Beyond the Sea (37 page)

“There are rooms upstairs,” Connor suggested. Peter waved him away, kissing Melia with more passion. He pushed the straps of her dress off her shoulders, kissing her bare skin. Melia dropped her purse on the ground. She unbuckled Peter’s belt and unzipped his pants. Peter picked her up and pressed her against the SUV. He bit her neck again and Melia wrapped her legs around him. He leaned hard against her, his need obvious.

Then his arms weakened. Melia’s skin painfully stuck to the Range Rover’s exterior as she slid down it. Peter let her go completely, turned, and threw up. Melia closed her eyes and covered her nose with her hand. Peter managed to get far enough away from her, but vomit splattered all over his feet. Melia wanted to walk away from the sight and the smell. She remembered how awful she felt when she got sick. Once Peter was done retching, she gently took his hand and led him to the dewy front yard.

He lay down in the grass. The dark sky was spinning, the ground seemed to roll like the ocean waves. He felt like crap. But Melia was here, next to him, and that’s all that mattered. She kissed his forehead and ran her fingers through his hair, even wiping the vomit from his face. He closed his eyes and reached for her, finding comfort in her touch.

“You’re right,” he mumbled. “I did drink too much.”

“It’s ok. I’ll take care of you,” Melia soothed. She didn’t know what she was supposed to do. She had never been around someone who had drunk so much they got sick, though she had heard about it and seen it in movies. Maybe she could call Jamie and ask if there are any remedies for this. Her purse was yards away by the car and it was late anyway. Instead, she continued running her fingers though Peter’s hair. “Want me to take you home now?”

“Not home.”

“My house.”

“Yea. Give me a minute,” Peter said, his words running together as he spoke. Several minutes later, he feebly got up and staggered into the front seat. Once Melia assured him that she would be right back, she went into the house to find Nerina.

She was easy to find- sitting on the couch with a boy on each side. Connor smiled at whatever Nerina was saying, acting like he understood her somehow. Brandon leaned close and offered to teach her simple English phrases. Able to sense Melia’s aura, Nerina looked up when she walked into the room. Nerina batted her eyelashes, kissed each boy on the lips and got up, striding over to Melia.

“Done already?” she asked Melia. “I’m either sorry or jealous.”

“Peter is sick. He drank too much,” Melia explained. “I don’t know what to do for that. I’ve never had a human get sick before.”

“He needs to eat and drink water,” Nerina told her. “A lot of the men I’ve been with have been drinking. I cannot tell you why that works, but it makes them better. And I don’t know what they eat.”

“Thanks,” Melia said, grateful for a way of making Peter better. She caught Connor and Brandon starring at her.

“You speak it too?” Connor asked. Melia nodded.

“That is hot,” Brandon said, mostly to himself. Melia subconsciously reached for the shell around her neck. Nerina wore one too, but hers was blue instead of pink.

“What are they saying?” Nerina whispered to Melia.

“They like us,” she whispered back, then realized she could be shouting in Mermish and no one would know what she was saying. “I’ll introduce you to more boys later, ok? I want to get Peter home.” Expecting her to protest, Melia was pleased when Nerina agreed. She took her hand again and began to weave her way through people.

Someone yanked Melia’s hair. She dropped Nerina’s hand and whirled around, heart racing.

“I should have known the slut was with you,” Janet sneered, her drink sloshing out of her cup. “The second I saw her stupid, little shell necklace.” She reached out, her fingers closing on Lana’s shell.

Melia punched her.

It happened so fast. The hair pulling, the insult. Melia tried to let go of the anger she felt for Janet when she dumped the rotten fish water on her. She didn’t like being an angry person. In the split second Janet’s fingers made contact with Lana’s shell, something snapped.

Melia remembered Janet making fun of Jamie. She had seen some of it first hand and had heard much more.

“That,” she said, stepping over Janet, who had crumpled to the ground, “is for Jamie. Don’t make me get even with everything you’ve done to me.”

She grabbed Nerina’s hand and marched out the door right as a cheer burst through the house. The pain in her hand wasn’t apparent until she gripped the steering wheel. Ignoring it, she started the SUV and drove home.

