Page 2 of Battle Fluke

Digging her fingers into the sand, she felt around. She waited for the feeling of the grains of sand moving without her intrusion before following the movement and snagging up a couple sea slugs. She put them into her satchel and went back to see if there were more.

The moss to heal Honour was easier to find here in the deeper depths. She shoved as much as she could into the bag along with the slugs and found a few more plants they couldnibble on as soon as Honour woke up. Not wanting to stay away too long, Kyree swam back to Honour’s side, smiling when she saw Honour’s golden eyes half-cracked in her direction.

“You’re awake.”

“Can’t move,” Honour muttered, pain lacing her words.

Kyree wished she had something for that, but she didn’t. They would have to swim very deep into the ocean for her to find a plant that would help relieve the pain instantly, or even a sting from a ray would help.

Nylah.

Closing her eyes, Kyree remembered the small ray. She brought an image of Nylah to the forefront of her mind and beckoned the creature to find them. Surely she wasn’t with Soulara and Autumn when they were taken.

“You’re injured,” Kyree said, finally responding to Honour’s inquisitive gaze.

“The ship tried to take me.” Honour tensed. “Soulara—”

“Was taken. Along with Autumn. Were they killed?”

Honour shook her head. “No, I think they’re too valuable for that.” Honour hissed as she shifted, reaching up and pressing her entire hand to her side. “How bad is it?”

“Bad,” Kyree answered, not lying. She would never lie, not even to protect Honour.

Nodding, Honour relaxed back into the rock. “Where are we?”

“I do not know.” Kyree glanced around them. “I swam deeper to get away from the machine and find a place for you to heal before carrying on.”

“Kidnapping me?” Honour chortled lightly before hissing in pain again. “Note to self—laughing is not recommended.”

“Your ribs are broken.” Kyree pressed her fingers lightly to Honour’s side. “Here and here. Most of the injury is superficial but painful. I needed to sew you together.”

Honour grunted her agreement with Kyree. “I can’t see anything to figure out where we are.”

“We’re not leaving until morning. Well, not to Reine anyway. We do need someplace more sheltered for the night.”And for you to rest, Kyree thought, though she didn’t add in that last bit. She had a feeling Honour would rebel against the thought if she did say it.

“Where are we?” Honour repeated her earlier question.

Kyree instantly was on high alert. Had she missed an injury? Reaching forward, she slid her hand along Honour’s scalp, brushing her fingers through Honour’s long black hair to the back of her head. Her fingers palpated Honour’s head, looking for anything that didn’t feel right and using her instincts to try and find those places.

When she found none, she leaned back and stared down into Honour’s already closed eyes. Maybe it was just a brief lapse of memory. Biting her lip again, Kyree closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected this responsibility when she’d come here. She’d thought she would offer wisdom and understanding of the deep sounding mermaids and that would be it.

She hadn’t thought she’d end up smack in the middle of a war.

“Come on,” Kyree whispered to Honour, even though she wasn’t going to hear. She pulled Honour back into her arms, cradling her once more, and she swam.

They moved slowly, Kyree checking out several different places for them to rest. She finally settled on an overhanging shelf of rock, one that was deep and cool underneath. It would be the perfect way for them to hide and not be found, although Kyree would have preferred a cave of some sort.

They would have been more protected then.

Setting Honour down onto her good side, Kyree started to change the dressing. She pushed the used moss under the rockand buried it in the sand to try and prevent other predators from smelling it and coming after them. Then she placed the new moss against Honour’s skin and cinched the seaweed tight across her chest again. That would hold until the morning for sure. Then perhaps Honour wouldn’t need more moss.

Kyree curled against Honour’s back, careful of where she put her hands and her body so as not to trigger the injuries any more than they were. Kyree was hyper aware of all the noises going on around them, but they were relatively calm. Her eyes fluttered shut as the exhaustion from the day took its toll.

She was going to need good rest to carry Honour back to Reine in the morning anyway. If they could even make it that far in one day. Her breathing slowed and she settled in even more. The warmth from Honour’s body seeped into her in such an odd way. Kyree had never felt that before. Her people were cold to the touch—warmer than the sea, but certainly not as hot as Honour was.

A strange sound woke her. She hadn’t even realized she’d drifted to sleep, but the water was still dark, so it mustn’t have been for long. Kyree stayed completely still, listening again for the sound that had alerted her ears. She couldn’t make anything out, not again anyway.

But her skin prickled with that age-old fear.

---