Ariel Slick writes original fiction including short stories, novels, and memoirs to spread the joy of imagination and creativity. She also helps clients achieve their fiction writing goals with her ghostwriting skills on Upwork.com and Guru.com. 

Rory the merman wants just one thing in this life: to become a good king and lead his tribe of mer-people who live in the ocean, but when a mysterious illness strikes and mermaids start dying, he begins to investigate why, and who is behind it. 

When he discovers that it is humans who are dumping toxic waste into the water, he is spurred by tragedy to go ashore and speak with the human king himself. When he makes a deal with the evil Sea Warlock, he receives a magic spell to turn him human for seven days.

There’s just one catch: he must kill a human. That will be pretty difficult to do considering he just fell in love with the king’s daughter...


The King and His Sea

"Back to work, McPhereson!" cried the head of the castle. 


Katherine snapped back to the present. She tried to dull the ache in her heart by scrubbing the floor harder. She could feel the lye starting to burn on her skin and made a note to herself to rub some of her mother's ointment on her hands tonight. If only there were such an easy ointment from the heart. 


Derrick's ship had been gone for four, long, agonizing months. Although she had received a few letters, most were scribbled in haste and gave Katherine only a brief look into his life at sea. She wondered if her long missives were simply silly: she poured her heart out into her letters, and she still wondered if he felt the same way about her as she did for him. 


That was four months ago, she thought. He could have met a high-born lady, or two or three...His parents might have arranged for a marriage...he could be married at this very moment...


Chapter 26