Echoes of the Tide (Deep Waters #3)

Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

“ T here we go,” Ace said, tapping the top of Bitsy’s head to send her back to sleep. “That should do it. Her hard drive was completely fried in the explosion, but droids like these usually have some form of backup. I think I found the right one.”

Anya sat in front of her, leaning forward with her head in her hands. It was very much like a family member would look when a loved one was in surgery. Which was sweet. There weren’t a lot of people who looked at droids like she did. Sure, Bitsy was a very important function of Anya’s life. But she was also a friend, and Ace knew what that felt like to need someone to be there with her.

Tera whirled in a circle on the table before them, very pleased with what had occurred. Ace’s own droid had been necessary to make sure that Bitsy was fixed right. But her droid had seen a lot of injured creations, just like Bitsy.

Together, they were unstoppable. Ace tapped her finger on top of one of Tera’s balls. “Nice job. I think that’s all we needed.”

Finally, Anya stirred. “Do you think she’s going to be okay?”

“Yeah, she’ll be fine. That personality of hers will come back in no time. We just have to wait for it to re-download, and that can sometimes take a while.”

Anya lifted her head, those terrified and lost eyes finding Ace’s. “What did you do to her just now?”

“I put her into rest mode. She’ll be... essentially sleeping while she downloads everything that she lost. It’s better for their processing core, and makes it a little easier on them to just wake up the way they previously were, rather than have to deal with the download while they’re awake. It’s sometimes a little stressful to try to accommodate the changes and new programming.”

What she didn’t want to admit was that it was also a little shocking for people to see. She’d only seen a droid get a new personality once while it was awake, and it had been careening about the room trying to figure out what it was supposed to be doing.

At the time, her professor had said some people likened the change to a seizure. She’d never forget seeing the poor thing like that. It had seemed so eerily in pain.

Mira knocked on the door and stepped into the room. “There’s an undine here to see you,” she said with a smile. “A yellow one.”

“Maketes is back already?” She frowned and stood. “I thought he had to go debrief his brothers.”

“It doesn’t usually take long. From my understanding, there’s something you’re supposed to give me?”

Shit. He’d already told them she would just hand over the keycard? Ace felt her stomach twisting and a rolling vomit rise the back of her throat. Again, her mind screamed in fear that this wasn’t the right thing to do.

Yet, her soul screamed that it was. She knew what was going to happen to them if she didn’t. She knew that the key in the wrong hands would only cause chaos unlike anything this world had seen.

Jacob didn’t deserve orders from the very best, but she had a feeling those in Tau might very well enjoy giving him those orders. He was an intelligent man, conniving and cruel. But they would know how to control a man like that and promise him all the things that he shouldn’t have.

So she reached underneath her shirt and pulled out the keycard. It dangled from her grip, right there for everyone in the room to see. And finally she murmured, “I think this is what he means.”

Mira’s gaze had lit up with curiosity. “Now, what is that?”

“The key to Tau,” she replied. “Apparently, there is another city. One that makes the decisions for all the others. I’m uncertain if this will open up a tracking beacon, though. It has a tracker on it.”

Mira snatched it out of her grip and frowned down at the card. “Well, we can’t hack into it here then. I refuse to risk this home, no matter what treasures we might find on this. Anya?”

“I’ll tell Daios to get ready.” The blonde had jumped up, although Ace felt bad that her back had been to her. Anya didn’t know half of what was said.

And still, she was ready to leap into the fray. Both of these women were so sure of themselves, but even more sure of their partners. It made her feel a little strange.

Those thoughts must be all over her face. Mira took one look at her and then pocketed the keycard. “What’s that expression?”

“What expression?”

“The one on your face right now.” Mira pointed at her features and then waved her hand up and down. “Something is wrong.”

“Nothing is wrong.”

“You didn’t look like that when you handed this card of world destruction over to me. But the moment Anya brought up Daios, you looked like the world ended. Did that big bastard say anything to you?”

