Page 51 of Rising from the Depths

He smiled, and his skin shifted again, though she could no longer determine its color in the deepening twilight. “Then I am yours, Eva. And when the sea tries to finally claim me, I will fight it off to have more time with you.”

His words sparked a sudden, bone-deep fear in her; she’d already lost so much. She couldn’t bear even thethoughtof losing Kronus, too. Tears filled her eyes as she threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. “The sea can’t have you. Not you.”

“It already knows it cannot take you,” he replied, enfolding her in his arms and tentacles. “You aremine.”

Eva pulled back just enough to press her mouth against his in a fierce kiss, closing her eyes. He kissed her in return just as fervently. Their lips meshed, nipped, and caressed as they breathed life into one another. His hands moved over her back as he clutched her, holding her as close as possible, but even that wasn’t close enough for Eva.

After what might have been only a single moment or an eternity, she became aware of a gentle glow through her eyelids. Eva opened her eyes to find Kronus bathed in blue light. With a startled gasp, she broke the kiss and drew back to look him over. His stripes were glowing, casting a soft blue luminescence over the two of them and reducing the rest of the world to far away, unimportant darkness.

“What is this?” she asked, awed, brushing her fingertips over one of his shoulder stripes.

“My light,” he replied. “Tonight, and forever to come, it is yours. You need never suffer in darkness again.”

Eva smiled, her eyes locking with his. “You’ve been my light since the moment you saved me.” She brushed her nose across his cheek, moving her mouth closer to his siphon. “Make love to me, Kronus,” she whispered. “Here, now. I don’t care if anyone comes. I just need to feel you. All of you. I need you inside me.”

He answered with a growl and a kiss even more passionate and possessive than the last.

Chapter 15

Kronus pulled open the door and stood aside to allow Eva through. She paused long enough to wave at Doctor Rhodes before stepping out of the clinic. Kronus fell into place beside her. According to the doctor, she’d improved faster than either he or Aymee had expected. He’d made some adjustments to her prosthesis, given her another booster shot, and sent them on their way.

In the five days since their rocky journey to the tidal pool, Eva had pushed herself steadily harder; as of three days ago, she’d decided she no longer needed crutches. Her pace was sometimes slow, and she moved with a slight limp that grew more pronounced on inclines and declines, but she waswalkingon her own, and she shone even brighter because of it.

They turned and followed the short road into the town center, which was bustling with activity. Midday meal in The Watch meant many of the townspeople took a break from their duties to eat and converse for a little while. Today, there was music being played on the other side of the square. Kronus’s siphons twitched, and he cocked his head.

The music grew louder as they crossed the town center. The crowd was thicker near the source of the music, with clusters of people speaking in boisterous voices to hear one another over the music. Other people were moving —dancing— with one another, laughing and smiling. The humans making the music were at the center of the crowd, banging and strumming instruments with delighted expressions. One of the music makers had a long, thin piece of wood raised to his lips; it produced high notes as he blew into it and moved his fingers over the holes along its length.

Eva grabbed Kronus’s hand and turned to face him with a wide smile. “Dance with me, Kronus.”

He shifted his attention back to the nearby crowd, which was at its thickest perhaps five or six body lengths away. Their spirits seemed light, their moods merry, but dancing meant something different to kraken. It was no carefree act for Kronus’s people. A dance was a purposeful thing, meant to assert dominance, to attract a mate, to establish prowess. It was not done for entertainment.

“Come on,” she insisted, tugging him toward the dancers.

Kronus scanned the crowd; there were at least four other kraken present, including — to his surprise — Ector, one of the kraken elders. The old kraken was closer to the town hall, conversing with a group of humans.

He looked back at Eva’s expectant face. Joy sparkled in her eyes. She wanted this, wanted to dance with him in front of everyone, showing the town that they were a mated pair. And Kronus found that he wanted them all to know she was his.

Bringing her hand to his lips, he pressed a kiss on her knuckles and led her toward the dancers.

“Eva?”

Kronus and Eva turned their gazes to the male who’d spoken her name.

Blake.

The human male stepped closer, his gaze traveling up and down Eva’s body. Something white hot sparked in Kronus’s gut and spread through him, devouring everything in its path.

Eva withdrew her hand from Kronus’s and faced Blake. The man’s hair was shaggy and disheveled, his face unshaven, and the flesh beneath his eyes had a purple tint.

“You’re…walking.” The astonishment in Blake’s tone matched his stunned expression.

Eva nodded and grasped the sides of her skirt. “I am.”

Kronus clenched his jaw and resisted the instinctual urge to flare red and challenge this male.

“How?” Blake blurted.

“Aymee and Arkon made me a prosthetic leg,” Eva said.

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