When the Ocean Gave You Up: A Modern Gender Swapped Little Mermaid Retelling (East Cove Book 1) by Lauren Devora

Author:Lauren Devora [Devora, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

Sharpening one of the graphite pencils Lex had gifted him, Adam’s gaze flicked between his unfinished sketch and the nautilus shell sitting on his desk.

It looked like a normal shell—there was nothing inside it or written on it. It didn’t open or make noise or do anything else unusual.

He’d asked Zoey if shells were used for anything special, and all she could come up with was that some were used as decorations and jewelry. Neither of those things seemed to be the purpose of the shell his maybe-sister gave him.

Shaking himself, Adam refocused on the drawing in front of him.

It was a grey scale depiction of Everly in the kitchen, laughing at something Derek had said to her.

He liked Everly’s laugh. It was loud and bright and shook her whole body with joy.

As he added in details around her face, a light rattling sound caught his attention.

Glancing up, he scanned the room.

The noise stopped.

Adjusting his hold on the pencil, he went back to shading a few of Everly’s curls that had escaped her headscarf at her temples.

The rattling returned.

What is that? He frowned, looking down at the floor.

Was he kicking something he couldn’t see? Was there a loose screw in the heating vent?

As he twisted in his seat, the sound intensified.

Finally, he saw something vibrate on his desk and he froze.

It was the nautilus shell.

With wide eyes, he watched as it shook, moving only a centimeter or two across the stained wooden surface.

I pray you’ll remember how to use it, Odette’s voice echoed in his head.

Setting his pencil down, Adam stared at the small, trembling shell.

Eventually it stopped, but he never took his eyes off it for fear of missing something else unnerving about it.

Leaning down until his chin was almost touching the desk, he waited.

And waited.

Nothing. It didn’t move again.

Gathering his nerves, he reached out and poked the shell with his index finger, rocking it slightly. He decided since it hadn’t exploded or started talking to him, it was safe enough to pick up. Holding it in his palm, he braced himself for some bizarre reaction that still never came.

I don’t know what you are, he thought. Or what I’m supposed to do with you. All I know is, you were given to me by someone who thinks they’re my sister.

Before he could put the nautilus down, it buzzed in his hand, and Adam gaped.

Can… Can you understand me?

Again, it vibrated.

His eyes widened even more. How was he supposed to tell Rose about this?

I think I’m hallucinating, he thought, scratching his eyebrow.

It shook as if to confirm he was not, in fact, imagining things.

Standing, Adam paced the length of his room several times.

I don’t… I don’t know what to do. If this shell is some sort of… magical thing that can read my mind, then how does it work? Is someone else connected to it?

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Is… Odette connected to it?

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Frustration coursed through his body.

If you really are my sister, why didn’t you come for me

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.