Love and War: Short Story Collection

Scales of Love - S Liongate

“Don’t leave me.” The plea was sharp, cutting over the mellow sounds of calm waves that were drinking in the shore. Confused, I turned. Sand shifted under my toes; cool and water logged from the approaching tide.

“I only said goodnight - not goodbye.” The setting sun at my back made him squint. It lit his face in soft shadows and glowing light. Low beams from the sinking sun highlighted a wet trail down his cheek. A tear.

“But - but you’re coming back, right?”

“I said I would. Do you think I lie?” Sea foam reached my heel.

“No… Please stay?” He took my hand. Xavier’s hand had soft intentions. Intentions were all well and good but the hand was still rough compared to water lapping at my foot. “Please, don’t go back. Stay here, with me.”

Looking across the dune beach, it’s form cloaked in hues of golden pink, I saw no reason to stay bar the man in front of me. Was he enough?

“You could come with me.” I moved just slightly, leaning into the call of the sea. Xavier’s face flickered. A passing disgust. “Not forever. The sea might not be forgiving, and it can be demanding but it has its tides, it gives and takes.”

“I was not born of the sea, Elisia. I cannot live there with you.” Xavier leant in the opposite direction. Trying to entice me back to land. “You love me, don’t you Elisia?”

“Yes, yes I do.” Salt kissed breeze tugged through my long emerald hair. Xavier had my love however he was not my first. The sea; that would alway be my first. “And you love me too.”

“I do.” The wind whispered through his dark earthy hair. We were worlds apart; worlds that I was prepared to share.

“Then be with me always.” My lips took on a tentative smile. “The sea will know your heart, just as I do.”

“Elisia, please. You know I can’t - I have too many responsibilities here.” He pulled me close, the strength of his body harsh on the softness of my form. “Besides, coming to land poses you no danger.” He swayed, as if slow dancing with me to the sound of the rolling waves. “The sea can be fickle and unkind, I cannot take that risk.”

“You said you love me.” I frowned, not understanding. The last tendrils of light caressed my back. My hand found the beat of his heart, feeling the heat of his skin through the scratchy fabric of his white shirt. I hated clothes. They made me feel like I couldn’t breathe. Even the light weight, loose, silk dress I was wearing was too much. Shoes were a hard no. “Your love will make the ocean kind.”

“Elisia… just stay here. Be my wife, have my children, grow old with me.” His hands were hot on the small of my back.

“We don’t need to stay here for that. We can have it all.” Looking in his eyes, deep brown gleaming with the last of the day’s light, I saw his fear. “Do not be afraid, my love. Just try it. One night.” I tried to steer us towards the patiently waiting sea.

“Elisia, no!” He gripped me hard. “You do not know for sure that the sea will let me go.”

“Xavier, I don’t understand. Your heart is mine, is it not?”

“It is.” He sighed. We were going in circles.

“Then you do think I’m a liar. You think I’m what they say I am - a siren, drawing you to a watery grave.” The sea rumbled a little, stirred by my anger.

“Elisia, that’s not it. I promise you.” Xavier tried to soothe, his grip unrelenting. Unrepentant. He knew how delicate, how fragile I was on land. He must know how his desperation to keep me would bruise. “My love for you is deep and true, you know this, I don’t know why you are questioning me.” He sounded bitter. “You’re asking me to risk never being able to come back. If the sea claims me, I will never be able to walk the land again. Why take that chance when you can already walk both paths?”

In that moment I saw it - he doubted his heart. If he came with me the sea would know, she would claim him for me; steal him so my heart would never ache. The sea loved me. She would not hesitate to tie Xavier to the water, trap him. Then he could never leave me. Even when his heart became empty.

“I understand.” My thoughts were churning. I knew what I needed to do. “Let me be reinvigorated so I can stay with you tonight.”

“Thank you, Elisia, I knew you’d understand.” Xavier let me go. Back to him, I rubbed my arm. It did little to relieve the tenderness from where he had bruised my skin. On the shore I knelt, letting the ocean wet my legs and soak my dress. With two hands I scooped up the precious sea water.

“Mother Amphitrite, I ask that you bless this water. Gift me the spirit of the sea.” The pool in my palms glittered with the blessing I’d requested. The water was cool on my lips. The salt, soothing to my parched throat. “I’m ready, my love.” In my wet dress, feet still coated in seafoam I reached for Xavier.

