Page 13 of Tides of Time

Even with her tail replaced by legs, the unmistakable genetics of a sea-dwelling creature still pulsed through her body. The weight of the sun's direct rays sapped her strength in a way she had never experienced before, as if they were trying to pull her back into the depths of the ocean where she belonged. The heat beat down on her skin, reminding her of the harsh reality that she was no longer at home beneath the waves, but rather an out-of-place being struggling to adapt to life on land. The warmth felt foreign and overwhelming, like a constant reminder of her true identity.

In a clumsy blur, her arms flailed helplessly as she stumbled and collided with the back of an unsuspecting person. The force of the impact nearly threw them both off balance, causing them to teeter before regaining their footing. The suddenness of the collision left her breathless and disoriented, unable to even muster an apology before continuing on her way.

“Whoa!” a deep voice chuckled as arms wrapped around her.

Arms that did not belong to Orion.

The sensation was all wrong, drawing out an almost intense desire to escape whoever held her.

She nervously glanced up into the dark, almost black, eyes of a strikingly handsome man, but her heart sank as she realized it was not her husband. His muscular arms enveloped her in an overwhelming embrace that felt more like a trap than comforting. The sharp angles and defined muscles of his face gave him a dangerous aura, almost malevolent in nature. A flicker of fear ran through her as she wondered what this man's intentions were.

Pulling back, Ariana tried to calm her nerves before she spoke up. She didn’t have much time before her husband would be called to battle. She needed to find him before then, and ensure he never went to the shores. Coming across like a blathering idiot would do her no favors.

“??? ?????”

Ariana spoke very little Hebrew, only the words of endearment Orion had taught her. None of which were in the man’s apparent question.

If she spoke Spanish, it was unlikely he would understand. Instead, she used English in hopes it helped. “I do not speak your language. Apologies for visiting your country without learning it.”

“Not a worry. My English is rough, but my parents taught me.” His voice was deep and gruff.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” She gestured at the surrounding ground. “A tourist,” she hoped she could find her long-forgotten Spanish accent to help guide her cause. “I am unused to roads like this,” she flashed him a smile she hoped spoke enough to convince him leave her alone.

A dark brow raised. “You sound Spanish. I know there are cobblestone roads there.” his gaze traveled over her body and rankled her. Her eyes landed on the silver band on his hand, and she realized she had a way out even if it made her skin crawl just thinking about it.

She prayed she could remember how to heat her cheeks to a flush. “Perhaps I was looking for a way to introduce myself.”

He smiled. “While you are stunning, and am I happy to have saved you, I fear my wife would not be pleased.”

“Drats,” Ariana tried to force as much upset into the single word as she could.

“Do not tell her I looked,” he gave a wink, and her stomach rolled.

“Could you help me find someone? I’m here searching for family.”

For the most important family. My husband.

Though they’d never visited Orion’s home, she’d heard many stories and would never forget the address because it was an important piece of his past. She didn’t know the exact date of his death because he hadn’t remembered it himself, but he knew where he’d died and how.

Orion Levi died sometime in the early fall of the very year she’d transported to. It was summer, and she hoped that meant she’d get to him before he was called to fight for Israel. Not because she needed time to make him love her in this time, but because she needed to ensure she could save him when his drowning began. He needed to trust her enough to tell her where he went when his time came to leave.

Save him as a human, not as a mermaid.

“Yes, I would be honored. We’re not such a large city that I cannot assist.”

Ariana started to give him Orion’s address and froze.

As if summoned by her thoughts, her husband emerged from the store half a block away. The sunlight caught his features just right, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw and the twinkle in his deep blue eyes. He looked as perfect as the man she had left behind on the beach, naked and satisfied, almost a hundred years in the future. Time seemed to stand still in that moment, as if the past, present, and future were all converging into one glorious moment.

His hair was a little shorter, buzzed like many military men did from her time. Still, his thick, black hair begged her to slip her hands among the strands and kiss him until he fell in love with her. Otherwise, he looked exactly like the man she left some ninety years later on the beach somewhere in the United States.

“Never mind,” she moved away from the stranger and toward her husband.

Three steps closer and she stopped.

How the hell can I introduce myself to him and not seem like a desperate lunatic?

Orion turned, his body suddenly frozen in place as he caught sight of the woman a few shops back. She was exceptional in her beauty, with striking features and an aura of grace that seemed to radiate from within. Her long hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall of silk, catching the sunlight in its dark black strands. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon her, feeling a sudden surge of connection. He was unable to do anything but stand there, completely spellbound by her presence.

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