Floating Alone Read Online Free PDF Page B

in front of her, taking in the silvery-grey skin that covered her and checking out her tail. The tail was still the rounded shape that she was used to.
    Marina scowled. “Damn, I screwed up the wetsuit on my own.”
    His rictus grin seemed inordinately amused.
    He turned and headed to the sinking boat. With a lash of his tail at the engine, the motor burst into flames, burning off the fuel. Magic consumed the rest.
    He cruised back into the delta, and she followed him, swimming up toward her little safe place for those of her bloodline.
    Her new form was fast. She kept up with Irdan and passed her kayak. Marina paused, grabbed the small boat and looked for the paddle. It was floating a few feet away and drifting toward shore.
    A small alligator grabbed her wrist as her hand closed on the paddle. To Marina’s astonishment, she felt and saw the teeth break on her skin. The gator was shocked as well; he let her go and swam away.
    She floated with her tail keeping her upright and grabbed the paddle again, tucking it into the kayak before she hauled it up the waterway to the rescue centre.
    Irdan was waiting next to the water gate, dressed and crouching at the mossy edge.
    “Hello, darling. Would you like a hand out of the water?”
    She scowled. “Yes.”
    She pushed the kayak onto the grass and reached out to take Irdan’s hands. He pulled her from the water, and she resumed her legs and—to her surprise—her clothing.
    Toby was standing with the camera in his hand and his mouth open. When she saw the camera, she was reminded of her headgear.
    “Oh, heck. Well, I guess I now have a detailed description of my own body. Hooray. So, Toby, impressed?”
    Toby closed his mouth with a snap. “That was... you are... that’s cool.”
    She was relieved at his opinion of her other shape.
    “Why didn’t you show me this before?”
    She sighed. “It hasn’t always been this obvious. How is my hair?”
    “It’s silver.”
    She reached behind her and pulled some strands out, peering at them. “What?”
    Irdan grinned and gently shut off her camera before lifting it off her head. “I told you that the first change after our joining would have some results.”
    “Yeah, but you didn’t tell me until after. ” She wrinkled her nose at him.
    Toby was still recording.
    She snickered. “Okay, Toby. Enough with the recordings. I am going to check on the other ladies and see what they think of my new look.”
    Her assistant reluctantly lowered the camera and turned it off.
    Marina stepped away from Irdan and stretched. “It feels peculiar.”
    “Your colouration is striking, dearest. I am sure that your guests will approve.”
    She threw a quick glance over her shoulder at him and Toby. “Can you put those cameras in the office? I need to go for another swim.”
    Marina walked over to the first of the holding tanks and slipped into the water. She swam easily, and soon, her guests came to nibble at her hair as well as rub against her.
    She would have been afraid of the fourteen-foot creatures if she didn’t possess a form that was the same size. The gentle minds murmured softly to her, whispering of their approval of her newly shaded head and skin.
    To Marina’s surprise, her hands were marked with faded strips of the same silver. She smiled and looked at them, admiring their curves and the soft sweep of their healed skin.
    She lost track of time, enjoying rolling on the surface and returning to the depths as her guests nibbled at the grasses she had carefully cultivated at the edge of the holding area.
    When she had played enough, she turned and swam back to the entry point, boosting herself up and out of the water before Irdan helped her the rest of the way.
    “You do realise that I can and have gotten up and out of the water on my own.” She was wet and plastered against his body.
    He chuckled. “But, now that we are official as far as our people are concerned, there is no reason to remain at a distance.”
    She had to