When the sky light finally disappeared over the horizon, Pearl made her way back to the docks. It was much harder to see, but she stopped many times to check her surroundings. There were more than enough boats to borrow for the night. After trying to access several of the covered shelters on the boats, she discovered most were locked. When she came across the one she’d been near when Mrs. Jones found her, the door to the cabin opened without a struggle. It was one of the largest by far, even though it wasn’t much warmer than outside. At least the breeze rippling from the water wouldn’t bother her.
Pearl closed the door, peering through the round window onto the docks. No humans had spotted her, but she couldn’t be too careful. The space was enough for her to spend the night. She sat on the cushioned bench, and the release of pressure on her legs elicited a wave of pleasure through her body. It took a few tries, but she was able to roll her ankles as she leaned against the back of the seat. Her gaze swooped around the space, studying her surroundings. There appeared to be storage of some sort, like the boxes attached to the walls in Mrs. Jones’s kitchen. Bubbles popped in her stomach, and Pearl rubbed her hand over it.
She reached inside her bag for the food from Mrs. Jones. Before lifting any of the sustenance, she stopped. She had no idea how long she’d be on land and wanted to preserve what she had. There had to be food inside of the vessel, or at least something to get her through the night.
A heaviness weighed within her. She could have picked a human, drowned it, and swam home by now. The bonding with Kaito would have already taken place, and she’d never have to see a human again. The difficulty of the situation loomed over her. It wasn’t as easy as the other females made it appear.
Tomorrow, she’d hunt. Right now, she needed nourishment.
Standing proved difficult as her legs protested after sitting for an extended length of time in their non-motile position. In all her life, she’d never experienced stillness in the way her new body demanded. The movement of water had always kept her in motion.
Inside one of the boxes, a bag with assorted colors across the crinkly surface beckoned her. It took her a few minutes to pry it open. She lifted one of the small, circular items and brought it to her nose. It didn’t smell like anything she recognized, but the rough surface seemed appealing enough. It almost reminded her of a shell. She hoped there would be a delicious surprise when she ate it. Tasting the crispy item, her mouth flooded with the familiar flavor. The salt wasn’t the same as where she’d lived her entire life, but she recognized the connection to home.
She sat again, propping her legs across the seat. The ache in her chest for her home widened as she scooped handfuls of the food into her mouth. Between the rocking motion of the boat and the salty taste on her tongue, her eyes became heavy.
In her natural form, sleep was a necessity. But only for short bursts of time. During those moments, she and Syrene locked arms with each other, anchoring themselves together for rest. Others in the troop created larger bundles. Her lack of connection to them kept her separate. She wondered if Kaito would replace Syrene or force her into the troop bundles.
Pearl thought of Kaito. He was one of the strongest swimmers in her generation, and his eyes were kind. She’d never thought of herself being bonded to anyone, not after Daryah. In the throes of the Drywalking ceremony, she still couldn’t picture it.
Syrene’s face filled Pearl’s mind as she settled into the softness of the bench. She held on to the empty bag as she drifted to sleep. Her sister’s face calmed her as she entered one place she could be alone.
As it did underwater, time passed without awareness.
A shuffling sound woke her from a deep sleep.
Her eyes sprung open, and a voice asked, ‘Who are you?’
Chapter 5
A human male stood before Pearl. Her legs jolted, and she tumbled off the bench to the floor. She blinked, trying to orient herself. Time had flown by as she rested, and the sky light shone through the few windows on the craft. Pearl flipped over and jumped up. The empty crinkly bag floated to the floor between them.
The male’s dark hair flopped over his forehead, shielding his eyes. Concern pulled at the corners of them, yet he didn’t move toward her. He stood a head taller, but size didn’t usually matter. In her current form, it might. They were close enough to the water. All she had to do was hold him under.
Her heartbeat throbbed in her ears. ‘Who are you?’
