Echoes of the Tide (Deep Waters #3)

Chapter 20

CHAPTER 20

S ometimes the sea worked with him, and other times, she taught him patience. The squid brought him right back to an entire shoal of them. And each individual squid seemed to have a vendetta against him.

Or maybe that was just how he felt because he knew he had something to get back to, and the squid were not happy he was in their hunting grounds. It wasn’t like the People of Water and squid had ever gotten along. Those creatures were intelligent enough to know that his kind were a threat to their food, and his people just didn’t like their damned beaks. Squid were far too protective over their food, and they were so quick to bite and use those suckers at every chance they could get.

He hated their species and enjoyed fighting them to get some of his pent up aggression out. Because at this rate, she wasn’t going to use her mouth on him like she’d promised. Maybe sometime soon he could convince her to do so, but realistically, too much time had passed.

The moment was gone. Simmering just underneath his skin. But he didn’t want to push her to do anything she wasn’t excited to do as well. He’d wanted to explore her body. He’d enjoyed seeing her undone by pleasure.

They had other issues. Other problems. Soon enough, they would need to return to her city of Gamma, even though it made his stomach twist with acid. He wanted to throw up at the mere idea of bringing her back to that place where she’d almost died.

So instead of thinking about it, he tore into the squid. Ripping tentacles off gelatinous bodies made him feel a little better, even if that wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with the emotion. Perhaps he was taking his feelings out too much on them. The water was rather clogged with their blood and the awful scent of their ink. He could barely see his hand in front of his face.

Ridiculous. And yet, here he was. Using violence as a way to still his mind so he could prepare something that would make her like him even more.

Which... now that he was thinking about it, he actually had quite a good plan for that.

Darting up through the water after he’d made it very clear to the squid to leave him alone, he headed up to the surface. The water lightened quickly. They weren’t that far down in the depths, after all. The cave he’d brought her to was nearly at the surface itself, although he didn’t want to tell her that. He’d come here many times in his life, exploring as a child while trying to get away from those who teased him.

His head broke through the surface, and he was surprised to see the sun almost setting. But the waves were calm and quiet, a calm sea that reflected an unbroken image of fluffy skies. There was a storm in the distance, but he didn’t think it would affect his plan. Not yet, at least.

“Perfect,” he exclaimed, before diving underneath the waves and heading back toward her cave. The plan formed in his mind just as he hit the warm vents that heated her pool.

He would show her something that no mate had yet. He would prove to her that while he was different and perhaps a little scary, he was still worthwhile to keep around.

Because if he didn’t have to prove himself to her, then he didn’t have to prove himself to other people. And Maketes wasn’t ready to accept that just yet.

Ace was right where he’d left her. She was sitting at the edge of the water, staring down at her droid who was zipping around in strange patterns. He recognized the words from when they had been messaging with each other. But he’d always had a voice to read the messages to him. Now, he still wasn’t sure what they said. But it didn’t matter.

“Kefi,“ he said, interrupting their conversation.

And the way she looked at him, with that smile on her face... it turned his heart into molten lava. Rubbing at the sudden tension there, he nodded to the back corner of the room. “There’s a small crevice there. I need you to climb through it.”

“What?” Her eyebrows raised. “You want me to squeeze through a tunnel in a cave?”

“Yes. You’ll fit.”

She shook her head. “I’m not going to do that. What if I get stuck?”

“Then I’ll come get you.”

“Not if I’m halfway through the tunnel and you can’t reach me! That’s how I die, Maketes.”

He leaned his arm against the side of the water, grinning at her. “Remember how I made you pet a shark?”

“Shut up.”

“Remember how you fought against all those people in that tower? You even held a knife and cut one of them. I smelled it.” He tapped his neck gills, still looking up at her with all the adoration in his chest. “You’re braver than you think, kefi.”

“You keep calling me that, and it sounds like you have a cough.” She crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him and shaking her head.

But he could see that spark of bravery in her. The sudden flicker of a flame that called her to adventure, even when she wanted to deny it. He could see her mind was filled with all the dangers that she would entertain by doing this, but her heart wanted to go. It wanted to dive into the unknown with him.

“If you go through that crevice, I will meet you on the other side and tell you what the name means.”

That was enough of a deal for her. She narrowed her gaze on him, those laser eyes seeing everything before she nodded. “Fine. But if I get stuck and die, I’m haunting you forever.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

The moment she started into the small crevice, turning sideways so she could fit, he dove into the water to meet her outside. Sure, she had an ass that might make this difficult for her, but it was a beautiful ass and one that he was quite fond of already. She’d fit just fine, and he never would have sent her in that way if he had thought for a second she’d get stuck and die.

Curving through the spears of dying light, he raced to the other side of this outcropping. In his mind, he played what she was doing. First, she had to reach the first bend. She’d have to slide down and crouch to get under it, like he had when he was a child. But if a small male like himself could get through, so could she. A few rocks would then be in her way. She’d have to climb up them to get to the flat portion which would lead her... here.

He broke through the water with a sharp flick of his tail that sent him flying out of the waves and up onto the flat rocks that met the sea. They were still warm from the sun’s rays throughout the day, and their smooth texture let him slide almost all the way to the opening she would exit.

He waited there, listening to her panting sounds and curses that echoed just out of his reach. “You’re almost here!” he called out, grinning even wider when she hissed out more curses. Some mixed with his name and were quite elaborate.

But then she reached the opening. Ace strode confidently out before freezing with her hand raised to her eyes. She blinked, squinting against the vision of the sun before her.

