Merlicious 3

by Cara Preston, Cheryl Bonner, Laura Kitchell

  Most of the other racers had passed without notice, but Seth paused when Cassandra screamed.

  "She kicked me! She's a cheater."

  "You liar,” Stella seethed. “You were trying to take my bag."

  "Stop!” shouted Seth. “You know you can't mix colors. Why would you two fight over one?"

  "Ask her!” Stella snapped. “I'm the one with a bag."

  "My mouth!” Cassandra shrieked, noticing a trickle of blood in the water.

  Seth turned to her with an exasperated sigh.

  Stella took her opportunity to snatch the other yellow bag and turn away.

  "Wait for me, Stella,” Seth called out.

  Stella paused to look at him rubbing Cassandra's back while she wailed.

  She shook her head. “I can't.” She didn't have time to explain. But she had to catch up, or it was all over for her. If he wanted to comfort Cassandra, let him. He didn't have to worry about winning.

  Suppressing a sick feeling of remorse, she drove on. She had no reason to feel guilty, she told herself. Seth was the one who had chosen to stay with that piranha.

  Finding the other two puzzle bags, she struggled to the top of the course. She was exhausted and banged up. A pause to look back down the falls showed her that she was near the end of the racers. She saw Seth on his way to the top, but Cassandra was nowhere in sight. Heaving a deep sigh and adjusting the heavy bags, Stella dove back into the cascade. She used Seth's advice to go behind the higher falls that plunged out from the cliff face behind them, letting herself slither and bump along. It was painful but efficient.

  Back at the contest deck, she hoisted her battered body to one of the platforms and hauled her puzzle bags to the surface. She stared in dismay at the array of wedges and circles of different shades jumbled before her. Water from her streaming hair rained down on them.

  She heard Cassandra shriek. “There she is! She should be disqualified! She assaulted me!"

  A startled glance told her that Cassandra hadn't completed the race, instead seeking the treatment of the medical moderator. Several people shot quick looks at Stella and Cassandra but went on with their puzzles as the moderator shushed Cassandra. Stella tried to calm down. She could deal with Cassandra's rants later. Forcing herself to focus, she sorted out what she thought might be the outer edges

  Cassandra's piercing whine rang out again. “Seth can tell you. She knocked me down and took my puzzle bags!"

  Stella stopped working to watch Seth's arrival. Without a glance at her, he took a platform some distance away. Seth stared at his puzzle with his hands on his hips. Stella observed him from the corner of her eye while trying to make headway with the puzzle. Seth thoughtfully shifted around a couple of pieces and then flew into action. Within minutes, he lifted his arm to signal he was done. As groans of disbelief rang out, Cyril hustled over to verify it.

  "Winner!” he shouted. “Keep working, everyone. Remember there are still three more placings."

  Stella's attention veered to Seth in astonishment. He looked back, his face an impassive mask. Cassandra applauded and squealed until his attention turned to her, when she gave him a winsome smile. Leo, still at work on his puzzle, shot them both a curious look.

  Stella renewed her concentration on her pieces, but they just weren't making sense to her. One by one, others called finished. She wasn't more than halfway through when the third winning contestant called done.

  Chapter Six

  Loss

  She hung her head, exhausted and defeated. She looked up to see Seth watching her, his face grim. She blinked and dropped her gaze. He didn't understand how important this contest was to her.

  Eileen had also dropped out of the waterfall race. She joined Stella now.

  "What's wrong with Seth?” she asked, watching him swim back and forth on the other side of the deck.

  Stella lifted her eyes to look at him, feeling them sting. Finally, she simply shrugged. Eileen put her arm around her shoulders.

  The pieces were cleared away and the winners presented with their flurries. Cassandra beamed at Seth until he tied all of his through the sling strapped across his chest with slow deliberation. He lifted his eyes, lips tight and met Stella's eyes. She quickly looked away.

