Dana Littlejohn

A Merman’s Tale

Poseidon’s robes vanished in a flash of light. Surge looked over the

powerfully built body his father once had. It was of a dark sand color, with
muscular arms and shoulders. The trunk was deeply defined and the legs
were long and lean with an appendage floating between them that spanned
at least six inches. The robes returned and Surge smiled.
“Lord Poseidon, I ask for the body of my father before you changed
him, so that I can go to the surface and rescue the woman I love.”
“Your duty is to your people. You are to take a mate and the throne
from your father in three days.”
“My lord, I have found no one in my realm that pleases me as this
human does. She is who I want for my mate.”
“Surge, I will give you the body of your father, but you will only
have it for two days to use. Go find this human and convince her to return
to the sea with you. In two days time your tail will return…no matter where
you are.” He looked into his grandson’s stunned face. “Do you understand
the risks?”
Surge nodded.
“Once done it will not be undone until the two days are up, is this
human worth it?”
“I love her, my lord. I’ll take the risk.”
“So be it.”

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale © 2008 by Dana Littlejohn

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without
permission in writing from the publisher.

This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents either
are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.

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eBook ISBN: 978-1-87559-18-5

First Edition * July 2008

Production by Eternal Press

Printed in Canada and The United States of America.

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 Dana Littlejohn

A Merman’s Tale

Dana Littlejohn

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

Dedication:

For all those people who just can’t get enough of the love
they find in fairy tales…even the twisted ones.

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Acknowledgements:

Thanks to God for giving me the gift and the guts to share it with
everyone else and to my husband Johnny. He agrees that my mind
is either in the gutter, the land of make believe or in worlds that
don’t exist except to me…but he thinks it’s a good thing.

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

Prologue

Long, long ago Poseidon left the gods of Olympus for the solitude of his beloved
oceans. For many millennia he lived in and traveled the seven seas content to
play in the waves of his chosen home. He visited Mount Olympus when he grew
lonely and wondered what new games the other gods were playing. They were
still engaged in the same old games, playing with mortal lives and mating with
the ones that intrigued them the most. They often asked him to stay and visit with
them longer, but he always left them to return to his watery home. He wondered
how it would be if they would come to visit him, but they never did.
His last visit to Olympus was over a thousand years ago and the pangs of
loneliness were beginning to hit him again. He made up his mind to visit Mount
Olympus again soon. He glided through the warm waters of the Caribbean and
spied a boat high above his head. He wasn’t usually interested in what the
mortals did on the surface of his waters. Normally he didn’t even notice the boats
at all because they were a natural occurrence on the sea, but this time was
different. The mortals had thrown a woman into his water. His loneliness had
stirred his curiosity, so he called forth a wave to bring her limp body to him and
carry them both to his home deep on the ocean’s floor. He sat on his throne
leaving her lifeless body on the floor before him.
“Rise, woman,” he demanded of her.

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The woman stood and looked into the brilliant light that lit up the area
around her. When she saw Poseidon sitting on his glorious throne of coral in all
his magnificence she fell back to her knees.
“My lord, Poseidon, have mercy on me.”
“Rise, woman, and have no fear of me. Tell me how you’ve come to be in
my realm.”
She rose slowly to her feet holding her chest. “My lord, how is it that I am
speaking and breathing here on the ocean floor?”
“I have allowed you to do so. I am curious to know why the mortals would
throw a woman to her death. Tell me your tale.”
“My husband was a sailor, Lord Poseidon, and was gone more than he was
home. When he was last home he knew me as a husband knows his wife and was
gone again. He left me with child and was gone for more than two years. Upon his
return he did not believe the child to be his and condemned me to die by the sea
for my adulteress behavior.”
“Are you guilty?”
“No, my Lord Poseidon, I am not. The child is indeed his.”
“Very well. Your beauty pleases me and I require company at this time.
You will stay with me until I tire of you, at which time I will return you to the
surface to live out the remainder of your life with my thanks and treasures of the
sea.”
“Thank you, my Lord Poseidon.”
So it was. The woman stayed with Poseidon for several hundred years
during which time she bore him a son that they called Riptide. When Riptide was
full grown he wondered why it was only he and his father in the whole ocean.
Poseidon then realized that his son did not share the love of seclusion as he did.
Being half mortal, Riptide didn’t have the absolute power and control over the
seas as his father did, but he had a considerable amount. In his human form he
could not navigate the seas as well as Poseidon either. Wanting to help his son,
Poseidon gave him a powerful tail to help him navigate the seas better. He also
made him a race of people with tails, to keep him company and called them mer-
people. Once the mer-people began to breed, Poseidon left his son to rule over

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them before going back to his beloved solitude, with only one rule. Do not
venture to the surface world, leave the humans alone.
The mer-people lived in harmony with the sea under Riptide’s reign for
hundreds of years. As he watched his people breed he soon felt it was time he
took a mate for himself.

****

“My people, I have chosen a mate!” Riptide announced to the thousands of

mer-people that were gathered at his throne.
Two women were in front of him with their heads bowed awaiting their
leader’s announcement with the others.
Coral was a beautiful petite mer-woman with large brown eyes and long,
flowing, dark brown hair. Her tail was the color of the coral reef that was their
home and she was known for her kind and gentle spirit and her cleverness among
her people.
Opah, the other mer-woman was exquisite, a rare beauty. She had eyes the
color of precious pearls and long curly black hair. Her human half was that of a
voluptuous woman and her tail was gloriously iridescent. Both parts of her were
beautiful beyond compare.
Riptide raised his hands to silence the cheers of his people. “My people, I
have decided to pass the throne to my son as my father, Lord Poseidon, has
passed it to me when he is old enough to rule in my place. To do so I must first
take a mate to have a son. I have chosen Coral to be that mate. It will be she that
will carry your next ruler.”
The cheers erupted again as Riptide extended his hand past the stunned
face of Opah to Coral. He pulled her into his arms taking her to his throne. With a
wave of his hands he raised the coral beside his throne fashioning it into a smaller
throne, smooth and elegant decorated with shells, pearls and starfish. He placed
Coral on her throne and sat beside her on his own quieting the crowd again.
“Opah, come forth.”
She swallowed her anger and envy and swam forward putting her best

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smile in place. “Yes, my Lord Riptide.”

“You have excellent qualities, Opah, and your beauty is beyond compare
which is why you were considered as a mate for your lord. You are worthy of a
powerful mate.” He gestured to another mer-man. “Would you consider Current
as your mate? It would please me to see you happy, Opah.”
Current was at his leader’s side instantly. He was large and powerfully
built, almost as well built as Riptide himself.
“His coloring complements your own. With his silver hair and eyes like
onyx, your offspring will be among our brightest and most beautiful.”
Opah looked over the handsome triton and smiled. If she couldn’t have
Riptide, Current was definitely the next best thing. “Thank you, sire, I would
gladly accept Current as my mate if he will have me. I will do my best to make
him happy.”
Riptide smiled as he watched Current extend his hand and Opah take it.
“This union pleases me almost as much as my own,” Riptide declared to his
people. “Let the celebration begin!”

