24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Four

Meria

T here was a crick in my neck that I tried not to complain about, but I thought that Peter could see it in my face. I sat on the ground beside his cell, early the next morning after the busy evening the night before.

“How are you, Meria?” Peter asked.

“I am fine. I slept a little poorly, and my neck hurts. But your situation is much worse. I am sorry; I should not complain.”

“You know, the captain's cabin has a much better bed,” Peter said with a raised eyebrow, ignoring my second comment.

“That is where Dominick sleeps.”

“Yes, and yet I heard he claimed you last night as his lover.”

“He is a good man; he is trying to keep me safe from unwanted attention.”

“It is a brilliant idea. While my men are not bad men, you are hard to ignore. A very striking woman.”

I felt my cheeks heat and ducked my head. That was not the same feeling I had when Dominick had called me beautiful. Peter’s comments made me feel embarrassed.

“Captain wishes to speak with you, Prince Peter,” Sands said from behind me. I was startled and stood.

“Good morning, Meria.” Sands said with a kind smile.

“Sands,” I said with a nod and a wince. My neck really ached.

“Busy evening last night?” he asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Not really,” I choked.

He walked over to Peter's cell and unlocked it, motioning for him to move out of it. He closed the door behind him, and I pressed myself against the bars so they would have room to pass.

“See you later,” Sands called.

Peter turned to look at me with a smile, and I nodded to him.

Why was Dominick calling him to his cabin? Was he finally going to let him go? Would they work together?

I hoped so.

I made my way to the deck and watched the sea, hoping my neck would feel better with time.

“Meria!” I turned my face from the sea below to see Dominick standing before me.

“Hello,” I said, leaning my back against the side of the ship, making sure to keep my head straight. Slight movements were painful.

“Hello,” he said with a nod. “How was your sleep last night?” he asked.

“Good,” I said with a smile.

“Do not lie to me; your neck hurts.”

“How did you–”

“Sands told me.”

“How did he know?”

“Not sure.”

“Oh–well, I shall be fine,” I said with a wave. He walked closer to me, and before I could blink, his hands were behind my head, moving my hair to the side and looking at my neck. He rubbed it a bit, and I leaned against him, closing my eyes. It felt so good. His hands were so warm–so comforting, as if the pain in my neck was being erased with his caresses. He was not The Cruel Hand at all. He should have been called The Warm–Hot–Soothing Hand.

“That feels wonderful,” I said quietly. He continued kneading my neck. His hands worked so expertly as if they had done that countless times before. Had he? How many maidens had he helped in that way?

“What is the matter? Do you wish me to stop?” he asked. His hands stilled.

“Nothing–it feels wonderful; the pain is gone.”

“You got a bit tense for a minute,” he said, still not continuing, but I could still feel the heat from his hands.

“Sorry.”

“Meria–” he warned, and he removed his hands.

Although the pain was gone, I still wanted his hand’s warmth.

“I mean, oh yes, not sorry. I am not sorry. I was thinking of something, but I am fine,” I said. I did say ‘sorry’ far too often. I felt my back still pressed against his chest. He leaned down and whispered in my ear like a warm caress, his voice deep and rumbly in a way that made my stomach flip as if I had dived into the sea.

“Have my cabin.”

My heart raced so fast at those words.

“I could not,” I whispered back rather breathy.

“Yes, you can, if you would like it,” he whispered back, his breath tickling my ear. His hands slowly wrapped around my waist as he pulled me even tighter against him. I was sure that in his arms, I would never have any pain, which was strange as his curse was to inflict pain with those very limbs. But there was so much more to Dominick than his curse–so much gentleness and kindness.

“Alright,” I said weakly.

“Do not agree unless it is truly what you desire,” he said again, still speaking so into my ear, his chin grazing my cheek. I wanted him to never move from that spot; that was what I desired most.

“I desire it,” I said. Then the next second, he removed himself from me and stepped away. I turned around to face him. He took a backwards step.

“Dinner tonight in my cabin?” he asked with a tilt of his head and a smile.

“Yes,” I said with a nod.

“See you then,” he said; then he turned, and my jaw dropped when I saw him reach with his bare hands into his pockets and began to put on his gloves.

I made my way to the captain's cabin that evening and knocked on the dark wood of the door. There was a shuffling; then Dominick stood before me. The first thing I noticed other than his handsome face were his gloved hands. I wanted to know more about his curse. His hands had seemed to heal me. After his touch, my head did not hurt at all. I watched as he opened the door wider to let me into his cabin. He shut the door behind me and walked to his desk, rubbing the back of his neck. He winced.

“Are you alright?” I wondered if his neck also hurt.

“Oh, yes, I am fine.” He put his hand down and motioned for me to sit.

Sitting down and taking a look around, I realized that Dominick had yet another layer to him that I did not know about. He was messy. It made me smile. He had papers and maps spread all around his large desk. He had a bowl and a cup on the floor, as if he had put it to the side while he was working and then forgot about it. I looked around to see a closet door with a sleeve sticking out as if it had been closed hastily, and possibly crammed too full. His bed was a pile of pillows and blankets. It did look more comfortable than the one I had slept in next door.

“Sorry, it is a bit messy in here,” he began, and I turned to look at him.

“I do not mind.”

“I will still have to come in here daily, so you must rise and be ready before I report for the day.”

“Who do you report to?”

“Myself–and I am ready at dawn.”

“Okay, I may just sleep as you go about your business in the mornings.”

“No, I’ll have to change.”

“Oh–” I nodded. “Okay.”

