Elara hovered just beneath the surface of the water, her sapphire eyes narrowing as she gazed up at the shimmering lights above. A party cruise bus drifted lazily along the waves, and the humans aboard it were celebrating as though they were the only creatures on this side of the world.
The water was littered with bottles, plastic cups, and confetti, all sinking slowly around her, tarnishing the pristine depths that had once been her sanctuary. She scoffed silently, her lips curling in disgust as she watched yet another beer can plop into the ocean with a hollow splash. How predictable.
Their loud music pounded like a relentless storm through the water, a cacophony of mindless noise that grated against her finely-tuned senses. Every note was an insult to what music should be, to what her voice — her true voice — could create. These humans didn't even try to sing, and if this was the best they could manage, there was no melody on this earth that could help them. No one in her world would dare call this racket music.
Her tail flicked behind her, its iridescent scales catching the faintest glimmers of moonlight that seeped through the surface, and she allowed herself to drift farther from the boat, retreating into the darker depths.
The deeper water was her domain. Out here, far from the shore, she felt untouchable — and from here, she could hate them freely. The humans, with their careless waste and their ugly, hollow sounds, knew nothing of the beauty they were defiling. And they never would.
A low rumble of anger stirred in her chest, though she kept it locked away, for now. She was patient. But this night was as good as any for one of them to pay the price.
YOU ARE READING
We Breathe Water, You Breathe Lies
FantasyIn the depths of Florida's hauntingly beautiful oceans, where sunlight dances upon the waves and shadows linger beneath, an ancient war brews between the merfolk and their human adversaries. As the tides shift, Elara, a stunningly captivating mermai...