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

Chapter One

The mer-people lived many more millennia in harmony and peace with the sea
creatures and each other, under Riptide’s guidance. His only rule was that of his
father before him. Stay way from the surface world and humans.
Poseidon had always told him that humans didn’t understand the ways of
the gods and to stay way from them. He also knew his father liked his solitude
and their existence depended on not disturbing that solitude. As his people’s
numbers grew they spread throughout the oceans, but most stayed on the reef. It
meant their leader was always adding to it, making it the largest in all the oceans.
Surge, son of Coral and Riptide showed his power over the seas at an early
age. No one had ever thought to break the one rule Riptide had for his people, but
Surge found that even as a young triton he couldn’t help but break it, even though
he would be the one to enforce it one day. The rule left nothing but questions, for
the young, soon to be ruler of the seas.
He found himself fascinated by the surface world and often wondering,
why he was forbidden to go there. When he was young his youthful fear had kept
him somewhat in check, as he only traveled at night to glimpse the moon and
stars. Now he was full grown and powerfully built, in both his human and fish
parts he had better control over the seas. He could make the trip to the surface
with much greater ease and stealth. Along with his age came skill and his

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curiosity grew, taking him to different parts of the oceans. He grew bolder and his
trips to the surface more frequent as time went by.

****

Riptide sent forth a powerful but controlled waterspout that blasted in

every direction and shortly after his son appeared.
“You called for me, Father?”
“Yes, Surge, I did. I’ve been thinking, it will soon be time for you to take
your place on the throne to rule our people. Are you ready to take on such a
task?”
“Yes, Father, I am.”
Riptide smiled. “Yes, I knew you would be. But it means you would have to
stay put long enough to rule your people,” he said with a chuckle. “No more of
this fluttering off to search out the seven seas and all the oceans, or being gone
for days at a time.”
Surge smiled. “Yes, Father, I know.”
“It also means, Surge, you will have to take a mate,” his mother said.
He turned toward her. “Yes, Mother, I know, but that part doesn’t have to
be immediate, does it? I mean, Father ruled for a long time before he chose to
mate you.”
“Not immediately, no, but it does have to happen. Do you have someone in
mind, son?” Riptide asked.
“Not really.”
“What about Reef? She has shown great interest in being your mate,” his
mother said in a playful tone.
“Yes, Surge, I always hoped that my son and Current’s daughter would be
mates.”
Surge looked around trying not to roll his eyes, but didn’t answer.
“The choice remains yours, Surge. I just wanted to let you know that since
you are now of age and have full control over your power, I think it’s time for you
to rule our people.”

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Surge’s smile was from ear to ear. It made Riptide smile, too. He could
easily see Coral’s beautiful features on his son’s face, but he had Riptide’s own
darker skin tone.
“I’m ready, Father.”
“Good. I will gather the people and make the announcement.”
Surge nodded and left the throne room elated. He sent forth his own turbo
stream of water that would go straight to his friends. He went to his chamber in
the reef and waited for them. He didn’t have to wait long.
“What’s up, Surge? What did your father want?” a young merman asked
swimming into his chamber.
“Nothing much, Harpoon. He just wanted to tell me it was time for me to
rule all the seas and oceans,” he answered smugly.
“What? That’s great!”
“What’s great?” another young merman asked swimming into his
chamber.
“It’s our buddy’s turn to wear the big crown, Turbo. Our little boy is all
grown up.”
Turbo laughed and sat next to the first merman. “Wow, Harpoon, where
does the time go?”
Surge laughed with his friends. “Shut up, guys. My mother threw a catch
into my good news by reminding me that I have to take a mate sooner rather than
later now.”
Harpoon nodded. “Yes, mine mentioned that to me too, just last week.”
“Look guys, I don’t know how fast all this is going to happen, so I need to
take a quick trip to the surface.”
Turbo and Harpoon looked at each other then back to him.
“Don’t start guys, I know that look. I promise I won’t stay long this time.”
“Surge, you know going to the surface is forbidden,” Harpoon reminded
his friend.
“Yes, yes, I know. That will be the first thing I change when I sit on the
throne,” he said to them with a sly grin.
Turbo chuckled. “Leave it to Surge to break the only rule his father gives to

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his people.”
Surge smiled. “I think of it like this, everyone knew from the moment I was
born that I would be the next ruler being Riptide’s only son, right?”
Harpoon and Turbo nodded and he continued with a smile.
“Well, since I knew it too, I feel it was my duty to learn all I could to help
my people. That’s why I travel the oceans and the seven seas, to learn all I can
and that includes the surface world.”
Harpoon and Turbo looked at each other again with raised eyebrows and
Surge laughed again.
“Well, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.”
Harpoon and Turbo laughed with their friend.
“Come on, guys, you’ll cover for me won’t you?”
“Don’t we always?” Harpoon asked.
“Just be careful, Surge. Lord Poseidon passed that rule to us for a reason.
You don’t know what you’ll run into up there on the surface and humans can’t be
trusted.”
Riptide smiled and grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “Always the voice
of reason, aren’t you, Turbo? I’ll be careful, my friend. I promise.” He swam to
the entrance of his chamber giving them one last look over his shoulder.
“I’ll return as soon as I can.”

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Chapter Two

Raine paced along the end of the pier. She pushed her hair out of her face as the
rain soaked her clothing more and more. She looked at her watch again and
walked toward the beach in a huff, but before she could get there she turned
around and headed back to the end of the pier. She looked out onto the dark
water as it crashed against the pier and the rocks below, sighed and began pacing
again. She scanned the beach and let gave a small sigh of relief, she was still the
only one on it in the rain. Just as she’d decided to leave she heard her name being
called as if from a distance, over the slapping of the rain against the wooden pier.
“Raine, are you there?”
She ran to the edge of the pier and laid on the planks, so she could look
over the edge. “Surge, what are you doing in the water in this rain? When you
said you’d meet me I didn’t think you were crazy enough to go swimming.”
He looked up at her and smiled. “Yeah, well I haven’t been totally honest
with you. I probably should tell you…”
“That doesn’t matter now. I have something important to tell you. I have to
leave,” she said quickly.
“What? You mean now. I just got here. You can’t leave already.”
“No, I mean for good, Surge. I have to go away.”
“What? Why? I know I should have told you, but I was working my way…”

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“No, Surge, it’s me that hasn’t been honest with you. We need to talk and
we can’t do it here out in the open.” She looked over her shoulder again. “Meet
me away from the beach. I’ll be in the blue house on the corner of Surf Avenue.
1737 Surf Avenue is the address, ok? Please meet me there as soon as you can.”
She blew a kiss to him and ran off the pier.
“Wait, Raine, wait!” he yelled but she couldn’t hear him over the rain.
Surge dived back into the water and swam as fast as he could, using as
much force as he could muster he called the waves to carry him back to his
chamber in the reef. When it came into view he sent forth a turbo blast of water
to bring his friends to him. When he arrived they were all ready in his chamber.
“Wow, you’ve never come back that fast before, Surge. What happened,
did you run into a big bad human?” Harpoon asked with a laugh as he entered his
chamber.
Surge didn’t respond, but swam back and forth in thought.
“What’s happened, Surge?” Turbo asked. “He’s right, you never return this
quickly from the surface. It’s only been a few hours.”
Surge still swam back and forth not answering. His friends looked at each
other knowing better than to pressure him. He would speak to them when he was
ready. They watched their friend and future leader move back and forth with his
eyebrows furrowed, as he nibbled on his thumb. Suddenly he stopped and with a
deep sigh turned to confront them.
“Guys, I have a confession to make. You know I’ve been going to the
surface for years learning as much as I could.” He watched his friends nod and
continued. “Well, I know you’ve noticed that I’ve been going a lot more frequently
lately.” He watched them nod again. “Well, the reason I’ve been going so much is
I met a human, a woman.”
Turbo and Harpoon looked at each other wide-eyed then back to their
friend as he continued.
“I continue to go to the surface to see her. Her name is Raine and she’s the
one I want for my mate.” He looked between his friends knowing they were
holding back their comments. “Ok, I’m ready, say what you want.”
“Surge, have you lost your mind?” Turbo blurted out. “That’s crazy! How

