Free The Little Mermaid (Faerie Tale Collection) by Jenni James Page B

drink.
    Pearl sighed. Her hand reached up and weakly held the woman’s wrist. “Thank you.” Her speech was slurred and the woman probably had no notion of what she had said, but it did not matter. In that moment, communication was not necessary. The kind soul kissed Pearl’s cheek and wiped her brow again.
    She seemed better. Thank the sea gods there was kindness in this world after all.
    Just then, a soldier came up from the ocean and toward them. Keel hitched the mermaid up on his chest, daring the prince’s guard to touch either of them. Right as he was about to walk away, the older woman boldly stood between Pearl and the soldier.
    Ruby loudly spoke to the man as he approached, almost as if she were threatening him with bodily harm if he hurt them. When she motioned for Keel to follow her as she began to lead them toward the beach, Keel shook his head. He honestly could not trust her.
    Holding her arms out in front of them both, she began to walk down. The soldier looked stunned and a bit unsure of what he was to do next.
    Could this be happening? Was a human actually caring about merfolk enough to save them?
    Keel began to follow her.
    As they approached the beach, there was no sign of the prince, but his army was waiting for them. They did not stop. They did not veer from their course. Instead, he clung to Pearl tighter as the woman shielded them both and kept walking.
    The woman hollered at the men as they passed them, but Keel knew it would not be enough. They hopefully would not harm her, but he did not put it past the soldiers to do something mean to him.
    As the soldiers went around the woman and up to him, Keel held his elbows out like shields and slammed into the men closest. They grasped his arms and attempted to whip him around, but neither were a match for his strength or determination or for the little old lady shouting down the sky.
    The fact that Keel’s upper body was exceptionally more toned from constant, vigorous swimming every single day was enough to deter these silly humans from stopping him, but with such a vicious protector, he could tell the men had no notion of what to do.
    With his hands full, nothing could halt the soldiers from stepping around the shouting woman and grabbing hold of Keel’s arms, of course. And they tried, multiple times. But even collectively, they could not stop him from moving, and so he progressed purposely forward through their shouting, dragging them along behind him. All the while, the old woman beat them with her fists and the cup.
    It would have been very comical if the situation were not as dire as it was.
    His movements were still just as determined, but slowed slightly as he approached the ocean and the amazed men gave up, allowing him to enter. He hoped the landfolks’ shock and fear of the water was enough to buy him a few minutes’ time as he waded out several feet into the cool, crisp ocean. Even Ruby stayed away from the shoreline.
    Keel relished the feel of the delicious water against his skin and knowing how much Pearl’s body must be craving this right now.
    Gently, he lowered her into the sea, face up near the outcropping of rock where they had been before. As soon as her feet touched home, her eyes flew open and connected with his.
    “I love you,” she whispered as a slight smile formed itself.
    He released her to sit down and then began to remove the bandage around her head. She sighed peacefully as he slipped the back of her head into the water. Her soft, moaning song had stopped for the moment, and it gave him hope. When she winced and clung to his arm, he grinned. Good. It was healing her. The fact that she could register the sting of the saltwater meant that she was now fully conscious as well. Good. Good. Good.
    He reached over and collected the antidote hidden within the rock. Popping the lid, he held it up to her mouth to drink. “Here you go. You shall be home soon. To grow your fins back does not take even a fraction of the time it