  Over! She would lose the competition. Through lunch, she tried to rally her spirits. Not winning the grand prize of the Games wasn't the end of her dream. She'd just keep on saving as she had been. But when she tried to calculate how long it would take at the current rate, it was hard to be optimistic. And there was Seth. Would he let her explain why she had left him? She hadn't realized how much she wanted to be with him until it looked like she might have lost the opportunity. She kept thinking of how intelligent and kind he'd always been. She'd admired him as long as she could remember, despite his awkward reticence in social situations. And now she had discovered how strong and sexy he was. How could she have never noticed that before?

  Stella gazed down at her tail in dismay. The golden scales were turning to a deep brilliant bronze, and the skin was pliable enough to stretch from the muscles beneath. A hot spear of desire pierced her female core. Curling up, she burrowed her face in her hands. Oh, Seth!

  The contestants rested for the rest of the afternoon. Some of the people trailing in the rankings decided to drop out of the race and took the transport back to Calladora. Stella and Eileen drifted together, half asleep. Eileen braced to wary alertness when Dell approached.

  "Can I talk to you?” His expression was resolute.

  "I'll leave,” Stella murmured.

  Eileen put a hand on her arm. “Stay. What do you want, Dell?"

  He eyed Stella, but squared his shoulders, went on. “Eileen, you know how much I care for you. It wasn't because I don't care that I didn't want to share my flurries with you. It was because—” He broke off, his lashes fluttering downward. Swallowing, he lifted his eyes and finished in a firm voice. “Eileen, I hoped if I made a good showing, I could be worthy enough to speak to your father about ... about bonding with you."

  "What?” She spoke as if in a daze.

  Stella squeezed her hand, a smile curving her lips.

  Dell looked nervous again but determined. “I love you, Eileen. I always have. I know I'm a common laborer, and you're a princess. But I hoped I could gain your father's respect. And yours..."

  "Shut up,” Eileen said and launched herself into his arms, squeezing his neck. Now Dell was the one who looked dazed. “You're an idiot,” she murmured lovingly. “My father doesn't care what you do, and neither do I. You're a man of honor and strength. My father only wants to see me happy. And you, my love, make me happy."

  Stella figured it was time she left the two of them alone. She found another sand bed to curl up on. While her heart filled with happiness for her friend, her sting of loneliness was more bitter than ever.

  Chapter Seven

  Survival Games

  In the late afternoon, Cyril announced, “We're going to the neighboring island for the test of survival."

  As she prepared to go, Eileen stopped her with a hand on her arm.

  "Stella, I'm not going on for the rest of the games."

  Stella looked at her in surprise and puzzlement.

  "Dell and I ... well, we both have what we wanted. The prize doesn't mean anything to us.” She flashed him a loving look where he floated a few feet away, his arms folded across his chest. They both grinned.

  Eileen turned back to Stella. “I've asked Seth to look out for you."

  "What?” Her blood flowed hot then cold through her body.

  Eileen nodded. “It's obvious that something happened between you. I don't know what's keeping you apart, but talk to him, Stella. Look what happened to Dell and me."

  Stella gave a grudging nod and left Eileen to join the others going to the next island.

  The remaining contestants were subdued as they swam to the next venue. This island was smaller and steeper than the last. Darker, more barren.

 
Fear trickled in her belly. Just then, Seth swam next to her.

  "How are you doing?” His query was gruff.

  She answered with reserve, “Okay, I guess."

  He hesitated and then went on, “Don't let it worry you. It's just a matter of conserving your energy and waiting it out."

  As they approached the island, they encountered a reef surrounding the island. When they were all sitting on the narrow beach, Cyril observed the circle of tense faces around him.

  "This is a test of survival, ladies and gentlemen. You will use your ability to endure and rely on one another against the elements. You will be left on the island for three days. You won't have access to the sea, only to what water is found on the land."

  Stella looked around in alarm. Several others were doing the same. How could merfolk survive outside the sea? Here on this dry rock of land, exposed to the burning rays of the sun and the creatures that crawled on the land, they would be helpless. And what would they eat, if they didn't have access to the sea?

