Echoes of the Tide (Deep Waters #3)

Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

H olding onto Maketes felt like the only grasp she still had on her sanity. She’d gone from the frying pan into the fire. They were surrounded by undines, and she hadn’t realized their kind came in so many colors. No wonder they called humans achromos, a name which meant colorless in Latin.

Humans really were colorless in comparison. They came in tones of beige, but these creatures were in a rainbow of colors. Everywhere she looked, there was another color. Blues and violets, bright greens and yellows, even a few flashes of red that were so distracting, she craned her neck to stare at them as they headed off into the distance.

They were so beyond beautiful. All different kinds of flukes and fins decorated their sides. The gills that framed their faces were all different, too. Maketes’s were smaller than some, and there were a few who had massive fins on each side of their face. Rib gills seemed to have the same treatment. There was no way to know how large they were going to be or how thin the filaments were.

It was almost mind bending to see them all. To her people, the undine were monsters. She’d never given it much thought to what they did when they weren’t hunting humans. In a way, she’d assumed they were all holed up in some cavern in the middle of the ocean, clawed hands stretching out of the darkness when they scented prey. Or perhaps that they just floated there, waiting for the next attack.

They were silly thoughts. She knew that now. Because there was a mother here with her child, tugging on its tail and laughing as the little one got more and more angry. Then there was a young couple, each of them twining around the other as they swam toward the surface. Their tails were so graceful and long, looping in a spiral that looked like DNA as the sun’s rays grew stronger and highlighted the female’s lovely dark blue scales and the male’s pretty green.

This entire place was like a dream. And as they approached the building that she never would have guessed was here, she realized she had thought so low of the undines, but clearly they were far more than she’d ever imagined.

Maketes held her a little tighter as they approached. She could feel his claws digging into her sides, pressing her to his skin like someone was going to take her from him.

But no one even swam toward them. It seemed like some of the other undines were looking at her with rather odd expressions, but no one spoke to them. She supposed that was likely because they already knew other humans. She could only guess that this was where Mira and Anya lived, considering the home was filled with greenery that she could already see through the windows.

Ace couldn’t wait to get out of the water. She loved experiencing all of this with Maketes too, but having a bit more of a civilized place to rest her head would also be very welcome.

Still, she placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed hard enough to get his attention. “You seem nervous.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

His forearm flexed against her back, the hard muscles there bouncing with emotion. “I just... I want them to treat you kindly.”

Was that what he was worried about? This sweet, wonderful man feared that she wouldn’t get along with the others?

Ace chuckled, the sound causing bubbles to erupt from her mouth. “I’ve been around humans my entire life, Maketes. Some of them don’t like me, others do. It’s okay if they don’t like me.”

“It’s not.”

“Why?”

He paused near the building, his gaze dancing over her features. “Because you are the most wonderful person I have ever met. The idea of them disappointing you, or seeing less of you than you deserve? It kills me.”

She bumped her nose against his. “I promise, if they are mean, I will tell you.”

“You will tell me.”

She nodded, and then for good measure, pressed a kiss to his lips. Because it seemed natural to do so. They were here, they had been... whatever they were. And now it only felt right that she kiss him and linger when...

Well, fuck. She didn’t know if it was the right thing to do in front of what was essentially his family. But he reacted like she’d stuck him with a brand. Maketes became a live wire in her arms, all of his gills fluttering like mad and his arms dragging her even closer. It was so nice to have someone be this obsessed with her.

Then he sighed against her lips, bubbles obscuring her vision of him for a few moments before he swam her closer to the building again.

“Be safe, kefi,” he said, before holding her up to the opening of the moon pool. “I will return for you.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find my brothers. They need to know who I have brought back to our home, and what our plan is.” His gaze lingered on her face, as though just looking at her eased his anxiety. “You can hold your own against them. Yes?”

“I don’t think there will be any issues.”

Although now he was making her nervous.

He flicked his tail and headed away from the building, so she turned toward the surface at the same moment his tentacle disconnected with her neck. Nowhere to go now but up, she supposed.