Anya slapped Mira’s hand out of the air. “Stop picking on him!”

“He almost killed me! Multiple times!”

“Get over it.”

Ace held up her hand for silence as her mind swirled with what they were saying. “Daios almost killed you?”

“It was a long time ago, but yes. The red one doesn’t like humans.” Then Mira frowned at her. “You don’t seem like you’ve met him yet, if that’s confusing for you.”

“I haven’t met anyone yet. Maketes brought me right here.”

The two other women looked at each other, and something seemed to pass between their gazes. Then they were both laser focused on Ace again, and that was the last thing she wanted.

She didn’t like the looks in their eyes as they advanced on her. Both of them grabbed an arm each, and then they were dragging her from the mechanical room.

“Where are we going?” Ace asked, more than a little uncomfortable.

“First, I want to know why you look like that, and then we’re going to introduce you to the rest of the people who live here. Because you should have been introduced the moment you swam up to our home.” Mira tugged on her arm, and all three of them walked over to the living area where there were countless cushions to plop down onto.

With a little shove, Mira pushed until Ace was sitting down in the largest one and the two other women sat down right in front of her.

“Spill,” Mira said.

“We just want to help if we can,” Anya added, softening what she hadn’t heard Mira say.

“If you aren’t mad at Daios, then what is wrong with Anya bringing him up?” Mira pushed a little harder, and something snapped inside of her.

She was with friends. They weren’t going to make fun of her. If anyone could understand her problem, then it was the women in front of her.

“I just don’t know what Maketes and I are,” she started, and then the words were a flood she couldn’t contain. She went from wanting to hide her feelings, to needing to purge them right here and right now. “I know he wants me. I want him too. There’s a strange connection between the two of us that I can’t deny, even though it feels wrong that there’s any connection at all. He’s... what he is and I’m a human. I can’t even promise him that we’ll stay together for a long time, because we’re from two different worlds. Even then, I don’t know if he wants me to stick around. I have that keycard and I have information that you all need, but that means nothing when it comes to us.”

Mira blinked a few times and then muttered under her breath, “Maketes, I thought you’d be better at this.”

“Excuse me?”

Anya glanced over at Mira and firmly said, “Repeat.”

Mira did, and then Anya looked back at Ace and nodded. “I also thought he’d be better at this. Of all the males here, he’s the one who seems the most grounded. He’s kind hearted, and he has never looked down on our people. He’s been more intrigued by our differences than feeling as though he has to point them out.”

Mira snorted, “Or be afraid of them. You’d be surprised how many undine are against having humans around just because of what they think we stand for.”

“I met a purple one who seemed to not like me,” Ace muttered.

Mira nodded. “Fortis. He’s around often, but... Yeah. Not the best.”

“Not at all. That one is terrifying.” Ace shook her head and then shuddered. “I just don’t know how Maketes feels.”

Though she knew the words were hard, and that neither of the women could speak for him, she had hope that they could shed some light on this situation. And maybe it was her own insecurities holding her back. The last thread to snap before she tumbled headlong into...

Love, she realized. She might love him.

Mira leaned forward, braced on her elbows with her fingers linked. “Maketes has always been the one who seemed fine. He hides everything with humor, and while I find that entertaining, I see it for what it is. He’s hiding something. Lately, he’s seemed a lot worse. There’s been more pranks, more antics, more jokes. Almost to the point where it feels like I can’t talk to him at all. No one can have a real conversation with him because he takes nothing seriously.”

That all made sense.

“I think he was sad,” Ace replied. “He was watching everyone he loved find people to love, and he was alone in fearing that the things he saw in himself would only make people think less of him. He was sad and hiding and watching everyone else find the loves of their lives when he was convinced it would never happen to him.”

Mira leaned back in her chair and shared a look with Anya. Then she shook her head, lips pressed into a straight, flat line. “That moron. He never sees himself as a catch. I look at him and I see the best person in the world, and all any of us have ever wanted was for him to be happy.”

