Page 65 of Heart of the Deep

Growling, Dracchus wrapped his arms around Neo’s chest, clasped his hands together, and squeezed.

Neo’s hands scrambled in panic, raking fresh gouges over Dracchus’s ribs and back. His tentacles curled, battling to wedge under Dracchus’s arms and pry them open. Dracchus flexed his muscles in response. When Neo exhaled, Dracchus tightened his hold.

The captive kraken’s struggles weakened.

Orphus, steadying himself against the wall, shook his head sharply. Blood trickled from one of his nostrils, and his eyes were glassy, but he staggered forward all the same.

Jax and Kronus continued their battle at the edge of Dracchus’s vision; more blood seemed to glisten on the skin of the latter than the former.

Fingers curled, Orphus lunged, swiping at Dracchus. His claws caught the big kraken’s shoulder. Warm blood flowed over Dracchus’s skin.

Dracchus roared and heaved Neo to the side, slamming him into Orphus like an oversized, unwieldy club. Orphus fell toward the opposite wall, halting himself only by latching two of his tentacles around one of Dracchus’s.

Dracchus widened his stance and gripped the floor and wall with his suction cups, anchoring himself as he dragged Neo away from Orphus. Neo renewed his struggles, jabbing his claws into Dracchus repeatedly.

When Dracchus swung this time, he released Neo, launching him directly into Orphus. The pair hit the wall together, Orphus losing his grip on Dracchus’s tentacles.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Dracchus raised himself up and reached over his head, grasping the ceiling rails. He swung back and, using his arms to add momentum, hurled his lower half at his foes. He spread his tentacles wide just before impact, closing them around Neo.

Neo fell to the floor, arms pinned to his sides and tentacles restrained. Dracchus settled all of his weight onto his captive and shifted his attention to his remaining foe.

Orphus pushed off the wall in another off-balance lunge, putting all his weight behind a wild punch.

Dracchus batted Orphus’s blow aside with his forearm and followed the deflection with a cross, catching Orphus’s cheek with his fist. The already dazed kraken went down hard.

“I will rip out her eyes and—” Neo’s threat ended in a pained grunt as Dracchus’s tentacles coiled tighter.

For good measure, Dracchus pounded his fists — right, left, right — into Neo’s face in quick succession.

“She is the only reason we did not burn on that boat,” Dracchus growled.

The captive kraken groaned, head lolling to the side, but he retained consciousness.

Dracchus turned to Jax; the Wanderer had restrained his opponent in a similar fashion, save that Kronus was face-down, neck bent at an awkward angle to glare up at Dracchus.

Kronus’s skin changed to yellow. “You have bested us, traitors. We yield.”

“I grant your lives as a gift on this day,” Dracchus said. A little more pressure, a little more time, and he’d crush Neo’s body. “And I give you a choice: live here in peace withallthe Facility’s inhabitants or leave forever. My tolerance for your hatred has ended.”

Neo raised his head, baring his bloody teeth, and began to speak. Dracchus silenced him with a blow strong enough to make Neo’s head bounce off the floor.

“No more words,” Dracchus said. “Your actions have spoken loudly enough. Hold your tongue and remain here in peace or seek refuge in the open ocean. Donotgive me the satisfaction of killing you.”

Neo’s head lolled again, and the tension in his body eased. Dracchus slowly released his hold and pushed himself up. Orphus, sprawled on the floor nearby, remained unmoving.

Once Dracchus was up, Jax freed Kronus. The defeated kraken propped himself up on his arms, head bowed, and did not revert his skin to its normal shade.

“You have chosenthemover us,” Kronus said. Blood dripped from numerous cuts on his body; Jax wasn’t in much better a state.

“I have chosen us at every turn,” Dracchus replied. “Perhaps you will come to understand that, in time.”

He and Jax turned away together and moved down the corridor toward the Cabins.

Rage gnawed at Dracchus’s gut; he’d not satisfied his urge to destroy, tokill, and its lingering intensity was worrisome. He’d have battled to defend any of the humans here, any of the kraken, especially when they’d done no wrong, but this was beyond the straightforward defense of a friend.

They’d threatened his mate directly today. Dracchus had forgiven much in his life, butthiswould not be forgotten.

“They’ll only be angrier, now,” Jax said as they passed through the tunnel.

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