Arm in arm, we walked away from the sea.The sun finally below the horizon; yielding to the breaking of night. My heart ached with the weight of his doubts.

“Let’s get you out of that wet dress.” Xavier said lovingly as we stood, in front of the roaring fire, in the living room of his mansion. Despite the warmth of his words and the heat of the fire I felt the coolness of the ocean in my soul. The sea was a distant whisper in my mind. Had I been deceiving myself? How pitiful that the fullness of my heart had not let me recognise that. Had he accepted me, as I had accepted him, he would know the wetness of the dress was a comfort not a nuisance. Especially when the fire was so hot.

I said nothing as he slipped the silk from my shoulder. Xavier placed soft kisses on the skin as he exposed it. His touch had me panting the dry air. The fire crackled, popping and spitting as it devoured the logs. Casting my heavy heart aside I too began to devour, only I was consuming the moment. I took nothing that would not have been lost anyway. Time would take, so I took right along with it.

“Xavier… tell me that you love me.” My plea did not go unheeded.

“I love you. You are my heart Elisia.” At his words, my worries faded away. It was what my heart wanted.

The fur rug was soft beneath my bare feet. As Xavier’s hands skimmed over my skin, freeing my flesh by rolling my dress down, I turned. A simple step to the left to place his body between myself and the heat of the fire. The dress pooled at my feet. Xavier had gifted it to me. It was blue, bright and shiny - exactly the kind of gift that appealed to my kind. We loved bright colours, things that shone - anything pretty.

His kisses moved lower. His lips were dry, probably not by human standards, but they weren’t wet enough for me. When he licked my n****e, a soft wet tongue leaving a trail of saliva, I moaned. Between my legs warm tides were pulled forth. Xavier chuckled, running his fingers over hips, continuing to kiss and lick his way down to where my body was split. He nuzzled my mound.

“You smell so sweeeet.” He sighed, inhaling deeply. “So soft as well.” Apparently human women had hair between their legs but when I walked the land it was the only place I unconsciously retained my scales. Which was strange. In the ocean my body had no such place. “Beautiful.” Xavier touched my emerald scales making me quiver. Under the sea things were different, this was so much more. No wonder so many of us sought comfort in the arms of men.

“Wet my pearl…” I begged, pushing my pelvis forward.

“Sing for me. Sing my beautiful mermaid.” He buried his face in the split, lapping at the hard nub just below my scales. Xavier snaked two strong arms between my legs, lifting me on to his shoulders before supporting my back with two rough hands. With care he lowered my body onto the soft furs. The whole while his lips worked a hot brand of pleasure in that crease.

To think, some humans sort our pearls; cut them from our bodies and then wear them on their own.

Intense waves filled me; the tide swelling in my cavern. Mermaid song flowed on my tongue and I began to sing. Xavier groaned into my flesh, his ministrations becoming more frantic as if he could drink the music. My song was reaching its crescendo, stomach tense, legs twitching; a tsunami was ready to be expelled from my body.

“Not yet, not yet Elisia.” He rose, unbuckling his pants. The crest froze. I gasped, choking on my song. The release was on pause as Xavier freed his appendage. My muscles strained. “Look at you. So desperate for me.” He smiled before kissing my parted lips. I couldn’t move. I was trapped by the pending orgasm and Xavier knew it. He revelled in it. Prided himself on how I needed him to bring me to completion or I would be stuck, writhing, unable to finish my song.

Xavier stripped, tossing his clothes across the room. With one hand he tugged his member, with the other he squeezed my right breast. The firm kneading would bruise. I arched and writhed, begging with my body and my eyes for him to release me.

“You’re so beautiful, Elisia.” He bowed to my body, taking my petite breast in his mouth. A jolt, lightning striking the ocean, sparked over my body. “Ooh, Elisia.” He rubbed his tip over my entrance. “Mm, you’re dripping.”

The light of the fire flickered on the side of his face, ravenous and ferocious. Xavier lined himself up, large lust filled eyes watching as he descended into my depths. He gasped and moaned, pressing his manhood all the way in. The heat of him inside me blazed, making me flop like a fish on a hook. Liquid spilled out of me, displaced by his length. It was slick and hydrating.

