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Autumn’s entire body tingled and her breath caught in her throat. Soulara was stunning, and she knew it. There was no doubt that she had a deep confidence in her physical beauty that Autumn never had. Autumn’s hair was mousy and brown, barely tamable, especially with the humidity here. Her eyes were beady, her lips thin, her body too muscular. Any woman she’d been with had told her as much. Soulara wasn’t here because of her looks.

“Do what, Autumn Walton?”

That snapped Autumn back into reality. “Glitter in the sunlight.” Fuck, now she sounded like a complete loon. She sounded like she’d completely lost her mind to the sea.

Soulara’s lips quirked up to the side, and her cheeks flushed a gentle red. Well, at least that was the same between whatever the hell alien Soulara was supposed to be and humans. She was even sexier now than before. Autumn had to pull herself together.

“It’s a reaction of the water and my skin. See?” Soulara knelt down and then sat. The water all around her legs glimmered in the light. Every inch of skin from her webbed toes to right between her legs and to her hips. Where her hair touched the water, it floated around her as if it belonged there.

Autumn furrowed her brow. “Do you…live in the water?”

“Do you live on land?” Soulara canted her head to the side, smoothing her fingers through the waves as she continued to bask in the shallows.

“Yes.” Autumn jerked her head back, confused. “Do you live in the water?”

“Yes.” Soulara winked and then lay fully into the water, spreading her arms out around her and swishing them again. It was as if the water amplified the shimmer, making her glow. Autumn had to squint just to continue looking at her, but she didn’t want to stop. “But I like to come to the land when I can.”

“When you can?” Autumn’s mouth was so dry. She’d never been so desperate for a drink. “Is that why your toes are webbed?”

Soulara sat up immediately, the water dripping off her in a cascade like the waterfalls Autumn had read about. She raised her foot out of the water and wiggled her toes. “Are your toes not webbed?”

“No.” Autumn lifted her own foot in comparison.

Soulara came closer, reaching out and taking Autumn’s foot in her hands, sliding her fingers across the wet skin. Autumn’s breath caught again. Her heart hammered. Soulara was so close. Her fingers were warm, nearly hot to the touch, and Autumn wanted to melt into her, to get down on her knees and press their mouths together with abandon.

“Do you…” Autumn gasped when Soulara’s wet fingers slid up the back of her leg, maneuvering higher. She completely lost her train of thought. “I need to sit down.”

Her head was so light that it spun. She needed to catch herself before she collapsed in the water and drowned. Stumbling back, she was so glad to have her foot away from Soulara. She reached the first dry sand and tripped, falling right on her ass. She dropped her shoulders to the ground and closed her eyes, throwing her arm over them to block out even more sun.

It was too hot.

She shouldn’t have done this.

Could hallucinations actually touch?

Holy fuck.

Was Soulara real?

Autumn’s heart thudded hard three times before she dared herself to open her eyes and look up. Soulara sat next to her, bending down and looking over her, concern littering her features. Autumn wanted to whimper. She wanted to cry. She wanted to crawl into the forest and back to the base and fall asleep and pretend like this never happened.

“You’re real.”

“Real?” Soulara’s brow pinched.

“You’re not a hallucination.”

Soulara rubbed her lips together, trailing her fingers down Autumn’s forearm. Her fingers were still wet, and they left a trail of damp against Autumn’s skin. If she needed any more proof than that, she’d turn herself in to the base commander immediately for lunacy. Autumn didn’t move except to look up into Soulara’s pale blue eyes.

“You’re not a dream,” she said again, realizing Soulara hadn’t understood the word.

“Oh, no, I’m not a dream. I’m very much real.” Soulara moved her hand up Autumn’s arm to her shoulder. “What are these things covering your body?”

“My uniform.”

“Like for a soldier.” It wasn’t a question.

Autumn rolled that around in her mind. Soulara and she were speaking without the need of a translator, which meant there was most definitely magic afoot. Soulara’s to be sure, but how deep did that magic run? She was in such a vulnerable position right now, and she had no idea what to do next. She should report this to her commander. She should tell Marshall that she was damn sure those things they saw that were attacking the ship weren’t just fish. Soulara must have something to do with that.