Page 24 of Storm and Sea (Storm and Sea Saga #1)

A treus did his best to stifle a yawn.

“Me too,” Nyel agreed, his eyes likewise struggling to stay open.

Atreus hardly slept—and not for the reasons he wished. Instead of enjoying the night away like everyone else on the island, Atreus spent his night helping the poor fisherman whose boat engine had caught fire. He’d managed to get it running again for now, though the vessel wouldn’t be truly seaworthy without expensive replacement parts.

It felt like his head had only just touched the pillow when Marina barged into his room like a shipwreck in progress—loud, chaotic, and with zero regard for his exhaustion.

Atreus groaned, pulling the blanket over his head as if it could shield him from her. Marina, however, made it clear that sleeping in wasn’t an option as she yanked the covers off him and broke into song.

The Bayallon’s a comin’,

The Bayallon’s a comin’,

Oh, won’t you help me, please?

Ooooooh yeah ? —

“Get out!” Atreus yelled, his pillow hitting the door as she ducked behind it.

He listened to her yowling fade down the hall, likely to give Nyel the same rude awakening. But it did the trick; he was up.

It was the morning of the Bayallon, and there was work to be done. Well. In Marina’s mind, there was work to be done. In reality, all that was left to do was for the volunteers to take their posts and for Marina to shout the rules to the crowd one more time. Yet that didn’t stop her from waking Atreus and Nyel at the first sign of light. They dragged their feet through the courses for the hundredth time, reassuring Marina that everything was perfect. Of course, she triple-checked everything anyway. By the time the town had gathered and the races were underway, Atreus could hardly keep his eyes open.

“Ai posti, pronti, VIA!” Marina shouted through a megaphone, and three dozen young racers took off down the lane. It was a short sprint, but watching their uncoordinated waddles was adorable. Adorable enough to tug at the edges of Atreus’s mouth despite his tiredness.

“Humans learn to walk so young,” Nyel observed through another eye-watering yawn.

“Marina told me they can walk as young as eight months. ”

“You’re kidding.”

As they talked, a few of the kids tripped, bouncing on the ground before carrying on.

“I never said they learned to walk well,” Atreus amended.

They watched the little ones run, swim (which was more like a chest-deep walk through a makeshift pool), and clamber into a wagon. He had to admit the wagon pull was a huge hit. The parents were fiercely competitive, and watching the kids cling for dear life as they raced to the finish line was the funniest thing he’d seen in ages. The winner broke through the string of paper flowers, and the crowd cheered. Marina hugged the winners and gave them their basket of goodies before restarting the sequence for the middle group of kids.

These kids would swim a short loop in the bay, marked with a floating buoy. A few adults were already on the other end in row boats as lifeguards.

“Too bad we can’t lifeguard. We’d be better at it,” Nyel mused, making Atreus laugh.

“Yeah, that would go over well. It’d be kinda weird if a floundering kid suddenly started to levitate through the water.”

Nyel laughed. “No, but seriously. We could help. And in more than just lifeguarding at the Bayallon.”

“There you go with your dangerous ideas again,” Atreus said dismissively. They’d had this conversation so many times he didn’t have the energy to be anxious over it anymore.

“You know I’m right,” Nyel singsonged but let the matter rest.

When the lead racers rounded the ‘mermaid’ fountain, they peddled their bikes like mad to the finish. A young girl with raven-black hair won, much to the delight of her equally dark-haired family.

“Do you ever notice that some humans look different?” Nyel mused.

“They all look different. ”

“No, some look really different. Like that family,” he said, nodding to the black-haired group. On closer inspection, their skin was a different shade, and their eyes had a delicate curve at the ends.

“Sure, I guess.” Atreus finally said.

“Is it like the different species of Mer?”

“Maybe. But it doesn’t seem to bother them as much.” He pointed to the only curly-haired figure on the stage. The man was brown-haired and shorter than the others, and clearly the girl’s father by the way he spun her around with pride.

