Page 87 of Cruel Tides

Kai scratched at the back of his head, a mouthful of eggs from the breakfast they’d brought already stuffed into his mouth. It looked painful, how fast he wolfed it down. “What do you mean?” he asked, his smile wobbly. “I am twenty-eight.”

“No way.” I shot forward, shifting to look straight at him. I studied his smooth face, lavender hair, and the cute slightly reddened tips of his ears. “Seriously?”

His anxiety was clear in his laugh. “Is… Is that a problem?”

Laverne’s whiskers twitched. “Are you implying that there is something wrong with Big Brother?”

“No, I—he’s perfect.” I leaned back, not sure what else to say. I’d thought Kai was my age, or at the very least, close to it. An assumption I should have known better than to make, considering how slowly merfolk aged. “How old are you, then, Laverne?” I asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from my blunder.

“Twenty,” she said proudly, her chest puffing up.

“I will have some of that wine, yes,” I said, my exasperation evident as I signaled to the man behind the cart. Yeah—there was no way Laverne,a sea lion, was the same age as me. As soon as the wine glass was in my hand, I sat the IDs down next to my plate and drank deeply.

By the time I’d downed the glass and dug into my food, I could barely keep my eyes from closing. The last thing I remembered before falling asleep was Barren’s deep chuckle as Leander mashed buttons on the television remote, trying to figure out how to make it work.

When I regained consciousness, Kai was there, his eyes shining and his body hovering above me. “Claira?” He bit at his bottom lip. “I hate to wake you, but we’re here. You slept the whole way.”

I swiped a hand over my face, the leather of my seat warm underneath me. “We’re here?” I asked, trying to stand.

“Wait, your leash.” Kai reached down, and with a click, my seatbelt retreated. “I was sure you would wake up when we landed, but you must have really needed the rest.”

When I got up, Barren was standing at the door. “We’re here,” he said, only his words were gruff, dread resonating through every syllable. His hand clenched around the phone he held in his hand. “Welcome to the Isle of Lahkri.”

21

Barren

Stepping out of the van, I inhaled deeply. The delicate fragrance of frangipani and sea hibiscus hung in the breeze, mingling with the salt of the sea. Despite my frequent travels, that initial breath of island air always reminded me how I longed for this place. For home.

“This is where you live?” Claira braced a hand against the van’s door. She glanced up at the stretch of luxurious apartment buildings before us.

“Mmh,” was all I could manage. It wasn’t a complete lie.

My molars clenched. I’d wanted to see her face when we landed. To memorize her expression when she took in the white sands and crystal-clear water of the island that I loved. Instead, it had been the dead of night when we touched down, with a van awaiting to transport us to the heart of the island.

And instead of the shores and coconut palms, here Claira was, surveying what my father’s vanity had created and what my sister now controlled.

I could admit it was a convincing illusion. The apartment complex’s lights shone brightly against the night sky. Thanks to my father’s legacy, this part of the island never slept. Merfolk scattered around us, moving in straight, somber lines, either coming back from work or setting out for the day.

Under my father’s rule, only the Indian Ocean’s most loyal bloodlines had been permitted to follow the crown up on land. Now, everyone my queen wished to keep a watch over lived here. She provided everything they needed and, in return, permitted them the honor of working long hours for the greater good of her kingdom.

Unable to take Claira’s awe-filled expression any longer, I went to retrieve our luggage. Our driver got out of the van as well, dashing toward the trunk until he noticed me and stopped abruptly. His pristine white gloves clenched uselessly as he hesitated, keeping a safe distance away.

I didn’t need to glimpse into his mind to know that merely driving me had made him anxious. Coming close enough to me to help unload the luggage? Unthinkable. Even if it was his duty as an attendant to do so.

Having adapted to my situation, I couldn’t fault him. Superstitions were deeply ingrained in us, intertwined within our very survival instincts. One accidental touch and the photograph he had tucked in the visor of his van would be the only way he could see his family. He wouldn’t dare return to them after coming in contact with me. Couldn’t. For fear of the misfortune he might bring back with him.

“Here, I’ll help.” Claira’s mood was bright as she came up beside me. When I didn’t immediately hand over her suitcase, her rosy lips pursed. “Come on, it has wheels. Despite what Laverne thinks, I’m notthatuseless.”

“What’d you say about me?”Laverne’s voice boomed as she flopped out of the van. She strode toward us, followed closely by a stumbling Kai.

Claira shooed Laverne away with a wave of her hand. “Oh, the usual. You hating me for some unknown reason.”

Claira’s scent caught in my throat as she edged closer. Sweeter than frangipani, it had been tempting me since the start of our first flight. What I wouldn’t give to hoist her up to me and find out what her lips tasted like on land.

Her hands wrapped over mine to take over the strap of her suitcase, and my slacks suddenly felt tighter. “Let me take it.”

Laverne hissed.“I have a reason!”

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