A shadow crosses his face. “Nothing of consequence. Merely… reflection.”
I don’t believe him, but I also don’t want to push too hard. “Well, regardless of transforming the entire town overnight,” I say, setting the pin on the table between us, “would you still want to use this? Even just to experience being out in town again?”
The light returns to his eyes, if only barely. “I would. I confess to feeling a bit of cabin fever. Quite literally.” He gestures to the small space around us. “To walk among humans again, even briefly… Yes, I would like that very much.”
I smile, relieved. “Then that’s what matters. The festival isn’t for another week, so we have time to figure out the details.”
He nods, a small smile finally appearing, though something still seems to weigh on him.
“Roark,” I say gently, “talk to me. Please.”
He’s quiet for a long moment, the multiple heartbeats beneath his skin pulsing in their strange, beautiful rhythm.
“I wonder if you’ve truly considered what this means,” he finally says. “A relationship with me. The secrecy. The limitations. The potential consequences if discovered.”
“Of course I have.”
“Have you? Truly?” He moves closer, towering over me, but somehow making himself seem smaller. “This path—it won’t be easy. You might lose your position at the lighthouse if people find out.”
I look up at him, confused by this sudden shift. “I know it’s complicated. But we can figure it out.”
“Well, if the Maritime Festival is in a week…” he begins, his tentacles swirling in a restless pattern. “I think you should use this time to consider everything carefully. We shouldn’t indulge ourselves any further until you’ve really thought about this.”
My stomach drops. “Are you… asking me to leave?”
“I’m suggesting that perhaps you should take this week for yourself. To be certain this is what you want.”
I stare at him, trying to understand what’s happening. “You want me to go away and think about whether you’re worth the trouble? Really?”
“I want you to be certain,” he corrects, voice gentle. “Before we attempt anything further in a world that has historically been unkind to creatures like me and those who protect them.”
I feel strangely hollow, like something precious is slipping away. But it’s clear his mind has been made up.
I press the pin into his palm. “Meet me on the morning of the festival. Expose the pin to the morning light, then wear it close to your chest. That should activate the transformation. It will last until sundown.” I swallow hard. “And while I’m thinking about what I want, maybe you should think about what scared you between the last time I saw you and now.”
His hand curls gently around my wrist, the touch cool and familiar. “Ashe—”
“I’ll see you at the festival,” I interrupt. “If you still want space then, just say so and I’ll respect that. But be honest with me about why.”
For a moment, he looks like he might say more, reveal whatever shadows have found him in my absence. Instead, he simply nods, his tentacles releasing me reluctantly.
I pick up my backpack and head for the door, determined not to look as hurt as I feel. “Take care of yourself, Roark.”
Outside, the coastal path stretches before me. I start the long hike back, wondering what could have happened to make him push me away—and whether whatever we’ve started has already reached its end.
Chapter 17
Human for a Day
Roark
I knock on the lighthouse door, my knuckles hesitating against the weathered wood. Strange how such a simple action feels foreign in this temporary human form. The silver compass pin fastened to my old captain’s coat catches the morning light, its magic humming against my chest as it maintains my disguise.
From the harbor below, cheerful music and voices drift up the hillside. The Maritime Festival is already drawing crowds—humans gathering to celebrate their connection to the sea while I stand here, a creature of those depths pretending to be one of them for a day.
My reflection in the window beside the door shows Captain Roark Sterling—broad-shouldered with a weathered face, dark hair streaked with silver at the temples, and the only feature unchanged: my dark eyes with hints of gold.
This body feels both familiar and confining after years of freedom in my true form. Two ordinary human legs instead of my six powerful tentacles. Limited reach. Dulled senses. But it’s a small price for one day of walking openly at Ashe’s side.