“Mixing must not be a problem,” Atreus concluded.

“Yeah,” Nyel said, his voice dipping at the end. “I wish we were more like that.” He stared at the family for a moment before shaking himself. “But change can only happen if we make it happen! Right?” Nyel asked with exaggerated conviction.

“Sure,” Atreus replied with a bemused grin.

Nyel punched his arm.

“Hey, what the?—!?”

“C’mon, more enthusiasm!”

“I don’t know what you want from me!” Atreus laughed. “And you hit like a guppy.”

Nyel gasped in mock offense. “Oh, that’s how you want to play it? You don’t know who you’re messing with.”

“Try it.” Atreus smirked, raising his arms in challenge.

The sireno lunged, aiming to grab Atreus by the neck and pin him. “Gotcha! Who’s the guppy now—hey!”

With a swift spin, Atreus flipped their momentum and locked Nyel into a headlock.

“Okay, okay! I give! I give! ” Nyel squirmed, trying to wriggle free.

“Say you’re a guppy,” Atreus teased.

Nyel struggled harder, but keeping him in place was laughably easy.

“Ugh, fine! I’m a guppy. ”

“Now say I’m a?—”

“BOYS!”

Both of them flinched. Atreus released Nyel instantly, hands snapping over his ears.

“Quit messing around!” Marina’s voice thundered through the loudspeaker.

“We can hear you fine!” Atreus yelled, rubbing his ears.

“Get to your stations!”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Nyel saluted.

As they trekked up the hill, a man shouted to Atreus. It was the same man whose engine burned out the night before.

“ Signore, please, from my family as thanks.” He offered Atreus a parcel of sweet rolls. “My wife made, very delicious. Grazie Signore , grazie .”

Before Atreus could insist it wasn’t a big deal, the man was gone. Nyel watched him with smug, raised brows.

“What?”

“And you say the people of this town don’t adore you.”

Atreus shook his head but couldn’t hide his grin. “Whatever. Here, I don’t like sweets.”

By the time they made it to the top of the hill, Nyel had finished them all. He ate the entire damn bag.

“I’ve never seen anyone put away sweets like you do,” Atreus said, retrieving the bucket from the well.

Nyel licked his fingers clean. “They were delicious. I bet they had sugar in them.”

Atreus laughed. “You know what, I bet they did.”

They diligently filled the paper cups, lining them up on the table. The final race for the older kids was brutal, and heat exhaustion posed a real risk. The racers would be parched by the time they made it up the hill.

“How do we know when it’s started?” Nyel asked .

A distant ‘VIA!’ echoed from below them in town as Marina signaled for the kids to start.

“Like that,” Atreus said, sitting in the grass. “And now we wait.”

The day was perfect, if not a bit hot.

“Marina’s done a really good job with this,” Nyel said, leaning on his hands in the cool grass.

“Don’t let her hear you say that. It’ll go right to her head.”

“Oh, come on, everyone deserves a little praise.”

“She might sing in celebration.”

“On the other hand, maybe her confidence is already pretty high.”

Both of them laughed. Atreus couldn’t get enough of the trilly way Nyel’s voice rose in pitch.

“You sound like a bird when you laugh,” Atreus said without thinking. Heat rose to his face as the internal thought fell from his mouth.

Nyel cocked a brow at him. “Oh? Like the gulls by the docks?”

“No.” Atreus snorted. “I mean like the tree birds. The small ones with the— you know what, never mind.”

“No, no, I want to hear it! Which bird?”

“Nope. You lost your chance.”

As Nyel made a puppy-dog face, someone crested the hill, jogging towards them.

“Hey, Nyel, Gatto ! Mind if I join?”

Atreus waved to greet Leo, who appeared to be in better spirits this morning.

“Hey Leofel! Sure, come have a seat,” Nyel said, patting the grass on his other side.

