Jewel of the Sea

by Tiffany Roberts

  “Does it hurt?” he asked.

  James laughed. “Like hell.”

  “Wouldn’t hurt so bad if you stayed off it,” Aymee said.

  James dipped his head, grinning guiltily. “Guess I’ve been caught.”

  “Yes, you have.” Aymee turned her attention back to his foot. It was healing well; despite James’s stubbornness, he hadn’t split open his stitches or picked up an infection. Yet. “Consider this a break. You’ll be back up and moving before you know it if you rest and give it time to heal, but if you don’t, you could lose the whole foot.”

  “You have to listen to Miss Aymee, papa,” Daniel scolded.

  Aymee laughed. “Right. Always listen to Miss Aymee.”

  She cleaned the wound, applied ointment, and wrapped it in a fresh bandage. Maris returned to her husband’s side when Aymee finished, helping him onto his crutches.

  “Thank you, Aymee,” Maris said.

  “Of course. Daniel, you’re in charge of making sure your papa stays off that foot.”

  The boy’s face brightened at the prospect of so important a task. “Yes, ma’am!”

  “Have a great evening,” Aymee said as Daniel rushed forward to open the door for his parents.

  She stilled when Randall met her gaze from the hallway.

  Her stomach sank.

  She’d avoided speaking with him for an entire week; why had he come today? Why, on the day she was to make the exchange with Arkon on the beach?

  Randall took hold of the door for Daniel and bid the Everetts a pleasant evening. Once they were gone, he entered the room, boots thumping on the wooden floor.

  “Miss Rhodes.” His smile was warmer and more genuine than she’d seen in the town hall.

  He was a handsome man, perhaps more so than any she’d seen, with a strong jaw, sculpted lips, and eyes the blue of a summer sky. Perhaps he might have caught her eye, before.

  Now, her interests lay somewhere forbidden.

  “Mr. Laster.” She offered him a curt nod and turned away to clean up the supplies she’d used for James. “Is there something I can help you with?”

  “I just have a few questions, if you’d oblige me.”

  “I’m currently working and have patients waiting—”

  “The Everetts were the last, Miss Rhodes,” he said, shutting the door.

  She paused as she wiped the table, squeezing the cloth in her hand.

  Damn.

  “Then I suppose I can spare a few moments.” She couldn’t risk him following her. At least if she answered his questions, he’d likely leave her alone.

  “Wonderful.” He eased into the chair beside the door and leaned an elbow on the armrest. “I’ve heard it was a friend of yours who was taken by the creature. That correct?”

  “Jax. His name is Jax. And yes.” She washed her hands at the sink and turned toward Randall as she dried them, keeping the bed between herself and the ranger. “I take it you spoke to Breckett?”

  “I have. He’s a rough man, but he’s honest. I admire that.”

  “I don’t know anything more about all this than he does.”

  “You were Miss Sinclair’s primary caregiver before she left town with Jax, weren’t you? She was here, being treated for injuries sustained at sea?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did she talk to you about anything while she was here? Any details about this creature, where it came from, what it’s capable of?” He leaned back, never breaking his intense, piercing gaze.

  “No. She only told me that Jax isn’t dangerous. That his people were engineered by humans using human DNA. They think and act like us. Speak our language. In every way but appearance, they are human.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “She didn’t say anything else because it wasn’t her right to do so.”

  “You said his people. How many are there, Miss Rhodes? How many have you seen?”

  She could have kicked herself for the slip, and nearly bit through her tongue.

  “I’ve only seen Jax. For him to exist, there have to be more somewhere.”

  Randall bent forward, resting his elbows atop his thighs, and sighed. “The glass on the tanks in that warehouse is thick. It’s built to take a beating. A man could break it, yeah — a strong man like Breckett, with twenty minutes and a hammer. But by all accounts, he was walking his daughter down to the docks when all this happened. Someone led the guards away, and my guess is that more of those things came in to free Jax.”

