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"You ready?" she asked, trying to still the emotions boiling within her. She had to keep emotional distance from Dax for so many reasons it made her head spin.
"You bet."
She was aware of his eyes on her body as he followed her. How could one make oneself walk ramrod straight? The last thing she wanted or needed was to give Dax any thoughts about sex. God knows she had enough of those kinds of thoughts for both of them.
She stopped at the water's edge to put on her tank and fins, inhaling a breath of fresh sea air. The ocean had always calmed her. She could pull up a chair and do nothing but sit and stare at the waves for hours and be perfectly content.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Dax asked, holding her tank up for her to slip her arms in the straps.
"Yes, it is. I've always loved the water."
"I know."
She turned and looked at him. "What do you mean, you know?"
"I just meant that you're a marine biologist. Clearly you wouldn't have gone into that field if you didn't like the water."
His innocent expression was ridiculous. There was much more to his statement than he'd let on. She mentally added it to her already too-long list of questions.
"So, what are we diving for today?"
She frowned. "Don't you have a turtle to find?"
"Yeah. But I figure I can help you with whatever you're doing, too."
"As it turns out I'm on a turtle expedition myself. "
"That works out well, then. We're both after the same thing." He stepped a foot or so into the water, stopping when she didn't follow. "What?"
"No tank again?" Please put on a tank. Show me you're normal, human, don't make me ask the questions I don't want to ask.
He seemed to ponder the idea for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Nah. Too confining."
She sighed and followed him into the surf, wishing she had answers but at the same time not wanting to find out the truth. She knew it would change things between them.
Maybe the dive and search would take her mind off Dax. Although having him swim beside her wasn't helping. She couldn't even look over at him as they swam out and began the dive, knowing he was somehow holding his breath and not understanding why or how he had the ability to do so.
Shaking off the plaguing uncertainties that bombarded her mind, she took the welcome plunge into the depths of the sea. Turtles may be nesting near the shore so she didn't want to go too far out today. Dax seemed content to follow along her chosen path, so she took the lead.
It didn't take long to reach the shallow ocean floor. Coral sprung up like the skyscrapers in a large city, some taller than others, their colors vibrant. As always, the sight took her breath away. The water undulated around the brightly painted creatures, making them appear as if they waved to her in greeting.
A relaxing calm settled over her. Every dive seemed like a return home to Isabelle. She'd long ago stopped questioning why she felt more comfortable under the water than she ever had on land.
Colorful Angel Fish swarmed around them, so thick she could barely see in front of her. They swam along with her, surrounding her like a cloak of protection. She giggled at their back and forth antics. Sometimes she could swear that the sea life spoke to her, but she knew it was only her overactive imagination. Or maybe wishful thinking.
She was so enthralled watching the waving coral that when Dax grasped her wrist she nearly jumped out of her skin. When she turned to him, he pointed to a rock ledge several meters away. Several Leatherback sea turtles nestled under the ledge, sound asleep. Not wanting to disturb the sleeping creatures, she barely took a breath.
They were huge, their barrel-shaped bodies more than six feet long. She wondered how much Dax knew about the Leatherbacks, and suddenly found herself wanting to share her knowledge and love of the creatures with him. She mentally cursed the disadvantages of diving--no conversation.
You forget who you're underwater with.
Dax's voice penetrated her thoughts. He'd spoken to her again! Or thought to her. Or something. God, how did he do that? How did he get into her head and talk to her?
Stop that. Or don't stop. Explain. Dammit, Dax, I have questions!
I know you're frustrated, Isabelle. I'm sorry. We'll talk soon, I promise. Tell me about your turtles.
Even in her thoughts his voice was hypnotic...husky and warm like a blanket in the coldest winter.
She looked at her watch. They'd been down for fifteen minutes. No human could withstand lack of oxygen for that long. Instead of shock or resignation that her guess was right--it was now a certainty that Dax wasn't human--curiosity took hold. What was he? Was he even from earth? The old childhood excitement at the mysteries of the sea came rushing back to her.
All in due time, Isabelle.