Kicking her feet, she headed up and grabbed onto the edge of the moon pool. With a sharp gasp, she drew air into her lungs all on her own and heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

Ace had only just managed to ungracefully crawl her way out of the water and roll wet and soaking onto the floor when a door burst open. It hit the wall hard, and Ace caught a glimpse of the interior. It was rather bare in this room, with a table set up on a raised platform in the back and glass windows everywhere. There was an opening to her right that looked like it might go into a garden area which had recently been expanded, guessing by the old bolts sitting next to the new ones she could see glinting in the light.

But then she could only look at the beautiful woman standing in the doorway. Not a single golden lock out of place. She was a stunning example of near perfection. Her blue eyes were so lovely, the curves of her body carefully hugged by a rather lovely looking dress that was in the peak of fashion. The blue gown tucked in at the waist, hugged her breasts, and showed off the ring of pearls around her throat.

Surreal, Ace had the momentary thought. It was surreal to see someone so put together in a building that had clearly recently been built.

“A-Ace?” the woman said, her voice stuttering over the word.

She blanked for a moment before realizing this had to be Anya. “Well, damn. I always heard the Songbird of Alpha was beautiful, but I didn’t realize you would look like this.”

Like a model had stepped off a magazine. That’s how she looked. So beautiful it was blinding a bit, except then Anya burst into laughter that was so incredibly off key and grating to listen to, and Ace realized it was her friend after all.

Anya rushed into the room, reaching for Ace and dragging her into her arms. It was like this beautiful version of the person she knew didn’t care in the slightest if her dress got wet or if she smelled like the sea. Anya just held her tightly and rocked back and forth.

“I’m okay,” Ace said with a chuckle, but then remembered that Anya was hard of hearing. And she wasn’t wearing Bitsy.

So she drew back, holding onto Anya’s forearms and making sure her friend could see her lips. “Anya?”

Anya nodded frantically. “Yes, it’s me!”

Tears burned in her friend’s eyes, turning them red and glossy, as though she was fighting hard to not let them fall. Had Ace earned this emotional reaction? They’d been talking for years, after all. But some small part of her had been afraid their relationship was entirely online. They had felled Alpha together, but did that mean they were friends?

Obviously, her fears were unfounded. Because Anya yanked her in for another rocking hug that nearly sent them both to the floor as they stumbled in the water.

Glancing up, she saw another woman leaning against the door Anya had just come out of. The redhead had hair like fire billowing around her. A sensible pair of pants and a tight black tank covered her body in stark contrast to Anya. The redhead grinned at her and then waved a single hand.

“Mira.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Ace gasped out before extracting herself from Anya’s grip. She tried to stay facing Anya so that her friend wouldn’t miss the words. “I’ve heard a lot about you two. Though, obviously, we’ve talked before.”

Anya shook her head with a wry grin. “I feel like we’ve known each other for ages.”

She was right. They’d been talking for nearly six years, long before she’d been tossed into Gamma, trying hard to overthrow the people who deserved to be overthrown. She’d just... Ace wasn’t used to people wanting to be friends with her. Even back in Beta, no one had wanted to talk to her that much.

Clearing her throat, she looked over to Mira, who hadn’t moved yet. “I don’t think we’ve spoken yet.”

“Not much, but enough. It’s good to see you. When Maketes was heading toward us with someone in his arms, I had a feeling he might have caved and brought you here.”

Right, this was an awkward conversation. So Ace changed the subject swiftly. “You’re from Beta as well, right?”

“As well?” Mira arched her brow. “Engineering department.”

“Droid research.”

They stared at each other for a few long minutes, and she could feel Anya’s worried stare going back and forth between them until both Beta explants started laughing.

Mira shook her head. “Another Beta reject. Were you working in the droid depot when... Fuck, what was his name? Billy? When Billy ran the place?”

A cold shudder ran between her shoulder blades. “That fucking asshole? Yeah, I did. He tried to grab my ass more times than I could count and then got mad at me when I did my job better than he could.”

