Chapter 8

Eventually, I woke up from my delirium-induced dream. Apparently, I was in the hospital, being treated for my allergic reaction. I frowned, realizing that my time with Nixie had been nothing more than a figment of my imagination.

“You’re awake!” Nixie’s soft voice broke me out of my heartbroken state. I woke up, staring at her as if she were some sort of apparition.

“What… what are you doing here?” I asked her, a little unsure.

“When you passed out… I was so scared. I thought something had happened to you and then you started to swell up like a balloon. I couldn’t simply abandon you, could I? So I came with you to the hospital.”

“What time is it?” I asked, feeling disoriented.

“It’s about ten in the morning.”

“You stayed all night?” I asked in surprise.

“No, I went home, but came back about two hours ago.” She explained, her cheeks turning pink. “I hope you don’t mind…”

“Are you kidding? I’m glad you’re here…” Hesitantly, I reached forward, grabbing her hand. I allowed my thumb to caress her skin. “I’m sorry about my actions at the restaurant. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I wasn’t myself.” I looked at her, hoping she would believe my lame excuse. “I hope that we can forget about it and start anew?” I asked her, looking hopeful.

She nibbled at her bottom lip, looking unsure. “I don’t know…” She whispered.

“I promise, I’ll behave myself from now on. I have a house by the beach. Nothing fancy. Just this weekend, Saturday maybe. You can come over and I’ll open up a bottle of wine. Completely platonic.” Even though this wasn’t true I still had to find some way to convince her.

“You promise?”

I nodded. “Sailor’s promise.”

She gave me a quizzical look before her features softened. “Okay. This Saturday.” With that, she kissed the top of my head before leaving the room.

***

I made sure everything was perfect before she arrived. On the balcony, I had already set up a small table with glasses, wine, cheese, and other refreshments. Soft, romantic music was playing. The heat lamps were on, creating the perfect atmosphere. Everything looked great. All I had to do now, was wait. And that was always the hardest part.

The minutes seemed to drag on until finally, the doorbell rang. I rushed over to answer the door, looking myself over in the mirror one last time. I rolled my broad shoulders, easing the tension that had settled there. I took a deep breath, trying to relax. Eventually, I opened the door.

Nixie was standing there with her silver hair, this time styled in bouncy beach curls. She had silver-themed makeup on to match her hair and it suited her quite well. Her dress was a shimmering blue that made her look like a mermaid. I gulped down my sudden feelings of arousal before holding out my hand. “Right this way, lovely lady.”

She followed me, the sound of her heels clicking against the marble floors, accompanying us. I could almost feel her eyes take in the features of my lavish home. There was surely a look of astonishment on her face. She had never imagined a house so big. I grinned, bringing her up the spiral staircase to the second floor. We cut through my bedroom to the balcony. For a moment, her eyes rested on my four-poster bed.

“Here we are,” I said, guiding her onto the moonlit balcony.

“Wow. This is beautiful.” She said with a gasp, looking out at the seaside view.

“Not as beautiful as you…” I whispered, coming up behind her, placing my hands on her hips. She jumped, turning around. Our faces came together, our breaths fusing into one. My lips nearly brushed against hers before I pulled away, knowing a kiss would surely scare her away. “There’s something I want you to see…”

Nixie tilted her head to the side, her hair bouncing off her shoulders. “What is it?” She asked, her voice barely a whisper. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the golden ring my nymph had given me two hundred years ago. Her eyes grew big, nearly popping out of their sockets. “You can’t mean… We only just met… this is insane…”

“No. Don’t be silly, I’m not trying to propose to you,” I answered with a heavy heart. Even at the sight of the golden band, she could not remember me. I wondered if she would ever remember or if her memories were forever lost. “But I do want you to try and remember something for me, even if it sounds completely crazy, okay?” Nixie didn’t say a word. Her eyes were still glued to the ring in disbelief. “Okay?”

Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”

I took a deep breath, knowing I had a lengthy tale to tell. “Two hundred years ago, I used to be a pirate. I was known as Slade of the Seven Seas. I journeyed to every corner of the Earth, but in the end, I always came back to you.” I paused, refilling my lungs with air. “You were an Oceanid, a water nymph that presided over the Caribbean Sea. When I was young, you saved me from drowning and I never forgot this act of kindness you did for me. Soon, I fell in love with you. I wanted to marry you, but as an Oceanid, I could only marry you if I held a royal title and alas, I was just a common pirate.” At this point, Nixie seemed mesmerized by my story and she seemed to have no intention of stopping me so I continued.

“So I planned to kill Atlas, King of the Pirates. And I even managed to do so, but only after he dealt me a fatal blow. I fell into the water and the last thing I remember was you holding me in your arms. You slid this ring on my finger and told me that you would wander the Earth in your human form until you found me. Well, here I am. Now please, remember me.”