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Nymphs are not bellicose people. We don’t like to fight. As time passes, though, and nothing on the ship changes, it becomes clear we may have no choice. I know my friends on the island would be happy to help me, but they can’t do much while the ship is adrift in the ocean.
While we wait, the members of Narissa’s pod celebrate their reunion. Taron and Mizu, luckily, get along incredibly well. The members of my pod who accompanied me are happy to meet more nymphs and learn about them.
The joy of finding these missing men and uniting our pods—at least temporarily—is obviously strained by the presence of the ship above. It’s a constant reminder of Sky’s suffering and our inability to confront the humans directly.
I feel the shift in the sea when their next supply ship is approaching. This ship has a motor propelling it and disturbs the quiet peace underwater.
We notice its presence long before the humans above could see it on the horizon.
Taron and the others confirm it is the same vessel that has brought deliveries several times. It’s small, carrying only two humans and supplies for the larger ship. Not as hopeless an encounter as the larger ship where Sky is trapped. Not as hard to sink.
“Okay,” I call out, finally seeing our way forward. “Here’s the plan.”
Chapter Eight
Pearl
With the plan in place to starve them out by sinking their shipments before they arrive, I leave the group and head to shore to check in with everyone back home. Even a magic cell phone sounds muffled underwater.
Instead of heading to the nearest shore, my tail takes me to a familiar beach. It’s early morning, so I find a large rock and hide behind it, waiting for a glimpse ofhim.
I wait. And I wait. And I wait some more.
Countless people come and dive into the ocean, but none are the man I’m waiting for.
When the sun hits its peak, I decide he’s not coming and slip out of the water, grab my clothes and phone out of the bag, and dress quickly. Powering on the phone, I dial Breanne.
“Pearl?” She answers on the first ring.
“Hey.”
“Is everything okay?”
I immediately jump into details of what we’re doing.
“Do you need reinforcements?”
“Not yet,” I tell her. My head turns at the sound of a snapping twig. A man walking down the trail toward the hidden village catches my eye. He isn’t my mystery man, but I am curious all the same. “I’ll call you right back.”
I hang up the phone and power it off before I can hear her complaints. I’m sure she’ll call the phone back a dozen times, but this feels more important. I need stealth, and the phone ringing continuously would ruin that.
I search inside myself for that little tug. Just like I noticed before, it’s not pulsing and pulling me inland, toward the village I know is hidden there. Instead, it seems to be further away. It’s possible I was wrong about him being my mate. Or maybe he’s just not here...
Taking the route deeper within the trees, I keep my steps light and follow the man at a safe distance. I use the villagers welcoming him home as a distraction to slip further inside than before. I snag a hat off the ground, wrapping up my blue hair to hide beneath it. I can blend in for a little while—but not with my hair glowing like a beacon.
As I slink through the shadows, I keep my eyes and ears peeled for my mystery man. I see no sign of him until—There. A pair of fluorescent pink shorts hangs on a line outside of a large house. I creep up to the window, hoping for a glimpse of him. If he’s in there, though, it means that the pull isn’t leading me to him after all.
“Ma, we’ve talked about this.” A feminine voice comes through the open window. “Loukas is a grown man. He knows what he’s doing.”
“That’s hogwash, and you know it. He wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t forher.”
The way she says it tells me all I need to know. Whoeversheis, these women do not like her.
“Yes, I know that,” the original voice concedes, “but he would leave if it was that bad.”
“Sheknows where we are. He knows she would come here and kill us all. Or would you prefer she kills the two little ones instead?”
“You don’t know that she would kill anyone.”
