Kai opened his mouth to respond like a normal person.They were in a dream.No one could hear.No one would know.No one would judge him.
Still, he couldn’t speak.
He nodded, and the shark, with his cool attention, saw.
“Humans can be so very fucked up, as my fiancé likes to say.It’s like fin rot in them, and magic only makes it worse.They can’t have Fian’s liver.I’m not sure that would grow back, and then how would Tickle impress you?The best humans, I have learned, want to be impressed.I’ll help, but you have to wake up first.”
“Okay.How do I do that?”
“Hmm.I wonder.Did my brother tell you how yummy you look, Kai?I did just eat, but it was all sugary stuff.You know how you want something savory after something sweet?”The shark changed course, its circles becoming tighter.“I’ll just take a bite out of you.”
Kai felt that massive tail beat the water not an arm’s length away from his face, saw the shark move.
Then, there were just teeth and that terrible maw, and Kai screamed.
Kai woke, but if his scream carried over to the waking world, the beating waves had swallowed it.While his heart was racing, he was cold all over from having slept in the wet sand outside without a jacket.And Fian worried about me being cold.Fian!
Kai scrambled to his feet, looked around.There was no sign of Nick or James, a relief.
“Then again, I almost got nibbled on by a dream shark.Weird family.”
Kai dusted off his new clothing and prepared to climb back out from his hiding spot in the rocks.His limbs were stiff, and the rocks were slippery, maybe even more slippery than before.It was getting colder too with darkness approaching, and it didn’t take long at all before Kai’s fingers went numb.
“Can’t help that.Can’t help it.”
Once he was out of the rocks, Kai felt exposed all over again.They’d be able to see him if they came down from the road to go looking.Kai wondered why they hadn’t.Then he considered that perhaps Nick and his buddies were busy with Fian.He considered what they might be doing to him.He started shaking, and the cold had nothing to do with it.
I can’t help him.All his stupid brother did was try to eat me.And I’m no good to Fian.Nick caught me once already.But I can’t just leave him there.
And yet, Kai stood rooted to the spot, his shoes so deep in the sand the small grains had invaded them and would be poking him until he was walking on blisters.He didn’t know magic, had no weapons, didn’t know where to go.He contemplated calling the cops.
Yeah, right.I’ll tell them about self-moving cars and octopus demons.Also witches.And then they’ll ask how I know Nick, and that’ll be it.They’ll laugh about me and my relationship troubles and send me on my merry way.
Thinking about the police made Kai feel as if he’d been forced to swallow one of the rocks he’d just clambered over.There would be no justice there, only people laughing behind his back.Even if they took him seriously, it would go to the courts, and there was no real evidence for anything other than that he and Nick had been on one date, had then moved in together.
That way, there was only pain and hurt.In some corner of his mind, Kai had known that, and all he’d wanted was to leave Salt Harbor behind, put it in his past.Justice or even just revenge—those were dreams he couldn’t have.
He looked out toward the ocean, trying to find the courage to go back up those rickety wooden stairs to at least do something to help the only person he currently felt safe with.
Out there, far out, he spotted something.A fin shining like a scalpel as it sliced the water.It disappeared again, but after a moment, the blade popped up once more, too close to shore for comfort.Then it went under, and yet closer to shore, a person broke the water’s surface, the waves breaking around him without appearing to bother him.
The man came out of the water.His silhouette said he was powerful, would be good at sports with those wide shoulders.He was bulkier than Fian, but they looked similar around the eyes and mouth, and even their noses looked alike.He didn’t have the wavy hair or those calm ocean eyes Fian had.This man’s eyes were dark, and he had the look of someone who knew exactly how hot he was and how to use it.
On top of all of that, he wore a suit, a black or dark blue business suit.And the clothes were dry, no water sticking to him when the man stepped onto the sandy beach.
“Hello, little dreamer.We met.I’m Mikano.Apologies for waking you.”
Kai took a step back.“You’re here to eat me.”
Mikano chuckled.“No.I don’t eat humans.Well, that’s not exactly true.I try to avoid eating humans.”He smiled as if he wanted a pat on the head for that.Kai took another step back.“Oh, don’t be like that.I really only needed you to wake up.And I didn’t have hands at the time to pinch you, so teeth seemed the best solution.”
“You could’ve just pinched me?”
Mikano smiled.“Oh, did I say that out loud?”
Kai crossed his arms.“I need your help.For Fian.”
Mikano sighed.“Pearls and plankton, I hope you like dicks made out of driftwood.Either way, you said there was magic, and my baby brother was taken.Could you show me where, please?”
