Page 49 of Rising from the Depths

She rolled her eyes. “I meant beside the obvious.”

He turned his head to face forward, looking toward a place where the rocks fell away into the ocean. “The tide is low this afternoon.”

Eva followed his gaze. “So it is. That still doesn’t answer my question.”

Lifting his free hand, he pointed to the long, wide outcropping of low rocks ahead that extended from the coastal cliffside along which they were moving. Calm water glistened in the late evening sunshine amidst the stone. “There are pools here that only exist when the tide is this low. I think you will enjoy them.”

She eyed the rocks skeptically; they’d already crossed several rough patches through which she’d struggled, and it seemed there would be more before they reached the level area awaiting them. Her legs were already sore and tired.

“I don’t know if I can make it, Kronus.”

Tensing his arm to strengthen her support, he helped her over a jutting stone. By her estimate, they had at least another thirty or forty meters of this before they reached the pool.

“Do not start whining at me again, female.”

“I amnotwhining.”

“That is what people always say when they whine,” he replied. “Push yourself through this, and you will be stronger by the end. I will be with you throughout.”

Eva looked at Kronus. She understood him a little more each day. Though he was gruff and standoffish most of the time, there was a thoughtful, considerate, caring male beneath that rough exterior who was afraid to let his guard down. The vulnerable moments she’d been gifted were rare, and she treasured them because they were only forher.

That he’d be with her meant a lot, but it didn’t take away her longing to be able to do it on her own. She was still growing accustomed to her prosthesis, still learning how to balance herself and slowly building the muscles that would power her forever-altered stride.

She still experienced moments of unbearable pain. It was during those times that Kronus’s mask slipped to reveal the concern perpetually hidden beneath. Though the boosters Aymee administered had helped hasten her recovery, Eva knew she’d never be the same. Only time could determine how severe those changes would be.

Kronus stayed at her side, allowing her to lean on him as they walked. His tentacles flowed over the rock like water, and she couldn’t help a touch of good-natured jealousy; she was stuck with a leg and a half, while he had eight. That hardly seemed fair.

After some more grunting and straining, they crested a low rise and paused. A large, natural pool stretched out before them. Its surface shimmered orange with reflected light from the setting sun. The stone surrounding the pool was crusted with splotches of purple, red, and green — strange sea creatures Eva had never seen before. Beyond the rocks lay the open sea, its waves rolling tirelessly to and from the horizon.

“Wow,” Eva breathed. “This is beautiful.”

Immediately after losing her leg, she’d been filled with hopelessness. She’d always enjoyed exploring the world around her; after her injury, she couldn’t see how she’d ever be able to do that again. How would she climb mountains, hilltops, and trees? How would she dive from high cliffs into pure blue waters? How would she trek through dense, sweet-smelling jungle foliage to discover new places as beautiful as they were dangerous? Coming to The Watch with Blake had been a step on that journey, the opening of a door to a new place, to new things, but she’d felt like that door had been slammed shut after the attack.

This spot, this pool, however small in the grand scheme, held as much meaning to her as the ocean held water; it meant she wasn’t done. Things might never be easy again, but she wouldn’t be stopped by her injury.

“The tide is not often this low,” Kronus said. He raised a hand and gestured over the rocks before them. “All this is usually covered by the sea. But for now, for this little while, it is yours.”

Eva looked at Kronus and couldn’t prevent tears from blurring her eyes. “Thank you.” She wrapped her arms around him and pressed a tender kiss to his lips.

He returned the kiss, and when he drew back, he wore a soft smile. “Come. We are not quite there. You can rest at the pool, if you wish.”

She raised her hand and traced his smile with the tip of her finger. She’d grown used to the differences between them. But it was so much more than comfort with his appearance; she found Kronus appealing. And in this place, in this moment, with his golden eyes shining down at her and his face relaxed andhappy, he was the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

And he is mine.

“Teach me to swim again,” she said.

He dropped his gaze and trailed the tip of a tentacle over her ankle. “I do not know how to swim with those. With legs.”

“You didn’t know how to walk with them either, but you helped me learn to walk again anyway.”

Kronus nodded slightly in acknowledgement. “Then I will help in the same way. By being anasshole.”

Eva laughed, and Kronus’s smile widened.

He helped her down from the rise and, finally, onto the relatively even rock. She stood still, one hand on his shoulder for support as he bent down to remove first the shoe from her right foot, followed by her prosthesis, sock, and liner. Once he set everything aside, he peeled off her outer layer of clothing. The touch of his strong hands sent thrills across her bare skin.

He hooked a finger beneath one of her bra straps and lifted his gaze toward the nearby beach. “Were it not for the chance of other people drawing close, I would remove these as well.”

---