Leo sat with a huff. “They’ve just started the swimming portion. Those kids will be zombies by the time this is over.”

“Maybe they’ll give their parents some peace,” Atreus speculated .

Leo waved his hand. “No way. Give them a couple of hours, and they’ll be causing mayhem all over again.”

“Did Marina let your brother join the older group?” Nyel asked.

“Yep! He isn’t doing half bad, either. Last I checked, he was somewhere in the middle of the pack. But Edgar isn’t the strongest swimmer, so it won’t surprise me if he’s bringing up the rear by the time they get up here.”

“It’s still admirable of him to try.”

“Yep, I’m proud of him. Has more guts than I did at his age.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Nyel said.

“It isn’t,” Atreus confirmed, “I’ve known him almost a decade. And back then, he was the teen causing trouble in town.”

Leo raised both hands in surrender. “Guilty. But you weren’t innocent either, Gatto .”

“Only because I was constantly keeping you out of trouble. Someone had to make sure you didn’t do anything too stupid.”

“Wouldn’t follow me onto the boats, though.”

At this, Atreus shook his head. “Got me there.”

“Once a Gatto , always a Gatto ,” Leo said, reaching to smack Atreus’s shoulder.

He was glad to see his friend back to his old self.

“What about you, Nyel? Raise hell where you’re from?”

Nyel shrugged. “Not really. My parents kept me pretty busy growing up, and I wasn’t big on friends.”

“Aw, well, screw them. You’ve got friends now,” he said, tugging Nyel into a one-armed hug. Atreus stiffened as Nyel’s entire left side was pulled flush with Leo’s chest. Nyel was shorter, his hair probably tickling Leo’s chin. And there was no reason for Leo to grip him so tight?—

“Right, Gatto ?”

“Huh?”

“Weren’t you listening? I said Nyel has friends now, right? ”

“Oh yeah. Totally. We’re friends.” But the word tasted funny as it left his mouth.

“See? You’ve got nothing to worry about,” Leo said, finally releasing Nyel.

The sound of crunching gravel and squeaking hinges approached from below.

“Here they come,” Leo said, rising to his feet.

Atreus stood as well, and in unison, both extended a hand to Nyel.

Without conscious thought, Atreus narrowed his eyes at Leo, catching the latter off guard. He was immensely satisfied to see Leo’s hand hesitate for a fraction of a second, and it looked as though he’d pull away.

But Nyel, oblivious to the silent standoff, reached for both their hands and let them pull him upright. Dusting off his pants, he nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

Atreus avoided eye contact after that, but the tension between him and Leo remained—unresolved and catching them both by surprise.

What was that just now? Why am I so uptight?

Atreus had no answer. All he knew was that, at this moment, Leo’s presence was annoying the living daylights out of him.

The leaders of the race shot past, not slowing for a second, skipping the water cups they offered. But the next group, with red faces and gasping mouths, stopped their bikes for a drink. Leo helped them refill the cups after the next batch, and pretty soon, only the stragglers at the end remained.

“They’ve probably already finished at the bottom,” Nyel said, craning his neck to see past the curve of buildings blocking their view.

“Marina will wait for everyone before announcing the winner,” Atreus said, using his hand to block the sun, searching for the last few racers. A moment later, a single curly blond head slowly made its way up the hill.

“Way to go, Edgar!” Leo shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth. “Whooo! You got this!”

Leo encouraged his brother and jogged alongside the bike, lifting a cup of water to the boy’s lips without slowing his pace. When Edgar started the downhill trek, Leo hollered after him.

“See you at the bottom, big man!”

“He did so great,” Nyel praised.

“He’s come a long way. Proud of that kid,” Leo said, fondness making his eyes sparkle.

“Let’s congratulate him at the bottom.” Atreus cleaned up the paper cups and tied them in a bag he’d retrieve later.

As they rounded the corner, they mused about the race and what next year might look like. From this angle, Atreus could see the entire path down to the bay. The hill was steep and cleared of debris for the cyclists.