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are you going to have a human for a mate? She’ll die down here!”
Surge smiled. “Oh, please, Turbo, don’t hold back. Tell me what you really
think.”
Harpoon laughed and Turbo sent him a sharp look to quiet him. “Surge
I’m serious.”
“I know you are, my friend, but relax, I have it all thought out.”
“Yes, Turbo, Surge is only joking with us. He all ready has a mate in mind.”
“No, Harpoon, I’m very serious. I want Raine as my mate.”
Harpoon‘s eyes widened again. “What? Are you crazy? How are you going
to pull that off? Turbo is right, she’ll die down here with you.”
Surge chuckled. “I have a plan, guys. I’m going to seek Lord Poseidon and
ask for his help.”
His friends were shocked as they looked at each other. “What?” they said
together.
“You can’t disturb Lord Poseidon,” Harpoon reminded him.
“Harpoon is right, Surge. Lord Poseidon is never to be disturbed. This plan
is crazy. You’ve been to the surface too many times and the toxic air has damaged
your brain.”
“I know, I know, but there is no other way. I went to see her and she was in
some kind of trouble. She was crying and scared and I have to help her, save her
if I can. I love her.”
“Your father is going to place you on the throne in three days. You don’t
even know where to look for Lord Poseidon,” Turbo reminded him.
Surge started to swim back and forth again. “I know, I know, but I have to
find him.” He turned to his friends and smiled. “You guys will cover for me,
right?”
Turbo started to mumble and shake his head. Surge swam to him and
grasped his shoulders.
“Turbo, listen to me. I have to find him in order to save her. If I don’t find
him, I promise, I’ll come back and take my place on the throne. I’ll even take Reef
as my mate to make my parents happy,” he added. “But I have to try to save her.”
Turbo sighed and nodded.

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Harpoon touched his shoulder. “Go, we’ll cover for you.”

“Just be careful, Surge,” Turbo added.
He smiled. “You were always our voice of caution, Turbo. You guys are my
best friends. I promise I’ll be careful.”
Surge set off on his journey to find Lord Poseidon. The only information
he had was the stories his father used to tell him when he was young. He
remembered asking his father once why did Lord Poseidon leave them and where
did he go. Riptide had explained to him that he liked his solitude. He’d left his
home on Mount Olympus for the ocean floor and even though we couldn’t see
him, he was always around somewhere because he was god of all the oceans and
the seven seas. That’s where Surge was going to look for him, the ocean floor.
Surge felt like he’d been swimming for hours. He moved as fast as he
could, using the power of the waves to carry him, but still it seemed to take
forever to reach the bottom of the sea. He stopped and looked around and
nothing looked familiar and his frustration grew. He started off again moving
even faster. After a while he stopped again, but the scenery didn’t seem to change
at all. He sent a powerful water spike straight to the surface and screamed his
frustration a loud.
“Lord Poseidon! Where are you?” he screamed then tried to catch his
breath.
Almost immediately the area around him was illuminated and a larger
than life figure appeared before him. The long white hair on his head and face
waved slowly in the water. He wore a long white robe that flowed around him.
His arms were wide as he spoke to Surge.
“Why do you seek me, son of my son?”
He gasped. “You know me?”
A small smile touched his lips. “I am god of the seven seas and all of the
oceans, surely I would know the son of my own son.”
“Oh. You–you are not as I imagined, my lord,” Surge said surprised.
“How you see me now is how I am as I always was and how I’ll always be.”
Suddenly he shrank down to Surge’s size. “But, I can accommodate when
necessary.”

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“You have no tail, my lord.”

“I am a god of Olympus, I can assume any form that I wish. I gave my son
and his people a tail so they could navigate the seas with greater ease. Now, tell
me, Surge, why do you seek me?”
“I… I come to beg for your help, my lord. I know you probably know that I
have broken your rule about going to the surface.”
“Several times you broke that rule.”
“Uhh...yes, my lord. I knew it was forbidden and I…well, I just couldn’t
help myself. I had to know what was there.”
He nodded. “It is part of your human blood, curiosity.”
“I…well, when I was visiting the surface I met a human, a woman.” He
paused, almost cringing, waiting to be chastised, but it didn’t come. He looked for
signs leaning one way or the other on Poseidon’s face, but saw none so he
continued his story.
“I have visited her many times, mostly at night, because she likes the ocean
at night.” A smile came to his face, but vanished when he looked at Poseidon.
“But, I have recently begun going to the surface during the day to see her, too. I
haven’t let on about my true nature. She thinks I swim to her from across the bay.
But, my lord, this last time when I visited her she was distraught. She’s in some
kind of danger and I have to try and save her.” He took a deep breath and pulled
himself up to his full height.
“If there’s a punishment for breaking your rules, Lord Poseidon, I will take
it, all I ask is that you help me save her first.”
“I have watched my son’s people grow in number over the years. I have
always been aware of you, even though you were not aware of me. Why would you
save this human?”
“I love her, my lord. I wish to take her for my mate.”
“You have not told her of your nature?”
“No.”
“What are you willing to sacrifice for her?”
“Whatever is required of me. There is no limit to what I would do for her.”
Poseidon nodded. “There will be no punishment. Ask what you will.”

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Surge smiled. “Thank you, my lord. It is said that you once had a human
for a mate, that my father’s mother was that human. Is this true?”
“It is.”
“Then it means he once had to have had legs, like his mother, a human.”
“He did. He was as you see me now.”
Poseidon’s robes vanished in a flash of light. Surge looked over the
powerfully built body his father once had. It was of a dark sand color, with
muscular arms and shoulders. The trunk was deeply defined and the legs were
long and lean with an appendage floating between them that spanned at least six
inches. The robes returned and Surge smiled.
“Lord Poseidon, I ask for the body of my father before you changed him, so
that I can go to the surface and rescue the woman I love.”
“Your duty is to your people. You are to take a mate and the throne from
your father in three days.”
“My lord, I have found no one in my realm that pleases me as this human
does. She is who I want for my mate.”
“Surge, I will give you the body of your father, but you will only have it for
two days. Use it to find this human and convince her to return to the sea with
you. In two days time your tail will return…no matter where you are.” He looked
into his grandson’s stunned face. “Do you understand the risks?”
Surge nodded.
“Once done it will not be undone until the two days is up, is this human
worth it?”
“I love her, my lord. I’ll take the risk.”
“So be it.”
Lord Poseidon opened his arms and a powerful whirlpool begun to
surround Surge. He couldn’t talk, he couldn’t scream, he couldn’t utter a sound.
It was stronger than anything he had ever felt before. He felt his tail being tugged
in two directions and looked down in time to see it split into two and form legs.
The current slowed, but before he could get his bearings it reversed. It spun so
fast it pulled him from the ocean floor and projected him to the surface with such
force that his feet left the water.

