Starving for Love (8 page)

It felt so wonderful to hold Sirena again. Too soon, she jerked back. The blankness in her black zombie eyes had faded away, and he could see love shining in them. Every so often, the foggy blankness would return, only to go away again. He figured she was battling the need for his flesh. But it was good that she still had it. She might have need for it yet.

"Do you know who you are?" His heart pounded loud enough for him to hear it, and he struggled to control himself. He couldn't risk tempting her zombie side. Kristian had to appeal to the lingering amounts of humanity — mermaidity? — inside her. They didn't have much time.

She tilted her head so he repeated the question. In answer, she moaned, grimaced, then nodded.

"That's great, Sirena." He swallowed hard, having to ask his next question even though her moaning "love" already answered it. "And do you know who I am?"

Instead of trying to talk again, she flung herself into his arms for a brief moment before pulling back again.

His heartbeat raced again, and he took several calming breaths.

She grabbed his hand. When they had stopped holding hands, he wasn't sure. Slowly, she moved his hand so it touched her face. Tears streamed down her cheek, and he wiped them away. Her skin was no longer smooth or soft, now leathery with gaping holes, but he was touching Sirena again. Even though she might not look like herself, he still saw her the way she truly was — full of life and love, strong and courageous.

Sirena released his other hand and brought up her free hand to caress his face with her rough palms, her worn thumb stroking his cheek. Opening her mouth to reveal rotting teeth and decaying breath, she gave a timid smile.

He wanted nothing more than to stand there, just being with her, but he didn't have that luxury. Clearing his throat, he glanced at the water, then back to her. "I need you to listen carefully, okay?"

She nodded.

"Merlinasea is coming."

Sirena jumped back with a loud hiss.

"I know, I know. She won't look like herself." He described the witch's new appearance. "I'm going to kill her," he added, determination filling him. Kristian could practically feel the weight of a gun in his hand, his finger itching to pull the trigger.

Sirena shook her head so violently his hand dropped from her face to her neck. He furrowed his brows when he couldn't find a heartbeat.

"Why not? She has to pay." His words rumbled in his chest.

His zombie mermaid nodded vigorously.

"I don't understand."

Sirena stepped out of his grasp, pointed to her chest, and licked her lips.

Kristian laughed. "All right, you take care of her, but I'll be in the forest in case you need help."

Sirena scowled.

"Not that you'll need me to be the hero." He reclaimed her hand and squeezed it before letting it go. "You're my heroine."

She made a purring sound.

Kristian rubbed her shoulders then slid his fingers down her arms to her hands. He clasped them to his chest. "I would do anything for you, you know that?"

She nodded before pointing to herself and then to him.

"I know." He kissed the top of her head.

A loud rumbling sound emitted from the water. Sirena twirled him around and shoved him toward the forest with such force he fell to the ground. Rocks dug into his palms as he scampered to his feet. He ran until the darkness of the trees covered him. After he found the perfect hiding spot where he could see his Sirena, he focused on the sea and waited for Merlinasea to appear.

Sirena felt so many things: anticipation, hunger, love, fear. The last was the strongest and forced her to back up until she was hiding behind a large rock. She hated her cowardice, but Merlinasea was a powerful sea witch. Who knew what power she would retain while in human form?

The witch stood there, looking as Kristian had described. Jealousy and anger surged within her at the sight of her ebony locks on the witch's head, and she almost leapt out at that moment to confront the witch, but she held back, waiting, watching.

Merlinasea brushed her long hair back and adjusted the black gown she wore, looking majestic, like a queen. Why the witch was here, Kristian hadn't explained, but Sirena could assume another deal had been made.

And that the witch had to be killed. She had to pay for her crimes.

If only Sirena had never struck a bargain in the first place! The witch wasn't a miracle worker — she was the giver of curses.

Merlinasea cackled and strolled away from the forest, toward the town.

Sirena lumbered forward, careful not to make a sound, but her ruined legs stumbled over a rock and she grunted.

The witch whirled around. Confusion then anger crossed her beautiful features, which she twisted into a nasty snarl. "So it
was
a trap!" she snarled.

Sirena lunged toward her, but Merlinasea held her hands out near her hips, palms toward Sirena. The witch lifted into the air.

"Love is for fools," Merlinasea taunted. "Look what it did to you!"

Sirena shook her head and gestured violently toward the witch.

