Chapter One
KERES
Dark wavy hair slips below the red-coated waves.
A grin splits my face as the sun crests the horizon.
Warmth seeps into my skin, and I sigh. Another night gone.
I can finally be at peace until the moon rises and I’m forced to take this human form once more.
I slide off the rock as my body transforms. My next breath isn’t through my nose, but through the gills now gracing my neck.
I close my eyes and sink further into the deep.
I head for the cave I’ve been hiding in during the day.
I’d rather explore, but the last time I did that, I was cursed.
Risking more just for a few moments of swimming doesn’t seem wise.
Then again, I doubt I’ll come across a man who will convince me we’re in love only to betray that love and offload a curse on me as a result. Probably shouldn’t risk it.
A shadow passes overhead and I flip on my back, my tail waving gently to keep myself steady.
I watch as the bottom of a black ship floats by.
There aren’t many abandoned boats around here.
Spinning around, I race toward the surface.
My head breaks free and I peer at the dark wood seeming to gobble up the sunlight flickering over the waves.
Definitely a pirate ship with the skull and crossbones burned into the back.
No flag, but that’s not uncommon. I turn away and dive below once more.
If it were the middle of the night, I might follow them.
In the harsh light of day, it’s not possible for me to do anything.
Unless I’m ready to reveal secrets that should remain hidden.
Once my cave comes into view, I breathe a sigh of relief and bubbles swirl around me.
It’s not much, yet I’ve found over the last several decades I don’t need the luxury I once craved.
It’s pitch black in the tunnel, and I blink, allowing my eyes to adjust before continuing.
A smile graces my lips when my fingers brush the seaweed curtain.
Before I know it, the space spreads out, revealing a grotto.
I swim toward the smooth rock in the middle and haul myself on top.
A shaft of light hits me as the sun creeps higher, cresting the crags high above me.
Laying my head on the bed of seaweed I’ve made into a pillow, the tension I carry every night seeps away with the droplets streaming off my tail.
Just a couple hours of rest and I’ll be fine. Not happy. Not satisfied. Just fine.