I have so many questions, Dax. So much I want to know about you. She wished she wasn't wearing the tank or the mask, which obstructed her view of him. A part of her was filled with jealousy that she couldn't swim the same way he was...without a tank, without a mask, just her body and the sea.
You can. I'll help you. Take off your mask.
She heard him, but couldn't quite believe he'd even suggest such a thing. I can't.
Yes, you can. Take off your tank and mask. Trust me.
Trust him? She barely even knew him. And still he hadn't answered a single question. Okay, maybe she hadn't really asked him many questions yet, but it wasn't like he was jumping up to volunteer information.
And yet a curious excitement welled up within her. The opportunity to do what no other human had done. Was she actually considering the idea of taking off her mask and tank? Surely he wouldn't let her drown, would he? Indecision weighed her down more than the dive weights on her belt.
Trust me, Isabelle. Nothing bad will happen to you. I'll protect you.
But how? Oh, God, this was all so confusing! And yet deep down she knew instinctively that she could trust him. Even more, she wanted to do this.
Talk about a leap of faith. A giant leap that could cost her life if she was wrong. She unbuckled the belt holding the tank on her body. Dax swam behind her and lifted it off, but she was loath to let go of the regulator providing her oxygen.
Trust me.
She nodded and pulled off her mask, shutting her eyes against the briny water that she knew would sting and blind her. At the same time she felt his hand on her mouthpiece and pulled it away, he grabbed hold of her hand.
A sudden vibration shot through her palm and up her arm. Warmth soared through her, intensifying as if she drew closer and closer to a burning inferno. Fear sent her into a panic and she reached for the regulator, her arms flailing wildly. She couldn't see, couldn't hear, had lost her bearings completely. She was going to drown!
Relax, Isabelle. You can breathe.
No, she couldn't! Her lungs tightened painfully with her efforts to hold on to the last oxygen she'd inhaled.
Open your mouth. Breathe.
I'll die. I'll drown! She was on fire, the burning in her l
ungs equal to the flames licking at her skin. Help me!
Dax pulled her against him. Open your eyes, Isabelle. Look at me. Trust me. You can breathe down here.
She didn't want to trust him, shouldn't trust him. Her ability to hold her breath dwindled with every second that passed. She opened her eyes, wanting him to see her damning look right before she sucked in an ocean full of water, wanting him to know that he'd done this to her. With a shudder of resignation, she gave herself over to her soon-to-be watery grave and opened her mouth.
The water rushed down her throat and she waited for the choking sensation that she knew happened when one drowned. Expecting the clawing, gasping for air, she was shocked when it didn't happen. She could breathe, although she was breathing in water, not oxygen!
Confusion took over where panic had been. How could this be? How could she breathe ocean water? Her eyes weren't blurred by the water. She could see--more clearly, in fact, than she'd ever been able to with her mask on. Every color was more vibrant, the water pristine and transparent.
And she wasn't floating to the surface! She'd forgotten all about dropping her weight belt, and yet she hadn't drifted up. In fact, she realized as she tentatively began to swim about, she had more control under the water without the belt and dive gear than she'd ever had before. Slipping out of her flippers, she swam about like a fish, undulating through the water, rolling and swirling like a child enjoying a lawn sprinkler on a hot summer day.
She turned to Dax, who had perched on a ledge.
He grinned. "Enjoying yourself?"
His lips moved, and she could actually hear what he said. Could she do that, too?
"Can I talk down here?" She heard her own voice as she moved her lips. "Yes, I can! Oh my God, Dax, I can speak down here!"
He laughed and swam off the ledge, stopping in front of her and gathering her into his arms. "You can do anything you want down here, my golden mermaid."
Her heart flipped over at the endearment, but that's exactly how she felt. Like she had a long tail and a fin. She was a fish. An overwhelmed, ecstatic fish. "How is this possible? Tell me. I have so many questions I don't know where to start."
"I know you do. Come with me and I'll try to explain some of it to you." They pulled apart and he held out his hand. She grasped it willingly, wonder filling her with every deep breath of ocean water.
