She’d obviously made Ted uncomfortable. It bothered her to think that, but there was really no way around it. Usually, Jolie would dial up the heat at this point. But if even a single flirty comment flustered him, it wouldn’t be kind of her to make him more uncomfortable. Instead, she kept the conversation light, pointing out new developments on the island and various sights he could go visit when he had his own transportation.
“Oh, I see the statue!” Ted laughed – his real laugh, not his embarrassed one – and she found herself laughing with him. She’d never seen a grown man so enchanted by mermaids before.
“Yes, it’s cool, isn’t it?”
“I’ll say. The artist did lovely work.”
“I’ll get us closer,” Jolie promised, and turned down a lane concealed by overgrown bush. The truck rattled its way down a dirt road with two large ruts in the middle. Slowing to a crawl, Jolie brought the truck as close as she could without blowing a tire out, and parked.
Ted stepped away from the truck. “She’s beautiful,” he breathed, his camera in hand, shooting photo after photo.
“You should see her when the sun sets.”
“Oh, I can imagine it’s breathtaking. The gorgeous lines of her body and down through her tail? With the sun framing her from behind? Oh yeah, she’s a knock-out. What a lovely rendering,” Ted gushed. He moved forward, then cursed as he stubbed his toe against a craggy rock that jutted from the sand.
“Careful. There are loads of little prickly plants as well. Desert island and all,” Jolie said, picking her way over the rocks toward the cliff where the mermaid statue was.
“I know. I just get caught up sometimes and forget my surroundings,” Ted said, running a hand through his hair.
I wish he’d get caught up in me, Jolie thought, but bit her tongue as she followed Ted to the base of the cliff so they could both gaze up at the beautiful statue above.
“Her name is Irmine. And she waits here, protecting the fishermen and grieving her lover.”
“Is that so? I can see it in her face.”
“Mermaids know,” Jolie said, forcing herself not to turn and look at Ted and say, ‘Don’t you see? I’m right here.’ Instead, she crouched and picked up a small shell with a hole in the middle.
“They know what?”
“Their destiny. When one man is meant for them versus all the others they toy with.”
“How do they know?”
“The oracle tells them.”
“They have an oracle? Really? That’s something I haven’t heard before. At least in mermaid myths. Can you tell me more?” Ted asked, excitement lacing his words.
“Of course. Let’s settle in and I’ll tell you the story of young Nalachi.” Jolie pointed to a smooth rock with enough room for the two of them to sit, tucked under the shade of a scraggly tree, its branches growing sideways in the wind.
“I can’t wait. Can I record you?” Ted asked, pulling a little recorder from his pack, and Jolie laughed.
“Of course.”
Chapter 7
“If you can imagine, this island was just a small fishing village years ago. Trade routes were established between other islands, but aside from those, this place was left largely undisturbed.”
Ted nodded, silently encouraging her to continue.
“As time went on and fisherman got used to traversing the routes to other islands, trade picked up and there was more travel. Which in turn meant more people on the water. Many of whom reported seeing… beings in the water. Usually late at night.”
“Beings.”
“Yes. Half-woman, half-fish. The locals whispered of it, but many questioned what they saw, or were too frightened to speak of it much. Still, the stories filtered through the villages. One young fisherman in particular was quite interested in the stories; he would spend long hours at sea at night, his eyes trained on the horizon, hoping to find one of these woman-fish creatures.”
“As I would be,” Ted murmured. Jolie bit back a smile, but kept her eyes on a gull swooping over the mermaid statue on the cliff.
“One night they had a big festival, and our fisherman, Nalachi – the most handsome lad in the village, by the way – was there to help his ailing mother serve food. His mother hoped he’d find a pretty village maiden to settle down with. But Nalachi was a dreamer. He looked to the horizon more often than not, as if he were waiting for something.”
Jolie knew that feeling, and now she identified more deeply than ever with Nalachi’s story.
“Did he take off on a grand adventure?” Ted asked, his shoulder casually brushing hers.
Jolie’s senses seemed to zero in on the spot where his arm had touched hers. “Ah, yes.” Jolie cleared her throat. “But not yet. That night at the festival, a young woman appeared as if from nowhere. Nalachi’s heart stopped when his eyes landed on the fair maiden, and he knew love instantly. His gaze followed her as she danced around the fire, her laughter a song on the wind, and more than one man was entranced by her charm. But with one look from Nalachi, the rest faded away and he knew.”
“Did he approach her?”
“He did. He learned her name was Irmine, and together they danced through the evening – the fire roaring around them, sweat dripping down their bodies, until all they heard was the primal beat of the drum.” Jolie crossed her legs uncomfortably, feeling the pull of Ted deep in her core, wanting him to recognize her as young Nalachi had Irmine. “She slipped away when he went to bring them water and Nalachi pursued her until he found her at the cliff’s edge.”
“Up there?” Ted pointed to the statue.
“Yes, way out on the cliffs. She insisted she must go, but Nalachi begged her to stay – or, at the very least, to leave something of hers. She gave him a shell necklace, a passionate kiss, and told him to listen for her song. He blinked, and then she was gone.”
“Ah. Tough for the young man.”
“That it was. Despondent, Nalachi took to the water each day, searching for boats he didn’t recognize and listening for a song. She’d sung it to him right before she disappeared, you see.”
“What’s the song?”
“Where the starlight kisses the sea, this is where you’ll find me. It won’t be so long, for in your heart is my song,” Jolie sang – softly, because she didn’t want the full power of her voice to entrance Ted. It was important to her that he choose her of his own accord and not because of any enchantments. A siren’s voice was one of her biggest magicks, and it was best to tread carefully when using it. Even at low power, Jolie could see Ted was touched.
“That’s beautiful. I love the imagery,” Ted said softly, and Jolie wondered if he realized that he’d picked up her hand. She allowed him to hold it for a moment longer as its warmth radiated up her palm and to her heart, then gently disengaged. She bit back a smile as he looked down in shock at his hand and then hers, his cheeks flaming that delicious pink color again. “I’m sorry. It appears I got caught up in the story. That happens sometimes. I have a tendency to dream.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being a dreamer.”