Chapter 21
Twenty-One
The day she would see Māma arrived.
Angie met Kaden, her diving equipment at the ready.
She sat at the end of the small pier where he had comforted her the other day while she cried.
It was the perfect place to begin a dive.
“Wait, how far down are we going? Do I need Heliox—” She was breathless and tingling all over, a tangled web of nerves.
Hope and try as she may, she couldn’t suppress it.
They were much too close to the docks proper for her liking, but Kaden appeared unbothered, swimming back and forth in front of her.
A quick glance revealed the space around them was empty.
“Not at all,” Kaden said with a knowing smile. The waters were clear and calm, inviting her to jump in. “I can give you sight and breath, so you will be able to see and breathe as I do. Should we encounter other mer, you will be able to understand our language.”
Angie blinked. “How?” She scanned the endless sea imagining where Māma could be. “What is this—this magic?”
“A blessing from our Goddesses and God, for the intention of protection, and to promote harmony between humans and mer.”
“How long will it last?” Angie asked in awe. She struggled to wrap her mind around what he just said, and narrowed her eyes at him. “How do you give it to me? And how are we going to avoid other mer?”
“Okay, one question at a time. It will only be trouble if we encounter a sentinel, or palace workers. I will take you to where it is most desolate, so the chances are lessened. And the gift lasts for a full tidesday. As for your other question.” He paused, resting his hands on his tail.
“I would press my lips to yours and give you breath.”
“We have to kiss?”
“Only briefly. Mere seconds.” His forehead wrinkled. “Or I could just let you stress me out until I release it inadvertently, but I’d rather not go that route.”
“Uh, I can dive. It’s-it’s not a big deal.” Her heart leaped around her chest, and she thought if she suppressed the warm and fuzzy feelings long enough, they would quench.
Kissing him, even for a second, would pull those feelings to the surface.
“All that gear would slow you down, and the mer are on high alert for divers. Are you interested in my offer?” Kaden leaned in, his tailfin tensing and curling upward. “No hard feelings if you are not. We can come back when you are ready. Or if you prefer to dive.”
Angie racked her mind. She did want to see Māma, more than anything. If what Kaden said was true, and she could be in the sea unburdened…
“Okay, fine. Give me a minute to get my drysuit, at least. I don’t want my clothes to get wet. And my flippers to help me swim.”
“You won’t need flippers. You’ll see what I mean,” Kaden assured her.
Angie stepped into her crushed neoprene drysuit and zipped it up with hurried hands. She pulled out the last lock of hair stuck inside the collar.
“Ready.” She sat cross legged in front of him.
He put a hand on her face. She closed her eyes and parted her lips.
Kaden pushed his mouth to hers, exhaled deep, and pulled back. Quick and passionless, a simple transaction. Angie clutched at herself, rubbing her elbows, her heart feeling like it shrank into a small ball.
She forced herself to ignore the sensation. No, she hadn’t wanted him to really kiss her.
Had she?
Then a calming warmth bloomed in her, flowing through her blood and lungs. “What is this feeling? The magic? I feel hot. How does–how does all this work? What is it doing to me?”
“That’s normal. The magic will affect your lungs so they essentially act as gills, and shield your eyes from the salt. Just breathe normally when you’re undersea. Your blood will be warmed, and it will soon travel to your vocal cords and ears–”
As if by cue, her throat and ears heated, and her hand flew to her neck.
“So you can speak and hear unhindered.”
“Okay, got it.” She wanted to ask more about the magic, but she didn’t want to waste time on land. Māma was waiting for her, somewhere down there.
“Let’s go.” He took her hand and used his tail to push himself off the ground.
She followed suit and attempted to mimic his form, his back and tail arched into a perfect semicircle.
They landed into the water, slicing through the waves like two knives.
Angie caused a light splash where Kaden didn’t make a noise as they broke the barrier between air and sea.
Damn it, she should have put on a hood or her flippers and gloves. Why did she listen to Kaden about not putting on flippers?
She hovered near the surface, and tried taking a breath through her nose. It felt like breathing on land, and not even bubbles escaped her lips when she exhaled.
Okay, so the magic worked, and she shook her head slowly and in disbelief.
Her drysuit did its job of keeping her body warm, but most shocking, she didn’t feel the glacial water’s sting on her exposed skin. Nor did it feel warm. The temperature was neutral, comfortable. Her hair fanned out around her head, flowing with the sea’s constant sway.
