He'd followed her for two days. Had she lost awareness of danger as soon as she'd found her legs? Darghelm sneered at Miro's naivety. Her father had always been overprotective of his daughters, and he'd failed. One child was dead, and the other walked amongst humans—two lost princesses. Miro had begun the search for Zalo. Darghelm could drag her back to the pod—again—but she wouldn't give up. So now he played bodyguard, watching as she caught up on human language and culture. Humans weren't hard to understand or mimic—elemental creatures with lower intellect. Darghelm had walked on land many times. He knew the language and the nature of the enemy. Thanks to his fisheri brain, learning English took only a day or two. He hated humans but liked their simplicity. Darghelm knew Miro's next step would be calling for Zalo. The fisheri could communicate like whales but at a much higher frequency. The average adult human can hear sounds between 20 - 20,000 hertz, and a fisheri's

Stralath had left the team in California and followed Galene to her family home. Her lack of awareness at the airport had concerned him. She'd commuted in a trance, not noticing she was being followed. Her predatory instincts weren't just asleep; they were comatose. He watched when she reluctantly entered her parent's home, and he watched when she ran from the house. So her father must've been the culprit? The one who sliced away her spores? Sobbing, Galene descended to the beach, and Stralath forced himself to remain in place. Don't go to her… don't go to her… She disturbed every cell in his body, and he despised the attraction. If the vibrios decided to kidnap her, Stralath would watch over her and step in w

Stralath raced up the stairs. The front door stood open, and he charged into the living room. She hadn't answered his calls since replying to his text, and he'd broken numerous traffic laws in the last minutes to get to Galene. He didn't trust humans—one of the most unpredictable species. Voices came from a room down the passage, and Stralath headed that way. The broken door had his pulse accelerating. Galene knelt on the floor in the bedroom, her face pale as she cradled her hand. Her bike lay on her bed, and a vase lay broken on the floor. Stralath zoned in on the second occupant in the room, assessing the threat. A woman with long auburn hair babbled, almost begging Galene. "I swear, Kevin's always been quick-tempered, but he has a gentle heart. He's just a kid.""Harper… He's twenty, and he broke down my door and wanted to hurt me.""But, he didn't. He has some social challenges and—""Where is he?" Stralath barked out the

Miro had moved quickly down the coast, and now she was almost too far from the waters she called home. Now, she was in the big city of Los Angelos, and even the crowds and traffic overwhelmed her, she stayed focused on her task. Finding Zalo took all of her energy. Now that Miro knew the English language and how to read, she’d searched library databases for old newspaper clippings around the typhoon. Although she’d found articles and clippings, none had led her to her sister. And Miro had called for her siblings in every town, and nothing. Why did Zalo not hear her calls? Unless she was… unless she was dead. Miro’s feet slowed, and she stopped in the middle of the busy sidewalk and looked around. As she’d ventured inland—further away from the ocean. Thanks to her advanced fisheri brain, Miro had learned to speak fluent English within the week. Compared to her siren language, English wasn’t that hard. And the humans see

Stralath lay on the asphalt, staring up at the night's sky. What had just happened? His human body hurt—excruciating pain that kept him down when he should be chasing after Galene. Why had she run? One moment, they'd almost kissed, and the next, she'd sprinted away like a professional athlete. "Don't move. You may have hurt your back." A kind-looking lady peered into his eyes as the rest of the bystanders buzzed around like frantic bees. He rolled his head to the side and swiped at the blood running into his eyes. She ran in that direction, and he'd lain here too long. Gritting his teeth, Stralath rolled two his knees. The look in her eyes had scared him—like she'd been possessed. And he'd so badly wanted to transform into his Mesaphina form to stop her. With so many humans around, he'd had no choice but to push Galene roughly out of the way. If he hadn't, she'd be the one lying on the road. The driver gripped Stralath's shoulder, and he shoved the hand away. His i