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Chapter Fifty
Apologies for the delay in posting new chapters - I flew to South Africa for three weeks.
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Tidal Souls Chapter One
Lincoln City, Oregon.There were rules…No swimming in saltwater.Never play hide and seek.Never ask about the scar at the back of her neck.Her first memory was the injury, and that pain never entirely disappeared. Nor the nightmares. Galene would dream of a monster who lived within, reaching out and splitting her spine. Killing everything she cared about. Her friends and her beloved parents.Some nights, her nightmares involved her father gutting her like a fish. But, Owen would never hurt his daughter.Shuddering, she stared at the injured red octopus squirming in her hands.Her father observed as she carried it to a deep tidal pool, hopping nimbly over coraled rocks. The red octopus had a sharp beak and may be inclined to bite and then spit venom on the woun
Tidal Souls Chapter Two
Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe descent to earth was a smooth ride, considering they’d felt a little warm upon entry at 100 km. But the ship was built for gravity and drag and could resist higher temperatures more extreme than the earth’s atmosphere. Cleona guided them safely to Franklin Canyon Park. The famous Los Angeles discovery trail lay deserted at three in the morning. But, no one would spot the spacecraft. It was invisible to the naked eye and hovered above the trees.Stralath rappelled to the ground and waited for his teammate—Cleona—to join him. Once they’d packed away their gear, he stood and took in her human form and nodded with approval.He’d been to earth a few times. This was Cleona’s first mission to the flourishing planet, and she looked acceptable. A short human stature, though. Her brown hair wa
Tidal Souls Chapter Three
Galene traced a fanned paintbrush as her mother worried over a set of expensive oil paints in the same aisle. A Saturday meant a bustling hobby shop, and they both looked a mess, dressed in color splattered dungarees. Galene even had paint in her hair and had pulled it up into a messy bun."I should've ordered online at our wholesaler." Her mother picked up a tube—the same violet color as her name. "Oils isn't your normal medium—you prefer acrylic paints. Why the sudden switch?" Galene twirled in the aisle and ran a hand along a white canvas. "Besides, I like your current work.""My current commission." Her mom grumbled. "I hate painting for other people.""You're getting paid a lot of money.""Which is why I'll take a break and play with a different medium." Bending, she grabbed a bottle of turpentine. "It's not like I need the cash."Her mom was correct—Violet was an established artist with international exhibits under her messy apr
Tidal Souls Chapter Four
Los AngelesThere was little time to rest. Traveling beyond the speed of light led to severe exhaustion—craft lag—and Stralath rallied his energy as they walked up the stairs to the large white mansion. A mix of security personnel and partygoers milled around the front lawns, and Stralath ignored them all, intent on meeting the most powerful person on earth. As expected, a bodyguard stopped him from entering the massive double doors. Cleona waited while he flashed a business card, and the muscled human stepped back, allowing them entry. Heading through the lobby, Stralath knew where to go as he'd been here before. They entered the vast drawing-room and slowed. A bar took up the far end, and a central fountain surrounded by sofas and chairs created a welcoming space. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out onto the gardens surrounding a small lake. Celebrities took up space and gathered in groups around the massive water feature. A wide staircase beside the
Tidal Souls Chapter Five
"You're chasing dangerous targets." Coco locked the door behind them and gestured towards the leather sofa.Ignoring their host, Cleona prowled around the large office, examining Coco's picture frames in a glass cabinet. "What's NASA?" She pointed at a group of astronauts."An organization I worked with for many years.""Miss. Domingo is originally an astrophysicist—a human who studies the universe and its contents." The couch felt comfortable, and Stralath stretched out his legs, ignoring the temptation to take a nap.Cleona huffed out a laugh. "With the archaic technology that humans use? Can they see beyond their solar system?" "Don't be rude." He shot the female warrior a glare. "She's right. If the NIRL hadn't reached out to primitive humans like me, we'd still be wondering about life on other planets." Coco took a seat behind her desk and reached for a folder. Coco ran earth's NIRL sector in veiled secrecy—with limited elected
Tidal Souls Chapter Six
Darghelm led his scouting pod over a sea ridge and into darker depths. They were many miles away from land, and exhaustion ate away at his vigilance. They'd been away from home for two weeks, and he missed the familiar terrain surrounding the Fisheri fortress. He'd gathered enough intel for concern, and their leader would not be pleased with the report. Darghelm's caudal spine throbbed in time with his strokes, and he glanced back at his long tail. A few days of rest should help his strained muscles. His skin was a hybrid of fish scales, sensory cells, and collagen fibers. A combination not ever seen on earth. Plenty of sea creatures on the planet had mastered the art of camouflage, like the cuttlefish. The fisheri species had evolved way beyond any of earth's imaginings. Thanks to their advanced evolution, his alien species had hidden for centuries in the deep oceans. Darghelm watched his tail darken as they drifted deeper. His concealment abilities were so innate and s
Tidal Souls Chapter Seven
Stralath hummed a human song as the elevator slid below ground, and Cleona shot him a strange look which he ignored. He liked earthling music which showed creativity and spirit. He'd stayed up late scrolling the internet and uploaded an extensive playlist to the "insight device" attached to his skull. Coco cleared her throat, and he reluctantly tapped the disc behind his ear, shutting off the rhythmic sound waves rolling through his mind. "The fisheri won't talk, and we've tried everything short of torture." Coco rocked back on her heels. The doors opened, and they stepped into a concrete tunnel. Soft lighting led the way, and when the two women paused at the entrance to the observation room, Stralath gave them a warning."No cameras. Turn off the recording equipment until I give you the green light." Coco glanced at the small gym bag that he carried. "Are you going to hurt him?"Stralath shook his head. "Not unless he attacks first. Did he give a n
Tidal Souls Chapter Eight
Galene loved the off-campus studio. She was back in California at the UCLA School of Arts and preparing for her first official exhibition. Three years of hard work led to a taste of gallery life, and she refused to disappoint herself or her professors. She had her last year of college ahead and needed to focus on direction and narrative within her art. Crossing the quiet street, she glanced at the old industrial warehouse and smiled. Ten of her fellow students shared this massive space with multi-level studios. Yes, the old building seemed unaccommodating to the average person, but it felt eclectic and welcoming to art students. Old sofas and messy studios sat next to a make-shift pottery space. They also had a lithographic and printing room, a sculpture space filled with stone, wood, metals, and a workshop and welding area. The sounds of artists working always motivated Galene to try harder to translate her passion onto canvas. Pulling out her security pass, she swiped
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