Micah takes a seat at my right elbow.
“So,” I start. “It seems like I fucked up.”
“Not for the first time,” Zarall says with sarcasm.
“Are you going to challenge my leadership?” I ask, pulling my feet up and stretching my legs out on the table.
Sabrael pushes a bottle of wine towards me, and I catch it.
“We are happy with all the things how they are,” Micah says. “No need to change the leader. Just a friendly advice. Keep your pet in the castle so she won’t distract you the next time you face a demon.”
The great hall fills with their husky laughter, and I raise my hand in a threatening gesture. I can’t argue with them though. They’re right. Rive is stripping me of rationality entirely. My mind is filled with the images of her body. My nostrils are filled with her smell. My dick has replaced my brain.
Theo approaches the stone fireplace and adds a few twigs into the fire. The sound of the wood crackling wafts through the air as the delicate scent of resins settles in my nostrils.
“So,” I say, “any plans for tonight?”
“Nope,” Micah says. “Maybe to get drunk here?”
“And what else?” I straighten and put my feet on the red carpet spread on the stone floor. “Draughts? Go have some fun you all.”
“What about you, Kadmiel?” Theo asks. “Your little pet will cry if you leave her alone for an hour or two?”
They erupt into laughter, but my ears fish a delicate sound coming from the doorway. I turn my head and see Rive walking in. She’s wrapped in a thin beige blanket and tears are flowing down her cheeks. I start from my chair and rush towards her.
“Rive, baby, why aren’t you in bed?” I stroke her hair, lean towards her and scoop her up in my arms.
I want to scold her for leaving the bed, but the sensation of relief from having her in my arms is so overwhelming that I only kiss the top of her head.
“I’ve had a bad dream, sir,” she sobs, curling into my chest.
“A bad dream?”
That’s fucking impossible. I gave her my energy so she would have some proper rest and nice dreams about the woods and deer.
She inhales deeply. “You were so sad and I couldn’t speak to you. I wanted, but I couldn’t. And you were so sad...”
Something squeezes my heart like a clawed hand. “Everything is fine, princess. Do you want to stay with us?”
She turns her face to mine, her glassy eyes pleading silently. “If you don’t mind... I don’t want to be alone. I’m scared of demons, sir.”
I shake my head and kiss her forehead. Her skin tastes of salt.
“No, I don’t mind,” I say. “And don’t be scared. You’re safe here. The castle is demon resistant.”
I carry her towards the armchair in front of the fireplace and set her into it gently as Micah hurries to cover her with another blanket.
Theo and Sabrael settle themselves two steps away from the left flank of the fireplace. They’re sitting cross-legged on the black cushions. Micah brings the chair for himself as Zarall goes to the kitchen situated next to the great hall and comes back with four bottles of wine. I settle myself on the floor in front of Rive, the back of my head against her tiny feet.
I fucking can’t believe it. We’ll spend the evening like a bunch of kids, sitting around the fireplace. That has never happened before.
Well, a mermaid has never lived in our castle either.
Chapter 5
Rive
Theo takes a guitar and starts singing. I love it. His voice has an interesting huskiness. Micah goes to the kitchen to get some food for us and the angels talk about killing demons. The stories about war are really scary. They killed demons supporting Nazis, but couldn’t interfere with what was meant to happen to the whole human race. Then they talk about moonshine and getting drunk.
I watch them all with interest. Each of them is different. Theo is a great singer, his brooding grey eyes like the autumnal sky crying in thick droplets. Micah is dark and cold on the outside, but surprisingly warm on the inside, a mix of fierceness and gentleness. Sabrael has ginger hair and funny freckles on his face. He looks the youngest of them all. He is a joker. Zarall has white short hair and he’s kind of introverted, mysterious. Kadmiel, well, he is a leader.
They’re all half-naked, with only jeans on, beautifully built, but I shouldn’t have noticed that. It must be my stress wearing off.
“How are you?” Kadmiel asks, turning his face to me.
