Page 10 of Storm and Sea (Storm and Sea Saga #1)

N yel wished he had about eight more eyes. When he’d first arrived in Baia Vita during the storm, the downpour was so strong he could hardly see anything. Now, as he, Marina, and Atreus walked through the town square, Nyel didn’t blink for fear of missing something.

The buildings cascaded up the hillside, painted in a mosaic of bright colors—each one a vivid hue that contrasted yet harmonized with its neighbor. Warm oranges, soft yellows, and deep blues created a patchwork of vibrant life. Balconies lined with overflowing flower boxes overlooked the winding streets, while clotheslines crisscrossed between flat rooftops, fabrics fluttering in the breeze.

Never in Nyel’s life had he seen so many different things he couldn’t name. He yearned to learn about every single one. But nothing frustrated him more than seeing those familiar human symbols etched onto signs or planks of wood above shops. He knew humans were able to look at those symbols and ‘read’ them.

I want to read. I want to know what it’s saying.

The desire settled in his chest like a hermit crab in its shell. Taking residence with no intention of leaving.

Marina led them to the center of the square, where an ornate statue made of white rock stood high, surrounded by arcs of spouting water.

“This is my favorite part of the square. Isn’t she beautiful?” Marina cooed.

Nyel didn’t know what he was looking at. He cocked his head to the side, trying to get a read on it. Then the pieces fell into place.

Is this supposed to be…us?

He choked back a laugh, clamping a hand over his mouth. Nyel didn’t want to seem rude, but when he glanced over and saw Atreus grinning, they shared a moment of understanding. They broke into a fit of laughter. Atreus’s deep voice gained a light tenor. The sound was like the gentle ‘whoosh’ of sea foam lapping at the sand.

Then, as though the spell had broken, the light in Atreus’s face went dim. He turned away from them, his smile disappearing and his expression growing cold.

Don’t stop smiling like that.

Nyel wanted to coax that lightness to return.

“We better get going. Long walk home,” Atreus said.

“We aren’t staying at the Sleeping Whale?” Nyel asked, his voice pleading .

“No, we can’t keep intruding. I already told Giovanni that we’re going back to our place?—”

“Nope! You’re coming over for at least one more night,” Marina interjected.

“Marina, we can’t?—”

“ Papà is already making a big dinner for us. You wouldn’t want him to waste all that food, would you?”

Nyel watched Atreus’s thoughts war in his head before his shoulders slumped. “Fine. But this is the last night.”

Marina fist-pumped the air, and Nyel couldn’t hide his delight. He didn’t want to sleep in the lighthouse again—that is… if he was still invited to stay with Atreus.

Or does he expect me to go home?

Nyel hadn’t given it much thought. There was so much for him to discover that the status of his permanence faded into the background. But now it was front and center. And the answer couldn’t be more obvious. Of course, Atreus wanted him gone. He’d made that clear from day one, and his coldness towards Nyel only solidified that fact.

I’m not going home. I can’t.

Even if Atreus kicked Nyel out, he’d find another way to stay in the human town. Because somehow, in the turn of a tide, Baia Vita had captured Nyel’s heart.

Nyel had never worked so hard in his life, nor had he been so happy. Sorting the stinky fish was hard work, and Atreus even let him on the docks to help with the nets after a while. His arms and shoulders hurt at the end of every day, and he felt the sun’s bite on the back of his neck.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

They’re probably worried about me.

Nyel shook off the thought. Maybe his Mom shouldn’t have pushed him so hard then. Anger still bubbled in his chest every time he remembered the last dinner at home—the way Chel looked at him with hurt in her eyes. The insistence of all the adults in the room. The way they ignored him completely.

Sonia was on my side. She always is.

Now, true guilt ate away at Nyel, even more so when he recalled Sonia’s approaching due date. He promised to be there when the baby arrived.

“You alright, Nyel?” Marina asked.

“Oh yeah, sorry. Long day.”

“ Papà’s famous Ossobuco alla Milanese will pep you right up.”

Between Marina’s puppy-eyed begging, Giovanni’s persistence, and Nyel’s quiet pleas, they eventually wore Atreus down and spent every night at the Sleeping Whale. Each night, he insisted it was the last time, and each night, they proved him wrong.

