Zak slicked back his hair and saw Demetro motioning for him to swim to the side and clear space for his landing. He did, not seeing any sense in being a poor sport. Demetro went through the same motions that Zak had, his eyes scanning the water and the air intensely. There was a certain pride in his posture that transcended ego, and Zak couldn’t help but smile at it, even as competitive as he was.
Demetro set his foot and launched forward. His foot slipped as he entered the air, but he was a little taller than Zak, and apparently much more effective at leveraging his body into a jump. He flipped once, twice, three times, and landed feet first after clearing the edge of the boat by more than twice the margin of Zak.
He’s good. At least as good as me. Maybe even better…
“Not bad,” said Zak, addressing the empty patch of ocean where Demetro had entered the water. “Not bad at all.”
Demetro surfaced a moment later. He locked eyes with Zak, raising his head into a nod that was neither friendly nor aggressive.
“Yours was a little short,” said Demetro.
“You landed feet first,” said Zak.
He couldn’t hold back a smile, feeling an unwanted fondness for his crewmate and captain. Despite everything, he’d come to know Demetro as a friend and a deck brother over the past few months. He wasn’t a bad person, just a little spoiled by his upbringing. The two of them looked up at Hachia, who was standing at the railing’s edge, arms crossed.
“Tie,” she announced.
“Sink it,” said Zak. “You say that knowing that I’m the clear-cut winner, Hachia!”
“She’s trying to save your pride, Zakarias,” said Demetro. “You should let her.”
Zak brought his hands in close to Demetro’s ear, and cracked his knuckles.
Moons of Carnathia
Chaste Widow (Vanderbrook Champions Book 4) Page 18
