Starving for Love (7 page)

Sirena shifted her body to the left, swung her legs around, and stood stiffer than a rod, leaning most of her weight against the cane. She promptly fell, the cane clattering to the ground. It rolled away, out of reach.

Her door flung open, and Blaise entered again, concern in his eyes. "Rena! I told you the doctor had to give you the okay first." He wrapped his strong arms around her, lifted her up, and placed her back into bed. "Now stay here."

Sirena's legs ached. Both felt like swords, sharp and pointed and impossible to walk on. Numbness spread from her toes up to her hair, and she shivered despite feeling as if her body was on fire. "What's happening to me?" she tried to ask, but her words sounded like grunts of pain.

"Rena? Are you all right?"

Her body vibrated, shaking despite her trying to hold still.

"You're … you're…" Confusion filled Blaise's face.

Sirena stared at the mirror. A gasp escaped her lips as she watched her mirror self touch her face — her beautiful face, her black hair instead of the gray and white matted mess the hag had.

She looked like herself again!

"You
are
Sirena, aren't you?" Blaise asked. "I knew it! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I—"

"But if you're Sirena, then where is Kristian? And why did you look like a hag?"

The mermaid opened her mouth to answer but instead let out a long wail. Her back arched, her head still on the pillow, her feet still on the bed. Flesh ripped open in various places along her body. Pus filled the gaping wounds. Her tongue deadened, and her sight blurred. Her thoughts grew cloudy, her last clear one was that she was changing yet again but not into a hag.

Into something worse.

Now,
she
was the zombie.

****

Hunger. That was all she knew. Someone was in the room with her. His loud heartbeat sounded like the sweetest song she'd ever heard.

The person was opening their mouth, talking, shouting, screaming — she wasn't certain. His heartbeat drowned out all other sounds.

Going for his neck, she leapt toward him. He jumped back and ran toward the door. Somewhere deep inside, she hesitated. She wanted to eat him, and yet something was holding her back. Her hesitation allowed him enough time to flee.

Growling with frustration, she stumbled around the room. He had closed the door behind him, and her hands and arms didn't cooperate well enough to turn the knob so she made another exit for herself — through the window.

New wounds appeared on her arms from the glass, but she didn't care. She was free now. Free to find someone to eat. Her legs didn't want to cooperate, and to have any semblance of balance, she had to have her arms out straight in front of her. The sun shone down on her, but she felt cold, as if heat couldn't touch her now.

A rock on the path destroyed her gait, and she fell. The stench of something smelly filled her nose. She sniffed and followed the smell to its source. A man sat near a building, rocking back and forth, his arms wrapped around his knees. He stank, needing to be dunked in the ocean, and he looked thin as if he hadn't eaten in several days. None of this bothered Sirena though — all she saw was food.

The first bite was delicious. So was the last. Soon, the bum had been reduced to a pile of picked-clean bones.

She wiped blood from her chin and glanced up at the sun. For a second, she felt both warmth and full. Then the moment passed, and she awkwardly got to her feet as hunger once again claimed her. Time to find another meal.

Small black specks swam in front of Kristian's vision. His first death by suffocation had been quick and somewhat painless because he had accepted his fate. But this drowning he struggled and fought against. Kristian had no way to save himself. He was going to die. Again. For real this time.

The prince glanced toward the shore, to where his love was, wanting his last thought to be of her.

A sudden sharp jab brought his attention back to the king, whose trident was stuck in Kristian's right shoulder. He winced, gasping, filling his lungs with water. The king removed the trident and knocked it onto the top of Kristian's head.

That instance, the water fled his lungs, and he could breathe again. He gasped and choked and drank oxygen from the water until he caught his breath. "Thank you."

The king grunted. "Didn't do it for you," he muttered. He sighed, his eyes still stormy. "She loves you more than me."

Kristian shook his head. "No, I'm sure she loves you."

"She always disobeyed me. Running off to the surface to spend time with you, a human of all creatures! If others were to start believing the legends about us, our lives would be in danger."