Nyel had already accrued a few meager possessions, which he stored in his room. Of course, he and Atreus paid a good portion of their wages for rent and food. Still, the arrangement nagged at Atreus. And for the life of him, Nyel couldn’t understand why.

Evenings were the best part of the day. The food was ten times better than anything he’d ever eaten (especially the items with sugar ). The lively chatter at the table filled Nyel with buzzing synchronicity he’d never experienced, even with his own family. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed and smiled so much over a meal.

Back home, meals were a time for his mother to grill him on responsibilities, for his father to avoid his gaze, and for his aunt to shoot him sympathetic looks. But here, around the circular table that rocked on uneven legs, the air was alive. He listened to Horace’s stories about the human war and, more particularly, about his Mer friend. Nyel was fascinated with the human perspective of their kind, even if nobody believed the old man.

No matter how fun the conversation or how good the food was, Atreus’s mood remained damp. Nyel wanted to talk with him and hear him laugh again. But no matter how much he and Marina tried probing him into the conversation, Atreus remained stoic.

Clearly, Giovanni and Marina want him here. Why doesn’t he just accept it and relax?

Nyel pondered this as he made his bed for the night. Giovanni helped him and Atreus acquire more clothes from families who no longer needed them. They were ratty and had holes, yet Nyel folded them as though they were made of coral silk.

As he lay in bed, he admired the empty bookshelf with his belongings. He had three possessions now, two of which he’d bought using the money he earned—all on his own. A sense of pride surged in his chest.

The first item was the fishing encyclopedia Atreus gave him on his first day. He found himself flipping through the pictures most nights, trying to find meaning in the assortment of symbols the humans used to read. The other item was another book, but the pages were blank. Marina wrote his name on the blank pages, and Nyel had practiced the strokes for hours. The last item was a small bundle of charcoal pencils.

Next time, I’ll try one of those colored pen things.

His lids grew heavy after a large meal of pasta and cheese. A knock on the door roused him, and he blinked awake.

“Come in?” he said like a question, sitting up when Atreus entered his room. “Oh hey. Everything okay?” he asked, feeling more alert.

Atreus closed the door quietly behind him, his shoulders tense. “We need to talk,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and fixing Nyel with a steely gaze.

“What about?” Nyel asked, trying to sound light. He’d anticipated this. But a part of him had hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.

Here it is; he’s going to tell me to beat it .

“Why did you run away from your family?”

Nyel hesitated, the question catching him by surprise. “Uh, why?”

Atreus shrugged. He shifted from foot to foot and wouldn’t look at him for more than a second. “Trying to understand, I guess.”

Nyel remembered something Leo said at the docks. “Is what Leo said true? That you talk about me and that we’re, you know…” He hesitated. “That we’re friends?”

Atreus sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Leo never lets the truth stand in the way of a good story. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I need to get you figured out. I can’t handle any more surprises right now.”

Nyel didn’t miss the way Atreus avoided answering his question.

“My parents, well, my mom is trying to send me on a Tideway. She believes it’ll encourage a Bond. She wants me to settle down with this girl, Chel, or any sirena . And I just…” He shook his head. “It’s not for me. Or maybe not right now. I don’t know, but I couldn’t stand to go through with it.”

Atreus stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “What the hell is a Bond?”

Nyel’s mouth actually fell open. “You’re kidding me, right?”

But before he could explain, there was a knock at the door, and Marina rushed in. “Oh, good. You’re both here,” she said, her nightgown swaying as she glided inside.

“Why do you bother knocking if you’re going to come in anyway?” Atreus grumbled. She ignored him.

“I need you both tomorrow after work. Atty, you have the steadiest hands, so you’ll write the words on the banner.” She held up a hand when Atreus went to complain. “I already wrote it on paper. You only have to copy it. And Nyel, would you mind cutting fabric to make flags? I want to line the path for the biking portion with colored flags so the kids know where to go.”

The three of them spent the remainder of the evening discussing plans. Marina talked, Nyel listened, and Atreus rolled his eyes so much Nyel was sure they’d get stuck in the back of his head.

“Oh, don’t you huff. It’ll be fun! I have so many paints and brushes; you’ll love it.”

“I’m vibrating with excitement,” Atreus said in the most deadpan voice he could muster.

Marina flicked him on the ear. “Party-pooper.”

Atreus grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked her with it. “Dork.”