“Fine, sir. My wounds have healed. Thank you, sir.”
He wrinkles his forehead as though he’s not happy with my reply then strokes my feet.
“Are you warm enough?” he asks.
“Yes, sir.”
“Call me Kadmiel.”
“Yes, sir.”
The angels laugh and shoot me curious glances. I feel uneasy for an instant then the crackling of the wood in the fireplace brings peace to my mind. The food makes me feel sleepy. My eyelids grow heavy, and I yawn.
Kadmiel rises to his feet and leans over me. His hot breath brushes against my forehead as he slides his arm under my knees and throws the other across my back, scooping me up.
“Time to go to bed,” he says.
I nod at him as the rest of the angels wave their hands to me and flash me naughty smiles. I must be a funny pet I guess.
“Have fun,” Kadmiel says to them.
“You too,” Micah says and the angels laugh.
No, they rumble in fact. Rumble like a volcano.
We walk out of the great hall as Kadmiel’s heavy footsteps echo around us. He picks up the pace and my body sways in his embrace. The flames of the torches we pass, climbing the stairs, give his face a dangerous appearance. His eyes are blazing as though he wants to kill and I shrink into myself. Maybe, he wants to punish me for the bathroom at last.
Kadmiel strides into his bedroom and lays me on the bed, tearing the blanket off me. I roll on my side. I only have my panties on, but that doesn’t bother me. Angels don’t desire mermaids. We are like insects for them. I’m sure Kadmiel thinks of my body as he would think of an average worm.
I’m sure my nakedness repulses him. Sadness creeps into my head for some mysterious reason. The yearning bubbling in my heart is even more of a mystery to me. Maybe I should go back to the sea. Maybe I miss my sea, my mother, and my simple life.
I raise my eyes to Kadmiel. “I don’t want to be rude, but maybe you should send me back to the sea.”
“No,” he says as fury explodes in his eyes.
Another lesson learnt. Never tell an angel what to do. Never speak first.
Kadmiel
My hand jerks down towards her, but I withdraw it. She’s scared. She should rest. Yeah, a proper rest would do her good, would wipe all the crazy ideas away from her head.
I will fucking tie her to this bed if she mentions about going back to the sea once more. As my anger dissipates, the idea of tying her wrists becomes more and more tempting to me, sends more and more heat into my veins. It makes my dick rock-hard. I will have Rive tied, with a garter belt on. I will. Soon.
I cover her with the duvet then go to the bathroom to have a shower. My head pulsates with the images of Rive. I can see her naked breasts, her full lips, her wide eyes as I step into the shower cabin. I should see the broken door of the cabinet, but I see her perfect thighs instead. I should see the bottles scattered across the bottom of the shower cabin and leaking, but Rive’s ass in my mind is all that I can focus on.
As I hold my hard dick and stroke it, a funny thought flashes through my head. It’s so human.
Each time I wanted to fuck, I found myself a woman. Jerking off has been a true rarity in my life. Rive has changed everything. I don’t desire other women. I desire only my little mermaid.
The water streams down my back as I rest my forearm against the black tiling and stroke myself faster, harder, my breath heavy. Dirty fantasies enter my mind. Rive would be on all fours,
naked, her tits waving. I’d pound into her little cunt, forcing whimpers from her sweet mouth. She’d moan my name. She’d scream with pleasure. She’d say she loves me.
I rest my forehead against the back of my hand as a wave of liberating heat goes down to my toes and I growl my ecstasy. My being explodes and the ultimate whiteness fills me for one eternal second. Then I chuckle.
Like a fucking human.
Ten minutes later, I step out of the bathroom with my pyjama pants on. Rive snores lightly then sighs in her dream. I pull the duvet up and lie down beside her, rolling on my side and enclosing her tiny form in my embrace. Her back rests against my chest and her temple rests against my arm. It feels so fucking right.
“Sir,” Rive mumbles. “I can sense your happiness.”
“Sleep, you nosy little mermaid.”
