Page 8

Chapter 8

Erik

Y ou’re the homeless man from the beach! Lillian telepaths to me, and I can’t help but smile at her picking up the new way of communicating with such ease.

It’s refreshing and beautiful to hear another human in my mind in this way. Her voice is as distinct and bell-like as it was on land. Rich and lovely, and so different from the voice of the monster that has slithered in the back of my mind for so, so long.

Homeless? I chuckle, and I can hear her surprise as my laughter rings in her head. No doubt, it’s less rough and hoarse than my physical voice must have sounded on the island. I suppose…I haven’t seen my homeland in many years.

She tilts her head. Where are you from?

Far away from here.

I gesture with my hands to the cave around us. She follows with her eyes, as if seeing her surroundings truly for the first time. But instead of fear, resignation fills her features. Her shoulders droop, and she returns her gaze to me.

Am I dead?

No, Lillian. But you’ll wish you were. The words burn to send themselves to her, but I hold them back. You are not dead. You are like me: cursed to survive in this place, at the whim of gods who do not think highly of humans.

Where are they?

Her hair swirls about her as she spins, hunting for the monsters as if they’re hiding in the shadows around us. Her movements are so graceful. She clearly is a talented swimmer, as comfortable in the water as she is on land.

The corner of my mouth tilts up as I watch her, and she scowls at me.

Erik! What are you laughing at? Where are they?

They are within us.

I hold my hand to my heart, grimacing at the truth in my words. But Lillian looks confused.

Oh. Like, a metaphor?

Now it’s my turn to tilt my head.

Metaphor?

Like, figuratively. We’ve been cursed to live underwater, and that makes us monstrous. Not physical monsters. Not real—but it’s like a bad side of ourselves.

I shake my head. No. The monsters are very real.

She frowns.

And they’re… inside us?

Not you, female. The voice echoes hauntingly around us, and I see her shudder at the new voice. The one I would do anything to hide from her. Only him.

Her eyes become saucers as she backs away from me, hiding away in her long, flowing hair.

Lillian, please! Let me explain!

Who… who are you? The question is a quivering whisper, piercing my psyche like a knife. Tell me the truth this time.

Opening my fingers, I spread my arms to my side, in an attempt to show her I mean no harm. It’s too late to attempt to hide any of this reality from her. Now that she’s here, cursed with the same misfortune as I am, it would be cruel to keep it a secret. Yes, I will tell you everything, from the beginning.

I take a deep breath through my gills, and then launch into my story.

I was not born in this land. My village is–was–far away from here, in the northlands across the sea.

Long ago, my family and I set off with a large crew of our brothers to explore this new land. Our ships were long and thin, and fast. Nimble. We sailed inland on rivers, braved rapids and unfamiliar waters, between many northern islands and through many forested riverlands, before eventually spying the shores of this giant freshwater sea.

It was beautiful. Not unlike our homeland. We decided even before reaching land that we would settle here.

But a storm engulfed us before we could dock. Rough winds, giant waves of ice–terrifying conditions, yes, but we were a sailing people. We had braved the arctic oceans before; this was no different from what we were used to. But we couldn’t have known that there were dangers here we’d never seen. Cruel and powerful. Giant and mighty.

I feel a hand on my arm, and realize that Lillian has come closer to me. Strands of her golden hair weave with mine as she looks up at me with concern in her eyes.

What happened?

I do not wish to tell her. Even now, it is painful, to speak of the community I once loved meeting its horrific end. I feel the monster stir within my belly as His part in the tale draws near.

I have tried to forget, I admit, letting out a torrent of bubbles from my lips in a sigh. But He will not let me.

Who?

The monster. One of them— I correct— there are two. The one who destroyed my people’s ship was as giant as a mountain, with a woman’s torso and the legs of a massive squid. She wrapped herself around our vessel as if it were a child’s toy. Crushed it with her massive limbs, while her gaze petrified our crew into ice and stone. Sailors fell heavily from the deck into the frigid waters. If they did not die instantly from her glare, they soon froze to death in the lake’s unforgiving depths.

Her fingers tighten around my forearm, and her warmth seeps into me. I’m so sorry.

My family was killed.

Oh, Erik…

I turn away, unable to look her in the eyes as the most unbearable part of the story approaches. Yet, she stays, stroking one comforting hand up and down my arm as I tell it.

I fell into the waters, and it was so cold. My lungs turned to ice within my chest, until… He found me. The one who destroyed our ship, my people: she is the one named Keto. An ancient goddess and mother of all manner of evil creatures. And her lover, Phorkys, He… He saved me.