‘Considering this is my father’s boat, I’m pretty sure I have the upper hand with questions here.’ The corner of his mouth lifted, but he didn’t shift from his spot.
All words flew from Pearl’s mind. She glanced over her shoulder. In the brief time she’d inspected the boat, she’d seen only one entrance and exit. Behind him. Her gaze darted to the door, then back to the human.
He released a deep breath. ‘I’m Ben.’
The movement of his hand caught her off guard, and she fell backward. Her legs bent, and she launched toward her seat. Before she hit it, he reached out, grabbing on to her arms with both hands, keeping her hovering in place.
The touch of his hands sent buzzing vibrations through her legs as he helped her straighten.
‘I was trying to shake your hand,’ he said, letting go of her. ‘I’m sorry I startled you.’
‘Shake hands?’ Pearl asked, splaying hers out in front of her.
His eyebrows touched. ‘In greeting?’ Slowly, he held his hand out again. Using his other, he circled her wrist and pulled her closer.
Pearl stepped forward, enough that their toes bumped. He glanced at the floor and then his eyes met hers before he enveloped her hand with his. He moved them up and down. His hands were large and unmarked with scars. The males in the troop suffered deep scars across their bodies, but mostly their hands. Fights with sea creatures permanently marked them.
‘Do they not shake hands where you’re from?’ he asked with a smile.
Pearl shook her head.
‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Now I feel even more like an ass.’ He pulled his fingers through his hair. Clumps sprung back as he moved. They seemed so soft, and Pearl had the urge to touch them. ‘Last night, I realized I’d forgotten to lock the cabin door. I came back to check, and here we are.’
She stared at him.
‘What’s your name?’ he asked after a moment.
‘Pearl,’ she said.
He sat on the seat across from her, removing the threat from the doorway. She had the urge to run, but it was her duty to take a human under the sea. Her opportunity sat before her.
‘Pearl,’ he repeated, licking his lips.
Her gaze focused on the moisture clinging there.
Ben made an amused sound and pointed to the floor. ‘You’ll need to replenish those chips before my mom notices. It’s the only thing she cheats on.’
Pearl had no idea what he meant. His smile warmed her. He didn’t seem upset with her anymore, but she couldn’t trust a human. Even though the two she had met up close hadn’t tried to hurt her, she knew they were deceptive.
His eyes lifted to hers. They reminded her of home and the color of the water during the warmer months. ‘When I came in, you were sleeping. Do you not have a place to stay?’
Pearl blinked.
‘I don’t want to assume anything. I’ve never seen you before, so unless you’re pranking me …’
He left the conversation open. Once again, these humans seemed far too interested in getting to know more about her. They didn’t take to strangers well. Mrs. Jones’s warning floated in her mind.
‘I don’t have a place to stay. I’m visiting.’
‘Who are you visiting?’
‘This town,’ she said.
‘Really? I mean, if I went on vacation, I wouldn’t come to a place like this. Well, not like The Burrow is terrible, but I could think of a few places I’d rather go. I don’t mean to, um, I guess …’
Pearl smiled as the human failed at words. He scratched his head ag
ain and flashed his teeth at her. They were the whitest she’d ever seen on a human – not that she’d had much contact with them. A fleeting thought of dragging him under the water flitted through her mind. A force held her in place, stronger than any hunger for fish or the ocean.
‘Sorry. I’ll stop now. I, um, came here to lock up. My brother forgot.’ He held up a key. ‘I do have to get to work, though. Do you need a ride somewhere?’
‘I don’t know where to go.’ Pearl wanted to be in this male’s presence. Her hands trembled at her sides. How was she to get him off the boat and into the water? The other females had said males were easier, but Pearl had no desire to try. What was it about Ben and Mrs. Jones?
A voice in the back of her mind urged her to take Ben into the ocean. Then, she imagined his dark hair floating underwater, yet his eyes would never look at her the same way. She’d seen dead humans before, at each of the Drywalking ceremonies. The lifeless eyes always stared at her before the ritual sacrifice took place. Those blank stares haunted her more than she’d ever care to admit.