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Exhausted, Surge fought the waves which crashed around him wildly as he
tried to get control of his new legs. Poseidon calmed the water around him and
the waves answering their master’s call gently rolled him safely to shore.

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Chapter Three

It was late in the afternoon as Surge lay on the sand regaining his strength. The
rain fell heavily on him as he pulled himself to a sitting position and looked at his
legs for the first time, surprised to see that they were covered in a garment that
was made for them. Surge sat for a little while testing his new legs and going over
the short conversation he’d had with Raine. After a while he felt confident enough
to venture from the beach. Following the signs she’d told him to look for, he
found the house easily. She swung the door open when she saw him approaching.
“Oh, Surge! I’m so glad you came.” She pulled him inside and looked down
the street quickly before locking the door behind him. “I didn’t want to leave
without seeing you again. You’re soaked, let me get you a towel.”
“Raine, listen to me,” he said as she dried his head. “We have to talk. I
don’t have much time.”
“Neither do I.” She left his arms to return to her half full suitcase by the
window. She peeked out one more time and started loading it up again. “I know
they’re coming for me. I’ve been in one place too long.”
“Who is coming, Raine? We must talk and exchange information. Tell me
what’s going on.”
“There’s no time, Surge. I have to finish packing and leave.”
He grabbed her by the shoulders to stop her frenzied packing. “Raine, we

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must speak. I have risked a lot to come to you. What danger are you in?”
Her eyes filled with tears, spilled over and streamed down her face. She
wrapped her arms around his body and hugged him fiercely as she cried against
his chest.
“I’m so tired of running, Surge. I’m tired of being alone in the world and
I’m tired of being scared. I’m just tired Surge and I want it all to stop.” She dried
her eyes on her sleeve and sighed heavily.
Surge lifted her chin. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She nodded and pulled him across the room to the sofa. “It started three
years ago when my husband was killed. We’d only been married for five years, we
were so young and in love.” She wiped her eyes again and smiled at the memory.
“Your mate was killed? So you have no mate?”
She raised her eye brows, but answered him. “Umm, no, I don’t have a
mate. Not since Michael. He called to let me know he was on his way home from
work one night. I told him he’d probably have to park in the back because the
neighbors were having a party. When he arrived home he parked in the back and
decided to come upstairs the back way, near the alley. When he heard a noise like
someone was hurt, he looked back.”
Surge nodded. “And he went to investigate?”
She nodded. “Yes, he did. He saw two guys beating up another man and
then they shot him. Michael tried to back away and bumped into a trash can,
that’s when they saw him.”
“He didn’t return to you, did he? He wouldn’t want to put you in danger.”
“Yes, that’s what he said. He didn’t come home, he returned to his car and
drove away not knowing where he was going. He called me a few days later and
asked me to meet him.” She left the room and returned with two small bottles of
water and handed him one.
“I remember being so angry when I was driving to meet him. I hadn’t seen
or heard from him in days,” she let out a sad sigh. “I’d been going between scared
and angry for the last few days and I was right back to angry again by the time he
called.” She popped the top off the water and took a long drink.
Surge watched her and mimicked her moves. “This is water!” he said

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excitedly.
She gave him another raised eye brow look. “Uh, yeah, water. What did
you think it was?”
He finished the entire bottle. “That was really good! I can’t wait to see
what you eat.” He looked into her beautiful face as her brow furrowed and smiled.
“Please continue.”
“Anyway, I was angry when I pulled up by him. The minute I saw him, I
knew he’d been telling the truth. He looked terrible, like he hadn’t slept in days.
He told me he hadn’t slept or ate in days, he drove around afraid that whoever
was following him would catch up to him one day. He was afraid to go to the
police too, so he wanted me to go to them so he could meet them someplace safe.”
She took another drink. “I left him there as we couldn’t leave together. I
realized I hadn’t kissed him good bye so I turned back.” Her voice rose with her
emotions. “I turned the corner calling his name, as soon as he stepped out, I saw
a man shoot him.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes again.
“That’s terrible. No one should have to see their mate die. That’s the worst
thing to ever witness.”
She nodded. “Well, I did. I ran to the cops and told them everything I’d
seen and what had happened to Michael—everything. It turned out, that the man
who’d killed Michael was a hit man for some loan sharks with connections to the
mob. Michael had been in the wrong place at the wrong time and the man was
cleaning up loose ends.”
“But you said you went to your police. He sent you to them to get
protection for him. Why wouldn’t they protect you, too, after you told them
everything?”
“They did, until it was time to go to trial. I testified against the man I saw
kill Michael and they let him go.”
Surge’s brow wrinkled as he listened to her.
“I know, I thought the same thing. How could they let him go? I saw him
do it with my own eyes and they let him go. He was only in jail for, like, eighteen
months and then they gave him three years of probation. He plea bargained with
them to get a higher ranking mob leader.” She stood. “Probation! Can you believe

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that?”
Surge didn’t answer and his expression didn’t change.
“Anyway, I know he’s chasing me. I saw him at a restaurant once. He had a
letter sent to my table while I was having dinner. It said, ‘You can’t run from me.
No matter where you go, I’ll be there.’” She let out a heavy sigh. “I’ve been
running ever since, but I’m tired, Surge. I want my life back.” She looked at him
and took another deep breath, then sat back down and smiled sadly.
“What?”
“Michael used to call me his princess and he was a knight in shining
armor, my prince. The five years we had together was a fairy tale marriage. I
haven’t felt so safe in so long now, it feels as unreal as a fairy tale.”
He nodded. “I understand wanting to feel safe. Have you seen any signs of
these humans since you’ve been here?”
“No, but I’ve been in one place for way too long.”
“Listen to me, I came here to convince you that you need to leave this place
and return to the sea with me. I think you’re maybe being a bit paranoid. You
haven’t seen any signs of this human since you’ve arrived here. Maybe he doesn’t
know where you are anymore.”
“I don’t know, Surge. I can feel it. I know he’s somewhere near.”
“I think you’ve been running so long you’re just used to running. Listen,
you don’t have a mate and I need a mate. You are strong willed, beautiful and
smart. Let me love you.”
Before she could protest he captured her lips with his own, lifting her from
the floor. His hungry kisses made her melt in his arms. He lifted her and carried
her back to the couch. As he laid her down, she pushed him away.
“Surge, wait, wait, we don’t have time for this.”
“You don’t want me to love you?”
“I didn’t say that. It’s been a long time since someone has loved me, but we
need to leave. They’re coming for me. I know it,” she said breathlessly as he
kissed her neck.
“You’re safe with me. I will protect you,” he whispered. He raised his head
and began removing her clothes. When she was naked before him he smiled.

