“I’m not sure yet.” She said, glancing over the menu. As she did, I couldn’t help but stare at her, taking in her impossibly beautiful figure. I wanted to reach out and pull her into my arms, to kiss her lips and feel the touch of her skin against mine, but I managed to control myself. This wasn’t the Nixie I had fallen in love with two hundred years ago.
“So tell me, a beautiful girl like yourself, you must have a boyfriend.”
“Actually, I’m single.” She said, her cheeks turning rosy. She hid her face behind the menu like she didn’t want to talk about her romantic life, but there was a deep curiosity inside the pit of my stomach. I had to know.
“Oh, come on now. You have to be pulling my leg. I don’t believe you.”
“Really.” She said, putting her menu down. “I’m not dating anyone.”
My intrigue was piqued. Maybe if she fell in love with me all over again, it would spark her memories. “Well, would you like to?” I said smoothly, hoping I didn’t come across as some sort of a creep.
“Look.” She sighed. “You’re very nice and all, but you aren’t really my type. I really appreciate what you want to do for Smooth Sailing and I’m sure you’ll make some girl very happy one day, but it just won’t be me.” Her words were like daggers, piercing into my heart, leaving me breathless. I couldn’t understand how she could reject me so easily.
“I…” I wanted to say something, but the words were lodged in my throat. I looked at her, feeling anger shooting up from the depths of my soul. “Why can’t you remember me?” I suddenly blurted out, losing my temper. I got up in a fury. “You have to remember. I was Slade of the Seven Seas. I was your husband. You saved my life!” I screamed, not caring who heard me, not caring that all of this made me look like a madman.
Nixie got up, her eyes going wide with fright. “Please! I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She pleaded with me, hiding behind her chair.
“Oh yes you do!” I bellowed, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her toward my body. I was so angry that fate had to pry us away. I wanted her to remember me. I wanted it more than anything else in the world. “Please…” I begged her, shaking her slightly.
“Let go of me!” She struggled, hitting me with her arms as I continued to hold her close. Our argument quickly caught the attention of the other patrons, who started to interfere. As this happened, a lone yellow jacket buzzed around, having found the restaurant as a place of refuge from the storm outside.
When Nixie started to wave her arms around, calling for help, she managed to swat it. It was disoriented before becoming quite angry. It flew forward, suddenly making contact with my arm, driving its stinger into my flesh time and time again, even though I wasn’t the offender it was looking for.
I winced, feeling the sharp, needle-like pain in my arm. I finally managed to kill it with my hand. My eyes grew wide as I saw what it was. I was deathly allergic to yellow jackets.
Seconds later, I passed out.
***
I had no idea know where I was. My body felt weightless, floating through a thick blue fog. I tried to move my limbs, but they felt like dead weights. Suddenly, I heard a beautiful melody that invigorated my body. I started to swim, even though I had never swum a minute in my life.
I followed the sound like a sailor follows a siren’s song. I didn’t care what I encountered as long as I found the source. Finally, I laid eyes on Nixie. I had to stop because she was completely naked before me. Her milky white skin was on full display. Her long, silver hair draped over it, beckoning me forward.
My heart started to rampage in my chest and I couldn’t help myself from taking her into my arms. My fingers ran over her delicate flesh, my lips colliding with hers. They locked together perfectly, dancing with one another. My fingers continued to roam her body like I had once explored the Seven Seas.
Finally, I found myself a priceless treasure, my fingers roaming up and down her moist entrance. I stared into her blue eyes, my whole world stopping. “I love you.” I breathed, watching her smile in response. It was the most beautiful sight I had even seen.
All of a sudden, I couldn’t control myself anymore. I had to have her. Freeing myself, I pressed my tip to the entrance of paradise, holding her close. My hands were on her wide hips as my lips roamed her neck, eliciting small moans from hers. With a deep breath, I plunged into her depths.
Chapter 8
Eventually, I woke up from my delirium-induced dream. Apparently, I was in the hospital, being treated for my allergic reaction. I frowned, realizing that my time with Nixie had been nothing more than a figment of my imagination.
“You’re awake!” Nixie’s soft voice broke me out of my heartbroken state. I woke up, staring at her as if she were some sort of apparition.
“What… what are you doing here?” I asked her, a little unsure.
“When you passed out… I was so scared. I thought something had happened to you and then you started to swell up like a balloon. I couldn’t simply abandon you, could I? So I came with you to the hospital.”
“What time is it?” I asked, feeling disoriented.
“It’s about ten in the morning.”
“You stayed all night?” I asked in surprise.
“No, I went home, but came back about two hours ago.” She explained, her cheeks turning pink. “I hope you don’t mind…”
“Are you kidding? I’m glad you’re here…” Hesitantly, I reached forward, grabbing her hand. I allowed my thumb to caress her skin. “I’m sorry about my actions at the restaurant. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I wasn’t myself.” I looked at her, hoping she would believe my lame excuse. “I hope that we can forget about it and start anew?” I asked her, looking hopeful.
