Eva saw it as she looked at Arkon — the light in Aymee’s eyes was reflected in his, and a warm, gentle smile played on his lips. Eva couldn’t recall Blake looking at her like that during their time together. With lust, yes, but never such raw, pure affection.
She clutched the fabric of the gown over her heart. “Hi.”
Arkon turned his attention to her. “It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Eva.”
Eva furrowed her brow. “Finally?”
“Aymee has spoken of you often. We’ve been trying to come up with something to help you get back to some semblance of normalcy.” He moved to the bed and set the container down atop it, facing her, and hurriedly unlatched the clasps. “Now, this was built using technology we do not fully understand and records that are centuries old, and it will likely require adjustment over time, but…I think it will prove useful to you.”
The excitement in his words piqued Eva’s curiosity.
Arkon moved aside and gestured to the container. “Go ahead, Eva. Open it.”
She glanced at Aymee. The woman smiled encouragingly.
Scooting closer to the container, Eva raised the lid and peered in. It took her several moments to understand what she was looking at.
The object within was long and black, gracefully shaped. Its inside appeared hollow, visible through the intricate patterns forming it — twisting, spiraling shapes ran around the not-quite-cylindrical object, flowing in such a way that made it impossible to tell where they began or ended.
Were it not for the foot — which was no less graceful despite its relative simplicity — at the narrower end, she might not have realized it was a leg.
She looked up at Arkon and Aymee. “This is for me? You…did this?”
Arkon nodded. The smile he’d worn for Aymee had widened into a delighted grin. “I hope you don’t mind the embellishments I made. They shouldn’t compromise its structural integrity at all, but I did not find the original design appealing.”
“You made this?”
“To be fair, I only designed it based on existing plans,” Arkon replied. He leaned forward and carefully lifted the leg out of the container, presenting it to her on flattened palms. “It was made by a machine in the Facility.”
Eva stared at the limb in his hands. “Facility?”
“It’s an underwater building off-shore,” Aymee said, stepping closer to Eva. “It’s where the kraken are from. Where they were created, actually.” She raised the end of Eva’s gown just enough to uncover her left leg mid-thigh. Her fingers probed around Eva’s knee, then down to the stump. “How does this feel?”
“A little sore, but not terrible.” Eva returned her gaze to the artificial leg; she was completely floored by what they’d done for her.
“It’s healing wonderfully. The boosters really helped.” Aymee reached toward the container and removed a couple other items from within. She held them up for Eva’s inspection. One of the items looked like an oversized sock, while the other was made of a rubbery material with a metal pin at the end. Aymee placed the sock on the bed and took the rubbery thing in both hands. “This is a liner. You’ll wear this to keep the prosthesis in place.”
Eva felt like she was in a dream as Aymee crouched in front of her, gently lifted Eva’s left leg, and eased the liner onto the stump and up to Eva’s thigh.
“Wear this over your leg to make it a snugger fit,” Aymee said as she rolled the sock on over the liner. “Millie, one of the weavers, is going to have a few more of these ready for you in a few days.”
“As I said, we will have to make adjustment as time progresses,” Arkon said. “The musculature of your leg will alter as you grow accustomed to it, so it will take some tinkering to get everything to fit properly for the long term.”
Aymee glanced up at Eva and grinned. “I kind of…scanned and measured your leg while you were sleeping for this one.”
Eva didn’t know what to say. The lengths to which they’d gone for her — Kronus, Aymee, and Arkon — left her speechless.
Arkon handed over the prosthesis, which Aymee slid into place.
Aymee rose and held out her hand. “Let’s get you standing.”
Eva took it and slid off the edge of the bed. As soon as her weight pressed down on the prosthetic leg, there was a click. The pressure on her stump was strange but not entirely uncomfortable. Using Aymee as balance, she lifted her left leg, and the prosthesis rose off the floor. Tears stung her eyes as she lowered her foot.
“I…I don’t know what to say.” Eva looked up at Aymee and Arkon, smiling. “Thank you.”
Aymee’s smile widened, and, though it seemed impossible, Arkon beamed with more excitement. His tentacles moved restlessly beneath him and his eyes were bright.
“Try walking,” he said.
Leaning on Aymee, Eva took a tentative step forward, then another, and another. She kept a tight grip on Aymee’s hand as she walked slowly around the room. Her gait was clumsy; being unable to feel her left foot reminded her of the times she’d sat on her leg for too long and made it go numb, of those moments when all she could feel of her leg was dead weight before the pins and needles struck. It would take time to adapt her stride to the prosthetic leg’s movement, but she was walking. Her lack of grace made no difference.
Eva turned her head and stilled; Kronus filled the doorway, one of his hands curled around the doorframe. His brow furrowed as his gaze swept over Aymee and Arkon, but the confusion smoothed from his expression when he looked at Eva. For the first time since she’d met him, Kronus smiled — not the smug half-smirk he sometimes wore when he was amused, but a real, genuine smile that sparkled in his golden eyes.
Feeling suddenly shy, Eva turned toward him, placed her free hand on the bed rail for balance, and lifted the hem of her gown to reveal the prosthesis. “What do you think?”