“There he is!” Nyel shouted as a distant figure barreled down the slope, approaching the final corner.

“Way to go, Edgar—” Leo’s cheer died in the air as they watched everything go wrong. The front tire of Edgar’s bike shook violently, the wheel coming loose from its spokes. The handlebars jerked from his grasp, and the bike careened into the railing overlooking the sea. For a second, that was it: a ruined bike, some bumps and bruises.

It was as if the world had slowed to a grinding halt. The back of the bike kicked up like a horse, the bars jammed into the railing, and the momentum sent the bike flying.

And Edgar’s body flew with it.

He barely had enough time to let out a feeble yelp before disappearing over the edge, falling… falling… falling…

“EDGAR!!!” Leo yelled, diving to the rail, Nyel and Atreus hot on his heels. They searched the cliff yet saw nothing but sharp black rocks jutting from the surface like the cracked teeth of the ocean’s maw. Water smashed against stone as the tide surged, bringing wild, white-capped waves that crashed against the cliff face like an enraged god.

Leo’s foot was on the railing in less than a second before Nyel wrapped both arms around his waist, hauling him back.

“Leofel, no! The rocks! You can’t!”

But Leo wasn’t listening as he struggled against Nyel’s hold.

“Edgar!” he shouted again, his voice cracking.

The seconds dragged like decades. Leo wouldn’t survive the fall. Likely, Edgar hadn’t either. And then, with cruel simplicity, only three things existed. Atreus, the sea, and a choice.

He looked to Nyel, who’d half-wrestled Leo to the ground.

Their eyes connected, holding onto one another, sharing a silent conversation that surpassed the need for words. Nyel’s gold-speckled eyes widened as Atreus moved.

“Atre—!”

But Atreus didn’t hear the rest as wind rushed at him from all sides.

And he fell.

“Leofel, stop!” Nyel shouted as Leo half dragged him to the rails. “The beach! We have to go to the beach.”

Leo jerked from his grasp and flew down the lane without a word. Nyel followed but couldn’t keep up with Leofel’s long sprints. The square flew past in a blur, and in seconds, Nyel’s feet met the sand. He wasn’t alone. Dozens of the townsfolk witnessed the crash from the base of the hill, and already men ran to the docks, intent on firing up their boats for a rescue mission. But there was no point. The rocks were too cluttered, the waves too unpredictable. The boats couldn’t do more than hover around the edges as helpless spectators.

Nyel nearly followed Leo into the surf, his feet halting inches from the water’s edge.

“Edgar!” Leo shouted, already waist-deep.

Several men who’d already waded into the water grabbed his shoulders, stopping his progress.

“The waves will tear you to shreds, ragazzo ! You cannot.”

“Let me go!” Leo shouted, hysteria catching in his throat.

Nyel gripped his hair, pulling it with both hands, standing helplessly on the beach.

“Nyel!” Giovanni rushed to him. “Was it Atreus? Did I see Atreus jump into the waves?” he panted.

Nyel couldn’t recall the tears pooling in his eyes as he nodded. “Yes, he jumped, I couldn’t stop him. ”

“Dio lo protegga,” Giovanni whispered beneath his tousled mustache.

In a flash of red hair, Marina had her arms wrapped around his neck, and Nyel returned her embrace without question.

“Nyel, I’m so sorry, I?—”

She pulled back enough for him to see the devastated look on her face. Out of all the people shouting around them, only they understood what truly happened. What Atreus just sacrificed. Only they understood that they might never see Atreus on this island again.

“I couldn’t stop him,” Nyel broke.

Marina pulled him to her again, whispering so only he could hear. “Can Mer survive a fall like that? Will he be okay?”

Atreus had a much better chance than a human. Better than Edgar. Though the sharp rocks would cut through scale just as easily as skin with enough force.

“I don’t know,” Nyel said, shaking as he hugged Marina, seeking her comfort.

