Page 121 of Treasure of the Abyss

Jax remained at the bottom of the tank, watching,waiting. His tentacles were folded under him, slowly coiling and relaxing. It was the only relief — however minor — for his tension. Anticipation had thrummed through his veins since Aymee’s visit. He assumed it had been hours, but it felt like days had passed in that time, and his eyes had continually drifted to the tiny crack on the inside of theglass.

Not while the humans arehere.

Fast as Jax was, the humans would reach their guns before he could stopthem.

He had to trust in the plan; had to trust that Macy, Aymee, and Camrin knew what they weredoing.

Macy was awake and well. Aymee hadn’t been lying, but it was still difficult to accept. Until he could see his mate with his own eyes, touch her with his own limbs, he would be consumed with worry. Of all the things he’d done in his life — after all the dangers he’d willingly faced — letting the humans take Macy away from him had been the mostdifficult.

The doors slid open slightly, granting Jax a distorted view of the dark purple sky beyond. A figure entered and walked into the light.Camrin.

Jax remained in place as one of the guards bounced the ball; the other missed it, stumbling forward to catchit.

The three humans spoke. The pounding of Jax’s hearts gradually strengthened, soon drowning out the sound of flowing water inside thetank.

Camrin gestured toward Jax, and one of the guards glanced at the tank over his shoulder,frowning.

Was this a betrayal? Was Camrin telling them of the escapeplan?

Clenching his fists, Jax drew back against the glass. He bunched his tentacles beneath him, ready to spring forward. He’d be out of this tank one way or another.Tonight. His eyes rose to the crack for aninstant.

Camrin smiled and took a step toward the doors, waving for the guards to follow. The two humans hesitated, exchanging a glance with oneanother.

It would take a massive amount of force to break through the tank in a single blow, but there wouldn’t be time for anything more. The guards’ distraction wouldn’t count for much beyondit.

One of the guards slapped the other on the shoulder, and the men hurried to catch up to Camrin, picking up their long guns at the door. The three humans exited one at a time. The doors slid shut, returning the front of the warehouse to relativedarkness.

Jax’s anxiety eased, but only slightly. He forced himself to count his heartbeats. The humans neededto be far enough away that they wouldn’t hear the glassbreaking.

Onehundred.

Twohundred.

He imagined the humans walking side-by-side, laughing and talking, as they moved away from the warehouse. How many heartbeats before they were farenough?

Fourhundred.

How long would they begone?

Macy would be waiting at the docks; Jax would get to her by any means necessary. He flattened himself against the backside of the tank, focused on the crack, and surgedforward.

Something moved at the edge of hisattention.

He faltered, flaring his tentacles to stop his momentum. His shoulder struck the glass — not with enough force to break it, but enough tohurt.

The doors had opened again. He watched as two dark figures slithered through the gap and slid the doors shut. Their familiar gaits filled him with a joy he hadn’t expected, and he quickly forgot the throbbing ache in hisshoulder.

Arkon hurried to the tank as Jax broke the surface. Dracchus, sweeping his gaze from side-to-side suspiciously, took positionnearby.

“Why do they need to keep fish in these tanks, when the sea is so close by?” Dracchusasked.

“This allows them a ready food supply they can store indefinitely,” Arkon replied. He ran his hands over the outside of the tank, studying its construction. “It means that, though they are reliant upon hunts to catch the food initially, they are never a single failed hunt away fromstarvation.”

“They grow plants to eat, too,” Jax said, speaking through the slits in the lid, “which matters just as little as what they use the tanks for. Open thetop.”

“Good to see you, too, Jax.” Arkon stretched up and grabbed the edge of the metal platform, pulling himself up in a single, fluidmotion.

“You know I am overjoyed to see you. Both of you.” Jax turned to glance at Arkon’s shadowed form through the narrowslits.

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