* * *
"Wake up," Angela says softly, shaking my shoulders. "The water's not helping her enough."
My eyes snap open as I look around to find my friend. I spot her immediately, her lower half submerged in the surf, and still unaware of the world around me. As the wave pulls away, the early morning sunlight shines off some large blue-tinted fish that's slowly swallowing Brooke.
Panic stricken, I stumble to my feet, and just barely note that I'm human again, naked and no longer chained, as I run to the assassin.
I'm not prepared for what I find. Staring hard at her, my mind can't comprehend her transformation.
"She's a mermaid," Angela's voice says right next to my ear. I notice that her wings are gone, and she's back to her punk form: short blue hair, hazel eyes, and even a round nose-ring this time.
"A . . .mermaid? But—but, how?" I demand.
Angela gives me a funny look, before shaking her head. "I guess I should have told you before; mermaids are Varun's assassins. Centaurs for Gaia the Pillar of Earth, and kobolds are TanaVesta's assassins. Kobolds are also those large hairy things that acted as the Pillar of Fire's personal guards."
"But . . . a mermaid?" Somehow it just doesn't sink in.
"If you're done spazzing out, she still needs your help. She's too weak and needs you to give her some life," Angela says, as she looks deep into my eyes. I can see sadness there, and wonder what that statement must have cost her.
What am I thinking? She's a succubus! She must be sad at the thought of losing Brooke, though that doesn't seem to fit either. If only I still weren't so tired, I could think clearer.
"But I'm still exhausted, and she's asleep. I can't do that to her!" I protest.
"Just go into her dreams, like I did when you were in the hospital." The way she says that makes it seem so obvious.
"Why can't you do it?" I ask, feeling shamed that I'm asking someone else to help Brooke, but I'm so tired.
"Because she's not into women," comes the easy response. I wonder how Angela could possibly know this, until I remember that she's a creature of sex. She must have some innate sense of what turns people on.
My friend still needs help, and I determine that I'll do what it takes.
Following Angela's directions, I close my eyes after getting comfortable in the sand. Well, as comfortable as I can while sitting naked in steadily warming sand. Sending out my thoughts, they touch upon the weak mermaid.
Impenetrable blackness surrounds me, and I lose all sense of direction as I enter the assassin's mind.
"You don't belong here," a disembodied voice sounds from all around me, and I spin around trying to locate it.
"Brooke?" I yell. "I'm here to help you!"
"Why don't you go back to your demonic lover?" the voice sounds again, and I can make out the angry sadness in it.
"Brooke, you've been my friend since elementary. I can't lose you."
"What about her?" The voice sounds like it's solidifying, and I spin to face it.
"What about her?" I ask back.
"Aren't you in love with her?" A shadowy form begins to take shape, and I take a step towards it, but I don't seem to move. "I believe she's falling in love with you."
It seems odd to hear that, after Angela had said the same thing about Brooke.
"No, she's just a friend," I reply back.
"Like me?"
Dang it, I can't seem to say anything right.
"You're different," I tell her honestly. "You've been there for me throughout my life. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you. Brooke, you're not just my friend, but my closest and dearest companion."
"You'd think differently, if you knew the whole truth about me." Her form starts to fade again.
"Wait! Do you mean about you being a mermaid? I already know. I don't have a problem with that. Is it about you being an assassin? I've known that for days." Her form becomes more substantial, and this time when I try to move, her form comes closer to me. "Please let me help you!"
"But you don't know everything. . ." her voice trails off, but I finally reach her and hug her mostly solid body to me.
"And I don't care," I whisper back to her, and her form comes into complete focus as her arms slip around my waist.
"Are you really here, or am I just dreaming?" Her words murmured into my shoulder warms my heart.
"Yes," I answer both questions, smiling as she looks up at me. Apparently my smile is infectious and she grins back up at me.
"In that case—" she cuts herself off as her lips press against mine. The kiss is gentle and sweet as her arms pull me tighter to her. An eternity passes before she pulls away, and it still feels too soon. "I've wanted to do that for a long time." Her face nuzzles into my neck, and once again I feel warm all over.
"Why didn't you?" I ask, wishing she had on more than one occasion.
"It's against our laws to form permanent attachments to humans. It's too hard not to want kids, and they can become very dangerous." She sounds like she wants to say more, but doesn't, and I remember the conversation with Angela about that.
