by Jaymin Eve
Talina floated on her back facing toward the half-sun. She barely noticed the expanse of sparkling blue and green waters surrounding her. Instead, she focused on the peace and quiet as she lay semi-submerged in the depths. Her one and only aim had been to escape the endless squabbles of her family. And she had finally swum far enough. She’d reached the edge of the territories, but despite the push of the drifting currents, she wasn’t quite brave enough to cross out of Earon’s quadrant. After all, it was a punishable offence to enter any of the other clan areas.
The four moons were just beginning their slow spread across the pale pink skies of Spurn. They were the force dictating the measured ebb and fall of the tides. Talina loved it when the weak light of their half-sun was washed away by the bright moonlights. Sighing, she turned over to lightly tread water. It was probably time to stop hiding and face her mother. Gladriel had been in fine form today. As head of the Earon clan she took herself and her duties far too seriously.
Talina hated confrontations, and she hated being around other Spurns; that is, with the exception of her brother. If only she could escape forever, but there was nowhere to swim. The four clans divided their world, each with a distinct hierarchy and private quadrant.
Earon was the second strongest, and with her mother as the leader she should have loved her life. But instead, she hated it. In Earon, she was nothing but a half-breed.
She duck-dived beneath the water. It took a few moments (far longer than most Spurns) for her gills to kick in and the instinct to breathe through her mouth to cease. Talina hated her differences; they drew attention, marked her as weak. And on Spurn the weak were eaten, luckily not by each other, but there were plenty of other predators in the waters.
Still, she had to admit there was truly nothing comparable to a glide through the ocean. She didn’t even care that her webbings were small and fragile. She ducked and dived with the currents, searching deeper until the strength of the moonlight waned. There was a fine line in the deep water between light and eternal night. Talina had never been able to venture any deeper, not without assistance. Her defects, her weaknesses, prevented it.
Talina, be back at our pontoon before half-moon. Do not make me tell you twice.
She flinched as Gladriel’s voice echoed through her mind. Her mother was the one Spurn she was forbidden to block out. She had the capability, but it wasn’t worth the drama.
Rising once again, she swam closer to the surface. The protective clear lenses over her eyes flicked, clouding her underwater vision, before settling back into place. Glancing to her left, a pod of droltines swam alongside. The playful pink creatures with large fins and spout-shaped noses were a very distant cousin to Spurns. She danced with them in delight until they moved off in a different direction.
Talina groaned as her stomach rumbled; she hadn’t eaten that day, refusing the morning’s ration of cucreamer. Normally she loved the sweet, pink fruit, but for some reason, earlier she’d been unable to stomach any food. But with the distance she had traveled, her energy had depleted significantly. Through her lenses she noticed a small stock of krillonia, the shrimplike planktonic crustacean that was her favorite. Gliding in the midst of the dense cloud, it was simple enough to open her mouth, expelling the water through the small gills on her neck, and take in the sustenance.
Satisfied for the moment, she increased speed toward her home pontoons. A flash in her peripheral vision brought a broad smile to her face. A familiar image darted out of the gulfstream to fall in beside her.
Raror, where did you come from?
She opened her mind to speak with her brother. He was the only one never to judge her, and she loved him dearly. His emerald-colored hair, long enough to secure him as a future leader, streamed behind in the ocean depths. The visible veins beneath his skin were more prominent than ever; he had to have been swimming long and hard to get that amount of pump.
Earon was called to Silver City for a meeting of council heads. Mother sent me.
The deep rich timbre of his voice echoed through her mind. Without fail it evoked memories of the many nights he had protected her, rocked her to sleep and comforted away her hurts throughout the years. His voice was the sound of safety. Talina had only been to the underwater city once. It was difficult for her to make that distance; the water pressure at that depth played havoc with her senses. But Raror was often there. It was the neutral ground where the four clans discussed all issues.
What has happened to bring everyone together?
