‘Don’t worry about the clothes,’ Mrs. Jones said. ‘Bring them by when you get situated.’
Her suspicions of humans seemed unreasonable in the presence of Mrs. Jones. The human wanted to help her succeed, at least while she thought Pearl was the same species. ‘I appreciate this.’
‘It’s the neighborly thing to do,’ Mrs. Jones said, handing her the same outer layer as when she came out of the water. ‘You can take the coat too. Do you need a ride somewhere? I don’t drive, but I can call someone.’
As much as Pearl wanted to meet a possible victim, she had to be discreet. Mrs. Jones would know it was Pearl if her friend disappeared soon after. ‘I can walk.’
‘Enjoy your time here,’ Mrs. Jones said.
Pearl left the room, tracing her steps out of the house. She burst through the door, grateful for the fresh ocean air filling her. A biting chill made Pearl wrap her arms over her chest. She needed to find shelter before the sky light dipped over the horizon. The darkness brought cooler air, and she already had more than enough experience with it.
Distancing herself from the water added weight to her feet. The pull toward her home was much stronger than she realized, but she grabbed whatever strength she had to push through. There were too many humans near the docks, so there wasn’t a way to avoid detection if she took someone under. Then, a plan started to form in her mind. She’d acclimate herself with the town and then tomorrow she’d hunt.
A part of her, from long ago, appreciated this plan. She was never going to be on land ever again. The ceremony could take place in five cycles of the sky light, so there was no reason to rush. Mrs. Jones had given her clothes, sustenance, and money to trade. Pearl could wait one more day.
As she walked inland, the space between buildings lessened. She tried to keep to the streets closer to the water but soon became confused about her location. It seemed as the day went on, more humans populated the roads, wandering in and out of the buildings. In her hopes of avoiding them, she ended up on a road where the ocean seemed a distant memory.
Pearl kept her head down, her hair shielding her face. She had to get back—
‘Are you lost?’ someone asked.
Pearl whipped to the side, and the ground fell out from under her.
The female who’d spoken reached for her hands and Pearl recoiled.
A blaring sound ripped through her ears, and she closed her eyes, a flickering light flashed before her.
Strong hands pulled her upward. A craft rolling down the street came to a halt.
The male in the car screamed words but Pearl had no idea of their meaning.
‘Keep going,’ the female said to the male, steadying Pearl against the building. To Pearl she said, ‘A local would never drive that fast through these streets. What’s this place coming to?’
Pearl pressed a trembling hand against her head.
‘You have to be careful, sweetheart,’ the female said, brushing her hand against Pearl’s shoulder. ‘I’m sorry I startled you.’
The female had light, springy hair, poofing around her face. Pearl had never seen hair quite like that before. A color as blue as the sky smeared across the lids of the female’s wide eyes.
‘You walked by my store three times,’ she said. ‘You interested in something?’
Pearl glanced over the woman’s shoulder, her breathing still amplified by her near miss with that vehicle. ‘No.’
‘Are you sure? Now, I know my items aren’t for everyone, but most can find something to their liking.’
‘No,’ Pearl said and moved away from the female, tearing toward the scent of the ocean.
*
For the rest of the day, Pearl walked, acclimating herself to the edges of the coastal town. She kept to hidden places, between buildings. On land, everything seemed so close together. Under the water, Pearl could swim for extended periods without seeing any of her troop. The humans tended to travel in groups, which made it more difficult for her to walk around the town unnoticed.
When the sky light started its descent, Pearl searched for shelter. Even though she wasn’t tired, her legs ached. She’d become good at walking yet wasn’t sure if it was her or the runes on the pearls helping her blend in with the humans. The obvious choice for shelter was a building or dwelling, but she wanted a safe place for rest. No human would follow her underwater. In her new human form, she’d never survive the darkness or the inability to breathe in the only place she’d called home. But the closer, the better.
When the sky light finally disappeared over the horizon, Pearl made her way back to the docks. It was much harder to see, but she stopped many times to check her surroundings. There were more than enough boats to borrow for the night. After trying to access several of the covered shelters on the boats, she discovered most were locked. When she came across the one she’d been near when Mrs. Jones found her, the door to the cabin opened without a struggle. It was one of the largest by far, even though it wasn’t much warmer than outside. At least the breeze rippling from the water wouldn’t bother her.
Pearl closed the door, peering through the round window onto the docks. No humans had spotted her, but she couldn’t be too careful. The space was enough for her to spend the night. She sat on the cushioned bench, and the release of pressure on her legs elicited a wave of pleasure through her body. It took a few tries, but she was able to roll her ankles as she leaned against the back of the seat. Her gaze swooped around the space, studying her surroundings. There appeared to be storage of some sort, like the boxes attached to the walls in Mrs. Jones’s kitchen. Bubbles popped in her stomach, and Pearl rubbed her hand over it.
She reached inside her bag for the food from Mrs. Jones. Before lifting any of the sustenance, she stopped. She had no idea how long she’d be on land and wanted to preserve what she had. There had to be food inside of the vessel, or at least something to get her through the night.
A heaviness weighed within her. She could have picked a human, drowned it, and swam home by now. The bonding with Kaito would have already taken place, and she’d never have to see a human again. The difficulty of the situation loomed over her. It wasn’t as easy as the other females made it appear.
Tomorrow, she’d hunt. Right now, she needed nourishment.
Standing proved difficult as her legs protested after sitting for an extended length of time in their non-motile position. In all her life, she’d never experienced stillness in the way her new body demanded. The movement of water had always kept her in motion.
Inside one of the boxes, a bag with assorted colors across the crinkly surface beckoned her. It took her a few minutes to pry it open. She lifted one of the small, circular items and brought it to her nose. It didn’t smell like anything she recognized, but the rough surface seemed appealing enough. It almost reminded her of a shell. She hoped there would be a delicious surprise when she ate it. Tasting the crispy item, her mouth flooded with the familiar flavor. The salt wasn’t the same as where she’d lived her entire life, but she recognized the connection to home.
She sat again, propping her legs across the seat. The ache in her chest for her home widened as she scooped handfuls of the food into her mouth. Between the rocking motion of the boat and the salty taste on her tongue, her eyes became heavy.
In her natural form, sleep was a necessity. But only for short bursts of time. During those moments, she and Syrene locked arms with each other, anchoring themselves together for rest. Others in the troop created larger bundles. Her lack of connection to them kept her separate. She wondered if Kaito would replace Syrene or force her into the troop bundles.
Pearl thought of Kaito. He was one of the strongest swimmers in her generation, and his eyes were kind. She’d never thought of herself being bonded to