Page 92 of Call of the Fathoms

His head tilted to the side, a curious gesture that she recognized all too well. “You knew this.”

“I did.”

“You didn’t tell the others because you didn’t want to risk my life.” He almost looked angry. “I thought we’d already talked about this. You know you are supposed to kill me.”

“And I’m willing to do everything I can to not kill you, you stubborn bastard.” She gripped the back of her chair so hard the leather squeaked. “I don’t like being painted as the villain in your story.”

“You are not the villain! You are just the end.” He reached out his hand and touched the glass. “I am going to leave the living realm, Alexia. You are going to be the weapon that takes me out.I have come to terms with this and I am comfortable with it. But you cannot fight fate. It’s not possible.”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“And it is something you cannot stop from happening. Let me do this last thing for you. Let me know that in the end, I helped to keep you safe.”

Her heart twisted at the words. She knew why he wanted to keep her safe. She understood that he was struggling with this as much as her, and that part of her knew she couldn’t fight fate, just as he was saying.

But she didn’t want to see this happen. She wasn’t sure she would survive it to see them tear into him like they had all the other undines they had in their grasp.

Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to tell him no. That she would have to disappoint him and he would have to keep living, even though he wanted to see his dead wife. She hated to be the person to make him live, but he had to.

“Alexia,” he said, his tones almost begging. “Do this for me.”

She hated every second of this and she hated even more knowing that she would let him convince her. Because that meant she was one step closer to having to kill him, and here she had been, thinking she could avoid all of it.

Taking in a shuddering breath, she nodded. “Your last memories of me are not going to be good. They’re going to be of the person you worked so hard to get me to no longer be. I hate that you won’t even be able to see the real me while all of this happens.”

“I will always know who you are, virago. I will see you struggle to do what is right and be victorious. I know, without a doubt, that you will lead our people toward a better future.” He planted his hand flat on the glass, waiting until she did the same. “I adore you, Alexia. But even more than that, I believe in you.”

He couldn’t have said a worse or better thing.

“Damn it,” she hissed. “You foolish, wonderful man. I will never forget you.”

Because there wasn’t much more she could argue. She had to slam her hand down on the computer, and said, “Computer, lock target in front of ship. Net him.”

The ship came alive at that. After all, it was a ship meant to hunt and to maim. The net speared through the water, making it almost impossible for Fortis to even try to dodge it. Not that he did. He remained still, ready for anything to happen as it wrapped around him and dragged him toward the belly of the ship.

At the same time, all the engines fired. Her small ship lifted through the water so that it could gather him up with metal arms against the belly, and then they were off. That easily.

She hoped the droids had time to put the trackers on the ship. Alexia would need those later.

Her stomach churned, though. As they hurtled toward Tau, all she could think about was how difficult this would be. She didn’t want to hand him over to them. She was signing his death warrant, and it would be a painful death.

“Computer, approximate time until we reach Tau?”

“Six hours and twenty-three minutes.”

So they hadn’t been that far from Tau. Fortis had led her on a multi day chase, but that didn’t mean that Tau had ever been out of reach. She was only a six-hour journey away. They could have found her at any point, and yet, they hadn’t.

Settling into the pilot’s chair, she started working through all her training to keep her emotions in check. What she wanted to do was lash out, though. The Originals had done everything they could to make her an asset and then they left her to rot at the bottom of the ocean? How dare they? She was a fucking person, and they didn’t give a shit!

“Computer?” she asked, her breathing already a little ragged. “Can you please play whale sounds?”

“Affirmative.”

With that sound in her ear, she tilted her head back and tried to meditate for the rest of the journey. All she had to do was believe good things could happen. She was going to go in there, the plan was going to work, and everyone would realize that Tau was the villain after all. The cities would thrive without the added influence of evil people who had been alive for far too long, and this would work.

All she had to do was sell this as a believable entrance.

It took her all six hours to calm herself. And when the computer announced they had reached Tau, she was ready.

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