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“I always assumed all females were made the same way on the top, but
we’re different of course, on the lower half because humans don’t have tails, and
we mer-people do,” he whispered then touched her at the junction between her
legs. “So this is what a female looks like without a tail,” he murmured. “The hair
here is beautiful.”
“Tail? Ok, Surge, what’s your story? What are you talking about?”
He smiled and continued to stroke her gently. “I came to help you. I only
have two days on land to help you and convince you to come back with me to the
sea and be my mate.”
“Huh?”
“I only have two…”
“Okay, no, no, no, don’t repeat it. I heard you. I mean, what do you mean?”
“I came to help you, Raine. I love you and I want you to be my mate.”
“Mate? Where are you from that you keep saying mate and not wife?”
“I’m from the sea. Our home is on a reef.”
“A reef? What reef?”
“It’s an extremely large reef, where the water is warm.”
She leaned up on her elbows. “Do you mean the Barrier Reef? It’s a huge
reef.”
“I suppose. My father continues to add to it as our population grows.”
“Your father? Who’s your father?”
“My father is Riptide, son of Lord Poseidon.”
“Lord Poseidon? The god of the ocean, that Lord Poseidon?” She watched
him nod. “Uh-huh, and who are your people again?”
“We’re mer-people.”
“Mer-people? As in mermaids? So what are you saying? You’re, like, a guy
mermaid?”
He chuckled and continued to explore her body rubbing his hands across
her breast and torso before taking his fingers back between her legs. “Yes,
although we would prefer the term merman or even triton, but I get your
meaning.”
She scoffed and let her upper body fall to the couch with a thud. “Great!

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The first man I’m remotely attracted to in years and he turns out to be some kind
of whacko.”
He chuckled again as his fingers slipped into an opening he found in the
downy hair he was exploring. “Is this opening on all human females?”
She gasped as his fingers penetrated her. He slid them back and forth
increasing the moisture and the pleasure climbing through her body. Her voice
had left her and so she nodded a response.
“Hmm...” He removed his fingers from her first then he removed the cloth
coverings from his legs.
The haze lifted from Raine’s mind and she turned her head to look at him.
“Wow. For a merman you sure are built anatomically correct,” she murmured
with a chuckle.
“I asked Lord Poseidon to give me the body of my father before he changed
him.”
She looked at him disbelievingly. “Yeah, okay.”
“Will it be sufficient?”
“Sufficient for what?”
He moved back between her legs and slid his fingers back into her.
Her breath caught as she tried to speak. “Surge, what–what are you
doing?”
“My fingers slip in and out of this opening with no resistance. The more I
do it the stronger your scent becomes. You smell very, very good to me. It’s so
warm, soft and wet here, is this what goes here usually?”
She shook her head falling into a dizzying haze of euphoria.
He recognized the signs of arousal as he played with her. “It seems to give
you pleasure when I slide my fingers in and out of this opening, but especially
when I rub against this little nub just over the opening. Is that what it’s for?”
She could no longer concentrate on his questions. He moved his thumb
back and forth over her swollen clitoris until she erupted around the fingers he
kept inside of her. It was her first orgasm in years and her body shook with bliss
with each tiny explosion.
He watched her fascinated by the expressions on her face. When her

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normal breathing was restored she raised herself back on her elbows and looked
at him to find him still staring at her.
“Huh? What were you saying?” she asked when her voice returned.
“It gives you a lot of pleasure when I touch you here, but is that its primary
function?”
She smiled. “Yes it’s used for pleasure, but we also need it to have babies.”
“You said I’m anatomically correct,” he said as he moved up her body.
“This appendage between my legs was growing in size and throbbing as I watched
your face and took in your scent. I get the feeling that it goes in this warm
slippery place instead of my fingers.”
Before she could say another word he slid the throbbing appendage into
her. She voiced her surprised at the wonderful feeling her body had almost
forgotten with a loud, “Ohh!”
Surge followed his new body’s instincts and moved back and forth
increasing the feeling for both of them.
“This is incredible!” he said moving into her with more fervor. “Is this
done for pleasure, too?”
Again Raine couldn’t answer him. Her body was caught up in a maelstrom
of feelings it hadn’t felt for a long time. He was awakening a side of her that she
thought would stay buried forever. There was no room in her mind for fear right
now. Her body and mind were consumed by the euphoria Surge was giving her
body. The light grew brighter around her and every cell in her body was
electrified. She wrapped her legs around his narrow waist and her arms around
his neck.
“Oh!” he exclaimed as he fell deeper into her. “What’s happening?” he
panted and ground into her harder.
Still she had no answer for him. She met his every thrust palming his
muscular cheeks guiding his rhythm. Before long her voice returned as a long,
low moan that escaped her as she erupted around him in a burst of brilliant light.
Tightening her legs around him she pulled him even closer and soon Surge let out
a triumphant moan of his own. His body convulsed as he pressed his body against
hers pushing her into the couch and then he collapsed on top of her exhausted

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and breathless.
“Wow!” he said excitedly. Once he’d caught his breath he moved off of
Raine and pulled her to a sitting position. “That felt fantastic. Let’s do it again!”
Raine laughed and looked into his lap. “Yeah, I don’t have a problem with
that, Surge, but I don’t think you’re ready yet.”
He followed her gaze and gasped. “What happened?” he asked as all the
excitement left his voice.
She chuckled again. “You act as though you’ve never made love before.”
She looked into his blank expression. “That’s what we did, made love. Haven’t
you ever done it before?”
He smiled. “Oh, no, I’ve never done it before. That was great!”
“You were a virgin?” she asked in amazement, but again she was met with
the blank look on his face and paused to think. “Mate! That’s what we did, we
mated. Have you never mated before?”
His eyes grew wide and he was excited again. “Really? That’s how humans
mate? Wow, if I could stay on the surface I’d stay so I could mate with you again.”
She laughed. “I think that might have been some kind of compliment. How
do mer-people mate?”
He smiled raising his leg back over her and kissed her. “Oh, it’s nothing
like that. I hope to be able to show you, if you decide to come back with me.” He
backed up again and looked into his lap frowning. “Will it stay like this? I liked it
better the other way. It would be difficult to get it into your opening with it like
this,” he said pushing it side to side. “How can we get it back to the way it was
earlier? It was easy to push inside your opening with it like that.”
She smiled and tried not to let any giggles slip out. “Well, I might have a
few ideas on how to get it back to that state.” She stood up and extended her
hand. “Come to bed and let me show you. With any luck I may even get your real
story in the morning.”

****

Raine woke relaxed and feeling better than she had in years. As her senses

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awakened she realized she hadn’t dreamt the extraordinary feelings she’d had last
night. Surge was really here in her bed and they could do it again. She smiled and
decided to let him sleep a little longer before waking him for round four.
Stretching like a cat in the sun she kissed his cheek and turned over to look into
the barrel of a gun.
The man holding the gun grabbed her mouth quickly with one hand and
used the gun to do the come hither motion. She nodded and slipped silently from
the bed. As they left the bed room he closed the door behind them.
“You didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did you Raine?”
“No, Rothman, I didn’t think that because I could never forget you.”
“You’ve been running for a long time. I thought when we finally found you
you’d be crying and begging for your life. I was looking forward to it.”
“Yes, I figured as much. That’s why I’m not. Anyone that would kill a man
in cold blood without even batting an eye, is slime to his core.”
He smiled. “My boss would like to see you, Raine. He’s asked me to come
and pick you up so you can have a little meeting—just the two of you.”
“Can you tell him I’m not available at this time?”
He laughed. “I would, but I’m sure he doesn’t give a damn. So, as much as
I love looking at you in your present condition, I’m going to have to ask you to put
some clothes on. We wouldn’t want you to attract too much attention while we’re
in public, now would we?” he asked leering at her.
“You’re going to kill me. I’m not going to make that easy for you. Why
should I do what you say?”
He moved closer and lifted his gun to her face. “Well, because if you don’t
work with me I’ll kill your sleeping prince in there first,” he explained with a nod
to the door. “Since I can’t kill you yet, after I shoot him I’ll shoot you in both
hands and then both thighs. This way you’ll be in a lot of pain, but you’ll still be
able to walk.” He looked into her stunned face and smiled again. “Is that reason
enough for you to help me? It’s your call.”
She bit her lip and took a deep breath.
“Great, now we’re in sync, go in there very quietly and get some clothes. I’d
like to see what that ass looks like in some jeans,” he added and winked at her.

