Then, I returned to him, my head breaking the water’s surface, my eyes searching his. With a conscious effort, I willed the transformation to reverse, the dolphin skin receding, my tail dividing, the human form reasserting itself. The process was always unsettling, a momentary dissonance between two worlds.
My lips met his again, a brief dip beneath the surface as our mouths clung together, the taste of him mingling with the river’s taste. Then, I allowed him to pull me from the water, our bodies meeting in a wet embrace, the cool night air raising goose bumps on my skin.
The lingering magic of the transformation still thrummed within me, a subtle energy that crackled between us, heightening the intimacy of our touch. He held me close, his gaze exploring my face, his fingers tracing the lines of my body, now human once more, but forever changed by the revelation.
The unspoken questions that had burned in his eyes moments before seemed answered or at least silenced for now. He hadn’t flinched. He hadn’t turned away in fear or disgust. He simply held me, his touch gentle, grounding, a reassurance more profound than any words could offer.
The tension that had held my spine rigid dissolved, leaving me weak-kneed, leaning into his support. A ragged breath escaped my lips—the breath I’d held captive while revealing the forbidden heart of my being. I had risked everything, broken ancient laws, and showed himwhatI truly was.
And he was still here. Still holding me as if I hadn’t just shifted reality before his eyes. Yet, even as gratitude warmed me, a cold thread of anxiety remained. He accepted this—the creature, the magic. But could he truly comprehend the dangers that now clung to us both, the responsibilities that bound me? Could he bear the weight of knowing our paths were destined to diverge, that the river called me back to depths he, a human, could never swim?
His fingers, which had been tracing my shoulder, moved to his chest. He unclasped the leather cord of the Seolais.
“This is yours,” he said, his voice thick with an emotion I couldn’t name. He held it out to me, the pendant resting in his palm, the wood and stone seeming to pulse with a soft light in the darkness. “You should have it.”
It was everything I wanted. A piece of my soul, returned to me by the man who was quickly capturing the rest of it. My hand trembled as I reached for it. But as my fingers brushed against his, a cold dread washed over me, a vision of Ricardo Silva’s men hunting me, tearing it from my neck.
I closed his hand over the pendant. “No,” I whispered. He looked at me, confused.
“If I carry it, they will find it. With you, they would never think to look. It is safer with you,” I explained, my voice low and urgent.
His eyes searched mine, and in them, I saw he understood. This wasn’t a rejection but an act of trust far deeper than simply accepting a gift. I was trusting him with my past and my future.
He nodded slowly, reclasping the pendant around his neck. The weight of it settled back on him, no longer just an artifact, but a responsibility—a promise. “I’ll keep it safe,” he vowed.
CHAPTER 16
Caio
The early morning sun glinted off the dew-kissed leaves as I drove, Luzia beside me, quiet but present. She traced patterns on the window’s condensation, a small smile playing on her lips.
The air in the Jeep felt charged, a subtle hum of energy passing between us. Pulling into the museum parking lot, the flashing lights ahead sent a jolt of unease through me. Luzia’s hand instinctively reached for mine, her grip tight.
“Caio?” she questioned, her eyes wide with alarm.
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” I said, trying to sound reassuring, even though my pulse was quickening.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
The officer blocking the entrance confirmed my suspicions. “You can’t come in,” he said, his tone brooking no argument.
“I have to,” she insisted, her voice strained, desperation in her eyes, and an unspoken plea for help. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t just stand there.
“Wait,” I murmured, pulling her back slightly. I needed a distraction.
The officer’s radio crackled, diverting his attention for a split second. It was all I needed. I yanked Luzia’s hand, pulling her with me as I darted past the distracted officer and through the museum doors.
Inside, the hushed silence felt heavy and oppressive. Luzia’s hand trembled in mine. I could feel her fear, a tangible current running between us.
We rounded the corner, and the sight punched the air from my lungs. The display case was a spider’s web of shattered glass, the velvet stand empty. Luzia swayed beside me, a hand flying to her mouth, her face bleached of color. The raw devastation in her eyes told me everything. This wasn’t just a stolen box—it was hope, shattered and stolen along with it.
“What are you doing here?” a young officer barked, his hand resting on his holster, his eyes narrowed.
“My mistake,” I said, forcing a casual shrug. “Thought we could come in early. We bought tickets yesterday after traveling for hours to get here and didn’t have enough time.”
“Nobody’s allowed in,” he snapped, his gaze flicking suspiciously between us. “This is a crime scene, and you both are coming with me for questioning.”