He motioned to a small table in a corner of the room, which had the lovely gruel I hated upon it. I had learned from my time on that ship that the food was always the same thing, something weird: wet sludge and dry crackers. There were some dried fruit barrels, and I often tossed the sludge and just ate the fruit.

“The food on this ship is awful.”

“It may not be fish–”

“And why not? I do not understand.”

“We can catch some for tomorrow’s dinner if you’d like?”

“Fish the way you make it is better than this.”

“Oh, yes. That’s right; you did not like it, although you ate it.”

“Only to survive. I ate raw fish when you were not looking. And seaweed.”

“I saw you,” he said with a smirk.

“We have much better food in the kingdoms of Terra. This is just easy to transport on a ship, and it does not go bad.”

“It barely keeps us alive. I eat the dried fruit, instead,” I said, spooning a bit of the sludge and letting it splatter back into the bowl. I looked up at Dominick; he was smiling.

“Make sure you eat some of the porridge; it gives you more of what you need, daily, than the fruit,” he began to eat, and it was silent. I took a few bites because I did not wish to die, and my stomach was aching.

“I shall try to eat it more, but it is horrid,” I said, taking a spoonful and eating the sludge.

“I have figured out a way you can go once a week into the water,” Dominick said as he finished his sludge.

“Yes?”

“Night is the only option. I will need to have Sands help."

“Thank you,” I said, taking one last bite of the sludge.

“For what?”

“For helping me. I know I am unfamiliar with humans, and I do appreciate you helping me and teaching me. You may not see it, but you are very kind, Dominick.”

“You’re welcome.” I turned my head to the side, and there was a sharp pain there. I gasped.

“What is it?” Dominick stood, and I watched him as he took off his coat; then slowly, he pinched the fingertips of his black leather gloves and peeled them off. “Does it still hurt?”

“It stopped hurting, but I think I hurt it again by moving my head so quickly.”

“Let me help relieve you of your pain.”

He started uncuffing his white undershirt and I saw the black veins there.

“I am alright. I thought you said you couldn't touch anyone?”

“I can, my touch has two sides.”

“Why are your veins black?”

“It is the result of pain from my curse–awful to look at, isn't it?”

“No–does it hurt?” I asked tenderly.

He laughed. “Pain is a constant in my life, and I do not mind it anymore.”

I did not believe that. Constant pain? That had to drain a person. How was he standing there before me?

“I mind.”

“Meria–I can take your pain away.”

“But what happens to you? I know you did something earlier. I saw you without your gloves after we spoke, and when I came in here, it seemed that your neck hurt. Do you take away the pain, but put it on yourself?”

“Let me help you, Meria.”

“No, I do not want to cause you pain.”

“It is nothing. Truly, I have helped many with worse injuries.”

“What do you mean?” I was surprised. “Do you take on others’ pain often?”

“Meria, I just want to help you.”

“Tell me, Dominick.”

“Sometimes, when I act as the Prince, I go to the local ports and have Sands find those who are suffering. It is not healing I give people. I just take away their pain with the hope that they will then have the strength to recover.”

“Dominick,” I said, my mouth open wide, amazed by that man.

“It is nothing, Meria.”

“It is everything, Dominick.” I stepped up to him. “You are so selfless.”

“No, I am not. I selfishly do it–to ease my guilt.”

I didn't believe that. “Right now? Helping me with my pain will relieve guilt?”

“Meria, stop this, and let me take away your pain.”

“Is that a demand?”

“No–you have a choice; you always have a choice,” he trailed off. “But I would feel better if you felt better.”

“Will you be okay?” I asked as I stepped closer to him.

“You ask that–as if touching you would be a burden.”

“It isn’t?” I whispered as he pressed his chest against mine, one hand at my lower back. Dominick knew that mermaids had magical healing abilities. We had discussed it in the cave. The stipulation for it to work was that it had to be given freely to another, which was why the humans had never been successful in using our healing when they had captured us and tried to use our power for their gain. Unless within a mermaid’s heart, she desired to use her magic, it would not work. I focused on my magic and waited for Dominick to touch my skin. I wanted to heal whatever pain he had, and that, I desired with all of my heart.

“No–not a burden at all,” he whispered into my ear as he reached with one hand, moving my hair over my shoulder, pressing his warm hands to my neck.

The instant our skin touched, my pain was gone, and I poured all the healing magic I could into him as tears dropped down my face. He pulled back a little, and our eyes met, but I reached up behind me and held his hand against my skin, wanting to heal as much of his pain as I could. I watched with joy as his eyes lightened, as if the years of pain, which had darkened them, had been removed. He finally got his hand free of mine and pulled away, raising his hands up.

“I am so sorry,” he gasped, walking closer to me, but then he stepped back, holding his hands to his sides as if they would poison me.

“I don't feel it anymore,” I said with a smile. “Thank you.”

“What?” he gasped. “Do not lie to me, Meria. I did not–Something else happened.”

“Your curse is very effective.”

“But I didn't feel it.”

“Feel what?”

“Usually, when I take pain from someone, I feel it within myself, tenfold. When I did it earlier today, I felt it, but right now–I don’t feel it. When that happens, when I do not feel pain, that usually means I am inflicting it.”

“Truly, Dominick, I did not feel anything but relief.” He stepped even further away, running his hand over his face. He walked to his desk and put his gloves back on in silence.

“You promise me, Meria. You really did not feel any pain? I need to know.”

“No, no pain at all.”

“So odd. I have something I need to do.” He walked to the door of the cabin.

“But what about me going into the sea?”

“I will return; make yourself comfortable.” Without looking back at me, he was out the door.