This is Book 1 of the Arcelia Series.* Book 2 is in the works!
*Can be read as a stand-alone
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Malik Jackson needed help. After being exiled from the ocean, he washed up on the beach covered in injuries and missi...
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~ ~ Xander ~ ~
Those words, those haunting words played over and over again in my head like a broken record. "I know your secret.." It whispered in my ear like a snake, coiled around my neck until I couldn't breathe. "I know your secret.."
I wasn't myself anymore. I watched from up above as my knees hit the floor in slow motion, the impact bringing me back into my body all at once.
"Xander?" Malik's voice was distant, muffled like we were underwater. He said something else, but I didn't register it.
Then the panic set in, resting over me like a thick fog. I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe. All I knew in that moment was the unknown, the confusion.
I gripped my hair tightly, rocking back and forth as my eyes burned with hot tears. Someone knew something about me that I had tried so hard to hide. I took medications, I went to therapy, I masked around strangers. How did they know? Who left the note? Was it the same girl who's after me? Is it someone new? How would Malik react? Oh god, Malik. Surely he'd think I was defective-
Malik knelt down in front of me, grabbing my shoulders as he spoke again. This time, his voice broke through the noise and interrupted my thunderous thoughts.
"Breathe!"
The command forced my lungs to inhale the air that I didn't even realize I was missing. Malik's soft hands grabbed mine and pulled them down so that I could stop tugging on my hair. He didn't speak again, instead he sat there patiently waiting for me to calm down enough to form coherent sentences.
When my breathing finally slowed, and my tears stopped flowing, I didn't even know how long it had been. My feet were starting to go numb the way I was sitting on my legs. I cleared my throat momentarily, and then said, "I'm sorry, Malik. I didn't mean to freak out on you, but as you can see, that note means something to me."
"I thought it might," Malik gave me a warm smile. "Don't apologize for stupid reasons. I'm open to hearing about what the note means, and I can listen without judgment."
"Okay," I prepared myself for a moment before speaking. "It's the pill bottle," I reached over and picked up the orange tinted bottle, sitting innocently beside the haunting note. "I don't know how she got it, but it's for my- well, my medication," I glanced at Damien, who stood off to the side and pretended not to listen.
Malik got the hint. "Damien," he said, making the other merman look at him and hum in response. "Could you give us some space for a moment?" He nodded silently and left the room without complaint, either out of respect for me, or because he was uncomfortable.
"It's for my disorder," I looked down in shame at my lap. Vampires were supposed to be perfect, better than most others, powerful, and unburdened by common problems. I wasn't supposed to have flaws. Before Malik could respond, I stood up on shaky legs and stumbled away. "I can't tell you, I'm not supposed to tell anyone!"