“ Merda ,” Marina hissed, pulling him even tighter.

The seconds crawled with agonizing slowness, each a ponderous weight dragging through the suffocating summer heat.

Leo had finally stopped trying to muscle past the other men and now knelt in the surf, arms hanging limp at his sides in defeat. He stared in the direction of the rocks with a hazed expression. Nyel wanted to comfort him, to place a hand on his shoulder and remind him he wasn’t alone. But Nyel couldn’t walk into the surf. With the eyes of the entire village watching the scene unfold, he was trapped.

Should I go after him? Should I sneak away?

Nyel could easily slip away in the chaos. Then what would he do? Even as a Mer, he’d grown up with cautionary tales and threats to stay away from the rocky shores. Even as a Mer, they posed a danger to him.

And what if I find them? What if…

Nyel hugged his middle, nauseated. If he found them… if he found Atreus’s lifeless body…

He was going to be sick.

“Over there!”

A voice shouted, and soon, a dozen hands pointed toward the sandbank. A figure rose from the surface, waves breaking over his back and knocking him forward. He emerged from the direction of the sun, its blinding rays forcing Nyel to blink rapidly as the onlookers shielded their eyes. But even through the glare, Nyel knew who it was.

His relief was short-lived. In a few breaths, Atreus would be near enough for everyone to see.

“Oh, Grazie Dio! ” Leofel’s mother, Emelia, broke through the crowd, weeping as she waded through the water at a run. Nyel expected Thomasso to be at her heels, but he was nowhere in sight. “Thank god, thank god I prayed I?—”

She halted as Atreus came into view.

Nyel was frozen. The sand beneath his feet may as well have been wet cement. He couldn’t move.

He couldn’t breathe.

Atreus sloshed through the water, navy, and violet scales glittering in the sunlight. The light hit him so perfectly that his magenta fins cast specks of color on the white beach. A small, still boy lay in his arms, looking more like a doll. Edgar’s arm dangled, and his head flopped against Atreus’s chest, blond hair obscuring his face.

Nobody moved.

The island held its breath.

Leo was the first person to come alive, dashing to him.

“He’s alive! He needs a doctor!” Atreus shouted, his voice shaken and chest heaving as he limped through the water.

Leo halted at the sound of his friend’s voice coming from the mouth of a foreign creature. He froze in confusion, but it was enough time for Atreus to transfer Edgar into Leo’s arms and step back quickly. The Mer backpedaled until he was waist-deep in the surf, arms raised in surrender.

Emelia darted to him, pushing Edgar’s curls from his face. “Oh, mio bambino, ” she cried. Then went still as she took in her son’s rescuer.

All eyes were glued on Atreus. Everyone asking themselves the same question.

Friend or foe?

Atreus stood there, bleeding into the setting sun. Vulnerable. Alone. A creature carved from the sorrow of the sea.

Nyel’s heart ached so much that tears pooled in his eyes, scalding his cheeks as they fell. He couldn’t stand it. Couldn’t stand to watch Atreus bear the crushing weight of their scrutiny. Not alone. Not anymore.

He shoved his way free of the crowd, stumbling in the sand before diving headfirst into an oncoming wave. Marvassa embraced him, and it felt like coming home. His skin rippled, his hair vanished, and a tail manifested behind him.

Nyel was Mer, and he was done hiding it. He burst from the waves, fins flared, and tail raised.

“You shouldn’t have Ny,” Atreus whispered to him as he approached.

“I told you before,” Nyel said, reaching a webbed hand and intertwining their fingers. “You aren’t alone anymore.”

He came so close.

So close to not doing it.

Almost let his fear stop him from jumping.

From saving Edgar’s life.

All that fear melted away as he lost himself in gold-flecked eyes.