The words taste bitter on my tongue. My resentment of the monster still overwhelms what small amount of pity I feel for Him and His struggle to survive. He lives within me; I can resist him to a point. But I’ve been cursed to live a double life for many years.

The confession, once put forth, sends my thoughts into a spiral, as I seek to soften the weight of it.

I’ve tried to keep it at bay, protect the many humans who have ventured to these waters as my people once did, I plead to her, but I haven’t always been successful. I let my guard down when you appeared in the water. Your form, your body, it is… My face heats. I look up, meeting Lillian’s deep blue eyes, and even in the throes of reliving my worst memories, I can feel her effect on me. It is very pleasing to me. To me and the monster. When it sees you, it also…He burns to make you His. To mate with you.

Lillian’s cheeks burn a lusty red, and I break eye contact.

Well that explains some of the crazy dreams…

What? Her entire face floods with color, and I quickly back away from her. I’m sorry, I do not mean to presume your trust–

No! She shakes her head, and in my mind I hear a soft, shy giggle.

She is… laughing?

When I was asleep, I dreamt… well, let’s just say my dreams were a lot spicier than I’m used to.

Spi-ci-er? I am unfamiliar with the word.

There were… tentacles involved. In… positions. I thought it was just the smut I’d been reading, but…

The red of her cheeks darkens impossibly. My entire body grows uncomfortably hot.

I underestimated its lust for you.

I swim away from her, terrified to hear that she’s already suffered in her dreams as the object of the monster’s perverted desires. Disgusted by my own body’s reaction as I realize what she means. As I imagine what it might feel like, to take her in such a way.

Again, I feel a hand on my arm. Her beautiful voice rings clearly in my head once more, and I wish I could simply listen to it like music. I want to hear her in my mind forever, that lovely, human sound.

You’re embarrassed. Her fingers trail up the sensitive skin along the inside of my elbow, and my body shivers. You don’t have to be. You’ve been like this for… God, it must be close to a thousand years, right?

My tone is bitter. I have lost count.

Her thumb brushes my waist as she reaches for my hand, and my cock jumps impatiently. I try to quiet the monster, but his drive is so mixed with my own conflicted feelings toward this woman that I can’t quell the stirring. I am humiliatingly hard, so much so that even the light movement of the water across the skin of my shaft is like torture.

Surely, she sees it all. Is revolted by it. By me.

Why don’t you ask her?

Ask me what?

Her hand stills as Phorkys speaks once more, ruining our intimate moment with His presence. I shudder, this time from frustration, and turn on her.

He wants to know if you are as disgusted by me as I am of myself! I snap, crossing the cavern with a petulant kick. I am behaving like a child, I know, but I cannot find balance in these hot and cold flashes of emotion. I do not even know what is me and what is the monster anymore.

Lillian is quiet for a moment, and my breathing settles. The silence stretches long enough that I lift my head to hers, to see if she has given up on me after all.

You are only a man, she says at last. A man with a monster inside him. And I’m… I’m still coming to terms with the fact that I may have a monster in me, too.

She can’t possibly mean that.

Lillian, you are perfect. If I asked Odin himself to craft a maiden explicitly for my afterlife in Valhalla, he could not do better than to simply grant me you.

A strange, hiccuping sound bubbles from her throat, and she coughs. Well, fuck me. You know how to compliment a girl.

My cock bobs in anticipation. You wish for me to–?

Oh, God, no, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean—I mean, it’s not like… She waves her hands before her and flaps for a moment. I suppress my excitement, turning away.

Of course not.

No! Erik, that’s not what I meant. I’m not–fuck, I’m really screwing this up, aren’t I?

She drifts to the rocky ground and groans in her hands. I long to wrap my arms around her, comfort her, but I know it is best that I keep my distance.

Erik, trust me. You’re gorgeous, okay? If I even thought I stood half a chance with someone like you in the real world, I wouldn’t hesitate. But I…this… Ugh, what’s even going on right now? I feel like I’ve been thrust headfirst into one of my monster romances!

Monster…romance?

Interesting.

A growl not my own rumbles from my throat, and Lillian’s face jerks up in shock. Her eyelids droop as the sound continues, and a heady scent fills the cave. Pink blooms across her pale chest, and before I know what’s happening, I have crossed the cave to hover over her. Our eyes lock with each other, and my tentacle caresses her chin?—

No!

I jet away, propelling as fast as I can and retracting the monster’s control. How dare you. How dare you take advantage of her like that! Of me!

We are running out of time.

You gave your word!

I merely said I would not harm her.

So you will simply use her body?!

Um, guys?

The fight between us pauses as Lillian, wide-eyed once again, eyes me with flushed curiosity.

Yes, Lillian?

Shouldn’t I get a say in this?