Page 6 of Storm and Sea (Storm and Sea Saga #1)

A treus couldn’t repress the smile tugging at the edges of his mouth as Giovanni’s voice boomed from the top of the stairs. He sang along with his favorite opera, the record spinning on a high shelf. And Atreus had to admit, the grizzly man wasn’t half bad. He rounded the corner with a fresh stack of newspapers, giving Atreus a good-natured shove as he passed.

“Hey, watch it, old man, or I’ll mess up the cut on this fish,” Atreus said, holding the knife steady.

Giovanni chuckled, the sound vibrating through the room.“ You better not, ragazzo , that’s my best seller. And who’re you calling old? I’m healthy as an ox.”

“Uh-huh, whatever you say,” Atreus mocked, earning him another shove as Giovanni took a spot beside him.

He wrapped the cuts of fish in paper and marked the price, still humming along to the music. The old fisherman’s hands weren’t as steady as they used to be, so he tasked Atreus with cutting the higher-value catches. Today, it was yellowfin tuna. The red meat was marbled with fat and oil and would fetch a high price.

But that would have to wait for tomorrow. Today, the doors of the Sleeping Whale pescheria were closed because of the severe spring weather.

Atreus considered himself lucky, though. The rain held off long enough for him to swim ashore, change into his human self, and approach the pescheria before the sky re-opened. With the town square half flooded with an inch of standing water, most stores remained closed. Giovanni’s fishery was no exception, so today, they busied themselves with cutting, packaging, and organizing the store.

“How was your winter? How’s your family?” Giovanni asked, working alongside Atreus at the counter.

“Good. Cold, but what else is new?” he lied, feeling like he’d stabbed the scaling knife into his gut.

“Yes, it was cold here as well. Many harsh nights.”

Atreus dared peek at the old man, his salt and pepper beard more salt than pepper these days. Despite Atreus’s teasing, Giovanni was as muscled as the day they met, just a little more lined now. Giovanni’s clothes were simple and clean and would be covered in fishy splotches by the end of the day. Yet one part of the old fisherman’s attire always remained the same. A black shark’s tooth rested high on his chest, strung with a thin piece of worn leather.

The tooth’s black color resulted from fossilization, a concept Atreus still didn’t entirely understand. These teeth were common enough, but Giovanni’s was a special specimen. The tooth was large without a single imperfection on either of its serrated sides. But more than its appearance, Atreus admired what it symbolized.

A black shark’s tooth was bestowed on a young man once he reached a certain milestone in his life. It was a right of passage, the evolution into manhood, and it had to be earned. Simply growing up wasn’t enough to earn the title. In Baia Vita, without the necklace, you were still considered a boy regardless of age. The symbol of status dangled from the neck of every man on the island. These necklaces were heirlooms, treasured far more than common coin. In most cases, fathers were the ones to bestow the title on their sons. Necklaces passed from father to son, some dangling from family necks for generations.

Exactly like the one Atreus now admired. Giovanni’s father gave him that necklace after he navigated a wild storm, keeping the boat aloft and saving the lives of the crew. It was brave and noble, all attributes of a man worthy of a shark’s tooth.

Atreus could never hope to achieve something so incredible.

“I was surprised to see you so early in the season. Doesn’t your family need your help on the mainland?” Giovanni asked, snapping Atreus’s attention back to the present.

Atreus’s stomach twisted, but it didn’t show on his face. This was his first lie. One he’d told for years, starting when he began working for the fisherman. It was how he explained his absence during the winter months and why he didn’t live in town. A tall tale he wove as carefully as a gill net. No knots. No loops. No reason for anyone to suspect a thing.

Atreus was a factory worker on the mainland, helping his family during the harsher months of the year. But the summers were his, and he chose to spend them on the island. The island where he worked hard, earned his way, and never allowed himself to be a burden. Ever.

That was the story.

“No. They had plenty of help, so I left early. I couldn’t wait to get back here,” he said truthfully, which earned him a smile and a hefty pat on the shoulder.

