Chapter
One
“Well I hope you'll be happy in Harmony Glen, Dr. Davis."
"I'm sure I will be, Mr. Mason." Margaid didn't really look over at the local federal representative of lakes and fisheries in this part of the state. If you'd seen one bureaucrat, you'd seen them all, and Mr. Mason had been no exception. What she was focused on was the lake. It was beautiful. Green hills surrounded it, there was a sandy beach, and the sunlight hit the water, making it sparkle like diamonds in the light.
Although, she knew it would be cold.
It was late April and the thaw had happened a couple weeks ago, but this was the time the chain pickerel would be spawning. Chain pickerel were a coveted sport fish to people who travelled to this area, and they were her main focus of study.
Although she’d be looking at the overall health of the lake and other species of fish, flora and fauna too.
She knew Harmony Glen was a tourist spot and fishing was number one on the list of summer activities for the lakes in this region of the state.
It was a popular sport in general. After the Great Revelation, monsters and humans cohabited so well here. It was a desirable corner of upstate New York.
Taking it all in, she understood why people came to Harmony Glen for an escape. And why it generally seemed like a harmonious place. Water, forest, and the cutest downtown. The beachfront and boardwalk looked like the place to be in the summer months. There was a calming atmosphere. It was almost magical in a way. Now, in the daylight, she could really appreciate it.
Her work took her all over the country, she never really settled, so for her to feel this sense of peace at first sight was not something she’d take for granted.
She'd got into town late last night, during a spring rainstorm. There was not much to see besides some building lights through the sheets of rain. After a long drive, all she wanted to do was get into her little rental house on Verdant Street and collapse in her bed. Her landlord had left the key inside after texting her the combo for the door lock. Hopefully, she’d meet them one day, but last night she didn’t care too much about that.
It had been a long move from California to Harmony Glen, but this was her chance and her opportunity to show that she was quite capable of taking on bigger projects that affected marine life. If it had to be in a small town where she made her mark, then so be it. She wasn't exactly looking forward to spending the winter here, being a California girl at heart, but she could do this for a year for her career. She was pleasantly surprised that Harmony Glen was easy on the eyes.
Picturesque.
This might be a good year after all.
"I'm glad to hear it," Mr. Mason said, interrupting her thoughts. "I'll introduce you to the only resident in town who knows these waters like no one else and the only one with a large enough boat to accommodate your study. Basically, he owns all the rental boats in town. If you don’t own a boat, you go to Finn.”
"Good. I'd like to meet him." Though Margaid was a little trepidatious about meeting Mr. Finnbar Clague. She knew that he was the only one on this lake that did sportfishing excursions and she also knew he owned and operated the bait and tackle store at the marina. Monster Catch Bait and Tackle. Cute name for a store that glorified everything she, as a conservationist, was against. She knew these types and he wouldn't be thrilled about an environmental marine biologist snooping around his business. She rarely saw eye to eye with sportfishermen. Her opinion, fish should be free and not mounted on a wall. Although, she didn’t mind eating one from time to time.
Still, she was at Mr. Clague’s mercy. She needed a boat. She needed someone with a license to operate one and who knew these waters.
All she could do is put on her best smile and do her work with her cheerful disposition, which she knew enraged the grumpiest of males she had to deal with in her line of work. And that gave her a secret thrill of self-satisfaction.
She had to deal with a lot of chauvinists and fragile male egos in her field of study. It didn’t faze her in the least.
She followed Jim Mason down the dock and toward a houseboat that was bobbing up and down in the gentle swell of the lake. The houseboat was one like she'd never seen before. It was painted dark green and red, but instead of a box, the house part of the boat was rounder, with peaks like a barn almost. There were hanging plants in the windows and the boat had been apparently christenedThe Pearl.
Which she found intriguing, because her name meant pearl in old Manx custom. Not that she knew too much about that. Her family had immigrated to the New World a long time ago and most of their culture and history had been forgotten. Except for her name, which was an old family name. Not that there was much of her family left. She was pretty much alone in the world.
"Finn?" Jim called out, cupping his hands to his mouth. "I brought Dr. Davis to meet you."
"Aye," came the gruff response from one of the open windows.
A ball of dread knotted in her stomach.Oh, this was off to a great start already.
As they waited for Finn to arrive, Margaid wandered along the dock and saw a small anchor charm tied to a post. It was copper, at least that's what she suspected, as it was starting to turn slightly green. There were feathers and a leather braided bracelet and it was gently blowing in the breeze.
Something drew her to it and she reached out to touch it.
"Don't touch that!"
Margaid startled as thesliding door at the stern of the houseboat opened and a huge, horse-headed man ducked as he stepped through. Margaid was used to monsters, since they had come out in the world a few years ago and she’d worked with a couple over her years, but she'd never encountered a monster like this before.
He absolutely took her breath away. Tall and muscular, there was an undeniable pull of something toward him.
