Page 89 of Jewel of the Sea

“Could’ve been done by anyone,” Randall said.

“Oh? So you can paint like this, too, Randy? Damn shame I left my brushes back home, or I’d have you show me.”

“This looks recent,” Joel said.

“It could’ve been in the last few days or the last few months,” Randall said. “This wall wouldn’t get any sun, so the paint won’t fade.”

“You still trying to protect her?” Cyrus demanded. “Sheshotyou, kid. Pretty cut and dry, that relationship.”

“I’m being practical. I’m not any happier about this situation than you are, Cyrus, but it is what it is. We’ve gone up and down this coast and haven’t found a single sign of them.”

“Thisis a damned sign! It’s the same shit she painted on the side of her house, and it’s right here next to three closed doors. Going to call that a coincidence? Hell, they’re probably living back there!”

“Those doors aren’t likely to be functional,” Randall said.

Arkon looked toward Jax and Dracchus’s hiding places and flashed yellow. Jax leaned off the wall, glancing toward the steps, and signaled.

They know.

“There’s a little light flashing at that door,” Joel’s voice was hushed.

The scraping of metal echoed through the pen. The hunters went quiet after the whisper of footsteps.

“Wait until Jax sees it,” Macy said.

“Get back inside!” Jax yelled.

“Wha—” Aymee’s words were drowned out by a scuffling of boots and shouts from the hunters.

Macy’s scream was cut off, and Aymee’s angry exclamation silenced.

“Months ago, huh, Randy?” Cyrus laughed. “This must be that girl who left to live with the fish.”

Someone growled — Macy.

Jax moved to climb onto the second level, but Dracchus caught him and held him down before he exposed himself.

“What are you doing?” Randall demanded.

“What you don’t have the balls to do,” Cyrus replied. “You ask the fishermen back in town, they’ll tell you — a hook needs to be baited if you want to catch a fish. We just found our bait.”

“We’re not hunting humans, Cyrus. Let them go — both of you. We have no right to harm these women.”

“Once we bag what we came for. Though I have something to settle with this bitch.”

Aymee cried out sharply.

Fury crashed through Arkon like waves lashing the shore during a storm. It filled his limbs with anxious, overwhelming energy, and everything in him screamed to charge to the upper platform and tear into the hunters. To protect Aymee. To avenge her pain. His nostrils flared. He’d never craved the spilling of blood as he did in that moment, had never longed for the satisfaction of breaking another creature. The fire in his veins urged him to violence.

Muscles tense, he crept forward.

A flash of yellow in the distance called his attention to the other kraken; Jax’s eyes were filled with rage, and his skin was crimson. Dracchus met Arkon’s gaze and shook his head firmly.

Calm. Keep to the dark, Dracchus signaled.Keep quiet.

“We heard you,” Cyrus called. “Might as well come out if you don’t want these two hurt. Blondie’s quite a looker. Be a damn shame to mess that up.”

“Don’t touch her,” Aymee grated.

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