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“And don’t try anything cute. Remember, I’ll be watching you and I’ll shoot your
boy first. I’ve got flawless aim,” he whispered.
As quietly as she could, Raine opened the drawer and pulled a shirt out
then walked to her closet. She peeked over her shoulder and couldn’t see him
watching her. She was in a blind spot! She stood there wondering if she should
try to wake Surge, when he stirred and opened his eyes.
Frantically she waved from inside the closet door to gain his attention and
motioned for him not to say anything. Looking at his confused expression she
pointed to the door and motioned for him to wait. She grabbed her jeans and
went back to the door. Pulling it closed she stuck her hand behind her and did the
come hither for Surge to see before closing it.
“Yes, that booty looks good in and out of clothes. I wish your little
boyfriend hadn’t been with you last night. I wanted to be in there, but depending
on how much you cooperate we’ll see if I get that chance.” He laughed as her eyes
grew. “Oh yeah, I was here last night. I watched you work out on ole boy all night,
girl. You’ve got skills and I wanted to be next, but I was told to get you, not kill
anyone with you. So I watched you guys until you fell asleep.”
She made a face. “You’re disgusting.”
He grinned at her. “Careful, I have been known to not follow directions to
the letter. That wouldn’t work out in your favor. Do I make myself clear?”
His grin made her skin crawl. She bit her lip again and nodded.
He smiled brightly. “Great! Shall we go? My car is parked a few blocks
away in the alley.”
Surge peeked through the door watching and listening intently. This was
all his fault. She’d said she had the feeling someone was coming for her and he’d
told her she was paranoid. Now she was in the hands of this crazy man. He was
pointing something at her that would probably hurt her if she struggled, or she
would have done something by now. He watched them go out the door and
followed.
The rain was still coming down and it fell harder than yesterday. He
looked around at all the dwellings along the street and all the humans that were
out in spite of the rain. The man walked closely behind Raine and Surge followed

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as close as he could. When they went around the corner into the alley he sped up
and turned the corner to charge him.
The man was opening the car door pushing Raine inside, when Surge came
around the corner. He jumped on the man’s back and he rolled to get Surge off of
him. Raine screamed and kicked him to the ground with Surge underneath him.
The gun fell from his hand upon impact. As they rolled back and forth trying to
get the upper hand on each other, Raine grabbed the gun and shot the man as he
sat on top of Surge punching him. He fell over on top of Surge, so Raine dropped
the gun and got behind the wheel.
“Surge! Let’s go! Get in!”
Surged threw him to the side, scrambled to his feet and moved quickly into
the opened door.
She sped off. “I told you! I told you! Oh my God! I knew it! I’m out of here.
We’re leaving right now!”
“Whoa, wait a minute. Where are we going? The ocean is back that way.”
“I don’t know!” she cried hysterically. “We’re just going!”
“Wait, Raine, we have to go to your police. Isn’t that what your husband
wanted you to do? They can help us.”
She looked between him and the road frantically. “What? Are you crazy?
They’re not going to help us. They didn’t help before. They let him go.”
“Yes, but isn’t this different? They let him go for one thing, but he’s doing
something else bad, something different.”
She drove along for a while sniffling, but not speaking then suddenly
whipped the car around throwing Surge into the door.
“What are…”
“We’re going to the police. You’re right, they have to do something this
time. He’s on parole. That has to mean something and I’m tired of running.”
She drove straight to the police station, which wasn’t far from the beach.
They barged through the door telling the first cop they saw their story. He stared
at them in their ragged condition and put them into a room, to wait for someone
in authority. They sat in the room for almost three hours.
“What the hell is going on?” Raine yelled when the officer came into their

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room. “Is this how the victim is treated around here?”

He held his hands up in surrender and nodded. “I apologize, Mrs. Foster.
My name is Detective Watson and you are absolutely right. I take full blame, but
in defense of my officer, you have to admit that in your current state he had no
choice but to be a little wary of what you were telling him. I mean, you have to
admit you do look like someone who is about to enter a wet tee shirt contest and
your friend here is only wearing a pair of white pants. We had to have time to
check your story out.”
Raine and Surge looked at each other and she nodded. She calmed down
and addressed the cop. “So, now what? I’m sure you know we’re telling the truth
now.”
“Yes, ma’am, we checked your story out and you are indeed telling the
truth. We want you to stay long enough to testify against him again and this time
we can lock him away for good. We want to put you somewhere for your
protection, maybe get you some clothes, this way you’re safe until we pick him up
and get a court date.”
“Okay, protective custody. How long are we talking about?”
“Not long at all, maybe a month or two.”
She looked at Surge whose eyes were about to pop out of his head.
“A month or two? Raine, I don’t have a month or two. I only have another
day left.”
“Another day left for what, sir?”
She touched his hand. “Nothing, my friend is a little confused. He just
needs some rest.”
“Yeah, and what’s your name, sir? I didn’t get your story from the officer.”
“Why is all that necessary now? That lunatic is after him too because he
helped me,” Raine said on the verge of hysteria.
“I understand, Mrs. Foster. We’ll talk more on that later. An officer will
escort you to an undisclosed location. The only ones who will know who you are
and where you will be is me, my captain and the hotel manager. You should be
perfectly safe.”
He gave them one last look before he left them alone again and Surge

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jumped to his feet pacing.

“Raine, I can not stay here for that long. I only had two days to convince
you to come back to the sea with me. One is already gone.”
“Wait, let’s not talk about all that while we’re here. I don’t want the police
to haul you off to the nut house or something.”
“Raine, I’m not crazy. I’m telling you the truth.”
“Ok, everything is all set,” Detective Watson said coming back into the
room. He looked between them and raised an eye brow. “Is everything ok in
here?”
“Everything is fine. We’ve just had a bad day, you know,” Raine answered.
“Yes, well, let’s go. You can rest at the hotel.”
Detective Watson drove them far from the police station and Surge looked
out the window at the passing scenery. Arriving at the huge hotel, he left them in
the lobby to talk with the manager and shortly returned with the key to their
room.
“Ok, here’s the drill. No one knows you’re here but me. You will not leave
the room for any reason at all. All your meals will come to you from room service
and there are clothes for you in the room.” He looked them both up and down. “I
took a guess at your sizes so I apologize in advance if the fit isn’t right. Here is
your key and I will call you tomorrow.”
Raine took the key from him and nodded. “Thank you, detective. I must
admit it was my friend, Surge that convinced me to come to you. I didn’t have a
very good experience with the police last time.”
He nodded. “Yes, I understand. I read the file on your case. I hope this
time we can get him locked up for good, even on something as petty as a
probation violation. With any luck, we can even get the big fish.”
She sighed. “Can we work on one fish at a time please? That’s what got him
set free in the first place,” she said and pulled Surge to the elevator.

