flew from Pearl’s mind. She glanced over her shoulder. In the brief time she’d inspected the boat, she’d seen only one entrance and exit. Behind him. Her gaze darted to the door, then back to the human.
He released a deep breath. ‘I’m Ben.’
The movement of his hand caught her off guard, and she fell backward. Her legs bent, and she launched toward her seat. Before she hit it, he reached out, grabbing on to her arms with both hands, keeping her hovering in place.
The touch of his hands sent buzzing vibrations through her legs as he helped her straighten.
‘I was trying to shake your hand,’ he said, letting go of her. ‘I’m sorry I startled you.’
‘Shake hands?’ Pearl asked, splaying hers out in front of her.
His eyebrows touched. ‘In greeting?’ Slowly, he held his hand out again. Using his other, he circled her wrist and pulled her closer.
Pearl stepped forward, enough that their toes bumped. He glanced at the floor and then his eyes met hers before he enveloped her hand with his. He moved them up and down. His hands were large and unmarked with scars. The males in the troop suffered deep scars across their bodies, but mostly their hands. Fights with sea creatures permanently marked them.
‘Do they not shake hands where you’re from?’ he asked with a smile.
Pearl shook her head.
‘Oh,’ he said. ‘Now I feel even more like an ass.’ He pulled his fingers through his hair. Clumps sprung back as he moved. They seemed so soft, and Pearl had the urge to touch them. ‘Last night, I realized I’d forgotten to lock the cabin door. I came back to check, and here we are.’
She stared at him.
‘What’s your name?’ he asked after a moment.
‘Pearl,’ she said.
He sat on the seat across from her, removing the threat from the doorway. She had the urge to run, but it was her duty to take a human under the sea. Her opportunity sat before her.
‘Pearl,’ he repeated, licking his lips.
Her gaze focused on the moisture clinging there.
Ben made an amused sound and pointed to the floor. ‘You’ll need to replenish those chips before my mom notices. It’s the only thing she cheats on.’
Pearl had no idea what he meant. His smile warmed her. He didn’t seem upset with her anymore, but she couldn’t trust a human. Even though the two she had met up close hadn’t tried to hurt her, she knew they were deceptive.
His eyes lifted to hers. They reminded her of home and the color of the water during the warmer months. ‘When I came in, you were sleeping. Do you not have a place to stay?’
Pearl blinked.
‘I don’t want to assume anything. I’ve never seen you before, so unless you’re pranking me …’
He left the conversation open. Once again, these humans seemed far too interested in getting to know more about her. They didn’t take to strangers well. Mrs. Jones’s warning floated in her mind.
‘I don’t have a place to stay. I’m visiting.’
‘Who are you visiting?’
‘This town,’ she said.
‘Really? I mean, if I went on vacation, I wouldn’t come to a place like this. Well, not like The Burrow is terrible, but I could think of a few places I’d rather go. I don’t mean to, um, I guess …’
Pearl smiled as the human failed at words. He scratched his head again and flashed his teeth at her. They were the whitest she’d ever seen on a human – not that she’d had much contact with them. A fleeting thought of dragging him under the water flitted through her mind. A force held her in place, stronger than any hunger for fish or the ocean.
‘Sorry. I’ll stop now. I, um, came here to lock up. My brother forgot.’ He held up a key. ‘I do have to get to work, though. Do you need a ride somewhere?’
‘I don’t know where to go.’ Pearl wanted to be in this male’s presence. Her hands trembled at her sides. How was she to get him off the boat and into the water? The other females had said males were easier, but Pearl had no desire to try. What was it about Ben and Mrs. Jones?
A voice in the back of her mind urged her to take Ben into the ocean. Then, she imagined his dark hair floating underwater, yet his eyes would never look at her the same way. She’d seen dead humans before, at each of the Drywalking ceremonies. The lifeless eyes always stared at her before the ritual sacrifice took place. Those blank stares haunted her more than she’d ever care to admit.
She blinked away the vision.
‘I have a friend, Carolina. She’s home and can hang out with you for a little while.’
Pearl stood straighter. The pale-haired female from the day before. Carolina was smaller than Ben, an easier target. ‘Is she near water?’ Pearl didn’t want to take Ben, but she could take a female. The female would be easy enough to grab if she were close enough.
‘She has a house close to water. Why?’
‘I’ll go there.’
Ben lifted her bag from the small table. He moved it up and down. ‘You didn’t travel with much, huh?’
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