Demon Waters (Apex #4)

Chapter Six

T ess loved to travel and gain new experiences. Unwilling to go home after finishing boarding school, she had instead visited many different countries on several continents. She’d been a camp counsellor in the US, worked as a superyacht steward off the coast of Brazil, hiked to a secret hot spring in Iceland, and volunteered at a Sri Lankan street dog rescue charity, which is where she had found Mocha as a tiny fuzzy puppy. But sitting on the roof of her little boat beside an octopus monster who had just given her the best orgasm of her life, was up there with her most memorable encounters.

Hefting a thick patchwork blanket around her shoulders, she sipped her red wine, savouring the rich, fruity taste. She’d offered one to Bale, but he’d declined. He seemed more relaxed than earlier as he lounged beside her, his tentacles stretched out across the hardtop canopy. His skin had morphed into a beautiful cobalt blue with touches of pale lilac that matched the boat’s paintwork. The suckers underneath had turned pale pink, reminding her of cherry blossoms in spring.

The rainclouds had dissipated, leaving behind a vast star-filled sky. The moon’s reflection rippled in the water, and moths danced in the amber light glowing from her boat’s interior. Every so often, tiny black shadows caught her eye as bats darted overhead, hunting insects on the wing. An owl hooted from one of the sheds and a muntjac deer gave a warning bark from the trees nearby, probably at Mocha whom Tess had let out for a bedtime sniff-around. Tiny waves lapped rhythmically against Yew Dreamer’ s hull, and she caught the moment a fish jumped, its scales glinting in the moonlight before it submerged again.

She sighed, placing her glass beside her. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Glancing his way, she found him watching her. Warmth blossomed in her chest and she smiled, pushing her hair behind her ears. “I was talking about the scenery.”

“As was I.” He kept his gaze on her.

She laughed and fidgeted. Why did this situation feel more intimate than what had happened earlier? Twisting her fingers together, she tried to make sense of her warring emotions. On one hand, she felt incredibly sated and content after her orgasm. On the other hand, the monster looking at her with such intensity made her feel…restless. Filled with an emotion she struggled to recognise. Was it excitement? Anticipation? She wasn’t sure.

“Why did you come here, Bale?” She spoke abruptly, needing a distraction. “Freya said that Severin uses portals to move around different dimensions. Were you doing the same? Travelling?”

“Not exactly.”

She raised her brows.

For a moment, she thought he wasn’t going to answer, then he continued quietly, “My world has been in the grip of a civil war for a long time. It began over a resource, as so many conflicts do. The most valuable resource in the universe.”

“Oil?” she guessed.

He gave her an odd look. “Water.”

“Oh, right.” Abashed, she gestured at him to carry on.

“I was a youth when two rival factions tried to claim ownership of various bodies of water in our world. The situation quickly turned violent and extensive. Our rulers had no choice but to pick a side and go to war. My family are of noble birth and planned for me to assume an officer’s position when I came of age, to keep me far away from the front line. But I wanted to fight, so I joined the rank and file. Eventually I became a respected battlefield commander. Fighting, killing—it was all I knew, but the appeal of seeking glory and defending the innocent faded as the years went on.”

Tess kept quiet, shocked at how many words the reticent monster had used in one go. He had obviously stored them up for a long time. Not wanting to distract him, she kept quiet as he continued,

“Despite growing discontent amongst both soldiers and civilians, the fighting persisted unabated. Then during a key battle, several commanders and their aides were captured. I was sent behind enemy lines with my patrol to find them.” He hung his head. “By the time we did, they had already been killed, deep underwater. We are not easy beings to kill, but the things that were done to them were grotesque. Their bodies were left on display, weighted down and mutilated.”

She shook her head. “That’s awful.”

“In our devastation, we realised too late that our slaughtered comrades were being used as a lure. Our enemies attacked out of nowhere, and we tried to retreat. What we didn’t know at the time, was that there was a portal nearby. It had been tampered with, dragging inside anyone who got too close. As I was holding up the rear, enabling my soldiers to escape, I was caught in its grip.”

“You sacrificed yourself to save them,” she said quietly.

He shrugged, the tentacles over his mouth swinging. “When it spat me out the other end, I was frustrated and angry, but not afraid when I realised where I was. I had come to Earth as a youth, and my parents are regular visitors here. Although I was unable to return through the same portal, I assumed I could seek another that would take me home. However, the cruel magic my enemies used did more than just force me through the portal and lock it behind me. It also trapped me in its vicinity. I could not escape via the river or contact my people for assistance.”

“Why didn’t anyone come looking for you?” Tess demanded. “Your soldiers must have told others what happened? They could have travelled here via a different portal to find you.”

He raised his tentacles in a helpless motion. “I wonder if somehow, this one was redirected from its former destination. Which would mean my people would have no idea where to look for me, even if they wanted to try.”

She reached for him, squeezing one of his tentacles in silent support. He stared at her hand for a moment, then twined the tip of the limb through her fingers.

“You saved me, you know,” he whispered.

“I did? How?”

“I was ready to finish it.” His voice was so low, she had to lean in to hear him. “Exiled to another world, trapped with no way to escape, it was torture. I had reached the point where I could no longer bear it. But the same day I decided to end my life, was the day you arrived.”

“Last year,” she murmured. “After dad died and I inherited Yew Dreamer . I tried the new marina, but it wasn’t my kind of place. I didn’t know where else to go but here.”

