LUCY
T he dining room sparkled with reflected light from the glowing pearls set into niches in the walls.
A small circular table sat beneath an arched window that looked out over dark water, where fish painted trails of light as they darted past.
The whole scene should have felt romantic, but my stomach lurched every time I thought about my team.
I stared at the variety of dishes spread before us.
Strange fruits in vibrant colors, tender meats in savory sauces, and things I couldn’t begin to identify---some clearly from the sea, others from the island’s interior.
The aromas made my mouth water despite my anxiety.
“You should eat,” Thalassar said.
I picked up what looked like a piece of fruit.
The skin felt smooth against my fingers, and when I bit into it, sweetness burst across my tongue.
“This is amazing.”
“Try the fish,” he encouraged, gesturing to a delicate fillet.
I took a small bite.
The meat melted on my tongue, the sauce adding hints of spice that made my taste buds sing.
But all I could think about was that kiss earlier.
The way his lips had felt against mine, how his hands had---
“Tell me about Earth,” he said, cutting into my thoughts.
“A good memory.”
I set down my fork, grateful for the distraction.
“When I was little, maybe six or seven, my sister Sarah and I snuck out one night to watch the meteor shower. We weren’t supposed to be outside after dark---the air quality wasn’t great back then. But Sarah said shooting stars were worth breaking rules for.”
Thalassar leaned forward.
“Did you get caught?”
“Oh yeah. Mom was furious.” I smiled at the memory.
“But Sarah just looked her dead in the eye and said ‘Sometimes magic is more important than rules.’ Mom couldn’t even argue with that.”
“Is Sarah one of the women you’re trying to contact?”
My smile faded.
“No. She… she died. Then I went into hibernation, like the rest of the humans on our ship. We slept through the journey… and now I’m here, not knowing how many years I’ve lost.”
Thalassar’s hand covered mine on the table.
His palm felt warm against my skin, his scales smooth where they brushed my wrist.
“I’m sorry.”
I pulled my hand away, pretending to reach for my drink.
His touch sent sparks through my body, and I couldn’t deal with that right now.
Not when my team might be in danger.
“Actually, you remind me a bit of her,” I said.
“She never backed down from what she believed in either.”
His fingers traced the ridged patterns that armored his forearm.
“Do you want to learn about the time I tried to avoid the harvest dance?”
I grabbed onto the change of subject.
“You? Avoiding tradition? I’m shocked.”
“I was very young,” he said.
“And very convinced that dancing was beneath my dignity as future king.”
“What did you do?”
“I ran away to the underwater grottos.” His lips curved up.
“I thought no one would find me there.”
“But they did?”
“My mother.” He shook his head.
“She didn’t drag me back, though. She sat with me in that grotto for hours, telling me stories about all the rulers of the past who had danced at harvest. How it connected us to our people, to the land itself.”
“Did it work?”
“No. But then she said if I didn’t dance, she would tell everyone about the time I got stuck in a coral formation because I was chasing fish.”
I laughed despite myself.
“You didn’t.”
“I did. I was convinced I could catch them in my mouth like the sea birds do.” He grinned.
“I was a very determined child.”
“So you danced?”
“I danced. Badly. But my people loved it anyway.” His expression softened.
“My mother said that’s what made me a good leader---being willing to look foolish for my people’s sake.”
A comfortable silence fell between us.
I found myself studying the way the pearl-light played across his scales, how it shimmered in his hair.
The memory of our kiss flashed through my mind again, and warmth spread through my chest.
He caught me staring and held my gaze, then pressed a small button on the table.
Within moments, a warrior entered and knelt beside his chair.
Thalassar spoke to him in their musical language, his tone carrying authority despite its gentleness.
The warrior stood, bowed deeply, and left.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“I’ve sent scouts to where your team was last seen,” he said.
“They’ll bring back word of your friends.”
My throat tightened.
“Thank you.”
