River witch
she snapped.
“Not what,” Halrik said, staring out to sea, “but who.”
Suddenly, the net surfaced—not empty, but wrong. Shreds of it flailed wildly, torn open by something with impossible strength. Bones tumbled out across the deck—ribs, jaws, but not human or fish. Some were translucent. Others shimmered as if dipped in oil.
Then a lump slid from the mangled trawl—wet and glistening. A shape. Humanoid. Naked. Breathing.