vera glanced sideways at him as he fell into step beside her. jasper disappeared ahead again in a blur of sand and restless energy, but she didnโt seem concerned. โjames doesnโt suit you much,โ she commented with a faint smile. [โฆ]
โ
he admired that. sometimes, his height alone was enough to unnerve people. this was a breath of fresh air. itโs then that he repositioned to walk alongside her, his overgrown pup once again running off.
โ james. my friends call me riggs. โ
โ
veraโs gaze lowered when he mentioned her tail.. โyou threaten with beautiful words.โ she lifted her eyes back to him. โi understand why people fear you.โ a small pause. โtell me, do you always threaten whatโs unfamiliar to you?โ
โ โ โ โ the hybridโs blues lingered upon her visage, unable to place such a ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐ among the living, nor accept it could walk this earth ๏นโฆ๏น an ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐ he could not ignore. โ
โ โ โ โit depends, love, what you could possibly offer, should you wish to keep that lovely tail of yours intact.โ
scales shimmered beneath the moonlight for only a moment longer before the water curled around her tail in thin, silver ribbons, winding tighter, brighter ; and then legs emerged where the tide retreated.
bare feet pressed into the wet [โฆ]
he was rendered inwardly discordant, defiant to reason and oppressed by what he internally felt. many fortnights, heโd lay alone, tangled in satin sheets with ghosts, leaving claw marks on everything he could not forgo.
sand as vera stood up fully, seawater streaming from her skin as if she was shaped from it. โwhat happened to the wish of knowing me?โ she stepped closer. โor are you scared i will exile you from getting any closer than needed?โ [โฆ]
โregrettably?โ she asked softly, lifting elegant eyebrows. a faint breath of amusement escaped her ; not quite laughter, but close enough to feel warm against the cold sea wind.
โthat sounds less like honesty and more like blame.โ [โฆ]
his response was bereft of brevity. the tide crept nearer in the silence, folding around the narrow distance between them. โSpecial?โ heโd utter at last. โNo, I find the notion generous.โ
he heard it like a wound he wanted to reopen. โyou say things like that to strangers often?โ vera asked, though her smooth voice lacked any real mockery. only genuine curiosity. โor am i supposed to feel special?โ
vera remained quiet after that.
the tide curled closer around her tail, foam slipping over darkened scales as she studieed him from beneath lowered lashes. most men heard her voice and mistook it for softness. [โฆ]
he lingered upon the cadence of her song, as though sound itself might be mapped like uncharted waters, each note a shifting tide against the shore of reason .