“Well, this old fisherman is glad to see you. It’s been too quiet with only me and Horace.”

“It won’t be quiet for long. The island always livens up in the spring.”

“Only if this blasted rain goes away. The barge won’t come in this weather.” Giovanni grumbled as his hands continued to wrap and price cuts of meat.

The only way to get to Baia Vita was by merchant barge. Baia Vita, in and of itself, was a massive island off the coast of mainland Italy. Passenger boats refused the voyage to the island since there weren’t enough tickets sold to make a profit. This left travelers with two options: make the trip themselves or catch a ride with the merchants. The barge visited the island monthly to deliver supplies and the occasional passenger. Besides its visits, Baia Vita was cut off from the rest of the world.

And the residents of the island liked it that way.

But the World War crippled the small island haven, and in desperation, many turned to more affordable resources from the mainland. The island lost some of its integrity. Bits and pieces of timeless tradition, uncorrupted by mainland ideas, were chipped away as more and more families reached for help in the wrong places or left.

Every time Atreus returned in the spring, more of what made Baia Vita special was gone.

“Even if the rain continues tomorrow, we have to open,” Giovanni said as the downpour showed no sign of abating.

“Understood.” Atreus agreed, though his throat went dry as it always did when the store was open on rainy days.

He’d have to make some excuse to do indoor tasks, and he didn’t like shirking the harsher jobs on the docks. The island used to have half a dozen fisheries and outdoor stalls selling a wide variety of what the sea had to offer. The island’s main source of income was fishing, after all. But after the war, only Giovanni remained. And so it rested on the shoulders of this tiny pescheria to keep mouths fed. It was the sole reason many families had food on the table at all.

They couldn’t keep the doors closed for too long.

The Sleepy Whale stood as the last reminder of Baia Vita’s glory days. Giovanni worked alongside the remaining fishermen in town to keep him well-stocked. This meant he rarely took his own boat to the seas unless there was a shortage, in which case, he’d fire up that clunky engine and fish the bay alongside the others.

Atreus recognized the simplicity of it all, the peacefulness of this life. He loved it. More importantly, he saw the love in the eyes of those who called Baia Vita home. But he also sensed the mourning as they clung to the old ways, helpless to the shifting times and the ever-increasing influence of the outside world. Atreus hoped that one day, the island could stand on its own and be as independent as it had been in the good old days.

What he would have given to see it.

“This will likely delay Marina’s arrival,” Giovanni said. “She will be happy to see you already here. That is if you finally decide to stay with us.”

Atreus anticipated this. The offer came at the beginning of every season and it never failed to make his chest warm inside.

“I have a place to stay, Signore Marcello. As always, I’m grateful for the offer.”

Giovanni let out a disgruntled huff. “One of these days, ragazzo , I will convince you to live here for the season. I do not like seeing you travel so far each day.”

“You can keep trying.”

He let out a yelp as Giovanni flicked his ear.“And I told you to call me Giovanni. How many years has it been? I’ve known you since you were this big,” he said, holding a burly hand close to the ground. “I’ve known you as long as I’ve known my Marina. I’ve watched you both grow up before my eyes, so per favore , spare me the formalities—yes?”

But she’s your daughter. I’m a seasonal employee. A nobody.

“I’ll try to remember,” Atreus lied.

“Do you remember the day the letter came?” Giovanni mused.

Atreus nodded. How could he forget? It was the first and last time he’d ever seen the sea-hardened fisherman shed tears.

“A child I never knew.” Giovanni went on, his voice settling in it’s story-telling timbre. “She was nine years old. Too young to lose her mama. Too old to love Papá she never met.”

“Marina loves you to death,” Atreus said.

“Now, yes. But then? She was like a lost kitten. Yet she accepted you right away.”

