Page 18 of Echoes of the Tide

“What are you doing?” she asked, trying very hard not to notice that his fluke was flat on the ground and reflecting the light in tiny rainbows of color.

“Joining you to watch the show. I don’t want to be in the water when they’re hunting. Someone might take a nibble on my tail.” He must have seen her looking at it, because suddenly his tail bunched like a snake, coiling closer to him so he could grab that massive fluke and hold it up for her to see. “Did you want to take a closer look?”

Yes.

No.

She definitely didn’t want to take a closer look, even though this might be the only time she’d be near an undine. It seemed so paper thin that it was odd it could propel him through the water. The sight of it was almost mesmerizing, and she took a single step forward.

Before she could say a word, Tera came careening out of a corner and rushing right at him. With a few echoing plinks, it stacked each ball on top of itself as though it too wanted a closer look at the tail that was offered for them to peer at.

“Right, that answers your question, then.” She scooped the droid up, all the pearls in her hand flattening so they could all look at the tail at once. She could almost hear the ooing and ahing noises it might have made if she’d ever given it a voice.

Maketes reached his hand out for the droids. “If I may? It would be a fair trade for me to see your droids while you look at my tail.”

“Just don’t crush them.”

“I have some experience with droids.”

She found that hard to believe, but when had he ever lied to her? Especially when he then handed her his fluke, like it was a giant leaf rather than attached to his body. Ace grabbed it, grunting at the weight that suddenly dragged her arms down. Though it was nearly translucent, it was very thick. Like silicone rubber, particularly strong. It was cool and soft beneath her touch, pliable when she pressed her fingers against it, and such a lovely shade of yellow that faded into purple.

As she ran her fingers and palm down the flat surface, he let out a little chuckle.

“What?” she asked.

“I should have asked to see your feet in return.” Maketes held up his hand, one little silver ball balanced between the space of each finger, although there were two between his thumb and pointer finger. It appeared they were using their own magnetic force to hold themselves staggered on either side of his webs. “I think your droid likes me.”

“It’s just curious. It likes to learn new things.”

“So do I.” He held Tera up to look at them, and she was struck by the vision in front of her.

Somehow, this massive undine was holding her droid with such care. He didn’t even seem uncomfortable by the technology. The halogen lights cast him in terrible shadows, making him appear like the monster everyone claimed his species was. But he wasn’t that at all. In all her experience knowing Maketes, she’d only known him to be gentle and kind.

His gaze flicked down to hers. “What are you thinking?”

“Nothing important.”

“Looks important.”

“You’re a lot more tolerable with your mouth shut.” She could feel her cheeks flaming bright hot. Damn man kept doingthis to her. She didn’t want to blush in front of him, but he pushed so hard. Every time she thought she had control over the situation, he flipped it back to his favor.

He grinned, as though he knew her frustrations. “A lot of people have said that to me. But you know what I always say?”

“No, I honestly don’t care to hear it, either.”

He leaned a little closer, so close that she could see there were faint purple freckles on his cheeks. Just barely visible, like little lavender paint flecks. “You’d miss me if I shut up.”

“I really don’t think I would.”

“You want me to disappear and leave you here alone?”

Immediately panic flared. She didn’t want to be alone in this unknown tower, and she didn’t want him out with those depthstriders. “Didn’t you say it was a hunting night? And you wouldn’t even stay in the water because they might bite you?”

“Maybe I just didn’t want you to be alone.” Her droid clinked in his fingers, a slight whirring sound coming from them as though they were humming. “It’s awfully scary in here, don’t you think?”

“It’s a doctor’s office.”

“But you don’t know who’s on the other side of that door, or on the other side of that window.” His hand came down on his chest, smoothing down the rippling muscles there and drawing her gaze to the movement. “Perhaps you need a big, strong male to keep you safe.”

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