“You are walking,” he said.
“Arkon and Aymee made it.” She lifted the leg off the floor and extended it. “It’s amazing!”
“A little practice, and she’ll be walking without any help,” Aymee said. She gently removed her hand from Eva’s and stepped aside as Kronus entered the room.
He approached Eva slowly, his eyes not once leaving hers until he was immediately before her. His tentacles spread wide, and his torso dropped low. Carefully, he cradled the back of her prosthesis in his palm, tucking the heel against the inside of his elbow, and trailed the fingertips of his other hand over its patterns.
Were she to close her eyes and concentrate hard enough, Eva might’ve been able to imagine how his touch would’ve felt against her real limb. The thought sent a warmth through her that coalesced low in her belly, and she found herself wishing he was touching her right leg instead.
“I recognize Arkon’s work,” Kronus said, lifting his gaze to meet hers, “but this leg belongs fully to you.”
Eva’s cheeks flushed, and she smiled. “You like it then?”
Kronus nodded. He guided her foot back to the floor, withdrew his hands, and rose. “More importantly, you like it.”
Her smile widened, and she turned her gaze to Aymee and Arkon just in time to catch the startled glance they exchanged.
“You…you met with the others this morning to discuss the situation with the razorbacks, did you not?” Arkon asked, turning his attention to Kronus. “Do you have any news?”
A sliver of fear raced down Eva’s spine at the mention of razorbacks.
Kronus seemed reluctant as he shifted his gaze to Arkon. “A few more sightings along the coast, but even one sighting is more than there should be. Dracchus is organizing hunting parties from both The Watch and the Facility to stalk the spawning areas for razorback along the coastline. For now, it is still unsafe to travel the water without an armed group.”
“Guess we’ll need to organize an escort,” Aymee said, frowning. “Macy is going insane with worry about our trip back to the Facility as it is.”
“W-Why would you go then?” asked Eva.
“Which brings us to our next topic of discussion.” Aymee stepped closer to Eva and took her hand again. “I think you’re ready to leave the clinic.”
Eva felt the blood drain from her face. She withdrew her hand from Aymee’s and stepped back, bumping against the bed. Where would she go? She had nowhere, no place she belonged. “I-I don’t…”
Aymee held up her open palms in a placating manner. “Shh, I know. And we’d never force you out of here without somewhere to go. My parents have a couple open rooms, if—”
Kronus clasped Eva’s hand, his hold firm but not painful. “She will stay with me.”
“What?” Eva breathed, turning her wide eyes toward Kronus. Had she heard him correctly? Had he just…
He held her gaze. “You will stay with me, female. In my den. My…house.”
“Oh, um,” Aymee cleared her throat. “Are you okay with that, Eva?”
Eva searched the swirling depths of molten gold that were his eyes, and her heart beat faster. The hand holding hers was warm, comforting. Stable. Kronus was her rock. Though she hadn’t known him before the attack, he’d been there from that moment, remaining strong and true even when everything else in her life fell apart. He’d kept her grounded when all she’d wanted to do was float away.
The expectancy and vulnerability in his gaze were accompanied by hope — but the light of that hope seemed muted, guarded, wary.
“Yeah,” Eva said softly, squeezing his hand. “I would like that.”
She wanted that.
It was a surprising realization. Only a couple weeks ago, she’d been joined with Blake, content with her life. What did it mean that she was so ready to stay with Kronus, that she secretly craved even the smallest of his touches? Did that make her just as bad as Blake?
No. He left me. Discarded me.
It had been Kronus who’d stuck by her, not Blake. The days she’d spent with Kronus had been difficult, had contained more than their share of discomfort and pain, but they’d been real, and he hadn’t given up on her. He’d taken Eva at her worst and hadn’t even batted an eye. It was only natural that she’d develop some feelings for the kraken.
“Okay,” Aymee said, pulling Eva’s attention away from Kronus. “That’s…that’s good!” She glanced at the ochre kraken and grinned knowingly before looking back to Eva. “Let me show you how to remove the prosthesis and care for it, then we can get you some breakfast.”
Eva tilted her head down and listened as Aymee went through the steps, demonstrating how to release the pin and disconnect the limb, how to remove the liner, and how to put it all back on again. As Aymee spoke, Eva glanced up to find Kronus watching raptly. When Aymee pushed up Eva’s gown a little higher, Kronus’s gaze followed her hand to Eva’s exposed flesh. Fire gleamed in his eyes when they met Eva’s again.
Her breath fled her, and desire bloomed in her core in response under the intensity of his stare.
What have I agreed to?
Surprisingly, she found that her anticipation greatly outweighed her fear.
Chapter 12
The evening sun cast golden light through the sea-facing windows of Kronus’s dwelling, creating long, deep shadows in contrast to the pure, powerful illumination. The quality of the light only emphasized how unprepared he was to care for a human.
His furnishings were sparse. He had no need for anything beyond a bed and a table, and the upright cabinet a human would’ve used to hold clothing served as storage for the few weapons and tools he’d accumulated over his time in The Watch — a harpoon gun with a few harpoons and a single tether line, a spear, several knives and carving tools he’d yet to use, a small net, and a few sturdy sacks.
