Page 46 of Heart of the Deep

She placed her hand in his and was immediately disappointed — she wanted to feel his skin against hers, but the suit prevented that.

He closed his fingers around her hand. Instinctively, Larkin stepped closer.

“We will not be able to communicate once we are below.” There was that hint of worry on his brow again, the ghost of a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You must remain close at all times.”

“I will. Do we need to bring anything?” she asked, looking down at her spear, knife, and clothing.

“There are human clothes in the Facility you may use, and I brought a weapon for you. It is closer to the beach.”

Larkin nodded, anticipation chasing away any anxiety she might’ve felt. She’d see Randall again soon. “Let’s get going, then.”

* * *

“Your heart rate has accelerated,” Sam said, his voice breaking through the stifling quiet. “Do you require assistance?”

“No, Sam,” Larkin replied distractedly. “I’m fine.”

His voice was the only one she’d heard for hours. Her fascination had split her attention between the suit’s functions — she’d asked Sam countless questions while she swam alongside Dracchus — and the alien world around her. She’d never imagined such vibrancy and variety underwater.

Though the suit greatly eased her movement, she was unused to the motions; she’d spent years hiking through rough terrain, but swimming taxed muscles she didn’t often put to use. Dracchus patiently kept pace with her, stopping when she needed time to rest, his gaze ever-watchful.

Her weariness crept toward exhaustion with the waning sunlight. As they swam farther and farther from land and steadily increased their depth, fear crept out of Larkin’s subconscious to assail her.

She was trapped — submerged under thirty meters of water and surrounded by an unfamiliar landscape that grew more indistinct as the light faded. All that protected her from that looming abyss was the too-thin fabric of the suit and the small piece of glass over her face. It didn’t matter how advanced the gun Dracchus had given her was, it couldn’t protect her from drowning.

She breathed deep, willing herself to calm. Weakness suffused her limbs, but she’d dealt with it before — she could push through it. This was Dracchus’s third time making this trip without any rest. Larkin sure as hell wasn’t going to give up or ask for help on her first attempt.

And Dracchus was there with her. That knowledge held firm beneath her fear, beneath her weariness, and it helped to know she wasn’t alone.

Eventually, darkness conquered the water, leaving only the faintest shimmers of starlight on the surface far overhead.

Larkin’s speed faltered, slowing until she came to a stop.

“Your heart rate has accelerated. Do you require assistance?” Sam asked again.

“No!” she snapped, turning her head from side to side, scanning the darkness. “I just…need a moment.”

Sam possessed multiple vision functions to compensate for the darkness, but she couldn’t recall their names through the tired, fearful haze that had settled over her mind, and there wasn’t anything to be seen in that darkness because it was impenetrable, impossible, infinite…

Now that they’d stopped, her limbs refused to move again. She didn’t know if it was due to panic or exhaustion.

Dracchus was a nearby shadow, barely discernable from the surrounding black. Her eyes detected his movement, but she was only sure of his presence when he wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her body against his. Her arms instinctively encircled his neck.

“I’m not like this. I swear I’m not.” He couldn’t hear her, but she needed to say it. Despite what other people thought, she’d always excelled due to her own efforts. Her father had never coddled her, and she’d pushed herself harder because she wouldnotlet the others be right when they said he was the only reason she’d reached her position. Larkin hadearnedeverything she had.

But when all the layers were peeled away, she was only human, flawed and vulnerable. She knew her own limits.

Dracchus’s hold on her was firm but not painful, and though his size should have made her feel smaller and weaker than she already did at that moment, she feltsafe. He was solid. Real. Dependable.

He guided her legs around his waist. The suit diminished her sense of touch, but she felt his muscles flex and relax as he swam.

Points of soft blue light appeared on his skin. At first, she thought she was seeing things, but the light really was coming from him. It cast a gentle glow on his features, making him the only thing she could see in the darkness.

Larkin’s eyes widened as she studied the glowing stripes on his head, which followed the outline of his neck to his shoulders. Lightly, she traced the markings on his arms. “How are you doing that?”

If he knew she’d spoken, he made no indication.

Their forward motion continued in his unique rhythm. The darkness surrounding them gradually lost its menace as she focused on Dracchus’s light, and soon she rested her head on his shoulder. His hold on her tightened.

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