Page 32 of Song of the Abyss

“Come,” he growled, the word ripping through his throat. “We are not safe.”

“I can understand you.” Her hands flew with the words, probably too fast for most people to even decipher, but she was so excited. “I can understand what you’re saying! And I can hear you. I can...”

The deep rumble that came out of the undine in front of her wasn’t a word. It was an expression of frustration and anger and... desire. Or at least, that’s how she took it. Stupid. Stupid thoughts that had no place here. It didn’t matter if that’s maybe what he sounded like when he was in the midst of…

He made the sound again, and it shook through her entire body, sending a zing of electricity from her chest all the way down between her legs. She pressed her thighs together, trying her best to not think about that sound and what it did to every hair on her body that wanted to raise.

He lunged for her, or rather, flicked his tail so hard that he was right in front of her again. She flinched, expecting him to grab her and drag her deeper into the depths with that clawed, terrifying hand.

But he didn’t do that. Instead, he touched the back of one of those black claws to the side of her throat. She could feel the smoothness of it. The edge caught on the glimmering red lights that refracted along the churning waves above them, and from his shimmering body that had yet to stop glowing like some strange electric eel.

That deep, deep voice dropped even lower. The sound was something she didn’t even hear. She felt it deep in her chest, rattling her ribs. “We go,” he said, the words flashing all around him. “So that I can keep you safe.”

Tears burned in her eyes and she didn’t know why. She’d been protected and cared for her entire life, hadn’t she? Her father and everyone else had always made sure that she was safe.

But they had never made her feel like this. They’d wanted her to stay where she was so they could watch her, control her, manipulate every move and then use her to their advantage. But this undine? He just wanted to keep her safe.

Such a simple thing to say, and yet she felt like she might never recover.

Nodding her head, she sniffed hard, so she didn’t get all snotty inside of the breathing mask. “I’m safe here. I promise.”

He shook his head, pointing up at the red lights with a clawed finger. “It attacks.”

She grabbed that clawed finger, some madness in her telling her to reach out and touch him. Maybe she had some insane feeling that she could help him relax just by touching him, and that was stupid. She was stupid for even thinking she could grab onto his claw and that he would listen to her.

But she saw the way his eyes widened. In shock or anger, she had no idea. He stared at her hand wrapped around his finger, and every single part of him froze. Like she had stopped time.

All his gills didn’t even move, and she thought maybe they had to move for him to breathe. He just stared at her hand wrapped in his, and then, just the barest movement. A fluttering at his neck, in what she thought was his gills. It made the delicate membranes there look almost pretty. Just the barest of fluttering, a little wrinkle of silk that attached to his neck.

He swallowed hard. Then those black eyes turned to her.

“It’s not attacking,” she said. Those eyes made her feel pinned, like a butterfly stuck to a board. “It’s a warning system. I can turn it off.”

“Explain.”

“It’s in the entire facility. Anyone not authorized to be in an area will set off an alarm system. It’s a safety measure.”

“Then turn it off.” But he didn’t move. He didn’t seem to even breathe as she gently released his hand and turned back to the room.

Using her arms and legs, she moved through the water with ease and then took Bitsy off her head. The little droid ran for the middle control panel, attaching herself to the electronics there and setting to work.

She could feel the pressure in her head lessen, which she assumed meant the sound was off. And then the red lights stopped swirling as well. Her tinnitus flared immediately, likely the pressure changes that meant the room was finally safe for a person to be in.

With the ringing in her ears, she hauled herself out of the water and said, “Computer, change all life support to — Bitsy, where are we?”

Her droid bounced up and down, usually a sign that she was going to take care of the situation so Anya could turn her attention to other things. She spun around, ready to argue more with the undine, even if she couldn’t understand him without her droid.

But he was gone.

There was nothing in the water, no dark shadow, nothing but a murky grey mess and white caps of waves still lapping at the metal floor.

“Shit,” she muttered, before staggering over the consoles and sitting down in front of Bitsy. “He’s gone.”

Her robot wobbled up and down again.

“I wish I had brought more things.” She looked down at the wetsuit, blowing out a long breath. “This needs to be dried, and I can’t just stay in a wetsuit the entire time I’m here.”

Bitsy lifted one of her legs out of the console panel and pointed to the right. In the corner, where a few other wheelie chairs had been shoved, there were a couple boxes with the big label, “Emergency supplies.”

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