Promise in Pearls (Part 1)
Fifteen pristine white pearls sparkle in his silvery palm. I see myself reflected in every one — wide-eyed, dumbstruck, frozen. There’s only one thing they can mean: a promise. A future…
I can’t breathe.
“Wh–what are you doing?” The pearls hold my eyes captive. I want both to crush them all into sand…. and to wear them. When I can finally force myself to look up, I see him, grinning that smug little grin. There’s something else there, too. Beneath that usual sultry glint in his eyes. Something clear as a raindrop because I know him so well.
You’re scared out of your scales, aren’t you? Then, why are you doing this…?
“I’m finally making you a promise.”
Both Lais and Cal are full tonight, like watchful, curious eyes in the sky. The melding of their pink and blue moonlight sinks into the water surrounding the Bonding Shoals, where my Keon and his Reefguard patrol are stationed until tomorrow morning.
My research team and I were working about a day’s swim away, studying a new breed of rare algae. A colleague, passing the shoals on his way to join us, spotted Keon. He waved him over and sent me a message through our Twanderian mental-link. Making up an excuse, I left as soon as I could — anything to see Keon. Our clans and our work keep us apart, so when either of us finds an opportunity to slip away, we seize it. Always.
“You…you won a Commander’s rank?”
“No. Not yet.” His voice is strained, yet hopeful. He smiles when I let him clasp the promise-bracelet around my left wrist, the pearls cold and heavy against my skin. “I’ve been putting in a lot more hours at the training-reef, though. When I can. Maybe in a few more years. ” He leans in and whispers, “I’m glad you came tonight. My Commander is out sick, and the others don’t mind. I thought we might, you know… pretend we could Bond.”
That word…
“Is this pretend, too?” I hold the pearls — his promise — up to his face. Relieved, and not.
He shakes his head, looking a little hurt. “My promise is real, Marette. I want you.”
You want… Keon, I thought we knew each other better than this…
“Are you two gonna go vibe or what?” One of Keon’s Reefguard buddies teases, floating a short distance away. Another from his team elbows the first in the ribs. “Ignore him. We’re pretty sure a parasite ate away his common decency when he was a youngling,” she said. “But, uh, we do have a handle on things — haven’t seen a daring soul all week — so…” She winks. “Night’s passing quick.”
I bite my lip, a little embarrassed, a little annoyed. My four flippers recoil slightly into my shell.
Keon pulls me into a hug, and I can feel the muscles flex in his neck and jaw as he shoots a snarky face at that first buddy of his.
“What do you say?” He nods towards the Bonding Shoals, glittering white and sloping out past the calm surface of the water. “At the very least, we could talk.”
I force my face into some semblance of a smile. Sigh.
“We… should definitely talk.”
He holds me tighter. I savor his warmth, his strength.
Gently, I push away, then offer him my hand. He takes it, and we swim together towards the shoals.
Hey! Glad you read to the end! Marette and Keon’s story is just beginning!
Check out part 2 here!
Or… if you’d like to read the whole story now, it’s a 12 minute read and it can be found here.
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