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Nothing had changed. Not really. And yet.

The ache burned in the center of her chest.

She turned the corner and saw the empty corridor in front of her which led to the female barracks. With relief, she slowed her steps and let the weight of her arms pull a little from her shoulders. Breakfast had been the usual affair. Every morning she ate alone, bussed her dishes, and left before half of her fellow troops had made their way to the mess hall.

“Walton.”

So much for alone and relaxed.

Autumn stopped in her tracks, trained like Pavlov’s dog, and moved to the command in the General’s voice. She closed her eyes and pivoted on her toes. Turning to the sound of the voice, she stood at attention. Arms down by her side, shoulders squared, and chin raised just enough.

“Yes, sir?” Autumn asked, hoping her resentment of his bark didn’t come through.

Maybe she had been on tour for too long. She had heard of other soldiers getting duty fatigued. But even as the thought crossed her mind, she knew her own inner turmoil was far greater than that.

“You’re on the next three-day dive into sector twenty-eight. All tasks for the next two days are on hold while you prepare.” He glanced at her and then returned his attention to the digital display he held in his hand. Thick fingers jabbed at the screen as though the harder he hit it, the more it understood that he meant business and he was in charge.

All of his subordinates were like that, weren’t they?

“I didn’t put my name down for another deeper dive.” Autumn groaned internally as soon as the words left her mouth. She was going to get it this time.

What was wrong with her?

“Did you just talk back to me, soldier?” The digital display no longer held his interest. Autumn got the distinct feeling his finger itched to poke into her shoulder and remind her of the same lessons he had been teaching the tech.

“No, sir.” Autumn pulled on her training, stood taller, and let the words come out sharp and confident.

“I didn’t think so.” He took a step closer, his breath fluttering against her cheeks as he spoke in her face. “Don’t get too comfortable here, Walton.”

“No, sir.” She stared ahead and refused to let herself think about what the words might imply.

“You’ll report to Marshall at oh six hundred tomorrow for a briefing.”

“Yes, sir.”

Without another word, he turned on his toes and walked away.

Autumn waited until she could no longer see his back.

“Fuck,” she muttered and walked past her barracks, intent on visiting the beach before the sun reached midday.

Another deep dive.

It had been a week since the altercation on the beach. Since she was almost speared through by another mermaid. She swallowed the lump in her throat. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t been trained for combat. She’d even been in her own fair share of fights. But it had been so unexpected.

Her skin tingled as she stepped through the trees and into the open space of the beach.

The water beckoned, and Autumn’s skin heated with the memories of its grasp around her, of Soulara’s. It hadn’t been the embrace she had imagined at Soulara’s description but something else entirely. Add in the soft touches, the kisses—Autumn’s cheeks heated.

Even after the tension and issues that had arisen since, she could imagine being surrounded by the soft brush of water once more. As long as Soulara was with her.

She needed to tell Soulara about the next mission.

This could be devastating for both of them.

Autumn worried at her bottom lip. When any issues had arisen with someone else, Autumn had shrugged and brushed it off. She had never cared.

But she cared about Soulara.