.

  Mason immediately rolled over onto his back, arms and legs splayed out. His chest rose and fell as he took in great gulps of air.

  Sensing the disintegration of their psi-link, Addison paddled over to him. “You okay?”

  He didn’t open his eyes but instead just concentrated on breathing. “I think so.”

  She glanced around, catching sight of the Sea Horse in the distance. They were a quarter of a mile away from the ship, maybe more. They hadn’t intended to go so far, but the circumstances had been beyond their control.

  She reached for one of the waterproof flares tucked into Mason’s utility belt. Even though she could have easily towed Mason to the ship, there was no reason to exhaust herself any further. A passing glance told her the holster for his UDG was empty.

  Addison winced as she activated the flare. She was fully aware he’d used his weapon and had killed a couple of the Mer soldiers. Even though they were her kind, they were still the bad guys. Although she could mourn their loss, she couldn’t condemn human actions toward them. Mason had fought to save not only his life, but hers. The idea of a long and bloody war was discouraging, to say the least.

  She hoped Mer and humans could find common ground for peace—soon.

  Rather than risk taking the Sea Horse into the dead zone, which would possibly cripple the ship, Commander Hawkins sent out a manpowered raft to retrieve them. Two burly divers manned the small craft, expertly navigating across the water. The wind was beginning to kick up, creating a flurry of difficult waves. By the look of the sky overhead, the weather wasn’t going to remain clear much longer. Leaden gray storm clouds brewed on the horizon, their bellies fat with thunder and lightning. The rumble of thunder warned of trouble ahead.

  One of the dolphins unexpectedly surfaced, its sleek body briefly arcing above the water before disappearing beneath the surface. It surfaced a second time, nudging Mason in the side with its snout.

  “What the hell?” Startled, Mason immediately rolled over, kicking water with his feet to keep his feet above water.

  The dolphin gave him another little push.

  Addison grinned, then gestured toward the oncoming raft. “I think he’s trying to help you out.” She looked around. More dolphins were surfacing, swimming around them in a protective circle.

  Mason caught sight of the unusual formation. “You think they’re trying to tell us something?”

  A second dolphin broke away from the group, swimming up to Addison’s side. It gave her a curious poke. When she didn’t respond, it followed through with a harder nudge. A moment later it disappeared, skimming around her legs. She gasped when it darted between her thighs. “I think it’s looking for my tail!”

  Mason chuckled. “You think it’s looking for a girlfriend?”

  She shot him a narrow look. “Very funny, wise guy.”

  Laughing, he quirked a brow. “These are some well-muscled fellows. I’ve never seen them this big.”

  “Hey, you guys,” one of the divers called from the raft. “Where did you pick up the company?”

  Addison recognized one of the petty officers, ranked a master diver. Given the freedom to choose his own crew, Mason had chosen only top-notch talent to serve aboard the Sea Horse. She vaguely recalled his surname was Donner.

  “Right now we’re glad to have them,” Mason answered as the second crewman reached out to lift him into the raft. He collapsed in an exhausted heap.

  The man held out his hand for Addison. “Climb on, ma’am.”

  Addison shook her head. “Get Captain McKenzie back to the ship. The Mer came after us, and he’s been hurt.”

  Both seamen’s faces took on a look of concern. “Then shouldn’t you get out of the water, too?” Donner asked.

  She paddled out of his reach. “I can make it to the ship easily enough. I’d like to spend a little more time in the water with the dolphins, if you don’t mind.”

  Donner eyed the massive creatures hovering just beneath the water like silent sentinels. “Are you sure they’re friendly?”

  The sight of the dolphins circling their small group touched her more than she cared to admit. Even though she couldn’t explain it, she felt some sort of a kinship with another creature of the sea. Her heart pinged against her ribs when one of the larger dolphins brushed against her a second time.

  She reached out to touch its cool, leathery skin. It zipped out of her reach, then surfaced and playfully cocked its head. “I don’t know.” She made a wry face. “It’s not as if I speak dolphin.”

  You want to talk, she thought with a shiver. She couldn’t begin to imagine where that notion had come from. Somehow she had a feeling the dolphins were a lot smarter than anyone was willing to give them credit for. The fact that they’d risked their own lives to save a human and a mermaid spoke volumes. They’d recognized danger and responded quickly. Even though she was a Mer herself, they’d made no attempt to attack her. They’d even tried to help her out of the net.

  Mason sat up. “You should come out of the water before they decide to regroup and come back with more. I don’t know about you, but I counted a lot more than four Mer.”

  Addison cursed. “If there’re more than four, then she’s definitely gotten control of Tessa’s soul-stone and reopened the sea-gate.”

