tightly that I can’t breathe. I pull away, an unfamiliar ache in my chest at her complete acceptance despite her obvious fear of something that most humans would be incapable of even understanding. And now it’s all going to be taken away.
“What’s the matter?” she asks.
I don’t answer. I can’t answer. Remaining silent, I kiss her eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, every part of her, until Anya places her hands on my chest, pushing me away. “Speio, are you okay?”
Instead of responding, I kiss her desperately, trying to memorize the sweet curve of her mouth, the velvet slide of her tongue, the shape of her teeth, the soft inside of her lip , the intoxicating taste of honey and salt that’s uniquely her … all of it. I want to immortalize this kiss for eternity.
Anya pulls away, frowning . I try to hide the sadness in my eyes, but I can’t do it in time. Understanding dawns in hers. “Oh, my god, we’re saying goodbye, aren’t we? Because of your father.”
I nod.
“Will I see you again?”
“No,” my voice is hoarse.
“How?”
“My father will make you forget you ever met me.”
We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity—saying nothing and everything at once. After a while, Anya slides her fingers across mine, and this time, I don’t hide the ripple of light her touch evokes. She traces it along my forearm.
“You’re beautiful,” she says. “I don’t want to forget any of this. You, me, last night, today.”
“I don’t want you to, either.”
Anya turns to face me, those brilliant blue eyes searching. “Will you let me see you just once?”
Letting her see me won’t hurt since Echlios is going to erase her memories anyway, so I nod slowly. “It’s easier in the water.”
She watches me as I walk to the ocean and wade into it until I’m nearly submerged. I untie the necklace from my neck and tuck it into a pocket before removing my pants and tossing them onto the beach. I grin inwardly at the sharp rush of color in her cheeks. Good to know that I still have an effect on her … at least in human form. Holding her gaze as if it is an anchor between us, I let my body begin the transformation.
I know exactly what she’s seeing as my b ones elongate and crack outward, my human limbs extending into clawed talons and powerful hind legs. A shimmer of pale white-gold scales erupts across my body, each the size of a sand dollar, hardening into place across the long column of my neck toward my ridged snout. My tail curls around as chartreuse-green fins sprout along its entire length from tip to nose, my body expanding to twenty times the size of its human shape. The same fronds frame my face as I stare at her out of one brilliant jade colored eye. Bright green lights flare along my entire body.
Anya exhales in a rush. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I let her stare her fill, and then I reverse the process until my body is once more human. Anya averts her eyes as I scoop up my discarded shorts and step into them before joining her in the same spot.
“Thank you for showing me,” she says. “That was beyond amazing.”
“You’re welcome.”
We sit there leaning against each other in the quiet for a long time, staring out at the sun reflecting on the ocean. I reach into the pocket of my pants and pull out the braided necklace that I’d stored there for safekeeping. The pendant is a tiny seashell surrounded by a brilliant green piece of sea glass. I hand it to her. “I want you to take this. Even if you don’t remember me, you’ll always have a piece of me with you.”
“I’m scared,” she admits as I tie the necklace around her neck.
“You have nothing to be afraid of, Anya. You’re going to go back to L.A., you’re going to put this trial behind you, and you’re going to see your sister.”
“No, I mean I’m scared of forgetting you.” She sighs. “I jumped from a cliff and you caught me in so many more ways than one. You saved
“What’s the matter?” she asks.
I don’t answer. I can’t answer. Remaining silent, I kiss her eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, every part of her, until Anya places her hands on my chest, pushing me away. “Speio, are you okay?”
Instead of responding, I kiss her desperately, trying to memorize the sweet curve of her mouth, the velvet slide of her tongue, the shape of her teeth, the soft inside of her lip , the intoxicating taste of honey and salt that’s uniquely her … all of it. I want to immortalize this kiss for eternity.
Anya pulls away, frowning . I try to hide the sadness in my eyes, but I can’t do it in time. Understanding dawns in hers. “Oh, my god, we’re saying goodbye, aren’t we? Because of your father.”
I nod.
“Will I see you again?”
“No,” my voice is hoarse.
“How?”
“My father will make you forget you ever met me.”
We stare at each other for what seems like an eternity—saying nothing and everything at once. After a while, Anya slides her fingers across mine, and this time, I don’t hide the ripple of light her touch evokes. She traces it along my forearm.
“You’re beautiful,” she says. “I don’t want to forget any of this. You, me, last night, today.”
“I don’t want you to, either.”
Anya turns to face me, those brilliant blue eyes searching. “Will you let me see you just once?”
Letting her see me won’t hurt since Echlios is going to erase her memories anyway, so I nod slowly. “It’s easier in the water.”
She watches me as I walk to the ocean and wade into it until I’m nearly submerged. I untie the necklace from my neck and tuck it into a pocket before removing my pants and tossing them onto the beach. I grin inwardly at the sharp rush of color in her cheeks. Good to know that I still have an effect on her … at least in human form. Holding her gaze as if it is an anchor between us, I let my body begin the transformation.
I know exactly what she’s seeing as my b ones elongate and crack outward, my human limbs extending into clawed talons and powerful hind legs. A shimmer of pale white-gold scales erupts across my body, each the size of a sand dollar, hardening into place across the long column of my neck toward my ridged snout. My tail curls around as chartreuse-green fins sprout along its entire length from tip to nose, my body expanding to twenty times the size of its human shape. The same fronds frame my face as I stare at her out of one brilliant jade colored eye. Bright green lights flare along my entire body.
Anya exhales in a rush. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
I let her stare her fill, and then I reverse the process until my body is once more human. Anya averts her eyes as I scoop up my discarded shorts and step into them before joining her in the same spot.
“Thank you for showing me,” she says. “That was beyond amazing.”
“You’re welcome.”
We sit there leaning against each other in the quiet for a long time, staring out at the sun reflecting on the ocean. I reach into the pocket of my pants and pull out the braided necklace that I’d stored there for safekeeping. The pendant is a tiny seashell surrounded by a brilliant green piece of sea glass. I hand it to her. “I want you to take this. Even if you don’t remember me, you’ll always have a piece of me with you.”
“I’m scared,” she admits as I tie the necklace around her neck.
“You have nothing to be afraid of, Anya. You’re going to go back to L.A., you’re going to put this trial behind you, and you’re going to see your sister.”
“No, I mean I’m scared of forgetting you.” She sighs. “I jumped from a cliff and you caught me in so many more ways than one. You saved
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