Seduced by the Sea Lord

Chapter 15

Torun's heart would not calm.

Lucy swam in front of him. Her electric light cast a meager glow swallowed by the large, winding cave neck. He replayed the scene outside the cave.

The deadly cave guardian rose from the depths. Lucy did not brandish the Sea Opal. The cave guardian stroked and tasted her fearlessness.

Why did she not show the gem? The cave guardian must have tasted the Sea Opal on her body. Otherwise...

Imagining his crushed, mangled bride gave a metallic taste to his nightmares.

Lucy tapped a device on her wrist and pointed to the surface. She wanted to rise.

He gestured for her to continue on. Half the cave complex remained.

She recovered her second grease pencil, cleaned her board, and wrote inscrutable symbols. He guessed the meaning from her body language. She worried about her air. Back on the trawler, she'd performed complex calculations with Gracie before wrapping herself in plastic-encased bubbles and entering the water.

"You are almost at the cavern," he assured her. "There is air for you to breathe. You will not need this portable supply once you have drunk the elixir and transformed."

Inside the air bubble in her face mask, her brows furrowed. She underlined symbols.

"Trust me." He stroked her cheek. Cool and smooth. "I promise, upon the honor of my castle, you will be well."

She clamped the black circular device in her mouth. Bubbles flurried out with every breath. They tickled.

This was why the cave guardian had played with her. Air-breathing humans were so interesting. And so ticklish.

He arced over her and drifted through the tunnel. "The sooner we arrive at the cavern, the sooner you will feel reassured."

"Waghlaghl," she said, attempting to speak normally.

The water medium terribly distorted her words. Still, wasn't she saying his name with disbelief?

"Come, Lucy." He floated at the edge of her flashlight. "Do not fear the water."

She wrinkled her nose, breaking the seal of her mask and losing bubbles. Seawater sloshed in.

Lucy sighed, pressed one edge of the mask, and blew even more bubbles. The air returned to the mask full and clear. She grimaced at him as though that were his fault and followed him deeper.

He had to convince her twice more to continue, and she whimpered with anxiety by the time they finally reached the open-air cavern.

Uncounted centuries ago, the seas had been lower, and this cavern had existed above the water. When the island broke and the seas rose again, this small bubble became trapped. Many atoll caves contained bubbles. Their isolation gave mer an opportunity to practice land walking and air breathing unseen.

Lucy floated to the ledge. She removed the black tube from her mouth. "This is amazing! I'm sorry I doubted you. Help me up."

He assisted her from the water. She unclipped the heavy belt of weights from her waist, wriggled out of her leaden air tank, and unsnapped her inflated vest. Beneath the surroundings of artificial air, she wore a skintight, short-sleeved dive suit in pink-and-blue stripes.

She ran a ticklish finger down his spine to his bare buttocks.

He swayed toward her. "Yes?"

She backed up a step, reddening. "Nothing. I mean, where are your gills, Mister Merman? I didn't see them underwater."