Ace sighed. “He knows that, in a sense. But he also knows that there are pieces of himself that some people wouldn’t accept.” She looked down at her hands, seeing her thighs beneath them. Larger thighs than most people found attractive. “I have a unique understanding of that.”

There was a slight pause, and then Mira’s hand covered hers. “Just tell him. Undine are remarkably stupid when it comes to relationships, because they don’t do it themselves. Oh, and let him get you something. Even tell him to do it, if that makes you feel better. Gift giving is a huge part of this. If he hasn’t already been hunting items for you.”

She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Well, he’s doing it all wrong then, and that’s probably why he’s been feeling a little off. Undine have a very particular way of finding a mate. They hunt them, they feed them, and then they bring them treasures from the sea.” Mira sat back and slapped her thighs. “That’s all you have to do. Get him to give you a gift. I assume he’s already hunted for you?”

“Yes, but I’m not particularly a fan of fish.”

“Ah, well, that would make him feel a little odd too. Feeding their mates is a big deal.”

She’d been doing this all wrong, obviously. Sighing, she pinched the bridge of her nose and tried hard to keep her mind from rambling through all the options ahead of her. “So, we’ve both been idiots not realizing that the other is trying to... whatever.”

“You have to say the words if you want them to be real,” Anya quietly replied.

So she did. She just let the words out. “I think I’m in love with him.”

The ear piercing shrieks that came out of their mouths had her slamming her hands down over her ears. Narrowing her gaze, she stared at the two women who had just grabbed each other and were hysterically shouting. But still, it made her feel good, too.

Because it was exciting. These emotions made her feel... special.

She was in love with him. No one else. And maybe it was high time that she tell him.

Mira stood, patted her pocket in an obvious movement to make sure the keycard was still in her pocket, and then gestured for Ace to get up. “Come on. You go tell him that, and I’ll figure out with Arges and Daios where we are going to plug this keycard in. There has to be some abandoned research facility that’s still functional enough for me to do my work without someone coming and attacking us.”

“Well,” Anya replied, standing too. “Not attacking you until you crack into the keycard.”

“Something like that.” Mira was still grinning, though. “Nothing we can’t handle or haven’t handled before. You, however, are going to go get your man.”

Yes. She was. She was going to tell him everything that had been plaguing her, and he was going to sit there and listen. Because one of them had to do this, and one of them had to be the person who made the leap.

If that had to be her, then fine. If he didn’t return her feelings, which she hoped he did, then she would stay here with the other women. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to go. Her sister might even join them.

Maybe. If that’s what Laura wanted.

She squared her shoulders, set her jaw, and nodded. “Right. If he’s waiting, then I have a plan.”

“What’s the plan?”

“Tell him everything.”

It wasn’t really a plan, but an action that she needed to do. But as they strode through the hallways into the main chamber, she found her heart beating harder and sweat staining underneath her arms. Was she going to do this?

Adrenaline pumped through her veins, her breath nearly wheezing in her lungs. Then she saw him.

He was leaning against the edge of the moon pool, and the moment he saw her, all the lights on his body flashed bright and hot. She could have counted each glowing star on his form if she wanted to. But all she could see was the happiness in his expression and the relief in his gaze.

“There you are,” he breathed. “When I heard all of you shrieking, I thought something was wrong.”

No, nothing wrong, just a bunch of women having a moment. She shook her head, vowing to not let those words come out of her mouth before she tucked a short strand of hair behind her ear. “Can we talk? Somewhere private?”

She realized how bad those words sounded. She would have been terrified if he’d said that to her.

But he just grinned in that easy going way. “I was going to say the same thing. Care for an adventure before we crack the world in half, kefi?”

It was the only thing she wanted. So she reached out a hand and jumped into the water with him. No hesitations. No anxiety. No fear.

Just like he’d taught her.