Instinct and adrenaline took over his body as he crashed into unforgiving waters. Each wave struck him as if the ocean was determined to beat him into submission. It hurled him toward the jagged rocks, slamming him against their unyielding mass, sending pain radiating through his ribs and arm. The impact left him gasping, the saltwater stinging every scrape and cut. Somehow, despite the searing pain, Atreus managed to navigate the brutal tide as it tossed him like a rag doll.

By some miracle, Edgar managed to land in the only spot clear of rocks. The water cushioned his fall, and the helpless boy clung to the cliffside just long enough to take one more breath before succumbing to the waves. Atreus found him sinking in the surf, a trail of bubbles leaving his mouth.

Grabbing the boy and rocketing them to the surface took every ounce of strength he had. The sharp ache in his ribs and the numbness creeping into his arm made each stroke agony. Fighting through the maze of rocks with Edgar’s deadweight sapped what little remained of his energy. Pure adrenaline allowed him to march through the shallow water, carrying Edgar in his arms. His legs shook beneath him, protesting the weight. If not for the threat of attack from the people he loved, Atreus would have collapsed in the sand.

“He’s alive! He needs a doctor,” Atreus hastily said, stopping Leo’s charge. He was sure Leo would have attacked him if he hadn’t spoken. Not that a single human posed any threat, weaponless as he was. Once Edgar was safely in his brother’s arms and under his mother’s care, all fell silent. Atreus could have sworn that even the ocean waves quieted, waiting for the verdict. Waiting for the people of Baia Vita to pass judgment.

Waiting… for his life to fall apart.

Dark wavy hair cut through the crowd with a cry, crossing the beach and disappearing beneath the waves. Atreus barely had time to process the leap before Nyel surfaced beside him, jade scales catching the light in a way that made his breath hitch.

Their eyes met, and the world narrowed to just the two of them. For a fleeting moment, a flicker of golden thread manifested in the air around Nyel. Tears pooled in Atreus’s eyes; the feeling was akin to seeing a beloved friend after a long time apart. He wanted Nyel to see it too, to share in this feeling. But at this rate, Atreus was resigned to the fact that he alone witnessed its glow.

The delicate thread was nearly transparent in its faintness… but there, just like on the night of the fireworks. It tried to take hold between them—so terribly fragile yet insistent, daring to exist in the space they shared. In a place it shouldn’t. But without a tether, it hung there, suspended. And Atreus knew it wouldn’t survive long.

Just like last time, it would break… and die.

But for now, it remained, and he would delight in its presence—in Nyel’s warmth. The sea surged around them, the high tide roaring as waves struck the shore with force. Yet to Atreus, everything felt hushed, falling into quiet reverence. As mighty waves crested, they bent like bowed heads, as if the ocean itself knelt before the golden light—knelt before them .

Whale song echoed far in the distance; whether from the open sea or the depths of his own mind, Atreus didn’t know. Didn’t care. Because Nyel… was here.

Nyel’s jade scales shimmered, shifting to azure before deepening into black—a cascade of colors rolling like thunderheads across his skin, shifting and swelling like an oncoming storm. Slowly, Atreus reached out, his fingertips brushing against Nyel’s arm, grounding himself in the impossible beauty of it all—the connection, the golden light only he could see, the sense that this was something he would never fully understand.

“You’re here,” Atreus whispered, his voice unsteady.

“I’m here,” Nyel replied.

“You shouldn’t have, Ny.”

A webbed hand locked with his.

“I told you before. You aren’t alone anymore.”

Words failed him as he squeezed Nyel’s hand. The stunned silence of the crowd pressed in on them like the deepest part of the ocean, the pressure building until Atreus feared he might cave in on himself.

“I—I’m…”

“You can’t do this.”

The voice spat and hissed, slithering into his mind like a venomous thing. It curled around his doubts, twisting them into truths, feeding on his insecurities like a leech.

“You’re nothing .

You’ve always been nothing.”

The words dripped with disdain, each syllable sharpened to cut deeper and deeper.

“You think you matter?

That you have any control?”

