I rushed toward the door leading to Ky’rn’s tank, my heart pounding in my chest. Slamming my hand onto the scanner, I watched with anxious anticipation as it turned green and the door slid open.
I had to get Ky’rn fresh living fish. He had to be starving by now.
“It’s an emergency,” I called out urgently. “We need to gather all the living fish we have.”
Dr. Violet turned to me, her expression filled with concern. She shook her head slowly. “Isla, I can’t do that. Your grandfather has strictly forbidden it.”
“Then I’ll deal with my grandfather,” I replied firmly. “Right now, Ky’rn needs this.”
Dr. Violet attempted to follow me, but I turned to her, my tone resolute. “No,” I said firmly. “Ky’rn trusts me. After what happened last time, having you here will only create more tension.”
She snapped back, “I’m responsible for your safety, Isla.”
My hand instinctively went to the gun at my side as I stared her down. “I can defend myself,” I retorted sharply. “I don’t need a room full of trigger-happy guards who might accidentally harm him.”
Desperation flashed in Dr. Violet’s eyes as she reached out to try and stop me from going inside. I sidestepped her, slapping her hand away. “He’s mine,” I declared, my voice shaking with emotion. “No one will keep me from seeing him.”
She gasped, clutching her chest, her eyes wide with shock at my outburst. I leaned in, my voice a low and dangerous whisper. “If you breathe a word of this to my grandfather,” I threatened, “I’ll make sure you never work here again, and I’ll ruin your career myself.”
For too long, I’d been the obedient, soft-spoken granddaughter, following every one of my family’s whims. But this…Ky’rn was different. My resolve to protect him, to understand him, had brought out strength I hadn’t realized I possessed.
I could see the conflicting emotions playing across Dr. Violet’s face. She was torn between her loyalty to my grandfather and her duty as a scientist. However, I’d made it clear this was a battle she wouldn’t win.
Through the doors, the tank’s luminescence reflected on our faces, casting eerie shadows on the walls of the corridor.
“Isla.” Dr. Violet’s voice was soft, shaky even, a stark contrast to her usual composed demeanor. “I understand your need to protect him. Believe me, I do. But I have to do my duty, too.”
“It’s my life!” I interrupted, trembling with anger. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to keep calm. “He saved me once, out there in the open ocean. I owe him my life. And now, he’s trapped in here, away from his home, with his freedom stripped from him, and it’s tearing me apart.”
She bit her lower lip, her usually stern expression melting into one of understanding. “I know, my dear. But what you’re asking for, feeding him fresh living fish, goes directly against your grandfather’s orders. He has his reasons, even if we might not agree with them.”
Closing the distance between us, I leaned in and spoke in a firm tone. My eyes narrowed with determination as I made my point clear. “Then let me handle him. You know what’s at stake here, and I am willing to risk it all to help Ky’rn. My grandfather gave him to me; he will have to cope with the ramifications.”
Dr. Violet’s honey-brown eyes searched mine, looking for any hint of uncertainty. Finding none, she sighed, nodding slowly. “All right,” she whispered. “But be careful. Please.”
I nodded in gratitude and swiftly entered the dimly lit tank room. The cool, moist air wrapped around me like a familiar embrace, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of salt and seaweed.
I turned to face the door, only to see my mentor hovering with concern just outside the threshold. Daring her to change her mind—to report me to my grandfather—I pressed my hand to the scanner, watching as the door closed behind me.
Once the door was securely sealed, I reached into my pocket and retrieved the small black device from the box Roman had given me. Carefully, I placed it onto the scanner and entered the code to engage the master lock. The instructions within the chest had been clear—no one would be able to open this door or use the security equipment within this room unless I disengaged the device with my fingerprints.
Satisfied to see the device glowing green, indicating that the lock was active, I rushed toward the massive tank, my heart racing.
Ky’rn was already there, positioned at the tank’s viewing window, awaiting my arrival. His tail swayed gently, keeping him upright in the water, his eyes fixed on me with an anticipatory gaze. He seemed to have been waiting just for me, his magnificent form displaying a serene grace in the aquatic environment.
But today, something was different. His amber eyes, usually so vibrant and full of life, seemed dimmer, lacking their usual brightness.
“Ky’rn,” I whispered, pressing my hand against the glass that separated us, the tank cool against my fingertips. His eyes locked onto mine, and I could see longing—and perhaps even relief—reflected in his gaze.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmured, tears stinging my eyes. “I promise, Ky’rn, I’m doing everything I can to get you out of here.”
Even through the thick barrier, I could feel his intense gaze. Slowly, he raised a webbed hand, mirroring my gesture, until our palms were pressed against the same point on the glass, separated by mere inches yet worlds apart.
Ky’rn’s form was captivating. Half shark, half man, he was a mesmerizing blend of strength and grace. His lower half was a dark, almost black, shade of blue, with a contrasting teal underbelly that shimmered in the ambient light of the tank.
The bioluminescent stripes along his back glowed with an otherworldly intensity that shone around his body like an aura of light in the dark water.
His hair, a blend of dark-blue and teal, flowed gracefully, giving him an ethereal quality. His upper body, his human half, was nothing short of magnificent. His chest was chiseled, strong, and statuesque, as if sculpted by the ocean’s waves. The way the water caressed his skin was almost hypnotic, accentuating the grace and strength of his aquatic form.
