Page 26 of Rising from the Depths

“And where was that? Damnit, Kronus! I want answers!”

But he was already out of the room, and the answers were not his to give. He exited the clinic without slowing; the less time he spent away from Eva, the better.

Chapter 9

Eva awoke more alert than she’d been since the day of the attack. There wasn’t a spot on her body that didn’t ache, but she had a strange sense of lightness. Though guilt and sorrow lingered within her, curled and coiled around her heart, they were muted by something new, something bright — hope?

That little light was tiny compared to the remaining darkness, but it was undoubtedly there, waiting for her to tend it.

Running her fingers over the crisp bedding, she inhaled its fresh scent. Evenshefelt clean and refreshed for the first time in a long while.

Shame suffused Eva as the events of the night before came back to her in a rush; her behavior was the reason for the change of sheets and clothing, for the bath she’d received.

She shifted atop the bed, intending to sit up, and accidentally put pressure on the end of her amputated leg. Lips drawn back in a grimace, she hissed and dropped herself onto the bedding. Though the near-constant pain clearly signaled the point at which her leg now ended, it often felt like her foot was still there.

A warm, strong hand settled on her right leg, and she flinched from the touch.

“Should I call for Aymee?”

Eva started at the deep voice and swung her gaze to Kronus, who stood next to the bed. His touch was a hot brand on her thigh, searing through the blanket to thrill the flesh beneath. She glanced down at his hand. It was large, and each of his long fingers was tipped with a wicked claw. Thin webbing stretched between each of those fingers, and she could see tiny, faint veins running through the seemingly-delicate skin.

Had he stayed with her all night? The thought made her feel strangely warm inside. Why did Kronus care so much while the man she’d been joined with, herhusband, had abandoned Eva during her greatest time of need? This kraken, this stranger, one of the beings she’d judged and dismissed as inhuman, cared more about her than Blake ever had.

She trailed her gaze up Kronus’s arm, over powerful, defined muscle to linger on the dark stripes that began at his biceps and ran to his shoulders.

His hand flexed, squeezing her thigh. “Eva?”

“No. I’m fine.” She forced her eyes to meet his. “Why are you here?”

“Eat.” He lifted his hand away and pushed the rolling tray table to her.

Eva’s stomach growled, suddenly hollow, as she looked at the plate of food atop the tray. For the first time in days, she washungry.

She picked up one of the hard-boiled eggs and took a bite. Her next bite finished the egg off. The other egg followed, accompanied by toast and winefruit. Only when a single slice of fruit was left on her plate, and her stomach felt as though it might revolt, did she glance up at Kronus.

He held her gaze, and she stopped chewing the mouthful of sweet fruit. Seconds ticked by. She swallowed the food in her mouth, and still he stared.

“Finish,” he finally said, dipping his chin toward the last piece of fruit.

Her brows fell as she picked up the last slice. Even a single bite more seemed too much now. “You still didn’t answer my question.”

Kronus remained silent. Frowning, she returned the fruit to her plate and pushed the tray aside.

Taking hold of the tray, he wheeled it away and turned back to her. “You are going to walk today.”

Eva paled. “That is cruel.”

“It is the truth. Nothing more nor less.”

“I can’t walk!” She gestured toward her left leg. “It’sgone.”

Kronus moved to the side of the bed and held out a hand. As she looked up at him, she realized for the first time just how big he was; she knew the kraken tended to be larger than humans, but somehow — despite him carrying her several times — she hadn’t really registered the difference.

“Youwillwalk, human.”

“That’s easy for you to say when you have eight legs, or tentacles, or whatever they are! I have one!”

“That is one more than none.”

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