Page 17 of Cerban
I blew out a long breath, gills fluttering. “You did well. The fewer eyes on her, the better. But that means the agency won’t confirm what I already know.”
Rainse cocked his head. “So, what are you going to do? Sit here glowering at the walls?”
“No,” I said. “I’m going to write to her.”
He blinked. “A love letter? In your handwriting? That’ll go down well with Paul.”
“It doesn’t matter what Paul thinks.” I went to the small desk by the bed, found a scrap of paper and a stylus. My hands felt too big for the task, but I forced myself to write carefully, each word deliberate:
Maelis,
I am forbidden to see you, but I cannot stop thinking of you. You are strong and brave and you fought for your life as fiercely as any warrior I have known. I will respect the humans’ rules for now because you need rest, but I will not stay away forever. When you are well, if you wish it, I will come to you.
Cerban
I stared at the words until they blurred. Rainse took the note without a word and folded it neatly.
“I’ll find a way to get it to her,” he said quietly. “No promises, but I’ll try.”
I gave him a grateful nod. “Thank you, brother.”
He shrugged. “She’s already changed you. I’m curious to see what happens next.”
I straightened, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Next, I need to speak with Fionn. He's not just our clutch-brother. He's also our mouthpiece to the humans. If anyone can speak to Pam for me, it’s him. But he must hear it from me first – about Maelis, about the cave, about everything. Not what the humans think I did. What actually happened."
"To be fair, I'm amazed he hasn't called you yet," Rainse mused.
"He might be busy with Elise. She wants to show him where she grew up, how she lived before they met."
"I bet she'll delight in showing him her bedroom."
We shared a laugh; the first light moment in way too long.
I followed Rainse into the comms room and he got started at establishing the connection.
"Do you want me to stay for this? Or would you prefer to talk to Fionn alone?" he asked after activating the holo-screen.
"Stay," I said without hesitation. "You're both my clutch-brothers. I want both of your advice and support."
Rainse keyed the comms, and a moment later Fionn’s image shimmered into focus. No Elise, no Pam, no humans hovering nearby. Just my clutch-brother, his expression stern but not unkind.
“You’ve caused a storm louder than the one I heard raged on the island,” he said by way of greeting.
Rainse smirked. “He does have a talent for that.”
I ignored the jab, stepping closer to the screen. “I wanted to speak with you alone. Without Pam. Without Paul.”
Fionn’s gaze sharpened. “I know why. You want me to understand what you couldn’t say yesterday.”
“Yes.” My throat felt tight, but the words burned to be spoken. I couldn't delay it with small talk and explanations. “She is my mate.”
Fionn didn’t flinch. He only nodded slowly, as if he had expected it. “I thought as much. The way you looked when Pam accused you… it wasn’t just stubbornness. It was bond.”
Rainse leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “Told you he’d see it.”
Fionn shot him a quelling glance before turning back to me. “Tell me everything that happened. Every detail."
And so I did. How I'd talked to her just before the storm. How I'd been worried for her safety. How I'd searched for her beneath the waves. The cave. The desperation. The rescue.
