There was something in the water, but Isabelle couldn't tell
what it was. Scenes from her childhood on the beach in Puerto
Rico flashed before her. All those years ago she'd seen something,
too. Only it hadn't been something, it had been someone.
A very special someone. She'd smiled at him, and he'd smiled
back. He'd been the most beautiful man she'd ever seen, and
she could have sworn she'd just seen him again.
But, of course, that was impossible.
She lifted her hand to shield the setting sun from her eyes,
but all she could make out was a glint of something bobbing
on the ocean surface.
As a marine biologist she should know whatever lurked in the
warm waters of the Caribbean, and whatever it was, it wasn't
a man.
It also wasn't a fish, that was for certain. Although she
could swear it looked like a man's head, that couldn't be since
there were no boats nearby and it was too far out to be a swimmer.
She rubbed her hand against her lower stomach, that twinge
of pain on the right side annoying her again. For the past
day she'd felt little stabs of pain in the lower right of her
stomach, but cast it aside as indigestion from the new foods
she'd been eating at Paradise Resort.
It was nice of Morgan Marino, the owner, to let her occupy
one of the bungalows on the far side of the island, considering
she wasn't the least bit interested in the hedonistic activities
that took place at the resort. She was here to do research,
but certainly not the sexual kind.
Shaking her head at the various activities outlined in the
brochure she'd seen earlier in the day, she dismissed the thoughts
of sex running rampant on the other side of the island right
now, and concentrated instead on the bobbing object in the
distance.
A warm breeze whipped her hair against her face and she tucked
the unruly strand behind her ear, searching for the band to
tie it back. It was around her wrist, where it normally was.
She hurried to catch her long hair in a ponytail while squinting,
hoping whatever she'd seen out there hadn't disappeared.
"Ouch!" She reached for her
stomach and caressed the pain that had grown sharper by the
hour. She should know
better than to eat rich food.
She pushed the pain aside as the object appeared again. The
sun was now a bright orange glow melting into the horizon and
obstructing her vision of the mysterious object in the water.
Too small for a dolphin or whale, but about the right size
for a sea turtle.
If she stepped into the bungalow to grab her dive gear she'd
lose sight of it. She had to go into the water now and check
it out. At least get closer so she could identify it.
It had to be a turtle. It couldn't be him. He didn't exist
except in her childhood imaginings.
Shedding her wrap skirt, she walked into the water, thankful
she practically lived in her swim suit. The eighty degree water
soothed her aching muscles. That's what she got for lugging
around suitcases filled with dive gear and instruments as well
as her laptop. Good thing she didn't have much of a wardrobe.
She sliced through the ocean in quick strokes, keeping her
eye on the object that hadn't seemed to change locations. It
almost seemed like it wanted to stay put so she could find
it.
Ridiculous. Sea life wasn't that welcoming to humans. Even
if it was a dolphin or a sea turtle, they'd run in the other
direction once they saw her coming, or at least change direction.
Another fifty yards and she'd be there. It still hadn't moved,
appearing and disappearing with the roll of the waves, but
it was still in the same spot. She could almost make out its
shape now as she drew closer. How strange. If she didn't know
better she could swear it was a -
"Ow! Dammit to hell!" An unbelievable
pain knifed through her side. Nausea bubbled up into her
throat and she
fought back the piercing stab that threatened to double her
over.
Not now. Not in the water. She stopped and treaded, circling
around to look for the shore. Damn, what an idiot she was.
She'd come too far out already. The pain pierced her and she
could barely stay afloat. Despite the water she broke out into
a full body sweat and began to pant.
Don't panic. Stay focused. She had to reach shore, had to
get help. The pain seared through her and she cried out, but
no one heard her. No one could hear her. She was completely
alone.
Making her way back to shore wasn't going to be nearly as
quick as her swim outward. In fact, she could no longer stretch
her arms over her head to make the strokes work. Her feet wouldn't
work.
Oh, God, all she wanted to do was curl up in a little ball
and hold onto her side.
Someone please help. She wasn't ready to die. Not like this,
even though the ocean was her home, she didn't want to be buried
here.
But she was already losing the fight, the pain too much for
her conscious mind to bear. She slipped under the water, sucking
in a quick breath and fighting her way back to the surface.
It wouldn't do any good. Between the pain and the dizziness
she was doomed.
Too dizzy to even think clearly, she prayed for forgiveness
for the sins she'd committed during her life and hoped that
drowning was as pleasant an experience as she'd read about.
She inhaled deeply and held it as she lost control and spiraled
downward into the abyss.
She wouldn't be able to hold her breath long. Her lungs expanded
as she desperately tried to hang on, but failure was imminent.
Her chest burned from the need to breathe. Opening her eyes,
she took one last look at the rainbow of coral rising up to
greet her as she sank into the depths and opened her mouth
to inhale the water.
Her eyes fluttered closed and it was almost the slow fade
of falling asleep, that brief moment between consciousness
and unconsciousness.
Then, a sudden rush of water swirled around her. Instead of
sucking in the salty ocean, a warm, full mouth covered hers
and strong hands slipped under her arms, cradling her against
a rock solid body.
Was that a kiss searing her lips? It was. A kiss that sent
cool oxygen sliding down her throat. She gulped in as much
of it as she could take.
Maybe drowning really wasn't unpleasant. Maybe it was just
like breathing. At least her mind registered that she was breathing
air, though the lips still covered hers, which certainly wasn't
unpleasant. It wasn't sexual, more of a soft, gentle covering
of mouth over mouth. She'd never felt so protected, so cared
for in her life. A strange, almost languorous feeling swept
through her, as if everything was as it should be.
Everything but the pain that still knifed through her side.
Funny how that hadn't left her body yet. Wasn't death pain
free? It hurt, bad. Why wouldn't the pain go away? She'd give
anything for that.
A voice whispered in her mind. "Relax.
I'll take the pain away."
Who spoke to her? The body holding her? She couldn't open
her eyes no matter how hard she tried. It was all she could
do to linger on the fringes of consciousness.
A hand touched her lower stomach and a burning heat spread
through her. She jerked upright, then relaxed immediately as
the pain began to dissipate.
She was dying, the pain was going away and she was finally,
blissfully dying. Her world slipped away and faded to nothing.
* * * *
"You can't have her."
"I know," Dax replied to the
voice of Neptune, the guardian of all the sea people. He
didn't need to turn toward
the water to know Neptune wasn't there. But his consciousness
found Dax, as always.
"Then, why the interference?" Neptune asked. "Perhaps
it was her destiny."
Dax looked down at the dark haired beauty
resting in his arms. "It
wasn't her destiny. She swam out because she saw me. If I hadn't
been watching her she'd have sought help for her pain."
Neptune laughed, a deep rumble that spread
throughout the oceans. "You see only what you want to
see. You are like so many of the other guardians. Why is
it you're all so stubborn?"
Neptune was right. Dax shouldn't have watched her, shouldn't
have lingered so long that she saw him. But he'd known she
was coming to the island, felt her the moment she stepped
foot on the sand. For a man who rarely approached land humans,
this was a first for him. Despite the fact he knew he shouldn't
get close, knew he shouldn't make his presence known, he
couldn't stop himself.
Because of him she'd nearly died out here.