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Chapter Four

Surge and Raine spent a well rested night at the hotel, ate plenty of food and
finally began to relax. Raine lay on the bed watching T.V. as Surge paced the
floors.
“Raine, we have to talk.”
“Relax, Surge, we’re safe here. No one knows we’re here but the detective.
Let’s take advantage of the police’s generosity and chill out. They’re not generous
that often, if at all. They must really want this guy.”
He looked at her for a second then shook his head and continued pacing.
“No, Raine, I mean we are too far from the ocean. I can feel it. We need to get
back.”
“What is your issue with the ocean?”
He stopped and stared at her. “Haven’t you been listening to me?” He
moved closer to her and slowed his words down. “I am a merman. I live in the
ocean. I want you to come back with me to be my mate. How can I get that across
to you?”
“You’re really serious, aren’t you? You really think you’re a guy mermaid.”
He shook his head and sat next to her. “What do I have to do to convince
you?”
“You mean outside of producing a tail right here?” she asked with a shrug.

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“I don’t know.”
He sighed and sat next to her. “It doesn’t work like that, Raine.”
“Well, what do you want me to do, Surge?”
He sighed again. “I don’t know, Raine. I just know I’m too far from the
water and I need to get back.”
She sat up next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Come on, Surge,
let me take your mind off of it for a while.” She smiled and pushed him back on
the bed then slid across his torso. “Unless, you’re hungry and want to eat some
more food.”
He smiled. “As much as I liked the food you humans eat, I like the way you
mate much better.”
She giggled. “Yes, I’m sure. That seems to be a universal male thing. We
can pick up where we left off last night.” She leaned down to kiss him, but
stopped when there was a knock at the door. “Hold that thought, it must be our
lunch. I’ll get it and then come back and see how much you like the way we mate.”
She giggled again and rubbed his already solid appendage as she backed up off of
him.
“I’ll be right here waiting, too.”
She winked at him and swung open the door and found herself looking
into the barrel of a gun again. She gasped and Surge stood up.
“You can sit back down, pretty boy. Let’s not try anything stupid like you
did before. Okay?” Rothman said pushing her back into the room, while pushing
the gun into her face.
“Oh, my god. How did you find us? We’re in protective custody.”
He laughed. “Protective custody? That doesn’t mean anything to us. We’ve
got friends at the police station, too.”
Raine looked at Surge, stunned.
“I should shoot you right now. I believe in that tit for tat shit, that whole
eye for an eye. But if I shoot you the difference will be I’ll know what the hell I’m
doing. I’ve got a good aim and I shoot to kill.” He huffed and lowered his gun.
“It’s a good thing for me that you don’t.” He rubbed his arm and smiled. “I’ve had
worse wounds in a knife fight.” He pushed her next to Surge.

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“That’s too bad. I’ll have to take some shooting lessons for the next time,”
she murmured sitting next to Surge.
“Oh, there won’t be a next time, Missy. You’re coming with me as planned
and this time, to show you I’m for real, I’ll shoot your boyfriend here.”
There was a knock on the door and when Rothman took his attention away
from them and looked over his shoulder, Surge and Raine rushed him. When he
hit the floor, Raine stomped on his injured arm and Surge went for the gun.
Rothman recovered quickly and went for the gun, too. Surge grabbed it and
tossed it to Raine just before Rothman punched him in the face. Rothman
straddled Surge and grabbed his collar lining up to throw another punch. With
the sound of a loud pop he suddenly fell backwards off of him. Surge turned his
head and looked up to see Raine standing behind him holding the gun. This time
she’d taken time to aim and had shot him square in the chest. She walked over to
Surge and pulled him to his feet. Without a word they ran out the door, knocking
over the cart with their dinner on it as they pushed past the stunned room service
person.
Not waiting for the elevator they ran down the stairs at full speed and out
into the lobby. They slowed down to catch their breath and calmly walked
through the lobby looking about for anyone who might jump out at them. Outside
the hotel she recognized a man that stood by the doors. She grabbed Surge’s hand
and they took off running again. Around the corner another man stepped out of a
car and confronted them, but Raine pulled the gun out.
“Move away from the car. Now!” She said.
“Raine, what are you doing? Why do you still have it?”
“I didn’t drop it, I had a feeling we’d need it again. That’s right, move
away. Surge, get in the car.”
“But…”
“Get in the car!”
She held the gun on the man as he moved away from the car.
“We’ll find you where ever you go. You can run, but you can’t hide. You’re
going to die. Nobody crosses us,” he said with a sinister smile.
“Yeah, well we’ll see won’t we? You might want to check the hotel room for

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your boy. He might be a little slower to follow me this time.” She walked around
to the driver’s side and drove away headed back towards the ocean.
Soon after another car sped up behind them and smashed into the back of
the car.
“What was that?” Surge yelled.
“They’re trying to run us off the road!” she yelled, desperately trying to
keep control of the car.
The other car banged into the driver’s side making them swerve back and
forth as she drove. When they came to an intersection, she did a fast u-turn in the
middle of the street almost tilting the car over. They were going away from the
ocean again and Surge panicked.
“No, turn back Raine, you have to head for the beach!”
Not questioning him she u-turned again and headed up the ramp to the
boardwalk. The car still chased them but they had a little distance on them.
“I’m running out of time, Raine! Head for the pier!”
She smashed the pedal to the floor then screeched to a stop breathing hard
once on the pier. “Are you crazy? The pier is a dead end! We have to back up.
They’ll catch us if we keep going this way!”
“There’s no time! You have to trust me, Raine! Drive off the pier!”
She looked out the back window at the car stopping on the pier blocking
their exit, out the front window to the ocean, then back to Surge’s pained face and
with a deep breath she pressed the pedal to the floor and crashed through the
railing into the water.

*****

The car stopped at the entry to the pier. The men opened the car door,
cocked their guns and smiled at each other. They walked toward the car and were
surprised when it suddenly took off and sped off the end of the pier. Their
mouths dropped open and they ran to the end of the pier in time to hear a loud
splash, then watched as the car sank rapidly into the ocean.
Raine frantically tried to undo her seat belt, as Surge rolled the window

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down and the car sank rapidly.

