Stavros’ grinned. He had Adrian right where he wanted him. “I’ll turn you into a human for three days and three nights. You have until then to convince your mate to fall in love with you… but you may not tell her that you love her first, or say that you do if she asks. That’s cheating,” Stavros said when Adrian went to interrupt. “She must say that she loves you before the sun rises on the fourth day. Otherwise, you will turn back into a merman. Permanently. Never again will you be able to walkonland.”
“Never again?” Adrian askedbreathlessly.
“Never again.” Stavros shookhishead.
“What happens if she says that she loves me?” Adrianasked.
“You’ll be a human permanently, and will be able to live the rest of your life happily-ever-after on land,”Stavrossaid.
“But… if that happens, my father will be left without an heir.” His eyes darted back and forth, calculating. “That means— the sea will passtoyou.”
“You are correct. If you are unable to assume the throne, on your father’s passing, the sea will belong to me,” Stavros said. “I will become the newPoseidon.”
Adrian didn’t like this. How could he turn his back on his subjects, on his people, even for his mate? If he agreed to these terms, he’d be betraying his father, and the throne. Everything he’d been raised to do would be fornothing.
But his father had turned his back on him. He had barely listened when Adrian had told him about Isa. Why should he care what happened to thekingdom?
“Okay. Let’s just say, for argument’s sake, she doesn’t say she loves me. Then I’m stuck as a merman. What do you get out of it?” Adrianasked.
“Nothing.” Stavros shrugged. “You will go on being your father’s heir, and no doubt I’ll be disappointed you didn’t succeed, though I can’t say I won’t revel in yourfailure.”
Adrian didn’t believe him. Stavros was hiding something— a secret in themagic.
Yet the offer was too good to pass up. “It’s a deal.” Adrian stuck out his hand toshake.
Stavros couldn’t contain his glee. He smiled so broadly Adrian was afraid he’d break his face. Heclapped his hand into Adrian’s. “Yes! We’vedoneit!”
The minute Adrian’s hand connected with Stavros, he immediately felt sick. He let out an agonized sound as a pain grew in his gut, spreading throughout his middle, his chest, his legs. The pain was so crushing, so excruciating, that Adrian couldn’t move. He bent over in the water and grimaced, shutting his eyes to the horrible agony that was coursing throughouthisbody.
When he opened his eyes, Adrian looked down and realized he hadtwolegs.
Adrian opened his mouth to let out a cry of joy, but the water that flowed inside choked him instead ofrevivedhim.
The water. His gills were gone. Adrian couldn’t breathe. He floundered for help and tried to swim, but he didn’t know how with legs. He’d nevertried.
Stavros was laughing, and laughing. He didn’t even care Adrian was dying in frontofhim.
Hearing the commotion, Moona swam in. She knocked Stavros aside, and he stumbled. Moona pressed herself against Adrian, and he hung on for dear life as his friend pulled him along, hauling him to thesurface.
Black spots dotted his vision and his lungs were screaming for air. The water pressure alone was too much to handle. Adrian felt like he was going to die, knew he was going to die. He clung tighter to Moona as the cave dissolved and the surface appeared so far above. They weren’t going tomakeit.
But Moona wasn’t going to let her best friend die , not on her watch, so she swam as fast as her fins could take her until she finally crashed against the line where the water met the sky. Adrian took a deep breath, then immediately started gagging, not used to this strange new feeling that was coursing through him. Moona waited for him to stop, still supporting him with herweight.
When he was done gagging, his head lolled. Any moment he was going topassout.
Moona cried out something, but Adrian didn’t hear her—or couldn’tunderstandher.
Moona hauled Adrian across the ocean. It was a far swim from shore, but Moona paddled until her fins were sore, slapping Adrian across the face with her tail to keep himawake.
Finally, the blessed line of the beach was in sight. Moona pushed him toward it, going as close as she could without accidentally beachingherself.
Adrian pulled himself on shore, until he was out of the water completely. The earth rocked below him, and his head hit sand as he finallyfainted.
ChapterTen
Isamaria
Isamaria was walkingon the beach that morning at sunrise, thinking about what she was going to say to Adrian the next time shesawhim.
