Tell Me Ariel, Are You Mine?

Chapter 20 - The Arms Of A Hunter

"I'll heal." He said with a reassuring nod, glass held to his lips. "Thanks."

"I was talking about Dante."

He swallowed. "I know. But I was talking about this." He touched his side just under his rib.

"Dante—" 

"Can be a ass sometimes." He finished for me. I smiled a probably untimely smile considering the circumstances. I think he knew that wasn't what I was going to say, but he was certainly thinking it.

Earlier, he'd bashed hard into the side of the bar when Dante had pushed him. I thought from the way Malcolm was sitting it had done damage to a rib, but he said it wouldn't take him too long now before he was back to his full self. He just wasn't as strong as he used to be; meaning his ability to heal quickly was now not so instant. 

"Only women can calm him down though." Offered Malcolm. "You particularly, of course. But I tell you, even the missus is able to set him the fuck straight." He chuckled with another grimace. He twisted himself like he'd pushed a bone back in place. Settling soon after, he grabbed his glass and swallowed the last quarter of it. He looked to be thinking though.

I smiled at the thought of what Malcolm had said. I'd seen Nera rip into her brother once or twice before. Yeah, she was no nonsense.

"Nera huh?" I came right out with it.

He looked straight at me with narrowed eyes at the mention of her name. "What?"

"Nera." I repeated. His eyes darted between both of mine as if he couldn't believe her name was on my lips. "I knew her. She's Nathaniels sister."

His eyebrows rose.

"Dante told me." I informed him. "That you're married to her."

He shook his head in wonderment. "You know my missus?"

I nodded. "Small world, huh?"

He smiled. "Small indeed. How? Do you know her, I mean."

"I dated her brother."

His lips quirked with disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me."

I shook my head at him. 

"You dated a hunter?" He said incredulously.

"Well, I didn't know at the time." And it was more than dating really, it was just over a year long relationship.

He laughed. "Fuuuucck." He couldn't believe it and shook his head. "Funny who you've now ended up with." He rubbed his head thinking. "Getting into relationships with people like us...God help you, mermaid. It won't be easy. I know that myself."

Yeah, I was beginning to realise that too.

"That's the problem with being a demon in this world. If you spend enough time here and something in your heart evolves, you'll develop human feelings. You'll eventually fall in love and want to live normal."

"Is that what happened to you? Is that why you're not with your wife?" I asked.

"I wanted her so badly, I defied rules when I married her." He said looking solemnly into his drink. "I shouldn't have asked her to marry me, I shouldn't have let it get this far." 

It sounded like he was almost chastising himself. I wanted to put my hand over his to comfort him but he carried on. "I should have let her go, but she's my love, I couldn't...I loved her too damn much. No way would I be without her. And Nera, well, she was willing to sacrifice it all for me. Her friends, her family. Leave it all behind. We demons are selfish like that. We want things no matter what the cost. Unfortunately, her ass of a brother makes things difficult. "