A loud laugh roared from Neptune. “My child. My, my child. What is it that you wish?” He stared at Tatyana, his gaze burning into her.
Tatyana closed her eyes then opened them. “I love him. He'd give his life for me, and I can't, won't, allow it."
"You won't allow it!” Neptune waved his tail again with another laugh.
Tatyana braced for the tidal wave surging toward her. It slapped against her, throwing her back fifty feet. She steadied herself, humbled.
"I'm sorry. Is that what you want me to say? I'm sorryyyyy!” Tatyana turned her face toward the ocean floor.
"It is not I you need to apologize to."
Tatyana looked up into Neptune's eyes, a question on her face.
"My child. I only wanted you to have what you wished. What pleased you. What you desired.” King Neptune picked up his trident and waved it over his head. “Will you give your life for Zion? Will you give up everything for him?"
"Yes,” she whimpered. She titled her head up and stared into his eyes. “Yes, yes, yes, King Neptune! I will give my life for him."
"So be it."
Darkness fell over her.
* * * *
The metal bars of the six-foot cell clinked shut. The sound pulled the need for air out of Zion. His head hurt. The pounding in his head beat against the pounding in his chest. His mind wandered back to Tatyana. Where was she? Was she safe? What would happen to her? Fatigue enveloped his spirit. He wished for home, for the warm caress of the water. Zion stood at the bars for another moment before turning and walking over to the cot in the corner. He flopped down, closed his eyes and wished for Tatyana.
The song started slow, almost a whisper. A dream. Zion opened his eyes and glanced around the room. No one else was there. He must be imagining the sweet music floating through the air. He closed his eyes again and listened. The call was mystical, magic. His name—Zion. Zion, alassi, come home. He wasn't dreaming. Zion pushed up from the bed and strolled over to the bars.
"Will you give your life for Tatyana?"
"Yes. I'll give my life for her. Is she safe?"
The response was swift. He almost didn't hear it.
"Zion, come home,” the sea called to him again.
Zion glanced through the bars at the people walking around. Did they hear the voices too? No one seemed to notice. A smoky haze began to fill the room. Surely they saw it. It crept across the floor like fog across the sea on a stormy night. It circled around the bars and his feet. Zion's hands grabbed the cell door tightly. His muscles tensed when the mist circled his legs and body. He took a deep breath. The smell of seaweed, ocean and rain filled his lungs.
"Come home, Zion."
The cell door began to rust at the locking device, and it swung open.
"The ssturm will shield you. Come home. Swim far away. Itron luron."
Zion took a step out of the cell. The police and other officials walked past his cell. Criminals sat in the chairs against the wall. No one noticed as he walked through the station. Greg sat at the desk where he'd questioned him earlier. He paused in what he was doing, looked up toward the room with the cell, smiled and continued to read the papers he held. Zion continued to walk, his pace, slow and unsure, afraid that at any moment someone would see him, scream and shoot him.
"Go beyond the storm."
Zion stepped out the front door, stood on the steps of the station for a brief second before the call of his people pushed him forward.
"Come home, Zion."
He glanced from right to left and started running down the street. Confusion swarmed around him. He hadn't been outside Tatyana's home except when he was dragged to the station for questioning and his arrest. Would he be able to find the ocean? He paused at the corner, inhaled. The ocean wafted up his nostrils and pulled him toward it. He set off in a hard sprint.
Thirty minutes later he hadn't stopped. Every muscle in his body ached with each pump of his legs on the concrete. It would be dark soon. He wasn't sure if he'd make it before the storm hit. He wouldn't be able to swim the waves if the storm surged before he reached the ocean.
Zion ran across the sand of the beach toward the pier jutting out into the water. It had to be enough. He had to make it. He promised himself he'd make it. He tore his shirt away and flung it aside. His shoes flipped off his feet before he reached the end of the pier. He didn't stop to pull his pants off. No time. Zion leaped into the air, his foot hit the railing as he pushed off and dove into the water.
