Pearlina wanted to hold on to Syrene and swim off, forever delaying her duty. She didn’t care about being the best. She hated the humans for creating the need for this tradition. If they weren’t so horrible, Daryah wouldn’t have had to die on her own. But rather than reaching for her sister, Pearlina’s hands floated by her sides.
Use it, Syrene said, stretching beyond their abilities, and speaking without touching. Only the strongest bonds allowed it. It also opened Pearlina’s mind to her sister, which Syrene tried never to do. Usually it was an unwelcome intrusion, but today, Pearlina didn’t mind. She’d take her sister’s advice and use their bond to communicate.
The rest of the troop had gathered. Their eyes were on Pearlina.
With her shoulders pushed back and Syrene’s words in her head, she flicked her tail and swam to Zimra.
Thick runes cut across her arms, shapes unreadable by anyone who didn’t understand the human language. Markings dotted Zimra’s face, and Pearlina barely recognized the female she had trained to hunt. As with others with her destiny, Zimra cut her light hair when her mother had died, and her duties were passed on. Runes marred the top of her head, reaching down her back, offering a full view of her transformation.
Zimra opened her arms wide, and Pearlina looked at her troop, several yards away. They were to witness the ceremony, but the intricate details of the transformation were an intimate affair. Zimra’s lips moved, curving around the strange and silent language. She held the corded necklace above Pearlina’s head before tying it around her neck. A pulse shifted within Pearlina’s chest as Zimra gripped her shoulders as tight as a shark’s jaws.
Pearlina’s mouth fell open, and a ripping sensation split her body. Her head fell back, and the surface called to her. The sharp pain moved to the lower half of her body. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. Daryah’s screams from long ago echoed in her mind. Zimra’s grip loosened and Pearlina started to sink. She kicked out her tail – no – she no longer had one. The two legs under her were useless in moving her toward the surface. She tried to take hold of two limbs instead of one, but the legs didn’t give the same movement as her tail. She clawed against the water with her hands and tried to breathe. Instead, water flooded her mouth.
Pearlina pressed her lips together and touched her neck. The slits of her gills were no longer there. Instead, her fingers dragged against smooth skin.
Syrene appeared in front of her and nodded. I have you. Her voice was no longer as clear in Pearlina’s mind. It was as if water filled her mind as much as it had her mouth.
Another set of hands touched her. She turned to face Kaito, her betrothed. She hadn’t expected him. His dark eyes were always soft, and he was a keen hunter.
Once again, her surroundings blackened. She tried to push her thoughts to Syrene, but she couldn’t do much other than flail helplessly.
Holding her against them, Kaito and Syrene helped Pearlina to the surface. Her legs dragged under her, and she could barely hold on. They had strong grips as if they were both determined to keep her alive. None of the other females had mentioned the suffocating feeling of the inability to breathe. With all the advice they’d given, Pearlina wished she had known what to expect about the unpleasant experience of becoming human.
The moment her face touched reached the surface, she inhaled. Air filled her mouth and lungs as she drew in a breath. She choked and gagged on the water she’d swallowed, but she’d made it to the surface alive.
Syrene trailed her fingers along Pearlina’s face. Usually, only the betrothed pair raced to the surface together after the physical traditions of the ceremony were performed – this moment. The temporary farewell between betrothed was sacred.
Without any more words, Syrene disappeared under the surface. Pearlina stared at the water where her sister had gone.
Greetings, Kaito sent to her. His voice wasn’t as strong in her head either. Their communication wasn’t as crisp as it had been under water – just as it had been more difficult to understand Syrene. It was possible the human form couldn’t interpret their ways of speaking, or it was another aspect of the ceremony.
‘It’s you,’ she said. Her voice rang in her ears, and it sounded wrong and almost too loud. Pearlina tried to speak to him through their minds, but it was difficult.
He winced and brushed his fingers over her arm.
The sound of her clanking teeth filled her ears. Kaito’s arms wrapped around her. Warmth radiated from his skin and she sunk into his touch.
Among all the males, Kaito’s calm behavior most matched the racing energy within Pearlina. The choice was a good one. Pearlina wanted to return to a life with this male. She had noticed him in the past, but her preoccupation with the ceremony had prevented her from bothering to think about her own betrothal.
Another male might have tried to push Syrene away from helping Pearlina to the surface, but Kaito understood the bond between Pearlina and Syrene.
Yes, he was a favorable choice for her. Her arms wrapped around him, absorbing his warmth.
I was hoping for you, he sent. I believe in you. In us. Come back to me.
Pearlina arched her back and searched his eyes. She would come back to him. She had no intention of staying on land any longer than necessary.
‘I will,’ Pearlina said in a stronger voice.
Kaito aided Pearlina to the rock wall. As the air bit at her skin, she hesitated about her journey toward land. The troop and Kaito relied on her to complete the ceremony. She wouldn’t fail. He squeezed her hand one more time before swimming away. From a distance, he turned and lifted his hand high above him before plunging under the surface.
The lapping of waves against the rock wall and the birds above her were the only sounds. For once in her life, she was truly alone.
Not for long.
As it was while hunting, she was most successful after creating a plan. The other females had shared their experiences, and all of them had one thing in common. She needed clothing to blend into the human surroundings. Rushing into the experience wouldn’t get her the result she needed. The first step was to appear as human as possible.
In the past, mistakes had happened for those who tried to complete the ceremony too quickly. Repercussions from the humans had threatened the troop. Human boats in search of the missing humans had traveled as far as their cove. The braver humans swam close to their home, forcing the troop to stay hidden until the threat retreated.
The sharp rocky surface cut at her hands. Her skin wasn’t as thick as it used to be. The temperature of the water bothered her more than before. The layer of thickness under her skin was gone, leaving a curve in her shape where her top half met her new legs. She climbed the rock wall and peered into the distance. The air was still cool, but she put it out of her mind. Her determination to return home to Kaito and Syrene overpowered her need to keep warm in this weak, human form.
Pearlina started over the top of the wall, the rocks continuing to dig into her skin. Red liquid seeped from her hands.
There was no use delaying her fate. So, she took one last glance over her shoulder and dove.
Swimming without her fin proved much more difficult than she’d ever thought, but it wasn’t impossible. She pressed her legs together and tried to move them as one. Her arms helped as she cupped her hands and used them in tandem with her new legs. She surfaced more times than she had in her life, drawing in gulps of air.
Each moment she stopped, the icy water continued to press against her body. When she swam, it didn’t bother her – though the land seemed as if