Xavier began to move, grunting as he thrust into my body. My song resumed as he plunged in and out. Voice melded with the air, the song covered the sounds he made as he pumped hard. Sweat began to drip from his body. Sweet, salty droplets rolled over his muscles before being gifted to me. Each one like a tiny piece of the sea kissing me. I could smell the salt underlining the hot air.

“El-el,elisssia.” He moaned my name, crashing forward in one final heavy thrust. The spilling of his salty seed within my body sent the tsunami crashing down on me. Head thrown back, back arched pressing my stomach up into his cut abs, emerald hair spread across the fur rug, my song reached its end.

Xavier practically purred as he flopped, hot and sticky, next to my body. With one muscular arm he pulled me in, falling asleep on the fur rug in front of the fire.

“Xavier?” I whispered. The human that held my heart didn’t stir at the sound of my voice. Painstakingly, I untangled myself from his heat and moved away from the burn of the fire.

In the kitchen, after three glasses of salt water, I sat down to consider whether I could really follow through with my plan. Xavier wouldn’t follow me into the sea. He wasn’t prepared to compromise by letting me share my time between the land and my home. The coolness of the kitchen was soothing, relaxing. Gave me space to think.

An urge to take action hit me.

The wooden chair squealed against the tiled floor as I stood abruptly. From a draw I took a wooden spoon, then made another glass of salt water. Between my teeth, I placed the handle of the spoon. Over the sink I extended one arm.

When the salt water hit my skin it tingled. It was the urge to transform. Breathing through my nose (so strange compared to water through my gills) I let scales form on my arm. Selecting a particularly large, iridescent scale, I bit down hard on the spoon and yanked it out. Tears sprang to my eyes and a bead of my blue blood rolled down my arm.

When the pain had subsided I clutched the scale to my heart.

“Xavier, my love - I must return home to make my peace and say my goodbyes. When the year turns new I will come back to you. Wait for me…” As I whispered the message the scale glowed.

In the living room, Xavier was still sleeping peacefully on the rugs before the fireplace. One arm was flung out, stretching towards me as though it knew I was absent.

“Dream sweetly, my love.” I kissed the scale and placed it in his palm. When he awoke he would be able to see me in my scale, hear my voice, feel my love. “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

His hand closed around the little piece of me I’d given him. Tears clung to my eyes and hope clung to my heart as I made my way to the sea. Mother Amphitrite welcomed me with open arms. My legs became one; a long silky tail with fins. My skin grew scales. My teeth were needles. My eyes were larger and gills opened on my neck.

Embraced by the cool inky depths of the ocean, I took my final journey home.

- - -

“Are you sure, Elisia?”

“Yes, Sister. My heart is true.”

“And his?”

“He loves me, that is enough.” Smiling, I held my sister in my arms. I didn’t doubt that she would visit me but I would not come to the sea any more. It was hard but I’d made my peace, I would leave the sea behind for Xavier. My sister gave me a sad look. She knew what my words meant.

“I will miss you.” She hugged me rather than argue with my decision.

“I will miss you also, Sister.” I squeezed her back. When we parted, I turned for the shore. Just before the water became too shallow I called out to Mother Amphitrite, Goddess of the sea. As always she answered my call and I shifted. On two legs I pulled myself from the ocean and walked to Xavier’s mansion.

Naked, under the pale moonlight of new years eve, I stood on the doorstep. My long emerald hair was still wet, sticking to my back. The lights were on. Music and people could be heard inside. Had Xavier organised a party for my return?

Love bubbled in my chest as I knocked. I had missed him.

“Elisia?” Xavier opened the door with a glass of wine in his hand. His face held surprise. His voice was shocked and unsure.

“Xavier!” Exuberant, I flung myself through the doorway. “I missed you.” Hanging on his neck, I tasted his lips.

“Stop.” He pulled back.

“But…” My heart clenched. “Xavier, I’m sorry I left the way I did, but please don’t be mad at me. I had to say goodbye to my family. I needed to make my peace.”

“You stole away in the night.” Xavier told me in a hard tone. His face emotionless and dismissive.

“It was too painful to say goodbye, even though it was temporary. I left you a note.” My throat was tight, lips trembling. “Did, did you not get my scale?” Breath caught in my chest. He stomped off. Alone in the lobby, door still open behind me, my heart was sinking fast.

