Page 36 of Rising from the Depths

At any other time, for most any other reason, Kronus’s last shreds of pride would’ve prevented him from asking Jax and Macy for any assistance, no matter how dire the situation. He’d already caused them so much suffering and heartache, and he couldn’t look at them without being reminded of everything that had transpired — without recalling the blood that had been spilled because he’d pushed and pushed beyond reason. What right did he have to ask them for anything?

Their dwelling came into view farther down the path. It was built with the same wood and stone as his own, with a similar design, but theirs was larger; it was sized not to accommodate a lone kraken, but a family. A family that wouldn’t have come to exist if Kronus had had his way. A pang of shame pierced his chest. All he could do was grit his teeth and continue forward.

He truly had no right to askanythingof them, but his pride and misgivings, his discomfort and guilt, had no choice but to bow before Eva’s needs. For her, he would ask, and he would pay any price necessary.

The younglings Sarina, Eros, and Jace were playing in the grass in front of the dwelling. Kronus slowed as he neared them; he’d seen them at play more times than he could count since he took his den nearby, but he still found it a strange sight. Before coming to The Watch, he’d only had contact with a single youngling who was not being trained as a hunter — Rhea’s headstrong, adventurous daughter, Melaina. Male kraken only dealt with male younglings who were of age to learn how to hunt. All others were entrusted to the care of adult females and kept sheltered in a different portion of the Facility.

Macy emerged from the dwelling, stopping in the open doorway with a hand on the doorframe. Her clothing molded to her form, revealing her rounded stomach; she’d have a third youngling soon enough.

“Eros, don’t pull Sarina’s hair!” she called, her tone somehow gentle and commanding at once. She turned her head toward Kronus, who was only a few body-lengths away, and started. Once her initial surprise faded, she smiled.

Part of Kronus longed to find deceit in her eyes, or veiled hatred, or disgust. In some ways, it would’ve been easier to deal with than the warmth of her expression. Her loathing would’ve been less unsettling than her forgiveness.

“Is there something you need, Kronus?” Macy asked.

His throat felt suddenly constricted. “I… Is Jax here?”

“Not yet. He went to the dock with Randall a little while ago, but he should be back soon.”

A squeal of laughter sounded as Sarina raced toward Kronus with Jace following close behind. Her tentacles flowed over the grass with speed and grace exceeding her age. She ducked behind Kronus.

“He’s going to get me!” she cried, peering around her cover.

Jace stopped just outside the reach of Kronus’s tentacles and grinned at Sarina — it was a wicked expression, promising mischief. Like Sarina and Eros, Jace was a kraken-human mix. All three children favored their fathers and would have passed for full-blooded kraken were it not for the hair on their heads and their more pronounced noses.

Kronus stared at Jace, who glanced up to meet his gaze.

Eyes narrowed, Jace lifted a hand to point a small, claw-tipped finger at Sarina. “She’s mine.”

Tilting his head, Kronus regarded the small male. Jace was only a few years old, but young kraken developed quickly — at least twice as fast as their human counterparts, it seemed. Still, he was too young to have been sent to learn with the hunters. Was his claim on Sarina part of a game the younglings were playing? Males did not choose females according to kraken tradition.

Haven’tIbroken that tradition?

The realization struck him hard. He’d known since the events in the Facility two years before that the old ways would not last,couldnot last, unless they were essential for the survival of their people. Though he’d been enraged at the thought of kraken males mating with human females, it had become clear in the time since that humans — not all of them, but most of them — were a good thing for his kind.

With so many more females available, was it wrong for a male to be forward in his pursuit of them?

“Sarina, Jace, come away and leave Kronus alone,” Macy said, beckoning the elder younglings as she scooped up Eros. He wrapped his small tentacles around her arm.

Kronus eased himself down to get nearer to Jace’s eye level. “She is yours?”

Jace lifted his chin higher and nodded once.

“What does she say about that?” Kronus asked.

The boy’s confidence wavered. His gaze flicked past Kronus, who turned his head to see Sarina behind him, watching Jace.

“So, what do you say?” Kronus asked the girl.

Sarina frowned slightly, but didn’t seem to have an answer, either.

“You are both very young,” Kronus continued.

“I would make a good protector,” Jace declared.

Kronus turned back to Jace. Macy stood in the background, a hand covering her mouth to hide her grin. The seriousness on the youngling’s face was astounding, but Kronus’s surprise diminished when he reminded himself that this was Arkon and Aymee’s child; of course he was intelligent and headstrong. But he was still so young, so inexperienced.

“Do you have a mate, Kronus?” Sarina asked.

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