She nibbled at her bottom lip, looking unsure. “I don’t know…” She whispered.
“I promise, I’ll behave myself from now on. I have a house by the beach. Nothing fancy. Just this weekend, Saturday maybe. You can come over and I’ll open up a bottle of wine. Completely platonic.” Even though this wasn’t true I still had to find some way to convince her.
“You promise?”
I nodded. “Sailor’s promise.”
She gave me a quizzical look before her features softened. “Okay. This Saturday.” With that, she kissed the top of my head before leaving the room.
***
I made sure everything was perfect before she arrived. On the balcony, I had already set up a small table with glasses, wine, cheese, and other refreshments. Soft, romantic music was playing. The heat lamps were on, creating the perfect atmosphere. Everything looked great. All I had to do now, was wait. And that was always the hardest part.
The minutes seemed to drag on until finally, the doorbell rang. I rushed over to answer the door, looking myself over in the mirror one last time. I rolled my broad shoulders, easing the tension that had settled there. I took a deep breath, trying to relax. Eventually, I opened the door.
Nixie was standing there with her silver hair, this time styled in bouncy beach curls. She had silver-themed makeup on to match her hair and it suited her quite well. Her dress was a shimmering blue that made her look like a mermaid. I gulped down my sudden feelings of arousal before holding out my hand. “Right this way, lovely lady.”
She followed me, the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors, accompanying us. I could almost feel her eyes take in the features of my lavish home. There was surely a look of astonishment on her face. She had never imagined a house so big. I grinned, bringing her up the spiral staircase to the second floor. We cut through my bedroom to the balcony. For a moment, her eyes rested on my four-poster bed.
“Here we are,” I said, guiding her onto the moonlit balcony.
“Wow. This is beautiful.” She said with a gasp, looking out at the seaside view.
“Not as beautiful as you…” I whispered, coming up behind her, placing my hands on her hips. She jumped, turning around. Our faces came together, our breaths fusing into one. My lips nearly
brushed against hers before I pulled away, knowing a kiss would surely scare her away. “There’s something I want you to see…”
Nixie tilted her head to the side, her hair bouncing off her shoulders. “What is it?” She asked, her voice barely a whisper. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the golden ring my nymph had given me two hundred years ago. Her eyes grew big, nearly popping out of their sockets. “You can’t mean… We only just met… this is insane…”
“No. Don’t be silly, I’m not trying to propose to you,” I answered with a heavy heart. Even at the sight of the golden band, she could not remember me. I wondered if she would ever remember or if her memories were forever lost. “But I do want you to try and remember something for me, even if it sounds completely crazy, okay?” Nixie didn’t say a word. Her eyes were still glued to the ring in disbelief. “Okay?”
Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”
I took a deep breath, knowing I had a lengthy tale to tell. “Two hundred years ago, I used to be a pirate. I was known as Slade of the Seven Seas. I journeyed to every corner of the Earth, but in the end, I always came back to you.” I paused, refilling my lungs with air. “You were an Oceanid, a water nymph that presided over the Caribbean Sea. When I was young, you saved me from drowning and I never forgot this act of kindness you did for me. Soon, I fell in love with you. I wanted to marry you, but as an Oceanid, I could only marry you if I held a royal title and alas, I was just a common pirate.” At this point, Nixie seemed mesmerized by my story and she seemed to have no intention of stopping me so I continued.
“So I planned to kill Atlas, King of the Pirates. And I even managed to do so, but only after he dealt me a fatal blow. I fell into the water and the last thing I remember was you holding me in your arms. You slid this ring on my finger and told me that you would wander the Earth in your human form until you found me. Well, here I am. Now please, remember me.”
Chapter 9
As if by magic, a sense of understanding washed over her eyes. Tears formed as she blinked, looking like diamonds had crystallized in the corners of her eyes. I gently wiped them away. “Please don’t cry…” I whispered, holding her tight, letting her head rest on my chest. I didn’t know if she remembered me or not, but one thing was certain, the feeling of her body pressed against mine was the best feeling in the world. I held her tight, vowing never to let her go.
“I can’t believe I had forgotten you. For so many years, I’ve wandered this land, passing from one life to the next, looking for you.” Her voice was choked with tears, her slender arms wrapping around my waist. “This time, I convinced myself you were nothing more than a dream… now I realize the fool that I’ve been.”
I ran my hands up down her back in a soothing motion. “It’s okay…” I kissed the top of her head, smelling the scent of saltwater floating from her person to my nostrils. “All that matters is that I have found you and that you remember me once more.” I pulled her away, holding her at arm’s length so I could peer into her eyes.
“How did you survive for so long?” She asked.
