Something Fishy About Love (Monstrana Paranormal Romance 3)

Concern etched in the lines on his forehead. He cradled her chin, sending shivers down her back, and gently lifted her gaze to his. “I told you not to hurt yourself.”

“I’ll be fine.” She stuck out her chin defiantly. Already, she could feel her strength beginning to return. Once she got back into the water, everything would be back to normal. He didn’t need to concern himself with her.

“You know, this doesn’t change a thing.” A sad smile played on his lips. He dropped his hand from her chin and sat back on his heels. “I’m still going to escape this island, one way or another. You can’t keep me here much longer.”

Frustration poured into her veins once again. She’d never met anyone so foolish. He could’ve set the whole island ablaze. She was pretty sure flames and vampires didn’t mix. What would’ve happened if he’d caught himself on fire? She’d be standing in a pile of his ashes.

Gone would be their leverage. And gone would be the dimple-faced, charming man who seemed to bring out the fighter in her. She had to channel her inner Loriella. What would the fierce leader of her colony do now?

“No, you’re not escaping.”

She shrugged off his arm and reached for his right hand. Before he could stop her, she tugged the ring off his pointer finger and clasped it tight within her palm.

“Are you crazy?” Leo’s eyes grew as wide as sand dollars. His panicked gaze moved to the sky and he raised an arm over his head. “Without that ring, I’ll die!”

“The sun’s already down.” She glanced at the last few streaks of orange left in the sky. It was already night. The stars would pop out soon. “You’re not going to burn to ashes.”

He slowly lowered his arm and glared at her, as if he would like nothing better than to toss her back into the sea like yesterday’s catch. “What about tomorrow? Are you going to leave me to burst into flames come morning?”

“You seem handy with a log.” She pushed herself off the ground and brushed off her knees. This was exactly what Loriella would do. She could sense it. Time to be tough. “Build yourself a shelter. But be quick about it. I wouldn’t take my chances, if I were you.”

He growled as she left him and strode toward the shore. She had one more source to prod for some blood bags. If she hurried, she could be there and back before the sun’s rays even reached the island. After today’s shenanigans, Leo could stand to sweat a little.

“Eina, don’t do this to me.”

In a blurred motion, he cut off her path and planted himself in front of her. Panic seemed to have aged his face a decade. In his eyes, he pleaded with her not to leave him so vulnerable. Her heart panged with guilt. She hesitated, feeling the small band of gold flush against her palm.

Maybe it wasn’t right to take his magical ring. But then again, he’d told her himself that he wasn’t going to give up on trying to escape. If she proved to him that she was serious about keeping him here, then maybe he’d settle down until her sisters could return him to his people.

“You’ll be fine.” She brushed past him, ignoring his frustrated exhale of breath. “I’ll be back soon.”

She didn’t want to look over her shoulder an

d see the hatred she knew would reflect in his eyes. They’d almost become friends in the short time they’d been forced together. There was a connection there. A strange, powerful one that made her feel as if she’d known him for a much longer span of time. It would’ve broken her heart to see all of that snap, like the dried up legs of a sea star. Instead, she marched onward, picking up speed until she could dive back into the comforting, cool waters of the sea.

If only he knew—this was the only way.

Chapter Nine

Eina swam wearily the last mile to home, clutching her prize under her arm. Not only had her illicit source made her tread water for two hours before he showed up, but the troll had the gull to charge her twice what they’d agreed and only gave her two blood bags. Leo had better appreciate her efforts to secure this food.

Her heart thrilled at the idea of seeing him again.

She traversed a deep sea canyon and came face-to-face with Cascade. The water sprite was digging holes into the sea bed, over two thousand miles below the surface. Eina paused her journey and laughed at the creature’s strange behavior.

“Cascade, what are you up to now?”

The water sprite looked up at her with a start, her big blue eyes widened. “Digging for gold, of course. A passing orca told me a pirate ship sunk here centuries ago.”

She returned to her digging and Eina could only chuckle. Cascade was always on some heroic mission. It was the thing Eina loved about her. They’d met when she was only a tadpole. Cascade had been chased from her pod for her eccentric personality, forbidden to ever return. They both felt like they didn’t belong anywhere. It was a bond that held them together.

“Has the colony come to a decision about Leo, yet?” Eina asked, stretching her arms above her head. She could really use a nap. Swimming across the ocean all night took it out of a mermaid.

Cascade looked up at her, her long amber locks flowing out behind her head. “No, they continue to drag their tails. Loriella wants to return him to his people, but she doesn’t have much support.”

Eina clenched her teeth. If she’d known they would take so long to use their leverage, she might never have brought Leo home. In fact, she was beginning to regret the whole venture. He didn’t deserve to be chained to that tiny little island.

She’d checked in on him last night before leaving to meet the troll. He’d been well on his way to building his shelter from the sun. She still felt guilty about that form of punishment. The ring hung from a delicate silver chain around her neck, a reminder of how far she’d gone to further her sisters’ kingdom. She was in so deep, she wondered if she could ever get out.