Khaeris Dawndancer

Prettily, the shell shimmered. She was entranced. It was so smooth under her fingertip. She’d read it was called ‘nacre’ before it was harvested for mother-of-pearl. The name itself made Khaeris smile and made her think of sea spirits, beautiful and mysterious.

But was beauty that had been forged in the dark. In the deep. The power of the ocean sent goosebumps rippling over her skin.

She glanced up and over the waves as her toes pushed farther into the cool, damp sand. Pollux was surfing. Her deep breath pulled in the salty tang of the air, the taste on her tongue now familiar. Now reminding her of him. The slight increase in her heart rate of a moment prior slowed again. Her toes sank deeper still.

Flipping the shell over, she then traced her fingers over the sandy back. The dull browns and heavy ridges had tiny spikes and wasn’t pretty. It pulled and caught at the pad of her thumb. Rough. Protective of the loveliness inside.

Then again. Maybe the outside was less protective. More jealous. More a cage than a shield. It hid away and held the beauty. No one would see the loveliness until the thing was dead.

She looked up again to see Pollux approaching. Dripping and grinning and holding his board under one arm.

Maybe it was just a shell. Gods and goats.

She tossed it away and rose to meet him.

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Thanks @saltsparkle