He didn’t answer immediately; they’d just reached the edge of Earon’s pontoons, and needed to slow.
Some strange occurrences. Three Baroons and a Gerk have gone missing, and there have been disturbances on the Sacred Isle.
His eyes widened, nostrils flaring. In a world that was predominantly water, the one and only section of land was protected and off-limits to everyone except the Keepers.
Cucreamer and wood are missing. The rationing systems have been thrown out, so we’ve had to redistribute. The vote found the Gerks will receive less.
Talina’s pulse raced as panic threaded through her mind. Who would risk the wrath of the gods by stealing from the Sacred Isle? She pushed that terrifying thought aside to focus on the caste system which she despised.
Why is it always the Gerks who are treated like lesser Spurns? They are no different. Hair color should not dictate status for life.
Raror shrugged.
Talina knew that while he sympathized with her point of view, he failed to understand why she was so soft-hearted. The way the majority of other Spurns had treated her had resulted in her possessing an unparalleled empathy. But the castes were a part of life on Spurn. The Gerks, or Grays, were mostly found in positions of servitude. They controlled less territory, and had less power and status. It had always been that way.
They dodged the pontoon pets, cat- and dog-fish swimming lazily in the waters surrounding their family home. Talina gave a quick pat to Toto, her favorite little friend, whilst keeping an eye out for Earon’s guardian, Chamandia. The large water dragon had never liked her, and since just one touch of its scales or breath of its venom would find you writhing in agony for days, it was worth the vigilance.
In sync, brother and sister surfaced. Talina sucked in a deep breath. This was the fastest way to activate their interior respiratory valve to switch from gills to lungs. Unlike other Spurns, she found this a more comfortable state.
Instead of moving forward she stared in dismay toward their floating pontoon. Returning home was never a pleasant experience.
As Gladriel was head of Earon, their dwelling was the most lavish in this quadrant. Constructed out of the trees that grew on the Sacred Isle, the timber slats were layered over each other, and the pontoon had small decks off each level.
The clans were granted a certain quota of the lagoona trees. The leaders then divided this between the individual families. So it was no surprise that Gladriel’s house was three stories of floating opulence. Talina’s room was at the top, in keeping with her low family status. Only those of high standing scored a room near the water. Behind their home were low rows of tethered pontoons, spreading as far as the eye could see. The emerald flags of Earon swayed lazily in the cooling breezes. The majority of their community lived here, with just a few lone Spurns scattered throughout the quadrant.
Raror was already at the edge. Talina watched as his lithe muscles rippled, and he shot himself up out of the water and onto the higher decking, a feat her weaker body had no chance of achieving. He lowered the ladder for her to climb. With a sigh, Talina grabbed the bottom rung and pulled herself up. As she climbed, the fine webbings between her fingers disappeared, and each digit emerged. She was the only Spurn whose webbing completely disappeared when out of the water. Her long emerald hair trailed behind her, but unlike the pure color of the other Earons, Talina’s was flecked with black throughout.
According to Gladriel, this was courtesy of her unknown father, who was not of Spur
n. They’d had a brief affair before he disappeared, never to be seen again. Spurns rarely stayed in long-term relationships; they tended to have mating seasons, and then moved on.
Raror reached down, and hooked Talina under the arms, dragging her onto the middle decking – his level.
“Gladriel has requested us downstairs, Talli.” Raror spoke aloud, his lispy voice courtesy of the Spurns’ tongue structure and vocal cords, something she also lacked.
Talina groaned and hung her head. “I just need one day without her constant disapproval.”
Raror pulled her into a tight hug; she shivered slightly against his skin. It was always so much colder than her own, but she appreciated his gesture. Spurns were not normally a demonstrative people.
“Come, we might as well find out what she wants. Get it over with.” He clasped her hand and led her downstairs.
Talina kept her head lowered, not making eye contact with any of the Earons scattered throughout her mother’s vast quarters.
