Page 87 of Sea's Secret

“No, I do not agree with you,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

“This argument will never end, will it?”

“Yes, I can help you, and I care about you.”

“I care about you, too, which is why I would never let you take on my pain to give me relief.”

“That is not how it works. I feel no pain when I use my magic.”

“Have you ever tried to heal someone like me? Someone cursed? Who knows what would happen? What if you healed me, and then the curse fell upon you? No. Absolutely not, Meria,” he said, shaking his head quickly. His voice was getting louder with determination, and with that fear, I saw a flickering in his eyes.

“That wouldn’t happen.” Although I said it, I had no idea, really. I doubted Ancient Draken would allow such a thing to happen to a magical being; still, the Ancients had abandoned us to the sea, and they also neglected our flickering lights. Who knows what Draken thinks of us.

“Meria, please. I already have a hard time living with myself and the way I have lived most of my life. I cannot add you to the list of people I have done wrong.”

“I can’t say I will never help you, but I will drop it for now. However, I would like to discuss it again.” He had to be okay with that because the feelings I had for him would not let me do nothing when he was in constant pain, and when I could do something about it.

“I will not change my mind. I may be many things, and I may have hurt many people, but I am not going to hurt you.” He stepped away from the desk and toward the door. “I will leave you to get dressed. We will leave soon.”

“Dominick?” I asked as he placed his gloved hand on the handle. He turned to look at me.

“I am sorry for your curse. You do not deserve it in the slightest.”

“Thank you, but I do deserve it more than you’ll ever know.”

Before I could say anything else, he was out the door.

My clothing was easier to put on than it was before. There was a small mirror on the inside door of the closet, and as I finished dressing, I took a look at myself and straightened my shirt and vest, making sure they were on correctly. I knew how it was to appear from observing the crew’s dress. The clothing fit me rather snugly. I was surprised. The outfit I had worn before was so large that it was hard to move in it. Even the boots were a size or two too large. The pants were too long as well as the sleeves of the shirt, and I realized I was rather short for a human. Perhaps, human females were shorter than males, though. I had yet to meet a female human, so I was not sure. But the men aboard were all taller than me.

The only thing I disliked was my hair. It was always wild. I still had the comb that Dominick had given to me on Marren, and I attempted to tame it a few times, but it never looked as it had when Dominick had fixed it before. In the ocean, my hair was never a problem. It floated about me, and I brushed it out, but being dry, I had no idea how to do it. I found a ribbon at the bottom of the cabinet and tried to tie my long hair back.

When there was another knock on the door, instead of granting entrance, I called out: “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” Dominick said from the other side of the door.

“Come in!” I called. There was a noise, like the handle was being turned, and then it stopped.

“Are you dressed? As in fully dressed? Like you have the shirt on correctly, and your legs are in the pants? The only skin showing should–” He stopped talking as I opened the door and smirked at him with one hand on my hip.

“I think I’ve figured out human clothing.”

I’d spent the last twenty or so minutes before he knocked, making sure I had put on the clothes correctly. Although the thought did cross my mind more than once that it was a shame to do so, because the darkening of Dominick’s cheeks and his eyes darting this way and that when I did not wear human clothes correctly, was one of my favorite looks on him.

But alas, I put them on correctly, hoping to impress him.

He looked me up and down, silently, then cleared his throat. When his eyes met mine, I saw relief there. I smiled, holding back a giggle. What did he see in my eyes when he looked at me then? He seemed to hold my gaze like he was holding onto me, forever, anchoring me to him.

I would not have minded such a thing in the slightest.

“Well done,” he nodded, as he cleared his throat. He then looked at my hair, which I knew was ridiculous. I had given up on my hair; no matter how much I brushed it, the wind always tangled it up again.

“Let me help you with your hair,” he smiled; then he came inside, closing the door behind him. He motioned for me to sit in his chair, and he came around to stand behind me.

“I hate this hair. It does not do well out of the ocean. Perhaps I should cut it off?” I asked as he began to untie the ribbon.

“I beg of you to not cut it. Something so unique and beautiful should not be lost.”

I liked having my hair long. All mermaids had long hair, and we treasured it. I would not feel like myself without it.

---