Black Hearted

Part 3

Sean stepped out of his cabin, raising his hands for his dad to tell him the worst of it. His dad strolled closer to adjust one of his black arm bands, telling him in a calm voice. "You went with gold jewelry? Most of the Mermaids prefer things a bit more on the sea side. Bits of coral for a crown. A necklace or bracelet of shiny shells. Sometimes a choker of sea weed. Shiny rocks. Maybe even a dead sea creature or two, all things made into something crafty to catch their eye. Why gold?" Sean touched the thick gold chain around his neck, mumbling out. "Cause no other Merman will be wearing it. Besides... I tried making something... That talent skipped me apparently." His dad ruffled his green bangs, throwing in sweetly. "So, you didn't get my crafting talent... You got your mother's talent for songs and that is just as good. I was just curious." Sean brushed his dad's hand off his head and fixed his hair back to the way he liked it, grumbling out. "Ya... Let's just get this over with."

The Elder Gam sat back away from the shore in the large circular lagoon. Small torch fires illuminated the white sandy beach in dim romantic lighting. Sean's father lead him out before the other young male Gam members all around his age. In front of everyone, his father laid a small thin crown fashioned from sticks and decorated with dark brownish red and bright blue shells.  It even had some small gemstones found from around the reef of the lagoon. When the crown was placed on his head, his father told him in a proud voice. "As you come into this right of passage among our people, I, King Mcloughlin, ruler of the Northern Gam, officially crown you 'Prince Sean Mcloughlin of the Northern Gam. May the tide recede with me and rise with you as the future king of the Northern Gam. Poseidon watch over you as our people look to you." Sean tried not to let his eyes water as his heart swelled at his father's words. His father gave him a bow and the other members of the Gam bowed too in respect.

When his father rose back up, he told everyone excitedly. "As tradition, a member of royal blood will lead off the song. This year, that will be my son. Enjoy the festival, Lads! They're waiting for ya!" The Elder Gam members raised their instruments and Sean turned to face the ocean feeling so nervous. Somewhere out there beneath the water, they were waiting. Listening. The moment the music started, Sean's nerves vanished. He liked this song and knew it well. William Taylor's sea shanty. As he started to sing, he also started to dance across the beach and the other young Gam members joined in. Sean broke out in a river dance and spun around the soft beach as their voices rose louder and louder in the moonlight. Sean lost himself in the song and dance, enjoying himself like the others. While the Labradorite stone amulet around his neck began to glow a bright blue. When he next spun across the shore, he locked eyes with a woman he hadn't seen since he was a young boy.

She was soaking wet and naked as the day she was born. In her hair was bits of a fishnet that looked like a veil decorated with pearls and small red starfish. She blushed at him, raising her hand to take his and began to dance with him. From the corner of his eye, he saw other young mermaids rising up out of the water and staggering their way sneakily over to dance with any young merman that caught their eye. Sean's heart raced in his chest as he watched her bite her lower lip, her eyes never leaving his. As the music died down to silence, Sean lowered his hand cautiously down her arm to her wrist and leaned in to see if she'd let him kiss her cheek. If she let him, than she was interested in him.  If she didn't, than she'd either run back to the water or pick another merman. He expected Signe to run. In the brief time he had known her as a young girl, she had always playfully run from him. It wasn't until she was old enough to swim past the reef that she was forced to leave with the Pod.

He had thought of her everyday since. He missed her laugh and the sweet sound of her voice. Her hair was short like he remembered, but the rest of her was much more... defined. She closed her eyes with a tight-lipped smile as his lips pressed tentatively to her wet cheekbone. For a moment his mind went blank. He hadn't expected her to let him do that. She opened her eyes, before bashfully turning to look away and covering her mouth with her fingers. He shyly looked away too, unsure what to do from here. Should he escort her back to his cabin? Should he do her here on the beach? Maybe take her to the cliffs, where she could see the bright stars more clearly? Where did she want to do this? He felt awkward trying to think of a good way to ask her. Unable to think clearly, he just stayed silent. Signe gingerly curled her fingers into the black fishnet that he had around his waist like a sash. He swallowed nervously as her fingers brushed across his bare stomach, pulling him closer to her. He stared into her deep eyes, unable to look away as she raised her other hand to cup his neck and pulled him down into a slow tender kiss of passion.