Page 54 of Jewel of the Sea

“As are kraken who only tolerate her presence because they fear repercussions from Jax, Dracchus, and myself.”

“Is she in danger there?”

“No. The ones who disagree with her presence avoid her, but they will not dare do her harm unless things change drastically. If it was unsafe, Jax would take Macy and Sarina away immediately.”

“And my being there?”

He sighed, blowing air from his siphons. “Macy has earned the respect of the kraken through much hardship. For some, that is encouragement to extend tentative trust to humans. For others, she is but the exception to the rule. You are an unknown entity.”

Aymee nodded. “I understand.” The possibility of seeing Macy again and finally meeting baby Sarina had been a beacon of hope in a dark landscape. That hope was now snuffed out. It was for the best, she knew — she didn’t want to cause trouble for Arkon or Macy, especially if the stakes were so high. “We’re staying here, then?”

“At least for a little while. We will have to decide on a way forward together.” Arkon straightened and dragged the two canisters closer, opening their lids. He took the letters and the little carved stone out of the one he’d brought to the beach and placed them on the step beside her. “Macy has plenty to eat down there, so I would like you to eat some of the food you packed for her.”

Aymee stared down at the items. She picked up the stone, clutched it in her fist, and held it to her chest.

Arkon removed a piece of cloth from the supplies — a handkerchief Macy’s mother had embroidered — lifted the other empty canister, and carried it closer to the opening in the ceiling. Coiling his tentacles around one of the large mooring posts along the edge of the platform, he leaned out over the seawater.

Extending four of his front tentacles — two grasping the container, and two stretching the handkerchief over its top — he held the canister beneath a stream of water pouring in from above. After a minute or so, he pulled himself back onto the platform and returned to Aymee.

“How did you know to do that?” she asked.

“I’ve had many conversations with Macy,” he said, standing the canister on the floor against the wall. “I was fascinated when I saw her drinking water, so I naturally asked her questions until she eventually shooed me out into the hallway and closed the door behind me.” Aymee chuckled, and Arkon smiled. “There was a waterfall in the cave where Jax originally brought her that provided for her needs. Because she was unable to boil the water initially, she used some cloth to filter some of the impurities. Our waterfall is only temporary, but if I can, I will bring water from the Facility. Macy says it is the cleanest she’s ever had.”

“Thank you.”

Arkon crouched in front of her. His eyes dipped to her cheek and an angry glint sparked in them as he raised his hand and gently stroked her bruise. “I will be back before dark. Rest, if you can.”

Her fingers tightened over the stone; he was leaving already? “Okay.”

Arkon removed an apple from Aymee’s supply canister and held it toward her. “Eat.”

She took it in numb fingers. “I will.”

He leaned forward and lightly pressed his forehead to hers. “I will return soon, Aymee. I will allow nothing to delay me this time.”

She smiled at him, forcing the expression to remain in place as he pulled back and turned away. His shoulders rose with a slow, deep inhalation, and then he dropped off the edge of the platform, hitting the water with a large splash.

Thunder punctuated his sudden absence with a finality that made her stomach clench.

Chapter 11

Though his muscles burned with exertion, Arkon could not still his tentacles as the water drained from the Facility’s entry chamber. His nervous energy had been of benefit during the journey, but now it fluttered inside him with no outlet, shifting into a sense of dread that churned his gut. He didn’t intend to spend a single moment longer than necessary here. Aymee was alone, and the weight of her trauma from the prior day was but one of the problems she faced.

“Pressurization complete,” the Computer finally announced.

Arkon hurried through the interior door, and his mind raced down several of the corridors at once, seeking out a disorganized list of supplies from a confused set of locations. He hesitated, dripping water onto the hallway floor.

What did humansneedto survive?

Food and water. Seawater was no good, and there was no permanent supply of fresh water at the Broken Cavern, as far as he knew. And here at the Facility, Macy was the only one who had food fit for a human.

Using every handhold within reach to pull himself along, he hurried toward the cabins.

He halted abruptly after turning a corner.

“Can’t transport anything without a container.”

Shaking his head at himself, he turned around and wound through the corridors to the Pool Room, which held the largest airtight containers he knew of in the Facility.

---