Page 24 of Emerald Waves
“And what are all of these charts and books?” He asked, curiosity piqued as he crossed the cave entrance to the long shelf that I’d built into the cave wall, carving it out with my claws before fitting the polished driftwood I’d harvested, shaved, and sanded to make the shelves.
“Tide charts, ocean mythology, a history of the creatures discovered and lost,” I explained. “I keep the ancient writings down here and the more modern ones in the library. The shelves run all the way back along this side, with a great deal of empty space for all your treasures.”
“What’s this?” He asked, drawing my attention to the statue gotten situated earlier. I’d placed it there, not wanting to add it to my horde until I’d had a chance to study it and determine exactly what it was and if there was any meaning behind it.
Many times, I found artifacts beneath the sea, some I’d been able to match with legends and old images, others were too degraded and were kept under glass in the part of my horde that resembled a museum. Everything was perfectly preserved in those cases, with detailed notes and rough sketches of the scene around it when I discovered it.
Whenever possible, I returned the artifacts to the people they originated from, having visited many fishing villages, seaside towns and other remote places in order to ensure that the items got back to the descendants of those who’d originally owned them. Along the way I’d been treated to stories I’d never come across in any book. Passed down through generations, there were times when I learned why something had been forged or crafted, it’s intended purpose as well as the legends of the users, many who were still revered to this very day.
“I’m not sure yet,” I admitted. “I found it the day you had your fall and stashed it here until I have time to dig into its origins more.”
“We could always dig into it together, it is what I do, you know,” Emerson said, a slight bit of reproach in his tone that made my stomach roil at having been the cause of it.
I was fucking this up already.
Day fucking one.
Hadn’t I expected that?
“I know,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s just that it’s become a special project of mine, to keep, catalogue and research the things I salvage from the sea.”
“So, you could avoid bringing them to me,” Emerson murmured, ducking his head.
“No, Emerson, it was never like that at all,” I said. “I try to return them to where they belong, or at least, to the descendants of those who lost them. So they have a piece of their culture to keep passing down to future generations. It was never about cutting you out of the process or steering clear of you, I swear. It was only recently that I sensed you were my mate. I’ve been doing this kind of thing for centuries. Diving old wrecks in my dragon form is a Saturday afternoon outing for me. Hell, it’s a Monday morning one too, when Ionus frees us from training. Truth is, I love being beneath the waves and when I find things, I’m like a crow with a shiny object.”
“So you bring them home with you.”
“Yes.”
“And then give them away when you learn where they belong.”
“Yes.”
“And if you don’t?”
“I house them in here and continue my research whenever I come across new information.”
“That’s what I do in the archives too,” Emerson said. “If you’re willing, perhaps we can work on some of them together. The answers you need may already been in the material I brought over.”
“I’d welcome that,” I admitted. “It was never my intention to hold on to them for so long.”
“How many do you have?”
“More than I’ve ever taken the time to count,” I admitted. “Things like coins are easy, it’s the artifacts that have, at times, proved to be difficult due to the deterioration. I’ve taken extensive classes and undergone training in how to properly clean and store them, but even with cleaning, some of them are just beyond my ability to decipher.”
“Then let’s hope they are not beyond mine.”
“Yes, that is a good hope to have.”
It dawned on me then, that maybe I could get away with not having to show him the remainder of the horde today. After all, the shelving was all in this section, while the rest of the space was hidden around the bend.
“We should go get your things and get them situated the way you want them,” I offered, immediately heading back toward the door only to stop when he didn’t join me. “It will be a lot easier for us to both continue our research as well as research together once we have everything situated and you settled in.”
“Not until I’ve seen everything,” he declared. “You don’t get to tease me with ancient artifacts and an awesome display of beautiful sea life and then rush me back out the door.”
Should have known my mate wouldn’t even consider an abbreviated tour.
Yes, you should have. And how had you ever thought he was half-human? Our mate is all dragon.
