Page 98 of Sea's Secret

“You and a dozen of the crew were bitten by the sea serpents when you were trying to patch up the hull.”

“Bitten?”

“Their bites are numbing at first, so you would not have felt it, but, eventually, you did.”

“How long has it been?” I asked as I attempted, but failed, to remember such a thing occurring.

“Just a few hours. You passed out after Sands brought you in here.”

“Did you–are you alright?” I asked, looking her over. She seemed as beautiful as ever, her soft, white-blond hair, over her shoulder and still in a braid. Her light blue eyes were so focused on me, I could not look away. She was so beautiful.

“I am.”

“Well, thank you,” I said, closing my eyes slowly as she let go of my wrist and stepped back.

“Rest for a while. I will be here when you wake up. The other crew members who were bitten are doing well with their recovery, too. Although no one was bitten as many times as you were. You really ought to be more careful, Dominick,” she said, reaching her hand out to remove some hair from my brow. “You are the captain of this ship, and we need you.”

“Do you need me?” I was surprised I said such a thing. I smirked, opening my eyes a bit, trying to play it off.

“I do, and do remember that you also need me. We must come out of this adventure alive,” she whispered, still playing with a few strands of my hair. If my body had been numb before, her touch shocked it back to intense feeling. But instead of feeling pain like I had when I first awoke, her touch was a balm, a warmth that made me never want her to stop touching me as long as I lived.

When she stepped back and removed her touch from me, the pain slowly made its way back, although not as acute as before when I had first come to.

Is that because of Meria?

“Okay, Dominick?” she asked.

I attempted to nod but found it difficult as my head felt so heavy. “I think I am going to fall asleep again,” I grunted.

“Sleep,” she said, and I felt her warm caress on the side of my face. “Rest, Dominick. I won’t leave,” she whispered, and I felt as if those words were the words that could heal my soul if she truly meant it–if my mermaid, truly, would never leave me. But she would–she should.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Meria

“We have arrived. Is the captain well?” Sands asked as he poked his head through the cabin door.

“He is still asleep. How are the other men who were affected by the bites?"

“Still asleep as well.”

“Okay,” I said, pausing. I worried about us staying in one place for too long. What if there were other creatures around us that would try to hurt us? We also needed to be quick because Peter was waiting for us on Pixie Isle.

“I think we just need a few more hours for them to rest so that they feel mostly recovered.”

“I can try to move the ship about, but if we come across another sea monster–” Sands said.

“I will help take care of that,” I answered.

Sands nodded and closed the door and paced back and forth in front of Dominick's bed. What was I going to do? I looked at Dominick’s sleeping form. I wanted to save him–keep him safe.

I walked up to him, placed my hand on his arm and traced the black veins there. The inky black veins were such a testament to his strength of will. I did not want him to be cursed–did not want him to be in pain. I cried, unable to stop the sorrow. I felt for all that Dominick must have endured through his life. My tears dripped onto his arms. I waited until all the black veins on both of his hands and arms had disappeared. I could do that much for him and still be able to ward off any sea creatures.

I smiled, noticing that his breathing was even and stronger. It was helping him. Soon his eyes opened, and he sat up. He looked around, and then down at his hands before saying anything. Maybe I should have put his gloves on him.

I watched, and it was as if it unfolded in slow motion as he looked at his hands, and he was clearly startled to see that the black veins there–were gone.

“I told you not to heal me, Meria.” His eyes were cold with anger.

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