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

Rory looked as though she had just asked him to swim with sharks in a pond with an open wound.


"I don't...think that's a good idea," he said. 


"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand. "The worst that can happen is that you trip, we laugh, and then keep on dancing."


In a flash, Rory saw himself tripping and falling flat on his back or plowing into other humans and offending them so outrageously that the king forbade him from the castle that very instant. Yet when he looked at Rani, she was smiling so expectantly and seemed to have such confidence in him that he took a step forward. 


"Just remember that when my foot steps back, yours steps forward to fill in the gap," she said. "And when you feel my hand pressing this way," she pressed against his shoulder "come forward, but if you feel me press back," again she pressed, "then go back."


Never had Rory ever thought he would feel like a lost baby turtle, not having the slightest direction of where to go, yet here he was. 


Chapter 38