AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I throw an elbow into his ribs, or where ribs should be, guaranteeing my freedom as he reels back from the strike. His tentacles loosen their grip entirely. But he recovers quickly and lunges again. Every fiber of my being is screaming for me to flee.
And I do.
My legs are like jelly, but I manage to crest the dune and turn a corner before I hear wet flesh slam into stone. Another yelp escapes me, but I’m free and clear of the cove and the monster that resides there.
Still, I run hard, letting the seawater wick off of my clothes in the rush. For a long while, I can think of nothing butrun, until my body threatens to give out on me. Then I slow, clutching myself against the ocean breeze. My core is shaking with fear, and the closeness I’ve come to feel for him has been shattered.
A strange sort of grief overcomes me.
Tears come, flowing freely as I notice my shirt has been torn at the shoulder. Just a reminder of the friendship I could never have had with such a creature. What did I want from him, anyway? It was clear what he wanted from me, that predator of the sea, a monster disguised as a man. Did he really think I would just lie there and let him do what he wanted with me? Was he going to eat me, or worse?
I can’t stop looking back every few steps, always expecting him to be right behind me.
But he’s not.
His place is the cove, and I’ve been his witless prey this whole time. What a fool I’ve been, thinking I could tame such a creature. He was bigger than I ever expected from our soirees and much more fearsome.
“I’m such an idiot,” I tell myself, running my hands through my hair, sand falling with every sweep.
I’m a mess, too, and I’ll need to clean up before I show my face back at the camp. People will ask about my torn clothes and the red-rimmed panic in my eyes. If Malachi sees me like this. I’ll never hear the end of it, and he may banish me to a worse fate.
I take a steadying breath, certain now that he has not followed.
My initial fear is dulled with the distance between us, and now I realize I may have overestimated the danger. I can still feel the grip of his tentacles around me, and certainly, I had every right to be afraid. But the look in his eyes was not one of murder until I got free of his grip. And the growl could have been something more akin to pleasure.
I’m haunted, torn.
What did he really want with me?
And do I dare go back to find out?
6
PENNY
Islip between several tents, trying to keep my arrival lowkey.
It’s better no one knows I’ve even left. Especially Malachi. It’s one thing to take my leave in the evening when the work is finished. During the day, he could have me punished for negligence of my duties. We’ve all seen his brand of punishment, and I would rather not be at the receiving end of his rage.
I slip into my own tent and shake the rest of the sand from my hair.
My nerves are still shot from the encounter, and my breaths refuse to come slowly. My escape has now become my nightmare, and I’m trapped between a pernicious master and the merciless sea – and whatever creature calls the sea its home. I’ve never felt so confined, and it’s all I can do to tamp the panic down for now.
“You’ve got this,” I say aloud, knowing full well that I don’t. “It’s going to be okay.”
No, it isn’t.
I glance at myself in the sandblasted mirror, noticing how terror hides behind my eyes and has made a home in the creases of my mouth. I bite my lip just to stop it from trembling. How can I possibly go back out there, looking like this?
The world is spinning in the wrong direction.
“Get it together, girl!”
I smack my face a few times just to bring the color back, fresh hot tears threatening to spill over. If Malachi sees me like this, he’ll use it against me. The pressure has been mounting between us these last few days, and I have no doubt he’ll do whatever he can to get me under his thumb.
I have to remain firm with him.
I splash fresh water on my face and change my clothes, knowing it won’t do much to change what happened in the cove. But maybe I can trick myself. Put on a smile and act as if everything is fine. It has to be.