Nyel burst out laughing at the spectacle.

“What’s so funny?” Marina asked, blowing hair from her face.

“You two, it’s just… I didn’t grow up with siblings.”

A guilty knot twisted in his gut at the thought of Nephi. Despite sharing blood, they were virtual strangers.

He was never around; what was I supposed to do about it?

“Oh yeah, it’s loads of fun,” Atreus said sarcastically, putting up a hand to block an attempted pillow-snipe from Marina.

“Here. Get in on this,” Marina said, tossing Nyel another pillow as she stalked towards Atreus, a wildcat grin on her face.

“Whoa, whoa, what is this? Ganging up on me? I call foul,” Atreus protested, backing into a corner and holding his pillow like a shield.

“Show no mercy,” Marina said like a battle cry.

All three of them were red-faced and disheveled when Giovanni burst through the door, looking thoroughly annoyed. “Are you toddlers? Spare me, per favore ; it is the middle of the night.”

“Sorry, Papà ,” Marina said through a curtain of tangled red hair.

“Sorry, we didn’t mean—” Atreus was cut off as a well-timed pillow smushed into his face.

“Got ‘em!” Marina cheered, pumping a victory first into the air.

Nyel slapped a hand over his mouth, unsuccessfully covering his snort. Giovanni shook his head and grumbled something about getting too old for rowdy children before leaving.

“There you go, getting me in trouble,” Atreus hissed, but he was smiling.

“Oh, don’t be a baby.”

“What did I tell you? A feral cat, this one,” Atreus said, wiping curly strands from his eyes.

Nyel paused, almost doing a double-take when Atreus’s gaze caught on his as though by accident. With his face flushed and a smile tugging at his lips, Atreus’s eyes shone like nacre shells. They glistened with an untamed energy that promised… something.

“We should go to bed,” Atreus said, breaking the connection. Nyel dropped his head, heat creeping into his face.

“See you boys tomorrow!” Marina singsonged, twirling on a single bare foot before leaving the room without closing the door.

Atreus rolled his eyes, following after her. “Night,” he said shortly, but before he disappeared, Nyel called out.

“Atreus?”

“Yeah?” He stilled.

“I’m—” Nyel’s throat was dry. “I’m really happy to be here.”

“Yeah. Alright,” Atreus said after some consideration.

“You’re not going to, I mean, you don’t want me?—”

“If I was going to chase you out of here, I would have done it by now,” he said with a teasing lilt.

Nyel’s shoulders relaxed. “Really?”

“Really,” he said, and to Nyel’s relief, it looked like he meant it. “Night.”

“Night,” Nyel replied as the door clicked shut.

He turned off the light and rolled onto his side. The last thing he saw imprinted behind his eyelids, lingering like a vivid, unshakable dream—the image of abalone green eyes and a reluctant smile.

“You two, go ahead. I need to stretch for a minute,” Nyel said, pressing his hands into his lower back and arching. The three of them had been bent over the stupid banner for hours, but Nyel had to admit it looked great. Atreus had an incredible knack for penmanship, and the words flowed evenly across the cloth. He’d even added a variety of ocean creatures in bright golden paint.

Atreus halted, paint cans perched dangerously in his arms.

“I’ll be fine,” Nyel assured him. “I’m just going to stretch my legs along the beach for a second. Plenty far from the water.”

“Atty, let’s go,” Marina whined.

Atreus hesitated before saying, “If you’re not back in fifteen minutes, I’m coming after you.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Nyel said with a salute, a human gesture he’d grown fond of.

“Atty, hurry up!”

“I keep telling you not to call me that,” Atreus said, joining her. Nyel couldn’t help but laugh as they bickered all the way up the hill.

The beach was empty, and Nyel took off his shoes, sighing as the sand ran between his toes. That was one human custom he absolutely hated. Shoes. Nyel had to force his feet to stop where the water kissed the sand. After almost two weeks away, a sharp pull tugged at his stomach, one calling him back to the waves.

The tides.

The ebb and flow of all life.

An eternal dance he was inexplicably tied to.

Nyel resisted the call. He’d promised Atreus he wouldn’t go into the water. But if this insistent tugging continued, they’d have to sneak away for a swim at some point. Soon.

Nyel strolled around a massive black boulder, running his fingertips over the cold, smooth surface. With Baia Vita blocked from view, the temptation for a swim came again.

