Our Bloody Pearl (These Treacherous Tides Book 1) by D. N. Bryn

Author:D. N. Bryn [Bryn, D. N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-25T16:00:00+00:00

[ 9 ]

MOMENTUM

I was changed. Therefore, I change.

DEJEAN CARRIES ME toward the house, holding most of my weight on his unrestricted arm. The brace lifts my tail off the ground, though the shredded half of my limp fin hovers a finger’s length above the grass. The low sun casts harsh shadows off the building. Dejean’s comforting warmth stings my drying body. I can’t wait to sink into the tub.

I unlock the back door while Dejean supports me. Orange light shines through the water from the windows along the far wall, turning the metal beneath a brilliant gold and sparkling off the bits of dust that float in the air above. It lacks the majesty of the cove, but in its own way, it’s beautiful.

It gives me pause.

I want my human pod to have a place in the cove. But they’ve made this stretch of land their home, and they granted me a piece of it even before I considered them my family. A smile tugs at my lips, and I lean my head against Dejean’s chest, the pain of what I did to Storm drifting a little further away.

Dejean steps through the door, somehow managing to close it behind him using only his bare foot.

I snort a humorous noise through my nose.

“Did you say something?” He lifts a brow, looking suspicious.

“I was laughing at your toes.”

He huffs, tossing me into the air just enough to unsettle me.

I grab his good shoulder with a yelp and glare at him. “They’re weird! Little, stubby, wrong-shaped fingers. They—”

Something crashes in the next room over, and I squeak as Dejean nearly drops me in surprise. He regains his hold, his fingers tighter than before.

“What was that?” I sign, making no sound.

He shrugs, his brow scrunching.

The floorboards squeak as someone walks across the room. My fear fades as Simone appears in the hallway, her blotched flounder-like skin unmistakable. Her usual cascading cape of blood-colored fabric swirls around her ankles, the matching colored feather in her wide-brimmed hat bobbing. She carries two large pieces of a broken vase, similar to the ones Murielle stores her tools in.

Dejean releases a long breath, his eyes lifting to the ceiling. “You and Mur must stop doing this! I have a doorbell and a front porch for a reason.” He sets me down beside the tub.

“I have your spare key,” she states, her tone unconcerned.

Dipping my hands into the water, I splash it over my face, letting it soak through my scales. It makes me yearn to dive in, but I don’t want to deal with removing the brace in the confines of the metal tub. I set about unlacing the complex ties near my waist. Dejean and Simone talk as I work.

“When did you get back?”

Simone sets the broken vase onto the table, turning her nose at the mess. “An hour ago. The ships are still well away from the harbor. I came in on a dinghy, with Chauncey and Ynez. They’re still in town.” She moves forward, her gaze sweeping over the tub and settling on me.

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