Chapter 1 (teaser)

Under the moonlight her skin seemed white as porcelain, her hair rivalled mine in beauty, blonde but a crystal blonde, precious but soft.

Her body laid on the sand near a small ship, wrecked, but old, too old to be regarded as a young means of transport.

Near the beautiful and heavenly woman, who seemed caught in a peaceful sleep, laid an object, a strange one, but still it was familiar.

Even if that object kept calling for me, I couldn't possibly ignore the sleeping girl. Not even if magic tried to get me away from her.

It was difficult to stand with my body, so I crawled to her and looked at her face, before putting my face near her chest to listen if she was breathing or not. Fortunately she was alive. Her hearth beating, her melodious breath... everything about her made me feel like glowing, just like that green light, now hidden somewhere.

"Hey..?" I breathed. It was amazing how someone could make me speechless without doing anything. I looked at her long and blonde lashes, her small but plump lips, her refined nose... what about her eyes? I was dying to found out what was hidden behind these lids.

My hand acted impulsively: I caressed her cheek and after a long minute, her eyes opened. She flickered her lashes, like a butterfly would shake her wings, looking at the dark sky, before laying her vivid green eyes on me.

"What... what's happening..?"

Her voice was even more beautiful than the sirens from my kingdom or maybe I was smemerized to the point of not return.

"You are safe. I don't know what happened to you, but nothing will hurt you here" my voice could sooth any being, or so I thought.

She seemed to realize something: her eyes travelled from my face to the ship, then to her body, covered in leaves and... earth? At first I didn't notice it: there were not trees on the seashore, that's for sure.

"Who are you?!" She screamed and caught me off guard by slapping my face and jumping away from me.

While she trembled, I stood there aloof: did I do something wrong?

"I won't hurt you!" I wanted to reach out to her, but I couldn't. I sat on the sand, massaging my cheek.

"As if I could believe you..."

She watched me for a moment studying my appearance. Did she notice just now that I'm a merman?

The woman sprang to her feet and brought her hands to her mouth: "But you... you ar-e"

"Yes...?" I smiled, curious of the way she was watching me, with awe; she wasn't scared of my tail. Well, I had a beautiful tail, coloured like the sunset, with scales that glowed under any light. And what about my body? Sculpted just like a greek god. That's what they say back in Atlantis: still, I won't get into details about Greek mythology!

I flipped my tail near the water, playing with it, while observing the young woman from the shore. She had pointed ears. Was it normal among humans?

"Merman... they are not to be trusted!" she said now looking furious. The girl sat down again a gripped the sand with her thin fingers: she may had hit her head during the shipwreck... but what could I do? I wasn't a doctor, also for sure I couldn't find someone at this hour that could help her get to an hospital.

Yes, I know what an hospital is. In Atlantis we have something similar.

"What happened?" I asked with a sultry voice. I hoped to change her mind.

The girl started trembling again: her green eyes became blurry.

"I'm sorry... don't cry please..." it made my heart ache: I didn't want to see her hurt, even if she was a stranger to me, even if she hated me because of my origin.

"I don't... I don't know where I am."

That took my breath away, but in a bad way. The girl cried a bit, but never let me get nearer to her. Of course, I respected that and hung back.

"Can I do something for you..?" I asked, then after noticing that somehow I got her attention, I explained what got me there: "I saw a green blinding light, then you on the sand... near this wrecked ship... I-I'm probably the only one here right now that could help you."

My words didn't reach her. She totally ignored me and walked to the ship, looking for something in the sand.

It was getting annoying.

The girl (I didn't even know her name), sighed and after punching the sand for a minute or so, she turned around and looked at what I was holding.

-Looking for something?- I smiled.

-Give me that!-

She launched at me, but I was faster; I splashed the water to scare her away and that worked out. It was cold during night and she probably realized that being wet wouldn't help her condition.

"That's mine..!"

Her childish pout made me laugh: should I just give in?

"Oh, by the way, my name is Arem."

"I didn't ask you to-! "

I interrupted her: "Give me yours, then we'll settle this."

The green-eyed girl shot me a glare: "I'm Elaena."