Rising Tides

14

"I died, didn't I?" Sarah asked, laying on her side against Rowan's front as they curled up together in his bed. It's been two days since she left the hospital and Rowan offered to let her stay with him in his dorm while she recovered. Luckily, he had no roomate, so it was just them there.

"Yes."

"I was once a mermaid."

"Yes."

"We were in love."

"We were soulmates. Lifemates. We mers mate for life and will never choose another if our mate dies. I have known many mers who have died of loneliness and heartbreak after losing their mate. I was close to death myself after you died in my arms."

She couldn't bear the sadness in his voice. She kissed his fingers lovingly.

"I wanted to die so I could be with you. After I tore those fishermen who killed you apart, I tried everything I thought would kill me. I picked a fight with a great white shark and challenged another male mer to a duel. When we fight, we fight to the death.
I ended up killing him instead of being the one to die. For years, I swam alone. Hating myself for failing to keep you safe. Until one day, I saw a little human girl struggling for life out in the stormy sea. If it were any other human, I would have just swum away and ignored it, but something drew me to the little girl and I saved her instead. Then I saw her face and I knew immediately it was you. You came back to me. You were reincarnated as a human. So, I had to find you again. I searched for you all over the world and eventually found you here in Florida, so I enrolled in your school and tried to blend in with the humans."

Sarah stayed quiet as he spoke, trying to come to terms with this bombshell that dropped on her. It made sense now that she really thought about it. Ever since she was little, she was drawn to the ocean and it explained why she felt so at home and comfortable in the sea despite her previous bad experiences. She had a strange connection to the marine animals, too. Dolphins especially loved her. Fish would watch her and follow her around when she went to aquariums with her family, but now that the puzzle pieces all fit together, it made sense.

"Can I transform?"

"Unfortunately, no. Your body is still very much human in this life. But your spirit is that of a mer. You have better reflexes and better swimming capabilities than most humans, you attract the attention of men everywhere you go, and sea creatures love you. You can hear the call and song of the sea like all mers can and your mer soul craves the sea."

"Can I see you transform?"

She felt him kiss the top of her head sweetly. "I can bring you down to the pool, if you want to. Do you need any painkillers?"

Sarah's leg was elevated on a pillow, her white cast was thick and heavy and it was hard to move. Dr. Hernández had told her to stay off that leg for three months, then to come back to the hospital for a check up. She wasn't in any pain yet, so the meds were still working. Thank goodness they didn't make her all woozy and loopy.

"No. I'm alright. Please take me to the pool."

His lips curled and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "As you wish, my princess." Ever-so-gracefully, he slid his arms under her body and lifted her into them bridal-style, slipping off of the bed and gliding across the room. Uncaring that he was barefoot.

"Hey. What about your shoes?" She asked.

"Won't need them." It was night-time and everyone was asleep. Rowan got the dorms that had access to an outdoor pool. Lucky.

Setting her down on a chair by the pool, he smirked at her and started to strip off his clothes. Her face turned beet red and her mouth watered at the sight of lean, sleek muscles, broad shoulders, and ivory skin that glowed under the moonlight. His hair spilled down his back in an inky waterfall; black as the night with tints of blue that became brighter in the sunlight.