Page 8 of Storm and Sea

Nyel suspected—no, he was positive that if not for the babe inside her, his aunt Sonia would have followed him to Thalaren. The beyond. The next life. The loss of a Lifemate, the shattering of a Lifebond was… Nyel didn’t understand it. Couldn’t. His mother had once told him it would feel like his very soul was torn in two.

Before, even broaching the subject would have sent Sonia into a grief-stricken spiral. Now she was healing, and Nyel knew it was for her unborn child. He was proud of her.

Fortunately, his father chose that moment to ask about the neighbor’s farm, diverting attention from Sonia and allowing the conversation to flow smoothly as everyone dined. They discussed crop yield, recent sightings of Great Whites (mostly rumors), and the predicted storms this spring. Mr. Ernesti became very animated, complaining that some of his fields were going gray. Other farmers were having the same problem, with entire sections of kelp turning gray before rotting off the stalk.

“A few of my farm hands are getting sick just touching the rotting stuff. I can’t figure out what it could possibly be,” Mr. Ernesti said, looking concerned. “And whatever it is, it’s spreading.”

Donato suggested an extra pass with the goatfish school in case of a parasite. Nyel listened to the ever-present talk of farming, kelp, annoying pests, and so forth. These were words and speculations he’d heard all his life, which was comforting. Normal dinner talk was more than he dared hope for. Nyel was actually beginning to enjoy himself when his name rang through the water.

“Nyel, tell Chel what you told me yesterday; it was such a good idea,” his mother said in a less-than-smooth segway to force him to speak to the sirena.

Nyel sighed internally. He’d mentioned the idea two months ago and regretted opening his mouth ever since. When his mother’s eyes widened dangerously, he forced the words out. “I had this idea of starting a starfish colony.”

“Why is that, honey?” his mother pushed him when he didn’t expand.

He sighed. “The goatfish are great about picking off barnacles and smaller pests, but they won’t touch the sea urchins. Starfish prey on them naturally. It could be a good way to manage their numbers.”

“Spirits know I can’t stand those buggers.” Mr. Ernesti nodded, agreeing right away. “No matter how many hands I hire to get rid of them, they come back in droves.”

“Right?” Bianca said, “I can’t believe nobody has thought of it before. It’s such an inspired idea, right, Don?” She turned to his father.

“Yes. Of course. Brilliant,” his father said shortly.

“It’s not a big deal,” Nyel grumbled, but nobody heard him.

“Chel, what do you think? Would you mind being a starfish farmer’s wife?” Mrs. Ernesti asked, nudging her daughter conspiratorially.

Nyel choked on his sea prune. “W-wife?” he coughed.

He hated how the color in Chel’s cheeks deepened as blood rushed to her face. He hated how his mother looked as if she might float to the ceiling with joy. But most of all, he hated the way his chest grew heavy. The idea of marrying Chel and taking her as a Lifemate was…

Across the table, Chel didn’t seem to mind at all. Though her cheeks brightened, she was smiling, twisting her hands in a shy gesture. Some might call it cute. No, all the eligible sireno boys in the village would call her cute, adorable, beautiful even. Chel was a young and stunning sirena, deserving of a mate who would adore her in all seven seas.

Nyel wanted that for her. But he also knew—it couldn’t be him.

Mrs. Ernesti looked at Bianca. “You haven’t told him?”

“I thought it would be good for him to see Chel tonight before breaking the news.”

“What news?” Nyel asked, his tone harsher than he intended, and Chel’s face fell.

Bianca didn’t miss this and glared at him as she spoke. “Mr. and Mrs. Ernesti have been talking with Don and me, and we all agree that a Tideway would be a great idea for you two.”

Chel gave him a hopeful smile, but no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t return the gesture.

“A Tideway—Isn’t that only for mated pairs? Bonded pairs?” Nyel urged.

“Yes, well, our theory was that if a Tideway can help couples conceive, it might also help set the wheels of fate in motion.”

Nyel knew what that meant. They were all hoping for the Lifebond to take root.

A Tideway was when an already Bonded pair, who were struggling to conceive, followed the winter tide for several weeks. Sirena were only fertile in the winter months. The idea was that by following cooler waters, the window of fertility would be extended, thus giving them a higher chance of conceiving that year. Not to mention, it was supposed to be extremely romantic. The tide followed a stretch of ocean lush with coral reefs, great planes of seagrass, and incredible blooms of pearl poppies and wave orchids.

A Sireni couple’s dream vacation.

Nyel’s worst nightmare.

Weeks on end with nobody else around—just him and Chel making small talk and maintaining each other’s virtue while waiting for the Lifebond to take hold. Not that Nyel was even remotely tempted to sully their virtue.