“And fierceness.” She yawns, clearly teetering between sleep and awareness. “You want to hurt me.”
“Sleep.”
Of course, I want to hurt her. That self-help in the shower wasn’t enough. I want to impale her on my stiff cock and fuck her raw. I want to see pain on her face when my cock stretches her little cunt. I want to see pleasure on her face when my cock wrecks her little cunt. I want to leave marks on her neck, squeeze her breasts roughly, finger her with two digits, finger her two holes. Oh yeah, I’d fuck her to the point of total exhaustion.
Rive
He told me to sleep, so I sleep. I sleep even though his anger and darkness seep into me, filling my veins with something forbidden, something I can’t name. Something devilishly tempting and frightening at the same time.
The smell of cooked seaweed wakes me up. Kadmiel throws a t-shirt at me and I pull it on then join him at the table. He sets me on his lap and grabs a fork. I sigh as he starts feeding me. Well, it seems like I really am his pet. Pets are grateful for the care, so I devour each portion of seaweed he puts into my mouth. When the plate is empty, I wrap my arms around his neck and rub my cheek against his. My idea of what a good pet would do in my situation.
“Rive,” Kadmiel says like he’s gritting his teeth then emits a guttural growl. “You want something? Tell me, baby. What can I do for you? Just tell me.”
“I...” My voice falters, so I rub my cheek against his again.
My skin burns from his facial hair, but I don’t see it as something wrong. In fact, it feels right. I don’t know. It’s kind of pleasant when his unshaven cheek scratches mine.
Kadmiel strokes my head and kisses my forehead. “Whatever you want, princess. Just ask.” His voice is coated with softness. “Don’t be shy.”
I swallow saliva, gathering up courage. “I want to visit my sister.”
His fingers sink into my hair. “Later this afternoon.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.” I kiss his cheek. “Can I have a shower now?”
I need to pee. The shower would be a good idea too. Dried blood is still covering the side of my chest and I don’t smell nice.
“Yeah, have a shower,” Kadmiel says and shoves me off his lap.
I go to the bathroom and lose myself entirely. Kadmiel’s roar brings me back to reality.
Fifteen minutes later, he takes me to my sister.
Kadmiel
Her sister looks like a human-no aura, no mermaid scent. A sense of sadness drifts through me at the thought that Nineve gave up her immortality to become a human and spend her life with a human man, but the moment her three kids surround her, I feel envious. Nineve’s husband, Carl, extends his arm and we shake hands. I sense love filling every inch of their house.
Nineve leads us to the living room and my eyes flick over the toys scattered across the brown carpet. Cartoon characters flash on the flat screen standing on the white low cupboard, their voices irritating to my ears. Humans’ houses are filled with noise I must admit.
Rive sits on the floor with her feet tucked under her bottom as the kids pull her hair and ask her a thousand questions, but she’s very patient with them, a born mother.
Nineve waves her hand to me, and I sit in the dining area separated by an arched passage from the living room. She puts a bowl with tomato soup on the table at my right elbow and glances at me with suspicion.
“Are you her friend?” she asks. “Boyfriend?”
The tone of her voice makes me feel stunned for a split second. She’s not scared of me at all. I know why, but since I never talked to a mermaid who chose to be a human, it’s kind of surprising.
“Yes,” I say as I grab a spoon and start eating. “A friend.”
As a human, Nineve has lost the ability to recognise an angel in me. She can only see an ordinary man. She’s also not allowed to spill her true origins to anybody of the human race, not even to her kids and husband. It would be against the order. The moment she dares spill the secret, she’ll die. She knows that. Rive is her only confidant now.
“How long have you known each other?” Nineve interrogates me as she corrects the high ponytail made of her black hair and her cobalt eyes bore through me.
“A few days?” I say.
“That’s a really swift friendship,” Nineve says with sarcasm.
“Kind of,” I say. “The soup is delicious.”
“Carl has cooked it,” Nineve says. “I can’t cook unfortunately.”
Carl grins at me then leans towards me. “Beer?”