Atreus’s mouth twisted in a grin. Of course, a doting father would call her a kitten. To Atreus, she was more like a feral alley cat. However, she had clung to Atreus in those early days. Like glue, she wouldn’t leave his side. Atreus didn’t know it back then, but if not for his shadow, he would never have learned how to live amongst humans. He would have mistakenly outed himself a dozen times and either be forced to flee or be killed on the spot. Marina taught him without suspicion. In return, he helped bridge the gap between father and daughter. Though to this day, Atreus didn’t know what exactly he’d done to make that happen.

“I do not know what I would have done without your aid,” Giovanni said, marking a bundle of fish.

“You two would have figured it out, I’m sure,” Atreus said.

“My point, ragazzo , is that I’ve known you as long as my daughter. So please call me Giovanni. When I hear Signore Marcello, I fear my mother-in-law has risen from the dead to haunt me.”

Atreus laughed but made no promises. Calling Signore Marcello by his given name was too informal. Too close. Too exposed. It was for the same reason that Atreus committed to his second lie. The one that claimed he had a ‘friend’ on the island’s far side where he stayed during the fishing season. The reason why he never accepted Giovanni’s invitation to stay in his home.

The home in question resided right above their heads. The pescheria was a two-story building with a large first-floor storefront and Giovanni’s living quarters above. Atreus had worked here since he was thirteen and never once permitted himself to go up those stairs despite the invitations.

He didn’t want to admit it. To accept the truth that had settled in his heart long ago. This place, with its worn wooden walls, dim lighting, and fishy smell, had become more than just a place to work.

It became his home.

And homes, like people, could disappear.

Even worse than losing everything was knowing he was the reason it was gone. Knowing that he’d done nothing but burden those around him until they couldn’t take it anymore… and left.

Atreus refused to let it happen again. He’d work hard and ask for nothing. Take nothing. Cease to exist when there was no longer a need for him. He’d enjoy his season of usefulness, then vanish when the winter winds came, waiting patiently for the day he’d be needed again—when he’d be allowed to come home.

Fingers snapped in front of him. “ Ragazzo , did you hear me?” Giovanni asked with a chortle.

“No, sorry, what were you saying?”

“I was saying that if you were to stay, you could help Marina with preparations for the Festival?—”

Giovanni was interrupted as the pescheria doors burst open despite the closed sign in the window.

“Have you seen Leo!?” the drenched woman called out, her normally neat blonde hair strewn in all directions.

“Emelia, what on earth are you doing in the rain?” Giovanni asked, halting his work and ushering the woman inside.

Emelia Tradi was the village healer, midwife, and pretty much everything short of a surgeon. Her old-time remedies kept the town healthy. She was poised and proper and exuded an undeniable warmth. She was also the mother of Atreus’s best friend.

“Giovanni, meno male che sei qui . Thank goodness you’re here. I’ve searched all over. Leofel—he took that blasted boat out. I told him not to go, but he’s so stubborn.”

“Has the boat returned? Have you checked the docks?” Giovanni asked, his voice ever calm.

“I haven’t been able to look, this darn weather. Thomasso is already searching the beaches. I hoped maybe he came here, and—oh, Atreus, you’re already in town?” she said, seeing him for the first time. “Have you heard from Leo?”

“I’m sorry, no Signora Tradi. I haven’t seen him since I arrived this morning.”

Her bottom lip trembled. “Will you help me search for him? You’d know where he might be better than I would,” she pleaded.

Atreus froze. No matter how much he wanted to search for his friend, he couldn’t go out in this weather. Giovanni spoke, sparing him a reply.

“I’ll go. Atreus, can you finish this yourself?”

“Yes.” He had to resist adding “sir” to the end of that.

“Good man. Andiamo Emelia, let us check the docks.”

And with the tinkle of the bell, they were gone. Leaving Atreus with nothing but the hum of the refrigerators and the pattering of rain on glass.

“What were you thinking, Leo?” Atreus mumbled as his steady hands continued to cut the delicate meat. The Tradi’s boat was ancient, barely seaworthy, and had more problems than he could name. He’d lost count of how many hours he and Leo spent repairing it over and over again. And that idiot took it out in this weather.

