Page 5 of Unmoored

As I contemplated shoving him over the edge of the rocks and into the churning water below, he made the decision for me. With what seemed like no effort, he leapt into the air, and his legsvanishedinto a long, dark-turquoisetail.His skin turned from olive to a greyish teal, and I watched in horror as fins and spikes sprouted from his shoulders and back.

I shrieked again as he landed in the water, dousing me with the splash, although at this point I was so waterlogged it was of no matter. He spun around, then pulled his upper half over the edge of the bluff, those emerald eyes roving over me with a smirk.

As a child, I’d heard legends of the Talassi, vicious half-human and half-fishlike creatures, but I’d never imagined they might bereal. Let alone that I’d see one, or that he would save me from a shipwreck only to leave me to die. My father was a sailing merchant, for god’s sake, and he’d always brushed them off as a cautionary tale.

According to the tales, Talassi were terrifying, dangerous predators. They were beautiful creatures to watch from afar, possessing the ability to shift between their human and oceanic forms, but according to old wives’ tales they would lure sailors and young children into the water with a mesmerizing song, only to feast upon their flesh.

In his human form, I would have labeled the manhandsome, but the creature that dove into the water was indescribable. His teal-colored torso was broad and chiseled, that of a man, though it was peppered with light blue freckles and accented by faint lines at his hips and neck. His arms were a deeper teal, with fins at the elbows and webbing between his fingers. Like I thought I’d noticed before, the tops of his ears turned into translucent fins, and his face somehow became even more gorgeous and terrifying with its teal hue and light blue freckles. His hair had changed as well, now falling in long strands over his face and the fins along his spine, and a massive, dark teal tail moved gracefully under the surface of the water.

“You’re Talassi,” I choked out, still in a wide-eyed daze.

“Yes,” he answered matter-of-factly, a slight grin peeking at the corners of his mouth. I noticed razor sharp fangs hidden behind his lips.

The creature before me was utterly terrifying, and I wasn’t sure why he hadn’t killed me yet. Were they the type of predator to play with their food? Was this some sort of game for him?

It must have been due to the adrenaline, or the fact that I simply could not believe this was actually happening, but I didn’tfeelscared of him. I knew I should, but I was mostly just nervous that he’d leave me on this island to succumb to the elements, which felt like a far more gruesome death than being flayed alive by a beautiful sea creature.

“Well… that means you can take me back to Whitethorn Bay!” I exclaimed. “You cannot justleave me here!”Whatever infatuation had struck me as immobile for a moment dissipated, and it was replaced with anger.I will not be leftto die here.

The creature blew out a breath, causing me to pause for a moment as I wondered how he was able to do so. Gills marked the sides of his neck, but he must have had lungs as well. His webbed thumb and forefinger rubbed the bridge of his nose, and he looked back up at me with utter exhaustion in his emerald green eyes.

“Whitethorn Bay is nearly across the ocean!” He exclaimed. “I absolutely cannot take you there!”

“Then take meanywhere else! Take me to Akala, for all I care! In case you’re uncertain, I amnota Talassi. I’m ‌a human. A cold, weak, very frightened human! AndI will die here if you leave me!” Desperation filled my voice as the words left my mouth.

The surrounding air thickened with static as the light rain turned into a heavy downpour. Gusts of wind howled against the rocks, and the choppy waters of the ocean looked more ominous by the second. Iknewthe storm wasn’t gone. This creature was playing with me. Was I about to become his dinner?

Salty tears streamed down my face, mixing with the seawater invading my mouth as choked sobs escaped my throat. Without a doubt, I knew I was about to meet my demise, and with that came the death of my will to fight.

“Who are you?” The Talassi’s voice boomed over the sound of the rain and the sea, and I sank to my knees at the edge of the jutting rock.

“My name is Hazel Emerson,” I yelled, not missing the way his eyes widened when he learned my last name. My shoulders slumped, and I leaned forward until my forehead hit the smooth rock. Did I want to drown myself, or did I want to die of exposure and hypothermia as I was pelted bythe rain and storm atop this island. All of my options were quite bleak.

“Hazel Emerson,” he repeated, and I didn’t bother to answer. “I should just kill you now,” he snarled. His tail thrashed in the water, spraying me with a light salty mist.

“Please!” I begged, my face still pressed into the rock. “Please, just kill me. Get it over with. I’m going to die anyway if you leave me, so the least you can do is give me the mercy of a quick death!” I had no desire to fight anymore. I missed my mother, I missed my life, I almost missed my cold-hearted father. Whatever sick joke the universe was playing on me by allowing me to survive being thrown overboard, drowning, and a shipwreck, only to die from the elements on an island, was becoming too much. I longed for the sweet embrace of whatever lay beyond this miserable life.

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 anEmerson.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 herhumansob 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 tostop 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.