Page 8 of Taken By the Storm King

“Wait---what are you doing?” she demanded, her voice sharp.

Her sharp look cut through me.

“You’re just going to stand there?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

I stood there a moment too long, confusion giving way to understanding.

Heat crept up my neck, and I pivoted, my tone sharper than intended. I didn’t understand this reaction---why the sight of her bare shoulder made my pulse quicken or why I couldn’t stop imagining the smoothness of her skin beneath my fingers. It was infuriating, this loss of control.

“I... didn’t mean to stay.” I strode to the door. “Prepare her quickly,” I said over my shoulder.

Outside, I moved to a balcony overlooking the ocean. Below me stretched the terraced city, white buildings gleaming in the sunlight, water channels winding between them to accommodate those of my people who preferred swimming to walking. Beyond the island’s edges, the sound of the storm wall rumbling softly in the distance was a backdrop to my thoughts---the barrier that had protected us for years, keeping outsiders away and my people safe within.

The memory of Lucy’s bare shoulders as the robe slipped haunted me, refusing to fade. I gripped the railing tightly, willing my thoughts to concentrate on my duties---my people, my realm.

She was human. An outsider. Someone who didn’t belong in my world.

So why couldn’t I stop thinking about her?

As I gazed out at the kingdom, Elder Veda approached silently, her ancient silver scales gleaming in the sunlight. My mother’s oldest advisor and friend, she had guided me since my ascension to the throne.

“The human fascinates you,” she observed, her black eyes knowing.

I didn’t bother denying it. “She’s... unexpected.”

“Your mother believed outsiders would come one day,” Veda said, her voice carrying the weight of decades. “She prepared for it, even as the council grew fearful.”

I traced the scales on my forearm. “The council will not approve of my bringing her here.”

“Some will not,” Veda agreed. “But some remember your mother’s vision of a future beyond our storm walls.” She touched my shoulder lightly. “Watch your heart, young king, but do not close it. That was your mother’s final wisdom.”

Before I could respond, she glided away, leaving me with thoughts more turbulent than the sea.

LUCY

The gown floated around me as I moved, its fabric unlike anything I’d known on Earth. Each step sent ripples of soft light dancing across the surface. The silky material brushed my body with cool caresses, a pleasant contrast to the humid air.

My bare feet made no sound on the smoothed coral floor as I walked beside Thalassar through the winding halls. Small, luminous pearls dotted the walls, casting a gentle glow that reflected off his scales. As we passed a particularly ancient-looking section of wall carved from dark, veined stone, I noticed a recurring motif: elegant, serpentine creatures intertwined with figures that looked remarkably like Thalassar's people, some even depicted with scaled wings.'Ancient myths,' Thalassar murmured when he saw me looking, his tone dismissive, though I saw his hand briefly trace one of the carved scales.The air smelled of salt and something sweeter---like flowers blooming underwater.

“The dress suits you,” Thalassar said.

I smoothed my hands over the skirt, trying not to stare at the way his own clothes draped over his muscled form. “It’s beautiful. But impractical.”

“Not everything needs to serve a purpose,” he remarked with unexpected gentleness. “Come. There’s something I want to show you.”

The courtyard stretched before us, its paths winding between pools filled with glowing plants. Overhead, twin suns painted the sky in shades of gold and violet. A warm breeze carried the scent of unfamiliar flowers.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I said, approaching a nearby pool’s rim. Beneath the crystal-clear water, delicate creatures that looked like ribbons of light darted among the luminescent plants.

“They’re called nerzora,” Thalassar said, stepping closer. His presence at my back ignited a molten core within me. “They only surface at twilight.”

I dipped my fingers into the pool. The water was warm, and the nerzora scattered at my touch, their glowing forms vanishing into the depths. “Everything here feels alive. Connected.”

“It is.” His hand settled on my shoulder, and I forgot how to breathe. “Our world exists in balance. Each creature, each plant, serves its purpose in maintaining that balance.”

“Unlike Earth.” The words were bitter on my tongue. “We destroyed our balance long ago.”

His fingers tightened slightly on my shoulder. “Is that why you came?”

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