by Amber Garr
“We have dolphins too,” I countered.
“Porpoise. And how many times do you actually see them here? I think the sharks scare them away.”
I rolled my eyes at him in response. Jeffery drove away from the school to the awaiting airport. The weekend had begun and my heart ached as I thought about Brendan.
“So, did they tell you where we’re staying?” Kain continued.
“Nope. All I know is that the Donnellys are hosting this year. My parents didn’t even tell me about this until last night.”
“Well, that’s because they hadn’t settled on a date yet…” his words trailed off, realizing he’d just brought up the subject of our impending marriage.
“Where are we staying?” I asked, trying to break the tension.
“Oh, with Master Donnelly himself. Actually, I think they gave us the boat house. We’ll be so close to the water.” His eyes filled with excitement and hope. I wasn’t sure if it was the tranquil Florida seas or my presence as his betrothed that had him so elated. Time for a quick subject change.
“How’s your dad doing?” I asked.
His smile faltered and he sank back into the seat. “Okay, I guess. Some days are good, some are bad. He’s going to meet us there tomorrow morning. I think there were some things he and your mom planned to discuss without us being around.”
“I’m sure there were,” I groaned. My mother had completely planned this. Not only did her little stunt force Kain and me to travel together as a couple, but she had the opportunity to finalize the wedding while I was out of the state. Suddenly, I remembered another meeting and pulled out my phone. Kain shifted in his seat and stared at me with a look that made my stomach drop.
“I’m sorry, but I need to call Brendan.” I watched the excitement fall from his face as disappointment settled in instead. “We were supposed to meet after school, so I need to let him know what’s going on.”
Kain shook his head a little too ambitiously in an attempt to feign understanding. “Yeah, sure. Go ahead.” He put his sunglasses back on and looked out the window.
I felt really uncomfortable making this call in front of someone who had feelings for me, but my mother gave me no other option. The phone rang three times before Brendan answered.
“Evs? Where are you?”
“On my way to the airport,” I sighed.
“What? Oh wait, let me guess…your mother?”
“Bingo. Totally planned, I’m sure. She even arranged to get Kain here.” I turned to look at him when I mentioned his name, but he continued to stare out the window. “We leave in an hour, and it’ll probably be late by the time we get there. I’ll let you know though.”
“When do you get back?”
“Sometime Monday.”
“Okay, we’ll get together the night you get home. Let me know when you’re back and I’ll tell you where.” I smiled and my heart warmed. I could always trust Brendan to come through with a plan.
“Thanks,” I said wholeheartedly.
“For what?”
“For being you. I love you.” I tried to peek at Kain again, lowering my voice so that he wouldn’t have to hear so much. It was pointless though, and I saw his head drop.
“Love you too. Have a safe flight and try to enjoy yourself. I’ll be here when you get back.” He sounded so confident and sweet that I couldn’t stop my eyes from tearing up. I hated to spend more than a day away from him.
We hung up and I pulled my sunglasses back down to cover my sorrow. The car turned onto the highway, reminding me that we were getting closer to the airport. Kain and I didn’t speak for several minutes until he brought up a subject I’d hoped to avoid.
“Did you tell him?” I knew he was referring to the marriage and I rolled my head against the seat to face him. He looked nervous but sincere in his question. My relationship with Brendan had never been hidden or off limits, even though Kain was the last person I wanted to discuss it with.
“Yes, last night.” I didn’t elaborate and after a few moments he continued.
“I know you don’t want to marry me,” he shook his head when I opened my mouth to say something. “But it looks like we don’t have much of a choice. I’m glad I get to spend this weekend with you because I’d like to talk more about our situation.” He ran his hands through his hair and started playing with his sunglasses again. “I think we can make some sort of arrangement.”
I arched my eyebrows toward him. “Arrangement?” Unless he could stop this unity, I couldn’t think of any other type of arrangement I’d want to negotiate.
“With you and Brendan.”
My mouth dropped open in surprise.
“I know how much he means to you, so I thought maybe there’s a way you can still see each other. In private, of course,” he added with a forced smirk.
I didn’t even know what to say. What kind of a guy would offer something like this? How could I possibly deserve someone as good as him? He’d allow me to cheat on him with Brendan, and it was his idea? No one is this good, unless…
“Does this apply to you as well?”
He laughed and shook his head. “No. I don’t want to date anyone else on the side.” His blue eyes stared through me and I saw how much it pained him to offer this type of compromise. He was right in stating that we had no choice in getting married. His family and my family were the most powerful of all the clans, and our union would join us together as one. We’d be unstoppable, powerful, and safe. And this guy in front of me was willing to sacrifice his own happiness for everyone else.
“I don’t know what to say.” It was the best I could do.
“Just think about it. We have to be married, but I don’t want you to be miserable the rest of your life because you’re stuck with me.” His voice nearly cracked during those last few words. Without thinking, I reached for him and grabbed his hands.
“You wouldn’t make me miserable, Kain. You’re an amazing guy with the biggest heart of anyone I know. A girl would be lucky to marry you.” He looked perplexed, so I continued. “You’re smart, gorgeous, nice…you’re a real catch. Trust me.” And as I said those words, I realized I meant them.
