Page 33 of Surface Pressure

“It is now.” Soulara grinned cockily. “If I’m taking my place as leader, if I need to put that sharp thorny crown on my head, then I’m doing it my way.” Soulara flipped her tail just for good measure.

Honour chuckled for a moment. It didn’t last long though.

Soulara felt the same grimness rest upon her shoulders.

“Where do we start?” Honour asked.

Soulara wanted to hug her friend. She knew how much it would have taken Honour to ask her before diving in and presenting her solution.

“I need to talk to Autumn more about what the humans have, but I know already that there are at least three of the water collectors.”

“Water collectors? They’re monstrous beasts. They’re the krakens of myth and legend.”

“Oh.” Soulara nodded. They did look so much like the ones she had heard about in the childhood stories. The krakens were the big bad of the deeper soundings, and played their role in the cautionary tales.

Her mother’s words returned to her. This hadn’t been the first time aliens had come to steal their home. She pushed her curiosity to the back of her mind for now.

“Yes, they’re the krakens.” Soulara nodded, still pulling her mind back to the present. “I suspect the three I saw in Autumn’s mind are just a fraction of what the humans have come here with. Or at least what they’re planning to come here with.”

“More than the three?” Honour’s jaw jumped as though she clenched her teeth.

“If I’m right. We can’t attack them on land, but I don’t think we have enough troops to make a plan of assault.”

“We can do another recruiting.”

“That’s a good idea.” Soulara nodded. She pushed up from the rocks and swam back and forth in front of Honour. She pivoted and enjoyed the strength of muscles in her fluke as she took the turns at the end of each stretch.

“But we may not have enough time to train them.”

“What’re you thinking, Princess?” Honour spoke the term with respect and a hint of curious concern.

“I’m thinking it’s time to speak to my mother.”

“What?” Honour pushed herself up from the rocks and moved in front of Soulara, stopping her swimming.

“We’re not the only ones who’ll suffer from the humans thieving.”

“You want to ask outside of our people? You want to ask another tribe?”

“No.” Soulara smiled, wickedness and a finger to tradition sparkling within her. “I want to ask all of the tribes, and the nomads, and all the other creatures living in our waters, to come together to save our home from those who would take it from us.”

Honour blinked, mouth agape.

“Are you coming?” Soulara called over her shoulder as she swam around Honour and headed toward the door.

“You’re crazy!” Honour called, but Soulara felt the water move behind her and knew Honour followed.

“Most likely.” Soulara laughed.

11

The stiff swing of Autumn’s arms and the stomp of her feet shouted nothing but frustration. Eyes avoided her own, which was nothing new, but over it all lay a tension that worried at the back of her mind.

Was she just being paranoid or did they all look at her as if they knew how she truly felt about this mission? Did they know she cared more about Soulara than she did about them? Did she though? Soulara, yes. But the military had saved her. It had taken her from the hellhole that was her life before.

She scoffed under her breath.

Autumn had always been alone. Even back on Earth, surrounded by all those strangers who just happened to share her blood. Sure, over the years it had caused a physical ache in her chest, but she had never felt more alone than this.

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