Page 42 of Battle Fluke

“Spoken like a true diplomat.” Kyree looked over and winked at Honour.

“It’s not far now.” Honour returned the smile, attraction and joy in her own expression.

“Will we all be welcome?” Hudson asked, her attention back on Honour, despite Nylah’s continuing show of dance moves.

“I’m not certain any of us will be entirely welcome.” Honour swallowed audibly, and a knot tightened in Kyree’s stomach.

“You’re on bad terms with her?” Kyree asked.

The way Honour’s face paled, even more than her normal light coloring, told Kyree the answer. There was more that Honour wasn’t sharing, which forced Kyree to consider the possibility they were swimming into a trap. One that could result in their deaths.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to help get Soulara back,” Honour said confidently.

“Of course you will.” Hudson’s tone was filled with her usual bark, but there was no hint of bite behind the words.

“We can all help to get the best advantage we can with this war on the humans,” Kyree added, trying to soften whatever blow Honour had just felt. But she needed more information—at least she wanted it—before she went into this conversation with Milan. If she was going to be the one begging for the soul stones, which she was sure she would be, then she wanted the best advantage she could have.

“Absolutely.” Hudson met them, a hand on each of their cheeks. “We’re all in this together.”

The remark sizzled in the water between the three of them. Kyree parted her lips to say something, but Honour spoke first.

“We’re here.”

15

“Look what the tuna dragged in.” Milan’s voice startled Hudson, the ire in it, the enjoyment at another’s pain. That was something that Hudson recognized immediately.

Hudson hung back as Honour moved forward, once again pivoting Kyree right between them for her protection. Did Kyree even realize that after the battle they were still doing that? An unspoken agreement between the two of them that Hudson wasn’t likely to give up any time soon.

“Milan,” Honour said, bowing her entire body as she halted, “my queen.”

Milan snorted loudly, but said nothing as she glanced beyond Honour and made eye contact with both Kyree and Hudson. A shudder ran through Hudson’s body as their gazes locked. Milan was from the deep soundings. Did Kyree recognize that? Did Honour? But she wasn’t from the same tribe that Kyree was from—there was no way.

“I’m Kyree.” Kyree swam forward, bowing like Honour had done. A sign of respect or was she trying to mimic Honour’s traditions so she didn’t piss anyone else off?

Hudson’s back went up, and she tensed. She wouldn’t be caught dead bowing before someone else. She’d left those days far behind her, and she wasn’t about to give that power to anyone else, especially someone she’d never met before whom she wasn’t sure deserved the respect or not.

“I don’t know where Soulara is.” Milan turned her back on Honour, swimming through the small cave and pulling down jars of potions that looked so foreign and yet familiar to Hudson. She came back and handed one to Honour. “For your injury.”

Honour, without question, put her fingers to the jar and drank the liquid. Milan pressed the palm of her hand against Honour’s side, pushing her back into the wall. Surprised, Honour tried to fight back but Milan had been ready. The words slipped from her lips quickly, a spell weaving through the waters, thickening them, tightening them, and then releasing. When she backed away, Honour’s bruises and cuts were gone.

“For you?” Milan faced Hudson and had another bottle in her fingers. “You require less.”

“Uh… sure.” Hudson took the bottle and downed it quickly. Milan didn’t come for her. There was no spell weaved, but the stiffness in her muscles and the ache in her sides eased instantly. “Thanks.”

“My pleasure.” Milan slid close to Hudson, inches from her face. They stared at each other before Honour came back around.

“You and your magic.” It was a curse if Hudson had ever heard. Perhaps that’d been the reason Milan had left Reine.

Keeping her mouth shut for once, Hudson waited to see what would happen next. This wasn’t her area of strength. Honour was far more a diplomat, and Kyree was the one who needed the soul stone. Hudson moved to Milan’s wall of potions and eyed each of them. She could feel Milan’s eyes on her back, keeping her in her sights as if Hudson was an enemy in a cage. She didn’tlike the feeling. It was far too close to what she’d left behind in Talon.

Kyree slid closer to Milan, her head canting to the side. “You’re from the deep soundings.”

“I am,” Milan answered, still eyeing Honour. “As are you.”

“Where did you get the soul stones?” Kyree asked.

Honour put herself between Kyree and Milan, as if protecting her. But it was odd because Milan was the reason they were there. Hudson sensed no danger from her, just a misplaced anger from Honour. Which was odd. Honour never had that sense about her before.

---