Page 33 of Between Salt and Serenades
“Yeah, and my grandfather has agreed to let the both of us go into his shop on Wednesday. He’ll give us the man’s address so we can get your pelt back once and for all. I was thinking that, even though my grandfather has the address covered, it would be good for us to go into the shop so you can get a sense of this captain. You think you’ll be able to tell if he’s the one if you getclose enough to him? It would be nice to have some idea before breaking into the man’s house.”
“I won’t be able to tell, but I still want to go.” Breena twisted her hands on top of the table, and I slid her a glass of water to distract her anxious fingers. She mindlessly grabbed onto the glass, not taking a sip but also no longer fidgeting.
“You do?” I asked.
“I want to meet your family, and I want to make sure the captain doesn’t get away in case your grandfather can’t get his address. We will be the back-up plan,” she said. I couldn’t help but smile when Breena told me she wanted to meet my family; I didn’t hear much else after that.
“Alright then, looks like we have a plan,” I said with a bob of my head.
“It feels good to have direction. And did you say coin?” Breena asked. She propped her head up on the heels of her palms, her umber curls cascading around the warm skin of her face.
I laughed and said, “We do, in fact, have coin. I have enough to spoil you with...” I looked down at the sheet of paper on the table and read the first special off the list. “Cucumber sandwiches.”
“I do love myself a sandwich, but I think you picked the most expensive thing they have here,” Breena said, staring at the sheet with the meal options scrolled onto it in black ink. “Are you sure we don’t have to run again? How many coins did your grandfather give you anyway?”
“We’re not running,” I said with a chuckle. “I think we deserve an expensive treat, don’t you? If we have to acquire more coin somehow, we will. It’s not like we don’t have skills, you and me. How hard could it be to earn some coin?”
“I was hoping you’d say that. I suppose you have a point. My strength could come in handy down at the docks,” Breena said. She set the parchment down and traced my face with her gaze.
“You’re not getting a job on the docks,” I said, no hint of emotion in my voice. My stoic face gave her no indication of the impact her words had on me, and I would maintain that protective wall as long as I could.
“Why not?” Breena asked. She tilted her chin to the side, and I attempted to ignore the way her forehead scrunched as a precursor to the disapproval I knew was sure to come.
“Being around sailors is what got you into trouble in the first place, remember?”
“You want me to hide from them to avoid their temptation? I have to hide instead of them changing their behavior—how does that make any sense?” she said, that crinkle in her brow deepening like I knew it was bound to do.
“Haven’t you been doing that your whole life? This is your first time leaving your precious cove, is it not?” I pointed out the inconsistencies in her logic. Did she seriously not see the issue?
“I’m done hiding. This whole trip, despite it having a tragic start… Well, I regret nothing.”
“How can you say that while your pelt is still out there somewhere?” I asked.
Breena sighed and rubbed her temple before saying, “I’m not happy it was taken. It tears me up inside—I shouldn’t even have to explain that to you—but I can’t imagine going home after all this and just forgetting about everything we’ve learned here, can you?”
“Are you asking if I’d come back to land?” Goosebumps rose over my skin, and I tried desperately to ignore my gut screaming at me. “Because the answer is no.”
“Truly?” She propped her elbows up on the table, placing her fingers just below her trembling lips, as if to hold them still so Iwouldn’t notice. Foolish of her to think I would ever be oblivious to that mouth.
“Truly.” The lie was a rock in my throat, but I wouldn’t budge. How could I ever speak the words in my heart out loud? I didn’t need those dangerous truths to be heard by the universe.
When the server came back, we ordered a tray full of cucumber sandwiches, along with a tea like what we had sipped on the other day. The only difference was, this time, it was cold and came in a tall glass instead of a teacup. I hadn’t been sure if it’d been a mistake, but I liked the drink nonetheless. Plus, it was something I could get Breena to drink, so I’d take it as a win.
As we ate the refreshing little sandwich bites, I thought a lot about what Breena said. After returning to the sea, I shouldn’t have wanted to come back to land. The truth was, since being here, I hadn’t had to kill anything. I hadn’t had to worry about intruders invading our territory and what I’d be forced to do if they did. I was able to shove thoughts of the pod starving out my head for a few blissful hours of the day. Was it so wrong to not want to give that all up?
When Breena finished her cold tea, she pushed her water glass to me and said, “Do you think you could add bubbles to my water?”
“Bubbles? Sure, I can try,” I said with a shrug, wondering where she’d gotten such an idea. I knew I could draw oxygen through the sea, but like most of my skills, I’d never practiced them on land. I wasn’t sure what all was possible for me here yet.
Sure enough, when I placed my hands around her glass, I was able to churn the water enough that hundreds of tiny bubbles filled her water. They consistently rose to the surface and popped in fizzy harmony. It was a skill I never would have attempted without this odd request, but this wasn’t the first time Breena had pushed my boundaries, and I had a feeling it wouldn’t be the last.
Breena took a sip of the water, and a smile spread from one ear to the next before she could set her glass back down. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, as if deciding exactly how she liked having those tiny bubbles popping in her mouth.
“Good?” I was eager to know what she was thinking, eager to think of something else entirely, something delightful like I had promised.
“You made my water actually drinkable!” Breena pushed the glass toward me so I could try for myself. I took a gulp for myself, and the air in the water instantly rose back up from my belly and erupted through my lips and nose.
“Depths,” I cursed, slapping my hand over my mouth. The table of women in black summer dresses and pointy hats sitting next to us politely applauded my belch.