Atreus wanted to blame Leo’s pride like his mother did. But he knew the real reason: the financial pressures to provide for his large family. Though Emelia was still in her prime, Leo’s father was far older—older than Giovanni by more than a decade—too old to work the nets. This left the responsibility of a mother and five younger brothers and sisters to rest on Leo’s shoulders alone.

“If he had just waited for me,” Atreus grumbled. He could have helped Leo earn some extra money. If Leo was so eager to work on the opening day of the season, that meant the winter had been harsh. Atreus couldn’t imagine the pressure of so many young lives depending on him. He could barely take care of himself.

He was so lost in thought that he mistook the rapping on the back door for thunder. On the third round of pounding, Atreus looked behind him. Why would Giovanni come through the back? Could it be Horace? No, the old man was likely asleep upstairs. Then who?

Maybe it’s Leo. Maybe he’s hurt.

Quickly wiping his hands, he dashed to the back door, kicking aside some empty bait boxes. He wrenched it open.

“Nyel!?”Atreus couldn’t decide if he was horrified or surprised. Maybe equal parts both.

“Hey,” Nyel said sheepishly.

“What are you… how did you…!?”

The sireno had found a piece of plastic tarp and was holding it over his head like a poncho. His upper half was dry, but there was no hiding his soaked feet, which were currently long and webbed.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Atreus yelled, grabbing Nyel by the shirt and jerking him inside. “Don’t move,” he ordered, grabbing the nearest rag and bending to dry Nyel’s transformed feet. Almost instantly, they changed, revealing human toes.

Nyel wrinkled his nose.“What in Spirits-blessed is that smell?”he asked, covering his mouth like he might gag.

“It’s a fishery; what did you expect?”

“How was I supposed to know? I was looking for you.”

“Do you realize how dangerous this is? Do you realize what could have happened if anyone saw you?”

Nyel narrowed his eyes.“Hence the tarp.”

Atreus threw his arms up in the air, defeated.“How did you even find me?”

“I followed your scent,” Nyel said, tapping his nose.

“My… my what?” Atreus had never heard such a thing. Humans sure as hell couldn’t do that. Not to the extent Nyel was describing.When Nyel opened his mouth to answer, Atreus held up a hand.“You know what, it doesn’t matter. What matters right now is getting you back to the ocean where you belong.”

Nyel stood straighter.“I’m not going back. I already told you.”

“Well, you sure as hell aren’t staying here.”Atreus was shaking. This was bad—so bad. How was he going to get out of this? Nyel knew nothing about the human world. He was literally a fish out of water.

A stupid fish.

“Okay. Okay, okay, okay.” Atreus said, trying not to panic. He needed to think. “This is what we’re going to do. You’re going to hide back here. I’m going to finish my shift, and then I can sneak you out of here and get you back?—

“—I’m not going back,” Nyel insisted.

“—to the beach without anyone seeing. Yes. That will work. Okay.” Atreus ignored him. “Right, you stay here behind the shelves and don’t make a sound?—”

“Atreus?” a voice called from the front of the store. “Who are you talking to?”

His heart sank. He didn’t hear the bell. Giovanni was back.

I was talking to myself. That’s it; nobody here at all.

His mind supplied him with excuses. No, that wouldn’t work. If Giovanni came back here and saw Nyel, he’d know Atreus was lying. He couldn’t lie (more than he already was). Couldn’t risk breaking the trust he’d garnered for so many years.

Everything he’d built for himself flashed before his eyes. He could lose it all.

“Atreus?”

“B-be right there!” Atreus called.

In one fluid motion, Atreus shoved Nyel. The sireno yelped as his head smacked the wall.

“What are you doing?” he whimpered, then choked as Atreus shoved a forearm under his chin.

