THALASSAR
M y feet moved automatically along the path leading away from the sacred tree, but my thoughts refused to follow.
The kiss that hadn’t happened played out in my mind over and over - the way Lucy’s breath had caught, how her lips had parted, the curve of her neck as she’d tilted her head back to look up at me.
The evening air wrapped around us, thick with the scent of night-blooming flowers.
Lucy walked beside me, her fingers brushing over her lips when she thought I wasn’t looking.
The soft silk of her gown whispered against the stones of the path with each step.
I needed to focus.
To remember my duty.
My people.
But every time I glanced at her, my resolve crumbled a little more.
“You said the tree’s been here since before your people,” Lucy said, breaking the silence between us.
“How long ago was that?”
My jaw tightened as I considered how much to tell her.
“Generations. My great-grandfather’s great-grandfather led our people here.”
“Why this island?”
“The resources.” I gestured to the glowing fruits hanging heavy on the trees around us.
“Rare minerals in the caves. Gems in the deep waters. Things found nowhere else in this world.”
“So it made you a target.”
“Yes.” I snarled, swallowed back the surge of anger.
“Many have tried to take what belongs to my people.”
Lucy paused, her fingers extending toward a low-hanging branch.
The fruit’s glow painted her skin in soft gold.
“Is that when they built the storm wall?”
“No.” I moved closer, drawn to her despite myself.
“That came later. After my mother died.”
Her hand dropped from the branch.
“What happened?”
The old pain surged up, but I pushed through it.
“She believed in peace. In sharing our resources with outsiders.” I looked away, gathering my thoughts.
“She thought she could negotiate with the Mersai, old dwellers of the deep. They hate change, their prophecies filled with only darkness and blood. Still, she hoped for a better future.”
“But they betrayed her.”
I nodded.
The memory of that day burned fresh in my mind - the screaming, the blood turning the sand crimson.
“They murdered her during peace talks. Along with half our council.”
“I’m sorry.” Lucy’s voice was soft, but there was no pity in it.
Just understanding.
“After that, I knew we needed better protection. The storm wall keeps outsiders away. Keeps my people safe.” I looked down at her.
“But I wasn’t expecting your people.”
“We didn’t mean to cause trouble.” She met my gaze steadily.
“Our only goal was finding refuge.”
“At what cost?” The words came out softly.
She stepped closer, her eyes searching my face.
“Not at the cost of your people’s lives. There has to be a way we can-“
Thunder rolled in the distance, cutting off her words.
The air grew heavy with approaching rain, and Lucy shivered.
“We should get inside,” I said, but I didn’t move.
“.” She touched my arm, her fingers warm against my scales.
“You’ve done so much to protect everyone. But has it made you happy?”
The question hit me like a physical blow.
I started to brush it off - my happiness didn’t matter, only my duty did - but the words died in my throat.
A loose stone shifted under Lucy’s foot.
She stumbled forward with a small sound of surprise, and I caught her automatically.
My arms went around her waist, steadying her against my chest.
She looked up at me, her lips parted, and everything else fell away.
The storm wall, my duty, the weight of my people’s safety - none of it existed.
There was only Lucy, warm and real in my arms.
I cupped her face in my hand, my thumb brushing over her cheek.
Her breath hitched, and I saw the want in her eyes - the same hunger that burned through my veins.
My control snapped.
I kissed her, pouring everything I couldn’t say into the press of my lips against hers.
With a soft moan she melted into me, her fingers tangling in my hair.
The taste of her, the feel of her body against mine, sent fire racing through my blood.
Thunder crashed overhead, but I barely heard it.
Lucy’s mouth opened under mine, and I deepened the kiss, drawing a small moan from her.
My hands slid down to her hips, pulling her closer.
The need to breathe finally forced me to break away.
Lucy’s chest rose and fell rapidly, her lips swollen from my kiss.
The sight of her like this - disheveled and wanting - nearly broke my control again.
But reality crashed back in.
What was I doing?
She was human.
An outsider.
This could never work.
I forced myself to step back, the effort tearing at something newly awakened within me.
Control, always paramount, felt brittle.
My breath was still ragged.
“We need to focus.”
Lucy reached for me.
“-“
“No.” I cut her off before she could say more.
Before she could make me want things I couldn’t have.
“We need to try reaching your team.”
The hurt that flashed across her face made my chest ache, but I forced myself to turn away.
“Come. The signal amplifier is in my study.”
The walk back to the palace passed in tense silence.
Every step felt wrong, like I was walking away from something vital.
But I couldn’t give in to this attraction.
No matter how much I wanted to.
In my study, I retrieved the signal amplifier - a sleek device that pulsed with soft light.
Lucy handed me her communicator, our fingers touching briefly.
Even that small contact sent sparks through my skin.
I connected the devices, watching the screen flicker to life.
Lucy leaned close, typing out a message to her team.
The scent of her skin filled my nose, making it hard to think.
We waited.
The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken words.
But no response came through.
Lucy’s shoulders slumped.
I wanted to pull her into my arms, to comfort her, but I kept my distance.
I had to maintain control.
Even if every fiber of my being screamed at me to kiss her again.