Page 52 of Whispers of the Deep

Away from anywhere Arges would find her.

Panic swirled, making it hard to focus on anything but the terror that ran through her veins and the way her mind screamed to hide.

She turned her body in the water, forcing herself to look, even though that was the last thing she wanted to do. She didn’t want to see the giant shark, the sharp teeth, or the nightmare that likely waited for her. But when she turned, she saw nothing. Not even the dark shadow before she bumped into something equally hard.

She screamed. Her rebreather sent out a wave of bubbles that obscured her vision. She kicked and fought against the tentacle wrapped around her waist, completely lost to her panic as she swore she felt sharp teeth breaking through her skin.

But then...

Then a voice rumbled in her ear. Like a song of peace and quiet, insisting that she settle in his arms.

And oh. It was Arges.

She relaxed in his grip, easing her spine against his chest and feeling the flare of his gills against her ribs. She shouldn’t find such relief knowing that it was him. He was still a dangerous undine who had attacked her people countless times and she shouldn’t want to find comfort in him, but... she did.

At least in this place, knowing what she did, she knew he would keep her safe.

That was a strange enough feeling without the shadow that loomed in front of them. Not a shark, after all. Another undine.

Yet again, she wished she could ask him questions. Had he stolen her without the knowledge of other undines? Did this one want to get rid of her? What reason did he have to kidnap her and then hide her from his people? Because his arm was banded around her stomach, and he dragged her even closer into himself, like he could wrap his body around her and keep her safe.

The undine in front of them was badly wounded. She felt her face crease in worry as her eyes skated down his missing arm that leaked black blood sluggishly into the waters around them. And he seemed to be struggling to breathe. His gills were flared far wider than she’d ever seen Arges’s, and his eyes kept closing for longer times than a blink needed.

Tapping her hands on Arges’s forearms, she said, “Arges, he’s injured.”

The arms around her waist flexed, tightening at the sound of his name. The other undine lurched forward, rocking at the name as well. They said short words to each other, the farthest from song she’d ever heard from an undine.

They were angry? At each other or at her?

Mira felt like this was a rather important bit of information that she needed to know. If this undine wanted to kill her, then she had to get out of here. Arges could protect her, but he shouldn’t fight this injured undine on her behalf. She didn’t want him to...

More shadows joined them. Two others who floated down from above. One with bright yellow slashes, another with purple lines like veins throughout his entire body.

Then they were all talking. Saying so much that it made her ears hurt. But some part of her said yes, talk more. Byte had to be listening to everything being said, and this was a good amount of conversation for it to translate.

Please, she thought. Please be listening, Byte.

Finally Arges jerked her behind him, and she floated into the kelp. Maybe he didn’t mean for her to get so far from him, but she wanted to put some distance between herself and the wall of angry undine that all glared at her like she was an invasive species of algae.

She supposed to them she was. A new and disgusting plague upon their people.

They all gestured to her often. Their claws slashing through the water so quickly they became a blur. Colorful tails whipped behind them, carrying them closer and closer to Arges, who seemed to be more than ready to meet them in the middle. She’d never noticed he had spines down his back, but they rose now and she couldn’t help but fear that they were raised in her defense.

She didn’t want anyone else to get hurt because of a stupid engineer who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

And then it just all... stopped. The undine missing an arm seemed to faint. Of course, they were in the water, so he just floated up. His tail drifted toward the surface while his body hung there, strangely graceful, almost upside down, as though he were asleep.

The other two were quick to gather him up, and then they all disappeared into the kelp.

Shoving the billowing mass of her own hair out of her face, she stared at Arges in shock. He looked back at her, those odd features seemingly conflicted before he snapped his tail and then he was upon her.

His claws scooped underneath her chin, and she was certain this was the moment he killed her. Obviously, he’d told the others he would follow them after he dealt with her.

But he didn’t snap her neck. He didn’t sink those claws into her skin, either. Instead, he turned her head from side to side, searching for... injuries? Why would she be injured?

Arges turned her face left and right again, moved her around so that he could run his hands down her spine and waist, making sure she was well before he leaned back and stared down at her. Then that melodious voice, singing to her and saying something that she had no idea how to decipher.

“Arges!” she said, hissing out a breath when she finally took a second to look at him.

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