Page 23 of Treasure of the Abyss

Keeping an arm over her chest, Macy removed some dried grass and vines from the crate and piled them on the ground. She arranged several pieces of driftwood over the pile, leaving room for airflow, and leanedback.

If they could get it lit, it would do well enough with the fish, but the relatively small fuel supply wouldn’t last very long. It was enough to cook three or four meals — maybe a bit more, if she wasconservative.

One problem at atime.

“Okay. You said you had something to spark this, right?” sheasked.

“Yes.” Jax twisted slightly, shifting his tentacles, and moved something into his hand. When he brought it forward, Macy widened hereyes.

“You have agun.”

Jax raised the gun, tilting it nonchalantly. He didn’t point it at her, but that did little to ease her concerns. “For thefire.”

“How is a gun going to help us make a fire? Have you ever even used onebefore?”

“This gun createsheat.”

Macy stared at the weapon. He had to have taken it from wherever his people lived. There were similar weapons in The Watch, but they were rundown from centuries of use and increasingly improvised repair. Jax’s gun looked like it had just beenmanufactured.

“Okay.” She extended her hand, palmup.

He looked at her waiting hand, brow falling. “Haveyouever used onebefore?”

“I’ve been taught to handlethem.”

“More reason not to give it to you. Moveback.”

Macy frowned, but she obeyed. Why would he hand her a weapon that could totally alter the power balance betweenthem?

Turning toward the pile of fuel, Jax fiddled with a control on the gun; Macy guessed it was some sort of power setting. In one fluid motion, he dipped his torso forward and slid his tentacles backward, leaving him nearly on his belly. He held his upper half suspended just over theground.

There was a soft, high-pitched whine, barely audible over the waterfall. He held the gun with both hands, pointed at the base of the kindling, and pulled thetrigger.

At first, nothing happened. She was about to ask if something was wrong when a wisp of smoke rose from the pile. Within a moment, the fire ignited. Jax released the trigger and shifted into an uprightposition.

“It worked!” Macy grinned as the flamesgrew.

He watched the flames with slitted pupils. “It has a strange way ofmoving.”

“Just don’t touch it.” Macy rose and slid the crate to stacked driftwood, adding the remaining grass and vines to the pile. Then she flipped the crate over and scrubbed its bottom clean with a cloth. “Would you bring me thefish?”

Turning back to the fire, she set the crate over it, upside-down. The slits on the sides and base acted as vents, allowing air and smoke to flow freely, and provided a grill-like cookingsurface.

Jax entered the corner of her vision. He held the fish in one hand, his clawed thumb hooked in its mouth. It curled its tail to one side, gillsflaring.

Macy ducked into the shelter and removed the knife from its hiding place, unwrapping it. The grip was comfortable in her hand. She knew people in The Watch who would’ve killed for such a fine-qualityblade.

“Where did you get that?” Jaxdemanded.

She stood and turned to face him, hiding the knife behind her back to keep him from grabbing it. “I found it in one of thecrates.”

He extended his arm, holding his palm up. It was fast becoming a popular gesture between the two ofthem.

“I’m keeping it,” she said, lifting her chin. “I needit.”

“Why do you needit?”

“I need it as a tool. Not aweapon.”

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