Page 34 of Unmoored

With a sigh, he sank into the water and his long, dark tail filled the pool, with a fin sticking out at the very end. An iridescent sheen covered the skin on his chest, and I saw more scars and marks that I hadn’t noticed before. My hand reached out of its own accord, and I ran a finger along thegill lines above his collarbones. He shivered under my touch and yanked his neck away.

“You can’t just touch Talassi like that,” he scowled. “I’ll allow it because I know you’re harmless, but for future reference, it is considered bad etiquette.”

I frowned, bothered by his dismissal of me as “harmless.” He was right, of course, but I wished I had more strength or danger within me.

“Are you using the pool in your room?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Occasionally,” I said. “Cordelia’s assistants usually help me bathe after our sessions, but I don’t particularly enjoy it. It’s very cold.”

“They don’t warm it for you?” he asked, raising a brow.

“Is that an option?” If it was, I was going to be very annoyed that no one had mentioned it.

“Of course. We have magic and plumbing,” he shook his head. “I’ll have to say something to Cordelia, though I’m surprised if she hasn’t thought about it. She’s spent quite a lot of time as a human, and she is well aware of your desire for heat.”

“I’m not suredesireis the right word,” I said. “If we get too cold, we die.”

“Your species is far too weak for how much of the world you hold power over.”

I had no argument.

We sat in silence for a few more moments, and I allowed the warm salt water to engulf my muscles. There must have been some type of magic within these pools, because I truly felt like I was becoming a new woman.

A soft, wisp-like texture brushed against my ankle,startling me before I realized it was part of his tail. It moved further up my calf, and I wasn’t sure if he even noticed, but I took comfort in the gesture. In a way, I felt safe with him, and it was nice to know he seemed to feel at ease with me as well.

My peaceful thoughts were abruptly interrupted by saltwater flooding my eyes and mouth, and before I could process what was happening, I was dragged completely underwater. I coughed and yelped, flailing my arms and trying to kick my legs.

It turns out I’d been severely misled – Draya wasn’t brushing against my ankle in a gesture of comfort or kindness, he’d been wrapping his tail around my leg to yank me under the water!

The betrayal stung. Every time I felt like I’d made progress, or made a friend with the Talassi, he continued to hurt me further and prove that my trust was misplaced. Warm saltwater assaulted my senses, and I knew that within minutes water would be flooding my lungs.

So I grew determined not to let it.

I’d been submerged for far longer than a few seconds when I was kept at Akala. Draya would have to wait to see my demise, and I’d be damned if I let him. I’d stay docile for a moment, then I’d fight back.

I opened my eyes, searching for his cruel face through the crystal clear water. He peered down at me with furrowed brows, and I thought I caught a glimpse of his sharp teeth in a snarl.

This sea predator didn’t scare me. Not anymore. I was no longer the meek, terrified prey he thought I was. I could fight this.

Seconds dragged into minutes, stretching to what felt like hours under the surface, but I refused to give in. My lungs burned, and I felt my hands and feet involuntarily shift into their webbed forms. I hadn’t even tried, but I wondered if it was my body’s way of defending me.

With my newfound claws, I reached through the water until I found the trunk of Draya’s scaly tail, and dug in as far as I possibly could. I thought I heard him growl, but his grip only became stronger. He shoved against my chest with his hand, pushing me deeper into the pool and causing me to let out a cough - my last bit of air. Black dots appeared at the edge of my vision, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to last much longer.

Maybe this wretched creature would win. He’d finally proved his point. I was a weak, helpless human, and he was bound to me until he could figure out what to do with me. No wonder he wanted me dead. I never should have left my chambers with him in the first place.

Once again, I was left in a state of distress, alone and desperate for the affection of those who would never waste a single moment worried about me.

I closed my eyes, preparing for saltwater to flood my lungs as I was forbidden from taking a final breath on this Earth. The cold embrace of death was so close, and I almost longed to feel its touch.

But it never came.

I wasn’t breathing, yet I was no longer trapped under the water by Draya’s tail or hands. My senses returned, and I realized I was floating, suspended beneath the surface in the middle of the pool. Yet somehow, I no longer yearned for air.

How is this possible? I wondered, bewildered by the clarity in my eyesight and the feeling in my limbs.

A cool sensation brushed against my neck, and my hand flew up to meet it. I shivered as my finger ran over the dip between my neck and shoulder, and I realized I was touching a gill.

That fucking bastard!I thought, my confusion promptly turning to anger.