“Nice to see you, Raror my son.” Gladriel, shifted in her bright pink coralline chair, a living entity made by microscopic sea creatures that continued to grow even outside the ocean.
Gladriel lifted her emerald hair over one shoulder; it was free-flowing down to her knees, as any good ruler’s would be. Then Gladriel turned her cold yellow eyes toward Talina.
“And you. Take a seat, and do not speak unless I require you to.”
Eyes downcast, Talina scurried along before falling down to sit cross-legged on the floor. She had chosen a back corner, where no one could come at her from any side but the front. Raror took his appointed seat next to Gladriel in a smaller coralline chair. The rest of the floor space was taken up by the heads of the minor family units within Earon.
“Thank you all for gathering so quickly. My son has returned from the city with grave news of thefts of cucreamer and wood from the Sacred Isle.”
A gasp rippled throughout the room. They all understood the gravity of the situation. Cucreamer and wood, vital to their existence, only grew on the Sacred Isle, and Spurns could not survive without that small stretch of land.
“However, in the time since the meeting at Silver City, there has been a capture on the Isle.”
Gladriel’s slightly pointed teeth gleamed as she smiled around the room. She looked proud, as if she had made the arrest herself.
“Foreigners, from a distant planet, apparently. And the chosen of the clans are to convene for the trial.”
Whispers and murmurs echoed throughout. The last foreigner to visit from another planet was Talina’s father.
Talina sighed; she knew what this announcement meant for her. Raror would be gone, and life was almost unbearable without the protection of her brother. Nothing that she couldn’t handle, of course, but the constant taunts and loneliness would wear her down after a while. Plus Gladriel loved to leave her with all the worst jobs. In particular she hated de-barnacling the base of their pontoon.
As if Raror had heard her thoughts, he raised his head to glance in her direction. A small smile played on his lips.
What was he up to?
He straightened his shoulders and met Gladriel’s gaze. “Mother, I cannot attend this trial with you.” He spoke without hesitation.
The rest of the gathered members looked up at him in confusion. More and more lately he had been taking on the responsibilities of the clan.
Talina waited for her mother to explode, but Gladriel simply smiled out into the expanse of the room.
“Talina will accompany us, Raror; you do not need to worry about your promise to her.”
Raror continued to stare at the troubling smirk displayed by the head of Earon. Talina could tell by his expression he felt the same way she did; Gladriel was up to something. And right now she was not keen to be going on this adventure. But, as always, she had no choice.
Later that night, as Talina stepped into her water-pod for her nightly respite, and everyone else had either returned to the water or to their pontoons, she heard screeching.
“No,” she breathed.
Surely Gladriel wasn’t up to her old tricks. She’d promised Raror she would stop. But Talina knew Raror was away visiting his mating partner, and clearly Gladriel was taking advantage of his absence.
Stepping out onto her balcony, Talina dived headfirst over the rail into the cool water. She shook hard, her anger bristling over.
How could she do this? But Talina knew her mother was pure evil.
She continued to swim towards the largest moon, staying close to the surface. No one else would be able to hear the droltine’s cry, but Talina’s hearing was better than most. Finally the isolated barge came into view. Mesh netting surrounded it on all four sides, a barrier to keep them contained.
With her head above the waterline, she gripped the closest section of netting.
“Gladriel!” She would probably pay for it later, but Talina couldn’t help the anger that spilled out in that one word.
A single screech was her reply.
Talina’s clenched fists tightened on the barrier. She would have to enter her mother’s lair.
Diving over the top, she descended into the sparsely lit water. All the way down she continued to hope she was wrong. But there was very little doubt.
Gladriel came into sight then, her emerald hair surrounding her. At first it looked as if she was alone, but within moments the droltine came into view. It was tethered to Gladriel by a simple twined rope. And she was systematically pulling it forward, send hot shock waves into it and blowing it back.
STOP! Talina mentally screamed at her mother.
