Apparently, he brushed it off because he just continued talking, “I don’t know what happened to the others. It seems like people are disappearing left and right and I don’t know where they are going. Have you seen Jessica and her cute friend, Lisa?” Even though he was an enormous guy that normally might seem intimidating, his eyes looked sad now, even a little afraid.

  “I think the same thing happened to them as Tally and Jeff.” I said, biting my lower lip.

  “Damn, I’ve known Jeff my whole life. We were like brothers.” He shook his head as a tear rolled down his fleshy cheek which he quickly wiped off with his enormous hands. I found myself wondering what his tears tasted like. “I don’t know where Logan, Andrew, and Jane went. They must have been torn to meat also.” He swallowed hard. “This is bullshit.” His voice sounded much coarser now.

  “What did you make of that gigantic octopus that sunk the yacht?” I asked running my fingers through my long dark hair, surprised how smooth and silky it actually felt.

  “That thing was crazy, man.” He shook his big head. “Shit like that doesn’t happen. It broke Juan Piedro’s neck with its tentacle. Then threw him off the deck.”

  My fingernails dug into the sand as I felt the pangs of hunger in my gut. “Do you know what happened to Donny Smith?”

  He shrugged. “Who’s that?”

  “He’s blond, tall, and skinny…”

  “On the swim team?” He asked, his eyebrows pulling together.

  “Yeah, that’s Donny.” I studied his face trying to read him, but my thoughts kept drifting to the pounding rhythms of his blood flow. It was like music to my ears.

  “He made it off the yacht.”

  My eyes lit up. “He did?”

  “Yeah, it was some weird shit.” He leaned back with his hands behind him on the sand as he shook his head again. “That criminal French exchange student—you know the one who was in jail?”

  “Marcel?” My heart rate sped up.

  He nodded. “Yeah, that’s the guy—long ass hair—the one all the girls fall over.” Now he was chuckling and shaking his head more.

  “Go on,” I encouraged anxiously. “The dude made out with him right there on the deck, lips pressed together, shit…” he sighed, “…and then the punk kicked him off the boat like he was a football. It was some weird ass shit.”

  “Are you serious?” I bit my finger much too hard. Was Marcel gay? He couldn’t be. I saw him with Emily. But then again, he didn’t seem like he cared about her at all now. Maybe he just messes around with girls to seem macho, but he’s really into guys. That actually makes sense because what guy on the planet earth wouldn’t be in love with Brigitte? She is utter perfection. And then when I lost control and was making out with him, he pushed me away. I thought about it for a second. Well, that could just be that I’m not his type. Even if I am more attractive than I used to be as everybody keeps saying, Marcel saw me before the changes in my rag doll state and maybe that was enough to turn him off. “Do you think Marcel is gay?” I asked Jason.

  He laughed. “I think he’s just a weird dude. Maybe he is over sexed or into kinky shit.” I had to move back as he stretched his long, thick legs out and crossed his arms over his chest. Emily was sleeping like a baby now just a couple feet away from us. “I saw him out at a club one night with Kitty Kole.”

  “The supermodel?” I asked with surprise. My breathing sped up. I just felt so out of control and desirous.

  “Yeah. Shit, she’s even more beautiful in person, long ass legs. She was all over him, but he didn’t do anything about it. He left her there high and dry. She was crying all over his friends. He’s crazy. Apparently, he does that to a lot of girls. Attachment issues or something.” He laughed, rubbing his forehead. “I heard the dude is rich.”

  “What?” My voice lifted. “You mean his parents are rich?” Then I thought about it. Does he even have parents?

  “No, I think their dead. He owns vineyards in France and does a lot of international corporate shit—the guy is worth billions. I heard he’s even on the Forbes list. Lucky asshole.”

  “You want to go for a swim?” I asked him suddenly.

  He scoffed, his brown eyes crinkling at the corners. “You gotta be shitting me?” His eyebrows pulled together. “I’m not getting in that ocean ever again.”

  I smiled sweetly. “Not even naked?” Before I knew what I was doing, I pulled off my t-shirt and overly tight, stretched out bra.”