  Mason sighed. “This really isn’t looking good for us.” Leaning over the edge of the raft, he held out his hand. “And I still think you need to
get out of the water. No telling when they will come back and bring reinforcements.”

  Addison reluctantly accepted his hand, allowing him to haul her aboard. Although she wanted to spend more time with the dolphins, Mason was probably right. It would likely be best to make themselves scarce until they had time to rest and regroup. Based on today’s dive, they had no chance of even getting close to Magaera’s island.

  Some nagging inner suspicion told her the dolphins knew something they didn’t.

  Chapter 16

  Sitting on the exam table, Mason moaned as the doctor cut away at his wet suit. “Ouch, damn it! That hurts.” Addison and Commander Hawkins stood nearby. Both of them wore expressions etched with worry. He couldn’t be sure, but it seemed Addison’s face was also lined with guilt.

  “Sorry,” Dr. Robinson said from behind. “But it looks as though whatever hit you seared your wet suit to your skin. You took a really bad burn. Going to have to be careful this one doesn’t get infected.”

  The physician lifted away another patch of burned material. “Shit, it feels as if you’re skinning me alive,” he groused as another patch was discarded onto a stainless steel tray.

  “In a way, I am,” Dr. Robinson remarked drily. “Care to tell me how you got it?”

  “He was hit by a weapon the Mer call a Ri’kah,” Addison said. “To people it looks like a pretty piece of jewelry looped around the arm, but in the hands of an experienced soldier, it is absolutely deadly, above and below water.”

  Robinson shook her head. “I still don’t understand how something like that works.” She indicated Mason’s seared flesh. “The damage extends almost all the way across his back. The burn is at least five inches wide and has taken off the epidermis layer.”

  “Basically, it works like a laser beam.”

  “How very interesting,” Robinson commented. “From what little I’ve heard about it, the science behind the Mer is amazing.”

  Mason wasn’t in the frame of mind to sit through a science lesson. His pride had taken a beating, and he’d had enough of licking his wounds. This was the second time the Mer had bested them in the water. So far they hadn’t made one viable gain. He hated feeling like a loser. “Just patch me up, Doc,” he growled. “I need to be able to get back into the water, ASAP.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend that,” Robinson warned. “It’s going to take time to heal, and you’ll have one hell of a scar.”

  Addison stepped up. “I think I can help him heal a little faster.”

  Mason’s brows rose. “Oh?”

  She nodded. “I think I can generate enough energy to help you out.”

  “I’d like to see this,” Robinson murmured.

  “Me, too,” Hawkins chimed in.

  “I’ll need a healing stone.” Addison looked around. “Does anyone have a diamond?”

  Robinson held up her left hand. I have a couple of stones in my wedding ring,” she volunteered, sliding the ring off her finger. She handed it over. “They aren’t very big, though.”

  Addison smiled. She was struck by how open the doctor was to alternative forms of healing. Not everyone she encountered felt this way. “They’ll do fine. And I won’t hurt it, I promise. I just need the energy inside.”

  Mason felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck prickle. He wasn’t sure he liked the idea of being a guinea pig for unknown experimentation. He held up a hand. “Now hold on,” he said. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. Just throw a bandage on it and I’m good to go.”

  A hurt looked crossed Addison’s face. “I can help,” she said softly. “I won’t hurt you.”

  Dr. Robinson stepped in. “Really, Captain. If you leave it up to me, you’ll be spending some time in sick bay, lying on your stomach so this can heal properly. The bandages will need to be changed several times a day to make sure infection doesn’t set in.”

  Mason didn’t like what he was hearing. If there was one thing he hated, it was sickness in any form. Even the idea of having a simple cold bent him out of shape. Illness and infirmity did not exist in his world. “I haven’t got time to be in sick bay.”

  “Then I suggest you see what she can do,” Robinson said.

  Mason glanced to his second-in-command. “What say you, Hawkins?”

  Hawkins gave a wide grin. “I say if she cooks you, I’m captain. So go for it.”

  Mason glanced at Addison. I don’t suppose I have anything to lose, he thought. She is supposed to be on our side. Guilt pinged his heart. It was hard to balance the faith he had in Addison against the mistrust he harbored against the Mer and their powers in general.

  “Let’s do this,” he said after a moment’s silence. “I want to get back into action as soon as possible.”

  Addison took over from Dr. Robinson. “I think I’d work better if you’d stretch out on the table. I want to be able to focus the energy precisely.”

  Mason obeyed, going belly down on the exam table. Pain lit up every nerve in his body as he repositioned himself. He didn’t relish suffering through days of agony and discomfort. He propped his chin on his hands. “This okay?”