It laughed, a low, mocking rasp.

“You’re a freak. A monster.

They hate you. Hate you.

HATE YOU!”

But then Nyel squeezed him, and the golden light flickered—like the beating heart of a flame—banishing the voice, burning it away like mist under the morning sun.

I’m not alone.

He tried again, this time steady enough to break through the lingering shadows.

“My name is Atreus. I work at the Sleeping Whale pescheria . I live in the abandoned lighthouse across the bay. Baia Vita has been my home for most of my life and… I’m a Mer.”

His heart wanted to escape his chest and take refuge in the water without him.

“My name is Nyel. I work at the Sleeping Whale pescheria . I was born in these waters, and though I’ve only lived here for a season, Baia Vita feels like home now. I am a sireno —a Mer, native to your bay.”

The crowd shifted at the sound of their voices. At the familiar voices coming out of the mouths of creatures that belonged in fables. When Nyel finished, they stirred. They inched closer, like a hive ready to attack an intruder. Ready to defend its home from something that didn’t belong. Atreus took a step backward, ready to run.

“It’s them!”

Marina’s stout frame burst free of the crowd, splashing into the shallows to stand between them and the onlookers. She held out her arms as though to defend from oncoming projectiles.

“It’s still them! The same people you’ve been working alongside on the docks.”

Whispers sounded, but the crowd continued to edge closer. Atreus spotted several of the men reaching for tools at their belts.

Marina’s red hair was frazzled into wild knots, which made her appear larger as she shielded them. “Listen to me! I knew about them. I chose to keep their secret because I knew they wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

“That wasn’t your choice to make!” someone called from the crowd.

Others joined in agreement.

“You should have told us!”

“What do they eat!?”

“Are they the ones taking our fish?”

“How can we trust anything with claws like that?”

The voices overlapped with one another, tumbling into an angry crescendo. Marina’s arms dropped a few inches, a defeated expression coming over her face. But just as quickly, she raised them again. “I won’t let you hurt them!”

“Get out of the way!”

“Stand aside, girl, let us decide.”

They were too close now. Atreus worried Marina would soon be yanked from her position. He shifted his feet, ready to push Nyel into the waves .

“SILENCE!!!”

A lion’s roar tore through the crowds’ squawking, and all fell silent. The assembly parted for the larger-than-life figure as Giovanni made his way forward.

Atreus wanted to throw up. Wanted to melt and become one with the salt and sea.

I’ve failed him. After all he’s done for me… he knows I’ve been lying to him for years. He hates me. He hates me. He hates me.

The golden light sputtered and dimmed, fading like a dying ember struggling to hold on. Nyel let out an almost imperceptible whimper, and Atreus couldn’t tell if he felt the same hollow ache in his chest—or if Atreus was merely projecting his own. But then he realized his hand was clenched around the sireno’s fingers hard enough to hurt.

He loosened his grip but couldn’t stop his entire body from shaking. With fear. With anxiety. With the awful certainty that he was about to be abandoned. For the second time.

Giovanni approached his daughter, but she didn’t lower her hands. Marina jutted out her chin in defiance as tears spilled onto her cheeks.

“I won’t move, Papá .” Her words were determined, but the way she said them sounded like a plea.

“I know bambina mia .” He stroked a wayward strand of hair, and Marina’s lip trembled. “But as your father, I ask that you step aside.”

Atreus’s heart nearly broke in two, watching Marina come undone before a father she loved.

Forced to choose.

“It’s okay, Rina,” Atreus said loud enough for her to hear.

At the sound of the nickname she’d always wanted, Marina let out a sob. She lowered her arms dutifully and stepped aside.

Atreus stepped fully in front of Nyel as Giovanni approached. The weight of Giovanni’s gaze bore down on him. Atreus couldn’t bring himself to meet it, couldn’t face the disappointment etched in his eyes. Instead, he bowed his head, bracing for whatever punishment Giovanni saw fit to deliver.

