Orange Roses - REVAMPED

Chapter Ten: Acid Trip to Faerieland

My heart leapt into my mouth. I took a deep breath.

"My feelings about Drake aren't any of your business." I rolled my eyes and grabbed the door knob. "At least I know not to-"

My knees buckled and I fell onto my back, foaming at the mouth. Shit. Shit. Shit. My fingers went cold.

Ari's head came into my vision. "What's wrong?"

"I wouldn't touch that door..." Ari looked over his shoulder as I looked up, trying to stop the shaking. I tried to grab a hold of myself, but the cold from my right hand spread to the elbow and crawled farther up. We both saw a mermaid smiling at us. "It's poisoned."

No shit Sherlock.

I'm not going to die like this. My eyes darted to Ari. The anger and sneer from before was gone and replaced with a mute concern. He'd seen people die, I could tell by how relaxed his face was. His eyes looked from the mermaid to me. 

"How do I cure her?" Ari said.

The mermaid was a small girl. She probably wouldn't be more than fifteen with long sea green hair that went to her hips. The scales on her tail shined in the sun and she pulled herself up with her arms and thrusting out her chest with a little smile on her lips.

"I can tell you for a price."

Of course.

"Girlie, this blonde girl here isn't worth my liver or my breath." Ari said. For someone who hung out with vampires a lot, he seemed to know a lot about what a faerie could want. And if I end up dead, I hoped that Keeva would rip this guy apart. Or Aine. Aine would probably do that. 

"I don't want that!" She giggled. 

Her eyes drifted over Ari again and this time I noticed what she was talking about. The cold reached my ribs and I could feel my breathing slow down. I glared at Ari.

"Help...me!" I hissed as the cold reached up from my ribs to my throat, making me clench my teeth together. "If I die..." 

"What do you want?" Ari repeated to the mermaid.

"A kiss." The mermaid said. 

I probably would've laughed if the spell hadn't numbed the muscles in my ribcage. Ari actually took off his shirt for show and leaned down to the mermaid. My life is going to be saved by a faerie tale cliche.  That's good to know, I guess. 

ARI HURRY THE FUCK UP.

He kissed the mermaid's forehead.

"that's not what I meant!" She squealed.

"You didn't give specifics," Ari said, "and I'm married." Ari lifted up a gold ring he wore on a chain that hung around his neck. "So tell me, girlie, what's the cure?"

"Black sand."

Ari grabbed a fistful of the black sand and stuffed it into my mouth. I swallowed after I tried to remember how to swallow. As soon as I swallowed it, I gasped and twisted to my side.

"What..." Sucking in a deep breath, "the hell..." air is way too precious, "was that?" The mermaid giggled.

"Too bad that we can't touch the door without dying," Ari said and flashed a smile at the mermaid.

"A kiss on the lips."

I looked to see Ari playing with the wedding ring on his silver chain. Ari went over to her and leaned over her again. He leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the mouth.