Page 6 of Holiday Wishes and Tentacle Dreams
“What day is that?”
Doren’s grin grew even wider. “Today is the auspicious dayGrounds for Divorcebegins to serve holiday-themed drinks! Christmas flavors warm my soul.”
Rex considered Doren for a moment, then shrugged. “Okay.”
“Have a joyous, celebratory season!” Doren spun around on their heels and headed out the door, unable to contain their happiness.Grounds for Divorcewas the best coffee shop in Linwood Falls, and peppermint was the best flavor latte in existence. Nothing could ruin their good mood.
Grounds for Divorcehad been Doren’s coffeeshop of choice since the day it had opened. The cozy atmosphere was absolute perfection. Lined with dark-stained wooden shelves, the place was positively stuffed with books.
When they first saw the sign, the name of the shop had confused Doren, but the owner, Mercedes, explained she’d started it with the settlement she’d received when she left her cheating ex-husband.
Mercedes had said the jerk had always hated coffee, so it was only fitting.
Taking a sip of the delicious libation, warmth spread through Doren’s chest cavity. Doren surveyed the picturesque street in front of him. The lamps were adorable, as were the cobblestones, and a big older man with a bushy white beard balanced on a tall ladder, stringing up Christmas lights.
Other than that, the streets were empty, which was to be expected. Linwood Falls was a beach town, bustling in the spring and summer, but abandoned once the water turned cold. Many of the local businesses closed down for the season as the population dwindled down to a few hundred year-round residents.
Luckily for Doren,Grounds for Divorcewas one of the few shops that stayed open. Thankfully, enough of the locals had a coffee obsession that it was worth it financially.
Doren was about to take another sip when they stopped in their tracks. An intimidating figure was standing at the end of the block, arms crossed, staring daggers at Doren.
That wasn’t good. It was Doren’s sibling, Bard. For a second, Doren considered whether they could escape somehow, but they knew it was impossible. Where would they go? Eventually, Bard would hunt Doren down.
“Where have youbeen?” Bard’s voice was lower than Doren’s, and it always contained a note of disappointment that Doren found unsettling, even though Bard was younger and smaller than Doren. Bard was a born rule-follower and martinet.
“It’s peppermint latte day?—”
“What the fuck, Doren? You’ve been gone forthree days. Mom and Dad are freaking out. They keep asking dolphins if they’ve seen you, and you know what assholes dolphins can be.”
Doren shrugged, keeping their face still despite the growing shame that was brewing in their gut. They hadn’t meant to cause any trouble, and they hated the idea of causing their parents any worry.
“I didn’t realize so much time had passed. The water has been lovely today.”
Bard gazed up at the sky with a frustrated sigh. “You can’t surf for three days nonstop, Doren. It’s too cold for a human to be in the water without a wetsuit. The minute someone sees you?—”
“No one has espied me in my oceanic form.” Doren frowned, which was frustrating because there shouldn’t be any frowning on peppermint latte day. “I am always vigilant. I am three hundred years old, not a hatchling of ninety. Mother and Father needn’t concern themselves.”
Doren continued walking down the sidewalk toward the ocean, and Bard fell in lockstep beside them.
“I know that. I’m not sure if Mom and Dad know that, but I do. But…” There was a strange anxiety in the silence.
“Hmm?”
“Humans are violent. One slip-up could be deadly. You’re not used to wearing your human form. You’ll give yourself away. Look at poor Ren.”
Doren nodded, not responding. How could anyone forget what happened to their father’s sibling, Ren? Somehow, they’d revealed themselves to the wrong human, and the police showed up while they were shifting into their aquatic form. They’d escaped, but not before the cops had shot at them. A few of the bullets had found their target. Some of the injuries had been permanent.
Worse than that, at least to Doren, was that Ren hadn’t left the safety of the ocean since that day.
Doren shook their head. “Being confined to the depths…I would lose track of my sanity. You’ve seen how stir-crazy I become.”
Bard turned, grabbing Doren by both arms, compassion showing on their face. “I do, Doren. Really. But it’s dangerous. I don’t understand why you can’t surf at the surface somewhere further from land. Or on some uninhabited island. Why do you need to be so close to humans?”
Doren didn’t answer the question, and if they were being honest, they didn’t know why. They’d always been drawn to human life, and the yearning had only gotten worse as they grew older.
“Safety shall be my priority.” As the words left Doren’s mouth, they questioned their honesty. It’s true Doren wanted nothing bad to happen, but this was a cute little tourist town. Everyone here was harmless. In the winter, Linwood Falls didn’t even have a full-time police officer. No one was going to shoot at Doren.
“I don’t believe you.” Bard’s tone was flat, clearly annoyed, but Doren couldn’t take it seriously. Look at the decked out street around them! How could anyone be worried in this adorable town?