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I nod slowly, feeling exposed and vulnerable under his gaze. “Yes.”
He struggles to sit up, wincing from an unseen pain. “You’re... you’re not human.”
I can’t deny it any longer. “I think of it more as human plus one.” My whisper is barely audible over the alarm pulsing loudly.
Silence stretches between us, thick with unspoken words and unasked questions.
Basil finally breaks it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s complicated.” I look away.
He reaches out, his hand warm on my arm despite our soaked clothes. His touch ignites a current that hums between us.
“Cordelia.”
I turn to face him, our eyes locking in the dim light. His expression is a mix of determination and confusion.
“You saved my life, Cordelia. I saw you... all of you. And it was beautiful.”
His words hang in the air, heavy with meaning. My heart aches with the weight of secrets I’ve kept for so long.
“I... I didn’t have a choice. You were in danger.”
He reaches out, his hand gently lifting my chin until our eyes meet again. “I’m not talking about saving me from drowning. I saw what you are, and it didn’t scare me.”
His acceptance is a lifeline in this storm of uncertainty. But can I trust it? Can I trust him?
“I want to tell you everything.” My voice trembles. “But can I risk it? Can I trust you?”
Basil’s gaze is steady, unwavering. “I’m here, Cordelia. Whatever this is—whatever you are—it doesn’t change how I feel.”
His words cut through my defenses like a knife through water. The urge to reveal everything battles with my instinct to protect him—and myself.
“I’m a shifter.” Searching his face for any sign of fear or doubt, I continue. “I transform into a dolphin... it’s part of who I am.”
He takes my hands in his, his touch grounding me. “And it’s extraordinary.” His simple words carry genuine wonder and resonate deep inside of me.
The tension between us transforms. Our faces draw close. Our lips touch in a kiss, a vow, a nascent trust, and the promise of more, taking us beyond secrets and fears.
The alarm cuts off suddenly as the door flies open and Zara bursts in, followed immediately by Baby Doc and the duty nurse, carrying thermal blankets and towels.
I pull back reluctantly, our foreheads touching as we catch our breath.
“We’ll finish this conversation later.” Basil whispers, his grip on my hands tightens briefly before letting go.
“Promise.” My reply is barely a whisper as I turn and greet the rescue team, alerted by the watch crew on the bridge to respond to a man overboard call.
I stand as Zara reaches for me, embracing me in a spontaneous hug.
As we stand for a moment, I whisper my thanks to the brilliant engineer, my friend, who saved us. “Zara, you have no idea how grateful I am at this moment for your ingenious redesign of the Mystic Princess. The shifter port worked perfectly. Basil would have died without it.”
Chapter Eleven
Cordelia Marin
Dewey Park looms in front of us, a tangle of shadows and whispers under an overcast sky. Zara and I walk side by side, our footsteps muffled by the damp earth. The air smells like rain and pine trees, tinged with the salty scent of the sea.
“Tell me again why I am ashore on a rainy port day in Skagway walking to meet a complete stranger instead of browsing the shops and buying t-shits we don’t need?”
