Page 9 of Treasure of the Abyss

Jax eyed her with scrutiny. “Why would plants need tending? They are capable of growing on theirown.”

“We need a lot, for food. We plant seeds, water them, and remove dangerous plants that would kill ourcrops.”

“For food?” His upper lip peeled back. “No wonder your teeth are sostrange.”

“Yours are just as strange to me.” Thoughfrighteningmight’ve been a more accurateword.

His expression altered, brow and mouth softening; he looked almost thoughtful. His skin reverted togray.

“Why does your skin change color?” sheasked.

“Doesn’tyours?”

Macy glanced at her arm. It was tan from hours in the sun. “No. At least, not likeyours.”

“It just does. It is the same for allkraken.”

“Kraken? Is that what your people arecalled?”

“It is what we callourselves.”

“Are there many ofyou?”

Jax’s features hardened, and he moved forward, gliding through the water with that odd rhythm. The ridges of his abdominal muscles emerged first, followed by his lower half, glistening in the shaft of sunlight fromabove.

Macy leapt to her feet and backed away from him once she realized what she wasseeing.

His torso led down to thick tentacles — black with pale stripes along their lengths — which swept forward and dragged him onto the island. He towered over her, radiating power andmenace.

Macy raised her hands to warn him back, but he didn’t slow. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Cold fear swept down her spine. She backpedaled faster and gasped as her calves bumped into one of the large crates behind her. Screaming, she fell, her cry cut short as she hit the water and it filled her mouth. She thrashed inpanic.

It was happening all overagain.

Something thick and snakelike coiled around her waist. Macy clutched the smooth skin, clawed at it, seeking purchase to drag herself to thesurface.

She was lifted out of the water. She coughed, throat burning, and gulped in air with rapidbreaths.

Her eyes fell to the black tentacles wrapped around her middle. She quickly removed her hands from them, snapping her gaze up to meet Jax’s. Though her feet didn’t reach the ground, he still loomed overher.

He leaned close. “I will not betray my people toyours.”

“I’m sorry!” she said between coughs. “I wasn’t… I was onlycurious.”

He narrowed his eyes, and his pupils expanded. The tip of a tentacle brushed over her bare shoulder. Macy flinched away fromit.

“Curious…” he rumbled. Lifting a hand, he moved it toward herface.

She leaned back as far as she could, staring at the translucent webbing between his fingers, at the black claws on his fingertips, at the subtle texture of hisskin.

“Please. Don’t hurt me.” Macy turned her face away; if he was strong enough to hold her steady in midair, he could pick her to pieces with those clawseffortlessly.

His hand, strangely warm, brushed the sensitive skin of her neck. Her breath quickened. He raised a clump of her wet hair and rubbed it between two fingers, separating the individualstrands.

“What isthis?”

“It’s hair,” she said, watching from the corner of hereye.

“What is itspurpose?”

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