Page 94 of Echoes of the Tide

Some part of her had looked into his soul, seen all the things he despised, and she did not care. He loved her beyond reason, but he’d never dared to hope that she would ever feel the same way. Now that he knew she did? He felt as though he could lift the entire world on his shoulders.

Before he could make it back to their pod, a dark shape approached him. He thought for a moment it was Fortis, but quickly realized it was Fortis’s son instead. The boy rushed toward him, tail flicking and powering him through the water.

“What is it?” Maketes asked, his voice lowering into a growl. “Has something happened?”

“No. They are preparing to use the key.” The young male paused before him, fins flaring wide to keep him still. “They did not want to do so without you and your female.”

“They sent you to find me?”

“They did. I was the one who sought out her sister as well. My father requested that the task be transferred to me after the original depthstrider found your achromo’s blood.”

His stomach twisted, and he felt like he may vomit. “What news?”

“We moved her. They were already tracking her through the city, and your achromo’s criminals grew tired of waiting for her to return. I took her before they could kill her in her sleep, but it has made Beta mad at us again.” Fortis’s son shuddered. “It is a shame. That city was once safer to be around, but now it is dangerous again.”

“Because of you?”

With a slightly arched brow and an arrogant flick of his tail, the male started away from him. “No, because of you and your achromo. I placed her sister in the village near our pod, but the others are waiting for you in the abandoned research facility at the edge of the abyss. It is the closest one to depthstrider territory. My father wished to be there to see what this key holds secret.”

Of course he did. The depthstrider would stop at nothing to know every detail that anyone else knew. Fortis had to have his fins coiled around everything.

But if they were opening the keycard soon, then they wouldn’t have time for him to pamper Ace. He’d wanted to shower her with gifts this morning, more than just the gift of his cocks.

Fuck, already he was getting hard again just thinking about her saying that. He needed to get himself under control.

Turning, he swam through the sea and caught a current back to her side. They had no equipment, nothing to keep her warm in the depths where they were going.

So he would have to be fast. Faster than he’d ever swam before.

What a welcome challenge it would be. No one was faster than him, after all. Now, he got the opportunity to prove that.

She was waiting for him when he swam back up into the cave. Sitting on the edge of the water, with her arms wrapped around her legs as she usually did. A soft smile appeared when she saw him, and he didn’t have to say anything at all.

“They’re opening it now?” she guessed.

“They are.”

“So we need to go.”

“We do.” He reached for her even as disappointment tinged his words with slight sadness. But this was no place for them to linger, anyway. No matter how magical the sparkling glow worms made her skin.

Gathering her up, he spoke as she affixed the breathing tube to her neck. “We are going somewhere very, very cold. I will try to get you into the facility fast enough, but tuck your feet into my gills for now. I will keep you as warm as I can, kefi, but I don’t think it’s going to be very comfortable for you.”

“That’s all right.” She snuggled in tighter. “You’re always warm enough for me.”

His hearts glowed ever brighter at her words. It was blazing hope that they would be fine no matter what happened. As hesank with her into the depths of the sea, holding her tightly so the currents didn’t rip her away from him, he swore he could feel the sea itself helping. The goddess that he worshipped pushed him forward, moving him ever faster until even he felt like just a blur. No one could keep up with him if they tried, and soon enough, the facility bloomed out of the darkness before him.

He’d been here as a child with Arges. They used to play in these waters, flirting with the idea that they would fight a depthstrider. Not that any of the creatures had risen to their challenges, but he assumed they had been watching. All they would have seen were two young males, flaring their fins wide and bursting with pops of color as though they had any muscles on them yet.

Now, they were two beasts who fought anything in the sea that wished to battle them. He and his brothers were more terrifying than any in the pod, and yet, he wasn’t sure how proud he was of that.

Holding the achromo in his arms that meant more to him than life itself, he had to wonder how wrong he’d been. At that time, he’d wanted nothing more than to hunt her people. Now? He would do anything to keep her happy.

Darting to the moon pool, he practically threw her out of the water and into the room beyond. Mira was waiting. She caught Ace, who stumbled across the slick floor and wrapped her up in a blanket.

“I got you,” Mira said when Ace started to struggle. “I got you. Let’s get you warm, droid builder, yeah? Get some of that ice out of your veins. That’ll help.”

He stayed in the water, watching with concern as his achromo’s teeth began to chatter. How hadn’t he noticed that her lips had turned blue? Or that her skin was even paler than normal?

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