  Aymee flattened her hands on the bed and leaned over it. She held his gaze. “Yes, someone led the guards away. It was all part of the plan to help him escape without anyone getting hurt. Just like I’m sure Breckett explained to you. He gave Jax his blessing to take Macy, because that was her choice. And that tank was cracked on the inside before it was broken open. Jax could’ve broken free at any time.”

  “I understand, Miss Rhodes. You’re very close to all of this, and I’m from out of town—”

  “You’re a Hunter.”

  “You have hunters here, too.”

  “They’re not hunting Jax. That’s what you are here for.”

  “I’m here to determine whether or not I should be hunting him. Anything that can break out of a tank like that and has humanlike intelligence is a potential threat, not just to this community, but to all of the settlements on Halora.”

  “Do you think we would’ve just stood by and done nothing if Macy was in danger? Me, her parents, even Camrin, the man she’d intended to join with? All of us helped her that night. There’s never once been an incident with Jax’s people in all the years I’ve lived here, and I’ve never heard of one in all the years before that. If they meant us harm, we’d have felt it already.

  “Macy is happy. She’s in love with Jax, and he loves her in return. If any of us had any doubt of that, we would’ve been hunting for him long before you heard about all this.”

  He ran a hand up his cheek and then over his short hair. “You had a few brief interactions with one of these things.” He didn’t waver at her glare. “Now it has an idea of how this town is laid out. Has an idea of your armament and defenses. And it knows that not everyone is going to be friendly. I’ve hunted a lot of dangerous prey, Miss Rhodes, and the more dangerous it is, the more we prepare. They could be planning an attack on this town right now. They could be watching this town right now.

  “I’m not here to kill anything; I’m here to protect human life. And if it comes down to it, I will choose us over them, every time.”

  “Then leave them be,” Aymee said. “Jax has no interest in this town or its people, apart from Macy, and he’d never do anything to place her in danger.”

  Clutching the arms of the chair, Randall pushed himself to his feet and stepped toward the bed. “Not everyone in town shares that opinion, Miss Rhodes. I want you to be right, but it’s my duty to be certain, as much as it’s your duty to tend to these folks when they’re wounded or sick.”

  “And none of them were there. Like you, they want a monster to slay. But humans are usually more monstrous than the things they fear. His appearance means nothing. Would you hunt me, or any other person, like you hunt an animal?”

  He frowned, and the iron in his eyes softened for a moment. “There’s no such thing as monsters, Miss Rhodes, apart from humans. And like you said — Jax and his kind are human in all but appearance.” He sighed and leaned over the bed, propping himself on his arms. “You and I didn’t start out on the right foot, but I’m truly not here to hurt you or anyone you care about. I just want everyone to be safe. I want you to be safe.”

  Aymee frowned. He was close, too close, and his scent — leather, earth, a hint of sweat — drifted to her. It wasn’t unpleasant.

  What he said was true; when she’d seen the rangers in the town hall and heard their reason for coming to The Watch, she’d gone on the defensive. She’d do anything to protect Macy and Jax. To protect Arkon.

  Not once had Randall responded with anger, despite her verba
l attacks. He’d shown nothing but patience.

  “I know,” she said. “And thank you for that. I don’t mean to be ungrateful or rude; I’m just—”

  “Worried for your friend.”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s all right, Aymee. I admire your loyalty, and if you’re right about Jax and his kind, you don’t need to worry about your friend anymore.”

  “They’ve left us alone for all these years, Randall. Even now that we know of their existence, they haven’t come. We should follow their example and just leave it be. Leave them be. Stay here as long as you need to make sure the town is safe, but don’t hunt them down. Don’t give them a reason to think of us as a threat to their safety.”

  “If they’re truly leaving us alone, I don’t think we’ll ever find them. It’s a big ocean.” He stood straight. “Thank you for your time, Miss Rhodes. I appreciate your being open with me.”

  Aymee nodded, eyes downcast. She felt…helpless. Her pleas wouldn’t change Randall’s course. He and his rangers were a threat, and because of their hunt, it was too dangerous for Arkon to continue the supply exchanges. She had to warn him.

