Page 78 of Echoes of the Tide

But the depthstrider flared his light tipped fins and hissed. Through bared teeth, he snarled, “I have no interest in the achromos. You speak of ill thoughts from a poisoned mind.”

“Certainly. But I need someone to help me find this one’s sister.” He gestured with his hip fin, almost as though he was just keeping himself upright, but it sent Ace’s sweet scent toward the other creature. “There is a drone that goes from Gamma to Beta. And with it, information. I need to know where that drone goes, and if the woman it goes to can be taken from that city.”

Again the flared gills, the bright fins that glowed. “Why are you asking me?”

“Because I need someone trustworthy. Someone who won’t murder the achromo if we get her out. I need someone... Interested.”

Ace struggled in his arms now, clearly not happy that he would suggest an unknown person of his own kind seek out her sister. But this was the way of their people. If he could, he wouldchoose to trust any of the People of Water who wanted new knowledge of her kind.

“Maketes,” Ace snarled in his ear. “That is my sister you’re sending a random undine to track down.”

He ignored her and inclined his head to the depthstrider. “I would be in your debt if you find this one.”

The depthstrider nodded. “I’m interested, certainly. I will find you at the nesting site where you head.”

“Thank you.”

The depth strider swamAce slapped his chest as hard as she could underwater. “That undine doesn’t even know what my sister looks like! How is it going to find where she is if it has no other information? And the drone? It doesn’t know what drone is going to Beta. There could be countless drones for all you know."

He tucked her a little more firmly against his chest, holding her even through her struggles. “My people do not hunt like achromos. They will find your sister by scent alone. It is easy to do, considering you all smell quite... strongly.”

She stiffened even further, and he wondered if that was an insult to her people. He liked her smell, but he could also track her for many miles. “Maketes. I need you to at least tell that undine what Laura looks like.”

“I don’t know what Laura looks like.”

“Then we need to turn around and tell them, and you can translate for me!” She let out a little shriek of rage. “Are you swimming away from them right now? I said turn around!”

“They know it is a drone that travels to Beta, which means there are only so many that they will need to follow. Our kind were made for hunting. This is a challenging hunt, and therefore, that undine will have every reason to devote their entire attention to it.” He turned her in his arms, making her look up at him. “This is the best option. A depthstrider huntsuntil their last breath. They are all gifted in more ways than most. If he must, he will look into the future to find your sister and then bring her home.”

“The future?”

He relished the wide-eyed stare that looked back at him. At least now he had her attention.

“The future.” Maketes waved at his own eyes. “You didn’t notice Fortis is a little different?”

“I was a little preoccupied by all the death and the people who were trying to murder us,” she muttered, but then she stiffened again. “Wait, I do remember something off about his eyes. They were a lot of colors! And the depthstriders in the first building as well.”

He snorted softly, his gills flaring against her thighs with the movement. “Kind of. The more colors that are in their eyes, the more they are looking through your future. I told you that. They see the past, the present, and the future. It is not a pleasant experience, at least in my opinion.”

“You don’t like them looking into your future?”

“I like to be surprised,” he replied. “Like with you. I was so surprised to find out you were not who I thought you were. You were so much more than I ever expected.”

She tucked herself a little tighter against his side, her breathing settling as she drew air through the tentacle. “I’m glad I was a surprise. You were a surprise for me, too.”

“Was I?” He pretended like he was shocked. “And here I thought I was exactly as you thought I was. I told you what I looked like.”

“No you didn’t! You said you were an undine like all the others. That doesn’t mean I had any idea you would be this… this...”

“Strong?” he supplied, flexing a little in her grip.

“That wasn’t what I was thinking.”

“Ruggedly handsome?” He tilted her back so she could more easily see his sharp jaw.

“No, not that either.” A small smile cracked across her face.

“Ah. You thought I would be larger.”

---