Peter showered and ate the turkey sandwich that was made for Nerina. He drank all three glasses of water Melia set out for him and instantly regretted it when he had to get out of bed to pee three times. He vaguely remembered Melia introducing Nerina and hearing Melia tell him that she hit Janet. He remembered kissing her again, then dragging her into the closet to take things further. Exhausted, he listened to Melia when she suggested they go to sleep. Nerina was in the west side of the bed, nearest the ocean. Peter climbed in next, with Melia on his left. He held her against him and fell asleep in just minutes.

Melia woke up to Wolfy barking at the doorbell. She began to get up when she remembered it was Sunday, meaning Charles and Rebecca, the housekeepers, were here. They could deal with whoever was at the door. She put her head back down on Peter’s bare chest. Both he and Nerina were still fast asleep. She was listening to Peter’s slow, human heartbeat when they came into her room.

“Holy shit!” one exclaimed. Melia shot up to see Connor and Nate staring wide eyed at them. Melia nudged Peter, but he only groaned and rolled over, nearly on top of Nerina. It woke her up, and she looked startled at the boys before remembering Connor from last night.

“Keys,” Connor said, holding up Peter’s keys to his Mustang.

Melia ran her hands through her hair. “Thanks.” She got out of bed, dressed only in a loose fitting, white tank top and purple underwear. Nerina, who wasn’t used to wearing clothes, had removed her dress and was completely naked. Nate’s jaw dropped. He looked at Melia, then at Nerina several times, then enviously at Peter. Melia didn’t understand their odd behavior.

“Lorem,” Nerina cooed, flashing a sexy smile. She barely covered herself up with the sheet.

“Oh,” Melia said out loud. Peter was in bed with two girls. It dawned on her what his friends were thinking. Not feeling like she needed to explain anything, she took the keys from Connor. “Thanks again. I don’t think he’s ready to get up yet.” She glanced at her clock; it was only eight thirty. “What are you two doing up so early?”

“I, uh, never went to sleep,” Nate told her, unable to keep his eyes from flitting from Melia to Nerina.

“I get up early when I drink,” Connor laughed. “It doesn’t make sense, I know.”

“Oh, well thanks again. Hopefully I can get him up and home before his parents look for him.” She looked back at Peter.

“I’m sure he’s gonna need his rest after…last night,” Nate said. Connor elbowed him in the ribs. “I heard you punched Janet. I’m sad I missed it.”

“She had it coming,” Melia shrugged and felt utterly human. She turned to Nerina, who was busy batting her eyelashes and seductively biting her lip. Connor and Nate were too distracting. She still needed to have a serious conversation with her Oceanid friend.

“We’ll, uh, let you get back to, uh, whatever you were doing.” Connor grabbed Nate’s arm.

Nate nodded. “Tell Pete I’m eternally jealous.”

Melia nodded, glad they were leaving. “See you tomorrow at school.”

“Yea, see ya.”

Once they were gone, Melia closed her door. She sank down on her bed. Peter’s skin was hot, so she pulled the comforter off him.

“They came for me, didn’t they?” Nerina joked.

“Oh, of course.” Melia smiled. She didn’t want to talk about Vaianu or the arrangement. She wanted to go back to sleep and wake up in a different world. Well, the same world, just one without adaros or unwelcome marriage arrangements. She lay down and wrapped her arms around Peter. “Nerina, what happened?”

“He’s drunk. He will be ok, I’ve seen lots of men drunk.”

“No,” she laughed. “I mean, in the ocean. You said you escaped.”

“Yes,” Nerina’s voice was sullen. “They attacked us.”

“Who?” Melia’s heart raced.

“There were so many of them. Adaros, selkies, kappas, bunyips…and merrows, Melia. A lot of merrows.”

“Rebels.”

“Rebels?”

“Merrows against humans, who favor the old ways.”

“Yes, they do. They told us that we had to listen to them. That we had to join them in their fight against humans. At first it made sense, the way they talked. They reminded us of how things used to be, the good things, like not having to hide and how we used to have more room to freely roam. They reminded us about oil spills, human war, pollution…things none of us can justify. But then, then that’s when they started sounding crazy. They said we needed to eliminate any human that comes into our territory.”

