He collapsed on top of her, and though she could barely breathe, she wouldn’t trade one shallow breath in this moment for anything. His heart pounded against hers, his rough beard scraping her collarbone, his legs intertwined with hers while they remained connected.
She smiled to herself and ran her hand over the back of his soft damp hair, silently thanking the universe for giving her this moment. So much happiness.
“Liv, it’s time now,” said that sadistic female voice.
Liv’s blissful daze evaporated. What? Fuck. No. No. Not yet. Just one more minute.
“Come to me, human. Do not make me ask twice.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Liv listened to the sound of Roen’s deep breaths as he rested tightly pressed against the length of her body. With tears in her eyes, she carefully slid from the bed and found a piece of paper and pencil on his dresser among a stack of old books he’d been studying.
She jotted down a note, hoping Roen for once in his life would listen.
Please know that I wouldn’t change a second of my life because I got to share my heart with you. Don’t ever doubt that.
I love you.
Liv
She placed the sheet of paper on top of the books, right where he would see it.
“Clock is ticking, human,” said the island.
Liv had hoped for more time, but that wasn’t going to happen.
She looked over her shoulder, taking one last look at the beautiful man in the bed before making her way downstairs, through the kitchen and then down the dark stairwell to the basement. She looked at the narrow tunnel, shaking like hell. She didn’t want to die. She didn’t want the island to win, but she was not willing to risk the lives of those she loved who’d be punished if she took one misstep.
Liv took a steadying breath and crawled into the damp dark tube. With every inch closer, the temperature of the air grew colder. She felt the steam of her breath across her nose.
Finally, a small glow of green light shined at the end of the tunnel. She was freezing cold, her fingers stinging as she used her hands to guide the way. When she reached the small cavern, the water in the pool appeared a thousand times dimmer. At least the bodies were gone. Had they sunk to the bottom, or had this creature devoured them?
“Okay. I’m here, Crazy Dirt. Let’s make this quick.” Just because the island was powerful and mysterious, didn’t mean Liv had to be polite. She hated her. She hated everything about her. A fucking bully. A greedy, heartless tyrant.
“Crazy Dirt? You dare insult me?” she said.
Liv laughed. “I can call you Dirty Fucking Bitch if you prefer.”
“Now, now, human. No need to be uncivilized.”
“Oh, but there is a need; it makes me feel better. So tell me what you want me to do? Hop on in so you can suck the life from me?”
The island laughed. “I had something more interesting in mind.”
She probably wants to watch me suffer first. “Whatever you do to me won’t matter. Roen and his men are through. They don’t care if they die. They won’t ever bow down to you again. They won’t lift a finger to save you, even if it means they all perish.”
“Oh, my dear human—”
“Liv. My name is Liv. As in…I will and you won’t. Not without those mermen to feed you.”
“I don’t need them to worship me anymore—I just need you. It’s like Roen once told me, those who don’t evolve don’t survive. And it’s time for me to take the next step in my journey.”
What the hell was she talking about?
Suddenly, the water from the pool began to rise in the shape of a body resembling Liv’s, glowing a bright green.
“What the…” Liv’s voice faded as a watery hand extended and punched right through Liv’s chest.
Liv wanted to scream from the pain, her legs wanted to give out, but this thing had wrapped itself around her heart. It held her in place as it squeezed.
“Where’s that smartass mouth of yours now, human? Huh?”
Liv gasped for air and tried to claw at the arm reaching into her body, but her hands went right through it.
“Oh yes, Liv. I can feel it now; your heart is strong. Your heart will feed me for a very, very long time.”
Liv prayed for the pain to stop, for the island to finish her off. She’d never felt anything so terrifying and agonizing. “Let. Me. Die,” Liv croaked.
“Die? Dear no, human. It’s just like you said; you will live. You will live here forever. What do you think all of this was for?”
Liv watched as the arm pulled back, ripping her heart from her chest. There was little blood, but as it tore away, she felt her soul going with it.
What was happening? She cupped her hands around her heart, instinctively fighting for it, not wanting to let it go. Her love for her family, for Roen, for life…it was all slipping through her fingers.
She lost her grip as her body fell onto the cold wet ledge next to the pool. She watched helplessly as her heart disappeared into the pool and the water began to grow brighter.
Liv couldn’t move. Her body began to go numb. Her lungs couldn’t breathe.
“I fucking hate you,” Liv gasped, tears running down her face.
“That’s too bad, human, because you and I will be connected for a very long time.”
Liv watched as that watery shape reached inside itself and pulled out a swirling liquid ball. Before Liv could process, that hand shoved itself into her chest again.
Liv’s lungs expanded, and she heard a heartbeat so loud, it stung her ears. Liv screamed at the top of her lungs and then passed out.
~~~
When Liv woke, it was with a horrified gasp. Her first reaction was to believe it had all been a nightmare, but as she placed her hand over her chest, the spot felt tender. She slowly sat up and stared at the water to her side glowing bright green.
“What did you do to me?” she said.
There was a loud sigh. “To us, Liv. I did it to us.”
“What!” she screamed. “What did you do?”