Kaden leaned into her. “Next time, make sure you tie your hair back. We’re going deep.”
“I can hear you perfectly.” She gasped, and then surprised herself when her own voice came out clear as if she were projecting it through thin air. It wasn’t muffled, and she could articulate clearly, and her body vibrated with her words. “Is this because of that magic?”
They moved toward the ocean’s twilight zone, and Angie stopped several feet down, preparing to equalize; however, there was no pressure in her ears or sinuses, so she kept swimming with Kaden.
Her arms circled before her in a broad breaststroke, and she flutter-kicked behind her, breaking through the water’s resistance.
Even without flippers, she felt more streamlined and smooth when swimming.
Kaden paused before the sun stopped illuminating the world beneath. Finally answering her, he confirmed her suspicion. He winced, his hands flying to his chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“A slight ache in my lungs. It’s where we store our magic, and it happens when we grant landwalkers the gift. The pain will fade.”
Her eyebrows creased with concern. “I just don’t want you to die while I’m down here. I’ll be lost and wouldn’t know how to help you.”
He took her other hand and turned her around to face him, his grip tightening. “I’ll be fine.”
Angie nodded, and her neck tipped back as she took in her surroundings. Her eyes didn’t sting from the salt, and she saw as well as if she had her scuba mask on. At least, before it fogged.
Still, the seas were unnervingly devoid of life.
Save for a stray sea lion who passed through, stopping briefly to assess them before moving on. The seabed started sloping downward, and when Angie peered over, Kaden’s tail kicked up a large rock, sweeping it down the slope. It bounced and dropped into an endless abyss.
Angie gulped. It was a reminder of just how vast, how deep, and how mysterious the sea was.
A forceful current barreled into her and swept her out. She grasped Kaden’s forearms to stay in place, and he reached around her waist, pulling her flush against him.
“Kaden.” His name came out breathy and gentle.
Their noses brushed together, and his long, thick lashes fluttered with a quick blink.
Her head swam like a gallivanting fish, and she pulled back.
A beam of sunlight filtered through, bathing him in an ethereal light.
His eyes lit like they held a sunset within.
He looked so natural—of course he did, this was his home—and she hated to admit, he was stunning.
The waves swept back his thick, jet-black hair, and his cheeks glowed under piercing blades of sunlight. His eyes roved over her face, as if taking in and memorizing each of her features. His muscles tensed as he slid one hand to the base of her skull.
“I—” Angie struggled to find her next words.
“Is something wrong?”
“I’m afraid if we do this, I won’t be able to hold myself back anymore. I’m already feeling things I don’t want to feel.”
“What makes you think I’m not feeling the same?” Kaden reached behind her and ran a lock of her hair through his fingers. “I have been wanting to do this for a while. If you would allow me, I would like to kiss you. An actual kiss, this time.”
She had hardly finished saying, “Okay,” when a small noise of pleasure escaped her throat once he lowered his head and locked her lips with his.
Her eyes drifted close, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening their kiss.
Blood rushed into her ears, pounding inside and making her feel as if she temporarily lost her senses, all but her sense of touch.
Kaden’s skin was pearl-like under her fingertips, his lips sensual and pillowy as they moved with hers.
As they floated in the water, he wrapped his tail around her legs, keeping her close. Her mouth opened in tandem with his, tongues searching until they entangled with one another. Kaden pulled back, purportedly for a breath. Even though he breathed through his gills.
Wanting, no, needing more, Angie cupped his cheeks and pulled him to her again. He tasted of sharp salt, burning and puckering her lips, but she couldn’t get enough.
She put one hand on his neck, and he jerked his head back, wincing.
Her finger poked one of his gills while it opened. “I’m sorry! Are you okay?”
“I will live.” A chuckle rumbled through his chest. “It’s, ah, sensitive there.”
“I’ll—well, I’ll put my hand…” She fumbled around the base of his neck and his shoulders. He took her hand and interlaced her fingers with his.
His free hand slid up to her neck, his fingers tangled in her hair, and he kissed her again. Blissful delirium overtook her until she had to take a breath, panting when their mouths parted, their bodies pressed flush.
“While I want to do this all day,” he whispered against her lips where a contented smile played, “I promised to show you to your mother.”