Sirena's adversary laughed. "No, I didn't do this. Love clouds your judgment, makes you weak."

Sirena placed her fingers through the hole in her cheek.

"Maybe you should have specified that you wanted lover boy to be returned to you
living
," the witch taunted.

Sirena stepped back until she bumped against the boulder she had hid behind.

"I have no quarrel with you, however, dearie." Merlinasea lowered until she hovered an inch above the sand. "I can change you back into a human if you wish."

Sirena's zombie heart sped up despite its weak, almost nonexistent pulse. She needed blood. Her strength was fading. Soon, she would be no match for Merlinasea.

"If you leave me be for one day and one night, I promise I'll change you into a human. How does that sound?" the witch offered.

Sirena collapsed onto the rock and sat there, unmoving.

The witch glided over. "Do we have a deal?"

After a moment, Sirena lumbered to her feet and climbed onto the rock. She reached out to shake the witch's hand. At the last second, she bit two of the witch's fingers.

Blood gushed forth, and Sirena opened her mouth to catch the life-sustaining drops of goodness. She licked her lips. Energy and verve filled her, rushing through her veins to her heart.

Merlinasea pointed with her good hand toward the boulder, causing it to explode. Sirena tumbled to the ground as shards of rock flew out in every direction, some connecting with her head. One bounced off her arm and ratcheted toward her mouth, knocking a tooth loose.

Sirena bent her knees and leapt into the air. Merlinasea raised herself higher but not fast enough. The zombie mermaid latched onto her leg and bit through muscles and tendons, straight to the bone.

Merlinasea shrieked and dropped down several feet. Kicking and yelling, she tried to jerk herself free, but Sirena held on with her jaws of death. She sucked and sucked, drawing more and more blood out.

The witch fell toward the sand, and Sirena crashed down. Merlinasea visibly struggled to continue flying, her skin deathly pale. She raised and lowered herself several times before collapsing onto the ground.

Sirena jumped to her feet, more nimble than ever before in this form. She hurried over and began to gnaw on the witch until her loose tooth broke off.

Still the witch lived.

The zombie mermaid yanked out the witch's black heart. A feast fit for a zombie. She swallowed it whole.

Now the witch was dead.

Sirena fell onto the sand. Coldness entered her body, and she shivered. She couldn't move her arms or her legs. Her body was frozen, yet she continued to quake.

Had the witch one last curse to bestow?

Something wasn't quite right, Kristian could tell. The sky had darkened, black clouds blotting out all light. He ran toward Sirena.

Her body was shaking. Next to her was a black gown, a pile of bones within it.

He swept Sirena into his arms and cradled her to him. "No, no, no. This wasn't supposed to happen. You're supposed to be all right now!"

Kristian closed his eyes. Had he misunderstood the silent exchange between himself and the king? Weren't they supposed to kill the witch? Why wasn't this nightmare over?

The shaking grew more violent before Sirena stilled without warning. He brought his head to her chest and listened. At first he heard nothing. Then the faintest heartbeat pulsated, sounding like waves crashing.

A teal light surrounded her body, as if she was glowing from the inside out. He placed her on the sand before moving backward. Her legs changed first, fusing together, becoming one then shifting from flesh-colored to a deep emerald. Her skin reverted to its normal flesh, whole and healed. Her teeth straightened, her hair grew in, black and full and luscious.

She opened her eyes. Drops of wetness dripped onto her face. The clouds had parted so it wasn't rain. It was tears — his tears.

Kristian had never cried before, but he wailed now, tenderly holding his love, never wanting to be away from her. The prince planted kisses on her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her lips, her neck, her shoulders — everywhere. He couldn't get enough. She returned his kisses with equal passion and devotion.

He caressed her back, drinking in her goodness, when she pulled back, gasping for air. "I need to be in the water," she murmured.

Kristian gathered her into his arms and ran toward the waves, not stopping until the water lapped against his neck. "Is that better?"

"Yes." She swam close to him, their length of their bodies touching, their lips meeting again and again.

The green of her lower body shimmered through the water, and he broke off their kiss. "You have fins again."

The happiness that lit her eyes dimmed a little. "I do," she said sadly, as if she hadn't realized she had returned to mermaid form instead of human.

"Not if you don't want to," a loud voice boomed.

