Scales Like Stars

Scales Like Stars D.J. RUSSO Copyright © 2023 by D.J. Russo All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Contents Author’s Note Also by D.J. Russo Prologue 1. Liam 2. Kade 3. Liam 4. Kade 5. Liam 6. Kade 7. Liam 8. Kade 9. Liam 10. Liam 11. Basalt 12. Kade 13. Liam 14. Kade 15. Liam 16. Kade 17. Liam 18. Kade 19. Liam 20. Basalt 21. Kade 22. Liam 23. Kade 24. Liam 25. Kade 26. Liam 27. Kade 28. Liam 29. Kade 30. Liam Epilogue Acknowledgments Author’s Note Scales Like Stars deals with heavy topics such as homophobia, grief, and depression. There are struggles with the death of parents (off-page, mentioned), PTSD, and neurodivergence. As someone who both struggles and thrives with neurodivergence, it was important to me to include this facet into Liam’s story. Please take care of yourself and know your triggers. Also included: explicit sexual scenes and on-page violence that results in death. For anyone discovering their neurodivergence later in their lives. We can do this. Also by D.J. Russo The City Aliens Series Abduction Seduction Stroopwafels & Starlight (coming soon) Lyrica’s Merfolk Series Hearts Like Sea Glass (coming soon) To stay in the loop and never miss a single release, please sign up for D.J.’s newsletter! Also consider following her on Amazon. Prologue LIAM When Liam invited the merman over for dinner, he wasn’t sure how his mother would react. He knew she’d be thrilled and possibly throw a ticker-tape parade to commemorate the occasion, but she’d thrown him a curveball instead. Instead of celebratory confetti cannons, she’d gone stone- cold quiet. She said nothing as she wiped her hands down the front of her apron with an uneven smile. Liam swallowed the lump in his throat as he considered hiding in his bedroom for the rest of the night, which seemed like the better option, but he wasn’t a quitter. Not anymore. Timid Liam was a relic of the past. He was in high school now, and that meant he needed to act like it. Never mind that he’d already picked up a couple of bullies the first few weeks of the semester. He was committed to trying something new, and that meant going outside of his comfort zone. Inviting someone into his house, his sacred safe place, was the best he could do right now. Once the initial shock had worn off, his mother asked him a couple simple questions about their impending guest. What was his name? Kade. Was he in his grade? Yes. Ever since middle school, his mother had been on his case about inviting friends over for dinner or a playdate. Now that he’d finally plucked up the courage to invite a friend, his first real friend since the third grade, she’d broken out the vinegar and lemon. Liam’s throat bobbed up and down as he watched her scour the sink with the pungent mixture. His eyes burned and watered as he watched her work through her anxiety the only way she knew how: cleaning. “He’s not going to be looking in the sink, Mom,” he said for at least the fifth time. She wasn’t listening. Her soft blonde curls fell into her face, covering the grimace he knew she was hiding. It wasn’t that his parents had anything against the merfolk from Promeiya. At least, he never got that impression from them. It was that she had no idea what to expect. He took after his mother in both appearance and personality, which meant he was well aware of how she was feeling at the moment. A sudden change of plans wasn’t an adventure for either of them. It was a debilitating disruption in the otherwise placid flow of their lives. Brain chemistry was a pain in the ass, especially when they couldn’t afford the medication they needed. “Mom, seriously, it’s okay,” Liam said as he leaned against the kitchen doorway and folded his arms in front of his narrow chest. His mother chucked the scouring pad into the sink and moved on to the oven. She tossed open the door and shoved her head inside. “He’s not going to be looking inside the oven, either,” he muttered. “Mom. Please.” Kade was just happy to have been invited over at all. The merman wasn’t exactly popular with the school’s freshman class, even though his sister, Everly, was. For some reason, Kade hadn’t been able to make friends as easily. Perhaps it was his crass commentary in class or his indifferent attitude towards his studies that made him so unpopular. He and Kade bonded during an especially aggressive match of dodgeball during P.E., where the merman used his enormous body to shield him from incoming hits. Liam’s bullies were, unfortunately, on the opposing team and decided to use his scrawny frame for target practice. He wasn’t sure why Kade even bothered. It would have been another miserable Tuesday afternoon where Liam would make his way down to the nurse’s station for a couple of painkillers and an ice pack. But Kade had decided he’d had enough of their cruelty, and after blocking ball after ball and getting battered for his efforts, he slugged the offending boy squarely in the jaw with his fist. This act of chivalry landed both Kade and Liam in the principal’s office. It wasn’t even remotely fair, since Liam hadn’t done anything. He didn’t even fight back. But he was happy to be there to stick up for Kade when the principal threatened to send him back home to the ocean. Since that day, the pair became inseparable, spending as much time together as possible. His mother’s voice echoed from within the oven. “I know, honey. But this is the first merman I’ve ever hosted.” She crawled