He missed the flow of water through his gills. He missed the weightlessness. Spirits, he missed his freakin’ tail. Nyel laughed at himself. Maybe someday, there would be a world where he could have both his newfound human life and his old life as a Mer.

Nyel sighed, shaking his head at his own wishful thinking when he sensed it—the presence of another. His skin prickled, alert to the change, and the once ordinary quiet now felt charged, heavy with something unseen.

Before he could whip around to face the intruder, a hand clasped over his mouth, and a thick arm pinned him to a muscled chest. The stranger lifted Nyel off his feet.

“Finally, you little shit.” Nyel kicked and was about to bite his captor when the stranger said, “You’re going home right this fucking second.”

“Nephi?” His voice was muted through the hand.

His brother released him, and Nyel whipped around. He’d never seen him as a human before. Nephi was tall, probably taller than Atreus. He had a stocky build and deep complexion several shades darker than Nyel’s, and though their hair matched in color—Nephi’s was straight and clipped short. But it was his scars that seized Nyel’s attention, a grim testament to the violence his brother must have endured. The entire right side of his body bore the marks, twisting the skin in a way that looked even harsher without fins to soften the effect. His right eye, clouded and milky, was even more haunting in this human form.

“What are you—? How did you—?” Nyel checked around them, ensuring they were alone. “Have you been following me? ”

Nephi made an irritated growling sound in his throat. “For fucking days. This is the first time you haven’t been glued to that Mer bastard’s side.”

“What do you want?”

“You’re coming home. Your parents are worried sick. They’re so worried, in fact, that they actually acknowledged my existence and asked me to bring you home.”

“You talked to them?”

“Yeah. Your mommy is a mess. And dear ol’ dad played the ‘father’ card on me as though he has any right. But I was looking for you even before they asked.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re a stupid brat that has no idea the dangerous game he’s playing.”

Nyel stiffened. “You don’t know anything, Nephi. I’ve been doing great.”

“You’re a whiny kid that threw a fit. And now you’re running around like a wounded fish in a tank of sharks. It’s only a matter of time before they catch your scent.”

“You don’t know a damn thing!” Nyel yelled, shocking himself. He dropped his voice to a whisper, “You don’t know anything. And I’m doing just fine. Why do you care anyway? Don’t you have somewhere to be? Where you’ve been all these years?”

Nephi nodded. “Yes, I do, actually. But I can’t go until I get my dumb half-brother home. And to answer your questions, I don’t care. I don’t give a rat’s ass about your parents’ wishes either.”

“So why then?”

Nephi hesitated for the briefest moment. “Don’t like to leave a job unfinished.”

Nyel scoffed. “Sure. Whatever, Nephi.”

“So you gonna come home or stay until a human sticks a gaff through you? ”

“None of the humans know what I am. I’m careful. I have a job, a place to live, and…and I’ve made friends,” Nyel said, listing his accomplishments like a petulant child. He hated the way he sounded.

Nephi laughed. “Oh yeah? And how well do you know these friends? How well do you know that bastard that you follow around like a puppy?”

“Don’t call him that. Atreus is a good person.”

“But it’s true, isn’t it? It takes one to know one. And I know a bastard-born when I see it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Nephi smiled, his white teeth too perfect for his mean expression. “Haven’t seen it, have you?”

“Seen what? Spit it out already, Nephi. I don’t have time for this.” Nyel snapped, but with every breath, his stomach sank lower.

“His Mer form. You haven’t seen it.”

It wasn’t a question this time. But a statement. A true one.

“So what?”

Nephi nodded like his mind was made up. “You’ll change your tune once you’ve seen it. Mark my words.”

Nyel opened his mouth to argue when the sound of nearby voices made him jump. He hissed, ducking further into the boulder’s shadow. “We can’t be doing this here.”

“When you’ve learned the truth, I’ll be here to take you home.”

“I’m not going home, Nephi; you can’t force me.”

Nephi raised a brow. “Wanna test that theory?”

Nyel took a step back. “Okay, maybe you can, but I’ll just run away again.”

“Trust me, you’ll never walk these shores again after you see it.”

In the blink of an eye, Nephi’s body moved with inhuman speed and dove into the waves. Nyel waited, but he didn’t surface again.