“You listen, and you listen good,” Atreus growled, putting pressure on Nyel’s throat, simultaneously silencing and pinning him. “This is my life you’re playing with. You understand that? My. Life . These humans don’t know what I am. And it better damn stay that way. Follow my lead and do exactly as I say. And whatever you do — Don’t. Get. Wet.”

Atreus took an extra second to glare into those wide brown eyes. The flecks of gold shimmered even in the artificial human lights.

“Because if you do, I will not take the fall for you. I won’t sacrifice everything I’ve built to save you. Do we understand each other?”

He hoped that Nyel understood what he didn’t have time to explain—should he be exposed, Atreus would not save him.He’d watch the humans tear him apart.

Nyel nodded, his skin losing what little color it had.

“Good.”

And with his heart racing, Atreus stepped from the storeroom, motioning for Nyel to follow.

He was about to risk… everything.

Atreus’s scent was easy to follow. When someone was stressed, their scent changed and grew more potent. Following the invisible trail with his nose, Nyel detected the nerves that had rolled off Atreus as he walked down this same path only a few hours ago. He was likely worried about the rain, which, to Nyel’s displeasure, started the moment his feet hit the sandy shore. Luckily, he found a torn piece of human plastic and draped it over himself. There wasn’t much to be done about his bare feet, but there weren’t any humans around. Evidently, they didn’t care for the rain either.

The scent led him to the back entrance of a weathered two-story building, its wooden exterior showing signs of age. A wooden board hung with human symbols etched into it. Though Nyel couldn’t read them, one carving vaguely resembled a whale taking a nap.

Whales don’t sleep like that.

Nyel laughed to himself.He should have been terrified. He was in human territory, surrounded by land dwellers who would rip him to pieces if given half a chance. But fear couldn’t compete with the raging excitement that pulsed through him as his feet touched the solid ground. Once the rain stopped, he would explore this place from top to bottom.

If my parents knew where I was.

He paused when an even scarier thought struck him.

If Nephi knew…

He shivered. Nyel was positive that Nephi’s anger was more about hating humans than caring about his safety. Still, he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of that resentment.

Careful to keep his fist covered, Nyel rapped his knuckles on the door. It took several tries before a lock clicked, and the door creaked open, revealing the source of the stress-infused scent. Dark, sparse freckles dotted Atreus’s sun-bronzed skin, trailing down his neck and disappearing beneath the collar of his tattered charcoal shirt, which clung to his corded arms. His shorts were ripped in several places, and he held a towel in one hand as though interrupted mid-task.

Nyel wasn’t sure what he expected. For Atreus to smile? Greet him? He wasn’t expecting anything like, “Good to see you,” but he didn’t foresee the look of pure terror as Atreus’s eyes widened and darted to his transformed feet.

“Nyel!?” he shouted, then lowered his voice, looking around nervously.

“Hey,” Nyel said with a timid wave.

“What are you… how did you…!?”

Rough hands grabbed his shirt and yanked him inside. Nyel hardly noticed as Atreus frantically dried his feet. Because his nose was on fire . The smell of blood, guts, and flesh made his throat lurch and his stomach squirm. He was going to be sick.

“What in Spirits-blessed is that?”

“It’s a fishery; what did you expect?” Atreus tossed aside the rag.

“How was I supposed to know? I was looking for you.” Nyel confessed.

“Do you realize how dangerous this is? Do you realize what could have happened if anyone saw you?” Atreus kept his voice low, but the intensity made it feel like he was yelling. Nyel took a nervous step, aware of how much bigger Atreus was.But he wasn’t about to back down. He’d come too far.

“Hence the tarp,” Nyel retorted with as much snark as he could muster.

Atreus ran a hand through his curls.“How did you even find me?”

“Uuuh, your scent? I followed it.”

“My… my what? You know what, it doesn’t matter. What matters right now is getting you back to the ocean where you belong.”

“I’m not going back. I already told you,” Nyel said, planting his feet for emphasis.

“Well, you sure as hell aren’t staying here.”