He squeezed my hands and winked. “Gorgeous?”
I laughed and nodded my head. “Yes, simply gorgeous. My sister is very jealous of me.”
“Is she? Perhaps I will consider an alternative arrangement for myself too.” He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows, so I punched him in the shoulder.
“Gross. My sister can’t count. Besides, you can do much better than her.”
His laugh helped to lighten the mood and within a few minutes, we pulled up to the departure level of the airport.
Jeffery and Kain grabbed our bags and we checked in without incident. As I stood in the security line, my heart began pounding in my chest again. This time it had nothing to do with boys, but was due to the fact that I needed to get on a plane. I’d only flown a couple of times, and every trip cut a few years off my life. Machines that defy gravity don’t mix well with me. Every little bump, twist, and turn gave me a heart attack and a bout of anxiety. I was so busy imagining a crashing, burning plane, I didn’t notice someone speaking to me.
“Miss? Ticket and identification please.”
I looked up to see the TSA man waiting to check me in for what seemed like the third time. Kain, standing a few steps ahead, cocked his head to the side and gave me a questioning look. I shook my head and absently handed the security guy my stuff. Once we were on the tram to our terminal, Kain asked me what was wrong.
I felt like such a child, but I told him anyway. “I hate to fly.”
He laughed and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. “Well, you haven’t flown with me yet.”
I didn’t understand what he could possibly mean until we were settled into our first class seats with a glass of milk in front of me. The plane was still loading and my anxiety jumped into overdrive.
“Here,” he said and pushed something into my hand. I looked
down to see one of those eye masks that people wear to block out the daylight. It smelled like chamomile tea. “Put that on and drink your milk.”
“Yes, dad,” I replied with a groan and he laughed at me. I drank the milk blindfolded, trying not to spill it all over my face, then settled into my seat.
“Good, now lay back and relax.” He grabbed my hand and I squeezed. We started to move away from the gate and soon enough were rushing down the runway and lifting off. It was bumpy and I clutched onto Kain so hard, he’d probably be bruised tomorrow.
I heard him chuckle again and I flipped the mask up to give him my evil eye. That only encouraged him some more, but instead of laughing, he leaned in close to my face. “I’ll sing until you fall asleep.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “Why would I fall asleep?” He smiled wider. “Kain, what did you put in my drink?”
“Just an anti-anxiety remedy. All natural, don’t worry.”
Merfolk were the original holistic healers of the world. Our remedies had worked their magic for centuries from the Egyptians to the indigenous people of the New World. Many of the clans had family members who owned holistic centers, health food stores, or alternative therapy practices. And most of those relied upon medicines derived from plants and animals in the sea that humans didn’t know had healing properties. I guessed my milk had been doused with a mixture of ground up urchin spines and starfish eggs.
“No more drugging me without my knowledge,” I said with mock indignation.
“Deal, even though I know you’ll thank me later. Now, sit back and enjoy my wonderful voice.” He cleared his throat and started to sing Baby Beluga.
I had to cut him off. “Really? This is the song you choose?” He ignored me.
“Baby beluga in the deep blue sea. Swim so wild and swim so free…”
The pleasant soothing of his voice calmed me down, although it was not surprising given our nature. The old wives tales of sirens leading sailors to their death were not that far off. There was one clan who’d refused to live on land for several generations, and had used their voices and beauty to mesmerize sailors into giving them money and goods. As the shipping industry developed and technology became more standard, they had to abandon those practices or risk being exposed.
Kain moved on to other songs about the ocean, hypnotizing me as good as our ancestors. I vaguely remember him singing about a bump on a log in a hole in the bottom of the sea before I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. I woke up once with my head on Kain’s shoulder and his resting tight against mine. Even though my neck ached, I couldn’t pull myself away. I didn’t want to.
The flight to Miami was followed with another shorter one to Key West. Although still tired, I couldn’t help marvel at the city lights and the views of Cuba from the air. Kain had snuggled back against me in an attempt to look out the window too. His warm breath and unique scent continued to relax me, and even though we had moved beyond our usual awkward silences, I still had concerns about spending the weekend together.
After landing and a twenty-minute ride in another limousine, we finally made it to our destination. I didn’t know the name of the key, but it seemed to be far away from any type of civilization. When we turned off the main highway, a set of large iron gates opened slowly without the driver speaking to anyone. Although dark, the full moon highlighted the sandy road and the brilliant palm trees lining our path. We passed over a small bridge onto another piece of land. I lowered my window to hear the water splash against the shore and to breathe in the scent of the warm salty air. Kain copied my move and we both grinned at each other in agreement. Florida wasn’t so bad. Maybe this weekend could be fun after all.
The limousine pulled over to the side of the road and parked. When I got out of the car, I saw that the driveway continued ahead only to end a few hundred feet in front of a large house. It seemed to glow in the moonlight and I instantly thought about how much it reminded me of my own home. Massive windows and two large wrap around decks encompassed most of the second and third floors, providing a million-dollar view.
