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Coming from a small town in Western Mass, KATLYN DUNCAN always had her head in the clouds. Working as a scientist for most of her adult life, she enjoyed breaking down the hows and whys of life.
As a full-time author and freelance writer, she’s published ten novels in five years. If she’s not writing, she’s obsessing over many (many) television series’.
She currently resides in Southern New England with her family. Check out more about her writing and current TV addiction in her newsletter, on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Readers love Katlyn Duncan
‘Perfect read … I couldn’t put it down’
‘I will definitely be reading more from this author again’
‘Engaging and thought provoking’
‘I was completely glued from page one and didn’t want to put it down’
‘Gripping. Thrilling. On the edge of your seat exciting. I absolutely loved it’
‘This story kept me guessing’
‘Perfect for someone who wants a quick read that’s also gripping’
‘A thoroughly heart-warming and enjoyable read’
‘Gripping, funny and emotional’
‘A delightful read’
Also by Katlyn Duncan
The Life After Trilogy: Soul Taken
The Life After Trilogy: Soul Possessed
The Life After Trilogy: Soul Betrayed
This Summer
This Christmas
Darkest Dawn
As You Lay Sleeping
Six Little Secrets
The Sisters’ Secrets: Rose
The Sisters’ Secrets: Reen
The Sisters’ Secrets: Pearl
KATLYN DUNCAN
HQ
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HQ in 2019
Copyright © Katlyn Duncan 2019
Katlyn Duncan asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.
E-book Edition © April 2019 ISBN: 9780008314927
Version: 2019-03-26
Table of Contents
Cover
About the Author
Readers love Katlyn Duncan
Also by Katlyn Duncan
Title page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Extract
Dear Reader
Keep Reading …
About the Publisher
For those who have ever dreamed of something more.
Prologue
The lapping waves flowed over Pearlina as she peered into the distance. The sliver of land stretched across the horizon as she waited. It was all she did lately. The last three sky light rises of the Drywalking ceremony both tortured and exhilarated her. In her short life, she had only seen one ceremony so far. At that time, coming to the surface had been a scary moment, and she had clung to her mother’s tail. All she knew was the ceremony gave one of the female members of the troop the opportunity to walk on the dry land and live among the humans to complete the most important task.
The light from the sky glittered across the surface, resembling the bioluminescence of the scales cascading down her fin. Cool air clung to the droplets of water on her skin, forming tiny bumps across her flesh. It was an uncomfortable feeling she associated with the surface.
Movement from below her signaled her sister, Syrene.
Syrene’s hand touched Pearlina’s. Like most of her kind, Syrene preferred to stay under the water and hidden from the surface. The Drywalking ceremony was to test the boundaries of the females and show their commitment to the troop, in addition to getting the sacrifice needed for the bonding ceremony.
Retrieving a human from land was the primary purpose, and Pearlina wanted to see a human up close. The only way she could do that was to catch a glimpse as a member of the troop brought one back from land. Tales of living outside of the water fascinated her. Frequently, the older generations of her troop had scolded her for thinking of humans as equals. Stories of how humans had decimated their numbers years ago during hunting trips floated through her mind. The top half of her body looked like them, but she wasn’t to trust them. Humans were bloodthirsty creatures who would kill one of her troop on sight. At least that was what her mother told her.
The stories of their long-ago past were enough to keep her troop far from the surface and safe in their cove, deep under the water. Pearlina couldn’t resist the pull of the air, and the warmth of the sky light on her face. As far as she could remember, she had always wanted to know more about the forbidden place where humans ruled. She never dared to swim past the rock wall and go toward the land, but she imagined what it would be like to see one of them up close. Her Drywalking ceremony wouldn’t take place for a long time, but she wanted to prepare herself for it.
Syrene’s voice entered Pearlina’s mind. What are you doing up here?
It’s the third day. The chosen female from the troop had five sky light rises to complete the ceremony. Pearlina had visited the surface each day since the start.
How do you know Daryah will come back now?
I don’t.
This is foolish. Syrene’s tone was tired, almost as weary as the tone the others used each time Pearlina had a question about humans.
Syrene was the only one who knew the depth of Pearlina’s interest in the surface and humans. While her sister didn’t understand it, Pearlina didn’t fear any repercussions from talking about it to Syrene.
A splash sounded in the distance and Pearlina flipped her hand over, digging her fingers into her sister’s palm.
She’s coming.
Syrene pushed through the surface, only revealing her nose and the top of her head. How do you know?
A racing movement coursed through Pearlina’s body. She flicked her fin and started forward. I feel her.
