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Chapters (59)
  1. THE WOMAN FROM THE WAVES
  2. Copyright
  3. CONTENTS
  4. Dedication
  5. PRONUNCIATION GUIDE
  6. GLOSSARY
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. THE SURFACE
  9. CHAPTER ONE
  10. CHAPTER TWO
  11. CHAPTER THREE
  12. CHAPTER FOUR
  13. CHAPTER FIVE
  14. CHAPTER SIX
  15. CHAPTER SEVEN
  16. CHAPTER EIGHT
  17. THE SHORE
  18. CHAPTER NINE
  19. CHAPTER TEN
  20. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  21. CHAPTER TWELVE
  22. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  23. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  24. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  25. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  26. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  27. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  28. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  36. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. THE STORM
  38. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  39. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  45. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  46. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  47. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  48. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  49. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  50. CHAPTER FORTY
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  53. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  54. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  55. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  56. EPILOGUE
  57. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  58. ALSO BY ROSLYN SINCLAIR
  59. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“Can I ask why you’re listening to whale sounds?”

Hæra took a deep, shuddering breath, one she exhaled into a smile. “I wanted to know if I’d still be able to understand them. And I can.”

Madeleine’s eyes widened. She rounded the sofa and perched on the chair’s arm. The chair rocked forward; Hæra braced her feet against the floor to keep Madeleine steady. “Really?” Madeleine said.

“Yes. They’re mating.” Hæra listened, grinned, and hit pause. “This part’s actually a bit filthy. Let’s give them some privacy.”

Madeleine’s smile lit up the room until there was no more space for shadow. “Is ‘congratulations’ the right thing to say? I wonder what else you’re still able to do.”

“Perhaps nothing. This is enough.” Hæra placed her hand on Madeleine’s thigh. “It’s the only music I knew when I was growing up. I’d have hated to lose it.”

“I’m so glad you didn’t.” Madeleine, still smiling, combed her fingers through Hæra’s hair. The pleasant, gentle tug brought more tears to Hæra’s eyes, and she sniffled. “When we were out with Jonathan’s ashes and you said you hated the sea, I worried. I know you were unhappy in your herd, but…well, hating the entire ocean didn’t seem good for you. I’m glad there’s something you want to keep.”

Hæra tilted her head back for more caresses. Madeleine’s fingers caught on tangles here and there, but the small tugs were fine, they made this more real. “Is there anything you’re keeping too? From what you were before?”

Madeleine’s fingers stopped stroking. She frowned. “That’s a good question.”

“That’s the only sort of question I ask.” Hæra bumped her head against Madeleine’s hand pointedly.

Madeleine chuckled. “Did you like having your mane petted before? Maybe you kept that too.”

“Nobody ever petted my mane. I might have liked it. Well?”

“I don’t know,” Madeleine said slowly. “I’ll have to think about that.”

“If I should keep something, you should too.” What was good for the mare was good for the stallion. Or in this case, another mare.

“You might be right.” Madeleine began stroking Hæra’s hair again. “Am I petting you all night while you listen to dirty music, or can we go back to bed?”

If they went to bed, they’d go to sleep, and tomorrow would come. Tomorrow, when Madeleine would make her decision about what to keep and what to throw away.

“Let’s stay up,” Hæra whispered. “Just a little bit longer.”

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR