Treasuring the last mermaid (Now published so sample size only)

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

We had walked back towards Byron's house, but made a detour at the last moment. He led me down a steep embankment where I feared treading. Byron strode confidently out onto the rocks. I hesitated in following him as I watched the ocean with discerning eyes. With the tide being out, I didn't have to worry about the waves splashing onto me.

We hadn't said a word to each other since we'd started walking. With the full moon shining down upon us, it made it much easier to find our way.

"Come down here, Coral. It's a bit tricky in the dark." Byron held a hand out to me.

"Thank you."I murmured as we once again touched hands.

I could sense our bond strengthen every time our hands turned gummy in each others. As much as I wanted it, I still had the urge to pull away. It had as much wrong with it as it had right.

Byron disappeared from view and it took me a moment to realise that there was a cave opening hidden away beneath a few plants. Stepping down a rocky path, I found myself in a stunning grotto.

The small cave had been hewn from the rock after thousands of years of pounding waves assailing it. A rocky ledge led down to an inviting expanse of water.

The moon shone silvery strands of light down upon the water to dance upon its surface. Glancing up, I saw a hole at the very top where the moon glowed through.

"It's a private spot that I found soon after moving here. That hole comes out on the jagged cliff face where nobody would dare walk, and the entrance as you saw remains hidden too." Byron's voice echoed around as he spoke.

"It's a beautiful spot." I said.

I peered down into what I sensed to be quite deep water that led straight to the ocean through an underwater cavern. The water shimmered invitingly trying to entice me to enter. I stayed back while wondering why Byron had led me down here.

"I'm going to show you who I am, and it's going to require the removal of my clothes." He gestured down his body.

If he really was mer, then I completely understood. It had taken me a long time to adapt to the whole clothing situation when I first decided to join the humans. As mer, we remained unencumbered by such restraints. We presented ourselves as who we were and nothing more or less.

I nodded my head to him. In a swift move, he tugged his shirt off and tossed it behind him. I used that moment to stare at his perfection.

"I'm not like you. I can immerse my whole body in the ocean without changing, which I'm sure you've noticed anyway. It's something that has an explanation and I will tell you." His last words became muffled as he leaned over to tug his pants off.

"It doesn't seem right to me, that's not how it works." I began to babble as he exposed even more of his body for me to gawk at.

"As I said yesterday, my existence has ended quite a few myths."

His words were a blur of noise when all I could do was stare at him. I'd never seen a male human naked before. It definitely wasn't a sight I expected to see.

"Why do you take that board into the water and swim like the humans?" I talked simply for talking and to avoid staring at his body.

"Are you asking why I surf?" Byron asked as he titled his head at me.

"Yes." I answered even though I didn't really know what surfing meant.

"Surfing is... it's like a spiritual trip through the ocean. It's hard to explain, it's better to experience, but I guess you'll never be able to experience that."