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The early morning air was cool and filled with the faint sounds of nocturnal creatures settling in after a long night. Aerin knelt carefully at the edge of the rugged cliff, Gideon at her back, watching curiously. He kept his cap and hood on, even though the sky had yet to change, and the stars were still high above them.

Into the large bucket, she poured the bottle of fish oil slowly over the clusters of shimmering sour jellies. Using a sturdy ladle, she stirred everything together thoroughly, making sure each jelly was evenly coated with the oily substance. The dim moonlight cast a faint glow on her focused face. Suddenly, his loud voice startled her.

“Be careful! The edge is slipping.” Gideon’s shout behind her made her jump, nearly causing her to lose her footing.

“Don’t be such a nervous Nelly—” She didn’t finish when her foot slipped on the loosening earth, and she nearly tumbled over the edge. Her nails scraped into the dirt as she desperately clung to the edge, her heart pounding. The jagged rocks below looked cruel and unforgiving, with no soft landing in sight.

Without hesitation, Gideon shoved the bucket aside, reached out and grasped her arm to pull her back from the brink. Digging her nails into his forearm for leverage, she was sure she drew blood, but he didn’t even wince.

They both collapsed onto the mossy cliff, catching their breath. Gideon’s terrified eyes searched her body for any injuries, and she counted her blessings that she had invited him along. After a moment of silence, Gideon broke it softly.

“Are you okay? I heard the earth sliding beneath you, and I knew the edge was going to go over.” He held her tightly as he spoke, though they were far from the edge and any further danger.

“I’m okay; I’m not hurt, thanks to you.” She rested her hand over his and noticed he was bleeding from where she had grabbed him. “You’re the one bleeding.”

“Fuck the blood. I think my heart stopped when I saw you go over,” he panted, swallowing hard. Now wasn’t the time to remind him that his heart had stopped a few hundred years ago. “Just let me hold you for a few more seconds.” He snuggled her closer, resting his head back on the dirt. Seeing him so frightened of losing her, or her getting hurt, terrified her more than the fall.

“Don’t worry, the fall wouldn’t have killed me. Though it would’ve hurt like hell, once in the water, it would’ve healed me.” She shifted onto her side, trying unsuccessfully to brush off the grass stains and dirt smudged across her clothes.

“Promise me you’ll never get that close to the edge again?” he asked, his voice gentle.

“I can’t promise that,” she started, and Gideon glared at her. “But I can promise to be more careful,” she added quickly, not wanting to ruin the tender moment with an argument. His hold on her relaxed, and she noticed the scratches on his forearm had already healed.

“At least we didn’t spill Kennie’s jellies,” she joked, reaching for the ladle she had dropped, her fingers trembling slightly from the adrenaline.

“Kennie likes jellies smothered in fish oil?” Gideon looked into the bucket with a trace of disgust. She rolled her eyes. He shouldn’t judge, considering he spent his days microwaving blood for survival.

“I was sitting on the pier, eating the jellies, when I accidentally dropped one into the water. The next thing I knew, a bunch of tentacles were coming at me. I dropped the rest of the bag, trying to calm him, then he didn’t attack any boats for the rest of the week. Now, once a month, I drop the fishy, salty, sweet treat into the waters above his den, and he stays out of the marina.” Aerin picked up the large container and carried it to the edge of the cliff, careful to avoid the mossy dips.

“A Kraken with sweet teeth. That would be cute if I didn’t know about the thousands, if not more, sailors he’s killed and ships he’s destroyed.”

“Don’t be a hypocrite. We’ve killed in order to survive.”

“It’s not the same.” Gideon balked.

Aerin raised her eyebrows, not wanting to argue. He let out a sigh, giving up.

“There’s really a Kraken down there?” Gideon cautiously peered into the swirling waters below.

“Want to see him?” Aerin challenged, her eyes shining with excitement, a sly smirk on her face. Even after many years of sharing these mysterious waters at Indigo Cove, she still marvelled at the creature lurking beneath.

Gideon hesitated.

“Scared?” Aerin teased.

“Of course not. Bring him up,” he said, squaring his shoulders like he was getting ready for a fight.

Aerin started to sing, and she felt Gideon’s eyes heavy on her as the melody drifted over the cliff. Suddenly, long, sinuous tentacles emerged from the depths, writhing aggressively as a terrifying, beak-like mouth opened jaggedly with a chilling gape. Gideon backed away from the edge, his eyes wide in horror, but curiously, it brought him closer to the edge where she sang. She smiled, enjoying his shock and awe as she poured the bucket of jellies into the water. It swiftly devoured the falling treats. The massive octopus, capable of crushing ships and swallowing the spirits of sailors, slipped silently back below the surface, leaving only ripples. One by one, the tentacles retracted into the dark waters, gradually calming to hide the monstrous beast from view again.

“That was—” Gideon raked his hands through his hair. His chest rose and fell sharply as he struggled to speak.

“Terrifying?” she asked, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below.

“Exhilarating. He listened to you! He followed your song; you’re incredible.” Gideon beamed.

To her surprise, he picked her up, spun her around, then set her back down. His praise wasn’t the reaction she expected, but it was better than disgust and terror. Some who saw the Kraken felt the cowardly impulse to hunt and kill the creature simply because they felt inferior to the incredible sea monster.

“I’ve been with him long enough that he has learned to trust me. I protect him as much as I protect the ships and the cove.” Aerin shrugged, uneasy under his admiring gaze.