Atreus was really and truly starting to panic, and Nyel almost felt bad.

Almost.

Definitely not bad enough to go home.When a voice from the front of the building called Atreus’s name, both of them froze.

Was that a human? Am I about to meet one?

Fear and excitement buzzed in Nyel’s blood, but before he could open his mouth to ask any questions, Atreus shoved him into the wall.

His head bounced on the wood, and he cried out in surprise. But his cry was silenced as Atreus pressed his arm into his throat. He could hardly breathe. And when his attacker spoke, Nyel’s body went cold.

“You listen, and you listen good,” Atreus growled, leaning into him and cutting off more air. “This is my life you’re playing with. Do you understand that? My life.”

Nyel knew what he was doing was dangerous. But until this moment, he’d never considered what it would mean for the man pinning him to the wall. He was a liability, and Atreus wasn’t prepared to take the risk.

He only made it this far by not taking risks.

“Don’t. Get. Wet.” Atreus ordered. It was less of an order and more of a threat. A promise that if Nyel messed up, Atreus wouldn’t save him.

He was truly alone.

“I understand,” he croaked before gasping as the pressure disappeared from his throat.

Nyel rubbed at it, taking deep breaths. Atreus made a jerking movement with his hand, motioning him to follow.Nyel would do as he was told. He had to trust that Atreus, after all his time spent in the presence of humans, knew what he was doing.

If Nyel wanted to stay here, he’d have to trust this aggressive stranger. And even then, it might not be enough.

His nerves were shot, and even though he put on his best casual face, Giovanni would see right through him. The old man had a way of seeing through his walls as though they were made of glass.

“Atreus?” Giovanni said, but it was more like a question.

“Yes, sorry. I was talking to my…” He hesitated. “Friend. He just showed up.”

“A friend, you say?” Giovanni turned to inspect Nyel, “This is the first time Atreus has brought over a face I didn’t recognize. It’s your home he’s staying in on the far side of the island, yes?”

Atreus bit his tongue when Nyel took way too long to answer, eyes wide.

Shit. He’s freaking out.

“Yeah, I am,” Atreus said when Nyel showed no signs of speaking. “Sorry, he’s a little nervous.”

“No need,” Giovanni said, extending a hand, “Giovanni Marcello. It’s nice to meet a friend of Atreus’s.”

Atreus had to shove Nyel in the shoulder to get him to respond. The sireno extended the wrong hand and pinched Giovanni’s fingers before jerking his hand back like he’d touched a moray eel.

“Your name,” Atreus said from the side of his mouth.

“Oh, I’m Nyel Viritani. N-nice to meet you too.”

Giovanni looked between the two; his mustache pressed into a hard line. “What brings you here, Nyel?” He finally asked.

“I… uh… I wanted to see Atreus at work,” Nyel said, then looked to him for approval.

“I’m afraid today is slow, given the rain. We will likely finish early, and you can return home.”

“Where?” Nyel asked.

Atreus stomped on his foot as casually as he could and spoke over him.“Yes. Your house on the far side of the island. The one your parents rent for the summer.”

“Oh— yes. That house.” Nyel agreed with pained tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

For the second time that day, Atreus was spared from more impossible questions when the front door opened. This time, Thomasso, Leo’s father, limped in with his walking stick.

“They have him at the hospital right now,” he said, shaking the water from his cap. “Dr. Romano is with him. It doesn’t look too terrible.” His gravelly voice was a reminder of years spent smoking on the open sea, each word carrying the rough edge, as though the salt and smoke had permeated his lungs.

“And the boat?” Giovanni asked.

Thomasso’s already slumped shoulders sagged even more.“Gone. Probably sitting on the sandbank by now.”

“ Le porgo le mie più sentite condoglianze. I am sorry my friend.”

Thomasso waved him off.“Boats can be replaced. It’s more important that my son is okay.”

Atreus’s brain spun like a broken compass.

