And he obviously didn't. His breath was coming in gasps, and the muscles in his arms were tight and quivering. CC could see the effort it was costing him to keep them afloat in the choppy waters. She looked at him more carefully. If he had been human, he would have been a tall man. The merman's torso was well defined; his arms were powerful and his flat abdomen rippled with strength. But he didn't have the bulky cords of muscles that had packed Sarpedon's frame, nor did he have the other merman's overwhelming size. Obviously, mer-creatures came in different shapes and strengths, just like people.

"I give you my oath that I will not harm you, Undine." Dylan spoke the words slowly and clearly, enunciating carefully around his ragged breathing. "Look—" He shifted one hand from her waist, causing her to slip a little way down in the water. He grasped her arm, still keeping her head and shoulders above the water, and with his other hand, he reached toward her breasts.

"Stop!" CC jerked back.

"You misunderstand," he assured her quickly. "I wish only to touch the amulet of the goddess. If it does not burn me, you will see that I have no desire to harm you."

CC held very still as the merman's hand moved slowly between her breasts. He cupped the amber teardrop in his palm.

Nothing happened. Dylan let the amulet fall from his hand and held his palm open for her inspection. It was unmarked.

"Do you believe me now, Princess Undine?" he asked.

She nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Hold onto my shoulders and rest your body against my back. Then I can swim under the water while you remain above the surface."

"Okay," she said, fighting back her fear.

"Come, then."

Still holding her securely by the arm, he pulled her toward him and turned so that she was facing his broad back. His skin was tan and flawless. His hair fell thick and heavy past his shoulders. It was wet and it glistened like a raven's wing. He slipped down in the water so that she could easily reach his shoulders.

She hesitated, afraid to touch him. He's just trying to help me, she told herself and forced her hands to grasp the rounded tops of his shoulders.

"You must hold tightly." He turned his head and spoke over his shoulder.

"I'm trying," CC said. Her hands felt numb and they didn't seem to want to obey her. Her lips were cold and the skin on her arms looked unnaturally pale.

Dylan reached around and with his forearm held her firmly against him. The length of CC's naked body was pressed to the back of the merman. She could feel his muscles tensing against her. His breathing was rough, and his skin felt incredibly warm against her chilled flesh. He turned his head again and their eyes met. Hers were wide with shock; his were dark with unspoken emotion.

"You have nothing to fear. I will not let you fall," he said simply.

A strong thrust of his tail sent the merman forward. He ducked his head under the water and began swimming just below the surface. CC clung to his back, struggling to breathe as waves slapped her face. Against her body she could feel the rhythmic beat of the merman's tail as it propelled them toward the shoreline.

As they neared the shore, the rain stopped. The sky began to clear and the waves quieted. Within minutes it was as if there had never been a raging storm. Dylan swam around jutting clumps of coral and rocks until CC could see that the shoreline was just a few yards from them. With a graceful flick of his tail he lifted his torso out of the water.

CC still clung, gasping, to his back. Hesitantly, as if he didn't want to stop touching her, he unwrapped his arm from around CC. Her feet found the sandy bottom, and she let go of his shoulders.

The instant her feet met land, she felt an electric tingling throughout her body, and there was a burst of incredible light. Threads of brightness obscured her vision, like she had been trapped in a glowing spider's web. Then, as abruptly as it had begun, the light show ended.

CC was standing in water that came just below her breasts, and her body felt somehow different. She looked down at herself and gasped. She was clothed in layers upon layers of cloth that created a beautiful dress, which sparkled and shimmered with the exact colors that had been in her mermaid's tail. The fabric was heavy and wet, but CC could still see the intricate needlework that covered almost every inch of it. Her fingers and wrists were covered with rings and bracelets. She shook her head in wonder and felt dangling earrings brush against her neck. Her hair, too, felt unnaturally heavy, and CC raised a hand to touch strands of jewels that had been magically woven within it and draped around her slender neck.

"The Goddess Gaea cares for her own," Dylan said. The merman's tail was curled under him so that it appeared that he was standing beside her. He had drifted a step away from her, as if to give the magic room to work, but he didn't seem surprised by the sudden manifestation of CC's new wardrobe.

"Thank you, Gaea," CC said aloud. She studied the thickly leafed trees lining the beach, but she didn't see any sign of the goddess. Then her gaze returned to the merman.

"And thank you," she said. "I think I owe you my life." The sun had come out and its rays were already warming her. She was exhausted and her body felt like it was made of lead, but her uncontrollable shivering had stopped, and now that she was dressed, she didn't feel nearly as helpless.

He shook off her thanks. "No, Undine. There is no debt between us. I only offered aid when it was needed."

"Well, thank you anyway." Automatically, she offered her hand to him, and with only a slight hesitation he took it.

But instead of shaking it he lifted it slowly to his mouth and pressed it to his lips. CC stopped breathing. Dylan's lips were warm—and that warmth traveled through her body, making the fine hairs on her arm rise in response. His eyes met hers, and CC realized how darkly handsome he was.

She found herself wanting to whisper I think I dreamed about you, but his gaze mesmerized her into silent breathlessness.

He continued holding her hand in his, and she felt him stroke it gently with his thumb. Her skin tingled under his caress, and her breath came back in a rush. The smile on his full lips was reflected in his dark, expressive eyes. When he spoke his voice was rough with emotion.

"Undine, you are most wel—"

A shout from the shore startled them. In one blink, Dylan dropped her hand and plunged headfirst, disappearing instantly beneath the waves.

CC turned to the shore in time to see surging from the line of trees a man riding a huge black horse. She took a step forward and her feet became tangled in the thick skirts of her dress. She fell face first into the water, where she struggled and floundered impotently against the weight of her clothes. Before she could regain her feet she was pulled roughly to the surface, swept up into the man's arms and carried to the beach like a child. She coughed and wiped water from her eyes, thinking how extraordinarily tired she was of swallowing seawater.

"You are safe now, my lady," the man said earnestly. Placing her gently on the sand, he kneeled beside her.

"Th-thank you." CC coughed. She looked up at him and couldn't help staring. He was dressed like she imagined an ancient knight would have been dressed. He wore a pointed helmet made of silver metal that left most of his face open, except for a studded nosepiece. A long tunic of gray chain mail covered him from torso to knees, leaving his thickly muscled legs bare. He had a huge sword strapped to his waist and the scarlet cape that was tossed over his shoulders was held in place by a large pewter brooch in the shape of a roaring lion. Blond hair escaped from under the helmet and curled around his shoulders. He looked like a young war god.