  “Hello,” he said staring wide-eyed at my bare breasts. I wiggled out of my jeans and underwear.

  His jaw dropped. At once, I was out of the tent and running for the ocean. I watched him from the water throw off his clothes and jump in after me. “Wait up,” he called, but I swam out further.

  “Come on.” I waved him out to me. Damn, it felt so frickin’ good in the water, almost orgasmic.

  “I’m comin’,” he yelled as he swam a fast, splashy crawl stroke out to me. It was so dark out under the stars and moon, but there were little flashes of light on the water from the cosmic array above.

  I felt tingling sensations throughout my body. I could feel an aching burning in my groin. The tips of my nipples throbbed in the saltwater. But Jason finally caught up to me. I took his thick, fleshy, muscular body into my arms. A football player. Big and strong. He smelled delicious. It was an indescribable scent—a bit like blood and wine and flesh. My teeth were pulsing and everything just ached all over. I was breathing so heavy. All I remember him saying was “You’re so unbelievably hot…” And then, I bit off his ear. Blood gushed. He screamed out in pain which only increased my hunger. I started tearing him to shreds, eating and eating in hedonistic frenzy.

  ***

  My mind on overload, I slept the rest of the night naked in a sort of partial sleep nestled in an open-sided cubby hole in a pink coral reef under the water. It felt like different parts of my body slept at varying times which was quite strange. For about an hour my right leg, hip, and foot dosed off into a sort of tingly lullaby. After, my torso slept along with the internal organs. Then my left hip, leg and foot napped, followed by my arms, and finally my head and neck which put me in that dream state of another world.

  When morning came, I opened my eyes with a start to a breathtaking bright blue ocean with colorful tropical fish swimming around, red and orange sea grass and purple sea anemone. But flashes of blood kept spilling into my mind smearing my reality. In the blue distance, I observed a swarm of phosphorescent jelly fish. My body tensed as I watched their iridescent, bulbous bodies sway in the water, lighting up their long stringy outgrowths. So beautiful and dangerous. But I couldn’t fully appreciate the magnificence after the horrific act I had committed only hours ago.

  My body felt so much stronger now that I had eaten human flesh, really crazy good. It was like an added energy that felt amazing, but I was nauseous from my thoughts all the same. At the time of my killing, feasting on Jason and all his plentiful, scrumptious flesh felt surreal and amazing at the same time. It was like a force took me over and I lost all control of my humanity and reason. I had to devour him completely. There was no way to stop myself. The hunger was like nothing I had ever experienced before.

  What a beast I had become. Poor, poor, innocent Jason. If only I could take it back. But I would never have that chance. He was gone now and that was because of me. What would my mother think of me now?

  Startled out of my nightmarish thoughts, I felt a sudden tug from behind at my long dark locks. My head fell back unexpectedly, my hair spilling down my back. What the hell? I turned around, my heart racing, and there was Marcel smiling at me. Embarrassed, I threw my hands over my naked breasts and private spot. He had a wicked grin on his handsome face. The gleam in his brilliant blue eyes caused my body to feel electrical even in my shame.

  He dangled a teal colored bathing suit before me and I grabbed it right out of his hands, quickly wiggling my body into it from inside the open cubby hole. It was much racier with all the straps than anything I had ever worn. “Thanks,” I mumbled, utterly mortified that he had seen me in my birthday suit. I couldn’t help but wonder how he found me and how he knew to bring something to cover up my nakedness. Had he been watching me while I slept and then went to get the bathing suit for me? The idea sent a rush of mixed feelings through my body.

  We were all alone. I thought about the red head’s warnings.

  Glancing shyly at him, I noticed his long hair fanned out to the sides in the water. I fascinated in the shimmer of his body. His chest was utterly sexy in form with his strong, broad shoulders and a lean waist that I wanted to put my hands on. My eyes cast down to the fine line of dark curls that trailed down to his swim shorts. I couldn’t help but admire his long and lean legs with perfect muscular development.

  He chuckled, probably because I was checking him out. “Your first meal?” His eyes narrowed at me darkly.