She blinked away the vision.
‘I have a friend, Carolina. She’s home and can hang out with you for a little while.’
Pearl stood straighter. The pale-haired female from the day before. Carolina was smaller than Ben, an easier target. ‘Is she near water?’ Pearl didn’t want to take Ben, but she could take a female. The female would be easy enough to grab if she were close enough.
‘She has a house close to water. Why?’
‘I’ll go there.’
Ben lifted her bag from the small table. He moved it up and down. ‘You didn’t travel with much, huh?’
‘I don’t need much.’
From his reaction, it seemed as if telling the truth was much easier than not. The humans believed anything she said.
A broad smile split his face. Pearl wasn’t sure how he became more pleasing with each movement. This human confused her, but she didn’t have much time to think about it before he led her outside. ‘You’re not like any of the other women I know.’
Women. The word pushed a conversation to the front of her mind. Those were the female humans.
Pearl followed behind Ben as they left the boat and walked across the wooden dock. She glanced at the water below. Her duty to the troop slowed her. Grabbing Ben might be easy if he didn’t expect it, but the water was too shallow. His strength might overpower her. She needed a tool or deeper water to complete her ceremony. Her mind swelled with thoughts of drowning this human, but the further they traveled, the less she wanted to do it.
‘Where are you from?’ he asked when they arrived on dry land. She’d lost her chance – this time.
The ocean filled her ears. ‘There.’
He looked at the water. ‘Overseas?’
She nodded.
‘How did you get here? If you don’t mind me asking.’
‘I swam.’
He barked a laugh and Pearl smiled.
The more distance she put between herself and home, the more her chest tightened. It was the same feeling she’d had during her swim to land. There was never ease in separating from the familiar.
‘This is my car,’ he said.
The menacing black craft didn’t seem so bad when it wasn’t moving. Car. Ben opened the door, and Pearl hesitated before sitting inside. The moment he closed the door, she pitched forward pressing her hands against the transparent window. He’d trapped her.
When another door opened on the other side, her breathing slowly returned to normal.
If Ben noticed her discomfort, he didn’t comment. Humans rode in cars. Pearl had to pretend she was one of them.
Ben pushed a key inside a small hole and turned it. A sound and vibrations jostled her. Pearl turned to the window and pressed her lips together. Be human.
When she could face him without giving away the terror within her, she watched him navigate the car forward with a turn of the circular object in front of him. He reached for a small knob and sound exploded all around her.
Her hands shot up and she clamped them over her ears.
Ben turned the knob again. ‘Sorry.’
When she removed her hands from her head, the sound was much lower. A keening voice surrounded her.
‘Is the car broken?’ she asked.
The tips of his ears reddened. ‘My music isn’t for everyone.’
Music. The melody ebbed and flowed, like the sounds a lot of marine life used in communication. The more she listened, the more she thought of home. ‘I like it.’
He turned the volume a little higher. Pearl leaned her head against the seat and stared out the window as Ben drove through town. The car made her feel safer than she had outside the day before. She was warm and surrounded by a new experience.
When the song ended, a male voice interrupted, speaking rapidly.
‘What happened to the music?’ she asked.
‘It’s a commercial.’
‘I don’t like this.’
He laughed. ‘Most people don’t, but there’s no getting around them. Besides, we’re here.’
Chapter 6
Ben slowed the car in front of a patch of loose stones. They crunched under the tires as he drove closer to a barrier.
Pearl glanced at the sharp edges of the thin poles in front of her. Ben stopped the car and cranked a handle next to him. The window moved down. He reached outside the vehicle to press several buttons on a small box. As he pushed the handle again, the window went with it. Outside, the fence doors swung open.
