Page 92 of The Noble's Merman

“And… even though Harris wasn’t a pirate, you…”

“It was the same thing. I felt like I was doing good for you, and for the rest of the crew of The Sterling Mer. I… I was blinded by the excitement of being closer to you, Kent. Harris didn’t deserve to die. There were likely many people aboard pirates ships of the past who hadn’t deserved to die either. But before I met you, like I said, I hadn’t known I could control the Song. And, over the last few moons, have I truly learnt how.”

“I wish to know more about that,” said Kent. “How you learnt you can control it.”

“All right.” Mo cleared his throat, still feeling clogged with lingering anxiety. “After I met you, I tried resisting the call of the Song for the first time. It hurt, as in, it physically hurt me to do so, to not use the Song when it wanted me to, but I managed to tough it out. The pain and nausea went away, and all went back to normal. I resisted a few more times since, and each time the pain lessened and lessened. I believe now, if the magic took hold unexpectedly again, I could resist it without any pain at all. I don’t have to use the Song.”

“I see…” Kent gave Mo’s hand a gentle squeeze. “That reassures me, Mo,” he said genuinely, with a soft voice. “Though, I’m curious about one instance that—it was Allen who brought it to my attention. The last night we were on The Sterling Mer, had you used the Song?”

Alas, he suspected that Allen had realized the true nature of what happened that night. It came as no surprise, but he had to reassure Kent. “Yes, I did use the Song for a moment, but I promise you that it was merely an accident. I’d never drank that stuff you gave me—rum—before, and it made me lose control in some way. So when I sang, and the power flowed through me, it just… came out.”

“I suppose one reason humans drink is because they wish to lose control. But even they can end up doing things they wouldn’t truly wish to do while sober,” Kent offered. “So that makes sense.”

“I suppose if I don’t wish to lose control of the Song, I probably shouldn’t drink any more of that stuff.”

“Or, you could drink it, just never sing when you do.” Kent gave him an adorable smile, easing away his nerves that were threatening to come forth. Mo relaxed his shoulders.

“That could work too,” he said with a smile of his own.

“But, back to about that night… that meant Allen was correct of his suspicions. He’d told me how he thought you might be a siren. I tried to say otherwise at the time, because I didn’t know the truth, but… you know what he did tell me then, one thing that I know is true, and will always be true?”

Mo’s heart pounded, and peculiarly, he felt the magic that connected him to Kent grow, pulsing with his heartbeat. “What did he say?”

“He said…” Kent’s grin grew wider, and drops of water clouded around his eyes. “He said he saw the way you looked at me. That that was the look of someone in love. Even if he did suspect you were a siren, he still trusted you, because he knew you were honest in your promise to protect me.”

The magic pulsed even harder, banging against his chest, filling himself with a warm, pleasant surge. Pressure pushed behind his eyes, urging him to cry, and his own drops of water spilled down his cheeks. “Oh, my dear Kent, of course. I will always protect you. Know my love for you is true, no matter what.” He reached up with his free hand to caress Kent’s face, feeling his new short facial hair under his fingers. “I love you more than anything else in the world.”

Kent nuzzled his cheek into Mo’s hand. “Mo.” He sniffed. “My darling merman. I…”

He sighed.

He closed his eyes.

Then opened them again, wet from his crying. He smiled. So sweet, so genuine. The most beautiful smile Mo had ever seen.

“I forgive you. I love you too, Mo.”

Mo thought his heart was going to burst from his ribs.

“Are you honest, Kent? Do you truly mean it?”

Kent nodded, the water on his face dripping down his chin and onto Mo’s hand. “Yes. Mo, I’d be empty without you. How I met you on the beach, talking with you, falling for you… they’ve been the happiest times I’ve ever experienced. I need you in my life. I love you.”

Mo couldn’t hold back—he closed the gap between them with a kiss.

Oh, was the kiss everything he needed. It mended his wounded heart, and more than that, Kent’s love filled him up tenfold. Their shared magic pulsed and prodded inside him, harder, stronger than ever before, overwhelming him with intensity. Yet it only urged Mo to kiss Kent more, and as he opened his mouth, Kent did the same. He tasted salty water drops, dripping onto their lips, assuring him what he needed to know. It was the taste of love. And nothing was more true than that.

But as they continued to kiss, something felt strange.

The magic wasn’t just in his chest—no, it was flowing through his whole body, and he could feel it radiate off of Kent as well. It shocked him. His muscles tensed suddenly, and he had to let go of Kent’s face in fear his claws would accidentally extract. But they never did. Instead, his skin burned, his heart throbbed, he pulled his lips away as something absolutely otherworldly took over his body?—

“Mo, are—are you all right?”

And then?—

He glowed.

The most intense pain he’d ever felt struck him like a bolt of lightning, starting at the tip of his tail and dragging upward. He couldn’t even see what was happening as his body was glowing white like a sea crystal, blinding, bright and beautiful. But the pain was all-consuming. He couldn’t even sit up straight anymore from the agony, and he collapsed; his head fell into Kent’s lap.

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