“Sure,” I say.
He rises to his feet and gestures for me to follow him to a square kitchen. We cross it, grabbing two bottles of beer and walk onto a small balcony offering a view over the back garden.
I drop into a plastic chair. “So, how is the marriage?”
Carl looks at me like I’m an idiot. I don’t chat with humans. I fuck human women. That’s all. Well, I used to fuck human women. Now, I despise them. Anyway, I don’t know anything about socialising with humans.
“Nineve is a very caring person,” Carl says and runs his fingers through his shoulder-length dark hair. “She loves being a mother and a wife.” He grins at me, his bushy eyebrows rising, a fierce flicker in his grey eyes. He looks young, twenty-eight at most. Tattoos cover his forearms. “She’s a really good wife. You and Rive?”
“We’re not married,” I say and take a sip of beer. “We’re not married yet.”
Carl nods at me. “What do you do for a living?”
“I play in casinos. Very good money.”
Carl widens his eyes. “Lucky you.”
“I have a good strategy,” I say with excitement. “You know, I’ve mastered it for two centuries.”
Carl’s jaw drops.
“I mean,” I say and clear my throat. “I’ve mastered my strategy for two years.”
“More beer?”
I shake my head. “Some coke would be great. I need to look after Rive later this evening.”
Carl slaps me on the back. I’m not sure whether I like it or not. He definitely likes this gesture. I can like it too.
Rive
My sister guides me to the back garden where we settle ourselves on the bench sheltered by a pergola as the kids go to play in a sandpit.
“So,” Nineve starts, clinging to my arm, “who is that handsome man with you?”
I suck in a breath. “He—“
“He’s gorgeous, tall and strong like,” she pauses and gazes at her kids as a transient sadness shadows her face. “Like them.”
The memories of her old life will blur as time goes by. I will always be her sister, but she’ll be more and more occupied with her human life but less and less interested in her old life, such a clever mechanism to protect her fragile now human mind.
“He’s my friend,” I say.
I don’t want to make her feel upset, so I won’t tell her that Kadmiel is an angel and I’m his pet.
“Is he fucking you?” Nineve asks and winks at me.
“No, of course not.”
Nineve bursts into laughter. “Why not?”
“We are just friends.”
I
feel horrible lying to her, but she’s a human, so I have to protect her.
“Just friends?” She strokes my cheek then kisses my temple.
“Yes, just friends.”
“Are you going to stay on dry land for good?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“If you decide to go back to the sea, summon me, so I can say goodbye to you.”
I throw my arm over her back. “I will.”
Although she’s a human, our bond is as strong as it was when she was a mermaid. I summoned her when I emerged from the sea. I will summon her when I decide to go back to the sea.
“Visit us from time to time,” Nineve says. “I don’t offer you the accommodation in my house, because it seems like your friend is looking after you properly.” She winks at me then shakes her head. “Enjoy life, Rive.”
I kiss her cheek in response. We watch the kids playing and laughing then Kadmiel emerges from behind a walnut tree and thrusts his chin towards me.
“Very impatient that friend of yours,” Nineve says and rolls her eyes.
It’s funny. As a mermaid, she was scared of angels. Now that she can’t recognise them she is treating them as she would treat ordinary humans. I don’t know which is better. For me, the respect for angels is like an imprint, like part of me, something normal, something I appreciate.
The problem is that Kadmiel’s acting weird around me, and I feel kind of lost because of his behaviour.
Nineve and I hug, and Kadmiel takes me back to his castle. After the dizziness from the ride clears in my head, I have a shower, then he has a shower, and we go to the castle’s kitchen.
The room is beautiful. Arched niches accommodate cupboards; pans and ladles hang on the stone walls. A tall window offers a view over a modest garden.
“You have a garden,” I squeak.
There are four outgrown bushes, a few patches of dry vegetation scattered on the stone terraces, a few flower urns exhibiting flower skeletons and a distorted tree at the farther end.
Rive_Little Mermaid Retold Page 4