Female Fantasy
When I open my eyes, I find myself sprawled out on a sand bed suitable for a king, staring at a shell-adorned ceiling and a gemstone chandelier. I hear the faint song of seagulls. The stillness of the sea around me makes me feel as if I am floating in midair, preparing to enter the heavens.
And maybe I am.
The image of Ryke devouring me, body and soul, enters my mind.
“Am I dead?” I whisper.
That is when I notice the objects lying at the foot of my resting place. A chest inscribed with ancient symbols, bearing the Trident of the Gods and the Conch of Hippios, along with two other golden objects I have yet to study. I long to hold them in my arms like newborn babes.
Real.
It was all real.
If I have not crossed over to the immortal gates, then I must be resting somewhere safe. Fort Caspian, perhaps.
And that must mean…
“My prince?” I call out. And then, quieter: “Ryke?”
A whirlpool rushes around the air bubble safeguarding me. A tail made of obsidian leather slaps against the safeguard, causing the entire room to shake. Screams sound as riptides break throughout the rest of the castle.
I draw in a sharp breath.
If Ryke’s strength was incredible before, it is now unfathomable.
His body moves with an otherworldly grace, more deity than mer.
Exhaling slowly, I realize the implication of his rejuvenation.
“You were able to stop in time,” I say, my voice suddenly timid. “I knew you would.”
Memories of our joining flood my brain.
Ryke’s lips kissing me.
Ravaging me.
Drinking from me.
I swallow and find my mouth completely dry. How ironic for a girl who supposedly controls the tides.
“Merriah,” Ryke breathes. “I do not know how to thank you. The power your life force has provided me…I do not have the words for it. Not only am I healed, but I am more Herculean than ever. Furnace help me, I can move so fast that I am essentially in multiple places at once. The strength of my fist is enough to take out an army of mer. It is impossible to describe, but I feel limitless. For the first time since my family was deposed, I have true optimism. And that is all because of you.” He blinks at me with incredulity, those golden orbs glowing. “You are magnificent.”
I study his body some more. His senses do seem heightened. I can practically hear my blood rushing through his veins, see the organ trapped inside his rib cage throbbing. He is so utterly alive, moving with the vigor of a male in his prime.
On the other hand, I am bedridden.
“What happened to me?”
Ryke’s tail folds so that he can nestle beside me on the sand bed. Immediately, my head finds the crook of his neck, and his arm wraps around my shoulders. I exhale into his chest.
“You fainted,” he tells me. “After losing a lot of blood. I have to admit, we are both lucky you did. Your loss of consciousness was a jolt to my system. Your energy stuttered. It is what detached my life force from yours. I brought you here to heal, and you have been asleep ever since. How do you feel?”
“Tired,” I admit. “A bit sore. I had the strangest dream that I was the descendant of some sort of sea goddess…”
He gives me a playful smile. “Now, now, my minnow. Let us not downplay it. You took out an entire army with a flick of your wrist.”
I roll my eyes. “It was the trident that did so, not me.”
“Do not do that,” Ryke demands.
“Do what?”
“Devalue your power,” he says, shaking his head. “Make self-deprecating comments. I will no longer allow it, Merriah. You may be the descendant of Amphitrite, but that is not what makes you special. Not what makes you mine.”
Mine.
That single word has the ability to sink a thousand ships.
I look at Ryke and have the sudden urge to lock him up in this fortress and never let him go.
To keep him here, safe from harm. I could use the trident to create deadly rapids around us, strong enough to pull even the most seasoned swimmer under.
I would not have to share his attention with anyone else.
Blinking, I realize how barbaric my thoughts are. How senseless.
I raise my hand to my mouth in horror.
Did sharing my power with the prince create some kind of dependency?
I have never felt this strong a rush of possessiveness toward anyone or anything in my life. Like a starfish to coral, I have become inextricably attached to Ryke.
But does he feel the same way about me?
Has my blood made Ryke some kind of super mer and me a helpless barnacle?
He needed me to heal. To become whole once more.
I simply want him with every fiber of my being.
Those two things are not the same. What if our attraction is uneven? One-sided?
As if reading my mind, Ryke pulls my body flush against his. His hot breath ghosts across my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.
“I ought to take you again, fast and hard, to show my gratitude,” he growls. “But we must wait.”
“Why?” I protest, wanting that every bit as much as he does.
“We will wait until you are well, and that is final, Merriah,” he says, kissing my collarbone. “I will not put you in harm’s way again. Although I must say, it is a funny thing…”
“A funny thing?” I repeat.
He nods. “All this energy pulsing through my veins—it elevates every single one of my urges. My anger. My hunger.” His eyes trail over my body. “My want.”
My face falls. Is Ryke’s desire for me fueled entirely by my energy flowing through his body? If I hadn’t shared power with him, would he still be speaking to me in this manner?
Is it me he truly wants?
Or is it my blood?
“I can see now,” he continues, “why the sirens convinced so many to trade their lives for just a taste.”
I offer him a weak smile, but my heart nosedives to the very bottom of my chest until I am truly shipwrecked.