  Uh, what? I thought for a second. Oh! Ugly remorse waded over me like a thick grey cloud. I nodded, not sure how to respond. “How did you know?” I felt repulsed with myself.

  He cocked his head to the side curiously. “You’ve slept.” His eyes seemed to search mine.

  I supposed it was the first time I had dosed since the transformation. “Do mers only sleep after…” my voice trailed off. It was strange talking underwater. But surprisingly, our voices sounded perfectly clear. Without even trying his was as erotic as a rock star’s. I had to wonder why he was approaching me. I still felt embarrassed that I had mauled him with kisses the night prior, but I couldn’t very well hide away in this cubby hole forever.

  To my surprise, he held out his hand and helped me out. Goose bumps raised on my arms. Dangerous. His long cold fingers felt sensual in my hand. How did he do that? He had such an effect on me. But I knew I wasn’t the only one he affected so intensely.

  With an extended arm, he leaned against the coral reef, supporting himself casually with one hand as he watched me apparently amused.

  I stood there on the bottom of the ocean dumbfounded, on the white sandy floor, facing his gorgeous self and felt weak in the knees. I didn’t know that crap happened in real life. But hell, I felt like I was going to fall over. What a pathetic idiot I was. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing would come out. I licked my lips.

  “Don’t do that,” he said, his jaw clenching.

  Confused, I looked up at his eyes. He had released himself from the wall and had taken a step back. “What did I do?”

  “Nothing,” he muttered, looking down through his thick dark lashes at my lips. “Is Donny your boyfriend?”

  Holy moly. Where did that come from? “No, I hardly know him.”

  His perfect nose crinkled in such a way that I nearly lost my balance. Just that tough guy thing mixed with adorable was way too much for me to handle rationally.

  “You went to prom with him. Am I right?” His chest rose and fell rhythmically even though we were using our gills and had no need for that.

  I was so embarrassed. What could I say? I didn’t have a date because I was a geeky rag doll? “We didn’t really know each other well,” I managed to explain, “…but we decided to go together just for the hell of it.”

  He nodded at that though his eyes contracted. “But you fell for him that night?”

  “What?” I shrieked. “No! Of course not.”

  At that, he chuckled and swam over to a big boulder and sat down. “I guess you just played checkers in that locked bedroom.” He smiled crookedly as he patted the boulder, making a space for me to sit beside him.

  How did he know that? Was he keeping an eye on me? Butterflies fluttered in my stomach. Holy crap—is he jealous? “Yeah, something like that. And you were with Emily, right?” I asked, swimming over to sit beside him.

  To my surprise, his cheeks actually reddened either at my question or because I sat down beside him. My guess was because of the question. I bit down on my lower lip.

  “Oh, fuck,” he said shaking his head. “Stop that with your mouth.”

  Now heat rose up through my chest to my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I actually had an effect on him. It must be some sort of game, I reasoned. But why would he be playing me? This guy was unsafe. There was way too much electricity between us at this close proximity. I couldn’t even look at him. My body was on fire as I looked down at my hands fidgeting in my lap.

  “I want to know about you,” he said. I glanced at him and saw an emotionless expression on his face.

  I swallowed hard. “What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.” His lyrical voice sounded determined as he rubbed from his chin to his cheek with his hand. I so wanted to touch his face. There was just the slightest shading of dark stubble rendering him that sexy rugged look.

  “I don’t know why you want to know about me,” I mumbled, looking back down at my hands. “My life has been pretty boring until now.”

  I peeked at him and noticed that he was looking at me through hooded eyes. I remember my mother used to call men who looked at her like that hazardous. She said I should stay away from boys with bedroom eyes. And now here I was with a criminal.

  “You are anything but boring, Jewel Razzen. From the corner of my eye, I observed him run his long fingers across his neck before biting down on the side of his pointer finger. His hand dropped to his lap. “You’re entirely enigmatic.”

  Me? Enigmatic! I had never heard that before. I couldn’t believe he saw me that way. “What do you want to know?” I asked looking up at the sparkle in his eyes.

  His face was expressionless. “How did your mother die?”