“We have to hurry, Surge! We have to get out before we drown.”
He didn’t answer her. The car filled with water quickly as he continued to
frantically roll down the window. He swam out and seconds later in a brilliant
burst of light his tail had returned. The car was full of water and had begun to
sink faster. Surge swam back through the window, pulled the seatbelt loose and
pulled Raine’s almost lifeless body from the car. He took off as fast as the waves
could carry him.
“Poseidon! I made it, Poseidon! Please Poseidon, save her!”
A flash of brilliant light stopped him and Poseidon suddenly appeared
before him.
“Please save her, Lord Poseidon. I made it back in the time you gave me.”
“Yes, but did you complete your mission?”
“My…my mission? I don’t understand.”
“You were given two days to convince this human to return to the sea and
become your mate. Did she agree to do so?”
“I, I think so. We were being chased and I didn’t have time to ask and I just
asked her to trust me and…”
“Awaken, human.”
Raine opened her eyes. “Surge, what happened? Where are we?”
“Raine…”
“Raine, Surge asked to go to the surface to find you and save you from
peril at great risk to himself. He was to convince you to return with him to the sea
to be his mate. Is that what you want?”
Raine looked around taking in her surroundings. “Oh, my God, we’re in
the ocean.” She looked at Surge and gasped. “You were telling the truth. You have
a tail. You really are a guy mermaid! Oh, my lord, you’re Lord Poseidon. All the
old tales are true. Everything you told me is true!”
He chuckled. “Yes, Raine, I told you I was telling the truth.”
“Raine, now that you understand what has happened to you I ask you
again, is this what you want?”
“I can stay here with Surge?”

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 Dana Littlejohn

“If you want to, yes.”

“I want you to stay with me, Raine, you’ll be happy here. I love you. There’s
nothing on the surface for you.”
“Speak, human, and make your choice.”
She looked at Surge and smiled “I think this is the craziest thing ever, but
yes, I want to stay with you. Do I get a tail, too?” she asked excitedly.
Surged laughed. “Yes, I think you’ll need one if you are going to stay here.”
He grabbed her face and kissed her deeply. When he released her the tail was in
place.
“Oh!”
“Raine, it’s beautiful. Thank you, my lord. How can I thank you?”
“Reign well, son of my son and try not to break my rule,” he said with a
small smile.
“So, now I get to see how you guys mate, huh, Surge?” she asked flipping
her new tail about.
He smiled. “Not if I can help it. My lord, I know I’m not in a position to ask
for anything else, but please, just one more favor.”
Poseidon returned his smile. “Ask what you will.”
“While I was on the surface Raine showed me how humans mate. I want
you to give that ability to all the mer-people, so we can enjoy it as much as the
humans do.”
His smile widened. “Granted,” was all he said and disappeared in a flash of
light.
“I’m so happy, Surge. It can’t get any better than this.”
He laughed. “Come on, Raine. It’s time for me to take you to my father and
let my people know I’m back with my chosen mate. You have no idea how good
it’s going to get for you.”

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

About the Author

Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, but has called
Indianapolis, IN., her home for over 10 years. Her love for writing started as a
young girl in junior high school where she discovered her first romance novel. As
an adult she had to put her love for writing on hold, to do what was necessary and
help her family. In 2003, with encouragement from her husband, she picked up
her pen again and has no intention of putting it down. In 2006, she was
nominated rookie of the year and best author of sensual romance and her first
short story was nominated best short story by the Romance Erotica connection.
In 2007, she was nominated for sensual romance author of the year, erotic
romance author of the year and one of her short stories was nominated for best
short story of the year and won all of them. Stop by her web site and see what she
has going on next. www.danalittlejohn.net

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 Dana Littlejohn

Available now from Eternal Press

by Julie A. D’Arcy

An odd quirk of fate returned Isabella Barton to her grandmother's

ancient mansion. Yet nothing could have been odder than casting a love
spell only to find it worked. How was she to know her grandmother had
been a witch?

Zacharias was tall, broad of shoulder and First Sorcerer to the King of
Layleah. He never expected to be hurtled into the future, ripped from the
land of his birth. But here he was, called forth by a violet-eyed vixen who
stole his heart and his soul. Now he had a decision to make—stay or
leave. He didn't expect she'd also have the ability to ignite a passion he'd
never known.

She scrunched up small balls of paper, poked them into the wood, and set it
alight. Before long, the driftwood caught and a blaze brightened the stretch of flat
rock. In the moonlight, the waves battered the edges of the rock platform at her
feet. She remembered hearing as a child of several people being swept from the
rocks. She took a step back and focused on the fire.

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

The wind had dwindled to a slight breeze, and a full moon peeked out from
behind the night clouds as she lifted her face to the sky. Everything was in place
for her spell, and what better night for a spell than Halloween.
She read once that on Halloween night, spirits of the dead ventured close to
the gates of the Otherworld, and some even believed that at midnight, the gates
were thrown wide open until dawn’s first light, so the undead could roam the
earth again. The hair prickled the back of her neck and she shivered as an owl
hooted in the distance.
Isabella narrowed her eyes and peered into the dim night around her and
then laughed into the cold night air. She almost had herself believing in such
foolishness. Perhaps there’s a bit of witch in me after all. She crouched beside
the lamp and pushed her arm into the light to read the time on her watch. Twelve
o’clock. She straightened and drew the ebony cloak she found in the cellar
securely about her shoulders. The garment had been dusty, but she’d shaken it
out. If she was to play the part of a witch, she better dress the part.
Picking up the spell book, she held it aloft. A gust of wind swept in from the
north and several pages flickered. Lowering the book Isabella’s eyes widened. The
book had opened to the exact same spot it had in the cellar, revealing the chant
for a love spell. She’d have to accept the inevitable…something magical was afoot.

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 Dana Littlejohn

Available now from Eternal Press

by Ellie Walker

When Alice meets a stranger nobody else can see, life gets complicated.
To lift the curse preventing the tribe’s women from surviving childbirth,
Alice agrees to find the fabled Moonflower. But an evil, shape-shifting
sorcerer also wants its power. When the sorcerer plunges them back in
time, they have to reverse things before more lives are lost.

"I've never met a human with the sight," the person said into the silence.
"Who...or what are you?" Alice stammered.
"I am Riva," was the answer, "but I don't think that was all you wanted to
know." Riva lifted her eyes and smiled again. Her mind still struggled with the
concept of someone other than her own kind being able to see her. "I am one of
the Patupaiarehe of this land. Some humans call us fairies or elves. My folk dwell
close to the sea, and have done so for many centuries. We lived here, long before
the people like you came."
Alice frowned. "If you're a fairy, why haven't you got wings? And why have I
never seen or heard of you before?"

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 Surge and Raine: A Merman’s Tale

Riva smiled at her. "I don't think many humans believe in our existence
anymore. We have become part of legends, and it is better that way. Perhaps it
was the others, the ones called tahurangi, they spoke about. I've never met one as
they lived inland. Maybe they have wings to reach the tree tops." Riva looked
back out to sea, before saying quietly, "We have almost ceased to exist now.
Nothing can save us."

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 Dana Littlejohn

Available now from Eternal Press

by Ijasan Adelehin

Mikael, a young, winged myaegle defies his world by falling in love with
Frea, one of the inferior sea people. Although the outraged myaegles are
determined that a child—gods’ forbid!—must not be born out of the
union, Frea is very near delivery.

As Frea makes her way steadily through the ancient and haunted forest
toward the sea, she faces an array of fiendish foes, including a legion of
sabre-toothed apes. Mikael, the only person who can save her, is
imprisoned and slated for a horrible execution. Will Frea make it to the
sea? Will she ever see Mikael again?

In this fast-paced, adventure-packed fantasy, discover a breathtaking

world that is as surreal as it is eerily familiar. A world where some men
touch the clouds and others pick corals from the bottom of the sea…

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