Chapter 6: Notes Get Risky
469 Words
[Elias POV]
Day 147.
I swear I was just going to say "hi" back.
I dropped the notebook off at sunrise. One line.
Night shift again? Be safe - E
I came back 4 hours later.
New page. New mess of ink.
Night is safer. Less humans. More you - K
And under it, a tiny drawing of a starfish wearing a snorkel.
I choked on my air.
Okay. This is officially a problem.
Because now I’m thinking about him when I’m not underwater.
Because now I bought 3 more notebooks "just in case."
Because now I’m writing whole paragraphs instead of one line.
Day 148:
I saw a turtle today. It reminded me of you. Slow, ancient, and way prettier than it should be. Is that weird? - E
Day 149:
Not weird. Turtles are wise. You are... curious. And loud. In a good way. - K
Loud? - E
You hum when you work. I can hear it through the water. - K
I dropped the pencil.
He can hear me??
[Kael POV - Azure Spire, midnight]
The notebook is dangerous.
My advisors would banish me if they saw me trading words with a human.
My brother would call it treason.
My heart calls it the only thing I look forward to.
He left me coffee again. I still can’t drink it. But I keep the thermos by my throne.
It smells like him. Warm and stubborn.
Today he asked:
What do cecaelia kings do for fun? - E
I should’ve said "rule." "Protect the reef." "Study currents."
Instead I wrote:
I collect things people throw away. I have 14 lost hair ties. And one very good human pencil. - K
His reply was fast:
Can I see your collection sometime? - E
My tentacles froze.
That’s... that’s basically asking to come to my home.
That’s basically asking me to trust him.
I stared at the page for 10 whole minutes.
Then I wrote, before I could chicken out:
Only if you promise not to be scared of me. - K
[Elias POV - That night on the boat]
"Only if you promise not to be scared of me."
What does that mean??
Is he going to show me his full tentacles?
Is he going to take off the shirt he never wears?
Is he... is he asking me on a date??
I’m spiraling.
My best friend Mira noticed.
"You’ve been smiling at the water a lot," she said. "You good?"
"Fine," I lied. "Just... marine biology stuff."
I’m a terrible liar.
I went back down anyway.
Left the notebook. Left a new thermos.
And on the last page I wrote:
I’m not scared of you, Kael. Not even a little. - E
I swam away before I could see if he answered.
My hands were shaking.
- Writer
