A Mermaid's Ransom (Daughters of Arianne 3)

"Yes?" she breathed it, not sure how she got the word out.

"When I was watching you, before Reba came, I only wanted to sit and let that light of yours warm me. It makes me wonder which one of us is truly a tethered hawk."

Silence stretched between them. His hand remained in her hair, his fingers tangling, fondling. Alexis broke the contact reluctantly, picking up the swimming trunks she'd found for him. "Have you ever swum before?"

"No." He stepped back. "Lady Lyssa told me that vampires do not swim. That we sink and must use the strength of our arms to pull ourselves up. But that seems like it will help, since your manatees like the lower levels of the tank."

"That's mostly when visitors are here. They get more active when it's just us." She lifted the suit. "Anyhow, you might want to put this on so our young companion doesn't get any more outrageous ideas that could get you arrested."

While he stripped off his clothes and slid on the swim trunks, exposing the muscular body, she realized she felt the same as he did. She wanted to just sit, gaze at the marble perfection that looked so cold but she knew was so warm, so vibrant and strong, compared with the pale, thin and weak limbs of the girl she'd helped change. The blessing and cruelty of time displayed so obviously together made the sadness swell in her again.

"Alexis," he murmured. Now dressed, he nodded toward the cracked door. "Look."

Reba's hand was pressed to the tank and the two manatees were butting their noses against the glass, as if answering her. She looked over her shoulder with a wide smile as they left the locker room and came to join her. "It's like they're saying get your asses in here so we can play." She arched a brow. "I was beginning to think you two were going to fuck like rabbits before we went swimming. I'm not saying I blame you, but you wouldn't want my time to run out while waiting on you, right?"

"More language like that, and I'll jam your wheelchair brake," Alexis informed her archly, even as she felt a pang at the girl's joke, too close to her own thoughts. Pushing that away, she proceeded to tell the girl how to use the tank, giving her some basic instruction on it.

"How about you two?" Reba said when she was done. "Where are your tanks? And does he wax or what? He has no body hair."

Alexis glanced at Dante, then back at their guest. "We won't need tanks. Reba, we'd like to be ourselves while we're with you, all right? Can we trust you with that?"

The teenager studied them both, her cynical mask slipping and showing uncertain curiosity. "I don't exactly know what that means, but as long as you aren't serial killers who like to lure visitors to stay after hours with a promise to swim with the manatees, I'm cool with just about anything."

"On a normal day, that's exactly what we are, but for today we figure we'll indulge our alter egos." Lex pushed the wheelchair up the ramp to the door that led to the tank entry point. Dante took over for her as she swiped her card and took them inside.

Before she could ask Dante to help her get Reba out of the chair and into the water, he anticipated her thought. Bending, he slid his arms beneath the girl's body, and she calmly hooked an arm around his neck as he took her to the water's edge. Lex guided her to hold on to the ladder while she got in the water with her. Dante kept his hand on the girl's arm, even as she held on to the ladder tightly.

Reba let out a nervous laugh. "It's kind of ironic, but I'd rather not drown, okay?"

"We will not let any harm come to you," Dante said. His voice was firm, that commanding tone capable of sending shivers down Lex's spine. It was absolute reassurance he meant what he said. She thought of the hawk comparison again and warmth coiled in her belly.

Reba's gaze went to his sunglasses. "Why do you wear those?"

"Because of these," he said, and removed them.

Reba drew in a breath. "Those aren't contacts, are they?"

"No. No more than those are paste and glue." He nodded and Reba followed his glance. It was a good thing he still held her arm on the ladder, because she would have dropped like a stone at the sight of Lex treading water behind her, her wings now exposed. They were gliding across the water slowly like a butterfly's, keeping her aloft. Reba's gaze skittered down at the flash of color beneath the water's surface. "That's . . ."

"A tail. I'm a merangel. Don't be startled," Alexis said, then thought to add, "I don't mean about me. Leroy is coming up beneath you and is going to nose your legs."

