Page 78 of Treasure of the Abyss

“How do you know this?” Vanderasked.

“Part of Dracchus’s claim is true. I have spent better than two weeks in the company of a female human.” Jax’s hearts pounded against his ribs, and his skin was ablaze, but he held his ground against the other kraken’soutbursts.

They shouted amongst themselves, arguing whether humans were even real, whether Jax’s word could be trusted. The kraken were nothing if not individuals; each had his or her own opinion on the matter and was convinced it wascorrect.

“Enough!” Jax yelled over theirnoise.

The kraken fell silent. Jax looked over his shoulder. Macy’s eyes were wide, her face pale; fear was written upon her features. “I will be right beside you,Macy.”

Twisting, he extended a hand toher.

She swallowed and took his hand, slowly stepping forward. Jax moved aside to allow her out of thenook.

The silence in the room was broken by several exhalations through siphons, and numerous kraken retreatedreflexively.

“Though it was against my wishes, this human — Macy — insisted she face you. To show that she means no harm and that she is not an enemy to our people,” Jaxsaid.

“Humans are forever enemies to our people,” Dracchusinsisted.

“I’m not your enemy, Dracchus,” Macy said, then looked toward the others. “I’m not an enemy to any ofyou.”

“We should do to her as we did her ancestors!” one of the malesshouted.

“She is not her ancestors, any more than we are ours.” Jax moved forward and stopped in front of Macy, raking his gaze over the crowd. “She has donenothingto any of us. The wrongs of the past are not hers to answerfor.”

Kronus advanced. “She ishuman! She doesn’t belong here. Not anymore. I say we throw her out to sea and let the razorbacks haveher.”

Macy’s hands fell on Jax’s back, and a tremor ran throughthem.

Arkon drew up on Jax’s rightside.

Dracchus dragged himself into place to Jax’s left. “There is no cause to do her harm,Kronus.”

“You made these claims against the Wanderer, and now you defend his human?” Kronus’s skindarkened.

“She is not the one who has done wrong.” Dracchus folded his arms across his chest and stared atKronus.

Jax was grateful for Dracchus’s defense of Macy, but he knew what those words meant —Jaxhad committed the crime. He was the one who deservedpunishment.

Perhaps he did deserve it, for allowing Macy to comehere.

“We cannot simply let her out,” another krakensaid.

“Why not let the razorbacks have her? Kronus is right; humans have no placehere.”

“She knows this place, now. What if she makes it back to her kind and leads themhere?”

“I won’t speak a word about this place, or about any of you,” Macy said. “And I'm not returning to my people. My place is withJax.”

My place is withJax.

Those words sent a wave of warmth through Jax and nearly stopped his hearts. He would have turned and pulled Macy against him, would have crushed his mouth over hers to taste her, would have reveled in all that washer…if not for the threat posed by the otherkraken.

“We cannot trust the word of a human!” Kronus snarled, moving forward, raising himself high on his tentacles. A red undertone crept into hisskin.

Jax shifted to block Kronus’s view of Macy. “If you mean to challenge me, do so. But you—” he ran his gaze over the others “—noneof you — will lay neither hand nor tentacle uponher.”

Kronus thrust a clawed finger at Jax. “Thatthingdoes not belong here, and if we cannot risk it telling others, it needs to bekilled!”

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