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve waited for this? To feel air in my lungs, to feel the sun on my face, to be able to leave this place.”
“What did you do!” Liv yelled again.
That was when Liv realized she couldn’t hear the sound of her words coming from her mouth or ricocheting off of the cold stone walls. When the island spoke, however, the sound was clear. The sound was her own voice.
“Oh my God. You…you…took my body?”
“That’s right, human. Now you’re catching on. We’ve switched places.”
Holy crap. That wasn’t just their hearts she’d swapped; it had been their souls.
She went on, “You and I are now connected, Liv; but your soul is anchored to this hellhole and I am anchored to your body. Of course, my watery heart still needs this place to exist, which means the island must be well fueled. But you, Liv—” she chuckled “—your heart is strong enough for both of us. Well, you and the mermen you’re now connected to. I think their love for you was just the added boost I needed to pull myself away and crawl into my new home. So thank you for that! They really, really adore you,” she said cheerily.
“But…how? How is this possible?” Liv asked out of shock as much as she did for her own knowledge. She couldn’t let this happen.
“I’ve been watching you, Liv, since the moment I tasted your life. I hoped you’d be the one to free me.”
“This was your plan all along?”
“Well, of course, I had to test your strength to make sure you wouldn’t die on me like the others who’ve come before you. But to my utter delight, the more I tested you, the stronger you became. Separating you and Roen, watching you fight for your sister’s life and for your own, killing Shane, all of those were in the name of making you stronger, preparing you for this day. I wanted your heart as strong as possible, and now…not only do I have the mermen’s hearts open to me again—via you, of course—but I f
inally have what I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember: a body.”
I have to warn Roen. She tried to move her body, but couldn’t. Yet she could still sense a strong connection.
The water rushed into the small cavern, rising like a vicious tide. Liv felt her body sweeping away, being pulled under. The glowing green water was all around her, in her lungs, in her nostrils and ears. And in the space where her heart once was.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
She felt her body rising up and then falling. When she opened her eyes and looked around her, she was on the floor of the Great Hall. The walls dripped with water; the pools filled again.
Liv’s body staggered to its feet, lungs gasping for air. She felt these things happening, but she wasn’t controlling any of it. Her gaze then dropped to her trembling hands, hands that had moments ago held her own heart.
Crazy Dirt was soaking in the joy of being able to touch and breathe, while the only thought in Liv’s mind was this was too insane to be real. But it was real. And this had been the island’s plan all along. Crazy Dirt knew her end was coming. She knew the ride was over. And she’d found another way to survive and get what she needed.
“Roen will never be fooled by you. He knows me,” Liv croaked.
“He’s an idiot. And he’ll believe whatever I tell him to. Just like all of the other mermen on this island.”
“Liv!” Roen’s heavy breaths echoed in her ears.
Liv again felt her body moving, almost like she was inside herself, watching via a spy camera. She could even see Roen through her own eyes.
Oh, God. I’ve gone insane.
“Roen!” she heard her own voice say, but it was really Crazy Dirt speaking. “The island surrendered. You can save your men and the maids.”
“Woman, what happened to you?” Roen asked.
That’s right, Roen. Don’t fall for it. She’s not me. She’s not me.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Roen had woken up feeling sore, tired, and completely sated. Having sex with Liv left him tapped out. It had also left him without words. In his old life, he had been a different man. One whose only real ambition was making money and building his company. He had valued the people in his life for what they could do to serve his own wants and desires.
Women were no exception.
He appreciated their beauty and how good they made his dick feel. He also appreciated how quickly they left after he fucked them. But, as Liv once pointed out, they’d used him, too. They each had their own reasons—prestige, pleasure, whatever—but not one had ever cared enough about him to see him as a person. They never called. Never fought to keep him. They were happy with one night, perhaps too intimidated by him to ask for more or too frightened of what they might find when the fantasy of Roen Doran evaporated, leaving behind a real man of flesh and bones. A man with flaws and darkness in his heart. Not that he cared about them or what anyone thought. Not that he care that his heart was so thick with scars that he lacked any real feelings or warmth whatsoever.
But Liv had not only seen what was in his heart, she’d fought for his life the first day they’d met. Her braveness humbled him. Would she ever understand that? Would she ever comprehend how she was ten times stronger than him? Her spirit, her resolve, her heart—she was a warrior of another breed. That was why his people had all kneeled for her. Out of sheer respect for her spirit.
He’d never thought it possible to see these men—ruthless, fearless, unafraid to die or kill—bow to a woman. But they had. A human one at that. They loved her. They felt honored by how she’d put herself at risk for them and their mates while asking for nothing in return. Hell, even he wasn’t that selfless. He always wanted something: their obedience, their loyalty. But she’d asked for nothing.
And now that he and Liv had finally consummated their love, it had become far more difficult for him to accept his fate. Did he really have to die with this island? Why did it have to end like this?
As he’d pushed his cock into her, feeling her sweet warm body beneath his, clinging to him, moaning his name as he came inside her, his only thoughts were of wanting more time. Not just for fucking—though that certainly would be nice—but for them to be happy. This can’t be all there is for us. It can’t be. But Liv’s breath and soft touches soothed his aching soul and brought him back into the moment with her. Just her. Then he drifted off into a blissful sleep.