Syrene held tight and trailed behind her. Pearlina wished she didn’t have to drag her sister along. This moment was what she’d been waiting for. If only Syrene was as interested in sharing the experience with the one she loved most. Curiosity was enough to propel Pearlina closer to the rock wall.
The vibrations of the water intensified as more of the troop arrived. They had sensed Daryah’s arrival. The vibrations were different for their kind. The troop could detect if humans traveled out as far as their cove, which made them easy to avoid since their floating crafts were much louder than most underwater creatures.
Pearlina forced herself to the front. She wanted to see the human before they performed the final part of the ceremony.
Her troop gathered behind the rock wall, but Pearlina couldn’t take her eyes off Daryah. Her head bobbed to the surface, and then under again as she dragged the human behind her.
Drywalker tails split in two to resemble legs and feet to blend in among the humans. Without a tail, the swim home was another challenge. At the end, when Daryah bonded with her betrothed, her tail would return.
Pearlina dipped under and thrust her hands out in front of her, feeling for the difference in vibration around the human. Daryah’s slow pace created a swirling sensation inside of her. As Daryah neared, a sinking sensation inside Pearlina cast darkness over her, dragging to the tip of her fin. Pearlina wasn’t the only one who experienced the wrongness spreading through the water.
Daryah stopped by the rock wall, grabbing on to the sharp surface. Her breathing was labored. As she pulled herself up, her hands were empty. No human floated in the water beside her. She had come back without one.
Pearlina pulled Syrene to her. Her fingers brushed over her sister’s neck, moving her dark hair from her shoulders. Why has she done this?
I don’t know.
Their mother and two others glided ahead of the troop, toward Daryah. Pearlina wanted to get closer, but she wasn’t going to get in the way of the ceremony. If Daryah didn’t bring back a human, it wasn’t her own life in danger.
Pearlina searched the water for Daryah’s betrothed. The bumps on her flesh squeezed tighter, and she dipped below to warm herself.
This will not end well for her. Mother’s voice appeared in her mind as her hands brushed against Pearlina.
She has two more days, Pearlina sent to Syrene. Why return now without a human? Her earlier curiosity about the human disappeared, overtaken by fear for Daryah’s betrothed. If she didn’t go back to complete the ceremony, then her time on land was over. Her betrothed’s life would end if Daryah couldn’t convince the older generation of her commitment to fulfill her duty.
Ambudhi, Daryah’s betrothed, appeared next to the rock wall. His eyes never left Daryah’s, yet hers were on the approaching three.
Daryah let out a keening sound and moved up the side of the rock wall.
Syrene squeezed Pearlina’s hand. Her sister’s wild thoughts raced through her, but she closed off her mind to dampen them. Whatever happened next, she couldn’t tear her attention away. All Daryah needed to do was go back to land and finish her duty. Instead, she froze on the rock wall as if time itself had stopped.
Pearlina knew what was coming, yet she didn’t predict the glint of the sky light against the curved dagger made from sea glass rising above her mother’s head. Ambudhi didn’t see the tool, but he knew what was coming. His eyes never left Daryah.
Sonata, the one in charge of the Drywalking ceremonies, spoke in a strange tongue, coaxing Daryah from the rocks.
Defeated, Daryah moved closer to the water. Her legs dipped below the surface as Sonata curled her fingers around the pearl necklace at Daryah’s throat. The pearls were integral to the ceremony, supplying the essence to give a Drywalker legs. Sonata lifted the necklace from Daryah’s neck, but she clung on to them, sputtering in that strange human tongue. The woven seaweed pulled and snapped. The pearls plunked into the water, forever lost at sea.
Then, she grabbed Daryah’s arms and pushed her under the water. Daryah thrashed, creating sea foam over the surface. Pearlina stared for what felt like years. When Daryah resurfaced, her gills sliced across her throat. She was no longer out of breath. She flicked her fin and reached for Ambudhi as Mother plunged the dagger into his chest. Two other males grabbed his arms and dove under the surface. Instead of a human, Ambudhi would serve as the sacrifice to their troop.
Daryah’s screams echoed in Pearlina’s mind. She clasped her hands over her ears, as did others. This instance would forever serve as a reminder that the humans were still their enemies. Even though a human hadn’t held the dagger that killed Ambudhi, humans themselves were to blame for his death.
The troop turned away from Daryah, diving under the surface to complete the ceremony.
