Page 27 of Battle Fluke

“We’re leagues from Reine.” Hudson’s concern grew. What the hell had happened? Where was Honour? Because there was no way Honour would let Kyree wander on her own out here. That much Hudson had been sure of.

“No. I need to find them.”

“Oh.” Hudson smirked. She slipped so much easier into this conversation. The concern ebbed a little, though she couldn’t shake it entirely, and that was even more unsettling than the vacant expression that threatened to overtake the last spark she saw flickering in the depths of Kyree’s eyes. “Out searching for your precious Honour are you?”

“Honour?” Kyree asked, a deep crease forming in the center of her forehead. A sense of presence returned to Kyree’s eyes, and she rolled her shoulders, pushing herself up a little higher so she was eye to eye with Hudson.

“Oh come now, Kyree.” Hudson reached out her fingers and gently stroked down Kyree’s arm, from shoulder to elbow. Small bumps followed in the wake of her touch, and Hudson bit back the smile of satisfaction that wanted to stretch across her lips.

“You can’t tell me you reacted so…” Hudson stopped talking as she licked her lips and moved her eyes slowly down to where Kyree’s slit currently hid behind her scales “…deliciously just to little old me. It’s okay. I won’t tell anyone about the fun you and Honour have been having traveling alone together. It can be our little secret.”

“You don’t really think I’ll fall for that, do you?” Kyree said in a voice far more familiar than the one Hudson had heard so far.

Seeing the spark in Kyree’s eyes, and the attitude in her voice, was a wash of relief.

“Oh come on. I saw how the two of you gravitated toward each other,” Hudson teased. She wanted to know as much about the two of them as she could, and it was inexplicable. She’d never been so damn curious about another mermaid in her life.

“She was hurt.”

“Was?” Hudson lifted her eyebrows as she asked. “Does that mean she’s all better now? Did your healing touch have its magic effect?”

“Why do you care? Why does it matter to you so damn much?” Kyree was back to that moping fool of a mermaid that unnerved Hudson. She wanted the strength that had been there when they’d first met. She wanted the feisty woman who was smart and used her brain.

“Who says it matters to me?” Hudson knew she’d said the wrong thing the moment the words slipped from her mouth.

The soft smile and warm eyes from Kyree confirmed just how big the error of her words had been. They had come out too fast and too defensive. Scrambling for some kind of comeback, Hudson swam up close, grasping onto Kyree’s upper arm and dragging her in closer. Their lips nearly touched when she harshly whispered, “But I wish you two would’ve at least let me watch.”

“I didn’t think you were the one who wanted to do the watching. Though you did seem to enjoybeingwatched.” Kyree’s spark was back, but the flatness in her eyes still played on Hudson’s mind.

She was trying to be her usual self. But the most intriguing thing about Kyree had been that she had never tried. She had simply allowed herself to be exactly who she was.

“What happened while you were gone?” Hudson asked, skimming her fingers up Kyree’s shoulder to her neck, sliding her fingers into Kyree’s hair. “Where’s Honour?”

Kyree bit her lip and shook her head, pain flashing across her eyes. It was a deep pain, one that Hudson had never been able to touch within her own life, nevertheless someone else’s. And yet Kyree drew her into it, wrapped her in it. Pulling Kyree close, Hudson pressed Kyree to her chest.

“We need to move,” Hudson murmured. “We’re too close to Talon territory.”

“Talon territory?” Kyree whispered against Hudson’s chest.

Hudson hummed an answer. She wrapped Kyree in her arms and dragged her away, swimming as fast as she could away from Talon territory and away from her troops. She had to protect Kyree, and this was the only way.

10

“What in the seas did she think she was doing?” Honour followed the path Kyree had taken, her trail through the upper soundings obvious. She hadn’t even tried to hide her tracks in the process. She’d simply left Reine and hadn’t stopped.

Honour straightened her shoulders and pushed forward. She had to be getting close, but she also knew she was getting close to Talon territory, and that could be dangerous enough without trying to find a wayward deep sounding mer in the process.

The humming was something she hadn’t expected, but it was a Talon lullaby. Honour frowned as she slowed her pace and peeked around a corner of stone. Following the sound, Honour swam as close as she dared.

Hudson sat against the base of the rock, her head thrown back, eyes closed. Kyree rested in her lap, head against Hudson’s tail as Hudson threaded her fingers through Kyree’s hair, pulling the tangles from it. If anyone else had seen them, they might actually think that Hudson and Kyree were lovers, that one was tending to the other.

But Honour knew better.

Hudson was a live wire. She was unpredictable, and from what Honour could tell, Hudson didn’t have a compassionate bone in her body. Honour stayed hidden, watching as Hudson continued to soothe Kyree, as they sat together in almost silence.

How was Honour going to rescue Kyree now?

Hudson’s men had to be around somewhere. She wouldn’t leave them too far away to fend for themselves. Honour glanced around the area, swimming the perimeter, but she didn’t find them. As far as she could tell, Hudson and Kyree were alone.

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