Sirena's eyes widened, her fear visible. Or was it sorrow? "Father, I'm so sorry. I never should have—"

"No, you shouldn't have, but I pushed you away and have no one to blame but myself." King Tritonion rode a horse-like wave forward and stayed above them, the wave continually cresting and splattering them with water. "You killed the witch?"

"Yes." Sirena bit her lower lip. "I didn't break the treaty, did I?"

"No. Merlinasea went too far this time." The king shifted his focus from his daughter to the prince. "You're either braver than I thought, or stupider."

"Father!"

"He followed me into the witch's lair. Can't say much about his brain." The king snorted. "But if you choose him to be yours—"

"I do!" Sirena squealed.

"And he begs to be yours—"

"I do," Kristian cut in, willing to overlook the word
begs
.

"Then I will grant you legs, if you so wish."

Kristian clasped Sirena's hands. "Think of your family. Are you willing to leave them for me?"

"Are you asking me to?" Her eyes were shining and bright, and Kristian knew she would do anything he asked, as he would for her.

"I don't want to." Although he found his mother wearisome at times and his father distant, he still loved them and would not want to leave them had the roles been reversed.

The king cleared his throat. "You
can
visit us, you know."

"Then yes, please, Father, give me legs!"

King Tritonion glared at Kristian. The look told of the pain and misery he would bestow upon Kristian should he ever hurt Sirena. Then it shifted slightly. Without saying a word, he bestowed his blessing upon them.

He pointed his trident toward his daughter. She lifted into the air, and her fin snapped in half, and two legs formed. Kristian caught her as she was lowered back to the water. They kissed and hugged and swam together toward the beach, neither realizing when her father disappeared beneath the waves.

****

Kristian fidgeted with his tie. Although too tight, he wasn't about to tie it for a sixteenth time.

"You look like you're ready to wet yourself," Blaise said cheerfully. His velvet coat and dark breeches were identical to Kristian's, although his cummerbund was red while Kristian's was green.

Kristian rolled his eyes. "I can't believe you told my parents I ran off with a girl."

Blaise shrugged. "I figured that's what you did. How was I supposed to know that you had died and came back as a zombie? The same zombie that your girlfriend and I tried to hunt down? How was it she became a hag again? Magic?" He shook his head. "I still can't wrap my mind around that."

Kristian laughed. "You're the one who thought she was a selkie," he reminded his friend.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. At least you're giving your mother a wedding. Could you imagine how furious she would have been if you had just upped and married Sirena without inviting her?"

Two weeks had passed since King Tritonion had given Sirena legs. If Kristian had had his way, they would have been married that evening, but his mother had insisted on a huge wedding. Several days had passed before Sirena and Kristian could persuade her to have a wedding at sea.

He rubbed his hands together, his excitement growing, wishing the ceremony would start this moment.

An hour later, Kristian stood on the deck of the ship, waiting for his bride to make an appearance. The sun was only a sliver above the horizon, around the time Sirena had always come to the surface to visit him.

Several heads bobbed above the waves: Cordula, Marilla, Ula, Diona, Cari, and Nami. It had taken him three days to learn the mermaids' names, and he was grateful they all seemed to understand and approve of his impending marriage to their sister.

Speaking of marriage … he shifted his gaze toward the captain's quarters. The door opened, and King Tritonion, in human form, wearing a black suit and a tie made out of seaweed, appeared beside his glowing daughter.

Kristian sucked in his breath. Sirena was a vision of beauty, perfect in every detail. Her once sun-shy face now glowed a healthy, slightly darker color. The skirt of her dress was tight and rippled, reminding him of her slender mermaid tail. Her dainty feet peeked out from beneath it. A ring of sea flowers rested on her hair, several dotting her shimmering gown. She floated beside her father.

A sparkling glittering ring winked in the fading light. The tooth she had lost during her battle with the sea witch had transformed into a perfect pink pearl that Kristian had had fashioned into her engagement ring.

King Tritonion kissed Sirena's cheek and placed her hand in Kristian's before clasping their joined hands in his. "Stay happy and walk well."

Kristian paid little attention to the service, as he was too busy loving his Sirena. She would always be his, whether in the water or on land. For so long he had been starving for her presence, hungry for her love. Now he was satisfied and would continue to be, as long as he had her by his side.

Cannons boomed, and everyone cheered as the happy couple kissed, sealing their commitment to each other to live the rest of their lives together.