There is no indication that the veils have affected the ocean dwellers. Even the water nymphs seem to be at a loss if the sirens and merpeople are eased by the loss of Njord, Neptune, or whatever water god and goddess patrolled those waters. Only time will tell. — Diary Entry 102 from Asta Vos

***

The water changes from light to dark shades of blue as it dips into the horizon as I lean against the wooden fence, breathing in the scenery. To my right, people walk along a path leading to Honokalani Beach, the black sands, and the rest of the hiking path. To our left, jagged lava rock is covered in green vines as waves crash into the side. The jagged lava rock slivers from a fist to a sliver from the decades of the onslaught of the sea.

Zale grasps my hand as mermaid heads of red, purple, and blue come to the surface in the distance. His palm wasn't as smooth as I expected it to be. Soft calluses had formed on his palms from lifting weights or climbing rocks. He lightly squeezes my hand when the mermaids continue to stare in our direction. I glance at him with my mouth ready to form the question.

"Let's get going," he says, walking towards the black sand beach. I move to release my hand, but he grasps it tighter. "I don't—"he pauses. "I'll explain when there aren't so many people around."

"Why do I feel I should have asked for more perks?" I smirk.

Zale shrugs as he leads me along the steady line of people walking the path to a set of stairs that lead us down to the black sands. Large waves crash on the black-pebbled beach before simmering away, leaving a melody of sound in their wake as the water pulls back into the ocean.

Groups of people are scattered along the beach. Some jumping in and out of the water. Others just take photos as they walk along the coast. Well, most of the beach. Right now, a large seal has taken a portion in the middle, with a series of cones and warning tape surrounding it.

"Don't touch the seal," Zale reads the sign aloud while smirking. "Like I would want to touch that lazy large ass."

The seal raises its head and opens a sleepy eye at Zale. It seems to assess him briefly before pausing on our joined hands. Its massive black tail flicks into the air, causing light to shimmer off of its rubbery skin.

"Oh no," Zale holds up his free hand. "Please, don't let us disturb your sunning time."

The giant rubbery tail flicks again as the seal opens its mouth, letting out a massive yawn before turning over.

"You should really be nicer to it," I mutter, pulling him along the beach. "It probably needs some rest from swimming in those waves."

"Yeah," he mutters, watching the seal as we pass. And, I swear he adds a "good to see you too" under his breath before we pass the last cone.

We walk for a moment longer before pausing at a large black rock to watch the waves roll in. "Do you want to put your feet in?"

Zale shakes his head. "No, not yet. I don't want them to be soggy on the hike."

I glance towards the others, following a path up and along the cliffside. "So, this is why you made sure I wore my hiking boots earlier?"

He shrugs and pulls me along. Zale finally releases my hand on the path as I step behind him on the trail. We keep a silent and steady pace, pausing amongst the vegetation surrounding us to let others pass. To our right, the waves continue to break inside the cove. My questions simmer underneath my awe as we continue our ascent along the black path, climbing where necessary and only pausing when we reach the top before the path bends back down.

"Do you mind if we keep going?" Zale asks, moving around some people standing to take photos.

I shake my head. "Let's keep going."

My fingers trail along the green leaves of the trees and vines surrounding us as we continue along the path. Bird songs rise in our ears when the waves dull. Zale glances back at me before reverting his eyes back to the path.

"I came to Maui to avoid my ex," he says over his shoulder. I stiffen slightly but don't say anything. "She broke into my apartment after I ended it."

My eyebrows knit together as I consider my words. "Did anything happen?"

Zale lets out a long sigh, shaking his head. "Thankfully, she didn't do anything that couldn't be replaced. I was on set at the time. It just sucked to come home to no sheets and a smashed kitchen."

"I bet," I nod. "Has she done anything since?"

He shrugs. "Voicemails. Text messages. I changed my phone number and moved into a highly secure apartment building. I let all my friends and family know not to tell her. But," he sighs. "She somehow managed to track me here." We take a few more steps before he pauses and looks at me. "I'm usually in great control, but I've just been afraid to be alone. Especially after she left someone waiting for me at the airport with a lei and a note."

My toe clips on a rock, causing me to quickly steady myself.

"You okay?" Lapis eyes scan my face and body.

"Yep," I smile. "Just a rock." He nods, and we carry on. "So, uh, what did the note say?"

Zale sucks in some air before sighing. "Something along the lines of. I've seen how hard you have been working. I hope you get some rest. I love you."

"Oh, well, that would make me a bit of a hot mess with my magic, too." He laughs and nods as we continue walking, with the birds and trees keeping us company. "How long were you two together?"

"Long enough that everyone thought we'd be getting married," he sighs. "It isn't something I'm proud of to let things go on so long, but I couldn't stand the idea of marrying her, especially when it wasn't my choice."

I nod my head, trying to find the right words. "Was she ever your choice?"

Zale shakes his head. "No, I—" he sighs. "I think you can guess that I'm not simple. My father is a fae who fell in love with my mother."

"Ah," I whisper.

Some of the fae cultures still believe in betrothals. The matches often end well, but there are still some cases where one or both sides deny the union.

"So, why hold my hand?" I ask. "Wouldn't that just make things worse?"

"For my own selfish reasons," he glances back at me. "I want to make sure she knows that I've moved on. Plus, since you're doing so great at controlling my power," Zale turns to wink at me. "I figured you could handle anything she might throw at you."

I scowl at his back. "Lovely," he shrugs in answer. "So, you think she's that crazy to try doing something with me?"

"I doubt it," he mutters. "With the laws in place, that would get her in more trouble than it's worth."

I roll my eyes at his naivety. People's obsessions with love can make them do many things. Many insane and... I let the sigh leave my nostrils before speaking again.

"It would have been nice to have a choice."

He pauses at my words and turns to me. His lapis eyes search mine for a moment as his lips tighten into a thin line before nodding. "You're right. I'm sorry."

The pain lingering on the edges of his gaze makes something in my stomach tighten and release. A sensation that is unexpected and accompanied by emotions I don't wish to place.

I take a step forward and smirk. "Well, nothing we can do about it now. I guess it means you should buy all of my meals and drinks."

Relief floods his vision as his mouth quirks upward at the edges. "You are expensive."

"Just like my mother taught me to be," I laugh, taking the lead as we continue along the path. His laughter mingles with the birds and waves as we continue on.

The hike continues as we round another beach. My steps and banter do well to hide my thoughts. I honestly don't know why agreeing doesn't scare me. This guy is a celebrity with a stalker. There is nothing sane about becoming involved with this situation.

It's becoming one of those situations where my few friends get to tell a camera about how I lit up a room. Well, lie about my kindness and lighting up a room.

Maybe it's because I don't want to see him lose control on some unexpected humans again. It makes sense that Zale can't seem to control his powers with his current emotional state. Reaching out is a way to protect himself from people shielding him from a woman out of control.

We reach the trail's end and stand on the edge of volcanic rock. I glance towards Zale to see his eyes closed and his dark hair whipping around his face. A peaceful smile forms on his lips. I reach towards him and intertwine our fingers. He opens his eyes and looks towards me. I turn back to the ocean. We stand there staring at the blue horizon until it's time to head back.

This time, I take the lead and tell him about my life. 

Word Count: 1,574

Total Word Count: 13,224