A storm broke against the shore of Harren. The people holed up in their homes while the knights did the same inside the inn. But not all were inhabitants of Harren feared the storm. Some Selkies swam through the turbulent waters and let the waves roll them around the weightlessness of the ocean. It was one of their feast days when they went out into the depth to hunt for a special kind of squid only present around the new moon at this time of the year.

  This year Aila was the first time among them as this feast also marked the day she was finally considered of age among her people. The thrill of the hunt made her forget for the moment about the murders and what Maude had told her about the monster in the deep. The shine of the squid was also mesmerizing and inciting her to give this hunt everything she got. Just as her gran had once said, feast-days are for feasts and not for worries.

  But as she dove deeper and deeper, following a peculiar large squid, she suddenly found herself alone in perfect darkness. Although she could see much better than any human in the dark ocean, this time she was blind. But fear didn’t take hold of her. She could still feel the ocean currents with her whiskers. The storm above pushed also against the lower layers of the ocean. She could feel the upheaval of giant waves breaking against the shore as much as the minute turbulence caused by the propulsion of the squid.

  Suddenly, the squid she had been pursuing changed direction and swam past her. With renewed vigor, she followed the fast swimming animal. Inches from catching the squid, she was suddenly rammed by something big and tumbled through the water.

  She reoriented herself and collected her bearings.

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  Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine.

  There was something close by.

  Something right behind her.

  Slow, she turned around and concentrated on her whiskers. Although she had never been the best at it, she could still somewhat map out her surroundings by using them.

  What she sensed confused her. It seemed like a seal was close by, at least judging by the general disturbances in the stream of water. But this seal was big. Much bigger than even the tallest Selkie of Harren.

  Somewhat apprehensive, she opened her eyes, despite it being foolish. Yet, it was just the right moment. The glowing squid swam just past a giant set of hollow eyes, which reflected the light of the animal with an intense fluorescent green.

  If on land, she would’ve screamed. Instead, she dashed off, barely seeing the giant maw filled with jagged teeth aimed at her throat.

  Aila swam for her life.

  She didn’t dare to stop.

  She didn’t dare to even turn around or feel out if she was hunted.

  All she could do was swim.

  Swimming towards the surface.

  Swimming towards the others of her tribe.

  The moment she saw the hectic glow of the squids above, she slowed down. A mistake, as a few seconds later sharp teeth ribbed into her back flippers. Purely on instinct, she turned around and a bit down into the next thing she could reach. The taste of blood immediately poisoned her tongue, but she managed to tear free and swim the rest of the way towards the others.

  Once she had reached them, she immediately left the feast and went back into the secret Selkie part of the village. Upon being questioned as to the origin of the wound, she said it had been a shark — a common problem among her people and around these waters. Lucky for her, they believed her and didn’t ask further questions. Perhaps they were even too afraid to ask the real question they most likely had thought of.

  All Aila thought of was to return as soon as the sun rose to Alistair and ask him for advice.