The ocean swallowed him like a rock. He pushed his body forward, ignoring the pain stabbing his muscles. The colors of the ocean beckoned to him, called him home. Twenty minutes passed before Zion slowed his stride. The need to be with Tatyana was strong. He needed her now, right then and there. Seeing her, feeling her, touching her was what he needed.
The song vibrated through the water like a symphony. He'd heard it before. A love song. Tatyana had sung it to him after he'd made love to her.
He paused, treaded water at the ocean floor. Heat radiated from his body. His heart began to pound in his chest. His lungs constricted and pushed the air from the small confines. Zion fought the urge to suck in a breath. Dizziness swarmed around him. Butterflies fluttered in his head. He closed his eyes, opened them, sucked in a mouth of water and swallowed. His body immediately recognized the need. He swallowed again. His skin took on an instant glow of blue, green and bronze. Mer-scales grew out of his pores. His legs intertwined together and became one. His fingers webbed. Zion stared down at his body, smiled and let the rumble of laughter escape his throat.
He was home.
He pushed forward toward the song calling to him. The waves began to rage and pushed him back.
"No!” Zion demanded. The storm raged above the ocean. The riptide would be too much if he didn't hurry. “Tatyana!” He summoned her. Called out to her with everything in him. His heart, his soul.
She didn't answer.
"Tatyana!” he called again.
King Neptune stood before him, stilled him. “Zion, my son. What will you give for her safety? Your life?"
Zion bowed his head. “Yes. I will give my life. I will give everything, my freedom, my soul."
"You were not chosen to be with Tatyana. Will you give her up for her life?"
Zion's body swayed at what Neptune said. Had he heard him correctly? Give up Tatyana for her safety. Would he give her up? He closed his eyes, tried to understand what Neptune asked. Confusion crashed into him. Surely he'd heard him wrong. He opened his eyes, stared into Neptune's face, reading and understanding it.
"Yes, King Neptune...” Zion closed his eyes again. He couldn't look at him and answered. “I will give her up.” Zion opened his eyes. “My love for her will not allow me to put her in jeopardy."
Neptune raised his trident above his head. “Let it be done.” He rapped the staff on the ocean floor, flapped his tail and parted the water. A loud laugh escaped his throat and rippled the water. “Then let it be done.” He drew the trident out, touched the tip of Zion's chin and lifted his gaze up so he could look Neptune in the face. “I only wanted you to have what you desired. You have chosen well. She chose well. I told you to go forth and find your own happiness. This is the only thing I wanted, my son.” Neptune glanced beyond Zion, making him pivot his body. “Go be happy. Be blessed."
Zion turned, his heart stopping when his eyes fell upon the silhouette of Tatyana. She was fifty feet behind him. A large cyclone of water circled her body. Ripples of water swirled around her arms, waist and fin, preventing her from moving, acting like a force field. She looked as if she was sleeping, but Zion knew different. This was Neptune's way of showing his power. He glanced back at Neptune, begging.
Neptune nodded his head, “Children, be blessed!” He turned and swam away.
Zion swam the distance it took to meet Tatyana. The wall of water collapsing as Tatyana opened her eyes and stared at Zion. Her smile was soft and unsure. Her body moved as if it floated. She waved her ta
ilfin and swam toward Zion, her movements swift. Their bodies collided with each other, their arms embraced, mouths locked and tails intertwined. Colors burst around their heads.
A Mermish love song circled their heads.
The End
Freedom's Quest
by
Monique Lamont
Lialani is locked in an aquatic theme park, weeks away from becoming the main attraction, with resident marine biologist Kyle her only hope of freedom.
Dedication: Thanks to my husband and daughter for their support in this mermaid story. Samantha your enthusiasm as we both learned about Merpeople was inspiring. To all of the Chesapeake Romance Writers this has been fun. Mae thanks for your faith and support in us. Monique Lamont was born and raised in San Diego, CA and now currently resides in Virginia with her loving husband and two wonderful children. She loves to travel, dance, sing, read, and write. She holds degrees in both education and counseling. She has always enjoyed working with people. Currently, she is pursing her M.A. in English and Professional Writing. Fondly, she holds a membership with Chesapeake Romance Writers.