Syrene left Pearlina’s side, following them. Pearlina remained, keeping her head above water. Those who didn’t complete the ceremony were no longer welcome. As Ambudhi would reunite with the watery depths, Daryah would perish in the water, but many years later. No one would mourn her.
Their eyes met. Daryah shook her head and screamed again.
Pearlina couldn’t take the sound anymore. She took one last look at the land in the distance and dove. She couldn’t wait for the day when she could avenge Ambudhi. She would fulfill her duty to the troop and allow them to continue for generations and rule the sea, unlike Daryah who would die alone and without ceremony.
Chapter 1
Even years later, Pearlina still experienced Daryah’s banishment during her sleep. The memories were more vivid as her own Drywalking ceremony had arrived. It was her turn, yet she wished it were any of the others. Her time had come. She was the eldest of the unbonded females and had no choice.
She woke before Syrene and swam out of their hidden cove, deep below the surface, where the humans rarely ventured. The periphery of the cove was home to plentiful sea life. A school of fish leisurely swam by. Not one part of her wanted to leave this place, but it was her duty. The survival of their kind depended on the strength of the females, and the ability to reproduce. On land, she’d prove her worth and dedication. When she returned, she’d bond to a male and never be faced with another human again.
The ceremony seemed simple enough, but the memories of Daryah clung to her mind like coral to the cove.
In the time since then, Pearlina only left her home for hunting journeys. For prolonged periods, she distanced herself from the land. The rest of the time she waded through life, wishing she could stay under the surface for good. It wasn’t the most ambitious of plans, but she didn’t want to be a burden, like Daryah. Pearlina would live a long life, serving their survival.
Above her, the sky light altered the hue of the water as it started to filter down to the depths of the cove. The ceremony neared.
The announcement of her betrothed worried her as much as going onto land. Who would she spend the rest of her life with? Those who were bonded in the troop never traveled without their partners. When one died, the other went shortly after. The only one Pearlina ever imagined by her side was Syrene. It was hard to believe any of the males could take her sister’s place. But as a member of the troop, she trusted the ceremonies in place.
Syrene’s signature vibration approached. Pearlina fisted her hands by her sides before flicking her fin in her sister’s direction. The last ceremony passed through Pearlina’s mind. The Drywalking ceremony had taken place in less than one cycle of the sky light. The female, Tamami, had brought a human corpse to the cove before any of the troop noticed her arrival. She’d bonded to her betrothed before the second day of her proposed ceremony. It was a feat to rival, but Pearlina didn’t have a competitive spirit.
Syrene’s hand touched Pearlina’s shoulder. Sister, are you ready?
Yes.
Syrene moved in front of Pearlina and took her hands. What is wrong? Today is a celebratory event.
For some. Pearlina removed her hands from Syrene’s and turned away, wanting her mind to be private for once.
With a flick of her fin, Syrene appeared in front of Pearlina again, but this time, Syrene kept her hands at her sides. Her eyes said enough.
There was nothing to say. Pearlina had no choice.
It had taken Daryah’s fateful Drywalking ceremony for Pearlina to finally understand why Syrene preferred the water to the air. Their cove was uncomplicated and straightforward – the way Pearlina now preferred.
The Drywalking ceremony was a disruption to her life, but a necessary movement forward for the future of their troop. There was no going back, and Pearlina would try to return to the water as soon as possible.
In the time before her ceremony, other betrothed females passed down information to help Pearlina to succeed on land. Strange words and customs rolled over in her mind. The most elusive information was how she would capture one of the humans for the sacrifice. All the tales from the females were different. Their choosing depended on how quickly they could gain a human’s trust.
Pearlina always thought humans were like any other food source she had hunted at sea. But the bonded had told her they were a different type of prey. They were cunning and selfish and would do anything to survive. Pearlina didn’t appreciate the challenge. Each Drywalker after Daryah had to prove themselves. Since then, all the females worked hard to show the troop that they were deserving of their roles as Daryah’s memory hovered over them. While Pearlina tried to prove herself in other ways, the Drywalking ceremony mattered most to them.
Vibrations from the members of the troop coursed through her body as she neared the location of the ceremony. It took place near a cliff face at their cove’s edge. It was where they brought the bodies of the humans for sacrifice – a place Pearlina tried to stay away from as much as possible. When she and Syrene were young, they had dared each other to swim as far down as possible. But they each only swam a few yards before gliding up to known territory. Souls of the humans haunted the depths, enough to keep the young ones away.
Pearlina feared her mission more than the souls. She scanned the troop for the unbonded males. One of them would be her other half for the rest of her long life. She couldn’t imagine who had been chosen for her.
