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Kye’s body went slack, and he slumped against me. “Guys, we really need to get him back to shore and to a hospital,” I said.
“No hospitals, not yet anyway,” Storm replied firmly. “We can’t explain what happened, which means they won’t be able to help him. If she bit him and released venom, the hospitals won’t have an anti-venom for that, since Sirens aren’t real. We’ll get him back to our room and you can examine him there. If you believe there are internal injuries, we will take him for X-rays at the medical examiner’s office. If those show internal injuries that require surgery or medical supplies outside of what we can obtain, then we will make the trip to the hospital.”
Storm’s tone made it clear this wasn’t up for debate. I understood his decision, but I didn’t have to like it. Growing up, books were my friends and they had opened doors to things I had found fascinating. As an adult, I was still a loner, never fitting in with those around me. Even when undertaking my research work, I preferred my home office or visiting the lab after hours to work. I filled the long hours alone by studying, and I had earned degrees in several fields. One of those was a PhD, although I had never practiced as a doctor after finishing my residency. I would have preferred a doctor check him over at a hospital immediately. If there was a problem, the delay could cost Kye his life.
Eason turned the boat back toward the shore, careful to stay just inside the posted speed limits. Storm pulled Kye against him to keep Kye’s limp frame from banging against the boat. There was nothing romantic between these three men. Their shared bond was that of brothers, not by blood, but by choice. They were family, and I longed to have that for myself.
In under thirty minutes we were settling Kye on his bed. Eason and Storm stepped to the side, close enough to observe, but far enough to give me space to move around him without feeling cramped.
I started with his head, wanting to check the spot that had impacted with the boat. “That’s weird, there should be a lump and a cut here. We know he was knocked unconscious and there was blood on the boat and in the water, but there are no signs of an injury. That isn’t possible.” I checked again, and then stepped aside as Storm looked for the point of impact as well. There wasn’t so much as a lump or papercut to mark the spot. He stepped back, shaking his head in confusion.
“Let’s remove his shirt.” With a few grunts as we lifted and maneuvered his dead weight, we managed to get it off. As his shoulder came into view, I gasped.
“Has he always had this tattoo?”
“What tattoo? He doesn’t have…” Eason’s words trailed off as he stared at the markings that traveled down Kye’s neck to his shoulder and then lower toward his heart. The design was elegant, reminding me of the swirling sea. The lines were glowing, aquamarine light ebbing and flowing throughout the tattoo. Letters of an alphabet I didn’t recognize spelled something about his heart. This type of art piece would have taken days to complete, but somehow it had been done in two or three hours. One more impossibility to add to our growing list.
“What’s that on his neck?” Storm pointed to a spot where the design created a beautiful circular seal, the type often used by royalty. In the middle of the circle there were additional words in that unfamiliar script, and a—“Bite mark. He’s been bitten!”
Utter panic ensued.
I scrambled to check his vitals for the umpteenth time. Eason grabbed his keys and started putting his shoes on the wrong feet. Storm grabbed his phone and made the motions to call someone but couldn’t decide who. I’m not sure what would have happened if Kye hadn’t decided to wake up in the middle of our chaos.
“Ugh. Guys? What is going on?” He rubbed at his temple and tried to sit up. His body trembled with the effort. With a groan he collapsed back on the bed.
“We will get you to the hospital. Just hang in there, Kye!” Storm couldn’t hide the fear in his voice.
“I’m tired, not dying. Chill.” Kye huffed a breathless laugh that helped to reassure all of us that he wasn’t truly dying.
“Kye, do you remember being bitten? How long ago did it happen?” I peered into his eyes checking for discoloration.
To my shock, he blushed. “Fynn, I like you a lot, but back up a bit.” He was trying to distract me.
“So, you do remember being bitten,” I said. “Why did she bite you? Have there been any side effects or symptoms?”
Kye turned a deeper shade of crimson. Roars of laughter startled me, and I jumped. Eason and Storm collapsed into chairs and laughed until tears streamed down their faces. “What’s so funny? Kye’s life may still be in danger!”
The men tried to speak, but between their gasps for air and raucous laughter, I couldn’t make sense of it.
“She bit me while we were being intimate,” Kye said with a sigh. “Those jerks figured it out. I’m not going to die from it. It did have, um, side effects, but she fixed that.” He wouldn’t even look at me as he spoke, and his skin remained red.
“Side effects like what? I need specifics to figure out what we are dealing with.” I grabbed my pen and paper, preparing to make notes that we could use later if needed.
Kye’s eyes finally met mine and he looked horrified. “You’re going to write it down?” His voice cracked in panic.
I looked in confusion at Eason and Storm, but they had been set off into another round of laughter. I wasn’t sure how we were supposed to get to the bottom of this if everyone kept acting like children. Clicking my pen over and over, a habit I had developed as a kid, I waited for everyone to calm down. It took about ten minutes for the guys to get ahold of themselves, wipe their eyes, and stop chuckling.
“Fynn, you really need to relax a bit,” Storm said with a grin. “I always thought Eason was uptight, but you have him beat.” Storm’s smile made it clear this was playful banter; he was not belittling me.
“You aren’t the first to say that.” I sighed. These guys were the first men I had ever felt like I belonged with. It made zero sense considering how long we had known each other. My heart said they were my tribe, even as my mind said that was sentimental and ridiculous.
Eason walked over and slapped me on the back. “Give us time, we’ll make you unwind.” He turned toward Kye. “Alright kid, you left out a lot of details on the boat when you described your encounter with the mermaid. I don’t care if it’s embarrassing. It’s time to tell us everything.”
Kye’s shoulder sagged. Taking a deep breath, he began to tell the story again, except this time when he got to the part about their intimacy, he retold it in great detail. I forgot to write; my pen frozen on the paper as he described the encounter. Never in my life had I heard anything this erotic. A hard bulge formed in my pants, and I moved my notebook to cover it, embarrassed that the guys might have noticed it.
When Kye finished speaking, he adjusted his pants and cleared his throat a few times. Eason threw a bottle of water at him but didn’t bother to get up. I hid my smile; it turns out I wasn’t the only one affected by the tale.
Storm spoke up, his voice low and rough, “It sounds like she managed to counteract her venom. It’s good to know that there’s a cure, or an antivenom. Maybe it’s her saliva? Perhaps she’s the cure for her venom.”
