Echoes Sneak Peek: The Burned

The sneak peeks thus far have focused on the mermaid-like people who dwell in the icy sea. But this story is not only about the Breathless. It’s also about the Burned.

Centuries past, there was a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. The Breathless took shelter beneath the waves, but the humans on the surface faced an onslaught of fire and ash. Few survived.

It is said the poison air and barren island transformed those survivors into nightmarish creatures—all blackened skin and sharp talons and blood-sucking fangs. Along the way, they also gained a magical connection to light (mirroring the Breathless’ connection to sound).

Now, the Burned prowl the shallows in longships, luring unwitting Breathless into their nets with hypnotic light. No Breathless snatched from the sea is ever seen again. So they keep their distance from the shallows, hiding in deep-sea cities carved from stone.

Better to linger in darkness than face the Burned.