Ember — Marata Eros

When humans and the Mer cohabited in peace a millennia ago the races were perfectly balanced. As time passed, the differences in their physicality causing a chasm they couldn't breach and the Mer removed themselves into the sea and allowed humans to rule the land.

When the maidens of the Mer grow scarce, an elite warrior force is put into place to scout for the rare females who still retain the blood of the Mer. These unique females can replenish a female population that has grown dangerously low.

Can the Mer Warriors fight to save their race from extinction while navigating a culture that no longer holds to the Old Ways? Do the rare, mixed-Mer human females desire to mate with the Mer males? Or will the clash of beliefs and freedoms prove too much to overcome....

Ember is a 27,000 word novella. (1-2 hours of reading time, or approximately 95 pages).