"Syrena!"
Her father's voice thundered through the water, startling her. No one was supposed to be awake at this hour. She spun around. His eyes blazed with rage.
"Father," she said, already scrambling for an excuse. "What brings you to my chamber so late at night?"
"Where were you?" he demanded, swimming closer, brushing aside kelp and leaves with the sharp edge of his trident. His grip on the weapon was tight—dangerously tight.
"I was with Lily," she lied quickly. "I was careful—"
"Shut up!" he roared. "You went up to shore again!" She opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off sharply. "Don't lie to me. I had the sea horses follow you."
Her heart sank. There was no point in denying it now. "Very well," she said, raising her chin. "I went to the shore. I loved it there. The land is beautiful."
"There is nothing beautiful about that cursed place," he growled, slamming his trident into a nearby rock. It shattered into pieces. "Those humans are nothing but demons."
"No, Father," she said defiantly. "They are kind, full of heart. You just haven't met one."
"Nonsense," he snapped. "They're murderers. And I forbid you to ever return to the shore!"
Bile rose in her throat as she watched him swim away. Why did he hate them so much? The humans she knew were nothing like what he described. They were warm… gentle.
Ervin had warned her this would happen—that her father would never accept their love. He'd been right. She was no longer a child. She could make her own choices.
With a determined flick of her tail, Syrena swam up to the surface. Ervin was there waiting, as always. He rushed to her side, wrapping her in a blanket, shielding her bare skin from the night air.
"What did he say?" he asked, pulling her into a comforting hug.
"He doesn't want me to see you anymore," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. "I don't know why he hates seeing me happy."
He gently cupped her face and brushed her tears away with his thumb. "Then don't go back. Stay here—with me." He kissed her softly. "Marry me, Syrena."
She broke into tears—this time, tears of joy. She threw her arms around him and kissed him with all the love she'd held back for so long. "Yes. I'll marry you."
Three Years Later...
Syrena tossed her suitcase onto the bed and yanked the zipper open. She began throwing her dresses inside, her hands trembling. Ervin would be home any moment, and she needed to be gone before then.
On the bed, her three-year-old daughter, Althea, played with a wooden doll. "Mummy, where are we going?" the little girl asked.
"On a trip, my love," Syrena replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "Far away from here."
"Will Daddy come with us?"
"No!" The word escaped too harshly, startling the child. Syrena took a deep breath, crouching beside her daughter. "No, sweetheart," she said more gently. "Daddy is staying here."
She did one last sweep of the room to be sure she hadn't forgotten anything important, then picked up the suitcase and headed downstairs.
As she neared the front door, a voice stopped her cold. "Where do you think you're going?"
The air shifted. Syrena froze, heart pounding, as she slowly turned to face the voice that had the power to terrify her—Ervin.
"Please, let me go," she said, barely above a whisper. "I can't do this anymore."
Ervin turned on the lamp beside the couch, his chiseled face bathed in warm light. He was smiling—that same cruel smile that once charmed her and now made her sick.
"I never forced you," he said calmly. "You made your choice."
Syrena bolted for the door, abandoning her suitcase. Her fingers fumbled desperately with the knob. It didn't move.
Behind her, Ervin jingled the keys mockingly.
He chuckled, a deep, bone-chilling sound. "For better or worse, remember?"
"You heartless monster!" she screamed, slapping him across the face. "You liar! You tricked me!"
His jaw twitched, though he kept his expression cool. "Easy now, darling." The smile vanished. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and dragged her back to the center of the room—Althea still clutched in her arms.
"You should've listened to your pathetic father," he snarled. "He tried to warn you."
She sobbed as he tightened his grip. It had started a year ago, after Althea was born. Ervin had changed. Strange men began visiting their home, whispering in hushed tones. He insisted on bathing Althea himself—and she'd noticed how long he held the baby under the water. Once, her daughter passed out. But why?
Then she overheard it—his damning conversation.
"What about the baby?" one of the men had asked.
"She hasn't turned yet," Ervin replied. "I've checked her myself."
"Why the delay?" the man hissed. "Are you even sure you married a mermaid?"
Ervin's voice had been laced with venom. "She's a mermaid. If the child doesn't turn... then take the mother instead." That's when she realized the truth.
Ervin was working with vampires. He lured mermaids, married them, got them pregnant—and sold off their children.
"Let me go, Ervin!" she begged, desperation tearing through her. "Please… just let me go."
"No, my love," he said with a smile that chilled her blood. "The Prince of Erston is expecting you." As if summoned, the front door burst open. Two men entered—vampires. She recognized them. Her pleas turned to screams as they seized her and dragged her toward the door.
"Mummy!" Althea cried, running after her.
Ervin scooped the child up before she could follow. "Mummy's gone now," he whispered coldly, holding her tight. "It's just me and you."