Page 49 of Enchantment of Silver and Sea
“You may stand.”
Up until that point, my legs had been raised, my kneecaps almost grazing the surface. Now I lowered them and felt the cushiony feel of sand against my feet. The sensation was comforting. Yet my legs instantly gave out beneath me. The water was only chest-deep, but I almost slipped under again.
The being’s head tilted slightly to look over my shoulder.
At the same time, a different pair of arms caught me from behind, warm and strong.
When looked up, I could’ve cried with relief to see Kieran staring back at me.
His features were weighed down by fatigue, his breathing heavy. Rather than the silver that I had become accustomed to,his eyes were dark. The color of the sky on a dreary day. After he took in the sight of me, assessing, his gaze drifted up to the being who hovered next to me.
“You will relay my message,” the being said. It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes,” I confirmed. Then added, “I can’t thank you enough for saving my life. Would it be alright for me to ask for your name?”
The being remained unblinking. Expressionless. “You would not be able to pronounce my name in your tongue. Please give me a name that you find suitable, and that is what your kind shall call me.”
Wait. What?
I asked for a name, and the response was toname this magical being myself?
I couldn’t have imagined a task that came with more pressure. As spent as I was, my body still found the means to bring a flush of color to my cheeks.
“Um…okay,” I began, stalling for time. Then, “Your skin reminds me of an opal. But there’s also something in it that reminds me of the surface of the ocean, particularly with all the shades of turquoise. How about Larimar? After the stone?”
The being was silent.
Then they lifted one of those fin-like protrusions, the movement so abrupt that I would’ve jumped if I could have. Sitting in the center of their outstretched fin was a larimar stone, its veined surface a near replica of how the ocean had looked when we first arrived at the beach, while the sun was high. “This is the stone you speak of?”
I should have been more surprised that the being summoned a stone out of thin air. But they had magic, after all. And considering the way this day had gone, it only made sense that they would do something fantastical.
I nodded.
“Then that is what you shall call me.” The being extended their fin further. “Take this. If there is a discussion to be had or a conflict to be settled, you will use it to summon me. The events of this evening will not be repeated.”
With effort, I extended my own hand and grasped the stone.
Then I blinked, and Larimar was gone. In the same moment, the waters subtly began to shift again.
Kieran hoisted me up, cradling me in his arms, and began carrying me back to shore.
As soon as he turned, I saw Nya, Cecil, Xiomara, and the rest of the Strangers standing in the shallows. Including the boy I had tried to save, I noted with enormous relief. All of them were standing with arms at their sides, mouths hanging open, wide eyes fixed on me.
Feeling self-conscious, I turned into Kieran’s chest. The warmth of his skin radiated through me. My self-consciousness increased tenfold, and I was thankful he couldn’t see my face.
“What was that?” he asked, his tone even. Almost forcibly so.
“I don’t know. My only guess is some kind of water spirit—”
“I’m not talking about the being,” he interrupted, each word clipped. “Why were you out that deep? Or in the water at all?”
I swallowed. “I was trying to rescue someone. The boy with the curly hair. He was hurt and screaming for me to help him. He was going to drown.”
My head rose and fell with Kieran’s chest as he took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“Right. You can’t swim, so you try to save someone who’s drowning. Makes perfect fucking sense.”
As we approached, the others gathered around us.
