Page 97 of Surface Pressure

“My ray.” Soulara held out her hand.

Nylah flipped up out of the water and splashed Honour. Soulara laughed, the trill of her voice easing into her chest and lessening the tension that had taken up residence there lately. This was exactly what she’d needed. If Honour could accept Autumn, then all of Reine would eventually.

They had to.

Soulara wouldn’t stand for it any other way.

31

Honour eyed Autumn like she was a bug to be squashed.

Autumn didn’t want Honour to like her only because Soulara had told her to. She hated that. It was forced and unnatural, and that had been her entire life. That had been the military for her. She’d never been able to escape that suffocating sense that the only reason people cared for her was because they were required to.

Scooting in closer to Soulara, Autumn stayed right by her side. That was true love. Because it felt so different from the look Honour gave her now.

“Honour is my general and one of my oldest friends.” Soulara seemed practically giddy.

Was that because all her worlds were colliding? Because there weren’t secrets to be held anymore? That still didn’t mean Autumn could live under the water with them. She was trading a life of loneliness on the surface with her troop to a life of aloneness on the surface with no one but Soulara, when she had time. What if she couldn’t handle it?

“I’ll still kill you if you hurt her.” Honour pointed to Soulara but kept her glare aimed at Autumn.

“That’s fair,” Autumn said, a tremble in her tone. “I think I need to head back.”

Soulara nodded, tightening her grasp on Autumn’s side a bit more. “Are you sure you want to go back?”

“No.” Autumn sucked in a sharp breath. It was almost a death sentence if she did go, but she didn’t exactly have another option, did she? This island was stunning, but there wasn’t any shelter here. She had nothing to help her survive, and Soulara had a war to fight. She couldn’t be worried about Autumn. “But I can at least help you from there. Anywhere else and I’ll be useless.”

“I’m not going to take you if you’re not sure.”

“I know.” Autumn rested her head on Soulara’s shoulder. “Trust me on this one. If there’s anything I can find out while I’m there, I’ll let Nylah know.”

“Deal.” Soulara kissed Autumn’s lips. She started her transformation, her legs knitting together into one solid and formidable tail.

Soulara was amazing in every form. Autumn clung to Soulara and breathed deeply. That first moment she went under the water was always a shock to her system. Autumn braced herself for it. Honour moved in closer, whispering something in Soulara’s ear, something that Autumn couldn’t understand.

The sound was unmistakable.

The hair on the back of Autumn’s neck raised up.

Autumn bit her lip and froze in time. This couldn’t be happening. She knew the risks of war. She wasn’t so stupid that she thought it would be clear sailing. But not yet. How had they found them already? Why were they even looking?

A shadow crossed over her face, blocking out the sunshine. They were only waist deep in the water. Above them, a stealth ship hovered, its black sleek lines monstrous in the normally bright blue sky. It was so close to the surface, too close. It lowered, elongating its shadows, drawing closer to the water, closer to them. Autumn’s heart lodged in her throat. She tightened her grasp on Soulara.

“Swim,” Autumn whispered, praying her voice was loud enough for Soulara to hear her.

“What?” Soulara asked.

“Swim now.” Autumn’s words came out in a guttural plea.

Soulara looked to Autumn and then straight up. The black vessel was foreboding. Autumn dug her nails into Soulara’s back, clinging on for her life.

“Swim, Soulara!” Her words came out as a command. They held a power she’d never known.

“Princess!” Honour yelled.

Soulara dove under the water, cradling Autumn in her arms with all her strength. Autumn held onto Soulara as tightly as she could. She closed her eyes and held her breath, no idea how long it would be until they could surface again.

Metal claws clashed around them. Autumn panicked, gasping in water and forgetting to hold the air she needed. One of the fingers dug into her belly, and she cringed in pain. Letting go of Soulara, she flailed in the water, unable to keep herself at the surface. The claw surrounded her, sucked her down into the depths as she was left with no one holding her any longer. Nothing but the cold hard metal of claws.

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