Kronus wasn’t sure where to start.
Did Eva have clothing, or would he need to obtain some? What sort of plants could humans eat? More importantly, which plants did she prefer? His isolation had taught him little regarding such matters. He knew humans were as capable and varied as his people, that they had immense capacity for hard work, cooperation, and kindness while at the same time being susceptible to their own prejudices, but that was nearly the extent of his knowledge.
He began at the most logical point — he cleared the cabinet of his tools and weapons, so she’d have a place to store her belongings. Once that was done, he removed his blankets and bedding from the bed and set them up in the corner, creating a nest-like spot for him to sleep. Then he opened his wooden storage chest and pulled out all the spare bedding it contained. Macy had insisted he take it all when he moved into this den, just in case he ever needed it. He’d not understood the reasoning behind it, but he’d accepted, if only to end the uncomfortable conversation before he said something to cause conflict. As he arranged it atop the bed now, he finally understood. Though it had taken time, the extra bedding finally had a purpose.
With the bed made as neatly as he could manage, he slid the table against the wall beneath the seaside window. The sunlight, now more orange than gold, fell on the little carving laid atop the table — the one-legged human female.
A strange sensation crept through him, making his chest tight and his stomach hollow. The wooden figure seemed alone and out of place; naked, vulnerable and fragile. A precious thing to be protected.
Kronus poured through his mind for a word Arkon had once explained to him, a word that meant something was being used to represent another thing, even if there wasn’t a direct connection or correlation between the two things.
Meta…metaphor?
He shrugged off both the word and the feeling. Arkon was much better suited to such thoughts. Kronus had a purpose, the completion of which would directly affect Eva, which meant there was no time to ponder unimportant matters. His den needed to be prepared for her. He needed to be able to provide everything she wanted and required.
And he couldn’t determine what she’d require on his own.
After exiting his den, Kronus paused to glance seaward. The setting sun lit the water with a brilliant golden-orange glow, highlighted by shimmering sparks of white that contrasted the darker patches woven throughout. All of it was in constant motion, bound only by the distant horizon. The beach below the rise was peaceful and undisturbed; undoubtedly, the presence of razorbacks in the coastal waters was keeping the people who dwelled in the nearby houses from enjoying the beach where they so loved to swim and play.
Regardless, the scene was beautiful, and the sound of gentle waves against the shore was soothingly familiar to Kronus. He’d never stopped to appreciate beauty before. Instead, he’d voiced doubts about Arkon and Jax for their pursuits of it, whether through art or exploration, because that was not the kraken way.
And now, Kronus was going to ask Jax for help.
Because I finally found something beautiful. Something of my own.
He turned away from the sea and moved along the path that linked all the dwellings on the ridge. Jax and Macy lived in the next-to-last building of the row relative to Kronus’s den.
Some of the people from the nearby dwellings were outside; Kronus silently acknowledged their greetings as he passed them, grateful that most had given up on engaging him in conversation months ago. He harbored no ill will toward any of them — he simply had little to say and found what humans called small talk to be tedious and largely without a point.
At any other time, for most any other reason, Kronus’s last shreds of pride would’ve prevented him from asking Jax and Macy for any assistance, no matter how dire the situation. He’d already caused them so much suffering and heartache, and he couldn’t look at them without being reminded of everything that had transpired — without recalling the blood that had been spilled because he’d pushed and pushed beyond reason. What right did he have to ask them for anything?
Their dwelling came into view farther down the path. It was built with the same wood and stone as his own, with a similar design, but theirs was larger; it was sized not to accommodate a lone kraken, but a family. A family that wouldn’t have come to exist if Kronus had had his way. A pang of shame pierced his chest. All he could do was grit his teeth and continue forward.
He truly had no right to ask anything of them, but his pride and misgivings, his discomfort and guilt, had no choice but to bow before Eva’s needs. For her, he would ask, and he would pay any price necessary.
The younglings Sarina, Eros, and Jace were playing in the grass in front of the dwelling. Kronus slowed as he neared them; he’d seen them at play more times than he could count since he took his den nearby, but he still found it a strange sight. Before coming to The Watch, he’d only had contact with a single youngling who was not being trained as a hunter — Rhea’s headstrong, adventurous daughter, Melaina. Male kraken only dealt with male younglings who were of age to learn how to hunt. All others were entrusted to the care of adult females and kept sheltered in a different portion of the Facility.
Macy emerged from the dwelling, stopping in the open doorway with a hand on the doorframe. Her clothing molded to her form, revealing her rounded stomach; she’d have a third youngling soon enough.
“Eros, don’t pull Sarina’s hair!” she called, her tone somehow gentle and commanding at once. She turned her head toward Kronus, who was only a few body-lengths away, and started. Once her initial surprise faded, she smiled.
Part of Kronus longed to find deceit in her eyes, or veiled hatred, or disgust. In some ways, it would’ve been easier to deal with than the warmth of her expression. Her loathing would’ve been less unsettling than her forgiveness.
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