Leo. His best friend. His best friend was missing in a storm. How could he forget so easily? Nyel’s arrival completely threw all worry for Leo out of his mind. Those worries came rushing back to him now.

“What happened? Is Leo hurt?” Atreus asked, stepping forward.

“Oh, Atreus, it’s good to see you, son,” Thomasso said, squinting to see him better. “He has a big bump on his head and was cold as ice when we found him on the beach. Dr. Romano said he will be okay. He’ll be by to visit you tomorrow, I’m sure.”

Atreus relaxed. “Good.”

“I better get back to the house. Emelia is with Leo, and I don’t want the little ones alone for too long.” Thomasso turned to leave, his walking stick clanking on the wood boards, when Giovanni stopped him.

“Wait.”He reached for the freshly wrapped yellowfin and placed ten pounds of it in a satchel. It was half their entire stock.“Take this.”

Thomasso’s watery eyes narrowed.

“For Leo,” Giovanni added. “The red meat will be good for his recovery.”

When the old man made no move to take it, Atreus raised his voice.“The docks will be busy this week. When Leo feels up to it, can you send him to us? I could really use the help.”

Thomasso sighed, then nodded, accepting the satchel of food.“I’ll pass the message to him.”

“Thank you,” Atreus said, sharing a knowing grin with Giovanni as he helped Thomasso shoulder the pack.

Without some exchange, Thomasso would have refused the food. So Atreus asked for help even though he could handle the work on the docks perfectly on his own. At least this way, the Tradi children would be well-fed while Leo recovered.

As soon as the door swung closed, he turned to his boss.

“I’ll share my wages with Leo when he comes. I didn’t mean to hire someone for work without asking first.”

Giovanni shook his head.“Do not worry, ragazzo . You did the right thing.”

Giovanni patted him on the shoulder, and Atreus felt like he would float to the ceiling. But that elation came crashing down when Nyel opened his dumb fish mouth. “Um. What’s a hospital?”

“Nyel,” Atreus spoke loudly. “Why don’t you sit in the back and wait for me to finish? Huh?” He offered in a way that didn’t allow for argument.

He shoved Nyel to the back and out of view before roughly sitting him down on a stool in the corner.“Don’t ask questions in front of anyone but me. Got it?”

Nyel nodded, looking sheepish.“I was just curious.”

“Well, you sound like an idiot,” Atreus said but regretted it when he saw the hurt look on Nyel’s face.He exhaled heavily.“A hospital is a place where sick people go to get better. There are trained people there called doctors who can cure sickness and fix broken bones and stuff. I don’t know a lot about it.”

Nyel’s eyes grew wide.“That’s amazing. Cure sickness? Like a healer?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Wow.” Nyel said in awe, “It’s like magic.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s called science.”

“What’s science?”

Atreus rubbed his face with a groan.“I don’t have time to answer all these questions. Sit here,” he said, looking around and grabbing a stained book at random. It was an old fish encyclopedia. “Look at this. It has pictures.”

He was about to walk away when Nyel took a sniff at the book like he might eat it.

“Like this.” Atreus showed in exasperation, opening the book and showing him how to flip the pages. “Don’t tear it.”

“Oh wow!” Nyel gasped, flipping the pages with delicate fingers. “Oh wow!” he exclaimed again when he reached a page with an illustration. “It looks so real!”

Atreus couldn’t help but smile at his wonderment. His wide eyes, gaped mouth, and flushed cheeks were… cute. He remembered the first time Marina showed him a book and was positive he hadn’t been this excited. Nyel studied the pages as if he’d discovered a new world. Atreus left the sireno on the stool, confident he’d be occupied for at least a couple hours.

Returning to their work, Giovanni said nothing for a while. They quietly wrapped cuts of fish while the record player sang in the background.

“Your friend is interesting.”

Atreus stiffened but tried to shake it off.“He doesn’t get out much.”

“Hmm,” was all Giovanni said, and Atreus wished he’d say more. But the old man was an expert on keeping his thoughts and feelings to himself.

