Page 6 of Drown Me Gently

The waves rocked gently, cool against his shoulders. The air carried the scent of tar, brine, rope, and fish oil—human smells. He’d trained himself to hold his breath for nearly four minutes. Longer, if he stayed still. Just enough time to poke around.

Iska swam a worried circle around him with a quiet puff of breath, chittering in warning.

“I know,” Auren murmured, running a hand down the slope of her scarred flank. “Wait here,” he said gently.

Iska whistled and vanished into the darker waters, but he knew she’d remain close enough to hear his call.

Auren swam silently, only the upper part of his head breaching the surface. The fishing boats swayed in their slips, dark silhouettes against the night-silvered water. Wooden hulls creaked. Nets hung like cobwebs. The tide lapped at barnacle-crusted stilts.

And there it was.

The Windless.

A modest cargo ship with faded paint and a crooked mast, but Auren had memorized every plank. The shape of the anchor. The missing chip on the rail. The spot by the stern where a coil of rope dangled, just within reach—and where, weeks ago, he had been seen.

By him.

Auren swam to the stern and pulled himself carefully onto the lower deck. The weight of gravity hit like a stone. Water poured from his tail and arms, soaking the wooden planks, making the deck slick beneath him. His arms felt heavy and clumsy, but he crawled well enough to peer around.

Several barrels. Some crates. A flash of copper wire near the railing. Nothing new. He frowned. He’d grab one small trinket. Something useful. Something to take apart and study and keep him occupied while⁠—

A sound.

A single, quiet⁠—

“Oh.”

Auren whipped around, heart lurching.

At the top of the stairwell to the upper deck stood a human. His human.

Elias.

Dark curls tousled from sleep, eyes heavy but wide now with recognition. Bare feet. Loose trousers. Rope-burned hands.

But the eyes were the worst of it.

Sky-colored. Piercing. Looking at Auren like he’d stepped out of a dream.

“I knew you’d come back,” Elias whispered, a slow smile touching his lips.

Auren froze. Saltwater dripped down his shoulders, glistening in the dark. He must’ve looked frightening. Foreign. Half-wild.

But Elias looked at him like he was a miracle. Auren’s heart thundered in his chest.

Then—

“Wait!”

Auren dove.

The ocean swallowed him in a rush of bubbles and instinct. His tail kicked hard, sending him spiraling into deeper water. But even as he swam, he looked back.

And saw Elias at the edge of the deck. The human pulled something from around his neck and tossed it into the water. It fluttered once before the sea claimed it.

Auren caught it.

He clung to the soaked fabric and swam quickly, his heart a mess of panic, heat, and awe.