"I think she wanted me to know who she was, but she never told me. Surely because it would be against your wishes."

"She never told you about me. Just how well can you know her?"

The king had a good point, but Kristian countered, "I know lines form between her eyebrows when she's deep in thought. I know how to make her smile, how to get her to laugh. Her being happy gives my life meaning." He began to give into a new fantasy — one where he could be in the castle with the one he loved. A large grin stretched across his face. "You saved me… Could you save her? Give her back her looks? Or would that mean—"

The king snorted. "You only profess to love her. You want her to be a trophy."

"No, Your Highness. I am more than willing to marry her as she looks now, but I don't want her to have to give up anything for me. I am so grateful I'm still alive, and I owe my life to her."

The marine king grunted.

"And you, too, of course."

The king of the sea twirled his trident, at first slow but then faster and faster until it blurred and Kristian couldn't see which end was the points and which was the bottom. It shimmered into a golden reflective surface, almost like a gold mirror, and Kristian gasped when
she
appeared — in all of her beautiful radiance.

Without conscious thought, he swam forward and reached out to touch her but before he could, her appearance distorted and changed into a grotesque monster.

"Is that how I looked?" he asked, horror coloring his voice so much that he couldn't recognize it.

"Yes. It appears that my saving you has condemned Sirena to your fate."

"You have to do something!" Kristian's chest grew so tight it hurt to breathe.

For the first time, the strong and impressive Tritonion appeared more like a terrified father than a powerful king. "Merlinasea foresaw that I might get involved. She added curses to her enchantments…" He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. "I can't risk returning her to her natural form. It could kill her." The king glowered at Kristian. "Or you for that matter."

"Is there anything I can do?" Kristian asked eagerly. "Please let me help!"

"You've done enough damage. I saved your life, and that is all the help you'll get from me. Go back to your castle,
Prince
Kristian. Leave my daughter be. Do not seek her out. Do not ever talk to her again."

The king whirled around and swam away, his fin slapping against the waves, propelling himself forward. The prince didn't hesitate and was grateful the king didn't seem to notice he was being tailed. After all Sirena had done for him, Kristian wasn't about to sit around and do nothing, nor was he willing to never see or talk to her again. Surely she loved him, if she had given up so much for him. The thought filled his heart with joy even as it ached with the misery she must be going through right now, remembering all too well the agony and despair he had first felt when he had awoken as a zombie.

Thankfully, the ruler of the sea didn't swim far before heading into a cave. Otherwise, Kristian would never have been able to keep up. The marine-dwelling place gave Kristian the creeps, but he followed the king inside. Several sharks and eels guarded nearby, and he tucked his body into a crevice in the wall.

After a moment, he peeked out and no longer saw the sharks or eels, or any other fish for that matter. Farther into the cave came voices. When he saw a strange but familiar half-woman, half-squid creature, he ducked into another crevice and watched the proceedings.

King Tritonion pointed his trident at the creature. "Merlinasea, you've crossed the line this time."

She brushed her hair back from her face. "King Tritonion, I have no idea what you are referring to."

The king emitted a low growl. "You tampered with my daughter's memory, didn't you?"

Kristian covered his mouth. Memory of what? Memory of him? Is that why she didn't recognize him despite his zombie form when they had touched?
He
had seen through her hag-like appearance.

"Oh, that." Merlinasea waved her hand. A puff of pink smoke covered her form. When it cleared, a blue and green sea dragon remained. "She wanted me to save a dead guy so I did." Merlinasea's voice came out of the huge dragon mouth.

"By turning him into a zombie?"

Kristian was glad the source of the king's anger was someone other than him.

"She never specified what state she wanted him to be in."

King Tritonion threw the trident. It pierced her long tail and speared it to the cave floor. A wince and a slight scowl was the only indication Merlinasea gave to reveal the pain she had to be in.

