Freedom's Quest
The Story
Lialani is a natural at being a lifeguard and while answering a call in the ocean on her twenty-first birthday she discovers why. Now a confused mermaid, she finds herself locked in an aquatic theme park weeks away from becoming the main attraction, with Kyle, resident marine biologist, her only hope.
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EXCERPT
As he moved his gaze from her breasts to her face, he noticed her eyes were closed. Something flickered under the water, causing him to glance down. That’s when he saw it. A vivid tangerine and canary yellow tail. His eyes traveled up the length of what should have been her legs, sliding up double patterned shimmering scales until he reached its end at her full hips.
“She’s a mermaid.” In his amazement, Kyle uttered the words in hushed tones.
His voice must have been louder than he thought since the mermaid dropped her arms and turned toward him, piercing him with her silver eyes.
His heart paused, skipping a beat. Arrested by her tearful gaze, he noticed her eyes full of despair, as if her soul rested in them.
She was beautiful and sensuous, that was evident, but at that moment, he had no desire to act on his initial urge. Instead, the wish to see her freed overwhelmed him. No one that enchanting deserved to be held captive.
She would die. Some mammals could not survive imprisonment.
Every fiber of his being told him she was one of them.
* * * *
Lialani could see him as he stood in the dark. She heard his voice when he spoke. Instantly, she had known it wasn’t Captor Jim.
She could see him standing quietly now. How long had he been there?
Unlike the other man who had placed her here, she saw kindness in his eyes. She did not know why; it was something she couldn’t explain even to herself. Maybe it was just her heart hoping he wasn’t like the others.
She wanted to speak, to yell and plead for him to help her.
However, she refused to try to speak again after recalling the dolphin-like sound from earlier. Helplessness washed over her.
His movement broke her train of thought. She watched as he took tentative steps into the single light’s beam that reflected from the side of her tank. He wore olive-colored khaki pants and the park’s polo shirt like the other men, except his was tan. His hands were stuffed into his pockets. Curious, she wondered what they looked like. Were his fingers long and well manicured? Did his hands echo the strength apparent in the broad set of his shoulders? Whether callused or smooth, they would be strong, judging from the width of his shoulders.
Her heart fluttered, leaping and beginning to race, as if something were coming over her. Desire? She couldn’t explain it. It was as if something inside her shifted. She couldn’t look away from him. Not even when she felt the fin of her tail lifting out of the shallow water, expanding and shimmying as if it were a fan.
“I will not harm you.”
His voice, calm like the sea after a storm, pulled her attention back up to his face. Short blond hair like spun gold accented his eyes. Those compassionate hazel eyes spoke to her. Implored her to trust him. Could she?
“Forgive me for startling you.” His eyes cut away from her face and focused on her fin. “Wow…”
She followed his gaze and was impressed herself to see the spectacle her fin exhibited. It almost screamed ‘Look at me. I’m dancing.’ The shimmer began to move internally from her fin, up her scale-clad body, intensifying the quivering in the pit of her stomach.
The man’s eyes grew round and his voice comforting. “Don’t be afraid.”
Afraid? Stark raving, paralyzing fear at times could not be helped. But this. She glanced back down her body at the brilliant display.
This was something altogether different. Her breathing became labored as she refocused on her visitor.
He took another tentative step, bringing him within a few feet of the glass. The light from the tank clarified his features. His thin lips held a small smile. Warm. Inviting. A peace offering of sorts.
She was tempted to return the smile, but remembering where she was removed the thought. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to relax. She wasn’t sure what being a mermaid entailed, but she’d had enough embarrassing moments to last a lifetime, and she wasn’t going to have another one in front of this man. Her body settled down slowly. She couldn’t help the sigh of relief when her fin slid back into the water.
“My name is Kyle, and I want to help.”
Kyle. It fit.
“She’s a mermaid.” In his amazement, Kyle uttered the words in hushed tones.
His voice must have been louder than he thought since the mermaid dropped her arms and turned toward him, piercing him with her silver eyes.
His heart paused, skipping a beat. Arrested by her tearful gaze, he noticed her eyes full of despair, as if her soul rested in them.
She was beautiful and sensuous, that was evident, but at that moment, he had no desire to act on his initial urge. Instead, the wish to see her freed overwhelmed him. No one that enchanting deserved to be held captive.
She would die. Some mammals could not survive imprisonment.
Every fiber of his being told him she was one of them.
* * * *
Lialani could see him as he stood in the dark. She heard his voice when he spoke. Instantly, she had known it wasn’t Captor Jim.
She could see him standing quietly now. How long had he been there?
Unlike the other man who had placed her here, she saw kindness in his eyes. She did not know why; it was something she couldn’t explain even to herself. Maybe it was just her heart hoping he wasn’t like the others.
She wanted to speak, to yell and plead for him to help her.
However, she refused to try to speak again after recalling the dolphin-like sound from earlier. Helplessness washed over her.
His movement broke her train of thought. She watched as he took tentative steps into the single light’s beam that reflected from the side of her tank. He wore olive-colored khaki pants and the park’s polo shirt like the other men, except his was tan. His hands were stuffed into his pockets. Curious, she wondered what they looked like. Were his fingers long and well manicured? Did his hands echo the strength apparent in the broad set of his shoulders? Whether callused or smooth, they would be strong, judging from the width of his shoulders.
Her heart fluttered, leaping and beginning to race, as if something were coming over her. Desire? She couldn’t explain it. It was as if something inside her shifted. She couldn’t look away from him. Not even when she felt the fin of her tail lifting out of the shallow water, expanding and shimmying as if it were a fan.
“I will not harm you.”
His voice, calm like the sea after a storm, pulled her attention back up to his face. Short blond hair like spun gold accented his eyes. Those compassionate hazel eyes spoke to her. Implored her to trust him. Could she?
“Forgive me for startling you.” His eyes cut away from her face and focused on her fin. “Wow…”
She followed his gaze and was impressed herself to see the spectacle her fin exhibited. It almost screamed ‘Look at me. I’m dancing.’ The shimmer began to move internally from her fin, up her scale-clad body, intensifying the quivering in the pit of her stomach.
The man’s eyes grew round and his voice comforting. “Don’t be afraid.”
Afraid? Stark raving, paralyzing fear at times could not be helped. But this. She glanced back down her body at the brilliant display.
This was something altogether different. Her breathing became labored as she refocused on her visitor.
He took another tentative step, bringing him within a few feet of the glass. The light from the tank clarified his features. His thin lips held a small smile. Warm. Inviting. A peace offering of sorts.
She was tempted to return the smile, but remembering where she was removed the thought. She took several deep breaths in an attempt to relax. She wasn’t sure what being a mermaid entailed, but she’d had enough embarrassing moments to last a lifetime, and she wasn’t going to have another one in front of this man. Her body settled down slowly. She couldn’t help the sigh of relief when her fin slid back into the water.
“My name is Kyle, and I want to help.”
Kyle. It fit.
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