Page 94 of Heart of the Deep

Larkin glanced at Randall from the corner of her eye. “Great. He’s…really great,” she said, distracted but genuine. She pulled the trigger, skewering another gulper. She turned toward Randall as Ikaros went to collect it. “It’s just…”

“Too big?”

“Randall!”

“You started it!”

“You really want to know how big—”

“No!Hellno!”

Larkin sat up, laughing. “Yeah well, let’s just say he puts you and every other guy to shame.”

“I’m your brother, Larkin. You’re only supposed to talk about my dick when you’re making fun of me to your friends.”

“Your friends were my friends, Randall.”

He grinned, but the expression faded suddenly. She knew where his mind had gone — some of the men who’d betrayed him had been their friends, had been people they’d joked with around campfires, who they’d trudged through muddy swamps and cloying forests alongside.

Her attention shifted to Dracchus. His head was tilted, and he had a curious look on his face. He made a series of quick signs. Larkin’s understanding of kraken sign language wasn’t anywhere near deep enough to translate.

“What did he say?” Larkin asked.

“He wants to know what we’re talking about.”

“Might as well tell him.”

Randall rolled onto his side. He pointed at Dracchus, and then lowered his hands to his pelvis, pantomiming wrapping his hands around a rather girthy object. Larkin doubted it was real sign language, but Dracchus seemed to get the gist of it. He shook his head with a frown, moved his hands down, and made an even larger circle with them.

“Is he serious?” Randall asked. “Fuck. Please don’t answer that.”

Larkin made no attempt to contain her amusement. She laughed so hard her sternum hurt.

Ikaros arrived with the harpooned gulper. The prixxir treaded water, whiskers twitching as he watched her laugh.

She blinked the tears from her eyes. “Oh, I missed you, big brother.”

“Yeah, well…kraken commander says you need to bag two more. Better get back to work.”

Larkin accepted Ikaros’s offering and loaded up a fresh harpoon while Randall tended to the catch.

“So, what were you really going to say before?” he asked as she resumed her watch.

Her smile slowly faded, and she sighed. “He hasn’ttouchedme since I was poisoned. He treats me like I’m glass, bound to crack and shatter at any moment.”

“He could break concrete as easily as glass,” Randall said. “He’s just worried about you, Elle. You werereallysick, even with the antitoxin.”

“I know, and I get that.” Another shot; another gulper. Ikaros sped away. “But I’ve been fine for days now, and he still won’t.” She looked at Randall. “Not sure why we’re having this conversation. You are my brother.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I never give half-decent advice. Did you…did you tell him?”

She didn’t need him to clarify his meaning. “I did.”

“How’d he take it?”

“It shocked him, I think. Maybe even hurt him. God, Randall, justseeinghim with those kids…”

“You’re not taking anything away from him, Elle,” Randall said firmly.

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