Arkon slid into place beside her and slipped a tentacle around her waist, draping its tip over her thigh.
“Anything you are willing to tell me. Arkon told us what happened on the beach. These humans do not seem to be your friends, but you know more about them than we.”
“It’s...complicated. I think one of them, Cyrus, is only interested in the thrill of the hunt, but the others… Their leader, Randall, wants to protect people, but he’s confused.” She cringed as the memory of him getting shot replayed in her mind. “He knows what I told him about the kraken is true, but all the same, he’s been trained to view your existence as a threat, and he’s dedicated to eliminating such threats.”
“Will they be able to hunt for us underwater?” Dracchus asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them with anything that would allow that, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have it. They walk around with guns, but they haven’t exactly opened up their equipment and tactics for us to study. The one diving suit I know of in The Watch hasn’t worked in decades.”
Dracchus nodded, brows lowering, and looked at the floor. “How many hunters have come?”
Aymee glanced down, recalling their faces, and only then realized her fingers were absently petting Arkon’s tentacle. He curled the limb’s tip around her hand. She stilled and peered up at him.
His pupils dilated, his alien eyes bright with intensity.
She cleared her throat and looked at Dracchus. “Seven, I think.”
“We must remain alert.” Dracchus swept his gaze over their surroundings. “Do you require aid with anything else?”
“No. I think you’ve brought plenty, thank you.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and frowned. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I didn’t want this to happen. Never meant for it to. I tried to turn them away from this, but…” She spread her hands, palms up.
Dracchus shook his head. “I do not hold you responsible. What Arkon says about us being part human must be true. Both our peoples are prone to stupidity.”
She smiled. “They are.”
“I will tell the others of the situation with the hunters.” Turning, Dracchus made his way to the edge of the platform, where he hesitated. “The last time I was here, I pushed the matter with Macy and Jax into violence. I do not wish for any more of it between our people. But if they attack us, we will fight.”
Just as she’d told Randall. She didn’t want more bloodshed, but the kraken were well within their rights to defend themselves.
How many rangers were on Halora? Would it be a single, brutal battle, or the beginning of a prolonged war?
Aymee looked at Arkon; her heart ached at the thought of him caught in the middle of all this, and the pain only increased when she thought of Macy, Jax, and Sarina. What would Macy do if something happened to her mate, to her child? The guilt would eat her alive.
What would the humans do if they discovered Sarina?
“I understand,” she said. “I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Dracchus nodded. He lingered for a few more seconds before dropping into the water with a huge splash.
“The outcome of all this is not predetermined. We will find a way, Aymee,” Arkon said.
“Is the Facility really hard to find?”
“It is located some distance away from shore, in a relatively remote area on the seafloor. However, the diving suits have integrated computers that seem to be able to access its systems and may even be able to pinpoint its location from afar.”
She scowled. “Then let’s hope they don’t have any of those suits.”
He smoothed the crease between her brows with the pad of his thumb. “For now, let us not worry about things we have no immediate control over. Are you hungry or thirsty? We brought warmer clothes, and Macy included some handheld lights if you are tired of the gloom.”
That simple, considerate touch was enough to make her smile. “Will you eat with me?”
“Of course. Macy gave us some spinefish she cooked earlier. She said we were to eat it today, to ensure it would not spoil.” Remaining low, he moved to the second chest and opened it. The jugs of water were immediately apparent, and they were accompanied by a variety of food — most of it forage from the jungle. Arkon removed a wrapped bundle and held it out to Aymee.
She took it and peeled back the cloth to reveal large fillets of white, flaky meat. Their mouthwatering aroma wafted to her and made her stomach growl.
“Come sit beside me, Arkon.”
After rummaging through the chest for a moment, he produced a plastic cup. He removed the cap from one of the water containers, lifted the jug with one hand, and filled the cup. The ease with which he did so was a testament to his strength — the container looked to hold at least fifteen liters. Her eyes flowed over the play of muscles in his arm, shoulder, and chest, and then fell to the darker skin beginning at his waist.
She’d felt the hard press of his now-hidden shaft once when she lay atop him after their game on the beach. She wanted to see it.
While Macy was recovering in the clinic, she’d revealed that she’d been intimate with Jax, and Aymee’s curiosity had made it impossible to hold back her questions. She’d wanted to know everything. Macy had described the anatomy of male kraken in detail despite her obvious embarrassment.
Once the jug was down and the cap replaced, Arkon returned to his spot beside her, trading the cup of water for a fish fillet.
“Thank you,” she said, dragging her gaze away from him. The sudden discomfort between her legs had her shifting on the hard floor.
“Are you all right, Aymee? You appear flushed.”
“I’m fine,” she replied quickly, taking a drink from the cup and setting it aside. “Macy said you normally eat the fish alive.” Anything to steer the conversation away from her body, from its reaction to him, anything to distract her. She couldn’t stand another rejection, but God, she wanted to touch him. Wanted him to touch her.
“Raw, yes. Most fish don’t tend to survive after you take a few bites out of them.”