  Heat rose up to my cheeks again. Damn. I can’t believe he would ask such a personal question. How did he know that? I felt a burning sensation in the center of my chest like he had lit a match to me. My eyes widened with a slightly crazed look as I pursed my lips together. “She drowned. Why did you cheat on Brigitte?” I asked, internally congratulating myself on getting him back.

  Delight played on his sumptuous lips. “Touché. It’s not like that with Brigitte. The Trident Court matched us after our conversion, so if we want to stay on their good side we have to play their game.”

  “So you don’t want to be with her?” I looked up at his blue eyes.

  He was gazing out straight ahead. “Sometimes I enjoy her company, but I just don’t feel it like I do with…” He paused and looked down at the ocean floor. “Do you understand?”

  I took in a jagged breath, wondering what he was getting at, feeling hopeful, yet surprised at his openness. I wished he would have finished his sentence. “Are you gay?”

  “No, I’m not gay,” he shrieked and then chuckled. “Why do you ask that?”

  “Who wouldn’t like Brigitte?”

  He smirked. “You got a point there. It’s just that I have a very particular taste.”

  I gulped. Tingling sensations danced throughout my body. Maybe I shouldn’t believe a word out of his mouth, but I couldn’t help myself. “I believe you. I do.”

  The corner of his luscious mouth lifted infinitesimally into a subtle smile before his eyes cast down. He started tracing the ocean wave design on his shorts with his finger now, slow and careful. His attention was fixated on it. I couldn’t help but imagine his shorts were my body. “Why do you hate Jake Stevenson?” His eyes didn’t lift, but stared intently at the movement of his finger tracing the pattern.

  Dang—he really knew how to hit me where it hurt. How did he know so much about me? “I’ll pass on that one.” I tried to keep my voice steady to not let on how much the question bothered me.

  “Is he the reason you are promiscuous?” He looked at me, a pokerfaced expression on his fine features.

  I folded my arms over my chest. “Is that what you’ve heard?”

  His eyes were softer now. “Not exactly. I can tell you’re not into Donny, yet you slept with him, right?”

  “We played checkers,” I said flatly. A single orange fish skimmed past my toes that dangled down the side of the boulder. I wanted to kick it away, but refrained.

  Marcel was looking off. He nodded and messed up his wild long hair that was fanning out in the flow of the water. “What happened to your father?”

  This guy was on fire. I tried to not react. “He walked out on us when I was a kid.” He must be trying to get to me. “If you want to know so much, tell me your secret life.”

  His eyes widened the tiniest bit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you, Jewel Razzen.” A boyish smile formed on his face. “I was born in a small town of France in 1709…”

  I gasped. “What?”

  He chuckled lightly, apparently entertained by my surprise. “Mers are immortal, Jewel.”

  My hand lifted to my neck. “Mers live forever?” I didn’t know what to think about that. That sounded like a nightmare to a suicidal person. “How old are you?”

  “Nineteen.”

  “That doesn’t make sense if you were born in the eighteen hundreds.”

  His voice lowered in a teasing tone. “Oh, it doesn’t make sense.” He raised a menacing eyebrow, putting a hand on my bare knee.

  Electricity shot through my body. Hot damn! This guy is killing me. I tried to talk, but the words got caught in my throat. I kept thinking how I really should swim away, but I just couldn’t get myself to leave.

  Chuckling, his hand slid off to the side and rested between us, causing me much internal agitation. “Converts maintain their physical age at the time of their turning.”

  “Forever nineteen,” I sang, surprised at the musical sound in my own voice.

  “That’s right.” He winked, catching me off guard and making me giggle now.

  “What about your parents and siblings?” I asked.

  His face fell as he stuffed his hands in his shorts pockets. “My father was a wealthy asshole, in the wine business. My mother was impractical and my siblings were phonies.”

  Phonies—he talks like me. I don’t know why, but my heart clenched. I put my head in my hands.

  “You okay?” he asked gently. His tone threw me off further.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” I murmured, afraid my cheeks would color again and give me away. Turning to hide my face, I looked out at the coral reef that reached up so very high. Golden light filtered through the sea grass and rocks. A blowfish swam past. To my surprise, we both laughed. The humor was unexpected, yet needed release on my part.