Chapter 4
DRAYA
For some reason, listening to this weak little creature beg for death made me angry.
Granted, I was angry for a lot of reasons, one of which being I’d wasted my time and energy saving the life of an Emerson.
But watching this woman throw herself against these rocks and beg for a merciful death was… off-putting.
Initially, I’d felt bad for her, tied up and thrown overboard from a sinking ship full of scoundrels.
Now, I wasn’t sure what I felt. She likely deserved to be thrown off the ship, if for no other reason than her bloodline.
If she were anything like her father, she deserved worse.
Lord Emerson’s fleet had wreaked havoc on our waters for decades, and we knew they were responsible for countless disappearings of our people.
He was a sworn enemy of the Talassi, and the thought of saving the life of his daughter made my stomach sour.
Additionally, I didn’t fully believe her human sob story. Humans didn’t have hair with streaks that glowed underwater. Humans didn’t survive in the depths that I’d found her, certainly not without breathing for hours on end. Humans didn’t have the ability to conjure storms when they were upset.
Speaking of which, she was going to kill us both if she didn’t settle down.
“Hazel!” I called, my voice booming through the sound of the churning water and sheets of rain. “Hazel, stop!”
My efforts were futile, and I suppose she had every right to be upset. It was difficult for a Talassi to die, but if I were faced with imminent death within the next few hours, I imagined I would react a bit carelessly, too.
I pushed closer to the rock where she still lay in a heap, stirring the magic inside my chest and opening my mouth to sing. A rumbling hum left my throat, and I placed my hands flat against the stone on either side of her shivering heap of body.
Moments passed as my voice filled the air, cutting through the howling wind and pelting rain.
I sang the song of the Talassi, allowing the vibrations to flow into the rocky island and the surrounding air, and soon her body started to relax.
Her incessant shaking and crying slowed as the clouds above us dissipated, and the rain receded to a calm, misty breeze.
She pushed herself up, sitting back on her haunches as she peered at me through soaking wet lashes.
Fear was evident on her face, but I thought I noticed a shred of curiosity peeking through.
Early rays of morning sunlight fanned across a pink sky, and for the first time, I was able to see her completely.
Her tattered, wet nightgown clung to her body, leaving not a single curve or divot to my imagination.
The swells of her breasts peeked through the translucent fabric, and I had to stop my eyes from lingering as I drank in the rest of her form.
Her pale hair fell in waves over her shoulders, accented by red-rimmed eyes and rosy cheeks, still flushed from how heavily she’d been crying.
I couldn’t deny that the woman before me was beautiful.
Her body was so small compared to mine, and I almost felt the urge to…
protect her. It was a bit disgusting, considering she was an Emerson.
“Hazel,” I said once again, trying to make my demeanor less threatening. “Help me understand. What happened? How did you end up floating aimlessly in the ocean after one of your father’s ships was destroyed?”
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, her lashes fluttering as she exhaled and met my gaze.
“My name is Hazel Emerson, but I take no pride in my family name” she started, her voice defeated.
Interesting. I narrowed my eyes, wanting to know more.
“My father has hated me since the day I was born. I’ve never figured out why. My mother used to say he wished he had a son.”
I grunted in response, my tail splashing behind me. The Talassi were a matriarchal society, and the human belittlement of women was frankly disgusting in our eyes.
“My mother died a few months ago – I’m actually not sure how long it’s been, considering I spent a few weeks on that ship,” she spoke again.
“She spent most of her life protecting me from his wrath, but when she lost her battle with consumption, his resentment towards me only grew. I believe he was jealous of her love for me, though I know he didn’t have any love for her either.
He’s an awful man, although it seems you already know that. ”
“I do,” I said, nodding. “Your father has made an enemy of the Talassi.”
“I’m unsurprised,” she sighed. “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I truly wish that man the worst. His physicians diagnosed me with a case of hysteria, then sent me away on a ship to be deposited at the Akala Asylum.”
“I’m not following.”
“Hysteria is a disgrace for those in high social standings, and having a daughter with such an affliction would be quite the scandal. Though I do not believe I am ill, my arguments didn’t matter, and in turn served as proof of their diagnosis.
I was a headache to him, a potential detriment to the life he’d built, and he wanted me gone. ”
Her words pierced my heart. She could be lying, fabricating the entire story in some plot to lure me back to her father, but I sensed no ill will in her demeanor.
I knew Emerson was a monster, but to treat his own child that way was beyond any evil I was familiar with. She was his child. His offspring!
“Did the men on the ship hurt you?” I nearly growled, surprised by the emotion in my voice. I didn’t care about the girl, but I needed to know.
“Not until the end,” she shook her head. “I think they believed I was a bad omen of sorts. So they left me alone until we hit that horrendous storm.”
The way she spoke about her magic confused me. Clearly, she was not only human, but I wasn’t sure she was even aware.
“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” I said. “I can’t offer much, but I can give you safe passage to Akala. It’s only about a day’s journey from here.”
“I can’t breathe underwater, though,” she said, raising a brow.
“I’ll keep your head above the surface.”
“What about predators? And ships?”
“I am a predator, Hazel,” I said pointedly, narrowing my eyes. “And I know the trade routes. I will keep you safe.”
“I don’t want to go to Akala,” she said slowly, as if the reality of her situation was finally hitting her.
“I can’t bring you back to Whitethorn Bay,” I said. “It is far away and much too dangerous, you would not survive the journey.”
“Do you know if my father’s ships ever pass by here?”
“Hazel,” I said, shaking my head. She was starting to irritate me.
I was offering to do her yet another favor, offering to save her life.
It wasn’t a difficult decision, but I suppose I may have been expecting too much from an Emerson.
“They do, but do you think they would even bother to save you if they managed to find you?”
“Of course not,” she sighed again.
“The choice is yours. Fight for a better life on Akala, or stay here and die.”
She pondered for a moment, scowling at me from above, but I kept my expression indifferent and waited for her to make up her mind.
“I don't know that a better life exists on Akala,” she said, her shoulders slumping, “but I suppose you’re right. I’ll go.”
I was sad for her, even though I refused to show it.
Her predicament was tragic, and nobody deserved the hand of cards she was dealt.
But unfortunately, I had no better options to offer.
If I brought her back to the Talassi capital, she would likely be killed immediately upon admission of her name.
Or taken prisoner, though the Queen wouldn’t be able to use her as a bargaining token, so her chances of being kept alive were slim at best.
What was I thinking? There was no plausible way I could bring this fragile human with her strange magic back to my home!
I refocused on the task at hand, leaning back into the water and opening my arms.
“You’ll have to trust me, but I need you to jump off that rock,” I coaxed. She looked skeptical for a moment, then slowly made her way to the edge. Inhaling a deep breath, the expression on her face shifted from defeat to determination, and without another moment of hesitation, she leapt.