  She had to keep him away.

  Her chest tightened; he was her only link to Macy, but the mere thought of never seeing or having the chance to speak with him again pained her.

  “Have a pleasant evening.” Randall lingered for a moment before he turned and walked out.

  Aymee remained still until Randall’s heavy steps were cut off by the sound of the clinic’s front door closing, and then folded her arms atop the bed and buried her face in them.

  Please don’t let the Hunters locate them.

  It was later than usual by the time Aymee left the Clinic. She’d busied herself by organizing tools and medicines until she was sure Randall had moved on and then gathered a few supplies for Macy and her baby. Twice, she’d dropped items in her haste, and finally forced herself to take a breath and slow down.

  Randall won’t find him. He won’t.

  No matter how many times she repeated the words in her head, her anxiety persisted.

  Aymee slung her packed bag over her shoulder and hurried out, jogging across the square. She slowed only when she was on the road leading to her home.

  “Aymee!”

  She turned to see Camrin loping toward her, his shaggy red hair flopping into his face.

  “I thought for sure I missed you this time,” he said as he neared.

  “Lucky for you, I’m running late.”

  He swept hair back from his forehead. “Everything okay, Aymee?”

  Frowning, she scanned their surroundings and shook her head. “I’m worried,” she replied, lowering her voice.

  Camrin’s eyes followed her gaze. He moved closer. “Because of those men from Fort Culver?”

  Aymee adjusted the strap of her bag. “Their leader came to talk with me.”

  “He talked to me and Breckett, too, right there on the dock. I heard he got the names of everyone who took a guard shift while Jax was in the warehouse, and spoke with all of them, too.”

  “He plans to hunt them down. He won’t take anyone’s word, and he won’t sit around and wait.”

  Camrin frowned. “Guess I can’t blame him. He probably didn’t believe it when he first heard the stories about what happened here, but then he comes into town and finds out it was true? Stuff like that scares people.”

  “I know. I understand, I really do.” She closed her eyes, sighed, and tilted her head back. “It’s just…not right. As much as I want to believe they’d leave the kraken alone if they realized they’re just people, I…can’t. I just can’t believe they’d leave them in peace.”

  “Well, for whatever it’s worth, our people have been fishing these waters for generations and we’ve never found a kraken. If Jax and the others don’t want to be found…I don’t think they will be found.”

  “I hope you’re right. I’m going to warn Arkon.”

  “If I can help at all, let me know.” He extended his hand, holding a folded letter to her. MACY was scrawled on the front in his loud, clumsy writing. “Would you send this on for me?”

  Aymee grinned, tucking the letter into her bag. “Are you telling her the good news?”

  He smiled sheepishly and looked down. “It feels weird to, but yes. I just want her to know that I’m doing well.”

  “You’re her friend, Cam. She’ll be happy knowing you are finally happy.” She pecked a kiss on his cheek. “I need to go. It’s getting late.”

  Camrin gave her a quick hug. “Right. Be safe, okay, Aym? Those rangers act nice enough, but they’re still strangers. Dangerous ones.”

  “I will. Tell Jenny I said hello.”

  “Will do.” He released her and waved as she hurried away. “See you later, Aymee.”

  The house was empty when Aymee entered — her father was likely still making house calls, and her mother often worked the fields until sundown. She went to her room, set her bag on the bed, and lifted the canister into place beside it. Her mother had left a crate with fresh fruit, vegetables, and bread. She packed them into the canister along with the medical supplies from her bag before retrieving the letters from herself and Macy’s parents from the dresser, piling them with Camrin’s. Grabbing a pencil, she quickly added a warning to her letter about Randall and his rangers.

  She placed the letters in the canister and turned back to the table to gather the last item — her gift to Arkon.

