Page 21 of For the Strange and Surprising

I nod at him with wide eyes. “She’s from the island. And she’s a Shade.”

“She’s not a Shade, but she might be a Howler.”

“We need to find out where she came from,” I insist.

“How do you plan to do that?”

I smirk at him. “There are a few things I can do, but first, I’m going to go check the beach out. That will be the quickest place to start.”

I leave Imryll with the rest of his questions hanging in the air. I can’t answer them yet. The only knowledge I have is what I’ve overheard, though I know my mother knows more than she’s alluding to.

My silent steps carry me through the sleeping village, and I snag a lit torch from the last building before thinking better of it. The flame will make me a target for anyone camping outside the safety of our stone walls, but I need it to search the beach.

I shouldn’t go out alone; every bit of the training I have tells me this is stupid. I pause by the flowers my mother loves so much, and I listen for sounds that don’t belong to the nocturnal animals. I don’t have my uniform on, so I wouldn’t be able to escape a lurking beast.

I don’t want anyone to know I’ve been out here in the middle of the night, especially with everything that’s been happening. But I refuse to wait until morning and let any more tracks disappear.

The night guards will pass through this area soon, and with that thought, I pull the torch in front of my chest to hide some of the light. I rush through the darkness, only slowing when I hear the crashing of waves between the twin boulders.

This is where they found her.

When I reach the first boulder, I tug my boots off and drop them where the dirt and sand combine. I tilt the torch down before I walk forward and notice the path of footprints, the clawed ones from the guards, and another set that must belong to Ada.

I follow them to the second boulder, but they don’t lead into the treeline. They come from the water, though they abruptly end as another wave hits the shoreline and washes the sand away.

I circle the massive rock, searching for more tracks. She could have walked through mere inches of water to hide her trail. But I don’t have time to cover the entire Mongrel coast for clues.

As I come back to the prints, I can see the shifted sand. And because I’ve spent so many days and nights sitting in this exact spot, I know the way it looks after someone has been lying here. I also know that two of these holes came from the ends of spears that someone was leaning against.

I stare at the sky in frustration before I stick the torch end into the sand and walk into the water. The receding waves try to drag me farther as I feel my feet sinking. When I gaze across the ocean, blurry moonlight is reflected off the surface of something dingy.

I whistle low, knowing Jade can feel my presence in her domain. As I wait for her, I study the object with curiosity. It floats on top of the water, being pushed toward the shore before it’s pulled away again. I can’t quite grasp why it looks familiar, though.

A pitch-black mound breaches the waves, and Jade’s glowing green eyes float closer to me. She slithers across the sandbar into shallow waters as the tip of her tentacle gently wraps around my right leg.

It’s the kraken’s equivalent of cuddling.

Not for the first time, I wish that I could speak to her the way my parents do.

“What is that floating in the water, Jade?” I ask quietly. “Can you bring it to me?”

Bubbles pop on the surface of the water as her eyes roll to view what I’m pointing at. I brush my hand over the tentacle on my leg while she uses another to usher the object onto the beach. More bubbles appear near her face before she slaps the water to splash me.

“I can’t play tonight,” I tell her sadly. “But I’ll come back soon.”

She moves farther inland, a series of clicking sounds echoing around us as she speaks. Even if I can’t understand her, I know the kraken well enough to know she isn’t happy with me.

“Don’t be mad, Jade. I’ll swim with you next time. I have a job to do right now.”

She sprays me in response, drenching me with warm saltwater before releasing my leg to disappear. I hang my head for a moment, debating with myself. I’m already soaked, and gliding through the waves with her would tire me out.

But I have to get the Shade out of my village. The need to keep everyone—and Jade—safe is more important.

I trudge onto the beach, snatching my torch so I can illuminate the… boat? It’s upside down, but I’m reasonably certain that’s what I’m looking at.

Except our boats are made of wood.

They’re shaped the same, though.