Page 5 of Beneath the Surface

CHAPTER TWO

DUSKHADlongsincepassed. Darkness blanketed the land, and, with it, protection from prying eyes. The full moon shone brightly on the rippling waves. Nisha’s head broke the surface and he bobbed in the water, his long hair floating around his shoulders.

A lengthy tail battered the surface in annoyance. Nisha watched the human called Kannon walking along the beach. Sometimes he’d just stop and stare restlessly out over the reflective surface of the ocean, his hands in his back pockets, the water splashing so close to him.

Then he’d started off again. His human seemed sad. And distracted. When the lights of the resort came fully into view, Kannon turned back. Obviously his human wasn’t in the mood for company. Good.

Nisha’s webbed fingers played with the necklace that held several shark teeth around his neck. He dove under the water, his tail slapping the surface. Time and distance had allowed him to see that maybe what he’d done that day to Kannon could’ve been a little scary.

But he’d seen the human in the water, and his scent—that scent called to him. He couldn’t resist that call any more than the tide could resist the moon. If he’d been more rational, he would’ve known his actions would scare the human, but he wasn’t. Rational, that is.

Of all the things he was expecting that day, finding his mate was not one of them. He certainly wasn’t expecting his mate to be human. That, in and of itself, rocked his world. While he didn’t regret finding Kannon, he did wish he’d thought things out better.

The last thing he meant to do was scare Kannon. Not to mention his actions made mating with the human much, much harder. Things would go easier if Kannon came into the water, but if necessary, he’d go onto land to claim what was his.

With a sigh, Nisha gave up any hope Kannon would suddenly throw caution to the wind and venture into the ocean. Nisha watched from the safety of the waves as Kannon returned to the bungalow and eventually went to bed.

Perfect.

He swam to an underwater cave he often used to transform. Once there, he beached himself. Grunting from the pull of gravity, he pulled himself backward until he managed to clear the water. Leaning back on his elbows, he let his weight rest on his arms.

Staring up at the cave’s ceiling, he waited. His body was so much heavier out of the water, and he hated the feeling. His long tail slapped restlessly against the sand. As he waited, he noticed his skin drying out.Finally. Now the fun part starts.

Bracing himself, he waited for the tearing to begin. Within minutes the bottom of his tail tingled, then ripped. Clenching his teeth against the scream that threatened to spill forth, he forced himself to let it happen. The flipper part of his tail split, and the tear continued up his body.

What seemed like ages passed as the two parts separated and slowly morphed into… legs. Fins altered themselves into feet, and the pain of the transformation came to an end. During all this, his long, pointed ears and sharp teeth changed to a more human-like form. The fins near his wrist disappeared too.

He wiggled his toes, flexed his ankles, and bent his knees. He gave his body a few minutes more to adjust as the pain receded. Standing on these two sticks humans called legs, he waited until he adjusted to the sensation of standing on solid land that didn’t move with the current of the ocean.

Taking a step, then another… he grinned. His fingers brushed his naked skin as he searched for the waterproof bag at his hip. Good, it was still there. He made his way up the path that led away from the water and up to the land.

Standing in the cave’s entrance, he checked for any wandering humans. Seeing no one, he set off for a certain bungalow that held what he wanted. Outside the door he looked around, but nothing stirred. He picked the lock and slipped inside.

Quietly he made his way to the bedroom. There he stood staring at the human before him. Such beauty. His human face was a study of perfection. Kannon had a strong jaw and full pouty lips of the palest pink.

A narrow nose graced his face, and a dusting of freckles covered his cheeks. He opened the bag and scooped a small bit of the powdery substance into his hand. Carefully he bent down and blew it into the face of the human.

“Just relax,” Nisha whispered.

The powder that covered Kannon’s face was quickly absorbed into the skin. It was a mixture he made of certain toxins from fish that would leave Kannon in a twilight-type sleep but aware. Kannon’s nose crinkled. He snorted, and then sneezed. Nisha watched as Kannon struggled to lift his arm to rub his nose. Slowly his eyes blinked open.

“Shh. You are fine, mate. Just relax. ”

Kannon squinted. “Who, um… who are you?”

“You know who I am. You’ve only been running from me for fifteen years.”

Kannon gasped, his head tossing back and forth upon the pillow. “But, but, you… you don’t exist.”

Nisha rested his hand on Kannon’s shoulder, and he slowly calmed under Nisha’s touch. Once his human settled down, Nisha lifted the sheet that covered Kannon and exposed his nudity.

Kannon’s partially opened eyes tried to focus on him, and his mouth moved as if he was trying to speak. Nisha moved closer. “Hmm?”

“There’s no such thing as, as… ” Kannon reached up. “As mermen. No such thing, but… so b-beautiful.”

Nisha let Kannon touch his long hair, then wrapped his hand around Kannon’s fingers and lowered them to the bed. “Yes, you are.”

“Meant… meant you.”

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