Page 31 of Rainse
Verity
The ramp touched the sand with a soft hiss, and I stepped down into sunlight so bright it made my eyes sting. Heat rolled off the beach in shimmering waves, the air heavy with salt and the scent of wet stone. The island spread out before me like a postcard someone had left too long in the sun—edges faded, beauty a little too perfect to be real.
A line of low buildings curved along the shore, their walls pale stone and weather-softened wood, roofs thatched with palm leaves darkened by sea spray. Open verandas faced the water, framed by climbing vines and swaying ferns. Further inland, narrow paths wound through groves of coconut trees and bursts of tropical flowers, the colours almost painful after days of salt and sand.
“Welcome back to civilisation,” Rainse said beside me, though there was a note in his voice that made me wonder whose civilisation he meant.
I started forward, my feet sinking into the warm sand. The air hummed with life—birds in the canopy, the distant thrum of a generator, laughter carried from somewhere near one of the smaller huts. Humans in pale uniforms moved between the huts, and tall green-skinned finfolk waded through the shallows on the far side of the bay. It was strange to see them together, sharing the same island as if it was normal to have aliens walking among humans.
“It’s beautiful,” I said, and meant it.
"It used to be a very rich human's island," Fionn explained from behind us. "The dating agency bought it in the hope of having a secret, secluded space to introduce matches, far away from daily life. Here, we don't have to hide. I don't know if Rainse told you, but we're working on buying another island, a bigger one, that could be a permanent home for humans and finfolk. Maybe other species as well. The Hot Tatties agency works with multiple civilisations, including Vikingar and Albyans."
That meant absolutely nothing to me. But I liked the idea of an island where aliens and humans could live together. It certainly wasn't possible in other parts of the world. As a scientist, I'd always agreed with the theory that there had to be life on other planets - the chance of Earth being the only planet where life had evolved was minuscule - but I hadn't expected that life to come and visit Earth to search for mates.
We followed a wooden walkway that curved up from the beach toward the main lodge. The boards were warm under my bare feet, smelling faintly of oil and salt. Wind chimes tinkled somewhere ahead.
A woman was waiting near the end of the path, leaning against a wooden post, sleeves rolled to her elbows. She looked instantly, unmistakably human — tanned skin, freckles across her nose, surprisingly broad shoulders. Her short hair was wind-tossed, her smile bright and genuine.
“You must be Verity,” she said, pushing away from the post and offering her hand. “I’m Elise. Fionn told me he was bringing you here. Welcome to our little slice of madness.”
“Thank you,” I said, shaking her hand. Her grip was firm and confident. “I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
“Neither was I, once upon a time.” Elise’s grin widened as she looked at her mate. “Fionn, Rainse, Pam called, she wants you to call her back right. Cerban and Maelis are out on a dive, so you’re stuck with me for the grand tour.”
“I can think of worse guides,” I said.
“Good answer.” She gestured down the path. “Come on. You look like you could use a shower, a meal, and about twelve hours of sleep. Not necessarily in that order.”
Rainse looked like he was about to say something, but then he simply nodded and followed Fionn along a path to our right.
Elise waited until they were out of earshot before whispering, "I don't know much of what's happened, Fionn only gave me a quick call to send the Tidebound to his location and to prepare for a new human arrival. The way Rainse looks at you, it's pretty obvious but... I mean... did he tell you? What-"
"He says I'm his mate," I blurted. I felt like laughing at how strange that sentence sounded. I still wasn't used to this talk of 'mates' rather than partners, boyfriends, husbands.
"And what do you think about that? If you don't mind me asking. You don't know me, so I won't be offended if you'd rather keep it to yourself."
"I honestly don't know. I need more time to think about it. It's been a lot, these last few days."
"I get that. And it's not like you signed up to the Hot Tatties dating agency like I did. I was prepared to find love - although I mostly did it to get away from everyday life and get a free holiday out of it. Finding Fionn was unexpected. I hadn't planned to actually fall in love." It was easy to see just how happy she was with her alien mate. I had so many questions for her - but not now. First, I wanted to see this island.
We followed the path uphill, the boards warm under my bare feet. Salt wind tugged at the hem of my loose shirt, and the rhythmic slapping of waves followed us wherever we went. The island was alive with sound — the hum of insects, the call of seabirds, the chatter of people in the distance.
Elise led with an easy confidence, clearly used to the heat. The path curved between flower beds bursting with tropical colour — scarlet hibiscus, yellow frangipani, some plant with blue trumpet-shaped blossoms that looked almost too vivid to be real. I felt like I'd been transported into a botanical garden. The air was thick with the scent of sun and greenery and distant rain.
“It’s not exactly what I imagined,” I admitted.
Elise laughed, the sound light and easy. “Yeah, I remember that feeling. When I came here, I thought I’d signed up for a cheeky little holiday package — cocktails, beaches, maybe a bit of romance if I was lucky. I didn’t expect space-faring mermen and an intergalactic authority that would kidnap me to be part of an alien court case.”
We followed the path as it curved inland, the trees thickening into a patch of jungle alive with sound. Lizards darted across the boards ahead of us, their bellies flashing silver in the sun. Beyond them, a row of low stone lodges came into view — airy buildings with wide verandas and hammocks strung between the posts.
“That’s the guest accommodation,” Elise said. “Mostly humans, a few finfolk who like dry beds and air conditioning. The rest stay on the other side of the island near the cove — more water access, fewer rules about clothing.”
I gave her a sidelong glance. “You mean they actually?—”
“Oh yes,” she said cheerfully. “They hate fabric. Drives the agency nuts, but you try telling a seven-foot merman he needs to wear a shirt. Not worth the argument.”
I laughed, tension slipping out of me for the first time all day. “Sounds like you’ve adjusted.”
