Page 64 of Blood of the Sirens
I might as well die right now, then.
Cold, textured lips met mine and my mouth opened automatically. Cool, crisp air raced into my lungs, and I gulped it greedily.
It was Caspian.
He held me in a death grip against his chest, his mouth pressed to mine as his tail beat frantically below us. Little by little, the darkness eased until we raced out of the cave and into open water. He didn’t stop, though. He shot toward the surface, only stopping once we broke through the top. Silent tears streamed down my face as I breathed in the fresh air, taking in nothing but the open sea around us.
He dove under me and surfaced right in front of my arms, nudging my arms until I hooked them around his neck in reflex. Without waiting, he took off, swimming at a breakneck pace right along the top of the water with me on his back like I was nothing more than a light backpack.
Damn, this dude was strong.
I’m sure he swam for a while, but I wasn’t aware of how much time passed. All I could see was Merrick dying in my arms, and Calypso smirking and cooing at him in my voice. I’d almost drowned again, and the weird zombie mer (Caspian, his name was Caspian) was the only reason I was still alive.
My tears were hot as they burned two twin trails down my cheeks.
Eventually, Caspian stopped swimming abruptly, drawing my attention. I gasped as the familiar coastline rose in front of me, one lone dinghy fishing boat bobbing along helplessly in the waves. Caspian gently pried my arms from his neck and pushed me toward the boat.
I understood. He was trying to save me before Calypso realized I was gone. Or maybe she didn’t even really want me—just my voice or whatever magick I’d stupidly given up.
It hadn’t even saved Merrick.
I turned toward him and opened my mouth, wanting desperately to thank him but unable to.
Caspian blinked and dove under the water, and just like that, he was gone.
The water felt suddenly cold around me, and I foolishly tried to scream. Of course nothing happened. My hands and arms flailed in the air, and I desperately willed the people in the boat two hundred or so yards away to see me.
By some miracle, they did.
I heard shouting and cries of alarm, and suddenly the small boat was racing toward me. I cried silent tears of relief and shame as I realized I was naked in the water except for my bra. A small fishing boat crammed with nine people reached toward me, one face sticking out from the rest.
Javi!
I mouthed his name, but of course no one could hear me. He pushed his way to the front, his tanned face whiter than normal with fear and anxiety.
One yelled, “Get the blankets! Move Javi, and quit gawking!”
The boat bobbed wildly in the rough waters as I reached up toward the sea of faces, all of them sharing characteristics with Javi—some with his same square jawline, and others with thesame slightly rounded nose. All of them shared his dark coloring and hair.
“Jesse! Girl, you know how to give a man a heart attack,” Javi said.
I sputtered in silent laughter as his arms reached mine and our fingers entwined. He pulled me up, and two larger women pushed aside the men as they grabbed my waist and shoulders, making quick work of hauling me into the back of the boat. A warm wool blanket was passed over and quickly wrapped around my waist and then another around my shoulders. The only cold I truly felt was the ice wrapped around my heart.
Javi said, “We found you. I can’t believe it. We’ll need to call 911 and have an ambulance meet us at the docks. We—”
I shook my head furiously, willing him to understand.
“You’re not OK, Jesse. Have you lost your voice?”
I nodded yes to that, then vehemently shook my head again for the rest.
Javi blinked. “Well, all right. You seem … oddly fine for being out here for … two days now.” He eyed me and shook his head.
I gestured to the swarm of people around me.
Javi blushed, then straightened proudly. “The Coast Guard and the police gave up for the day. I couldn’t do that, you know?Mi familia es tu familia.”
Everyone around me nodded and chattered excitedly at that last point, and I lost it. I bawled silent, heaving sobs, collapsing as their kindness warmed me more thoroughly than these blankets ever would. The disparity of Merrick’s clan trying to attack me was so at odds with Javi’s family that it hurt all the more.
