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Chapter Forty
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Tidal Souls Chapter Forty One
Even though she wore low heels, her feet hurt. Like the rest of the students and staff, she’d been standing in the gallery all day. And now, it was late evening, and the opening seemed like a success. Galene crossed her arms and suppressed a yawn. Her halter-necked tea-length gown brushed against her legs as she walked back to her artwork. The coral-colored dress matched some of the tones in her abstract works, and she loved the gown’s vibrancy. She’d purposely chosen the high-necked, chiffon dress to cover the surgery site on the back of her neck. That, along with her loosely curled hair, concealed the injury from the prying public. Galene hadn’t eaten all day, thanks to the opening, and her stomach protested. She grabbed a few strawberries off a nearby snack table and stuffed them in her mouth before heading back to her space. Galene paused next to a group of older men who’d gathered around her largest work.“The strokes seem natural and fluid. What is the student’s name?” One of
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Two
Kalder waited in the shadows. Hoping he'd guessed correctly, he shifted to get comfortable. The soft sand encouraged sleep, and he rolled back onto his knees while scanning the dark beach. This location was where the male fisheri had entered the water eight days ago, and Kalder had scouted the area for days, waiting for his return. Kalder had other vibrio informants stationed along the coast. Some cautiously swam the shallows, looking for the fisheri warrior. Movement within the species always indicated opportunity. The fisheri and vibrio were Calder's target market—fish who would buy his product. Kalder needed pod citizens to choose the land. What a world that would be—a new dominant species who could control the humans and exploit their businesses and resources. Only three percent of all sirens had become land walkers. Kalder wanted a new world for his kind. Imagine catering to land-walking pods—everything from preferred foods to skin products, salt water spas, and pod-designed
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Three
Galene glanced at her sister as they made their way through the NIRL facility. The building's design worked on Galene's nerves. For a brief, surreal moment, she wondered how she'd ended up in a covert facility, layered with security and surrounded by alien friends and family. What was Miro thinking? The mauve-haired beauty hadn't said much on the trip over.Galene would finally meet dad number one. Would the ruler of the fisheri species embrace his lost daughter warmly? Did she want that embrace? No. Galene wanted to turn and run in the opposite direction. Stralath had given her a choice. She didn't have to meet her siren father, yet she'd agreed to the inevitable. "Vigtor won't take me away, will he?" She asked the question for the tenth time. Stralath touched her waist as he guided her into an elevator. "He'll have to fight the NIRL soldiers and me first."Soldiers indeed—Galene glanced at the two armed men who stood at the rear—guards on every corner. A chill ran down her spine
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Four
Stralath had underestimated her. Resisting the urge to glance at the siren seated at his left, he focused on Galene's father instead. Now that the NIRL had Vigtor Norvegius sitting across the table, it was time to negotiate the accord. The influential leader wouldn't bow down quickly, and Stralath needed to know what motivated the merman. What did he want to accomplish on earth?Would the fisheri continue to hide from humans? Or were they preparing for the eventual confrontation? A war between humans and fisheri? Who would win? The siren pod was an advanced poisonous species capable of camouflage and telepathy. Unlike humans, they were comfortable both on land and in the water. But, there were far fewer of them on the planet. And they didn't have access to tanks, weapons, and troops. Or did they?"How many fisheri reside in the ocean?" Stralath asked bluntly. He'd already laid out his brutal terms, and Vigtor was not happy. "None of your business." The leader shot back. "Tens of t
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Five
“My brother is coming over.”Galene nearly dropped her knife as her gaze shot to Harper. “What? I thought he’d gone back to your parents.”“Relax. Kevin is staying with friends on campus.” Harper closed the fridge and eyed Galene’s sandwich. “What’s with the sudden tuna obsession?”“I’m not comfortable around him.”“Well, he’s not here to see you. You can’t stop me from seeing my brother in my home.”“Fine. I’ll leave. When will he arrive?” Galene felt annoyance at having to evacuate the premises. After a long week, she craved her bed and the familiar.“In about thirty. Let Kevin apologize and forgive him. He’s getting professional help.”Galene’s stomach turned. He scared her on some level, and she’d rather avoid contact. It’s a beautiful evening—I’ll head to the beach.”“You know I hate the smell of fish,” Harper grumbled. “You baked sea bass last night. What’s that?” She pointed at the Halibut defrosting in the corner. “Tomorrow’s meal. I don’t tell you what to eat.”“Yeah—but fis
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Six
Kalder watched from his BMW as Galene climbed the low fence, hopping onto private land. The intel he'd received over the past week had confirmed his curiosity. The Norvegious family was now on out of the ocean—all vulnerable to attack by the vibrio pod. Both an injured daughter and her rebellious sibling who refused to swim away to safety. Would that mark the end of Norvegius's rule? And now that Galene had begun to heal, Kalder had picked up on her silent energies. Her invisible siren aura vibrated with the same pure energy as her sister. He wondered if she'd make a full recovery—or would the pale-haired fisheri forever be banished to the land. To Kalder, that was a fate worse than death. He enjoyed spending time out of the water—taking advantage of capitalism. But the salty depths always called his name. Instead of walking along the sand, Galene made her way to the rocky water line, and Kalder decided to take a closer look and would approach her from the sea. He left his phone an
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Seven
Stralath watched from the other side of the fence. Galene now sat in a distant rock pool, and he'd given her space. She'd seemed upset earlier, and thanks to his sharp Mesophinean senses, he'd knew Galene had spoken with her human father. Should he approach her or guard her from a distance? Feeling restless, he scanned the periphery for danger. Stralath sensed dark energy coming from the water, and mind made up, he leaped over the fence and jogged towards the rocky shore. The high tide had filled rock pools and crevices, and Stralath wound his way to his target. Approaching from behind, he paused to take a breath. This lost siren unnerved him, and Stralath had never felt this way before—even with females from his species. "Stop hovering." Galene waved a hand. "I need your help—I'm freaking out."She'd know he was there—her fisheri senses had grown in strength. Stralath swallowed hard and walked to her side."I have a tail." Galene looked mortified. Stealth's eyes widened, peering
Tidal Souls Chapter Forty Eight
"I need my legs! Hurry." In full panic mode, Galene hefted herself onto the rocks. She couldn't hear the conversation this far off, but she knew from Stralath's aggressive stance that the fisheri were not here to play. "Calm down." Miro crouched beside Galene. "Deep breaths.""Don't give me that zen bullshit! What do I do aside from dragging this heavy-ass tail meat out of the water.""Visualize the transformation.""I'm visualizing so hard my brain is about to explode. Go and help him?"Miro grinned. "Help who? Stralath or Darghelm.”"Being an indecisive bitch isn't a joke." Galene jabbed a finger at the beach. "They're about to declare war.""I won't leave you unprotected during a shapeshift.""Fine." Galene could do this. She closed her eyes and focused on having legs. All she could hear was a buzzing in her ears. Nothing worked, and Galene tried not to freak out. At Stralath's war cry, her eyes snapped open. He would shapeshift any second.Without thinking, Galene rolled herself
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