Chapter 2

Only I was left in the house.

Inside the coral hearth, the glowing jellyfish Lyric had placed there that morning still drifted, pulsing softly. I tried to add a new one to the fire, but it slipped from my fingers and swam away.

Without thinking, my lip trembled into a pout. And then, all at once, I realized — there would be no one left to soothe me anymore.

My nails dug into my palms.

I refused to believe Lyric would truly cast me aside. I whipped my tail hard and rose to my feet, swimming out toward him.

Stumbling, blundering along the way. I lost count of how many times I struck the rocks.

Finally, battered and bruised, I knocked at that shell door.

But it wasn't Lyric who opened it.

Corvin stared, startled at the sight of me. His gaze fell on my wounds, and his expression grew unreadable.

"What are you doing here?"

He had been my first mate.

Back when he was with me, he used to complain that I was always swimming off recklessly, that he was afraid I'd crash into hidden reefs and shred my scales. He'd frown and call me careless — but he'd silently trail behind me, cleaning up every mess I made.

His scoldings had been merciless. But I remembered too, how after every cold face, he would sneak up to my shell-bed. Brushing away the tear tracks I'd left behind in my sulks with the pad of his thumb. Then, mistaking my faked sleep for real, he would press clumsy, feverish kisses to my skin, one after another.

I didn't look at him. I only strained anxiously to see past him into the room.

Ignored, Corvin's hand tightened unconsciously around the doorframe. He gave a cold laugh and called into the house:

"Lyric! You let one of them chase you all the way here? What are you going to do if Elara finds out?"

The currents of near-winter were cold and swift.

I was wearing only a thin shell-gauze dress, my face pale as I watched Lyric swim out. His clothing was in disarray, his long hair floating loose in the water. On the side of his neck was an unmistakable, fresh bite mark.

His eyes swept impatiently over Corvin, then landed on me. A flicker of irritation crossed his gaze.

A chill sank through me. I stepped back on reflex.

Then, suddenly, a heavy deep-sea sealskin cloak dropped over my shoulders. I looked up — but I could only see the tense line of Corvin's jaw.

And when Lyric reached me, he had returned to that same familiar, gentle self. For a moment I almost thought I'd imagined that look.

"Coral? How did you get yourself in such a state?"

I bit my lip.

"Lyric — I, I won't beg anymore for those red coral berries that only grow beyond the outer reefs. I won't complain that the pearl trinkets aren't shiny enough. I won't cling to you and chatter when you're exhausted…"

"From now on, you'll be my only mate — I don't want anyone else. Please, don't leave me alone. Please?"

The more I spoke, the more frantic I became — I didn't even notice Corvin's expression shift beside me.

Lyric listened. But his eyes stayed fixed on my bleeding tail fin, scraped raw against the rocks.

Unthinkingly, I slipped back into my old spoiled willfulness. I even reached out to take his hand.

"You promised you'd stay with me forever! Lyric — you can't go back on your word! I—"

But my hand closed on nothing. Lyric had drawn his hand away.

"It's cold out here. Come inside first, all right?"

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