Skye's Lure

Chapter 11: Indulged

I CREPT OUT OF THE CAVE, GLANCING AROUND. The dangerous creatures had vanished, as well as the Sea King. Above me, the fiery sky outlined a golden hull. Vince had returned. How long was I out?

As I surfaced, I scanned the boat. It took a moment to spot him lying on the deck, face down. The steady sound of breathing met my ears, drool spilling from his open mouth. I had never seen him sleep. He looked so peaceful. I almost hated to wake him. Almost.

I grabbed the edge of the deck and flipped my tail. Water showered Vince, and he awoke with a start. He scrambled to his feet, slipping on the wet deck.

"What the—?" Vince caught sight of me, and his body eased, both of us breaking into laughter. "There you are. I waited all night for you to come back. I thought I'd lost you."

"You nearly did," I replied, shuddering.

"Well? What happened?"

"Wait till you hear."

As I recounted the story, Vince's eyebrows crept towards his hairline.

A smile tugged at Vince's cheek. "So, you're telling me that I'm going to turn into a Mer-guy? I'll have a tail and webbing between my fingers and all that?"

"Yep."

"And will I be able to sing all pretty like you?" Vince bat his lashes, and I rolled my eyes, shaking my head.

Vince stood up, clapping his hands together. "So, how does this work?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure. I thought it would've happened already."

"Maybe if I get in the water—"

"Vince, no! It's too dangerous. We have to figure this out first."

Vince pulled off his shirt, and dropped it on the deck. "What? You don't trust this Sea King guy?"

"Of course I do."

Shoes dropped with a clunk. "Maybe he just wants me to drown."

"He wouldn't do that." Would he? I still had no idea why the King had linked our fates. Maybe he intended to kill us both.

"I'm sorry, Skye, but I have nothing to lose. Sink or swim, I'm coming in."

Vince ran for the edge and leapt over me. His body arched as he dove in, naked except for his underwear. The water around him glowed as he glided through. Flesh fused together as legs became tail. The fluke fanned out, even after his feet fully submerged.

I watched in awe, unaware I was sinking. Gulping water, I choked. I kicked, but there was no force behind it. All my churning kept me at the surface, but the waves began to overwhelm. I thrashed at the water, fighting to stay afloat. What happened to me?

Vince's arm wrapped around me, and he guided me to the boat. I grabbed the edge and hopped up like before, but this time felt different. Looking down, I found legs where my tail had been.

I was also completely naked.

Scooting across the deck, I grabbed Vince's discarded shirt and threw it over my head. The garment was large on me, but it still felt restrictive, and my arms kept popping out of the wrong holes. Finally, I had it on correctly, and I stopped. I'm human.

Vince chuckled. "You have it on inside out and backwards."

I tugged at the neckline, which pressed against my throat. "Really? How do you know?"

"The seams are out, and the tag is in the front."

I looked down, the tag scratching my chin, and laughed. "Who cares? I'm human!"