He stood and walked around the table, extending his hand to me.
“Care to learn the harvest dance?”
“What?”
“You asked if I ever returned to dance. I do, every year now.” His expression remained impassive, though something flickered in the depths of his gaze.
“Let me teach you.”
I shouldn’t.
I had more important things to worry about.
But his hand stayed extended, waiting, and I found myself reaching for it.
His fingers closed around mine, pulling me to my feet.
“It’s simple,” he said, drawing me close.
“Just follow my lead.”
One of his hands settled on my waist, the other still holding mine.
Heat radiated from his touch, even through the silk of my dress.
He guided me through the steps, our bodies moving together in the pearl-lit room.
“Like this?” I asked, trying to match his movements.
“Perfect.” His breath brushed my ear.
“Now turn.”
He spun me out, then pulled me back against his chest.
I gasped at the feel of him pressed against me, solid and warm.
A flush of desire spread across my skin.
“Thalassar...”
“Shhh.” His fingers tightened on my waist.
“Just dance.”
So I did.
We moved together through the steps, and for a little while, I let myself forget about everything else.
The missing team, the weight of galactic consequence, all of it faded away until there was nothing but the dance, the music in my head, and the feel of Thalassar’s hands on my body.
When the dance ended, we stood close, both breathing harder than the simple steps warranted.
His black eyes searched my face, and I knew he was going to kiss me again.
I wanted him to.
But a sudden knock shattered the moment.
We jumped apart like guilty teenagers as a servant entered with a message for Thalassar.
He read it quickly, his expression giving nothing away.
“The scouts will return in two days,” he said.
“You should rest more. You were nearly badly injured.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Two days? But you brought me here in just a few hours.”
A slow grin spread across Thalassar’s face, his black eyes gleaming with pride.
“None of my warriors can match my speed or strength. The old blood runs strong in my veins.” He flexed his scaled fingers.
“The scouts must take the long way through the safer currents.”
“So you’re not just the boss, you’re actually...special?”
“In more ways than one,” he replied with suggestive quietness.
I swallowed hard, remembering how easily he’d carried me through the water.
The raw power in his movements, even now as he stood so controlled before me.
He walked me to my room in silence, but at the door, he caught my hand.
“.” His thumb stroked across my knuckles.
“Sleep well.”
Then he was gone, leaving me alone with the memory of his touch and the lingering warmth of his hands on my skin.
I pressed my heated face to the cool door, struggling to calm my breathing.
What was wrong with me?
My team could be in danger, and here I was, dancing with the man who was basically holding me captive.
“Never again will I watch someone I love slip away,” I whispered to the empty room, the memory of previous losses making my hands tremble.
The dance had been a momentary escape, but reality crashed back now.
My team was missing.
And after today’s attack, the danger felt more immediate than ever.
When Thalassar tapped softly at my door an hour later, I was sitting by the window, staring out at the night-darkened sea.
“May I come in?” he asked.
I nodded, too exhausted for pretense.
He sat beside me, his warmth a comfort I didn’t want to need.
“You’re troubled.”
“I keep thinking about them. My team. And...” I swallowed hard.
“And Sarah.”
“Your sister?” His voice was gentle.
I nodded, unable to speak for a moment.
The memory of Sarah’s final moments crashed over me---her desperate gasps as the toxins took hold, the way her fingers had clutched mine before finally going limp.
“When the waters turned on Earth, when the first major contamination hit...” I forced the words past the lump in my throat.
“She was testing a new filtration system. It failed. I was supposed to be there with her, but I’d been called away.”
Thalassar’s hand found mine, his scaled fingers warm against my skin.
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Maybe not. But I promised myself I’d never stand by helplessly again while someone I care about suffers.” I met his gaze directly.
The implications of my words hung between us, unmistakable.
Thalassar brought my hand to his lips.
“We will find them. I promise you.”
I believed him.
Despite everything, I believed him.