Page 26 of Kraken the Seal

“Made to do what?” I demanded.

“That's a good question,” he said. He was enjoying this. He liked that he had something we wanted.

“Tell us what it is,” Delmar demanded. “Who made it and how can it be undone?”

Norris's smile vanished, and he scowled at Delmar. “Don’t talk to me. You have no place here, sea monster.” Norris picked up the box and opened his jacket as if he was going to put it in an inside pocket. Delmar snapped out a tentacle and snatched it from him. He pressed it into my hands, and I tucked it away in my purse.

After a moment of stunned silence, Norris's face went red.

“Don't ever do that again, monster!” he snarled. “Your kind is an abomination on this earth.”

“Don’t think I won’t drag you out to sea and show you my real self,” Delmar growled.

Norris smirked. “How is that going to help Nina?”

I put a hand on Delmar’s thigh and squeezed. Both of his hands were resting on the table, curled into tight fists. One of his appendages slipped out from under his hoodie and covered my hand.

“Don't talk to him like that,” I said and pushed my chair back to stand up. “Come on, Delmar. We're leaving.”

“No, wait,” Norris said, visibly pulling himself back and forcing his mouth back into his fake smile. “I'm sorry I judged him. I can see how suddenly finding yourself turned into a selkie would have been terrifying. Then this kraken comforts you. I cansee how you'd think you needed his support. I'll be polite, even though he's not worthy of you.”

“He's worthy,” I said.

“As you wish,” he said, his expression overtly magnanimous.

“All I need to know is who made the necklace and how to fix what it did to me,” I said. “Then Delmar and I will leave and never bother you again.”

Norris’s smile widened into something real and predatory. “I’ll tell you everything I know after you've stayed here for a week.”

Finally, I had something concrete I could trade.

“I’ll agree to stay for two days,” I said.

“Five days,” Norris countered, very obviously pleased with himself. “Five days should be enough time for you to talk to everyone in the colony and realize that we are the family you’ve been missing your entire life.”

That was presumptuous of him. “I have a mother and father that I love very much.”

“That’s nice,” he said, leaning forward and looking intensely interested. “Please invite them to join you here. Stuart and Christine run a bed-and-breakfast that’s empty right now. You can stay in one of the rooms, and your parents can use the other. All costs will be covered by the colony.”

I shook my head. “No. I’ll stay on the boat with Delmar, and I’m not inviting my parents.”

“Do you have any siblings?” he asked. “They can visit.”

I didn’t respond, only kept my stony expression. He paused, as if waiting for me to agree, but gave up with a little shrug. “There'll be plenty of time in the future for you to invite your family here. For now, it’s important you realize how much we have to offer.”

“I have a great life already,” I said.

“I’m sure you have a career, but do you have a community?” he asked, then held up a hand before I could answer. “Our colonyis so much more than having some friends you have drinks with a few times a month. If the roof on your house leaks, we fix it. If you’re injured or ill, we care for you no matter how long it takes for you to recover. If you can’t afford groceries, we provide them. No member of our colony goes without.”

His words made this place sound like a safe haven, but that didn't make up for his treatment of Delmar, women, and the culty vibes.

“That’s nice for all of you,” I said.

“Yes, this is an amazing place. I’m sure you’ll realize how perfect it is here and never want to go back to your former human life,” he said, as if we were finished negotiating, but we weren’t.

“Five days is a long time,” I said. “I’m going to miss work. Three days is all I can do.”

Annoyance briefly crossed his expression before his smile was back. “Then we have a lot to do in three days. Let’s start with having a nice coffee while I tell you all about our colony.”