CHAPTER 65
Her heart hammered loudly and then dropped to a stop. There were only two options: a shipwreck survivor or Kallias. Oh Lord, let it not be Kallias.
She leapt over the stairs, down the path to the dock, and saw nothing.
Mr. Runington was pointing to the spot where Kallias usually met her and she could not breathe. “There!” he cried. “There! I swear he was there. With long white hair and no clothes.”
That was it, yes. She was dying. Her heart could not take a second more.
She could not even blame Kallias—why would he expect anyone other than her to come down here? She was the stupid one, telling this man to go ahead when she hadn’t even thought to check herself for any mermaids.
She hoped he wouldn’t notice how pale or sweaty she felt—or the fact that her hands were shaking and clammy. “Mr. Runington”—she tried to go for concerned and worried as if questioning his sanity; she wasn’t sure she hit it—“there’s no one there.”
“No, but there was. I’m sure of it. Maybe he drowned.”
She looked back over to the rock. “There?” she asked, moving over the rocks towards it, and then reaching it, she stood on the top and play-searched, looking into the depths.
She tried hard to not look further right at her mermaid pressed against a rock like he was trying to become one with it.
“Yes, Mr. Runington”—she tried to really look like she was looking—“I really don’t see a thing or I would dive in. ”
“Oh, no, no, that won’t be necessary, Miss Wains. If you say you see nothing…”
“I really don’t.”
He looked perturbed. “But I thought…”
“Mr. Runington, I believe hallucinations are not at all uncommon with severe blood loss. That’s why we must get you to a doctor as soon as possible.”
Now he looked all too ready to comply. “Yes, yes, and I need to see the crew.”
“Exactly,” she said as soothingly as possible as she hopped back over the rocks, one hand out to direct him to the boat. “In fact, why don’t you lie down? You were feeling lightheaded earlier, weren’t you?”
“Yes, I was. How did you know?” He was all too cooperative now and he lay down in the front.
“Oh, I’m very perceptive,” she said, pressing out another smile, trying to make it as warm as possible.
“It must be the second and third aid you know so well,” he said, teasing, but his voice sounded weak, as if now he was truly concerned with his health.
“Yes, that’s it exactly,” she said, so, so thankful he had lain down or otherwise he’d be facing Kallias when they exited the cove. Either way, she hoped Kallias had gone back under just on the off chance he sat up again.
“Here. I even brought a blanket,” she said tenderly, unfolding it and draping it over him before he had had a chance to say a thing. “With less blood, it’ll be harder to stay warm.”
She had no idea if that was true or not, but he nodded like it was. “That makes sense.”
“Now, let’s get you to the doctor.”
Perhaps she should go herself for her heart still seemed to be spasming and her chest felt near to erupting from stress.
But it was fine. All she had to do was take him back to town.
Simple. Very simple. She would row him back and out of her life forever, and he would be nothing but a distant memory.
And on those calm seas, she prayed—oh, how she prayed—that he’d never think of Kallias—or her—again.