He deserved it.

For the lies.

For the deceit.

For almost a decade’s worth of memories, laughs, and lessons… all in the company of a creature Giovanni never knew.

He stopped only inches from Atreus, his feet hidden in the surf.

“Lift your head,” he commanded, and as though Giovanni had physically forced his muscles to work, Atreus obeyed. The wind blew through his hair. He’d partially dried since surfacing, and Marvassa slowly transformed him. What Giovanni saw now was half the human he knew as Atreus— and half a stranger calling itself a Mer.

“Do you understand where you are?” he asked.

“Yes, Signore .”

“Do you know who I am?”

“Y-yes Signore .”

“Then who are you?”

Atreus choked, his throat impossibly dry.

“I—I’m….”

He dropped his gaze but instantly lifted it again when Giovanni commanded him.

“Who are you?” Giovanni asked again, his voice terrifyingly calm.

“I’m— me.”

Giovanni nodded. “Are you the Atreus I know?”

Was he? Was he truly the person he’d painted himself to be? The person he’d shaped himself to become in order to live in Baia Vita? To live among these people? To become one of them? To love them like they were his own flesh and blood?

Is that really me?

“Atreus.” Giovanni’s voice rumbled so low in his chest it shook the air. “Beneath the skin. Beneath the scales. Are you the Atreus I’ve grown to know?”

Atreus had hidden himself, lied to bury the truth of what he was. But his love for Baia Vita—for these people, for Giovanni, Horace, Marina, and even the damn cat—none of that was a lie.

It was real. As real as the setting sun. As real as Nyel’s steady hand resting against his back. Giving him strength.

“Yes, Signore . Yes, I am.”

“And what did I tell you about the formalities?”

Tears welled in Atreus’s eyes.

“Yes, Giovanni.”

Giovanni nodded approvingly. “As I thought.”

The mountain of a man moved to stand beside Atreus, and before he knew what was happening, Giovanni’s voice roared, carrying to every ear that listened with unquestionable authority.

“Today, we have discovered the old tales of the Uomo del Mare are true. The Men of the Sea live among us! And how fortunate for us that we learn through a man we already know. You’ve watched Atreus grow alongside your children, watched him work alongside your men. And today, he has saved one of our very own. He is a hero of Baia Vita! And…”

Giovanni reached for the shark tooth necklace, yanking it off his neck and tying it around Atreus’s.

“... A man I will proudly call my son.”

Atreus must still be in the waters by the cliffs, the waves knocking his head against the rocks. That was the only explanation that made any sense. Yet the solid weight of the leather strap around his neck and the shark tooth resting against his sternum was too heavy to be imagined.

They were real.

This was real.

The villagers, who, moments ago, were poised like a cat ready to pounce, eased at the lion’s roar. At his promise that all would be well. Giovanni had made the ultimate gesture of trust, and their fears were quelled.

They exchanged words now with an air of excitement rather than fear, the volume growing.

“Emelia, I suggest you take your boy to Dr. Romano right away,” Giovanni said, snapping the golden-haired family back to the present.

“Y-yes, yes, of course,” Emelia agreed.

Edgar stirred but remained unable to stand on his own.

Atreus tried to catch Leo’s eye, to catch some glimpse that they would be okay. But his old friend refused to meet his gaze as he turned in the direction of the hospital.

Yet the relief, the shock, the absolute mayhem of emotions now seeping out of his pores had at last taken their toll. And if not for Nyel quickly ducking beneath his arm, he would have collapsed to the surf.

“Atreus, you’re bleeding!” Nyel cried out as some of Atreus’s blood dripped onto his shoulder.

It wasn’t a surprise. Atreus was certain adrenaline and fear had worked miracles as the waves tossed him over the rocks. There was no way he’d come out of it with just a few superficial cuts. But none of that mattered.

“A man I will proudly call my son.”

If he weren’t in shock, he’d have cried like a child.