Her dragon arms reached lovingly toward the trident, but the king jerked it away from her grasp. Freed, she transformed back into the half-woman, half-squid creature as she circled around the king. "Now, now, hide your temper and be a good king." Her tone was mocking, and Kristian hated himself for admiring her audacity to talk to the ruler in such a fashion. "You know you can't touch me."

"Accursed treaty," the king grumbled, the words almost unrecognizable.

"Besides, my deals are binding. I take and I give. That's the way it works. Your girlie knew the terms before I worked my magic."

"So make a deal with me," the king uttered in a low tone.

Kristian's body quivered. If anyone should make a new deal, it should be him, not the king. Before he could come forward, the king gazed in his direction, and Kristian realized the king had allowed him to follow him. The king could have swum much faster and left Kristian behind with no choice but to return to the surface.

Still not pleased with this turn of events, Kristian stayed where he was.

"There's only one thing I want from you," Merlinasea snarled.

"I know," the king said solemnly.

The transformation from bitterness to elation on Merlinasea's face was instant. Kristian's stomach to churn. This could not be good.

"Very well then. What do you want?" The glee in her voice echoed off the cave walls.

"For you to spend one day in Castle Heroica, in its market, near its piers, near the town. One day and one night. That's all I ask."

"And you'll step down as ruler?"

"Yes." The king faced Kristian for a second. Despite his being in the water, Kristian could see the king's eyes become teary. King Tritonion whirled around toward the sea witch again. "When my daughter killed the zombie, she became so overcome with remorse that she returned to the water and died. Her death is on my hands. If she had only told me about… I could have…" He hung his head then raised it. "But no. I have no desire to rule anymore. Too much misery have I faced at the hands of the humans. I hope they give you as much misery, if not more, during your time above the waves."

"I accept these terms," Merlinasea hissed. She cackled and touched the trident, caressing it. "This will soon be mine."

King Tritonion jerked the trident away from her and instructed, "Today you will go to the town."

"I'll go now," Merlinasea promised.

They shook hands, and the king didn't look over at Kristian as he left.

Kristian lingered behind in his hiding place as Merlinasea glided over to a vanity set. She rummaged through a drawer and removed and uncorked a purplish-red vial. A billow of orange smoke emerged and floated in the water, like an ink spot. When she swam into it, the orange flickered to black for a second before turning to yellow, and then a brilliant piercing white, which disappeared a moment later.

Blinking against the light, Kristian expected Merlinasea to have vanished. In a way she had, because the half-female, half-squid was no longer in front of the mirror. Instead, an exquisite-looking human was there. Completely transformed, Merlinasea now had black eyes, a small nose, full lips. Every facial feature had been changed. Only one did Kristian recognize — Sirena's luscious hair.

It angered him to see Merlinasea steal his beloved's locks, but he held himself in check as Merlinasea swam past him. He waited until he couldn't any longer, wanting to be certain the sea witch did not learn of his intrusion, and swam toward the shore as fast as he could. Kristian had to find Sirena. The king had done his part to save her. Now it was his turn.

Something shifted in her mind and broke through the burning stomach pain, the unending hunger. Whatever it was, she didn't recognize it.

Legs stiff and uncooperative, she stumbled out of the town. Her head felt as if it was being squeezed together, the pressure too much for her to handle. Collapsing onto the sand near the water, she gripped her head and let out a loud moan of frustration. If eating would take away this pain, she would eat a thousand people. She would do whatever it took. But somehow, she knew she wasn't just starving for flesh.

To block out the pain, she closed her eyes. Through the mental anguish, she could see a face form: rectangular, with holes in the cheek, bloodstained teeth, hollow eyes. The face was similar to hers. She was seeing a zombie.

Maybe she wasn't the only one. Mayhap someone else shared in her torment.

The thought of not being alone propelled her forward. She crawled along the sand before jerking to her feet. Her arms outstretched for balance, she lumbered on. Darkness soon covered her. Large, green things blocked her view of the sun.

Trees, she recalled. She was in a forest.