At first, keeping tabs on his brat brother was somewhat enjoyable. Sneaking around, remaining out of sight, gathering information. That’s what Nephi was good at. It didn’t hurt that Nyel spent a lot of time on the docks, where a particular human frequented. A human Nephi saved. He’d discarded the bandages around his head, showing off a full head of curls. Nephi hated the way the golden locks were identical to the ones he’d run his hands through so many times. Right down to the rogue curls that poked out behind his ears.

It’s not him. It’s not him.

Nephi knew that. So why did he abandon the watch on Nyel to stalk this look-alike?

But the fun was over when his father, Donato, approached him while he rested under the house with the sandwinder.

“I need you to bring your brother home. What he’s doing isn’t safe.”

“Get him yourself,” Nephi snapped without bothering to roll over.

“Bianca and I aren’t comfortable with Marvassa .”

“Oh well, Spirits forbid you be uncomfortable.”

“I’m asking you as your father, Nephi.”

Blood surged like molten fire through his veins, flooding the hidden vessels beneath his skin. In an instant, Nephi’s fins flared wide, tripling in size—the legacy of his RaMaa mother written in every vein of crimson. The membrane along his back and tail expanded like the crest of a sailfish. Their surface glowed with the heat of his blood, pulsing in time with his rage-fueled heart.

The sandwinder yelped in alarm and scurried away.

Nephi rounded on his father like the Kraken disturbed from sleep.

“You have no right to call yourself a father,” he spat so close he blew water into Donato’s face.

Donato retreated, his scales cast in red as the sun passed through Nephi’s flared fins. Nephi relished the fear in the old sireno’s eyes. It was delicious and so deserved.

That’s right. Cower from the monster you created.

“If not for me, then for your brother. He’s done nothing to hurt you,” his father said, even as he shrank away.

Nephi wrinkled his nose in disgust. “You’re pathetic. Fine, I’ll get him, but don’t forget,” he hissed, flaring the spine on his tail, making himself twice—no, three times—larger than his sire. “You owe me, and one day, I’ll make damn sure to collect.”

He held so much power over this pathetic excuse for a Mer. Nephi was a force of nature— an imposing display of brute strength. His frame was wide, every muscle honed and taut. He was built to overpower, to crush, to dominate.

At any second, he could end this man. And he wanted Donato to know it. Needed him to feel it—to understand, deep in his bones, just how powerful Nephi had become. What an incredible monster he was.

With a final glare, he swam away, leaving his father frozen in dread at the thought of what this monster might one day demand of him. Of course, Nephi had no intention of cashing in on this favor . But knowing the idea would ferment in his father’s head and keep him up at night was reward enough.

Nyel was done pissing around in human territory. Time to come home. But as Nephi stalked his oblivious brother, there wasn’t a single opportunity to grab him. Nyel stuck to that Mer’s side like glue. And in turn, the other Mer kept an annoyingly close eye on Nyel. Even when the Mer’s back was turned, Nyel was too surrounded by humans for Nephi to make a move.

Days passed, along with any shred of patience Nephi had left. The moment Nyel was alone on the beach, he pounced.

“Finally, you little shit.”

He expected some resistance from his brother but not outright refusal. It didn’t matter; once Nyel realized the kind of company he was keeping, he’d turn tail and run. They all did once they knew the truth.

The second Nyel figures out who he’s been wasting his time on, he’ll go running home, and I can finally get the hell out of here.

It was time to confront the other imposter among these humans.

Nephi yanked an oversized coat from a clothing line. What better way to blend in with the locals than to wear their clothes? Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered and remained in his shirt and pants, but the scars on his body posed a problem. He was too noticeable now. Conspicuous. He couldn’t allow anyone to make a note of his presence.

In and out, just like always.

But it had been a while since Nephi infiltrated human territory, and he found himself ducking behind walls as a group of fishermen passed in the early morning light.

Make this quick, damn it. Then you can get back to the Pod.

If he died among his brothers and sisters, fighting for his home, for his people - at least, then it would mean something.

Not if.

When.

When he died.

Nephi understood that there would be no return trip. And he itched to fight until his final breath. He’d die on the front lines .

Like my Ludo did.

But he sure as hell wouldn’t let a human get the better of him in this grimy fishing village. That wasn’t his fate.