"Lyden?"
"Yes, Brooke?"
"Make love to me in this place." Her words, delivered so softly, carry a large impact.
Placing my hand under her chin, I lift her head just a bit, and bring our faces back together. This time when our lips meet, they part, and I feel her tongue lick along my lips.
Sucking her tongue between my teeth, I drop my hands down her back, until they're resting lightly on her rear. This kiss is very different from the last one; hungrier and more demanding.
Pulling up the back of her shirt, I allow my hands to glide up her smooth skin to the clasps of her bra. Despite the practice I've had at undoing these annoying things, I still struggle with hers. That is, until I remember that we're in her mind and with a quick thought, she is completely topless.
"Oh," she gasps, when her clothes disappear, and she steps back from me and stares at her small breasts. When she looks back up at me, I can see a gleam in her eyes, which is oddly juxtaposed by her sucking in her bottom lip.
I feel a sudden draft, and realize that I'm now completely naked.
"Oh, really?" I ask with a wicked grin, before making the rest of her clothes completely vanish. Her body is truly magnificent. Slim legs, leading up to slender hips. There isn't a hair on her body below her head, and even though her tits are small, about A-cups, they fit the rest of her slender body perfectly. "Well," I ask while arching one eyebrow, "Are you just going to stare at me, or can I continue fulfilling your request?"
"You'd better make love to me," she tells me, before literally jumping into my arms.
Laughing as I catch her, I gently place her on the non-existent floor and return to kissing her. I break the kiss, and brush my lips down along her jaw, to her neck, and then her chest. Returning to kisses once again, I nibble lightly around her mammaries, spiraling my way up to her nipples, before taking the small nubs between my teeth, and sucking gently.
Brooke is moaning softly by the time I break away from her tasty teats and kiss my way down her body. I stop off at her belly button just long enough to shove my tongue into the small dimple before going down deeper to her sweet sex.
Her love juices are already flowing as I dip my tongue into her hole. She tastes sweet and wonderful, filling my mouth with her fluids as she moans and grinds herself against my lips. Sucking in one of her labia, I chew lightly on it, until her moaning reaches a crescendo. I shove my nose against her clit, shaking my head back and forth, as I push my tongue into her as deep as possible. Her fingers dig into the back of my head as she cries out in pleasure.
Knowing that I need to transfer energy to her, and not away from her, I focus my mind on that task, but don't feel any different. Did I do anything wrong? Did she fake the orgasm? Why wasn't there some transfer of life?
Brooke's moaning brings me back to the present, and I decide to try again on her next climax.
Sliding back up her body, I smile down at her, my grey eyes meeting her sea-green ones. I line up my cock with her coochy, and she finally speaks up.
"I've dreamt of this moment for so long," she tells me.
"Well, technically you're still dreaming," I tell her, and before she can respond, I move my hips forward and kiss her softly. My penis automatically conforms to her inner walls as I slide halfway in.
She pulls her face away from mine, and licks her lips. "Is that what I taste like in real life?" She smacks her lips a bit more, then adds, "Not as bad as I thought."
I move my hips back, and then drive forward again. "I think you taste wonderful."
"Shut up and kiss me." Before I have a chance to say or do anything more, her arms wrap around my neck and pulls my face back down to hers. Our tongues mingle while our bodies writhe.
"Oh, Lyden," she moans, "I love you so much. Never leave me!" Her body locks up, as she realizes the words she'd just uttered. I smile at her as I kiss her again, not entirely sure how to respond. Apparently it's the right move. Her pussy ripples around my length as she cums again, and again I try to transfer energy to her, but to no avail.
Maybe I have to cum to give her strength?
Rolling us over, I pull her chest down to my hungry lips, then grip her hips and pick up our pace. I continue to drive up into her, again and again, truly loving the musical sounds of her pleasure as her sensitive folds slip and slide around my penetrating tool. I know I'm not going to last long like this, and I suck harder while picking up my pace.
Her third orgasm hits as I start to fire my seed deep into her crevice.
I still don't notice any change in my energy, as I try to pump her body with vigor and my ejaculate.
Truly exhausted after the last few days, and disappointed in my failure to transfer power to the assassin mermaid, I drop my head back to the black ground.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," I say before sadly pulling out of her mind.