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God help me get through this cruise without throttling him—or worse, finding myself drawn to him again.
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I take a deep breath, steeling myself before stepping into the grand dining room. The opulent decor takes my breath away for a moment—crystal chandeliers casting their warm glow, elegant table settings gleaming under the light. But my focus quickly shifts to the man already seated at the captain’s large round table, raised up on a private landing in full view of the passengers. This cruise, they will be entertained by seeing the full senior staff dining here each evening, as we’ve been ordered to be present barring a verifiable emergency.
On any other cruise, I enjoy and look forward to this traditional sailaway dinner. Not true tonight.
Basil’s gaze locks with mine, and a jolt of electricity courses down my spine. His eyes widen slightly as he takes in my appearance, and I respond with a small thrill of satisfaction. My dress is a blend of uniform and formal dress in a deep, shimmering blue that subtly hints at my aquatic nature.
As I take my seat, Captain Voss offers me a warm smile. “You look lovely tonight, Cordelia. The new formal uniforms suit you.”
“Thank you, Captain.” I return her smile.
Basil leans forward, his eyes never leaving mine. “Yes, quite stunning. You continue to surprise me, Chief Engineer.”
I raise an eyebrow, meeting his challenge head-on. “I cannot say the same about you, Mr. Jenks. Your reputation is intact thus far.”
He chuckles, but there’s an edge to it. “Reputations are misleading. I prefer to form my own opinions.”
The dinner progresses amid a delicate dance of small talk and subtle jabs. I defend the ship and its crew at every turn, countering Basil’s probing questions with practiced ease. But as the evening wears on, I notice something strange.
Periodically, his brow furrows and he loses focus for a moment. His eyes glaze over, as if he’s seeing something far away. A psychic episode? Could he be reacting to the supernatural energy of our ship? Or worse, sensing our magic?
I exchange a glance with Captain Voss, who gives me a subtle nod. She’s noticed it too.
As the dinner winds down, I excuse myself. A nagging concern about the emergency earlier in the day pulls at the back of my mind. Basil Jenk’s eyes are on me as I leave the room, and I know our clashes are far from over.
After changing back into my usual work coverall, I return to the ECR and my small office adjoining to review the reports from my crew. No explanation. No reason why the leak occurred. The timing of the break is noted by Zara, raising an issue of staffing. The arrival of crew in response to the emergency, while within our protocols, would have caused the break to escalate and likely forced a delay of the ship’s sailing had she not been on site, unscheduled.
Damn. Jenks was right. And we were lucky Zara was hanging out.
Responding to the report, I send an order to revise the watch duty in response to the gap identified by Environmental Chief Zara Kallistos, and settle back in my chair.
I feel the need to shed this human skin, if only for a moment, and connect with my aquatic soul. The tension from dinner, in truth, nearly every moment since meeting Basil Jenks, clings to me like a stubborn fog.
Fortunately, and thanks once again to Zara, I don’t have to abandon the ship to shift into my dolphin state. Walking quickly out of the ECR and into a room not far away, I enter an entirely different world. The door to this sanctuary slides open with a soft hiss, revealing an oasis that could easily be mistaken for a hidden cove.
I strip down quickly, hanging my clothes in one of the open lockers along the wall. My fingers brush against the polished wood, warm and smooth under my touch. The air here is humid and fragrant with the scent of saltwater and blooming flowers. The pool dominates the room, its cool seawater shimmering under the subdued glow of artificial sunlight.
Soft sand, painstakingly transported and maintained by Zara, forms a gentle slope into the water, mimicking a natural beach. Lounge chairs and recliners are scattered around, inviting moments of relaxation. Green plants and vibrant flowers, thriving under Zara’s careful attention, line the edges, their leaves rustling softly in an unseen breeze. It’s a perfect blend of wild and cultivated, a sanctuary designed for both our human and aquatic natures.
I slip into the water, the cool embrace wrapping around me, and I feel an immediate sense of relief. The tension in my muscles begins to ease, and as I take a deep breath, I let go of the lingering stress from the day. The water is my element, a connection to my true self, a reminder of who I am beneath the human facade.
Submerging fully, I allow the transformation to take hold. My limbs elongate and streamline, skin turning sleek and smooth. My senses sharpen, attuning to the subtle currents and sounds of the water. In this form, I am powerful and free, a guardian of the ocean’s secrets.
I glide through the water, feeling the gentle resistance against my body, and the stress of the human world fades away. Here, in this hidden sanctuary, I am at peace, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead. The underwater world is a symphony of colors and light, each ripple and wave dancing in harmony.
Freedom washes over me. The water embraces me like an old friend, and for a brief moment, my worries dissolve. I revel in the fluidity of my movements as I swim through the hidden pool, my favorite of three strategically hidden for crew use throughout the ship. Each pool is a self-contained eco-system maintained by Zara, a marine biologist and inventor who has made it possible for marine shifters to join humanity while maintaining the secret of our existence.
But something’s wrong. The magical currents surrounding the ship are agitated, disturbed. It’s like the sea is warning me.
I dive deeper, seeking answers in the currents. The water in this pool has a continual feed from the surrounding ocean waters. My mind races with possibilities—has someone discovered our secret? Is Basil somehow connected to this disturbance? My body, even in this aquatic form, is seduced by thoughts of the ruthless millionaire.
The water grows colder, sharper. A shiver runs through me that’s not from the temperature but from an impending sense of dread.
Chapter Three
Basil Jenks
