Page 85 of Treasure of the Abyss

By the sixth day, their new home felt like aprison.

It was clearly worse for Jax. He stayed with her for hours every day, making love and idle conversation, but he’d grown increasingly withdrawn as time passed. He’d leave for long stretches, and Macy understoodwhy.

Wanderer.

In the cave, they’d been free. Jax could take her out whenever either of them wanted to go, could show her places he’d discovered and see them anew through her eyes. The world had been open to them. All that had been taken away fromhim.

It had been her choice — against Jax’s wishes — to come here. She knew he was unhappy, resentful of his people, but how much blame did he place on her? If she’d listened to him, if she’d just agreed to return to the cave, how different would things benow?

Her recent illness hadn’t helped ease his nerves. For the last several days, she’d woken up feeling nauseous, and vomited two or three times in a morning. During those periods, she’d been unable to keep food down. Even the slightest whiff of fish sent her running to the toilet. By midday — which she only determined thanks to the clock in her room — her stomach would settle, and she’d feelfine.

She played it off as nothing; Jax was already out of sorts, and she didn’t want to add to his distress. But she couldn’t assuage her concern. At first, she thought it was the food they’d gathered in the jungle, but she’d consumed plenty of it in the cave without getting sick, and had eaten the same vegetation while she lived in TheWatch.

Macy’s mind shifted to the building next. What if there was a problem with the air filtration system? Perhaps it didn’t affect the kraken because their respiration was so different, or simply because they were a hardier species. Humans hadn’t lived here for so long that there was no way to be sure it was still a safe environment — at least not before it was toolate.

But the nausea only struck during the morning. If the air was somehow contaminated, wouldn’t she be sick all thetime?

By the fifteenth day, she’d had enough. She wasn’t going to allow fear to prevent her from making the most of hersituation.

Jax was gone again; his absences had grown longer and longer, and though he always returned by the evening, she missed him terribly during the day. It felt like they were drifting apart. A seed of doubt had taken root inside her, twisting its way through her being — one day, he might not return at all. Their lovemaking was as intense as ever, and her connection to him during those times was soul-deep, but when they finished, she felt the rift tear open again, threatening to swallow herup.

Today, she refused to sit andwait.

Macy strapped on the knife and gun Jax had given her for protection — each had a thigh holster, and though she was unused to wearing weapons, they were comfortable enough — and exited the cabin area. She wandered the corridors barefoot, peering into darkened rooms here and there. She neither saw nor heard anykraken.

When she spotted the sign indicating the pool, she stopped and stared down the hallway at the closed door. Jax had mentioned Arkon often spent time there. She didn’t know if Arkon accompanied Jax to wherever it was he was going every day, but it couldn’t hurt to check. She needed a friendlyface.

She approached the door, pressed the button beside it, and entered when it slid open. The overwhelming stench of chemicals assaulted her immediately. Her stomach churned, and she doubledover.

The sound of the door closing behind her was whisper-soft.

“Are you all right,Macy?”

Macy jumped, lifting her eyes to Arkon. He was at the edge of the pool, frowning ather.

She took two deep, slow breaths through her mouth — not that it helped much with the smell — and nodded. “I’m fine. I just…need a moment. The smell in hereis…”

“It can be overpowering when one is unused to it.” As though in response to his own words, his nostrils flared. “But I think you will grow used to it intime.”

Macy didn’t share hisconfidence.

She stepped farther into the room, moving her gaze along the lockers lining the far wall, over the dormant pieces of equipment and machinery scattered around the floor, and finally to the large, rectangular pool in the center. The water within was totally clear; if it weren’t for the light reflecting on its surface, she might not have known it was there atall.

As she neared the pool, she realized there was something on the bottom. She gasped when it came into full view. The floor was covered with countless small stones, arranged in swathes of color to create intricate, swirlingpatterns.

“Did you make this?” Macy asked, looking at Arkon. His arms were folded over his chest, fingertips drumming his bicep. “I’m sorry. If I’m…interrupting, or intruding, I cango.”

“Not at all. I’ve refined the patterns to my satisfaction — if only barely — but it’s still missing the centerpiece.” When he turned his head to her and smiled, the warmth of his expression eased the tension. “Jax was supposed to bring back a glowing stone, but he’s been understandably distracted for the last fewweeks.”

She returned her attention to the design. “It’sbeautiful.”

“Thank you for sayingso.”

“I’d guess you don’t hear it often enough. Our people are alike in that way. Most of them like to look at art, but think making it is a waste of time when you could be focusing on something more practicalinstead.”

“Jax tells me, in his way, and though he claims not to understand it or have any capacity for it…his insights are often enlightening. As for it being a waste of time…I find that a short-sightednotion.”

“Aymee said something very similar to that.” Macy turned her head and studied Arkon. “I think she would love to knowyou.”

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