Gladriel turned, a sneer gracing her features.
Hello, daughter, come to join me while I train our next guard and scout?
Talina shuddered with anger. She could taste the fury as it ascended from the pit of her stomach. The swirl of energy that always lived inside her was tumultuous, and her vision started to blacken around the edges.
No, I can’t lose control again. She silently begged herself to hold it together. You have to stop, Gladriel. You cannot treat our beautiful friends so cruelly.
It is in our nature, daughter. I need this one’s co-operation and I need it to be tough. There is no other way to achieve this.
And she turned to shock the poor animal again. It screeched in pain, shying away from its torturer.
Talina noticed the spattering of red where the droltine had endured Gladriel’s training.
The water started to swirl around Talina and she knew it was almost too late; her power wanted to be released; Gladriel must be stopped. The water heated as it formed turrets.
Slowly her mother turned back toward her and noticed the energy surrounding them.
Talina! What are you doing? You must control yourself; you are weak.
Talina barely registered the insult. She was reveling in the flow of power, the confidence that she was the baddest thing in the water and that she could end Gladriel’s reign of terror. The blackness was descending over her vision again, but she registered Gladriel’s fear. Her mother trembled and dropped the tethered droltine, holding both hands up in a pleading gesture.
I promise I will let her go and never do this again. Just stop this.
A smirk crossed Talina’s face; Gladriel knew she was about to become the victim; she was practically begging for Talina’s mercy. It was time to give some of the torture back.
That last thought was enough to shock a semblance of control into Talina’s system. She paused on the brink of sending out a devastating wave of power.
No, she refused to be like her mother, abusing the powers granted to her.
Instead of attacking Gladriel, she sent a powerful force through the water that blasted apart the mesh cage.
If I ever catch you doing this again, Gladriel, I swear I will not stop at disintegrating the mesh.
Talina turned then and left the area. She needed to get away from her mother before th
e anger brimmed over. She needed some hard swimming to calm down.
Her power needed release, and she’d never be able to control it if she couldn’t work off this pent-up energy.
As she swam she decided not to tell Raror what had occurred. It would only create drama for him, and she hoped that was the last time Gladriel would commit such cruelty. Her fear of Talina’s powers might just keep her in line.
The next morning Talina and Raror sat with their legs hanging off the side of her top-level balcony. Eighteen pontoons had been separated from the collective to head for the Isle. It would take them seven days powered by wind and seahorses to reach the land. Earon’s quadrant was the second largest behind the Baroons; blue-hairs were top of the food chain.
Talina rested her face on the railing. She stared out into the half-sun lighting a pink sky.
“You know, despite the fact Gladriel is probably going to have me sacrificed, I’m really excited to see the Isle.”
Raror glanced at his sister. He’d always thought she looked like a mystical creature. The differences that marked her as weak among Spurns seemed beautiful to him. The thin lines of hair covering the ridges above her eyes and the flicked-out strands along her eyelids framed her brown eyes perfectly. Most Spurns had eyes that ranged from gold to marmalade, but always in the yellow tone, which made Talina’s unique.
The black flecks through her hair, which she was so clever at hiding, transformed her emerald locks to that of the brightest polished stone. She was taller than almost everyone on Spurn. Only Ladre, the Baroon’s leader, topped her height, though Talina was leaner and less muscular. But more than all of this it was the innate goodness that shone from her; she was not like the rest of them, operating in the animalistic environment of eat or be eaten. She had imparted much of her gentle qualities onto Raror, and he believed himself to be a better Spurn for it.
“Don’t you worry, little sister.” He patted her warm arm. “Remember? I will never let Mother hurt you.”
Talina nodded and Raror turned back to gaze at the sea. A long time ago he had made the promise – to protect her from all of those that aimed to harm.
And on Spurn, that was everyone.