  Aymee stared at the paper. It was the first drawing she’d done of him, one of her favorites. During the brief time they’d spoken, his eyes had emblazoned themselves in her memory; she’d used crushed capeweed petals to color them in this drawing, the closest she could come to their rich violet without mixing paints.

  She rolled the paper carefully, secured it with a bit of string, and slipped it into the canister. The remaining space within became an abyss as she stared at it; she shifted her gaze to the table, where several jars of paint and a few brushes sat out.

  Smiling, Aymee gathered the painting supplies, ensured the lids were secure, and added them to the canister.

  It would be her parting gift to him.

  The sky had taken on the hues of late evening, the indigo on one horizon bleeding into the golden orange on the other, when she reached the beach. Her heart raced, though her anticipation was clouded by sadness. This would be the last time. It had to be.

  She glanced over her shoulder — not for the first time — as she descended toward the sand, searching the tree line for movement. Satisfied that she hadn’t been followed, she brushed her hair out of her face and quickened her steps. Her arms burned with the strain of carrying the canister; she’d filled it more than usual, and the extra weight had only made the journey from town feel longer.

  Her stride faltered as she neared the exchange spot.

  Aymee stood, transfixed, and struggled to make sense of what she saw.

  Hundreds, maybe thousands, of stones had been arranged near the drop-off spot, radiating out in a half circle from the edge of the rock face. They were stacked in piles of varying height, each spaced a precise distance from the ones nearby. As her eyes drifted over them, she realized there was a method to the stones’ placement; together, they looked like the waves rolling on the ocean, dwindling gradually as they grew more distant from the cliff. Conveying motion, though they were unmoving.

  The canister slipped from Aymee’s hands and fell into the sand, forgotten.

  She stepped forward, moving between the stones. It was like walking through a dream. And Arkon had created it…for her.

  Bending down, she studied one of the taller piles. The rocks decreased in size from the bottom up, alternating in color from slate grays to pale blues. The delicacy with which they must have been placed just to remain upright was astounding.

  “Most of it will be swept away when the tide rises.”

  Aymee gasped and quickly straightened.

  “You’re here,” she said
breathlessly. She turned to face him, and her heart leapt; she wasn’t prepared for what stood before her.

  Arkon’s blue-gray skin glistened in the light of the setting sun. He was only a few feet away, standing tall on tightly-bunched tentacles. Her eyes swept over his lean, muscular torso, lingering on the dark stripes adorning his head, shoulders, and tentacles. His face was narrow, with high cheekbones and a strong chin. Despite his lack of a nose — he had only two slits where it should have been — and the tube-like siphons on either side of his head, his features were both strikingly alien and startlingly human.

  Those violet eyes stared at her with undisguised interest and intensity.

  “I had begun to think you wouldn’t come,” he said.

  His words cast a shadow over her delight and reminded her why she’d been so late.

  She took a single step toward Arkon, and when he didn’t retreat, she closed the remaining distance between them. He was a couple heads taller than her, a towering presence, and she had to tilt her head back to look into his eyes. Slowly, she trailed her gaze from his face to his chest and shoulders, and then along his arms to pause at his hands. They were so human, despite the webbing between his fingers and the claws at his fingertips.

  His skin darkened at his waist, urging her eyes farther down.

  Unbidden, she reached out to touch him.

  Aymee flattened her palm on the upper portion of his tentacle. Arkon inhaled sharply, muscles tensing, but otherwise remained still.

  He was at once soft and solid, his skin damp but not slick or slimy.

  “You really are magnificent,” she said, unable to keep the awe from her voice.

  Arkon lifted a hand slowly and brushed the back of a finger along her jaw, calling her eyes back to his. “You are even more beautiful than I remember.”

  Aymee smiled. The combination of his words and touch made her breath shallow. She couldn’t believe he was here in front of her.

  In full view.

  She dropped her hand and stepped back, smile fading.

  His brow furrowed, and he tilted his head. “I’ve said something wrong.”

  “No. It’s just…” She shook her head and laughed humorlessly. “Of course you’d reveal yourself for our last exchange.”