Starving for Love by Nicole Zoltack Read Free Book Online Page B

mermaid used the rock to help her stand upright. A sharp prickling feeling flooded her lower legs and feet, an almost numbing sensation. She picked up her right foot and placed it down. There, that wasn't so bad. Now her left. Good so far. Now let go of the rock…
    Sirena tumbled forward, sand pressing against her face. She spat it out and rubbed it from her face. Annoyed yet determined, she used the rock to stand yet again. In lieu of lifting her feet, she shuffled forward and managed to go a few feet before falling.
    Instead of grainy sand, she felt strong arms. A young man held her.
    "Are you okay?" he asked as he helped her regain her balance.
    "Thank you. And yes." Sirena closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath. She wasn't used to being so flustered. Or incapable. Or alone. Even when she had been in her room seeking solitude, her family was never far away.
    "What happened to your shoes?" he asked, staring at her feet.
    Sirena glanced down. Sand and dirt covered her feet, as well as dark purple and black blotches that crept up her legs.
    "You're all bruised. Has someone hurt you?" The man's face became suspicious, and fierce anger filled his eyes. He gripped her shoulders. "Did the zombie come after you?"
    Sirena shook her head. "No."
    He sighed, dejected. "I can't find it."
    "Are you hunting it?"
    "Yes. I plan on — pardon my manners. I'm Blaise."
    "It's nice to meet you, Blaise." Sirena realized he was still holding her, and she shuffled back a little to increase the space between them. Blaise was a handsome man, not that she would ever have a chance with him, not in this body. Not that she cared.
    Blaise raised his eyebrows. "And you are…"
    "I'm…" She paused. Was she still Sirena in this body? "I'm Rena."
    He furrowed his brow. "Rena?" Blaise glanced toward the water then scratched his head.
    Sirena stared at him, curious. Did he suspect that she wasn't completely human? She resisted the urge to look at her backside to see if she had a tail of some sort.
    "I want to help you find it," she said.
    "The zombie?"
    "Yes."
    The man blinked several times, sniffed, and wrinkled his nose. "I think I'll help you find a bath first."
    ****
    Blaise lived within the castle — why, Sirena never did find out, although she supposed he was nobility of some sort. He secured her a tiny room there. Over the course of the next week, Sirena learned how to use her land legs. Each successful step caused her legs to ache. She didn't know if the pain would ever leave or if it was now a part of her — the new her. Rena.
    Each day, she missed the sea, but she did enjoy her time on the land. In a way, she was accepting her new life, no longer waking up in a panic, no longer calling out for her sisters. She did, however, hope her father wasn't too displeased with her. By now, he must have combed every inch of the ocean and realized she had to be on land. Perhaps he had even spoken to Merlinasea.
    Sirena shuddered. That conversation would not have been a pleasant one, if it had indeed taken place. Surely Father wouldn't do anything to risk breaching the treaty between the merfolk and the sea witches.
    A knock sounded at her door.
    "Come in," she called, still in bed. She glanced out the window to see the sun up high in the sky, the fog of the early morning burned away long ago, then turned back to the door.
    A young girl popped her head in and glanced at the hardly touched breakfast tray. "Didn't you like your food?"
    "I'm sorry, Bethany. I'm just not hungry today." Sirena winced at the dejected look on the handmaiden's face. "It tasted delicious."
    Bethany's frown flipped up into a smile. "Blaise was asking for you. He's in the library. Do you know where that is?"
    After Sirena nodded, the maiden left the room.
    She rubbed her forehead. Despite not liking to lie, how could she tell the girl she still wasn't used to human food? Some of the food was quite good, but some she doubted she would ever become accustomed