  “Yes.” Addison stepped closer to the table. Clutching the doctor’s ring in one hand, she let her other hand hover about an inch above his back. “Hang on. Gwen’s been trying to teach me the healing techniques. I just have to make sure I focus the energy right, without too much intensity.”

  “What are you doing, exactly?” Robinson asked.

  “I’m going to try and amplify the magnetic forces of my mind to penetrate the crystalline structure of the diamond,” Addison explained. “Once I make a connection, I can refocus the energy and use it to heal the affected area.” She shifted a little. “Close your eyes,” she said softly, “and just breathe.”

  Mason did as she instructed, settling himself as comfortably as he could. Drawing a breath, he closed his eyes, attempting to sensitize himself to the feel of Addison’s open palm hovering above his back.

  Seconds ticked by in silence.

  And then he felt the thrust of her psi-kinetic energy connecting with his skin—a cool breeze caressing his skin and a strange rhythm that pulsed gently against his exposed nerve endings. His flesh seemed to crawl in response. He tensed, forcing himself to remain still. The sensations weren’t painful, just… different. It was as though the two of them were slipping into some kind of unspoken rapport, meshing together into a seamless whole.

  “My God,” Dr. Robinson said, “that’s amazing.”

  “It’s the stone,” Addison murmured gently, and continued her healing work.

  Closing his eyes, Mason let himself relax. Soft prisms of color pulsed behind his lids. The throb between Addison’s palm and his back quickened, and he became aware of his own heartbeat and the feel of blood coursing through his veins.

  Already he was beginning to feel adrift, as though floating on soft currents of cool air. The pain began to blur, fading from his memory as a pleasant vibrating sensation replaced it. He sensed rather than felt the regeneration of his skin, aware of nothing except how wonderful the cooling sensation felt across his back.

  A random thought flickered through his mind. This is heaven.

  Time unraveled, reeling away. Half an hour passed in blissful silence.

  But the peaceful interlude was short-lived. With a brief, tingling shock, it was over.

  Seconds later Mason heard a gasp, followed by a thud. He blinked and immediately sat up, breaking the eerie paralysis that held him. “What’s happening?”

  “Addison fainted!” Robinson exclaimed.

  Without thinking twice, Mason propelled himself off the table without feeling a twinge of pain. He quickly knelt beside Addison’s prone body. “What happened?” Worry gripped his heart with icy fingers.

  Checking Addison’s pulse and vitals, Robinson shook her head. “One moment she was fine; the next she just toppled over.”

  Mason gently lifted Addison off the floor, stroking her face with one hand. Her head dropped h
eavily against his shoulder. Eyelids fluttering, she sighed deeply, fighting to regain control of her senses. Dr. Robinson’s diamond ring dropped from her lax fingers, rolling onto the floor.

  Commander Hawkins scooped it up. “Holy hell!” he exclaimed, letting it drop again. “This thing is hotter than the face of the sun.”

  Fear gnawed deep in Mason’s belly. Had Addison harmed herself trying to help him? “Addison,” he whispered in a voice meant only for her ears. “Come on, babe. Wake up.” He felt a sharp stab of guilt, as if he’d somehow inflicted the damage to her system.

  “Get her into one of the beds,” Robinson instructed.

  Sliding one arm under her legs, Mason lifted her off the floor. Though she was a tall woman, her weight felt like nothing as he cradled her in his arms. He carried her toward the nearest bed in the cramped sick bay.

  Laying her down with the gentlest of movements, he knelt beside her. As he felt a lump form in his throat, he experienced an immense and completely unfamiliar tenderness toward her.

  “Addison—” He fought to keep his voice steady and impassive despite the worry clutching at his throat. “Can you hear me?” It drove him half mad to think she might be hurt.

  Addison slowly lifted her head, trying to orient herself. “I—I think so,” she answered weakly. She lifted a hand, pressing her finger to her temple. “I have a hell of a headache, though. Feels like someone kicked my head in.” Her voice gained strength, losing its tremble as she spoke.

  Relief washed through him, a reprieve so great, it felt almost like physical pain. “What happened?”

  She let her hand drop and then lay back on the pillow. “Pushed too hard, too fast.” Pale but controlled, she seemed to be recovering.

  “Are you going to be all right?” Dr. Robinson asked. “Is there anything we can do?”

  Fumbling with clumsy fingers for the crystal around her neck, Addison flashed a wan smile. Her features were white and drawn. Deep inside the small stone, ribbons of color moved through it, slowly, like a beating heart. “Now I understand what Gwen meant when she said healing sessions left her drained to the core.”