“He was bad. I heard whoever replaced him was better.”

“Not by much.”

And just like that, everything softened. Anya threaded her arm through Ace’s and drew her into the village they had made.

The room with the moon pool was, she could only assume, a meeting room. Because as she walked into the next room that was filled with color and stuffed cushions, she imagined this was the room the two of them spent their time in.

Plants hung from the ceiling, their tendrils reaching down for everyone who passed. She almost couldn’t even see the glass, there was so much greenery in here. The floors were covered with layers and layers of carpet in every color and texture possible. Giant cushions were plumped everywhere, likely for seating. The walls were mostly glass as well, and there were small reading nooks with stacks of books.

“I make sure Mira keeps all her metal pieces and parts out of this room,” Anya said, her voice turning slightly scolding. “I’ve stepped on far too many screws already.”

“She’s a bit pushy,” Mira replied from behind her. “You’ll have to be aware of that if you’re staying here with us.”

But when Ace looked at Anya, certain her friend would be angry, Anya was just grinning.

“I can’t hear her,” Anya said. “I’m sure she said something mildly nasty.”

“Not at all.” Ace looked over Anya’s shoulder and caught Mira’s wink.

She thought she would quite like being here with the two of them. But, realistically, she couldn’t stay here. Could she?

Anya grabbed her hand, threading their fingers together. “You can stay. I recognize that look, and I’m sure it’s the same look I gave Mira. Oh, please stay with us! I would love nothing more than someone else to talk with, and I’m sure Mira is quite tired of me by now.”

Again, Mira nodded frantically over her shoulder before shrugging. “I’m used to people from Beta. We’re a little harder around the edges.”

“I grew up in Beta and have lived in Gamma for too long to be considered soft,” Ace replied. Although then she looked down at her clothes and shrugged. “At least not in personality.”

With a soft sound, Anya whipped around to look at Mira. “Clothes! She’s soaking wet.”

Mira nodded before heading past both of them to get clothing for her. In that moment, Ace saw the three of them in the reflection of the glass. Anya, petite and willowy thin. Mira, tall and broad shouldered with strength radiating through all of her body. And then Ace, curvy and equally just as strong.

Equally as pretty.

It was the very first moment in her life where she had seen her own reflection and thought herself attractive. But there it was. Looking into her own reflection, seeing beauty.

Her breath caught, and she didn’t know how long she stood there, staring at herself until Mira came back and threw some clothes into her arms. “These should fit you. If they don’t, we’ll get to making new pieces for you. Should be comfortable enough for now, though.”

She glanced down to see a worker’s uniform in her hands. The man’s large hoodie and soft pants should fit her just fine. And they were far more comfortable than any clothes she’d put on in years. So she headed into the room where Anya drew her and changed into the dry clothes. It was all still rather surreal.

Until she got back into the room and looked at Anya and Mira talking. They both looked back at her and all she could think to say was, “Anya, why aren’t you wearing Bitsy?”

There was a low quiet, and then Anya replied, “Bitsy was crushed in Alpha when I set off the bomb. Mira has been trying to fix her, but she’s never been the same.”

With a small quirk in her lips, Ace shrugged. “That’s why you never ask an engineer to touch anything in the droid depot.”

It would keep her hands busy to help. She didn’t want to think about anything right now. It was all so overwhelming, but it seemed like the other two women didn’t anticipate leaving her alone.

Mira stood first, rolling her eyes at the two of them. “An engineer does a fine job. But if you want to take a crack at it, follow me.”

Anya grabbed onto Ace’s arm again and dragged her with them, whether Ace wanted to go or not. “Come on. If you can fix Bitsy, that would be the second best thing to happen today!”

Pulling her friend to a stop, she made sure Anya could see her lips as she said, “What’s the first?”

“You, silly.”

A warmth bloomed in her chest as her two friends pulled her into Mira’s domain, which was filled with the scent of oil and so many pieces and parts of metal that it was shocking it could all fit in here. For the first time in what might have been years, Ace felt like she was... home.