Page 25 of Storm and Sea

But that was impossible. Ludo was dead. Killed in the explosion, his lifeless body burned beyond recognition in the fire.

Yet here he was, lips blue, chest still and lifeless.

“Damn you, Ludo!” Nephi roared and tilted the boy’s chin up.

With expert precision, Nephi placed his mouth over the boy’s and blew, inflating the lungs in his chest. In rapid succession, Nephi began chest compressions, pumping five times before returning for another breath. Over and over, Nephi repeated the process, his compressions cracking the boy’s ribs. If that is what it took to manually force his heart to beat, it was a small price to pay.

On the fourth round of breaths and compressions, the boy sputtered. Nephi rolled him to the side so he could expel the seawater from his mouth. The boy coughed and choked, white foam coming out in bubbly spurts. Color rapidly returned to his lips and cheeks.

Despite himself, Nephi relaxed.

Ludo continued to spit out water and— no, not Ludo. Not Ludo!

But even as he berated himself, Nephi couldn’t look away. Even knowing what this person was, he couldn’t bring himself to drag the boy back to the water and watch him drown. Even as the human’s eyes opened and focused on him, Nephi wasn’t even remotely tempted to slit his throat as he should have done.

As he’d done countless times before.

The young man’s eyes fluttered, focusing on him. He didn’t cry out. Didn’t attack or show any alarm at the sight of a sea monster at his side.

He just…stared.

And that is when Nephi’s illusions fell away. The human’s eyes were yellow—the merciless eyes of a predator.

Ludo’s eyes had been silver, like the calm before a winter storm.

Whether it was the sight of such a creature or the stress of nearly drowning, Nephi didn’t know. Only that the next second, the human slumped to his side. Unconscious.

Pathetic.

Yet Nephi didn’t leave him to perish. He’d already crossed that line the moment his scales made contact with skin. Instead, he positioned the boy against his chest so his head lolled on Nephi’s shoulder. And with painstaking slowness, Nephi paddled them to shore. It took three times as long as it should have, but it was all he could manage with the relentless waves and swimming with only his lower half. He dragged the boy’s unconscious body along the beach before letting him flop (harsher than necessary) to the sand.

“There,” he bit out, lip curling. But in the same breath, his expression softened.

With his eyes closed, the boy could have been Ludo. Asleep on the beach. Peaceful. Ready to wake and offer Nephi a smile like he’d done a thousand times before.

He’d never see that smile again. All because of their kind. The humans. And now, he’d saved one. Because of his broken heart, weakness seeped into the cracks, and now he had saved the very thing he’d dedicated his life to destroy.

Nephi leaped into the water before his weakness could compel him to do more. As he halfheartedly searched for Nyel’s trail, Nephi’s mind was lost. He couldn’t focus on the scent, his thoughts elsewhere. They were back on the beach, fixated on blond curls and amber skin. He clutched his head.

What have I done?

Atreus couldn’t repress the smile tugging at the edges of his mouth as Giovanni’s voice boomed from the top of the stairs. He sang along with his favorite opera, the record spinning on a high shelf. And Atreus had to admit, the grizzly man wasn’t half bad. He rounded the corner with a fresh stack of newspapers, giving Atreus a good-natured shove as he passed.

“Hey, watch it, old man, or I’ll mess up the cut on this fish,” Atreus said, holding the knife steady.

Giovanni chuckled, the sound vibrating through the room. “You better not, ragazzo, that’s my best seller. And who’re you calling old? I’m healthy as an ox.”

“Uh-huh, whatever you say,” Atreus mocked, earning him another shove as Giovanni took a spot beside him.

He wrapped the cuts of fish in paper and marked the price, still humming along to the music. The old fisherman’s hands weren’t as steady as they used to be, so he tasked Atreus with cutting the higher-value catches. Today, it was yellowfin tuna. The red meat was marbled with fat and oil and would fetch a high price.

But that would have to wait for tomorrow. Today, the doors of the Sleeping Whale pescheria were closed because of the severe spring weather.

Atreus considered himself lucky, though. The rain held off long enough for him to swim ashore, change into his human self, and approach the pescheria before the sky re-opened. With the town square half flooded with an inch of standing water, most stores remained closed. Giovanni’s fishery was no exception, so today, they busied themselves with cutting, packaging, and organizing the store.

“How was your winter? How’s your family?” Giovanni asked, working alongside Atreus at the counter.

“Good. Cold, but what else is new?” he lied, feeling like he’d stabbed the scaling knife into his gut.