Talina really enjoyed the journey, she didn’t see Gladriel once, and there was nothing more calming than the great expanses of the ocean. They were due to make land the next morning, and she wondered if she would get any rest that night.
This was the most exciting thing to occur in her nineteen-year lifetime. She’d never seen land that formed above the water.
Then she noticed the moons were already at full sky. It was later than she thought. She left her balcony.
Generally, Spurns required exactly five hours of closed-eye respite, whether above or below the water, but Talina functioned better on six or more. She opened her pod; it was half-full of water, a calming level for her. Shedding her white mesh covering, she stepped in. Lying back and closing her eyes, she allowed the pontoon’s rhythmic movement and water in her pod to calm her energized thoughts. Surprisingly, she had no trouble drifting off.
The next morning the Earons gathered together.
“Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?” Talina held Raror’s arm as she bounced in excitement, a euphoric emotion that she rarely felt.
They were standing on the balcony, waiting for Gladriel’s command to start swimming.
“It’s so strange, as if something has broken the ocean and there is a crack in it.” Raror was wide-eyed, the clear lenses flickering off and on as his eyes adjusted to the air.
The sand was white, with just a tinge of gold. It was unlike any color Talina had ever seen. The sunlight sparkled off the grains like the precious jewels they were.
Earons, take to the water now. We are to make our way to the edge of the Isle and wait.
Their leader’s voice echoed through her mind, and without hesitation Talina dived into the depths. She let the water flow over her, and as her gills kicked in she took off. Speed-swimming was her favorite thing to do. To her left, Raror kept pace, although, if he needed to, he could almost double her velocity through the water.
Emerald hair streamed in the currents as their collection of members approached the golden sands of the Sacred Isle. For the first time in her life Talina was shocked to see the ocean floor tapering up. It became shallower until at last she could put her feet down and stand above the water line. She wobbled precariously, but as her lungs kicked in she found her feet on the squishy sand, digging her toes in for extra stability. Gladriel, who’d been the first to stand, shifted once or twice, but managed to stay straight at the head of their group.
“Do not move too quickly. It will take time to get used to the stillness of land.” Her lisped words echoed.
Talina glanced around her. Judging by the tumbles already being taken in the shallow water, Gladriel was correct.
She turned when she heard a clamor behind them. A foreign pontoon, blue flags flying, indicated that the Baroons had arrived. They were in the process of tethering to a nearby station. Her heart skipped a beat at the possibility of seeing Ladre, their intimidating leader. She swung back as Gladriel spoke again.
“We have permission to move onto the land. Take it slowly. Start on all fours for balance.” She waved everyone forward, and then turned away to concentrate on her own journey. Talina could see that their leader was still slightly off-kilter, but otherwise she made it onto the flat sand without drama. Realizing she would be left behind, Talina took her first hesitant step.
Her muscles made their usual adjustment for the sway and ebb of the ocean, but for the first time there was no movement from below. She over-balanced and sprawled headfirst into the shallows.
Raror moved to help her up, but he was just as un-coordinated as she was and splashed into the water next to her. Dragging herself forward on hands and knees, Talina crawled onto the still dryness of land. Her head started to sway, and an instant nausea rose as her body tried to compensate for the lack of movement it was so used to.
“I think I’m going to be sick.” Raror dived past her to heave his morning cucreamer all over the sand.
He wasn’t the only one.
Talina flipped over onto her back and, using the half-sun as an anchor, breathed deeply for a few moments. Finally the nausea abated enough so she wasn’t about to join the hurling ranks. Sitting up, she straightened her shaky legs before pulling herself up to stand.
She guessed that this was how it felt when learning to walk for the first time. Balancing without the movement of the ocean required different muscles and a center of gravity that Spurns lacked, but eventually most of the Earon clan was able to stand and move further along the sandy beach. Talina loved the delicious texture between her toes; it tickled as it scrubbed her feet.
