World of Aluvia 2 Read Online Free PDF

remotely boring about a pod of dolphins speeding by, clicking and whirring at them, or magenta fish darting between the three friends like it was a game.
    Despite the gruesome reason for being here, Phoebe gloried in being in the sea once again. It had been six long months since Sierra had forbidden swimming in the ocean at all for unexplained “safety” reasons. And longer than that since Phoebe could swim beyond the cove.
    But here she was now. Finally.
    As they swam deeper into the sea, Tristan and Mina seemed to glow. In fact, Phoebe registered that they didn’t
seem
to glow―they
did
glow. A soft luminescence spread from every inch of their skin down to where scales covered their flesh. The soft brilliance of silver light made Tristan even more handsome than usual. Phoebe blushed.
    “Amazing,” she said breathily.
    Mina laughed and lifted one arm for examination. “What, our moonglow? I forget you haven’t seen it. We have no need of it along the shore. But now we’re going a little deeper.”
    “You’re both incredible,” Phoebe said, awed.
    The two merfolk just smiled back.
    “We’re almost there. I’ll check to make sure the area is clear of predators.” Tristan sped ahead then shot straight up into a tangled vine of seaweed and disappeared.
    Phoebe gasped.
    Mina laughed. “Oh, don’t worry, sweetie. Our secret spot is well-hidden on purpose. This little side trip isn’t just for you, you know. It’s for his own good. That mer will never do what he wants. There was a time he would have done what his heart told him and toss the consequence, but not anymore. The old Tristan’s got to be in there somewhere. We need the Tristan I know and love.”
    “We do?” Phoebe didn’t understand what Mina meant.
    Mina glanced at her, then ahead to where Tristan was already returning, a broad smile on his face.
    “The merfolk do,” Mina whispered and then put her finger over her lips as Tristan grew closer.
    Tristan announced, “It’s safe.”
    Mina pulled on Phoebe’s hand, and Phoebe promised herself she’d ask her friend more about that mysterious comment later. They followed Tristan to the dangling column of seaweed and plunged into the darkness. Even the merfolk’s moonglow was all but eclipsed by the plants. Slick seaweed tickled Phoebe’s skin, and her stomach plummeted as they rose rapidly. They took a sudden sharp turn to the side and swam beyond the seaweed into an open area that made Phoebe’s eyes pop wide in wonder.
    Sunlight beamed down through clear water. The light bounced off pale yellow seaweed behind them. A rocky cliff rose in front of them, while reefs curved around the rest of the way like a bowl, making this spot quiet, serene, and beautiful. Sea anemones swayed back and forth in the currents, orange and white in crystalline water. Vivid purple starfish dotted the reef like handprints left by an artist. Schools of red fish no bigger than Phoebe’s finger darted among deep blue water plants, and transparent tiny squids drifted like balloons through the currents, their delicate membranes outlined in lacy white.
    Phoebe floated in silence, jaw dropped with awe. Mina watched her, triumph in every line of her body. Tristan began to speak, but the words on his lips died as his gaze focused on Phoebe, too. The twins gave her a long moment to just observe and absorb the beauty.
    Tristan said, “This is where we come to relax and think. It’s Mina’s and my secret spot.”
    A thrill raced through Phoebe at being in on their secret.
    “No human has ever seen this place,” Mina whispered.
    Phoebe turned to face her friends. Their own luminescence had mostly faded with so much natural sunlight present, but they were no less stunning.
    “Thank you,” she said reverently.
    In this space, it was easy to forget that the sea could be as dangerous as it was beautiful.
    “Now,” Tristan said. “Remembering you are safe here, tell us about what attacked you, please.”
    “There’s not