Page 89 of Panther in the Shadows
But she's a threat to that protection. A scientist with questions and equipment and the kind of determination that won't quit until she uncovers every secret Stormhaven holds.
"You should go," I say again. Gentler this time. "These waters are dangerous. Storms come up fast. Currents will pull you under before you realize you're in trouble. Outsiders don't survive here long."
"Then teach me." She meets my eyes. Unflinching. "Show me what I need to know. Keep me safe."
A rough laugh escapes my chest. "You don't know what you're asking."
"I'm asking for help. From someone who knows these waters better than anyone alive." She pulls out a tablet. Swipes through images. Whales with strange markings. Migration charts that show impossible patterns. Data that comes too close to revealing what should stay hidden. "Look at this. Tell me you don't see a problem."
I look. Wish I hadn't.
The whales are marking the boundaries. Swimming the perimeter of the sacred waters like they're trying to warn us. Or warn away whatever's disturbing them.
"Where did you get this data?" My voice comes out harder than intended.
"Satellite tracking. Ocean buoys. Five years of research." Her eyes light up. She thinks she's won me over. "I have more back at my rental. Temperature readings. Sonar mapping. Evidence of activity in the trenches that doesn't match any known marine life."
My blood chills. "What kind of activity?"
"I don't know yet. That's why I need access to your boat. To your knowledge. To the places tourists don't go." She pauses. "There's talk of development. Corporate surveyors wanting to dredge channels for cruise ships. Make Stormhaven more accessible. More commercial."
My hands curl into fists. "Who?"
"Maritime Development Corporation. They're meeting with the island council next week. Promising jobs. Economic growth. Modernization." Her expression darkens. "They'll destroy the ecosystem. Disrupt migration patterns. Turn your waters into a highway for profit."
The half of what she doesn't know would make her run screaming. Dredging the sacred waters wouldn't just disrupt migration patterns. It would expose the places where reality thins. Where the old powers still hold sway. Where shiftershave gone for generations to commune with forces humans were never meant to encounter.
It would destroy us.
"When's the meeting?" I ask.
"Thursday. Four days from now." Her eyes brighten with hope. "If I can present evidence of ecological damage, of endangered species being affected, I can slow them down. Maybe stop them. But I need proof. I need to know what's really happening in those trenches."
The irony isn't lost on me. She wants to save the whales. Doing so means uncovering secrets that could destroy both our worlds. But she's right about one thing.
The corporation has to be stopped.
"One trip," I say. "Tomorrow morning. Dawn. Dress warm. Bring your equipment. And Dr. Calder?"
"Yes?"
"If you ever want to set foot on my boat again, you'll do exactly what I say when I say it. These waters don't forgive mistakes. Neither do I."
Her smile transforms her face. Makes her less academic. More human. "Thank you, Mr. Hale."
"Grayson." The correction comes without thinking. "If we're heading out on the water together, you can call me Grayson."
"Isla." She extends her hand. "Thank you, Grayson."
Her palm is soft against my callused fingers. Warm despite the cold morning air. The contact sends a jolt up my arm. My bear responds. Interested. Alert.
Dangerous.
I release her hand and step back. "Dawn. Don't be late."
She nods and turns to leave. Walks down my dock with confidence. Like she's won. Like she knows what tomorrow will bring.
She doesn't.