The energy she'd summoned disappeared, and she slumped against a tree and closed her eyes again.

Another face came into view: this one handsome, with a strong jaw, Roman nose, piercing eyes that stared straight at her.

Although she recognized this face as someone dear to her, she couldn't recall his name or his connection to her.

The wild wind blew through the trees, and a few branches dipped down and hit her head. The gust carried a smell with it. Someone was coming. Someone with a vibrant and robust heartbeat.

Saliva flooded her mouth, and she drooled. Hunger overpowered her, overwhelming her, and she grabbed the nearest branch to pull herself to her feet.

She could hear someone shouting, calling for someone, but the words didn't break through the fog in her mind. Jerking this way and that, she stumbled out of the forest toward the voice. Sunlight blinded her when she broke through the line of trees back onto the beach.

A man stood with his back to her. When he whirled around, she licked her cracked lips. He was tall and strong and had plenty of muscle on him. The man would make a rather tasty meal.

She lunged toward him, but he stepped back, holding out his arms to ward her off. He didn't hold a weapon, which made her even more determined to make a meal out of him. Starving for flesh, she started toward him when she saw his face — identical to the one she had just seen in her mind.

Who was he? Why was he here? Was he offering himself up to her as a meal? Did he understand the constant hunger burning inside of her, threatening to drive her mad?

His mouth opened and closed, his vocal chords exercising, telling her something, not screaming or ranting or yelling, like most people did when they saw her.

Confusion and curiosity battled within her, and she struggled against the hunger. If she could only remember who he was, why she had cared for him in the past, before…

Before…

Had she always been a zombie?

A loud wave crashed toward the beach. The lull of the water, the sound of waves breaking — it sang to her, called to her. No, she hadn't always been a monster. But she didn't feel as if the land, the earth, was hers. The water — that was where she belonged.

That wasn't quite right either.

She released a bellow of frustration. The man reached toward her, and she jerked back, terrified he would hurt her, for what else would someone do when confronted with a monster like herself?

He continued toward her, though, and she stumbled backward until she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground. The man held out his hand, his lips curling upward.

She didn't trust him, and yet she did for he had no weapon on him, had made no threatening gesture toward her, and she had a feeling he wouldn't do anything to harm her.

Her gaze shifted his lips to his outstretched hand. The tips of his fingers were pink, filled with blood, the flesh beautiful and tanned. Drool dribbled down onto her neck, but she gnawed on her lips, trying to ignore him so she didn't lunge at him with her teeth.

Her stomach grumbled in frustration, the pain greater than ever before. Why was she fighting her body's needs? She
had
to eat to survive. Flesh was all she needed.

His hand never wavered, never moved. He wanted to help her stand up. Didn't he realize that if she stood she would go for his throat? Although the tanned skin of his thigh from beneath his clothes looked tantalizing as well…

Her curiosity diminishing as her hunger grew, she grabbed his hand to launch herself to her feet.

Instead, she stayed on the sand, their hands still clasped as an onslaught of images flooded her mind. A young girl with black hair played in the water with a young boy. They tossed a ball back and forth then splashed each other. Then they were swimming, talking and laughing. The boy, almost a man now, gave the girl, almost a woman, a golden comb.

With her free hand, she touched her hair. Short, chopped off, it was ruined. But it hadn't always been this way. It had once been long and flowing and a raven-like black.

Her body trembling, she gazed at him. He was that boy, all grown up. Healthy and strong and just as she remembered him.

Her Kristian.

She opened her mouth to say his name, but her vocal chords refused to work. She grunted and groaned and moaned. Finally, she uttered, "Love."

Tears filled his eyes. Kristian pulled her toward him and threw his arms around her.

She hugged him back, burying her face into his neck. The throb of his heartbeat in his vein pulsated against her. Her mouth opened, watering, ready to bite…

Moving almost quickly, she yanked back and stared at him. As long as she could see the love in his eyes, she could control the desire for flesh.

Another hunger began to form within her. She was hungry for love.