When he woke to an empty space beside him, terror flooded his mind. He could hear Liv screaming for him. He could feel her anguish.
“Liv! Liv!” He pried himself out of bed, grabbed his suede and a machete, and ran, following the sound of her voice.
Like a dream, he followed the cries drifting in the wind to the Great Hall. “Liv! Where are you?” Then the screaming stopped, and there she was, standing at the center of the large cavern. The walls were flowing with water again, and she was smiling at him.
“Woman, what the foke happened to you?” he asked, still on his guard.
“Nothing. But we won.” She glowed with joy. Her skin was radiant with sweat and water. “We did it!” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him hard.
He pulled her back, gripping her by the shoulders. “Why were you screaming?”
“That fucking bitch of an island tried to hurt me. She tried to convince me to drown myself in the water. But I’m too strong for her, Roen. She’s given up. She knows that fighting us won’t change anything.”
The island surrendered? “Liv, that can’t be. She’s…”
Liv slapped him hard across the cheek, indignation burning in her eyes. “Roen, wake the fuck up! She needs protection. That’s what this was always about. It’s over. You’re free. I’m free. Why can’t you just be happy?”
“Did you just slap me?” he growled.
Liv shrugged. “Sorry. But I don’t want to waste a minute. We just got our happy ending, Roen! She gets that she needs our help. Those fucking thugs were proof.”
It made sense, but… “What did she say she wants?”
“Exactly like you proposed to her.” Liv pushed herself up on her tiptoes and ran her sweet, wet tongue over his lips. “You make sure there are always a few mermen here at all times. You hire that security firm to protect her from intruders. Everyone’s happy.” Liv gripped his arms, digging hard into his skin with her nails. “You can rotate the men. They can all have lives. You’ve succeeded, baby.” She kissed him again.
He felt sick to his stomach. He leaned over, bracing his arms on his knees. “I need…I need to rest.”
He couldn’t think straight. This was all too…too…easy. But really, had it been? When he thought of everything they’d endured to get to this point? No, it had been a living hell.
Liv ran over to the now flowing pool of water and scooped some into her hands. She ran back to him. “Drink, Roen. Drink.”
He pushed her hands away. “What are you doing?”
Her gaze thickened with anger. “For fuck’s sake, Roen. Why do you always have to be so stubborn? Drink the damned water. If I had any doubts whatsoever, I’d tell you. But now you’re being delusional. Get well. Then we can heal everyone, give the men back their women, and decide together who stays or goes.” She shook him. “It’s over, Roen.”
She was right. He’d been in fight mode for so long, he simply didn’t know how to believe that their luck had turned.
He gave her a quick kiss. “Your lips are cold.”
“Then hurry the hell up and get them warm, merman.” She flashed a seductive smile.
He strolled over to the pool and bent down. Somehow it felt wrong to drink, but he wanted this, more time with Liv. He wanted it more than life itself.
He drank several gulps, and it was unlike anything he’d ever experienced before, like his soul had been filled with hope and strength. He felt…fucking powerful.
He shook his head from side to side.
“Roen?” Liv grabbed his arm. “Are you okay?”
&
nbsp; “Never better.” He kissed her and ignored the chill of her lips. Perhaps she was simply in need of a little more kissing.
“I’ll get the others,” she said excitedly.
“No.” He grabbed her elbow and yanked her back. “I’m going to fuck you. Right here. Right now.”
His cock felt like a steel post that would explode like a bomb if he didn’t come.
She grinned. “Yes, sir. But make it quick, honey. The people await us.”
He backed her up to the wall, ignoring how it now trickled with a steady stream of water, and turned her around, yanking down her shorts. He found her entrance and thrust himself into her with one smooth motion.
“Yeah, baby. That feels so good,” she moaned.
Why does she feel so cold? Yet, he couldn’t stop himself from wanting her. He fucked her hard, focusing on her moans, on the sound of her voice. And when he poured himself into her, all he could think of was that something wasn’t right.
Shut the foke up. You just don’t know how to be happy.
“Liv!” Dana’s voice rang out, and Roen quickly pulled out and covered himself.
Still panting and bracing herself against the wall, Liv grumbled something underneath her breath and then put her shorts back on.
Dana appeared in the doorway of the Great Hall, her eyes lighting up. “Holy shit. What happened in here?”
“The island is healing,” Liv said, sounding mildly annoyed. “What do you want, Dana?”
Dana shook her head from side to side. “Oh. Yeah. Um, you guys have to come and see this.”
“We’re busy, sister. What is it?” Liv responded coldly.
Of course, he didn’t appreciate surprises either. He never had. He never would. That said, Liv seemed like she couldn’t be bothered.
She’s been through a lot, man. She’s likely reached her threshold for stress.
“Dana?” he said. “What is the matter?”
Dana blinked up at him, and then she grinned. It was a smile that reminded him so much of Liv. “You’re not going to fucking believe this.”