Once walking became easier, she was able to observe her environment. And she wasn’t the only one; most of the Earon clan was trying to walk and take in the vast wonders surrounding them, which meant there were plenty of tumbles, golden grains flying up in small clouds all around her.
The sand started at the water line and drifted gently up a curved mound. From there on, it looked to Talina like a mix of sand and swathes of green vegetation. She knew that the entire island was only fifty miles wide and ten miles long. At least eighty percent consisted of the lagoona tree plantations, which she could see stretching out into the distance in long straight rows.
It was simply incredible to see. Everything looked so free and unencumbered with no water surrounding it. She was distracted at just that moment as Raror stumbled and fell down next to her. A grin spread across her face as she reached out a hand to help him to his feet.
“This is not exactly how I pictured this experience.” He shook his head, dispelling the masses of sand that had accumulated in his long straight hair. It was such a warm day that already sections of the emerald tresses looked dry.
“We need to get you to water soon, Raror.”
Talina frowned as she examined him. She had never forgotten the story of the Baroon, the blue-haired Spurn who had become lost on this island. They had found him almost at the water’s edge. His hair, which looked to be reaching for the water, had lost all color and was brown and shriveled. From that day on they’d been warned to never let their hair dry out. It was a living entity that was essential for each one’s survival. Cutting a Spurn’s hair was tantamount to cutting off an arm.
But Talina knew that she was different.
When she was younger, she had allowed her hair to dry completely – with water at the ready just in case – but she had only experienced mild discomfort and a dry mouth.
Raror touched her arm. “I’m sure they will have water available when we reach the buildings.”
Eyes crinkled with worry, she continued to shoot glances at Raror. The walk felt like it was taking forever, but eventually Talina noticed a small lagoona-clad building in the distance. Progress had been slow and members of the clans were staggered along the beach.
Already standing under the eaves of the building were the Yetles with their sunlight-yellow hair. Behind the Earons were the Baroons. They marched in a coordinated line. None of them had land-sickness, and their dark-blue hair was sand free. And at the very back, farthest from the meeting place, were the Gerks, the smallest group, their hair shorter and seahorse-gray.
Although progress was slow, the Earon clan finally finished their trek across the warm sand to halt in the shade of the building. Raror sighed in relief as a cool spray rained down on their group. The entire perimeter of the building was furnished with shooting jets that delivered a constant stream of briny ocean water. Talina strained to see where this water came from, and eventually noticed a few Gerks off to one side pumping a large handle. It was attached to some type of water well.
“Talina ... Raror, it’s nice to see you again.”
Talina spun around at the sound of a familiar voice. Ladre was the first of the Baroons to arrive. He was her secret fantasy, and was so much better than the average Spurn – taller than she was by at least two inches, with the darkest blue hair, and a skin tone that was pinker than most others. She had admired him from afar, since ... well, it felt like forever. And, most importantly, he was always kind to her, even going out of his way to offer her jobs in Silver City, preventing his clan from treating her as less and always stopping for a chat. Despite the fact he was considered the most powerful Spurn alive, he was honorable, and she wished that there wasn’t such an unbridgeable gap between them.
As he met her stare, a familiar heat flooded her cheeks. Among Spurns, this only happened to her and only when she was around Ladre. She knew that Raror had discreetly asked others, and not one Spurn had ever experienced this warm-face sensation. Perhaps they were too cold-blooded?
“Ladre, it’s good to see that your clan has arrived from Silver City.” Raror lowered his head slightly, showing the Baroon leader the respect due to his position.
Not that Talina had ever seen Ladre impose his position on others, unlike Gladriel, who imposed hers all the time.
My son and I have to step inside for the initial meet-up. Everyone else stay on the beach.
As if she’d heard Talina’s thought, her mother issued her harsh order.
Raror touched her arm briefly before stepping under the overhanging eaves to enter through the open doorway. Ladre, who would definitely be expected inside, hesitated before leaning closer to Talina.