In her stories she loves taking the impossible and making it possible, sensual and believable in a story. She has been writing since sixteen and working toward perfecting her skill ever since. In 2003, she published her first book while living in Europe, Merger for Life. Since then she has won the publisher's award for her second book Double Take. She went on to publish Healing Hearts, Freedom's Quest (Merlicious Anthology), Passion's Blood (Vegas Bites Back Anthology), Fire and Desire and there are many more to come. Visit Monique at her website: www.romancingyou.com or blog:
moniquelamont.blogspot.com She loves to hear from her readers: [email protected]
Freedom's Quest
by
Monique Lamont
Chapter One
"Child in distress!” The commanding shout crackled through the handheld radio.
Lialani's body jerked into full alert. Rising with urgency, she lifted the binoculars from her chest to her eyes. Gazing through the twin circles, she searched the aqua shoreline. She turned up the radio and grabbed her rescue can in preparation.
"Station four, Blindman's Bluff, south southea—"
She didn't need to hear anything else. She snatched the black optical equipment from around her neck and discarded her t-shirt. Her muscles tensed, and heat seared her veins as the adrenaline shot through her body. She launched herself through the station doorway and raced down the ramp, clutching her gear in hand as she automatically secured the Velcro strap around her wrist.
The first contact of her bare foot hitting the unrelenting hot sand sent a jolt into her calf. Ignoring it, she ran toward the bluff at full speed. Her heart beat in time with her pounding footfalls. She could feel the blazing rays of sun heat up her caramel latte-colored skin as she raced toward the emergency.
"Help my baby. Someone help, my baby,” the distraught mother screamed and waved her arms hysterically from the rocky cliff. “Myy baaaby...” The woman's voice shrieked in soul-drenching agony as her knees gave way, and she collapsed onto the large jagged rock bed.
Onlookers gathered at the site.
Arms swinging, legs pumping, Lialani advanced on the uneven bluff with determination.
Guard. Serve. Save. She repeated her unit's creed, focusing her thoughts on the rescue as she skillfully tackled the rocky surface of the San Diego coastline.
Surefooted, she navigated over the slick path until she saw the end in sight. Frantically, she looked over the white-capped surf as it rhythmically crashed into the side of the precipice. She spotted the crown of the small brown-haired child as it slipped below the waves seventy-five yards away. In faith, she dived off the cliff. She released the bright day-glow orange rescue can as she broke through the water's surface.
An icy chill ran across her skin as her arms and legs sliced through the salty current toward the descending child. No thought to the fact she'd forgotten her goggles, she pushed forward. She anticipated the sting of the water in her eyes, but it never came. Almost too quickly, her eyes adjusted to what the lifeguards in her unit called aqua vision. The child was another sixty yards away, but Lialani could clearly make out her form—a little girl in a pink and yellow bathing suit with a Disney princess on the front.
Lialani's arms swung over her head as if moving through air. No struggle or force exerted, she was amazed how easily she had become one with her element. Colors became vibrant, and the sea caressed her body like hands of a long-forgotten lover. Her senses came alive. She could feel every strand of hair on her body; they seemed to play with the ocean. Her skin tingled.
Lialani's ears perked up as unrecognizable sounds called to her. Vigilant in her goal, she pulled her arms along her side and propelled herself toward the midnight depths, a determined attempt to reach the little girl now fifteen yards away. In a missile dive, she forced herself into depths other lifeguards would not subject themselves to without knowledge.
I won't stop. Lialani's voice rang out clearly in her mind.
Everything blurred as she increased her speed. Her legs now numb, she could no longer identify each individual kick, but she still pressed on.
For a moment, her lungs burned as if they would burst with the need for oxygen. Bubbles floated by her face as she expelled carbon dioxide from her lungs.
Wanting to scream and cry, Lialani cut through the water. Reaching out her hand, she grasped the brown hair floating free like silk in the water. Wrapping her hands around the strands, she squeezed a thick lock in her palm as she hauled the girl up. Pulling the child into her arms, she swam toward the glare of the sun's watery reflection.