  Cyril continued. “I won't pretend this isn't a dangerous challenge. You'll have some basic supplies, but it will be hard. You may withdraw now if you choose."

  No one spoke although an aura of unease settled about each. There were nine left. Stella's gaze stopped on Seth's calm face. He had taken out his visor to shade his eyes and sat in a relaxed position.

  She knew he traveled to remote places alone on his studies of sea life. She made up her mind. If he could do it, so would she. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was a quitter as well as a cheater.

  They struggled up on the land, and the moderators moved out to sea. Stella looked around. Nothing but sand and grass. And the sun. Already she felt her skin blistering.

  Seth spoke up. “The first thing to do is find shelter. That grove of trees looks promising. The leaves overhead will give us some protection from the sun."

  They slid and crawled across the patchy grass to the grove. Once there, Seth instructed them to dig a trench in a muddy area where their bodies could stay moistened. He found some plants to squeeze green juice from to spread over their skin.

  "I'm not putting that stinky stuff on my skin,” protested Cassandra, who hadn't helped much with the trench digging either. While everyone else was covered in mud, she was still clean from the hips up. She had one of the supply sheets draped over her body like a shawl.

  "It will give you some protection from the sun by keeping moisture on you,” Seth explained.

  Everyone else followed suit. After awhile Cassandra did too. When evening came, Seth organized small groups to hunt, fish, and gather supplies for the next day.

  After a slight hesitation, Stella followed him. They ended up with a few moments to themselves watching over a lobster trap in the shallow water of the reef.

  "Seth, I want to tell you why I left you."

  "Why should you help me? I'm nothing to you."

  Her heart stung as if pierced. “Oh no, Seth, you're wrong. I knew you didn't need me. I wanted to win. I thought if I won the prize, I could go away to school, to Quantikko where they study dolphins. I'd become a trainer or veterinarian.” She let her chin drop down on her folded arms. “It may not seem like a lot to you. You're already so smart and so accomplished. I could never catch up with you."

  He didn't say anything for a long moment. She was afraid to look at him. He probably thought it was silly. She was a web weaver's daughter. What made her think she was smart enough to go to a school like Quantikko?

  "You're already pretty amazing."

  She was so surprised that she looked into his eyes, shimmering black pools of intensity. “Stella, you've always been so strong and so ... appealing. People just seem to like you. But if you want to go to Quantikko, I'll do whatever I can to help you."

  She reached out her hand and touched his face with her fingers. “Do you mean it, Seth?"

  Turning his head, he pressed his lips against the palm of her hand. “Of course I will.” His words were a husky whisper. “I'd give you anything, anything, you wanted. Ever since my graduation when you kissed me—I've known there was no one else for me. At first I thought it was just infatuation. It wasn't. It grew stronger each time I saw you. I'd think about you all the time I was on a research trip. I longed for you more deeply each passing year."

  She didn't know whether she was about to laugh out loud or cry. Tears blurred her vision. “Seth! Why didn't you ever say anything?"

  He shook his head, his eyes downcast. “You didn't need me. You were always surrounded by friends, having a good time. I know I'm not—extroverted. It was better this way, I told myself. Until I heard you were entering the games."

  She put her arms around his neck, planting a kiss on his temple. When he looked up, she spoke. “I am honored by your feelings, Seth. Yes, I had fun. But I always admired you, looked up to you. I wanted you to notice me, but you were so aloof, so out of my reach."

  He winced. “That's what I mean. I'm not good at making people understand me."

  "I understand you just fine,” she teased, laughing, until his kiss captured her laugh, cherished her, warmed her. She let him pull her onto his lap.

  When they broke apart, he held her, gazing down into her face. He grinned a little shakily. “That's good. Because you should know, I'm holding you to your promise to be my first partner. After that..."

  Shyness overcame her, making her bare torso shiver. She was exquisitely aware of the softness of her tail casing and of his thigh muscles beneath her, strong, well developed, straining to be free.