He nodded. “That first night, you came up to the roof with a drink, like tonight, and you watched the stars. Then, you started to cry. You were crying for your father, although I didn’t know it then. You wept as though your heart had shattered into pieces, and it felt like you were crying for both of us. And then you stopped.”

She frowned, her memories clearing like silhouettes emerging from the mist. “It was Mocha, wasn’t it? She was barking at something. Was it you?”

“I believe so.” There was a hint of a smile in his tone. “I did not hide well enough for her. You threw a ball for her to retrieve, distracting you both. Then you hugged her tight and said, ‘we’ll keep going, won’t we? We’re still here, and we have to keep going until things get better.’ At that moment, I vowed to do the same and it was like a weight was lifted. I knew then that my new purpose was to guard and protect you.”

“Oh, Bale.”

“Time went on, and my decision was justified as I watched you. You are kind and thoughtful. Friendly and outgoing. You see everyone as a potential friend, rather than an enemy. To someone like me, who has known so much war and bloodshed, it is…inspiring. If I ever manage to escape this place, I will do my best to live the way you have shown me.”

“But you still stayed hidden,” she said helplessly. “Even after everything that happened with Freya and her ex. You could have approached me, talked to me; we could have become friends long before this.”

“I was afraid.” He hung his head. “Humans are so fearful of the unknown. I thought you would flee, and I would be alone again.”

Flinging the blanket away, she wrapped her arms around him. “I’m not afraid of you. And I’d never run from you.”

“You honour me with your kindness.”

“Kindness has nothing to do with it. Bale, can I kiss you?”

He froze. “Kiss me?”

“Yeah.” She kept her hands clasped around his neck, worried that he’d draw back if she let go. “You know what a kiss is, don’t you?”

He nodded slowly.

Before she lost her nerve, she touched her lips to the tentacles on his face.

She heard his abrupt intake of breath, but he didn’t withdraw. Inhaling his rich, sweet scent with its hint of salt, she gently moved the tentacles out of the way and beheld his mouth. She remembered the sharp rows of teeth she’d seen earlier, and the alien tongue covered in suckers. Perhaps she should have been afraid, but instead, warmth spread in her core and a shiver ran over her skin.

As she pressed her lips against his mouth, she felt tentacles slither over her body. Tightening her grip around his neck, she pressed herself against him and darted her tongue into his mouth. He groaned and pushed underneath her ass. Her legs fell apart and she found herself straddling one long tentacle, like how she had awoken on the island yesterday. Her pussy throbbed at the memory and she rubbed against him with a noise of delight.

A deep rumble reverberated from his chest as he broke their kiss. “Do you wish for more pleasure, little flower?”

“I wish for your pleasure.” She gripped his tentacle between her thighs. “What would you have done if I hadn’t told you to stop earlier? What would you like to do to me?”

The growl that came out of him was so hungry, so otherworldly, it made her stomach flip.

“Do not say such things, flower,” he rasped. “Please, do not tempt me.”

“I’m not tempting you; I’m inviting you. Touch me, Bale. Do what you want…”

He picked her up before she knew what was happening, keeping one tentacle between her legs as he flipped her on to her back. She blinked up at the sky, her pulse hammering as he loomed over her.

“I want to touch you here .” He grasped her vest top, pulling it down to expose her chest. “I want to kiss you here while you ride me for your pleasure.”

She met his eyes, her heart pounding. “Then do it.”

He hesitated for a bare moment, then bent his head and pressed a kiss on one breast, then the other. She made a soft noise in her throat, her nerve endings tingling. He inhaled against her skin, then kissed her again, the tentacles on his face tickling her as he worked his way to her aching nipples.

“Use your tongue,” she whispered. “Use your tongue on me.”

“Like this?” His wet tongue slithered over one nipple.

She cried out, arching her back to give him better access. He obliged with growing confidence…then he lifted his head sharply.

A fraction of a second later, Mocha’s rapid barking began from the undergrowth.

“It’s probably a fox,” she gabbled, trying to draw him back down to her.

He resisted. “I hear something too.”

Straining her ears, Tess caught a low, buzzing sound coming from somewhere above them. As tiny lights appeared in the sky, realisation made the blood seize in her veins. “Oh shit, it’s a drone. Get back in the water, now.”

He snarled. “I must protect you—”

“It won’t hurt me, it’s a flying machine with a camera on it. They’re looking for you. Bale, go !”

After a moment of hesitation, he did as she asked, diving off the boat with a splash into the water. Clambering off the roof, Tess whistled for Mocha, who fled back to Yew Dreamer , yapping furiously.

Tess narrowed her eyes at the inoffensive object as it hovered above the boat. She couldn’t make out much more than the lights on each of the four arms, below the whirring propellers keeping it airborne. The blinking red light in the centre exposed the location of the camera. Crossing her arms, she glowered upward. This had to be Julian, and she needed to show him that she wasn’t afraid. More than that, she was ready to fight for her new friend.

The weird stand-off continued for several minutes. Tess kept her hostile stance the whole time, willing Bale to stay hidden. She knew nothing about drones other than what she’d seen on TV—did they have infrared technology? Motion sensors? Octopus monster detectors? She forced herself to keep glaring at the drone as her mind spun into overdrive. Finally, the machine soared upward and flew away.

She exhaled in relief. Bending to pick up the bewildered Mocha, she made soothing noises then leaned over the side of the boat.

“Stay hidden for tonight, in case it comes back,” she ordered. “I’ll message Freya in the meantime. We’re running out of time.”