Page 120 of Treasure of the Abyss

He smiled as warmth spread over his skin. “Why have you come to find us, Aymee? What ishappening?”

“Is Dracchus here,too?”

Arkon’s gaze flicked toward the rocks for a moment. “He is close by…but he’s not very good company.” He was suddenly glad Dracchus had stayed behind; he didn’t want anyone else to see this female, for fear they’d desire her. Arkon wanted Aymee to be hisalone.

She grinned. “So Macy told me.” A wave crashed over Arkon, forcing Aymee to turn her face away as she was sprayed. “They’re leaving tonight, but Jax needs yourhelp.”

His smile faded. “They are okay, are theynot?”

“They’re fine.” Aymee turned toward the dock, watching silently, then looked back to Arkon. “That building up there with the crane, do you see it?” she asked, pointing over hershoulder.

He followed her gesture with his eyes; he felt it safe to assume that the large device hanging over the edge of the cliff was thecrane. One end of a large building was visible nearby it. “Ido.”

“He’s in there, but he’s locked in a tank. No one has hurt him, though. It’s just aprecaution.”

“How do we get inside to get himout?”

“The warehouse doors themselves aren’t locked. It’s just a place where the fishermen store catches and their supplies. Someone’s going to lead the guards away for a little while, so you have a chance to slip inside to get him out.” She frowned. “We don’t wantanyonehurt, includingyou.”

Arkon glanced toward the rocks again; Dracchus’s body was mostly hidden by his camouflage, but Arkon could just make out orange, staring eyes. “That should not be anissue.”

“Macy’s father is going to carry her to the docks to wait, so you and Dracchus need to be ready and waiting tonight for our friend to lead the guards away.” Her gaze moved over him again. “With that camouflage, you should be able to get up there once it’s dark and wait nearby.Right?”

“We will manage, Aymee. Are your peoplearmed?”

“The guards are, which is why we’re going to get them as far from the warehouse as wecan.”

“We’ll be especially careful,then.”

She turned her head toward the dock for a moment before looking back at Arkon. “Can you show me your normal color, one moretime?”

Almost without thinking, he shifted his face to its natural coloring; he was unable to look away fromher.

Aymee smiled. “You really arebeautiful.”

Her words were unexpected, but they were not what left him speechless for a moment; that was the result of her smile and the light dancing in hereyes.

“I need to go. I’m glad to have met you,Arkon.”

“And I will never forget you,Aymee.”

He remained in place as she pushed to her feet — not because he didn’t try to move, but because his body didn’t respond to the command. She attempted to brush the sand off her clothing; it clung to the wet patches on her arms and legs stubbornly. Her torso was wet, also, and the fabric clung to her, accentuating the shapely form hidden beneath. His knowledge of human anatomy didn’t stop him from wondering exactly how she looked under hercoverings.

Finally, he regained his senses enough to pry his attention from Aymee. He turned and swam back to hiscompanion.

“And?” Dracchusgrumbled.

“Jax and Macy are leaving this place. They will need us to go in andhelp.”

“Good,” he replied. “I am tired ofwaiting.”

“That’s unfortunate. None of this is happening until afternightfall.”

Dracchus bared his teeth in a sneer, and the two settled in to await the cover ofdarkness.

Chapter 25

With the overhead lights dimmed,the primary illumination in the warehouse was cast by the occupied tanks. Jax’s vision was warped beyond the glass, but the guards were in sight; they stood several body-lengths apart, in the clear space near the door, bouncing a ball back and forth to each other. Their guns leaned against thewall.

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