Page 17 of Lost in the Dark

This was a dream. A nightmare. It had to be. Because mermaids or merman, or whatever the fuck this creature was, didn’t exist.

His hands reached up and gripped me, his skin feeling smooth like rubber. I looked down at his face, truly looking at him.

His face was like a human’s, but his eyes were completely black. They had an iridescent sheen to them, and then his mouth… his mouth parted, flashing shark like fangs. There were gills down his neck, and his skin was tan like mine until it met the scales of his tail.

His tail was…

Beautiful.

I swallowed hard, taking in the array of colors. Even in the swinging yellow light, I could see how stunning his tail was.

Take me to the sea, human.

“I don’t know how I can even hear you,” I whispered.

But I did as he said.

It was going to be hell to get him up.

Everyone else must have still been helping the captain or in their cabins.

I leaned down and hoisted him into my arms, cursing under my breath.

“You weigh too much,” I rasped. “Fuck. Your tail must be why.”

Let me hold on to your shoulders and back and drag my tail behind. We’re running out of time, human. You are strong.

I sucked in a breath and we managed to get into a position where he was holding on to me, and I could drag myself forward.

This was crazy. Absolute insanity.

I tried to step around the blood from Ethan and ended up stepping straight into it.

“Fuck me,” I groaned, throwing open the door.

The ship lurched and the merman on my back gripped me tightly. My thighs burned as I stepped forward.

You have a good heart.

“Good heart,” I scoffed.

I made it to the bottom of the stairwell and looked up, shaking my head. I was drenched from the water and couldn’t tell what was from the sea and what was from my skin, but I knew I was sweating.

I took a step and my shoulder was knocked into the wall.

“Violent storm,” I growled.

My mate isn’t happy I was taken and not returned.

“This is because of your mate?” I rasped, taking another step.

The merman only held on to me tighter.

My mate is very powerful.

“I can feel that,” I huffed, fighting my way up the staircase.

I was strong. I lived on this boat, my muscles always working. Still, carrying a massive merman on my back up a rocking staircase was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

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