Before Sonata became one with the sea again, she’d passed her duties to her daughter. Zimra had completed the ceremony for several cycles. Her obligation to the troop revolved around the Drywalking ceremony, though she would never take part. She held the burden of the secrets of the seas, carving the runes into the chosen pearls to be a part of the ceremony.
For a long time, Pearlina hadn’t cared to know how it all worked, as long as it was over as soon as possible. She wasn’t looking forward to the long and tiresome swim to land, or to drowning a human, though she had imagined it more recently. She tried to think of the humans as large marine creatures. It was the only way for her to think about taking one of them under. Her skills at hunting weren’t all for naught.
Syrene glided next to Pearlina, but she kept her hands to herself. It was Pearlina who reached out. I’m scared.
Syrene squeezed back. I know. You will do well. You don’t need to be as quick as Tamami.
Pearlina wanted to hold on to Syrene and swim off, forever delaying her duty. She didn’t care about being the best. She hated the humans for creating the need for this tradition. If they weren’t so horrible, Daryah wouldn’t have had to die on her own. But rather than reaching for her sister, Pearlina’s hands floated by her sides.
Use it, Syrene said, stretching beyond their abilities, and speaking without touching. Only the strongest bonds allowed it. It also opened Pearlina’s mind to her sister, which Syrene tried never to do. Usually it was an unwelcome intrusion, but today, Pearlina didn’t mind. She’d take her sister’s advice and use their bond to communicate.
The rest of the troop had gathered. Their eyes were on Pearlina.
With her shoulders pushed back and Syrene’s words in her head, she flicked her tail and swam to Zimra.
Thick runes cut across her arms, shapes unreadable by anyone who didn’t understand the human language. Markings dotted Zimra’s face, and Pearlina barely recognized the female she had trained to hunt. As with others with her destiny, Zimra cut her light hair when her mother had died, and her duties were passed on. Runes marred the top of her head, reaching down her back, offering a full view of her transformation.
Zimra opened her arms wide, and Pearlina looked at her troop, several yards away. They were to witness the ceremony, but the intricate details of the transformation were an intimate affair. Zimra’s lips moved, curving around the strange and silent language. She held the corded necklace above Pearlina’s head before tying it around her neck. A pulse shifted within Pearlina’s chest as Zimra gripped her shoulders as tight as a shark’s jaws.
Pearlina’s mouth fell open, and a ripping sensation split her body. Her head fell back, and the surface called to her. The sharp pain moved to the lower half of her body. Darkness crept into the edges of her vision. Daryah’s screams from long ago echoed in her mind. Zimra’s grip loosened and Pearlina started to sink. She kicked out her tail – no – she no longer had one. The two legs under her were useless in moving her toward the surface. She tried to take hold of two limbs instead of one, but the legs didn’t give the same movement as her tail. She clawed against the water with her hands and tried to breathe. Instead, water flooded her mouth.
Pearlina pressed her lips together and touched her neck. The slits of her gills were no longer there. Instead, her fingers dragged against smooth skin.
Syrene appeared in front of her and nodded. I have you. Her voice was no longer as clear in Pearlina’s mind. It was as if water filled her mind as much as it had her mouth.
Another set of hands touched her. She turned to face Kaito, her betrothed. She hadn’t expected him. His dark eyes were always soft, and he was a keen hunter.
Once again, her surroundings blackened. She tried to push her thoughts to Syrene, but she couldn’t do much other than flail helplessly.
Holding her against them, Kaito and Syrene helped Pearlina to the surface. Her legs dragged under her, and she could barely hold on. They had strong grips as if they were both determined to keep her alive. None of the other females had mentioned the suffocating feeling of the inability to breathe. With all the advice they’d given, Pearlina wished she had known what to expect about the unpleasant experience of becoming human.
The moment her face touched reached the surface, she inhaled. Air filled her mouth and lungs as she drew in a breath. She choked and gagged on the water she’d swallowed, but she’d made it to the surface alive.
Syrene trailed her fingers along Pearlina’s face. Usually, only the betrothed pair raced to the surface together after the physical traditions of the ceremony were performed – this moment. The temporary farewell between betrothed was sacred.
Without any more words, Syrene disappeared under the surface. Pearlina stared at the water where her sister had gone.
Greetings, Kaito sent to her. His voice wasn’t as strong in her head either. Their communication wasn’t as crisp as it had been under water – just as it had been more difficult to understand Syrene. It was possible the human form couldn’t interpret their ways of speaking, or it was another aspect of the ceremony.