Page 43 of Heart of the Deep

Something wrapped around his tentacle. Dracchus glanced down to see Sarina clinging to him, staring up with big eyes.

“Are you leaving again?” she asked.

“I must,” he replied, lifting her up. “But I will return tomorrow.”

She pressed her forehead against his and blew out of her siphons. He did the same.

“One day, you will be big and strong enough to accompany us, Sarina.” He flicked his gaze to Jax; the Wanderer wore a warning expression. “So long as your parents allow you to.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Macy said. “She doesn’t need to grow up any faster than she already is.”

Jax moved forward and pried Sarina from Dracchus’s tentacle. She giggled and climbed up her father’s arm, searching for a new place to perch.

“Go and do as you must,” Jax said, placing a hand on Dracchus’s shoulder. “We will await your return, and once she is here, we will do all we can to protect your female.”

Dracchus nodded. Jax’s steady, deliberate gaze conveyed his understanding of all that was at stake — this went beyond a single human, beyond a single female. Supporting Dracchus in this, in protecting the human who’d been integral to the capture of three kraken, would be declared the ultimate betrayal by Kronus’s supporters.

This would all but eliminate the chance for the kraken to resolve their disagreements peacefully.

Chapter 12

Larkin stared out into the dark jungle from beneath the shelter, spear resting on her lap and knife on the ground beside her. The fire cast eerie, dancing shadows on the trees around her. She should’ve been asleep, but sleep had refused to come. Her gaze darted toward every sound, moved not by fear, but anticipation.

Dracchus hadn’t returned from his search. He’d returned before sunset on the other days, but night had fallen hours ago. She wasn’t sure what to think. What had happened?

Had the rangers recaptured him? Had he been attacked by another predator?

No, she wouldn’t believe any of that. She knew, wherever he was, he had a good reason for not returning. That knowledge offered no comfort.

Dracchus was more than a means of seeing her brother again. She’d enjoyed his company over the last few days and found a kindred spirit in him. He was practical, tough, and dependable, and had no problem admitting when he didn’t know something. Though most of her jokes seemed to go over his head, he’d accepted them with endearing nonchalance. Even his stubborn streak had grown on her.

Being around him felt natural, comfortable, liberating. She could be herself instead of the commander’s daughter. She could just be…Larkin.

She opened her eyes, sitting up abruptly. The faint, gray light of predawn tentatively prodded the canopy. When had she fallen asleep?

Her grogginess dissipated quickly; she’d been woken by a noise — rustling vegetation, like something large was approaching. She grabbed her spear and leapt to her feet. The fire was low, meaning it would be of little aid in scaring away most jungle creatures.

A huge black figure emerged from the foliage, towering over her, amber eyes reflecting the faint light.

“What the hell, kraken? Where have you been?” she demanded, lowering her spear.

He lifted something in his hand — a black bundle — and unfolded it, removing what appeared to be a curved piece of glass from its center. He held the black fabric up, revealing some sort of suit that looked to be sized for a child.

“Today I will bring you to see your brother,” he said.

“Really?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked between him and the suit. “You found it?”

“Yes.” He handed her the suit and the piece of glass and sank down next to the fire.

She’d set aside several pieces of cooked fish for him, wrapped in thick leaves to mask their scent. He unwrapped them and ate ravenously, scarcely allowing himself time to breathe. Had he been traveling all day yesterday and through the night?

Larkin frowned.

“If we leave with the dawn, we will arrive before sunset,” he said.

“Rest, Dracchus,” she said, stepping away to study the suit. The material was strange, unlike anything she’d ever seen. A hexagonal pattern covered the black fabric, which felt far too thin to be as durable as it seemed.

He slipped a final piece of fish into his mouth, chewing it to one side, and gestured at the remaining bundles of food. “You need to eat before we leave, female.”

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