Page 49 of Jewel of the Sea

“We need to leave, Aymee.”

“But he—”

“How likely is it that people in town heard those shots, Aymee?”

“They would have heard,” she said quietly.

“How many more of these men are there?”

She was silent for several moments as she stared at Randall’s wound. “Go.”

“I will not leave you with these men,” Arkon said, hooking a finger under her chin and guiding her face toward him. “It very well might have beenussprawled out in the sand bleeding, Aymee. Only we wouldn’t have had a chance to get back up. Do what you can for him, quickly, and your father will see to the rest.”

Aymee searched his eyes and, finally, nodded. “Keep this in place and lift him.”

Arkon pressed his hand over the blood-soaked cloth on Randall’s shoulder when she pulled away, and slowly raised Randall’s torso off the sand.

Randall groaned. “Don’t go,” he said. “It won’t... How will it look? You have to stay. Explain.”

“You can tell them the truth,” Aymee said as she tore another long strip from her skirt. She wrapped it around Randall’s back and chest, tying a knot over the wadded cloth Arkon held in place.

Shouts carried to them from inland. Arkon didn’t want to drag Aymee away from all she knew, but after this experience, how could he entrust her safety to other humans? How could he believe that she’d be all right while Cyrus and the hunters were near?

“Come, Aymee. The others may not hesitate to use their long guns when they come upon this scene.”

She nodded and stood up, but Randall caught her wrist.

Fire burst through Arkon’s chest. He clenched his teeth, barely keeping himself from attacking.

“Aymee…” Randall rasped.

“Arkon is right,” she said, gently prying his hand off. “I’m sorry. I tried to tell you.” She stepped back. “It didn’t have to be this way. It stilldoesn’thave to be this way. Tell them the truth.”

“My people do not want another fight,” Arkon said, moving beside Aymee. “Please, do not bring one to us. The past does not need to be repeated.”

He held out his hand to Aymee and met her gaze. She took it, and together they picked up the canisters they’d planned to exchange and moved toward the sea.

This was not the Aymee he’d known; the light of life had dimmed in her eyes, and there was no trace of joy on her face. He only hoped the change was temporary, and that he wasn’t the one responsible for breaking her spirit.

Arkon wouldn’t be able to live with that.

Chapter 10

It was a long while before Arkon’s hearts eased and the frantic energy in his limbs dissipated. All he focused on, at first, was getting Aymee well away from the beach. He’d moved quickly, and though the choppy water splashed her face numerous times, she voiced no complaint.

He’d expected to hear the boom of a gunshot at any moment, to feel the jolt of impact.

He slowed only after they were well beyond the landward current and the voices from the beach had long since faded. The cut on his chest stung, but the pain was tolerable; once they found a place to shelter for the night, it would have plenty of time to heal.

Aymee clung to him as he swam — arms around his neck, legs encircling his torso, chest pressed against his back. Apart from her occasional coughing or sputtering after being splashed, she was quiet. Tremors pulsed through her limbs; each time she trembled, she squeezed him a little tighter.

The sun sank rapidly, unconcerned with their plight. The ocean’s surface rippled like liquid gold. Part of him recognized the beauty on display all around, but he rejected it. Only Aymee’s safety mattered, and all the beauty in the world wouldn’t help that.

Where should we go?

He’d acted in the heat of the moment, had operated on instinct, having known only that they needed to depart before more humans arrived. But Arkon was unaccustomed to life on land, and Aymee didn’t have a diving suit to survive under water. She’d need one of the suits Macy used if he wanted to take her to the Facility.

Not that hecouldtake her there. Even after the trials she and Jax had faced, Macy still wasn’t accepted by all. Introducing another human — unproven and unknown — could push the tensions past the point of sensibility and control, leaving Aymee and Macy both in unnecessary danger.

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