“What is this?” she called out.

“The sun,” he replied, looking back to see the rays skittering across the water and turning the waves into diamonds. “Just like your people used to see every day.”

A few more blinks, and she lowered her arm. Then he could see the expression of awe that crossed her face.

Ace took a step out, staggered, then a few more steps and reached for him. Her hands were trembling as she clutched his wrist and stared out at the blue sky and even bluer water that was just barely rolling with the tide. He tried to see it all through her eyes.

She’d been under the water her entire life. A creature who was meant to be here in the sun with the sky above her and the wind playing across her skin. There were few achromos who had ever been here, perhaps none that still lived.

“What is this place?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“This is where your people were born.” He drew her into his arms, giving her something to lean against as she felt the sun on her skin for the very first time. “You were meant to stand here with the sun on your skin. Soon, perhaps you would become tanned as it sank into the very essence of your body. Every morning, you would wake and see the sun reflecting on every surface. Even tiny beads of water on leaves turn to gemstones. And in the evening, when the sun sets and all the world grows still, a symphony awakens. Insects that sing every night, birds that call out to each other, the howl of furry creatures who live beyond in the hills.”

A shuddering breath blew out of her. Those trembling hands still clutched at his forearms. “We’re... above?”

He pointed just over her shoulder, allowing her eyes to follow the line of his finger so she could see where he was gesturing. “There, on the horizon. You should see the faintest dark line there. That is land. We are on a small island, if you can even call it that. There isn’t much here other than the small cavern and this spot we stand on. But there is land just out there. Land your people used to live on.”

Tears welled in her eyes, dripping down her cheeks as she looked. “Land?” she repeated, her voice nearly impossible to understand. “You mean there’s dirt there? Earth and green things growing?”

“I don’t know if anything’s growing. The storms have taken much from your world.” He pointed to the storm that was brewing just far enough away from them. “There is one.”

The thunderhead was massive, but they always were. Dark purple and raging, with lightning arcing in between the billowing heads. It went on for miles, as far as the eye could see. But, like most, it was clustered together. They would have hours before it reached them, and he was particularly good at telling when they would get too close to him.

“Oh,” she whispered. “So the rumors are true, then.”

“What rumors?”

“That we can’t live above?” She turned her head to look at him, gazing up with those sad brown eyes. “I had hoped for a second that maybe you were showing me we could live here. That the storms and the earthquakes and the volcanic eruptions were all made up, so we had to stay down there. When I was a little girl, I used to dream that there were still people living in the sun. That if I was really good, someone would let me come and live with them.”

His heart broke for her. The People of Water did not need the sun like hers did. He didn’t need the air or the wind or all the things that only earth could give them. The ocean was made for him and his people, while the land was made for hers.

Everything in him screamed to hold her tighter against his chest. To let her sob out her frustrations of her life and to absorb it into the hard muscles of his chest. But he knew that’s not what she needed right now.

She didn’t need to sit in those terrible emotions or thoughts. What she needed was to sit in the sun and experience this for a few moments so she could hold them to her heart forever and never forget them.

So he released her and nudged her forward. “Go on. Explore your sun and all the sights you might never see again.”

She looked back at him for a second and then she was off. Racing across the top of this tiny island that wasn’t all that big. But it was enough for her to run. She leapt between the rocks, poked around in the pools of water that still had some crustaceans and small snails inside of them. She triumphantly held up a crab for him to see, and splashed in the warm water that she swore was almost hot.

Ace had her moment in the sun, and he encouraged every second of her child-like wonder. He named every crab. He splashed the water back at her. Even grabbed a handful of seaweed and tossed it at her head.

There were only a few hours left of sunlight, though. And soon enough, the sky turned pink as they prepared to say goodbye to the sun. Unfortunately, that also meant the storm was too close for comfort.

But he couldn’t rush her. Not when she’d finally settled on the warm stones and was staring out at the sky that was filled with a rainbow of colors.

Her eyes were wet, glimmering with unshed tears that she kept dashing away so she could stare a little longer. Maketes lowered himself into the waves, swimming so he was right between her legs.

She didn’t look at him, but he hadn’t expected her to.

“We have to go back soon,” he said, remorse filling him at even having to say the words. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You gave me a gift that no one else could ever have dreamt of. This was so beautiful. To know that even though it’s dangerous to live here, even though there is a storm at my back, right now, all I can see is a sunset.” She hiccuped, the sound somewhat a cross between a gasp and a sob. “I never would have seen this if it weren’t for you.”

“I only gave you what you deserved to see.”

“No, Maketes. You didn’t. I’m a convicted criminal who has stolen from good people. I don’t deserve any of this, and yet, you are the one giving it to me.” She turned that teary eyed gaze down to look at him and framed his face with her hands. “Thank you for this. It was the best afternoon of my entire life.”

He didn’t fight against her when she leaned down to kiss him. How could he? He wanted those lips against his, and he greedily took what she offered. But only for a few moments before guilt crept in.

Maketes leaned away and tilted her chin up. “Look at the sunset, Ace. You deserve to see it for every second that I can let you.”

“My name isn’t Ace,” she whispered, her gaze locked on the darkening sky. “It’s just what I prefer people to call me. My name is Maura.”

“Maura,” he repeated, and then shook his head. “Ace is a wonderful name, too.”

“Thank you. For everything, Maketes.”

He leaned down and rested his head in her lap, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her for a little while longer. “You’re welcome.”