  They were interrupted by the snap of the lobster trap. Her head was in a high state of euphoria as they returned to the base camp. They didn't speak of any more personal things, content to exchange smiles and hold hands. She kept thinking about 'after that.' What would come after that? There couldn't be any future for them with her going to Quantikko and him to his research. She refused to think about it. She was just going to enjoy now, loving him as much as she could.

  When they returned to the base camp, they found Cassandra lying down wrapped in one of the sheets.

  "Where's the food?” Seth roared, staring at the supply crates.

  Stella jumped, shocked by his tone. She'd never heard him sound so angry. Everyone stopped to stare.

  Seth flung down his fishing gear. “The food! Dammit! Who's been eating the food?"

  Cassandra shook her hair into her face like a curtain. Stella noted the edge of a food wrapper that hadn't quite been consumed by the small flame in the fire pit.

  Certainty solidified in her gut. “You've been here all day, haven't you, Cassandra?"

  Seth glared at the black-haired mermaid. “Did you see anything?” he demanded.

  Cassandra flinched but attempted to remain nonchalant. “What are you asking me for? It's not my concern, is it?"

  "It will be if we run out of food,” Seth said in a low dangerous growl. “That food was rationed for our time here. Now we have to depend on what we hunt and fish instead of supplementing our main supply."

  "What's wrong with that?"

  "You tell me that when you have to go hungry."

  "Me? Hungry? But—"

  "Yes, you, dammit.” Leo added his bulk to Seth's.

  Cassandra's face crumpled. “I didn't know. I was just so hungry!"

  The others turned away with disgusted looks. Cassandra cried until her face was mottled and red.

  They ate and settled down for the night, tucking down side by side in the mud hole. Lying next to Seth brought her senses alive so much she was afraid she wasn't going to be able to sleep. Seth lay still with his back to her. She assumed he was asleep. He'd understood when she talked to him earlier. With a sigh, she turned over.

  "Will you be still, dammit?” Seth's growl startled her. He rolled over onto his back. She could just make out his profile as he stared up into the darkness.

  "I'm sorry,” she whispered.

  "I'm sorry,” he muttered. “It's just that it's ha
rd enough to sleep with you beside me, let alone feeling you move around, brushing against me."

  She froze. A smile curled her lips. “Would it help it I came closer instead of brushing you?"

  His face turned toward her. “Yes,” emerged as a desperate hiss of air.

  Stella wasted no time in snuggling as close as she could get to him. His arms tightened around her, and his lips feathered kisses across her hair and forehead. The raging fire in her body subsided to a warm glow. They exchanged tender lingering kisses until they drifted off to sleep.

  At dawn, the group ate breakfast, talked and settled into the mud holes for their first full day on land. At first, there was lots of talking and joking.

  The conversations kept her mind off the mounting heat for most of the day. It was extremely hot. Her skin and scales became dry and itchy even with the covering of mud and plant juice. She didn't feel clean and longed for immersion in a deep pool.

  That evening, they emerged to hunt and fish some more. Someone discovered a shallow creek on the other side of the water, and they all raced down to it to bathe and drink. They caught a few crawfish and other small fish in the shallow water. It wasn't much, but it would keep them nourished.

  The next day's sun brought illness. One of the girls coughed with a gagging sound from sun sickness. Seth rummaged through the medicine bag on his belt pack for sun-sickness pills. Cassandra complained because she couldn't have any. She grumbled all day. Except for a few dirty looks, no one paid any attention to her.

  The sick girl grew worse during the night. Next morning the moderators returned to find the group anxious. They summoned the emergency medical transport, and soon the girl was on her way back home.

  Cyril gazed around with a brooding look. “There's one more trial. It's a particularly dangerous challenge, so no one will think any worse of you if you choose to return home and compete in next year's games."

  They eyed one another. Despite Cyril's words, there would be some stigma if they dropped out now after coming so far. Was it worth it?