We came up on the opposite side of the ship to that I had entered the water from, and Rivyn climbed the netted side, one arm wrapped around me. I hung like a broken doll, unable to find the strength to aid him.
The sailors griped us beneath the armpits, tipping us onto the deck before reaching back to Valhared and his treasures. Rivyn immediately wrapped around me, caging me against the deck with his body. I spat seawater out, struggling to breathe the air. Some magic the merman had wrought with his kiss, I thought, turning my lungs from breathing air to water. Would the third kiss have finalised the transition? I wondered.
“Shh,” Rivyn stroked his hands along my spine and breathed the comforting phrase into my ear. His body was hot against me, warming through our sodden clothing.
