Page 6 of Unmoored

“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 hischild. 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 notonlyhuman, 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?”

“Iama 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 tosave her life.It wasn’t a difficult decision, but I suppose I may have been expecting too much from anEmerson. “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 thata better lifeexists 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 ofher 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 wasno plausible wayI could bring this fragile human with her strange magic back to my home!