Page 3 of Taken By the Storm King

A flash of movement caught my eye. As if summoned by the vessel's arrival, shapes detached themselves from the deeper reef shadows, heading toward the humans with deadly purpose. The Mersai or one of their allies. Of course. They wouldn't ignore such a disturbance. They’d try something, the fanatics.

I coiled my body, ready to strike. Not to protect the humans---I told myself---but to prevent the lunatics from sparking an incident that could drag us all into conflict.

The first explosion rocked the water. The humans scattered, crying out in surprise. My chosen quarry was thrown backward by the blast, hitting the water hard. She thrashed for a moment, water filling her strange suit, before going still, sinking beneath the surface.

Save her? Let her drown? The choice vibrated through my bones.

She was just a human, nothing more, and yet... I couldn’t let her go. Something about her called to me---a spark of life that refused to fade, even in the chaos. It was foolish, irrational, but I couldn’t ignore it.

The second explosion decided for me. I surged forward with unnatural speed, my powerful tail sweeping aside debris as I reached her limp form underwater. No time. I pulled the breathing pearl from the pouch at my waist, tilting her head back slightly even beneath the waves, slipping it gently between her lips just as her eyelids fluttered open to meet mine.I failed to save my mother from outsiders; I will not fail this one.Fear flashed across her face---expected, given my current form. But beneath it sparked that same curiosity I’d noted before. Her lips closed instinctively around the pearl, and I felt her shudder as the pearl began to work, her first clear underwater breath a shaky gasp. The panic in her eyes softened slightly as her body adjusted. Her hand reached out, perhaps to touch my scales.

I hesitated, torn. I couldn’t let her drown, but I couldn’t allow her to return to shore just yet---not with those enemy warriors circling. I needed to act quickly.

With a deep, crackling breath, I shifted. My body compressed and realigned, scales melting into skin as I shifted just enough to regain the use of my hands, keeping my tail wound firmly around her waist as I pulled her towards the surface.

The water rippled around us. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but I silenced her with a gesture. “Hold this,” came I instructed, even knowing she could not understand me. “It will let you breathe.”

My fingers lingered near her lips. It was a tool, common among my people, but placing it in her hands felt strangely intimate---like I was offering her a part of myself.

Her breaths steadied even as the water lapped at her face. I shifted back, the transition seamless, and pulled her closer, her body still limp, recovering from the blast.

I dove, plunging us into the depths, leaving the chaos of the surface far behind almost instantly. The light dimmed above us as I propelled us farther and farther away, her strange garmentsglowing faintly in the darkness. Her body trembled against me, but she didn’t struggle---whether out of trust or resignation, I couldn’t tell.

They wouldn’t follow us here. None dared venture too close to my domain.

Her eyes opened again, locking onto mine, and I felt the pull of her gaze like a current drawing me in. She clutched at my scales where her hands could find purchase, her expression a mix of awe and fear.

She shifted slightly in my grasp, the movement drawing my attention back to her. Her lips parted, and though the pearl prevented her from speaking, her eyes demanded answers.

Not yet, I thought. Answers would come later. For now, I had to get her to safety.

The ocean opened before us, dark and endless, as I carried her farther into its embrace.

I carried her swiftly through hidden currents to my private chambers, laying her gently on the softest bedding. While my handmaidens tended to her immediate needs, replacing the damaged suit with dry silks, I watched from the shadows, ensuring the chamber's environmental controls were optimized for her human physiology. Only when her breathing was deep and even did I permit myself to leave, the image of her fragile form burned into my mind.

LUCY

Cold darkness lifted slowly. The weight of deep water pressed against my skin. Strong arms cradled me close, and strange sensations washed over me in waves. A hazy memory of panic. Water rushing into my suit. Then warmth, safety.

“Rest,” a deep voice whispered. “You’re safe now.”

The darkness pulled me under again.

My next moment of awareness came in fragments. The brush of fabric against my skin. Soft fiber beneath my cheek. A sweet, unfamiliar scent filled my nose---like sea flowers mixed with salt. My body felt heavy, as if I were still underwater, and every limb resisted my attempts to move.

The bed shifted under me as I stirred, and I let out a soft groan. My head throbbed with a dull ache, and the effort of opening my eyes felt monumental. When I finally managed it, the world around me came into focus---strange, curved walls glowing with faint light.My training surfaced through the haze; instinctively, my eyes scanned the smooth walls for potential exits, weapons, or surveillance devices,before the sheer strangeness of the place fully registered. Not the stark white medical bay of our ship. Not the rough shelter we’d planned to build on shore.

The strange curved walls and glowing pearls captivated my attention, unlike anything I’d seen before.

“What...” My voice cracked, barely audible, and I sank back into the pillows, my strength already fading. My throat burned as if I’d swallowed salt water, and even the simple act of speaking left me dizzy.

I forced myself to look around, taking in the luminous pearls casting their soft glow from niches in the walls. Gauzy curtains rippled in the sea breeze, and beyond a vast window, the ocean stretched far below the cliff where this structure was built. Fish darted through dark water, illuminating the waves with their luminescent trails. It was beautiful---alien and impossibly serene---but none of it made sense.

I shifted slightly and froze as I became aware of my body. Gone was my protective suit. In its place, an otherworldly gown flowed over my skin like liquid moonlight, cool and weightless. My chest tightened at the thought of someone changing me while I was unconscious, but there was no time to dwell on it. My team. Where were they? What had happened after the attack?

I tried to push myself upright, but the weakness in my arms betrayed me. My head spun, and I collapsed back against the bed, breathing heavily. I felt trapped in my own body, unable to muster even the strength to sit up properly.

The door whispered open. My heart jumped, and when I moved to look toward the sound, a fresh wave of dizziness swept through me. I caught a glimpse of a hallway carved from the same strange material as this room, with walls that seemed to blend seamlessly with the natural rock of what appeared to be an island cliff.

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