The driver rolled our suitcase down a pathway lined with boulders and conch shells, which I hadn’t noticed before. Large mangroves created a tunnel of sorts since their braches had nearly grown together. Only the sound of soothing water and the hum of a distant car along the highway carried through the night. Peaceful and serene.
Without saying a word, the driver led us to a small cottage off the side of a dock. There appeared to be a few more just like it further down, but they had no lights on inside. He opened our door and gestured for us to enter. I led the way, followed by Kain and the driver.
The boat house was breathtaking and reminiscent of what I’d always imagined an island hut would look like. It boasted one large open room with a tiny kitchenette, a small bathroom behind that, and one large king bed.
One bed.
We’d have to discuss that later, but I was too overwhelmed with my surroundings right now. The ceiling was at least twenty feet high and covered in light wood that matched the flooring. A fan hung from the center with rotating blades that looked like bamboo stalks. On the side wall across from the bed sat a brown whicker dresser with a matching mirror and a vase full of fresh bird-of-paradise flowers.
“Pretty sweet, right?” Kain moved up beside me and I belatedly realized the driver had left. I looked at him and then the bed. It was an unconscious reaction but he followed my gaze.
“Oh yeah. Well, I can sleep on the floor,” he stammered.
Waving my hand, I said, “Let’s not worry about that now. I want to go for a swim.” I smiled up at him and we had a moment of total understanding. Something mischievous also brewed behind his eyes.
“Race you,” he said and took off toward the double set of sliding glass doors on the far wall.
“You’re a cheater!” I yelled and ran after him.
His clothes flew off before he was out of the room and mine weren’t far behind. I heard the splash of his dive and tried to think of a way to get even with him.
The balmy air proved to be a wonderful treat, but the warm water was even better. My transition was so smooth it had me wondering if the temperature had something to do with that. Swimming away from the dock, I rushed past Kain who seemed to be waiting for me. I pushed forward with all my energy taking very little time to look around. Our eyesight was decent at night, and the full moon certainly lit up our underwater seascape, but I’d have a chance to explore the reefs more tomorrow. For now, I just needed to swim.
I glanced behind me to find Kain. His blond hair glowed in the moonlight and I could tell he was just a few tail lengths away. Looking ahead, I tried to find some kind of landmark. A concrete channel buoy caught my attention and I hurdled myself over to it. Nearly five seconds later, Kain’s head popped up out of the water and he smiled without showing his teeth.
“You didn’t say where the finish line was, so I picked it and now I win,” I declared.
A stream of lukewarm water hit me right in the eye as Kain spit in my face. He laughed and I scowled.
“I think I win now,” he said.
I splashed him but it barely made contact before he was back under the water again. And then the chase was on. We must have spent an hour playing around and exploring the shallow shoals until the long flight and late night began to catch up with us. It was well after midnight before we headed back to the boathouse with the great ceilings and that one bed.
This weekend was about to get more interesting.
I sat on the back of the dock dangling my tail in the water while Kain took a shower. Phone in hand, I’d sent about ten messages to Brendan telling him I arrived safely, the water was amazing, and I missed him more than anything. He had to work, so I didn’t expect a response right away, but I was still disappointed. I needed to hear from him.
I’d been lost in thought when Kain stepped through the doors with one towel wrapped around his waist while he used another to dry out his hair. He w
as too busy shuffling his hands around his head to notice me staring. I’d always tried to keep my mind away from him when it involved my hormones. But sitting here, staring up at him in such a private moment, I suddenly had butterflies in my stomach.
And they were the kind that I’ve only ever had for Brendan.
He stopped moving and caught my eye. “Sorry, I wanted to tell you the shower was free.”
We looked at each other a few moments too long before he broke the eye contact and pointed to my tail. “I guess you’re not ready to come inside yet,” he grinned.
“I’ve often wondered why I couldn’t just live in the ocean permanently. And this,” I said gesturing toward the calm waters in front of us, “this makes it very tempting. I could get used to living here.”
He sat down beside me and passed along his damp hair towel. Nudity wasn’t something we were unfamiliar with, and my long hair covered up most of my upper body, but I still appreciated the gesture. I wrapped it around my chest and wondered if it bothered him more than me.
“You know we don’t have to stay in Massachusetts all of the time. We’ll be able to go to college somewhere or travel around for a while. Maybe we could come back to Florida.”
He referred to our life post-wedding and I felt nauseous. I planned to run away with Brendan so I couldn’t possibly sit here and discuss our future together. That would be wrong on so many levels. So I just made a non committal noise, shrugged my shoulders, and left it alone. Kain seemed to take the hint and dropped the subject. However, his silence only made me feel worse.
“So do you have any idea what we have to do the next few days?” I asked.
“They really didn’t tell you anything did they?”
I gave him a look and he held up his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay. I think tomorrow is the meet and greet stuff, followed by some training activities. The ball is Saturday night and I’m not sure about Sunday. They’re supposed to give us some free time before dinner tomorrow, and I signed us up for a trip to the reef. Granted, we’ll be going at dusk so we aren’t seen, but still, I think it will be cool.”