MERIBELLA

Meribella watched as salty bubbles burst on the hull of the boat as waves beat against the side, leaving sea spray behind. It only just managed to dissipate before the next surge. She couldn't decide if she identified more with the bubbles- bright iridescent things that were born out of violence and quickly destroyed- or if she was like the boat- something made to weather a never ending barrage of hurt and disappointment.

"A penny for your thoughts?"

A strong hand wrapped around hers, and she couldn't stop the flutter in her heart as his scent overwhelmed her.

"They're not worth even that," she said, stepping away from the railing and looking at Caspian. He gave her a sad smile filled with understanding. He knew how bittersweet this journey was for her: the culmination of old dreams and the loss of new ones.

"You've been quiet since we left Camden. Not that I didn't expect that, but I suppose I didn't expect you to be quite this quiet."

Meribella tugged the blanket around her shoulders and stared out across the vast, dark waters. She'd rarely been out this far in the ocean, and she'd forgotten how the world above and the world below melded into one another once darkness fell. They were just floating pieces in a black bubble speckled with starlight and whitecaps.

"It would seem expectations have failed all around then," she explained, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, only to regret it immediately. The phantom whisper of Raff's touch rose up, the memory of his finger sliding around the tender shell of her ear strong enough to tighten her stomach.

"What happened?" Caspian asked, pressing his hand against her elbow and leading her to a set of patio chairs. Chilled drinks and fresh seafood appetizers were on a tray on the coffee table. He offered her a glass, raising a brow when she hesitated. "You have to eat."

"This isn't eating," she said, lifting the glass to her nose and inhaling, "I'm tipsy just from smelling it."

A broad grin stretched across his handsome face, and it made her heart hurt. In another life, she might have met him first, and oh, how much simpler things would be now. He popped a shrimp into his mouth and winked. "The drinking is to make the eating easier."

"Clever, clever." She swallowed two oysters, the fresh taste lingering on her tongue. It wasn't that long ago she couldn't afford anything more than canned tuna fish, and she relished every bite. "It was as if he was glad to see me go."

Caspian stiffened. "That's strange."

She thought of the frantic way they'd come together the night before she left. Was it really strange? Things had started crumbling since her mother arrived- she hated to point the finger there, but it was true. Dorea's request that they raise her child together had chipped away at the wall Raff and Meribella had constructed- the one that protected them from the realities of being together. It was made of half truths and half concessions, and the belief that they could endure anything as long as they had each other.

"Yes. I told him I was needed here, and he encouraged me to go. I thought he'd fight tooth and nail, especially, well- you know- because of you. But he just said it would put his mind at ease knowing I had a strong male to protect me." The glint in Raff's eyes had betrayed the truth of that statement, but he wanted it to be true or else he wouldn't have spoken the words. Meribella couldn't decide if he was pushing her away to protect her or himself, but then again, she was running away for one of those same reasons.

"I never thought I'd agree with anything that man had to say, but he's finally making some sense," Caspian said, draining his glass and leaning back in his chair.

Meribella crinkled her nose as she ran her finger along the cold lip of her glass. The condensation soaked her skin, and a faint sparkle appeared. The rim must've been dipped in salt. "I said this once, and I'll say it again- Raff and I are still together. I love him, and this is only temporary. So wipe that satisfied smirk off your face."

"Meribella," Caspian said, her name a tortured groan on his lips. She didn't like how it made her pulse quicken. "I respect that boundary, but I want you to be prepared for the chance that you might change how you feel. Selkie Island is seductive. It's part of you, and these are your people. All your life, you've balanced your human self with your animal self, and it's been easier for you because of how human you are. It's going to change here."

She held up her hand to stop him. "Is this how this is going to go when I'm on the island? Everyone is going to remind me of how polluted my gene pool is?"

"No," he said, grabbing her hand and threading his fingers through hers. A strange tingling broke out everywhere he pressed against her, and she found herself pressing her knees together and fighting a moan. She knew she should pull away, but she couldn't. She was paralyzed. "You are descended from a beloved daughter, and you carry the strongest Blessing I've ever heard of. They will revere you."

"I don't want reverence." She managed to draw her hand away, but every word she spoke sounded breathless. "I want acceptance."

"You'll have it," he promised.

"Because I'm powerful," she snapped, rising from the chair. These people wouldn't have cared to bring her home if it wasn't for the power running through her veins. She knew that. Resented it. "You only found me because you were looking for Kai. You don't want Meribella; you want the Star Blessed."

Meribella tried to storm off, but Caspian grabbed her and spun her around. The aggressive move sparked the memory of their encounter just a few months ago, but his grip wasn't hurtful.

"They want the Star Blessed, yes," he growled, his canines lengthening, "but don't make the mistake of lumping me in with them. You are not going into this alone, and you came here looking for something. Don't give up before we've even arrived."

A particularly heavy wave crashed into the boat, causing Meribella to lurch forward and fall against his chest. So close, the pheromones emitting from his skin were enough to make some inner part of herself- the feral side she used to feel beneath a full moon- rise up. A rumbling growl built in her chest, and she pushed him away before she did something she'd regret.

"I gave up when I walked away from him," Meribella cried, her heart fracturing at her body's betrayal, and she bolted before he could reach for her again.

She almost made it to the bow before the ship's horn sounded, one prolonged blast that made her ears ring. Slapping her hands over her her ears, she moved back to the railing, searching for what had prompted the ship to signal. After over a week at sea, she'd learned to recognize most of the cues, but there was nothing visible on the starboard side.

"They're not signalling to a ship," Caspian explained, his heavy footfalls silencing as he reached her side. She refused to look at him. "They're announcing our return. We've made it."

Her hands dropped to her side, and her heart began to pound. She let him push her forward until they reached the furthermost part of the ship. There, she could make out the faintest outline of the island. As the ship continued to signal, bright lights flared up all along the coast- fiery beacons held aloft by small figures as they waded into the sea to greet their son.

"Welcome home, Meribella." Caspian dropped a kiss onto her temple. "Welcome home."