When the human and mer worlds collide in the maelstrom of the unforgiving ocean, destinies are intertwined. Tristan and Maki aren’t meant to know the other exists, but neither can resist the siren call of fate. The sea is a cruel mistress, though, merciless with the defiant. Desperate to escape obscurity, two dreamers hope for a better life. Instead, they may be doomed to drown in disaster.
Alone in a life he didn’t choose, Tristan lives every day in obligation to a seaside town that’s never felt like home. Overseeing the lighthouse was supposed to be his father’s duty, not his. All Tristan wants to do is paint and go back to the excitement of the mainland where he’d always intended to make a name for himself. There’s nothing for him in Vollendale and being forced to obey the whims of the ocean only reminds him of what he’s lost. He has no objection to living quietly but he wants to set his own terms and right now, he feels like he’s stuck in someone else’s life. Haunted by the past with a hopeless future ahead of him, Tristan trudges through a tedious present with little to look forward to. He just wants something to break him out of the drudgery.
Maki has nothing to complain about in his charmed life beneath the waves of Wyntos Key. He has good friends, a job he loves, and endless opportunities to pursue his passion. Unfortunately, his passion lies in exploring the surface world, which is all but forbidden to his kind. Tritons are a myth to humans, and the merfolk want it to stay that way. But Maki sees such potential in human innovation, dreaming up inventions to enhance the lives of his people as he experiences the wonders of life on land. The human world is fascinatingly rich in sensation and now that Maki’s had a taste, his appetite has only grown. Indulging his insatiable curiosity is addictive but also dangerous, and he’s unaware of the consequences his reckless impetuousness will bring.
A triton oblivious to the dangers of the surface world. A human terrified of the ocean. There’s no reason for them to fit together as well as they do. But destiny works in mysterious ways and they just might find a place in the world to accommodate them both. The difficulty lies in what they have to sacrifice to get there.
Contains: moderate profanity; explicit m/m sex; bullying; mentions of anxiety issues, grief, and trauma
Alone in a life he didn’t choose, Tristan lives every day in obligation to a seaside town that’s never felt like home. Overseeing the lighthouse was supposed to be his father’s duty, not his. All Tristan wants to do is paint and go back to the excitement of the mainland where he’d always intended to make a name for himself. There’s nothing for him in Vollendale and being forced to obey the whims of the ocean only reminds him of what he’s lost. He has no objection to living quietly but he wants to set his own terms and right now, he feels like he’s stuck in someone else’s life. Haunted by the past with a hopeless future ahead of him, Tristan trudges through a tedious present with little to look forward to. He just wants something to break him out of the drudgery.
Maki has nothing to complain about in his charmed life beneath the waves of Wyntos Key. He has good friends, a job he loves, and endless opportunities to pursue his passion. Unfortunately, his passion lies in exploring the surface world, which is all but forbidden to his kind. Tritons are a myth to humans, and the merfolk want it to stay that way. But Maki sees such potential in human innovation, dreaming up inventions to enhance the lives of his people as he experiences the wonders of life on land. The human world is fascinatingly rich in sensation and now that Maki’s had a taste, his appetite has only grown. Indulging his insatiable curiosity is addictive but also dangerous, and he’s unaware of the consequences his reckless impetuousness will bring.
A triton oblivious to the dangers of the surface world. A human terrified of the ocean. There’s no reason for them to fit together as well as they do. But destiny works in mysterious ways and they just might find a place in the world to accommodate them both. The difficulty lies in what they have to sacrifice to get there.
Contains: moderate profanity; explicit m/m sex; bullying; mentions of anxiety issues, grief, and trauma
MAIN CHARACTERS
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Tristan MacHale: Keeper of the Vollendale lighthouse and custodian of the courier aviary on Wyntos Key, Tristan knows most everyone on the island, though not everyone knows him. He keeps mostly to himself and prefers quieter pursuits like reading and painting over noisy social engagements. Introspective, creative, and dedicated to his work, he's determined to fulfill his father's obligation to the Vollendale community, even though trapped on a small island is the last place Tristan ever wanted to find himself. He desperately wants to leave Wyntos Key and go back to the mainland to resume the independent life which was cut short when his parents were lost at sea. But he's been the lighthouse keeper for five years and sees no end in sight. Especially since he's terrified of the water, can't swim, and would sooner drown than step foot on a ship. Resigned to an unremarkable life, he's convinced that he'll never see his dreams come true, no matter how hard he wishes for them.
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Makaio (Maki) Kirseren: Maki is a child of the sea, one of a race of merfolk known as tritons, who have watched over the ocean and its creatures for centuries. He cares for the schools of fish inhabiting the kelp forests of Njora and is apprenticing as a healer. But his true passion lies in studying the surface world and drawing up fanciful inventions which adapt human innovations to the undersea environment. He loves who he is and what he does, but the lure of a world so different from his own is more than he can resist. Even though he's been warned since childhood to avoid humans, he's too fascinated by them to stay away. Maki is endlessly positive, hopelessly curious, and just reckless enough to get himself in trouble. He sees progress and opportunity in his frequent trips to the surface. He just has to hope no one discovers what he really is. |