“Hmm,” she frowned at Elliot, who mimicked her expression. “It shouldn’t be this warm so early in the year.” Despite the Rescue Center’s concerns, she allowed the soothing effect of the water to lull her nervous system back into its normal rhythm. Waves lapped against her ribcage as she ran one hand from her temples to the nape of her neck, sluicing the excess water from her hair.
As much as she hated to admit it, the citizens of Crescent Cove could only make a small difference against the callous disregard that most humans treated the ocean with. Oil spills and litter were strangling the seas slowly but surely. All of their efforts, as worthwhile as she felt they were, could not heal the whole world. But they would do what they could.
Beside her, Elliot tumbled through the waves, transforming into his sea lion form. He made a happy sound and swam circles around her, making Tempest laugh. It was impossible to be upset in the presence of the playful shifter in this form. The joy that radiated off of him felt contagious.
Tempest’s blue-green eyes fluttered shut as she soaked in the feel of the warm rays beating down on her shoulders. She allowed herself to sink below the surface. On days like this, she wished she could stay in the water forever. No more land, no town, no disappointed family. Only the sun, sea, and her heart beating in tune with the rolling waves.
She opened her eyes in time to see a school of fish dart past them in a riot of colors. The little seal they had just rescued chased after them, hoping for a snack. The rest of its herd waited nearby, letting the little one tire himself out chasing the fish.
She looked around, admiring the view. Tempest would never get over the unearthly beauty of the seas. She thought of her favorite moments on the job: restoring the coral reefs nearby, the sight of a mom and baby Northern Right Whale in the spring, the beach covered in hatching baby turtles. Every successful spring full of new life was cause to celebrate at the Crescent Cove Wildlife Rescue.
This was what kept her going. The ability to help preserve the seas and to protect the creatures who lived there; it gave her purpose. That was what got her out of bed each morning. Tempest loved her job in ways she could barely put into words something she had never been able to properly convey to her family about the reason she had left home.
No matter what her family thought of her job, her choices, she lived for these moments with the spray of saltwater on her face and the call of gulls high above. While they lived their quiet lives at the other end of Crescent Cove, growing plants from which they made healing tinctures and medicines, she would live her life.
She did not miss their quarrelsome presence or nitpicking attitudes. Truly, she did not need their approval or support. No, all Tempest needed was the sea and her cozy little falling-down beach house. Determination coursed through her as she closed her eyes and focused on the waves, the push and pull.
Soothed by the sea, she approached the boat and grinned up at Elliot. Back in his human form, his bright smile felt familiar and comforting as he reached for her. He leaned over the edge of the boat, bent at the waist and brown hair falling into his face.
“Need a hand?” he asked with a laugh.
“Just a moment,” she replied.
Tempest reached for her heavy, soaking wet braid of teal hair. A slow, growing headache thrummed at the back of her head - the tug of her hair pulling too tight now that it had absorbed all that seawater. In a practiced movement, she slipped the hair tie around her wrist and ran one hand through the strands, shaking them loose.
Her damp hair fanned out around her in the water, creating a halo of teal waves around her head. Instantly, the tightness of the heavy braid weighed down by seawater dissipated. She rolled her shoulders and cracked her neck once in each direction before reaching for Elliot’s hand.
Without hesitation, he hefted her up onto their little boat, and she landed with a thud on the bottom of the boat. They toweled off and resumed their watch, eyes trained for anything out of the ordinary they could fix to keep their ocean healthy. The cheerful melody of Coldplay’sYellowcame through the speakers, a familiar tune Elliot knew she liked.
Swaying to the music, Tempest leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She felt the warm sun on her face as she sang along. Her fingers twisted her hair effortlessly into a simpler braid down her back, the movements automatic. It would tug less on the back of her head this way, alleviating the headache that had begun to pulse at the base of her skull.
She might not truly understand her storm magic, but at least she could spend her days out on the water like this. Where she felt so at home.
Look at the stars
Look how they shine for you
And all the things that you do
Yeah, they were all yellow
Tall Tales
REED
C
hiseled into the rock face a mile below the sea were the familiar caves Reed Caldwell had grown up in. His pod, all five generations of them, had lived there for as long as anyone could remember. Hazel eyes narrowed as he peered into the cave mouth that served as their entrance, trying to determine who was at home before he entered.
Life had been tumultuous lately and Reed needed to avoid his mother at all costs. If she caught sight of him, Lady Serena would insist he choose a wife. That was the last thing he wanted to deal with. With barely two dozen left in the Cascadia pod, the expectation that he would continue their line was a heavy weight on his shoulders.
His father and grandfather told stories when they numbered in the hundreds. A time he had not been alive to see and had long feared would never happen again. He strained to catch the muffled murmur of conversation that carried on the current. The deep rumble of his father’s voice reached him, the ruffles on his ears twitching at the familiar gruff tone.
Reed slipped silently into the mouth of the cave, peeking around the corner to get a glimpse of whoever his father was speaking with.
9
“Of course I think it’s high time he does his duty to the pod,” grumbled River Caldwell, frowning dramatically. “His choices are quite limited, though. It has never been so dire.”
