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 stood over the sleeping baby. His heart thudded in his throat, and a queasy feeling made his knees shake. It shouldn't be this hard, just take the human babe and go. Take it to Skelmis. It was better than killing a fully-grown human, better than taking a life that had already had become attached to other humans. This tiny thing did not yet have dreams or hopes or wishes for the future. All it knew was sleeping and eating. Besides, the humans wouldn't hesitate to kill merfolk; they killed their own kind, for seagod's sake. Rory lifted the bundle out of the crib and crept into the hallway. It was surprisingly heavy, this human child. 


With the baby sleeping in his arms, Rory walked as quickly as he could toward the doorway that led outside. He rounded a corner-and smacked straight into Rani. 


"Rory!" she said, quickly taking stock of him and his bundle. "What are you doing with that baby?"


Chapter 46