Hart of the Sea

Chapter 15

This was the first time I'd ever shown my overwater cave to another living soul. Talia seemed to love it, even though there was nothing about it that I thought would be of particular interest to her.

"You'd think with all the surfing I used to do out here, I would've found this place by now," she said, her voice light with wonder as her gaze traveled along the cave walls. We were sitting next to each other against one side of the cave, my cerulean tail stretching out far in front of me.

When she was done looking around the cave, her gaze landed on my tail. She stared at it in dazzled disbelief, reaching a hand out towards it but quickly drawing away before she could touch it.

I smiled at her. "It's okay," I whispered.

She smiled bashfully, reaching out and gently resting her fingertips on the area where my knees would be if I had legs. "Woah," she breathed. After a few seconds, she'd gained the confidence to let her whole hand rest on my scales. "I can't believe you're real," she murmured, tearing her gaze away from her hand and looking into my eyes.

I stared back at her, into the stormy eyes I felt like I'd been looking into my whole life. I wanted to say something but was unable to form the right words. The electricity from her touch traveled throughout my entire tail straight through to the tips of my fins, distracting me. Before I realized what was happening, she was cradling my face with both of her hands, the electricity still crackling throughout my tail. I raised my hands to cover hers, realizing I didn't need words to say what I wanted to say.

She didn't need to say anything either. Her eyes spoke to me instead; sang to me as she gazed into my eyes. Those turbulent eyes, swirling with nimbus clouds of intensity, strength, and courage. But most of all, love. Love for me. And I didn't understand why. Why, out of everyone in the ocean and Surface World combined, the universe chose to bring our souls together.

Talia closed her eyes slowly, still holding my face in her hands like I was a part of her, and leaned slightly forward, her face now within an inch of my own, so close I could feel her soft breath on my lips.

"Wait," I whispered.

She drew back suddenly, her eyes flying open, but her hands didn't leave the sides of my face. "What is it?" She asked meekly, her eyes traveling over my face.

"I...I don't know if I can...," I stammered, my reluctance taking me by surprise.

She furrowed her brows. "Can...what? Kiss?" She giggled lightly, her eyes twinkling like the sun does after a storm.

I felt my face heat up. "I-It's not that I don't know how, I just...It doesn't feel right, not while...Calliope and Oriel are still..."

"Oh my gosh, you're right," she said, her hands jerking away from my face. "Wow, I'm so sorry. I'm so embarrassed. I should've been more considerate. Of course, I'm sorry," she rambled, pulling up her knees and burying her face in them.

I reached out for her, laying my arm across her shoulders and pulling her close. "Hey, no, don't be sorry. I'm sorry. I really want to. But..." I took a deep, shaky breath. "It suddenly just hit me that...that my friends are going to be stuck in your dad's lab forever, and there's nothing I can do about it-," I stopped, my throat closing as I tried holding back a sob.

"Hey," Talia said softly, delicately grasping my chin and pulling my face down to look me in the eye. "We're going to get them out of there, okay? I promise you. Didn't you say you had a friend working on something? How is that going? How can I help?"

I smiled sadly. "She's giving up. She doesn't think they can be saved. Mer are absolutely terrified of humans. Most don't like to admit it, but we are. And for good reason. I mean, look what happened!" I ran my hand over my face, sighing heavily.