“Are you not joining us for the meeting? The clan leaders have been called.” His hairless face, and dark-yellow, almost ochre eyes looked confused. Normally daughters of leaders would be included in all important clan decisions.
She shook her head. “Gladriel likes to keep her mistakes as far away from her as possible.”
Her deep brown eyes widened in shock and she covered her mouth with both hands. What was she thinking saying something so honest? Being around Ladre made her feel flustered, and when her mind was muddled she said stupid things.
Understanding replaced Ladre’s confusion and, with a genial nod, he left her there, leading his delegation into the building.
It took a few moments for Talina’s cheeks to cool again.
The remaining Spurns stayed in their clan groups, sitting under the spray. A few made their way back to the ocean, finding it uncomfortable to stay on land. But there was no mingling between the hair colors, and Talina hated that more than anything.
Frustrated and bored, she moved away from the collective to explore their surroundings. The longer she was on the land, the more it felt right. She loved the vast expanses of ocean, the quiet, the freedom. But there was that other side that apparently craved the stillness of land.
She made her way through a small section of lagoona trees. She knew that she shouldn’t wander off. The woods were patrolled by Baroon Keepers, and their job was to make sure nothing was disturbed.
Each stick of tree was precious, and all allocations viewed and voted on. It was a versatile material, with both thin and thick stems that were quite pliant and springy, yet never deteriorated in the salt water. The older plantations had stems that extended high in the sky, with just a few scattered leaves up top. The leaves were pretty useless and were mainly utilized as stuffing for day beds.
While wandering without direction, she accidentally stumbled through a line of closely growing stilt bushes and into a clearing. Before her was a small building surrounded on all sides by the densely growing bushes. Curious as to what this secreted area was, she crept closer. Two spear-armed Baroons stood at the entrance door, their backs to her.
Talina crouched down and moved back into the shelter of the trees. Is this where they were keeping the prisoners?
Moving slowly around the structure and being careful to make no noise, she examined the building. The lagoona wood layering the walls looked newer, less salt-pocked than usual. There was a small window high up on the back wall. Most Spurns would have no chance of reaching it, but with a little help Talina might have a shot.
She hesitated.
She didn’t usually go looking for trouble; she’d already spent far too many moons being disciplined. But something urged her forward.
After a quick search, she found a rock that wasn’t too heavy to move. Back straining, she dragged it beneath the window and stood on the rock, using the wall to balance herself. She still had to stand on her tiptoes to be able to see in through the barred window.
From what she could see, it was definitely an open-planned prison, and two of the four small cubicles were occupied by a collection of strange humanoids. They had the same basic shape as Spurns, but ... with no webbings or gills ... and their skin was the wrong color.
Her eyes were drawn to one of the females in particular. A stunning redhead, she was statuesque and much taller than Talina. She stared in amazement at the pale ivory of the female’s skin and her green eyes. Talina couldn’t believe what she was seeing ... green eyes ... crazy.
But the reason this female, in particular, stood out from the rest of her group was the amazing red markings that framed the left side of her face and tracked down her neck. Also, she strode around the small prison, so sure ... confident. This was a woman who was afraid of no one.
Talina was instantly jealous; she’d always wished for one ounce of the composure and attitude this female so effortlessly displayed. But that would never happen.
Putting aside her feelings, she examined the prisoners more closely. They had hair on their faces, just like her own. Twin lines above their eyes and flicked-out blackness along their eyelids. Were they from the same land as her father? Excitement and panic flooded her. She needed to break in there and speak with them before they either disappeared or went to trial.
The redhaired female turned to face someone in the other occupied cell. Talina shifted her view to observe him, a giant man with broad planes and flashing dark eyes. He was unlike any of the males on Spurn, but for so
me reason Talina found his chiseled jaw and muscular physique attractive.
She had just started to observe the rest of the inhabitants when strong hands grabbed her, pulling her backwards away from the window.
Chapter 2
Abigail
