Ocean

The salt-laden wind whipped across the docks of Bristol, carrying with it the cacophony of seagulls and the shouts of sailors preparing to embark on their next voyage. Amidst the chaos, a slender figure in ill-fitting men’s clothing made its way purposefully toward the imposing merchant ship, “Poseidon’s Grace.” Eliza Blackwood tugged nervously at the rough fabric of her borrowed jacket, willing her racing heart to slow. She’d spent the last of her meager savings on this disguise, and everything hinged on her ability to pass as a man. At thirty years old, she was taking an enormous risk, but the alternative – a loveless marriage to a man twice her age – was unthinkable. ...

Naia’s fins sliced through the warm currents as she raced toward the heart of the reef. Her blue scales shimmered in the dappled sunlight filtering down from the surface, but today their usual luster was dulled by worry. Something was wrong. She could feel it in the water, taste it in the subtle shifts of salinity on her tongue. As she approached the vast expanse of coral that formed the living foundation of her undersea home, Naia’s heart sank. The vibrant colors she’d known since childhood had faded to sickly browns and grays. Entire sections lay barren, the skeletal remains of once-thriving colonies now ghostly and lifeless. ...