Page 17 of Song of the Abyss

Rip her apart, the voices in his head whispered. Tear at her soft flesh and see what redness she hides beneath. See if she bleeds like you want and makes this pool run red with her blood.

But even as his claws curled into the fine woven covering she wore over her skin, he found that he couldn’t. Even if he had wanted to harm her, his body wouldn’t let him. He wanted to dive away from this place with her, yes. He wanted to press his face against the soft curve of her neck and draw her underneath the water with him.

What would she smell like? What would she taste like as he drew her into the haven of his arm?

He already knew her scent, just barely. There was a hint of her in the pool. A vague citrus flavor like the rare underwater pods that grew in the depths. The faintest hint of sunshine in her scent, even though he knew that wasn’t possible.

She was a grotesque monster. He’d hated her kind his entire life.

So why then did his fingers press against the lean lines of her back and why did he want to run his hand up her muscles? She felt so delicate in his arms, so easy to hold against him.

And she wanted to hear him speak. She wanted to hear his voice, and he wondered why that was. He had thought perhaps she couldn’t hear. But now he knew that she could hear him.

“Hello,” he said when she asked him to speak again.

It made him feel foolish. But he’d never been one for talking. He didn’t know what to say to the opposite sex. Never had. He barely knew what to say to warriors. Daios communicated in grunts of approval or disapproval.

But then she let those strange eyes drift shut, and those dark eyelashes smudged her cheeks. When she asked him for more words, who was he to deny her?

“I am Daios,” he replied, because what else was he supposed to say? He didn’t know what to do with someone like this. She clung to him like some of the cleaning fish that followed him when he swam through waters that were closer to shore.

And when she peeled one of those strange, pale eyes open to glare at him, he almost grinned at her. She was a monstrous little thing underneath that strange exterior. Or she was insane. One or the other.

He wasn’t sure which was better. Part of him wanted her to be insane, because no achromo should so easily throw herself at what was a terrifying creature from the depths. If she was lacking in sense, at least then he knew that he should expect the unexpected from her.

But if she wasn’t senseless? If this was just a strange moment between the two of them where she had decided she wanted to touch him?

Daios wasn’t sure he was prepared for that.

Then she stiffened in his arms, and he knew it was the former. She hadn’t been thinking, and she had thrown herself at a dangerous creature. Perhaps it was the sudden realization she was in the grasp of a deep sea beast who could speak that frightened her so much. Or perhaps she was so disgusted at herself for touching him that her entire body tensed.

It was easier to think of her as what he knew of achromos. It was easier to swallow when she stiffened and then gently placed her hands against his chest with a soft shove.

She stared at him, her eyes widening as they both looked at each other. He couldn’t guess what was going through her head. She had so many expressions, and he didn’t know what a single one of them meant.

“Blink once,” she whispered.

Why she would have such a strange question, he had no idea. But Daios didn’t mind entertaining this small achromo, even though he knew it was a danger. He had a reason for being here, and that was supposed to be kidnapping her.

But... she’d asked. He blinked once.

With a small scoff, as though she didn’t believe that he could understand her, she cockily tilted her head and said, “Okay, smart guy. Blink twice.”

He didn’t see any harm in this strange game. So he did.

She hissed out a long breath, one that would have been a sign of anger in his people. But she didn’t look angry. He’d seen Mira’s brows furrow and her face turn red. This one was not doing that. Instead, her eyes widened and her face paled.

“Can you understand me?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he replied with a nod.

Apparently that very achromo-like response was the one that made her afraid of him. Her legs kicked against his sides, and Daios knew this was the moment he needed to take control. But again, he couldn’t do it.

Maketes would have laughed to see the fearless warrior cowed by a woman only a fraction of his size. He let this little achromo wriggle herself out of his arms and launch back to the safety of her strange home.

Daios even let her get out of the water, not that it would save her from him. He could grab her at any moment. He could launch himself out of the water as well, and his reach was longer than hers. Even if her small pool barely contained him.

At least it was deep. Otherwise, he feared he might not be able to breathe through the gills on his ribs.

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