Dodging groups of fishermen, Nephi made his way to the docks. A steady stream of men starting their boats filled the air with tolling bells, clanking metal, and groaning engines. He took a deep breath through his nose, filtering out the smell of oil and fish. He found the foreign scent soon enough.

Nyel’s Mer companion, Atreus, was already working alongside the humans. The other men had taken off their shirts and tucked them into their pants, but Atreus remained the only one still wearing his.

Like that’s gonna keep the water off you. One slip-up is all it’d take for them to gouge your eyes out.

But he supposed this was the razor’s edge a halfling was forced to walk. All because of what he was. Nephi could scent Nyel further up the hill, likely doing his ‘job.’

A lamb playing at being the lion.

Nephi waited for Atreus to separate from the other men before he moved. Keeping his hood up and face low, he stalked forward. His steps were sure, and within seconds, he was on the Mer. He bumped his shoulder into Atreus hard, knocking him off balance.

“Oh, sorry—” Atreus started, but his voice cut off when Nephi’s bruising grip tightened on his upper arm.

Bending to his ear, Nephi whispered, “I know what you are— sea monster. If you don’t want to go for a swim in front of all these humans, you’ll meet me by the rocks in three minutes.”

With a final brutal squeeze, he shoved Atreus aside and disappeared into the narrow lane, shadowed by the swaying clotheslines.

Now, Nephi leaned comfortably against the black stone, relishing the scent still lingering in his nostrils. It was fear. When Atreus heard his threat, the stench of it rolled off him in waves. Nephi savored the smell. It came off everyone he ever encountered. He was used to it—expected it even. It made him feel powerful.

He was a halfling mutt. Deranged, angry, and dangerous. Cursed with Skraith inside him, if such a thing existed to begin with. Maybe that was the source of his rage? In the end, it didn’t matter; Nephi knew who he was, Skraith or not.

If they only see a monster, then I’ll be the worst monster that ever breathed.

The sound of shifting sand alerted him to Atreus’s presence. He breathed in deeply, the scent of fear strong in the air.

That’s right. You should be scared.

“Who are you?”

Nephi stepped lazily from the stone, lowering his hood and sizing up this Mer. He looked strong. They’d be evenly matched if it ever came down to a fight. But that was in a fair fight. And who said Nephi ever fought fair?

“Someone that knows all about you, Atreus.”

He basked in the way the other male stiffened at the sound of his name.

“How did you?—”

“Nyel told me. He’s awfully fond of you. Seems to think very highly of you.”

“You know him?”

“We are,” he paused, “distant relatives.”

“What do you want with him? With me?”

“It’s time for him to stop playing house with predators and come home.”

“He won’t go. I’ve tried.”

“He will. Once he learns the truth.” Nephi let that ominous phrase hang in the air for a moment, extracting every last bit of tension. He watched as it settled over his opponent like a chain. “Why haven’t you shown Nyel your Mer form? ”

“W-what?”

“Is it because you know he’ll run away? Just like everyone else in your life?”Atreus’s jaw clenched so tight Nephi could practically hear his teeth grinding. A thrill shot up his spine.

Maybe I’ll get some action after all.

His body itched for a fight. For claws and teeth.

“That’s why you’re all alone, isn’t it? Why the Sireni shun you? Why have you chosen to throw your lot in with the enemy?”

“I—I don’t?—”

“But of course, the Sireni in Corallina weren’t the first to cast you out,” Nephi smiled wickedly, showing off the canines he so badly wanted to sink into flesh. “Your parents abandoned you first. Isn’t that right?”

He saw Atreus’s movements as though in slow motion. The set of his feet, the lunge in his knees, and the cocked shoulder. Nephi dodged his punch with unchallenged ease, redirecting Atreus’s momentum with an elbow to the back. Atreus fell face-first in the sand but was up again in seconds, trying for another strike. This time, Nephi dodged, gripping his wrist and bending forward, throwing Atreus’s bulk clean over his head. He heard Atreus’s breath knock free of his lungs.

“You’re strong. But untrained. You fight like a human.”

Atreus wiped sand from his mouth and stood warily. “How do you know all this?”

Nephi considered how to answer, taking his time. With hands in his pockets, he waded into the surf until he was waist-deep. With deliberate slowness, he lifted his tail, fanning out his bright red fins.

