The Tides of Loss and Longing (Love from the Deep #1)

Chapter 5

Drake

A s Drake freshened up under the waterfall the following morning, his thoughts drifted back to Aurelia despite his best efforts to focus on anything else. He hated to admit it, but he was in denial of his attraction to her, a mermaid. It was an attraction that would lead nowhere good, and he needed to let it go.

On his way back to the main cavern, a soft, enchanting melody reached his ears, stopping him in his tracks. Quietly, he continued down the passage, captivated by her voice. When he reached the main cavern, he spotted her lounging on a large rock on the pool’s edge, singing a song filled with longing and heartache. Her voice was the most hauntingly beautiful thing he had ever heard, rivaling even the sirens’ songs. He loathed to interrupt her, but watching from the shadows made him feel like a voyeur.

“You have a beautiful voice,” he called out as he stepped into the cave’s light.

Aurelia startled, slipping off the rock and into the water. A moment later, her pink head popped out of the surface. “Good morning, Drake,” she called back to him, swimming toward the shoreline before perching herself on the sandy beach. “I was wondering if I could show you how to gather food for yourself in the cove?” she asked shyly, looking up at him through her lashes.

Drake knew he should refuse. He had lived at sea long enough to know how to collect his own food, and he had plans to explore the island today, hoping to gather any information that might lead to his rescue. But curiosity got the better of him. Before he could stop himself, he heard the words leave his mouth. “That sounds like the perfect plan.”

Her turquoise eyes sparkled with happiness, and her smile was so radiant it left him breathless. Drake was beginning to wonder if it was luck that brought her to him—or if she was a curse, sent to torment him for all his misdeeds.

◆◆◆

Drake stood on the beach of the secluded cove, waiting for the mermaid to appear from her underwater entrance. Aurelia had told him she needed to gather supplies and would meet him on the beach.

The water was a stunning, crystalline blue, so clear that he could see the sandy seabed below, where seashells gleamed and fish darted around. Sudden ripples caught his eye, and he looked up to see Aurelia gliding effortlessly through the water, her pink hair trailing behind her like a veil of liquid silk. He wanted desperately to run his hands through it. Her seafoam green tail, covered in iridescent scales, shimmered with every flick, catching the sunlight that filtered through the water.

Aurelia perched herself on the shoreline, a net and a spear in her hand. “Have you hunted fish with a spear before?” she asked.

“Never.” It was a lie, but only a small one.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll catch on fast. All you need is timing and accuracy.”

“Sounds easy enough. Will you give me a demonstration?” He raised a brow at her.

“Of course!”

Aurelia gripped her spear with a sense of purpose that sharpened her features. He watched as she swam further out, eyes scanning the underwater landscape. Fish swam around her, seemingly undisturbed by her presence, reminding him that she was indeed a creature of the sea.

Drake stood still on the shore, mesmerized by her grace and agility in the water. The scene before him was so surreal, so striking, that he did not dare disturb her concentration with even the slightest movement. A delicate furrow formed between her brows as she took aim. Then, with precision and fluidity, she threw the spear, piercing a fish in one smooth motion.

Drake couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “Well done, little mermaid. I’m impressed.”

Aurelia smiled cheekily, collecting the fish in her net before returning to him at the shore. With a playful display of bravado, she handed Drake the spear. “That is how you spearfish,” she said encouragingly. “Give it your best effort, but don’t worry if you don’t catch a fish on your first try. I had to practice for quite a while before I caught mine.”

Drake briefly examined the spear, finely carved from driftwood and bone. It was a bit light for his taste but well-balanced. “All right, I’ll give it a try. But promise me you won’t laugh. My pride could not take it.” He fought to suppress his grin.

“Pride?”

“It is… a man’s dignity. My self-worth, you could say.”

Her turquoise eyes widened. “I would never!”

“Of course not,” he teased.

With the spear in hand and his breeches rolled well above his knees, Drake waded into the calm, cool waters. He moved with calculated jerks, pretending to be unsure, not wanting to give up the ruse just yet. He felt her soft, curious gaze on him and found he enjoyed having her full attention—perhaps more than he should. Spotting his targets, he poised the spear and, with well-practiced precision, threw it, spearing two fish in one motion.

Aurelia gasped behind him. “You tricked me! You have done this before!” she shouted in mock indignation.

Drake glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned. “I’ve lived at sea for many years. If I couldn’t fish, I'd have starved ages ago.”

She burst into laughter, the warm, melodic sound wrapping around him, beckoning him to join in. “Fair enough. But what about the edible plants in these shallow waters? Do you know all of those?”

Drake swallowed his distaste at the thought of eating more seaweed. He could easily dismiss the idea, but the excitement in her eyes was hard to resist. “Would you care to show me?”

“It would be my pleasure!”

They spent the rest of the day wading through the island’s shallow waters, Aurelia eagerly pointing out various edible plants, algae, and the occasional shellfish they encountered. In truth, Drake wasn’t paying much attention to her lessons. Instead, he found himself captivated by her voice—soothing, sweet, and effortless. He could listen to her talk for hours about anything.

Her fluid grace in the water, the way she moved with such ease, made it nearly impossible to take his eyes off her. The day had passed in serene relaxation, his usual worries tucked away in the back of his mind. For the first time in years, the constant weight of captaining his ship lifted, replaced by a sense of peace he hadn’t realized he craved. And it was all because of Aurelia.

He was wholly, utterly charmed by her.