Page 52 of Storm and Sea

No matter how fun the conversation or how good the food was, Atreus’s mood remained damp. Nyel wanted to talk with him and hear him laugh again. But no matter how much he and Marina tried probing him into the conversation, Atreus remained stoic.

Clearly, Giovanni and Marina want him here. Why doesn’t he just accept it and relax?

Nyel pondered this as he made his bed for the night. Giovanni helped him and Atreus acquire more clothes from families who no longer needed them. They were ratty and had holes, yet Nyel folded them as though they were made of coral silk.

As he lay in bed, he admired the empty bookshelf with his belongings. He had three possessions now, two of which he’d bought using the money he earned—all on his own. A sense of pride surged in his chest.

The first item was the fishing encyclopedia Atreus gave him on his first day. He found himself flipping through the pictures most nights, trying to find meaning in the assortment of symbols the humans used to read. The other item was another book, but the pages were blank. Marina wrote his name on the blank pages, and Nyel had practiced the strokes for hours. The last item was a small bundle of charcoal pencils.

Next time, I’ll try one of those colored pen things.

His lids grew heavy after a large meal of pasta and cheese. A knock on the door roused him, and he blinked awake.

“Come in?” he said like a question, sitting up when Atreus entered his room. “Oh hey. Everything okay?” he asked, feeling more alert.

Atreus closed the door quietly behind him, his shoulders tense. “We need to talk,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and fixing Nyel with a steely gaze.

“What about?” Nyel asked, trying to sound light. He’d anticipated this. But a part of him had hoped it wouldn’t be so soon.

Here it is; he’s going to tell me to beat it.

“Why did you run away from your family?”

Nyel hesitated, the question catching him by surprise. “Uh, why?”

Atreus shrugged. He shifted from foot to foot and wouldn’t look at him for more than a second. “Trying to understand, I guess.”

Nyel remembered something Leo said at the docks. “Is what Leo said true? That you talk about me and that we’re, you know…” He hesitated. “That we’re friends?”

Atreus sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Leo never lets the truth stand in the way of a good story. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I need to get you figured out. I can’t handle any more surprises right now.”

Nyel didn’t miss the way Atreus avoided answering his question.

“My parents, well, my mom is trying to send me on a Tideway. She believes it’ll encourage a Bond. She wants me to settle down with this girl, Chel, or any sirena. And I just…” He shook his head. “It’s not for me. Or maybe not right now. I don’t know, but I couldn’t stand to go through with it.”

Atreus stared at him like he’d grown a second head. “What the hell is a Bond?”

Nyel’s mouth actually fell open. “You’re kidding me, right?”

But before he could explain, there was a knock at the door, and Marina rushed in. “Oh, good. You’re both here,” she said, her nightgown swaying as she glided inside.

“Why do you bother knocking if you’re going to come in anyway?” Atreus grumbled. She ignored him.

“I need you both tomorrow after work. Atty, you have the steadiest hands, so you’ll write the words on the banner.” She held up a hand when Atreus went to complain. “I already wrote it on paper. You only have to copy it. And Nyel, would you mind cutting fabric to make flags? I want to line the path for the biking portion with colored flags so the kids know where to go.”

The three of them spent the remainder of the evening discussing plans. Marina talked, Nyel listened, and Atreus rolled his eyes so much Nyel was sure they’d get stuck in the back of his head.

“Oh, don’t you huff. It’ll be fun! I have so many paints and brushes; you’ll love it.”

“I’m vibrating with excitement,” Atreus said in the most deadpan voice he could muster.

Marina flicked him on the ear. “Party-pooper.”

Atreus grabbed the nearest pillow and smacked her with it. “Dork.”

Nyel burst out laughing at the spectacle.

“What’s so funny?” Marina asked, blowing hair from her face.