Page 8 of Hot Summer's Prey

“Find out what happened to—the Cliffside Lady. Use any means necessary.”

“The Cliffside—”

“The one who wandered the cliffs at midnight. The one who…”

Her voice breaks.

“You have seen her. I know you have.”

I nod. The beach near those cliffs is where I often transform. There are few places with as much privacy in proximity to the humans. But the Cliffside Lady kept to herself. Rarely interacted with anyone. And whenever she saw me, she had a kind word and a wink. Even women of her age do not lose their desires, and what I have, I cannot turn off. Yet her flirtations never seemed full, only friendly.

“I know her,” I agree.

“She is dead,” the Lantern Witch spits out.

I jolt in surprise, though the action does not agree with her. Her giant maw snaps in anger.

“Does this shock you? Torment you? Well, seducer, only you can remedy it. Find out why. Find out who. Find out everything and with this knowledge, not only will your debt be paid, but your garden will regrow. Now get out of here before my stomach overtakes my rage.”

The Cliffside Lady was only ever kind, but she was old. I am wracked with confusion over the Lantern Witch’s interest. She lives in the depths, so far from the surface. Unlike Cirro and me, she has never been beyond aphotic waters. How then would she even know of the Cliffside Lady? Perhaps one of us has said something, though very few make deals with the sea witch. She only takes debts she thinks cannot be fully paid.

This I know, and yet I make them.

She reaches out a bony arm, pulls the nudibranch from behind my fin. I reach out for it reflexively before burying the motion.

“Dare you lash out at me, seducer?”

“No—ah—there was a stray plankton swirling around.” I lie.

Great save. If she doesn’t believe it, she doesn’t show it—simply shrugs me off and turns her attention to my little friend.

I wait with bated breath for what she will do to the nudibranch. If she kills it after everything I’ve done to keep it alive… After the promises I made to it.

“You won’t survive up there,” she whispers to it. “You are used to the constant embrace of mother ocean, little one. And what should happen to you if he leaves you behind…?”

Her eyes seem to flick to me. It is hard to tell, as they are fully white. The gaze feels accusatory.

Then the Lantern Witch hums. The tune is dark, foreboding. Words rise from her mouth, but I do not know them. They’re from a language I have no familiarity with. Not one of the southern waters where I swam from, nor words from here. Unique to her or her kind. The nudibranch glows bright with her words until it shines as strongly as her light. I hold my breath, almost terrified what will happen to my little friend.

But when her song concludes, the light dissipates. Though its natural bioluminescence glows a little brighter, my friend is almost completely unchanged.

“What did you do to it?” I ask.

“It will be my eyes, my ears. A connection to the world above.”

I try not to react too noticeably. “You do not trust me.”

“Your eyes are limited, seducer. Mine may go anywhere.”

“Does this mean it can join me above the water?”

“Yes, though such a creature will disturb the humans. They like slugs less than I.”

I furrow my brow. It is such a beautiful creature; it is hard to imagine anyone would be against it.

She flicks her hand, and the nudibranch glows again.

“When it is dry, it will change into something more bearable to those who walk the land.”

---