He scooped bite-sized pieces of meat into his mouth with his claws, offering her a fleeting glimpse of his pointed teeth.
“Do you have a preference?” she asked.
He stared down at the meat on his palm. “Perhaps it is simply because it is different from everything I’ve known before, but I prefer most of it cooked. The changes it causes in the flavor and texture of different meats is fascinating.”
Aymee smiled. “I love how you find pleasure in the smallest things.”
“There’s always something new to be excited about, even if it seems insignificant at a glance. I suppose, though our particular interests are different, Jax and I are more similar in our curiosity than I once thought.” He lifted his gaze to Aymee. “Is it not also similar to the way you seem to find the beauty in everything you see?”
She stared into his strange eyes, which were vibrant even in the dim light. When she’d first met him, she’d only seen his eyes amidst the sand and water, and they alone had captivated, had drawn her into their uniqueness and depth.
Beautiful.
That’s what Arkon was to her.
Aymee picked up a flashlight; it was a long, thin, plastic device that didn’t look like it could light up her little bedroom, much less this place. The moment she clicked on the switch, it cast a broad, powerful cone of bright white light from its end, annihilating the shadows in its path.
She nodded appreciatively, turning the light off and on several times. “Have you ever explored this place, Arkon?”
“No.” Arkon looked around the massive chamber, most of which was cloaked in darkness. “I’ve only been here a few times before I brought you here. Jax has tried, but he said the doors would not open.”
Shining her light into one of the chests, Aymee searched through its contents. She was thankful for everything Macy and Arkon had thought to pack. “And they can’t be broken into?”
“I do no
t know. I assume Jax must have tried, but I do not believe he found any success.”
Aymee removed a stack of folded clothing from the chest and set it aside, reaching back into the container. Near the bottom, her fingers brushed over an unfamiliar fabric, thicker and heavier than the rest. The flashlight’s beam revealed a hexagonal pattern on the dark material. She lifted the garment out of the chest.
It was a PDS — Personal Diving System. Though it appeared small, she knew it would fit almost anyone, regardless of size or body shape. Until Jax had brought the injured Macy to town, the only other such suit Aymee had seen was the one on display in The Watch’s small history museum.
The suit Macy wore had no apparent seams or seals, and none of the tools in the clinic had been able to cut the material. Only through sheer luck had Aymee’s fingers brushed over the small plastic piece on the suit’s wrist, activating the holographic display that introduced her to Sam, the suit’s computer.
He’d been frustratingly cheerful as he opened the suit’s seal, allowing Aymee to peel it off Macy’s feverish body.
Folding the suit over one arm, Aymee glanced into the bottom of the chest, where a clear mask lay.
“Arkon, didn’t you say the computers in these suits can connect to the computer in the Facility?”
“They can. It allows Macy to bypass the entry codes.”
“Do you think it could work on the doors here?” She looked up at him as he approached.
Arkon tilted his head and smiled. Excitement gleamed in his eyes. “I think it is well worth an attempt.”
“Then let’s do it.” She rose to her feet with the suit in one hand and the flashlight in the other.
Bending down, Arkon plucked up another flashlight and turned it on. He ran its beam over the faded painting on the nearby wall and hesitated. “I was hoping to show you this when there was sunlight to see it by.”
Aymee stepped closer and studied the painting. Time had faded its colors, and the paint had peeled, chipped, and flaked away in many places, but she could still make out the people it depicted.
“Even though I know more about how it must have been created than ever before, I find it no less amazing. I puzzled over it for days after Jax first showed it to me. And when I finally met a human and asked how it had been made, she told me she knew someone who could do this.” He turned his head and looked at her. “But this, despite its scale, is nothing compared to what you can do. Even when it was fresh and undamaged, I doubt it would have compared.”
A spark of pleasure lit inside her, and Aymee’s cheeks heated. She tucked the suit beneath her arm and rubbed a finger over the paint. “What were you trying to puzzle out?”
He lifted a hand and gently touched the painting, as well. “I don’t know. How the colors were brought together. How it could look so disjointed up close, but so coherent from farther back. How it could appear alive, despite so many years of damage.”
She glanced at him. “Think of it as...a moment in time. A single moment of motion, of feeling and expression, frozen and forever captured.” Leaning closer to the wall, she traced a fingertip over the colors; they were only blobs and smears so close, but she knew each brushstroke had been deliberate. “Everything in that moment has a shape to it, and those shapes are so familiar that sometimes you only need to imply their presence. Our minds take all those little shapes and fill in the blanks to make something whole.”
Stepping back, she looked at Arkon fully. “It’s just like how the stones you set up on the beach for me implied motion, even though they were still.”
His hand lingered on the wall, but he dipped his head. “So, then...it is a matter of understanding the component pieces and how they relate to each other to create something greater?”
“Yes, and how to use them to communicate what you want to express.”
Arkon dropped his hand and met her gaze. “What do you seek to express when you paint?”
“Life. Beauty. Emotion.”
He smiled. “Then you are truly successful at your craft.”