On the way to Carolina’s, there had been no other houses with fences in front of them. But there weren’t any houses like hers. The tall white structure loomed over them as Ben drove closer. Thick greenery shaped in perfect cylinders dotted the land.
The only thing Pearl worried about was her ability to leave this place. It may have been on the edge of the water, but the fence went all the way around. It might be harder than she expected to convince the human female she barely knew to follow her.
‘This house is big,’ Pearl marveled.
‘It is,’ Ben said, stopping the car near the front door. ‘Come on.’
He left the car and Pearl stared at the door. She pushed the handle closest to her, and the window cracked open. Before she could figure it out, Ben opened the door for her.
‘I want to warn you that Carolina can be a little brash, but she’s one of my closest friends. She has a kind heart, even though it might not seem like it right away.’
Pearl inhaled. The ocean was near. In human form, her hearing wasn’t as good as it used to be, but the crashing waves were close. It was the perfect setup. In no time at all, she would be back in the water with Syrene.
Ben went first, walking up the steps toward the door. Pearl shuffled behind him, staring at the house. When she reached him, Ben pressed his finger against a small round button, and distant chimes filled her ears.
Several moments later, footsteps sounded, and the door opened.
Carolina stood in the doorway, precisely as Pearl remembered her. Up close, her hair fell in shimmering waves over her shoulders. She wore fluffy clothing wrapped around her body. Her feet were bare, and the tips painted bright pink.
‘Hey, Ben.’ Carolina’s smile faded as she noticed Pearl. Her pale eyebrows arched and the sparkle in her eyes darkened. ‘Who’s this?’
‘This is Pearl. Carolina, I need a favor.’
‘What kind of favor?’
Pearl watched the body language of the two humans. There was a bond between them. Ben had said they were friends but from the way Carolina leaned toward him, it was as if she yearned for something closer.
‘Pearl needs a place to stay for a little while. She’s visiting town, and I need to get to work.’
‘You want me to take in this stranger?’ Carolina asked, eyeing Pearl up and down.
‘I’d owe you a favor,’ Ben said.
‘There’s a reason Daddy put up the code and the fence. We don’
t trust strangers.’
‘Carolina,’ Ben said. ‘She needs help. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t believe that.’
‘I can go,’ Pearl said, sensing she wasn’t welcome. If she could have Carolina alone, she wouldn’t regret drowning her.
‘No,’ Carolina and Ben said at the same time.
‘You can come in,’ Carolina said.
Ben let out a breath. ‘You’re a lifesaver. I’ll call Harry once I get to the office, and he can pick her up.’
‘I’m holding you to it. I don’t have time to babysit all day,’ Carolina said, motioning for Pearl to come inside. She closed the door behind them, sealing Pearl away from the human she’d felt safe with. ‘Come on, let’s go to my bedroom.’
*
Every surface glittered as if it had been shined moments before Pearl entered the home. The amount of sky light coming through the windows lit up each room as if they were outside instead of in. Pearl followed Carolina into her bedroom. Once inside, Pearl’s breath was stolen away as the ocean appeared in front of her. Her home crashed behind the biggest windows she’d ever seen. Carolina’s house sat on a cliff, overlooking the vast expanse.
Tension squeezed in Pearl’s chest, and she looked at the human, already sitting on her bed, flipping through the colorful pages of a thin book.
‘Where did you and Ben meet?’ Carolina asked.
Pearl couldn’t say she’d stayed on the boat last night. From the conversation with Ben, it wasn’t something most humans did. ‘In town.’
‘How did you end up here?’
‘I’m visiting,’ Pearl said.
‘I thought Ben said you needed somewhere to stay. Who are you visiting?’
‘No one,’ Pearl said.
Carolina closed the book, revealing the face of another female human on the front. Her lips were a shade of red Pearl hadn’t seen before. ‘I don’t get it.’
Pearl twined her fingers together and tugged. ‘I don’t have a place to stay.’
The Sisters' Secrets: Pearl Page 4