I chuckled. “You know, it wasn’t easy. After you put that ring on my finger, I washed up in a place called Jamaica. Everyone looked at me like I was some sort of a monster. I couldn’t speak their language and had nothing to trade so I had to work myself up to a small fortune. I worked day and night before I could buy myself passage to budding New England where I made a name for myself, starting up a bank and loaning money to all the people who thought they should move to the Frontier. Then, I eventually joined them, assuming a new identity and becoming a gold miner. And that’s when I really struck it rich. From that point on, I kept investing my money, letting it accumulate until the moment I found you.” I explained, pulling her toward the lounge chairs. I sat her on my lap, my hand on her thigh, resting there gently.
She blushed, looking at it, but didn’t bother to push it away. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that…”
“But there’s one thing I could never understand…” I said, brushing the hair out of her face.
“What’s that?” She asked, resting her head on my chest, seemingly listening to my heartbeat.
“How did you make me immortal? For a time, I thought the ring was magical, but even when I took it off, I never aged.” I looked away from her and into the distance. “It became too painful a reminder of what I no longer had. Yet, I never dared to sell it off like all my other treasures. I always made sure to keep it safe.” I told her, my voice clear-cut and confident. “Sometimes I was discouraged, but I never completely lost the hope that I’d find you in the end.”
Nixie smiled brightly, wrapping her arms around me and burrowing her face into my neck. “I’m so glad you found me, Slade.” She whispered into my ear, her lips brushing against my skin, sending a shiver down my spine.
I held her tight, smiling to myself. In that moment, I was the happiest man alive.
“But…” She spoke up, breaking the peaceful silence that had settled around us, cloaking us like a blanket. “I… I can’t break the curse.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that when you were dying… I threw off my golden armbands, the source of my powers into the sea, as an offering to Poseidon. He granted you immortality, but in turn, I lost all my abilities.” She said, remembering clearly. “Without them, I’ll grow old in this body and reincarnate into someone else, forgetting you once again.”
My lips contorted with disappointment. Had I come so far to find her, just to lose her again the moment this body failed? My heart throbbed just thinking about it. No, I couldn’t bear to lose her again.
“So you can’t do any magic?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Can you at least try?” She nodded and closed her eyes, looking like she was in some sort of a trance. I stared at her, looking for some kind of sign that it was working, but all I heard was the soft sound of the ocean, lapping against the shore.
“It won’t work. I’m no longer in tune with Poseidon’s domain…” She frowned, the disappointment apparent on her face.
“Is there nothing else we can do?”
“There is one thing we can try… but it’s rather risky.”
“I don’t care. I’m willing to do anything to be with you. Just say the word.” I took her hands into mine and stared into her eyes, waiting for her response.
“We could ask…” She once again hesitated, as if afraid to finish her sentence.
“Nixie. Please. You have to tell me.” I pulled her closer, the tips of our noses touching. “Please,” I begged her.
“We can ask Poseidon. If he’s benevolent, he’ll return my armbands and everything will be as it once was.”
My heart sank. Poseidon? Would I really go so low as to ask my own enemy for help? Would he really help me be with the woman he was supposed to marry two hundred years ago? I looked at her, but I knew there was no other choice.
Chapter 10
Nixie was wearing one of my leather jackets, wrapped around her tiny frame. The wind was cruel by the seaside. The water seemed almost angry. It was the color of cold steel. “Are you sure this will work?”
“Not at all,” Nixie said, holding some scissors in her hand. I watched her as she cut off a snippet of her hair, letting it fall into the water like an offering. The waters quickly snatched it up, dragging it into their depths. I watched the strands of hair disappear and waited for a moment, but nothing happened. I was just about to ask her to go back inside when the wind suddenly stopped.
The water’s surface became glassy, showing us a perfect image of ourselves, only from two hundred years ago. On my head was a red bandana, keeping my long black hair out of my eyes. Nixie’s hair was wild and free, adorned with tiny shells. On her head was a crown. I stared at the image in disbelief, wondering whether this was all some sort of hallucination.
Abruptly, the image was destroyed as a trident pierced through it. Poseidon arose from the waters, just as he had in my n
ightmare. He stared down at Nixie, his features static. There was no way to know if he was angry or relieved to see her after so long. Silently, he lowered his trident toward us.
Quickly, I pulled Nixie behind me, thinking there was a threat. To my surprise, however, two golden armbands dropped by my feet. Poseidon’s arm was wrapped around a beautiful young maiden with fiery hair and a voluptuous figure. There was a slight smirk on his face before his chariot appeared. His steeds charged off, pulling him out of view.
With the lord of the sea now gone, I bent down, picking up the bands. They felt like they were seething with energy, ready to explode. I turned them around, examining them before handing them to Nixie. “I guess he found someone else. Well, he has no idea what he’s missing.” I whispered, leaning down and kissing her forehead. Gently, I guided the bands up her arm.
When they were finally in place, her body started to transform back into that of a nymph. Her clothes seemed to disappear, shells and corals once again covering her womanhood. She smiled, a soft giggle bubbling from her lips before she took my hand, pulling me into the water.
Fantasy Romance: Historical Romance “Captive” Page 3