i gotta get outta here

Well, he'd gotten a proper thanks! Rah found himself smiling, but before he could reply, Heather had slipped away beneath the water's surface.

And even though she was gone, the man couldn't stop thinking about the spunky mermaid with the toxic touch.

-----

Even though Heather had said he didn't need to stick around, Rah did exactly that. He'd spent the past few days lurking around the shores of the lake, sleeping in various odd places that were terrible for his back, keeping a watchful eye out for the mermaid who'd piqued his interest and concerns. He supposed no news was good news, but he was still concerned. A new city full of new merpeople, nixies, nox, and even sirens--it couldn't have been easy to adjust to. The poor girl. Rah wished he could breathe underwater so he could at least make sure she was okay, but he hadn't inherited that part of being a siren.

And he wasn't sure if that was a blessing of a curse.

He sat on the shore, fishing for his dinner. In truth, it was less fishing and more coercing the simple-minded fish to beach themselves and drown. The rod was simply to keep up appearances for anyone who happened to wander close to his makeshift camp. Tonight he'd be sleeping on the ground, and he hoped that'd be better than sleeping on top of crates. He could rough it, but he'd grown used to certain comforts like beds. Which he'd paid for a night at the inn, but unfortunately his concern for Heather drove him to stay close to the lake.

A waste of money, but he could deal with that if it meant saving Heather from herself.

He lay back on the shore, dark eyes fixed on some lazing clouds overhead. There was a tick in his brain, and that tick was Heather. It was so hard to shake her from his thoughts, and honestly? It was a bit exhilarating. He hadn't had a good hunt in a while, and difficult prey was always the most satisfying to catch... No. No, he couldn't allow himself to think like this. Not again. Not now. Not ever again.

But the dark thoughts lingered.