“Here.” He held out my beautiful green scale, pinched between his forefinger and thumb as he barreled back into the room. “Your note.” In anger. In disgust. In hate. He threw my precious scale at my feet.

Tears streamed down my face. My skin tingled where it was wet.

“Xavier? I don’t understand.” Hands shaking, I picked up my scale. The one I had given him in love.

“You don’t understand.” He mocked, a cruel smile decorating his lips. “Well now, aren’t I lucky. Disobedient and dumb.”

“You love me.” Somehow those words had gone from truth to a plea.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Elisia. You were a prize. A commodity. A trophy that I could show off. I’m a respected man, Elisia, I can’t sit around pining, waiting on a woman while she plays fish.” His words were vicious harpoons straight through my heart.

“Darling? Who was at the door…” A woman, belly swollen with child, stepped in. The sight of me, naked, made her pause. I’d only left seven months ago.

“A waif, that was leaving. Go back to the party my sweet, I shall see her on her way.” He glared at me. The woman, round with his child, looked at me with pity.

“Of course my darling, there’s an old coat on the last peg she could have and I could ask Chrissy for some leftovers from the kitchen?” She was kind.

“I said go back to the party.” He ordered. The woman who had taken my place wordlessly turned away.

“She is more of a trophy?” Unsure, I fidgeted with my hair.

“Yes.” Xavier stepped close and sipped his wine. I could feel the heat of his body filling the remaining space between us. “She has status. She has money. She is educated. She is beautiful. She isn’t constantly trying to drag me off into the ocean and she does as she is told. It’s just a shame that, unlike you, she’s a lousy fuck.” Xavier looked down on me. His lips a brazen, unapologetic smile as he brought the wine to his lips.

The juxtaposition of my love emanating from the scale I clutched, against the feeling of my heart becoming rapidly hollow, expanded the pain exponentially.

A scream shattered the air. My lungs strained. The glass in Xaviers hand cracked, spewing red wine down his arm. Staining his shirt.

“You bitch.” He spat. In quick succession Xavier drew back his hand and struck me across the face. He had hurt me before but I had always thought it accidental - afterall I was fragile. My love for him had muddied the waters; everything was crystal clear now.

Bare feet slammed into hard earth as I ran for the sea. Already she had heard my heart. Darkness on the horizon had begun to steal the stars. The wind was whipping my hair. Green ribbons billowing out, tangled energy that matched the incoming storm. Before I’d reached the beach I could hear the waves crashing, rough, boisterous, vengeful. The scent of the sea was deep. That vigorous wind had stirred up so much sea spray I was already drenched. Head to unwanted toe I was already tingling.

I wanted the sea and she wanted me. Scales coated my upper half and I was desperate to lose my legs. Instead of taking the path down the dune I aimed for the outcrop. Ragged, broken breaths brought salt to my tongue. A heart wrenching sob burst from my lips as I leapt from the cliff and into the sea’s embrace.

Through the foam, the crest, the roiling current I dove. A riptide captured me, like a Mother’s hand dragging their child from danger. Amphitrite raged. The icy water cradled me, cooled the burn of my stinging heart.

To the depths she pulled me, drew me to safety.

“Tell me my child, what would you have me do?” Mother Amphitrite herself appeared, a swirl of bubbles scouting around where I had settled; sadly resting on the sea bed, hugging my tail. “I will claim him for you.”

“No,” I squeaked in panic.

“He hurt you. I will drown him and claim his soul.” She snarled, the sea reverberating all around me.

“Please, Mother, do not pollute your waters with his rancour.” An idea came to me. Could I be so cold? I touched my swollen face and thought of my replacements swollen belly. It would be a mercy. “Curse him instead, claim any woman that he claims. Call them to the sea and make them your children.”

“Elisia, daughter of the sea, I see your heart, it is not cold.” The current around me shifted. Bubbles moved; cling to my scales, drifting over my hair. I felt Mother Amphitrite’s love. “Xavier shall be relieved of any bride he should resolve to take. They will become your sisters, children of the sea. We possess love, love does not possess. ”

The bubbles dispersed.

In my heart I felt the call of the sea as Amphitrite lured Xavier’s bride. The song was beautiful and haunting like my memories of my time on land.

Pen name: S. Liongate

Dreame Books:

The Wrong Hope

Convenience Nights: A Collection of Short Stories

Claiming The Remnant