It's my twenty-first birthday, and we will not die like this. Lialani attempted to send comforting thoughts to the unconscious child.
I want to breathe. Lialani's voice wailed inside as she began to hallucinate about the sensation of cool air satiating her lungs and filling them with oxygen. It felt refreshing, like the icy feeling of drinking water after eating a mint. The illusion became so real her body relaxed as she drew closer to the surface. Peace coated her body as she progressed with an urgency to save the little girl's life, no longer concerned for her own.
* * * *
"She's a fish! She's a fish!” A frantic woman in a skirted one-piece floral print bathing suit wailed beside her.
Lialani felt disoriented and confused.
I must have lost consciousness. Where's the little girl? Is she okay?
Faces moved in and out of her vision as people gathered around. Lialani flung her arms around, trying to ward off the large buckets of water someone kept pouring on her. While two people wrapped a heavy waterproof tarp around her flailing body, Lialani struggled to free herself.
Stop! Where's my crew? Turning her head back and forth, she tried to peer through the crowd. They should have shown up by now.
"She's a fish! She's a fish!"
Someone please shut that insufferable woman up.
Splash! A tall blond-haired man with navy blue swim shorts and a white t-shirt with a marina logo on it continued his liquid assault.
Will you please stop! Wet hair blanketed her face like curtains.
The dolphin-like sound caused all movement and speech to cease. Lialani was just as shocked to hear the porpoise call. She quickly glanced toward the ocean but saw nothing. Not wanting to waste a moment, she returned her focus to the crowd. She was thankful for the silent onlookers. Finally, they gave her a chance to get someone's attention.
Wearing a greedy smile, the man in the marina logo shirt squatted down beside her.
Lialani didn't have time to process his expression; she wanted answers.
But before she could question him, he spoke. “Let's get ready to get her out of here,” the blond man called to someone over his shoulder.
Get who out of here?
Splash!
Great, now someone else has picked up your slack. Lialani grunted sarcastically, hearing a sma
ll porpoise sound again. Pushing wet hair out of her face, she eyed the blond guy. Looking down at his shirt, she could now see his logo clearly. Various sized fish swam in a circle around stitched words: SEA ADVENTURE, the AQUATIC PARK, MARINE BIOLOGIST
Strange. She knew the Marina personnel only came around when Pacific mammals landed on the shore or got stuck on the rocky cliffs. Ahh, that explains the dolphin sound.
The blond man reached a hand out and stroked her bare shoulder. “You are a beauty."
Lialani recoiled.
Splash!
Angry, Lialani aimed her stare at a red-haired man with the large bucket. “You want to swallow that bucket!” Lialani yelled. Instantly, she clamped a hand over her mouth. No mistaking it this time, that dolphin-like sound came from her.
"I told you she was a fish,” the floral-decorated woman said, placing her hand on her plump hip.
I'm not a fish.
She watched as the blond man's lecherous stare traveled along her body, and his hand reached out and pulled the wet tarp away from her. “No, ma'am. Not a fish..."
Lialani tilted her head down, recognizing her own bare breasts and taut abdomen, but the sight she beheld below them shocked her. A long sweeping fish tail covered with a vibrant blend of canary yellow and tangerine colored scales replaced her hips and legs. A mermaid.
Shaken to her core at the sight, Lialani fainted.
Chapter Two
"Kyle, tell me you've seen the new attraction."
Kyle jerked the phone away from his ear, saving his hearing from Daniel's verbal assault. Daniel was an assistant to the Aquatic Park's nutritionist. A hippie throwback from the Sixties, Daniel gathered the required food. He ensured the biologists who worked hands-on with the mammals for the shows received it at the appropriate time.
"Kyle? Kyle, man, did you hear me?"
"The whole park heard you, Daniel,” Kyle yelled toward the phone's mouthpiece.
"You don't have to yell, man.” Daniel lowered his voice on the other end.
Merlicious 2 Page 17