Nerina took a shaky breath. “Go on,” Melia urged.

“We told them no, of course we wouldn’t join them. That’s when the first Oceanid died. I didn’t know him, but I’ve seen him around. They said they would take us hostage if we wouldn’t agree. I hid. I feel like such a coward. Instead of fighting, I hid. But that’s how I overheard the adaros talking. They said that Vaianu had a secret weapon. I thought it was an object until I heard them say your name. That’s when I knew I had to come find you.”

“I don’t understand why I’m so important to him,” Melia said.

“H-he said with you by his side everyone will listen. The merrows of the Pacific. The Oceanids of the Atlantic. He thinks you will be able to persuade them to do anything.”

“But I can’t!” Melia stammered. “And I won’t. Doesn’t he realize I would never agree to this?”

“I’m sure, but with the arrangement he’s probably assuming you will have to go along, as his wife. And…” Nerina hesitated. “He said you will finish what your father started.”

Melia’s heart thundered. “What?”

Nerina nodded. “That’s what he said. I don’t know what he meant by that, though.”

“Nerina…” Melia began, at a loss for words. She felt like she was getting pulled down to a dark abyss where, no matter how hard she swam, there was no escape. “You know how my father died, right?” Nerina nodded. “What if that’s what he meant? Does he think I’m like him?”

“But you’re not, Melia. Not at all. And even if Vaianu thinks that, he’s wrong.”

“But if he didn’t think that, then why would he have gone after you? I feel like it’s all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault. But this is personal now. I want to help you stop it.”

“Of course, but what do we do?”

“Three others escaped with me. They went to find Actassi. We don’t think he knows what is going on.”

Melia nodded in agreement. “That could be why they started in the Atlantic. He-he doesn’t go there that often.” She felt guilty about that for some reason. “Did Vaianu get to the merrows?”

“No. Well, at least not when I left.” She closed her eyes. “I remember the raid like yesterday. But I must have been swimming for…I don’t know…weeks?”

Melia thought about how long it would take her to swim to the Atlantic. It would take a full Oceanid twice as long. She leaned across Peter and hugged Nerina. In an instant, everything changed. Vaianu’s reasons for wanting to marry Melia went from incredibly selfish to lethal. She dreaded having to tell Peter.

Her phone rang. Melia picked it up quickly, not wanting to wake Peter.

“So I guess you’re not coming to the animal shelter today with me,” Jamie spoke through the phone.

“Oh my goodness, Jamie! I’m so sorry!” Melia accidentally said in Mermish. “Sorry,” she repeated, in English this time. “I forgot.”

“It’s ok,” Jamie laughed. “I figured you had too much to drink again. I didn’t even expect you to answer. I was all prepared to leave you a voicemail.”

“Jamie,” Melia said, seriously. “When you’re done, can you come over? Something happened and we need to talk.”

“Something else? I can come over now.”

“No, it’s ok. Hurry?”

“I promise. Are you ok?”

“I guess. There’s more to the arrangement than we thought.” Melia closed her eyes. “I don’t know how I didn’t piece it together. I don’t know what to do, Jamie.”

“I’m coming over,” Jamie stated.

“Don’t change your plans for me.”

“You’re my best friend, Melia. This is big. I’ll be right there.”

“Really,” Melia insisted, though she would feel better with Jamie there. “Peter’s still asleep. It would be better to tell you both at the same time.”

“He doesn’t know?”

“No, he drank too much last night. I can’t wake him up,” she said, shaking Peter’s shoulder.

“Let him sleep it off,” Jamie suggested. “I’ll be over in a few hours, then.”

“Ok. Thanks Jamie.” She hung up, turned on the TV for Nerina, explained quickly how it worked and got in the shower. She couldn’t stop shivering. Melia now understood the reasoning behind Vaianu’s persistence. The deal went further than just uniting underwater races. Her father and Waisea no doubt came up with the plan. She upped the temperature of the water and sat down. She had to end it. Somehow, someway. She wasn’t going to let Vaianu kill anyone else, merrow, Oceanid, or human. She just needed a plan.