The sound of thunder still echoed faintly in Kael's ears as he stood motionless at the edge of the shore, eyes fixed on the horizon where the lightning had torn through the sky. His skin was damp, his heart pounding. The raw energy that had surged between him and Lyra hadn't entirely faded.
She hovered just a few feet away in the water, her eyes narrowed, shimmering with residual magic and something else—something far older and deeper. Her voice broke the silence.
"You're still here. Didn't think you had the spine to stay."
Kael didn't flinch. "You said I was cursed to you, remember? Don't have much of a choice."
Her lips curled into something between a grin and a grimace. "Ah yes, cursed to my delightful company. You poor thing."
The waves lapped lazily around her tail, which glittered faintly under the pale moonlight now filtering through storm-torn clouds. Kael noticed the village girl was still lingering behind a large rock, peeking with wide eyes, uncertain whether to approach or flee.
Lyra sighed. "Humans. Always watching, always afraid."
Kael turned halfway to the girl. "You can come out. She won't bite. Not unless you insult her singing."
Lyra rolled her eyes but said nothing.
The girl hesitated, then stepped forward slowly. Her steps were cautious, her eyes darting between Kael and the mermaid. She looked younger now—maybe no older than sixteen—with tangled brown curls and a face too brave for her age.
"I... I didn't mean to spy," she stammered. "I just... saw the light. The lightning. And then you—" she gestured vaguely to Lyra. "You were real."
Lyra tilted her head, amused. "Disappointed? Expected more scales?"
"No! I mean—no, you're beautiful," the girl rushed, cheeks reddening.
Kael stepped in, voice steady. "What's your name?"
"Elli. I live with the healer in the east quarter. She's my aunt."
Lyra swam a slow circle in the water. "And you came here alone? After dark? Brave or foolish. Or both."
Elli straightened. "I've heard stories. About the sea. About... you. I didn't believe them until now."
Kael raised a brow. "Stories? What kind?"
"That a creature of the sea haunts this cove. That she sings to the stars when no one's watching. That she's looking for something—or someone."
Lyra froze. Her smile vanished, and her eyes narrowed. "Gossip has long legs in your little village."
Kael noticed the tension ripple through her shoulders. He stepped closer to her, his voice quiet. "Is it true? Are you looking for something?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she dove suddenly beneath the water, her tail flicking once, sending a splash over Kael and Elli. When she surfaced again, she was several yards away, facing the open sea.
"I'm looking for an end, Kael," she said quietly. "To the curse. To the centuries. To the boredom that clings like barnacles."
He could feel her sadness—sharp and aching, despite the usual edge to her words.
Elli broke the silence. "Can I come back? Tomorrow? Will you be here?"
Lyra turned, studied her for a long moment, then nodded once. "Bring fish. I like the shiny ones."
Kael laughed. "You're using bribes now?"
"Call it a toll fee. My attention doesn't come cheap."
Elli beamed, thanked them both, and scampered off back toward the village. Kael watched her disappear into the night before turning back to Lyra.
"You were gentle with her."
Lyra snorted. "I didn't pull her under, sure. But don't mistake tolerance for softness."
He didn't push. Instead, he sat on the sand, drawing idle patterns. "You said you're looking for an end. What if the curse has no end? What if you're stuck like this forever?"
She drifted closer, close enough for her fingers to brush the tide-soaked edge of his boot. Her voice was quiet now, stripped of sarcasm.
"Then I hope I forget how to feel."
Kael looked up, met her eyes. "I don't think you're capable of that."
They sat in silence, the only sound the rhythmic pulse of waves. Then Lyra broke it with a sudden, bitter laugh.
"Do you know how long it's been since I had a real conversation? One that wasn't about magic or danger or some fool trying to trap me in a net?"
"Maybe you should get out more."
"Don't tempt me. I might drag you into the deep for company."
He didn't flinch. "Maybe I'd follow."
She studied him. Something unreadable flickered across her face. Then, with a flick of her tail, she splashed him again.
"Don't get used to my kindness, Kael. I'm still bored out of my scales."
He chuckled, brushing water from his face. "Then let's make things interesting."
As the stars reclaimed the sky and the sea grew quiet once more, Kael leaned back on the sand, beside the creature who was slowly unraveling everything he thought he knew about the world—and about himself.
Some men chase storms. Kael? He was falling in love with one.