“Because I’m like you. A mutt. A bastard child nobody wanted. A halfling.” When Atreus appeared confused, Nephi sighed, feeling bad for the man. “They abandoned you and didn’t even bother to tell you why. How cruel.”

“Tell me what!? ”

“That you’re a freak. A mix between two species that should never be. An abomination. You should have been killed as a babe, but like me, somehow you survived. We are born with Skraith inside us, slowly driving us mad. And now we live like outcasts.”

He lifted his tail, admiring his scales as they glistened in the early light.

“The green comes from my sireno father. And the red comes from my mother, a Ra - Maa woman. Mixed colors like these are the easiest way to spot a halfling. But to someone with more training, it’s possible to identify by scent alone. That’s how I figured you out.”

Atreus swallowed hard, and Nephi could see the wheels turning in his head. Answers he’d likely searched for his entire life. All thrown at his feet in a flash.

Poor bastard.

But it was better to learn the truth and hurt than to remain oblivious.

“Now you know why they left. And why you’ve been hiding yourself from Nyel. This is the shame we bear.”

“I’m… a halfling.”

Nephi nodded. “You are. From your scent alone, I can tell you carry Rusalki blood; the rest is unfamiliar to me.”

“And I have Skraith ?”

“An evil spirit that lives in your body. Your mind. The punishment for your continued existence. Humans might call it a demon.”

Atreus shook his head. “I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what any of it means.”

“If you continue to live hidden among your enemies, it won’t matter. To them, you’re human, and it’s in your best interest to keep it that way. But if a Mer saw you, well…” He tilted his head. “I trust you’ve already experienced how they react.”

Atreus’s freckles stood out against skin drained of color, his hands clenching and unclenching like he didn’t know what to do with them.

“So you’re saying… if Nyel sees?—”

“He’ll come home in an instant. Halflings are sick. Cursed. Driven mad by the Skraith . We’re demented, twisted beasts. The deadliest Mer in the sea.”

Nephi flourished his tail a final time before splashing out of the surf. The water evaporated quickly in the blazing sun. Marvassa took away his scales in seconds.

“I’m not mad.” Atreus’s voice shook.

Nephi laughed. “I used to say the same.”

Atreus glared at him. “I’m not,” he said more firmly. “and I’ve never attacked anyone.”

“Not yet.” He loved the way Atreus paled further. “Show him what you really are. You’ll see that I’m right. I’ll be waiting for him when he runs.”

“Atreus!”

Nephi stiffened as an unfamiliar voice approached.

“Atreus, where’d you go?”

A figure jogged to them, feet light on the sand. Nephi’s eyes widened, and his breath caught in his lungs. He tried to pull air through his gills but realized he had none and inhaled sharply through his nose.

It’s him.

All the days he’d followed Nyel, Nephi secretly hoped to run into him —the human with curly blond hair, amber skin, and a full lower lip. For a second, it was Ludo who jogged to him, all vibrant smiles and alive with each footprint he left in the sand.

The dimples are the same.

Once again, the illusion was broken when the young man turned his eyes to Nephi. They were yellow, not silver.

Not my Ludo .

Yet no matter how much he told himself that, visions of this human continued to haunt Nephi. And now he was right in front of him.

Don’t panic. He doesn’t know who you are.

Nephi was in his Mer form when he saved the boy and was likely written off as a delirious dream. Despite himself, Nephi pulled up his hood, hiding the right side of his face.

“Hey, Atreus, I’ve been meaning to talk to you, but if now’s a bad time...” The human glanced at Nephi with curiosity.

“Leo, I’ll meet you at the docks in a minute,” Atreus said, his voice stern as he watched Nephi for any signs of an attack.

His name is Leo. Leo. Ludo. Leo. Ludo.

Even the names blurred in his mind. Without a word, Nephi turned on his heel and stalked away. He’d said what he needed to say. Now, he had to get the hell out of there before he did something he’d regret.

Damn you, Ludo.

But it wasn’t Ludo’s silver eyes now burrowing deeper and deeper into his psyche.

“Leo,” he said out loud, tasting the name. It was so similar yet different. Acid bubbled in his chest. How dare a human take the face of his Ludo? How dare a human with such striking similarities breathe the same air? How dare he show his face to Nephi after all he’d lost?

Maybe I’ll have him before I go. Or maybe I’ll drag him to the ocean floor where he belongs.