“He, uh, is pretty sheltered.” Atreus offered again.

“Reminds me a lot of you when you first arrived here.”

Atreus tried to swallow past the tightness in his throat. He laughed nervously.“Similar upbringing, I guess.”

They were close to finishing when Nyel’s timid voice sounded.“Um… excuse me?”

Atreus whipped around, ready to tell him to go back to his corner when Giovanni spoke.

“What is it, ragazzo ?”

“Um, I have a question, but,” his eyes darted to Atreus.

“Can it wait?” Atreus asked through clenched teeth.

“It’s not a worry; we are almost done,” Giovanni said, tossing the soiled rag in the sink.

“I’ll take it from here,” Atreus said, inserting himself between the two and pushing Nyel to the back.

“What is it?” he whispered heatedly.

“What are these?”

Nyel pointed to the rows and rows of letters on the page. Atreus let out a sigh.“They’re words. Human symbols make sounds and form words. The words we use to speak.”

“So, the book is talking?”

“Sure.”

“Wow.” Nyel said, looking at the stained pages like they hid the world’s mysteries, “I wish I understood what it was saying.”

Giovanni’s voice boomed from the front.“I can teach you a few letters,” he offered, clearly eavesdropping.

“Really!?” Nyel asked, sliding past Atreus and to the front. “You know how to understand this?”

Giovanni laughed.“A little. Only the basics. If you want to learn more, you must ask my daughter. She can read, write, and spell like a scholar.”

Atreus’s gut twisted. He’d tried to read. Many, many times. No matter how hard he studied, the symbols on the page seemed to move before his eyes. Like the letters were dancing, taunting him with their hidden meaning. He was an idiot.

“Can you read?” Nyel asked him as though sensing his guilt.

“Uh, no. Not really. Signore Marcello has tried to teach me, but I’m pretty hopeless,” he finished, hanging his head.

Giovanni bumped a shoulder into Atreus, his mustache quirking as he spoke. “Most of the men and boys on this island cannot read a word. We’re fishermen, after all. And I’ve never seen anyone weave a net or repair an engine as quickly as you can.”

Atreus couldn’t force away his grin at the praise.“Thank you, sir.”

“What did we talk about with the formalities?” Giovanni huffed, shaking his head. “Well, I say today’s work is finished. Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night?” he asked, “Your friend is welcome too.”

Atreus’s stomach went queasy at the idea of Nyel spending so much time in close quarters with humans. So many risks. So many chances to be exposed.

“No, we should go back to our—”A clap of thunder shook the room. Nyel let out a yelp of surprise, and the overhead lights flickered. The rain was coming down harder than ever.

They weren’t going anywhere.

“You were saying?” Giovanni asked with a smirk.

Atreus clenched his jaw, his brows furrowed. He wanted to kick Nyel, who looked like a child pleading for a treat at the market. The storm had set the wheels of fate in motion, and he was powerless to stop it. Shoulders slumping in defeat, Atreus deflated with a heavy breath.

“I’ll prepare two rooms then,” Giovanni said, a smug expression twisting his mustache. He left the shop and climbed the stairs to the living quarters.

“For most of my life, I have lived by a set of rules,” Atreus said quietly, his voice low enough that only Nyel could hear as he stared after his mentor. “Don’t get too close. Don’t expose yourself. Don’t take risks.”

Nyel said nothing, clutching the fish encyclopedia like a child would a teddy bear.

“Then you show up. And now I’m breaking every single one.”

“Why so many rules? This human, Signore Marcello, he seems like a good person. I think he cares about you a lot.”

Atreus spun on him.“You’ve been here a day. Don’t act like you know anything,” Atreus snapped. “Every second in this town is dangerous for us. One wrong move, and it might be our last.”

Nyel dropped his gaze and said nothing else.

“Talk as little as possible,” Atreus instructed before approaching the stairs.He’d watched this landing for over a decade. And for the first time, he placed a foot on the rickety step.