Page 97 of Jewel of the Sea

“You brought humans,” one of the females said, frowning.

“They are friends,” Jax called. The humans stepped through the door and stood aside to allow the kraken males through.

“Rhea, this is Aymee,” Macy said, nodding toward Aymee.

Rhea — the female in front of the group — looked at Aymee and smiled. “I have heard much.” Her smile faded when she glanced at Arkon. “Come.”

“Melaina,” Macy said, “I need you to watch Sarina for me, okay?”

The little girl nodded.

Randall looked from Macy to Sarina and back again. “That’s... She’s your…”

Macy met Randall’s gaze, and her eyes hardened as though awaiting either an insult or a threat. He staggered slightly, leaning more heavily upon the women, and shook his head. He said nothing.

“We need to go. Now.” Aymee moved down the corridor behind the males, who themselves followed the kraken females.

They turned into another long hallway, passing open doorways. She didn’t look into any of the rooms, didn’t stare at the walls in wonder; only Arkon mattered. She needed him stabilized, needed him in a place he could rest for as long as it took to heal, needed access to the right tools to care for him.

The group stopped suddenly, and Aymee peered around Dracchus. The females ahead growled as they were forced apart by another group of male kraken. Aymee nearly growled herself; the corridor was too small for so many bodies, and they needed to get to the infirmary!

“We have been looking for y—” The kraken in the lead came to an abrupt stop. “What is this?”

“Stand aside, Kronus,” Jax demanded.

“What happened to him?”

“Aside, now!”

Kronus pressed his lips together and shifted, as did the males behind him, allowing Dracchus and Jax to pass with Arkon. When his eyes fell on Aymee and Randall, they widened before narrowing. His skin turned crimson.

“Humans!” he snarled, raising his claws.

“Don’t you dare!” Macy shouted.

If Aymee had stopped to think, she might have acted differently; Kronus wasn’t as large as Dracchus, but all the adult kraken were taller and more powerfully built than most humans. She followed her instinct. Stepping forward, she rammed her fist into Kronus’s jaw, twisting her hip to put as much force into it as she could.

“Get back!” she yelled, glaring at him. “Arkon needs help!”

Kronus’s head snapped aside, but his expression was one of shock rather than pain. Rage quickly overcame that shock. His muscles tensed as though to strike.

A huge black arm wrapped around Kronus’s neck from behind. Dracchus swung the other kraken around and slammed him face-first into the wall. The structure itself seemed to shake.

“These humans are undermyprotection,” Dracchus growled, glaring at Kronus’s companions. “They are our people now. Do you understand?”

Kronus spat something that sounded like a muffledyes, and his companions nodded.

Dracchus held Kronus in place as the women hurried past with Randall, who leaned on them a bit more with each step. They passed Jax; Rhea was helping him support Arkon.

They reached the infirmary after one more turn, and Aymee’s hand was throbbing by the time they entered. With Macy’s help, Aymee guided Randall into a bed, removed his suit, and inspected his stomach and shoulder to ensure the wounds hadn’t torn open. Macy retrieved a blanket and laid it over him.

As Dracchus and Jax carried Arkon into the infirmary, Aymee pulled her arms free of the suit and tied it off as she had earlier.

She moved to Arkon’s side after they lifted him onto a bed and checked his wounds. They’d remained sealed during the journey, but his skin was pale and cold.

“We need to cover him up, too. He lost a lot of blood, and his body’s going to need all the help it can get to recover,” she said.

Macy settled a blanket over Arkon, and Aymee reached beneath to take hold of his hand. Several kraken lingered in her peripheral vision. They watched in silence, male and female alike, until Dracchus made them leave; only he, Jax, and Rhea lingered.

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