"No freaking way." Reba looked between them, laughing unexpectedly and wiggling in the water as the manatee rose higher, brushed her lower back. "That tickles. He won't bite, will he?"

"Only once or twice." Alexis grinned. "I'm kidding. No, he won't bite."

Reba shifted her gaze back to Dante. "So what does that make you?"

"He's part vampire, part something else."

"I was kissed by a vampire. Wow. Okay, I am awake, right? Tell me I'm not hallucinating on my meds. Because if I am, I'm going to be so pissed."

THEY only half convinced her she wasn't, but she came to the conclusion that even if she was hallucinating, it was best to make the most of it before she detoxed. Alexis got the small tank strapped onto her, and then, when she was ready, she had her put on the mask, loosen her grip on the ladder and slowly descend into the large tank. Despite her bravado, initially Reba clung to her fingers. Alexis expected Dante to take some time to enter, but in short order, he passed them, headed to the bottom of the tank. He controlled the descent so he didn't move too fast, but it was obvious there was no buoyancy to his body. He simply sank, the strength of his arms alone capable of moving him. Reba pointed to him, her lips stretching into a grin around her mouthpiece, and then they were floating down to join him. The other manatee was there, sleeping, but Leroy rammed him, as if reminding Buick they had guests.

Alexis smiled and guided Reba's hand to the area behind Leroy's ear where they liked being scratched, and then behind the front flippers. Since she was down here, Lex did another quick examination of Buick's propeller wounds and confirmed they were healing well.

As she did, Reba's questing fingers slid over her wing, another hand finding her tail. When she shifted her attention, Reba froze, but Alexis smiled and nodded. The girl, relieved, continued to explore, touching the tail fins, their flowing texture. She bent to study the overlap of her scales, then gazed upward at the froth of feathers flowing through the water as Alexis used both tail and wings to balance herself. Reba's eyes shone when she looked back at Alexis. While Alexis had always loved being a merangel, seeing the pleasure such a thing brought to Reba made her even more fiercely glad of it. Speaking in the manatee language, she asked and the creatures accommodated, bringing their bodies close to the girl, delighting her with their proximity and letting her put a hand on each of them as they slowly swam to the other end of the tank, carrying her along.

When they returned, coming to rest on the bottom of the tank again, Dante moved closer, reaching out to touch as well. Buick floated, examining this new variable. While it appeared he had his doubts, Lex reassured him that Dante was a friend, even if he was somewhat scary. Buick made an accepting noise and returned his attention to Reba. After a brief investigation of the creatures, Dante moved off another few feet. He passed his hands back and forth through the water, turned, lifted his feet. Using his arms to move upward and then back down, he did a somersault, testing the properties of the water. Looking toward her, she saw some of the same shine of discovery in his eyes she had in Reba's. It made her want to never leave this moment.

But after no more than fifteen minutes, Alexis felt Reba fighting her exhaustion. Dante recognized it, too. When the girl shook her head, a stubborn set to her chin, he simply caught her around the waist and propelled her upward, even though she called him something around the mouthpiece Alexis knew wasn't complimentary.

When they surfaced, Dante lay her on the concrete apron next to the pool so she could get her breath. Alexis came to the ladder, holding the slick metal handrails as Dante squatted over the girl, his dark hair pasted in lo

ng wet strips down his broad back. His crimson eyes intent on the girl's face, he touched it with light, questing fingers, so that she opened her eyes and nodded in reassurance.

"I'm all right. Wow." She looked toward Alexis. "Was that one of those, 'I can't have what a lot of kids get, so I get something maybe they never will?' Like crazy Make-A-Wish Foundation shit?"

"Maybe. You're worth something like this. I like you."

"Oh. Well, it was great, probably the best thing ever. I'd still trade it for sixty years of normal boring life, you know? But don't tell anyone, because that sounds so uncool."