Aymee chuckled. “We’ll paint together someday.”
“I brought the paints and brushes you gave me. They are in one of the chests.”
“You did?” Anticipation swept through her; she couldn’t wait to create art not just for him, but with him, and it would provide an enjoyable distraction from her worries. “Then we’ll be painting together soon. We’re likely to be stuck here for a while, right?”
“Though I cannot deny I am eager to spend the time with you, I am sorry, Aymee.” He reached forward and took her hand in his. “These are not the circumstances under which I had wanted to share this painting with you.”
She turned her hand to fit it over his palm, curling her fingers around his. “Don’t apologize, Arkon. I’m happy you’re here with me, whatever the circumstances.”
He gave her hand a soft squeeze. For a moment, she thought he’d pull away, but he hesitated, maintaining his gentle grip. “We had best get to it before the hour grows much later. I imagine the chance at a relatively warm and dry spot to sleep is too good to forgo.”
Aymee grinned. “This suit better work.”
Chapter 13
Arkon held Aymee’s hand as he led her up the steps to the next level and turned right. His presence made this dreary, broken down place bearable — without him, its emptiness, gloom, and dilapidation might have crushed her. She swept her light over the walls, which had been stained by water and time, and noted several small cracks. Bits of debris that had fallen from the walls and ceiling lay scattered on the floor.
While the lower level’s edge was lined with thick mooring posts that were spanned by heavy chains in some places, the second tier had a waist-high guardrail that blended seamlessly with the railing of the two bridges. Aymee glanced over her shoulder; for a fleeting instant, she imagined some huge watercraft anchored there, its metal-and-plastic hull gleaming under long-dead lights.
They stopped and turned toward a pitch-black corridor to their left. Aymee shined her light onto the wall over it. Like everything else here, the words were worn, but remained legible.
AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.
“Turn off your light,” Arkon said.
They both clicked off their flashlights.
“There is a light at the end of the hallway,” he said.
“I don’t see anything.”
“It’s very small. Very faint. A single point of red…”
“Has it always been on?”
“I do not know. I have never noticed it before.” Without releasing her hand, he moved ahead of her into the corridor, switching his light on again.
She turned her light on and followed him.
Though she’d seen construction like this in The Watch — at least one or two of the old concrete structures had hallways like this — there was something oppressive about this space despite it only being three or four meters deep. Perhaps it was instinctual claustrophobia, but the walls and ceiling felt too close after the relatively open area of the bay, where the ceiling was so high she’d yet to see it through the cloying shadows.
They passed two large metal doors — one on each side, both with small keypads built into their frames — as they moved. Arkon held his light on the door at the end of the corridor. It looked like the others at first glance, but Arkon gestured to its keypad.
“There.”
They shifted their lights away, and she saw what he’d noticed from the other end of the hallway — a small red light on the upper corner of the keypad.
“The other keypads are dark,” Arkon said.
“So, this is the only one working?”
“Maybe. It could be the only one with functioning power. This would be the spot to try, I’d guess.”
Aymee straightened and considered the keypad, running her fingers over the flat numbers. “You said there was a keypad to enter the Facility. Did you try the code here?”
Arkon extended a hand and entered a sequence o
f numbers. The red light flashed and returned to its dull, constant glow.
“How did Macy’s suit allow her access?”
“She said it asked her when she drew near. Perhaps if you activate the suit, the system will recognize its location and do the same?”
Adjusting her hold on the flashlight, Aymee felt along the suit until she found the wrist piece. She traced her fingers along its shallow grooves. Light flared from it, as intense as that cast by their flashlights, and formed into a glowing orb.
“Hello!” The hologram pulsed as it spoke. “I am your system assistant and monitor, Sam. How may I be of service?”
Aymee glanced at Arkon. The blue glow cast deep shadows on his cheeks, and his pupils were thin lines as he stared at the hologram.
“Sam, can you grant us access?” Aymee asked.
The hologram flickered and was silent for a moment. “You are standing at the IDC Personnel Entry Door. Is this what you require access to?”
“Yes.”
“This facility has been placed on emergency standby power.” There was a heavy click from the door. “The lock has been disengaged, but the door’s automated opening mechanism is currently inoperative. Please open manually for entry.”
Aymee stared at the door; the excitement of discovery faded suddenly, giving over to uncertainty. This place had been abandoned for hundreds of years. What would they find on the other side of this door? If the huge room behind them felt lonely and stifling, how would the interior chambers feel?
“Sam, can you power on the facility?”
The hologram pulsed for several seconds. “Manual override for emergency standby power has been engaged. It will need to be released physically to restore power.”
“How do we accomplish that, Sam?” Arkon asked.
“The power override switch is in the control room. Turn counterclockwise to deactivate standby mode.”
Aymee took a deep breath and reached for the door handle.
Arkon settled a hand on her forearm, gently guiding her arm down, and moved in front of her. “I do not believe there to be anything dangerous on the other side, Aymee, but I would rather stay between you and the unknown all the same.”
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