Page 71 of Rising from the Depths

Blake released his hold on Eva as Kronus propelled himself over the bed and crashed into the man. They tumbled into the far wall in a heap, knocking over the nightstand and the trinkets atop it to add the sound of something shattering to Blake’s frantic shouts.

For his part, the human put up an admirable struggle, but even in his madness and panic, Blake could not match Kronus’s strength.

Kronus caught the man’s flailing limbs with his tentacles and slammed them down against the floor, shifting his body weight atop Blake’s torso. He clasped one hand around Blake’s throat and raised his other in a fist, ready to strike.

He hesitated for an instant, and in that instant, countless thoughts swirled through his mind. Things that had been said to him during his time here were foremost amongst those thoughts — words offered by Ector and Dracchus, Arkon, Aymee, Breckett and Vasil, but more than any other, Eva. Those words blended seamlessly with his own experiences, and he realized then that hehadchanged. He had learned, he had grown.

Even in the Facility, where insults often led to heated fights, thrown fists, and flesh shredded by claws, the worst offenses were judged by the people as a whole, under the guidance of the elders. Kraken fought one another, but they did not kill one another — not unless the situation was dire and could have no other resolution. How was this any different? Blake deserved death in Kronus’s eyes, but Kronus had never been wise, had never been a great thinker. Blake had done wrong, but hadn’t Kronus done wrong, also?

Kronus had ultimately been shown mercy. He’d been given a second chance, an opportunity to try again. If his own way of thinking had been applied to those decisions, he would have been killed despite his reasons for returning to the Facility after his banishment. He would have remained a traitor to their people simply because it had once been declared so.

His fist trembled beside his head. It would be so simple a thing to kill Blake, to hammer fist into face until the human choked on his own blood. There would be honor in it; the kraken would see it as the defense of a mate — justified, if somewhat brutal. But the kraken weren’t the only ones who had a say here.

He eased his hold on Blake’s throat and lowered his shaking hand. Blake was broken; he needed help. Needed support. Needed his people. Perhaps they could show him the way, in time. Perhaps he would accept it — accept that Eva was no longer his and had never really been his to begin with. Kronus was willing to trust the people of The Watch —hispeople, regardless of their species — to see justice served with honor.

“Come help!” Eva yelled, her voice breaking through Kronus’s thoughts.

There was a thump, followed by a grunt, and then she was there, her hands a balm as they smoothed over his shoulders to his chest before she wrapped her arms around him from behind. She pressed her cheek on the back of his neck.

“I knew you’d come,” she rasped. Her tears fell hot against his skin.

More footsteps sounded within the room, accompanied by the familiar whisper of tentacles on the floorboards. Quite suddenly, the room felt full to bursting.

Kronus eased his hold on Blake only when two burly humans stooped down to take hold of the man by his arms and hauled him to his feet. They forced Blake’s hands behind his back, and a third man — Randall — bound his wrists together with the same rope that had been used to bind Eva.

“I’m sorry,” Blake mumbled. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. “I’m sorry. Sorry…”

“This is, uh…” Walter’s voice called Kronus’s attention to the man, who stood nearby, his cheeks red as he shook his head. “I don’t know that I’ve seen anything like this since I joined the town council. It’s… Hell, I don’t know. This is a bit beyond the occasional belligerent drunk.”

“Belligerent drunk is part of it, by the smell,” Randall said as the other two men guided Blake out. The crowd parted, all eyes on Blake as he passed.

“He’s sick,” Eva said, “and he needs help.”

“Dr. Rhodes is on his way to examine Blake,” Macy said.

Kronus rose slowly, gently parting Eva’s arms so he could turn to face her. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist. “He can see to Blakeafterhe checks you.”

“I’m okay,” Eva said.

Lifting a hand, Kronus delicately wiped away a bit of the blood welling from the cut on her throat with the pad of his finger.

“That’s nothing,” she said.

He frowned and moved his hand higher, touching the bloody spot on her head.

She winced.

His frown deepened into a scowl. “This is notnothing.”

“Well, stop touching them!”

“Did he harm you anywhere else?” Kronus asked, drawing back slightly to look over her from head to toe.

“No. He…tried, but I fought him.”

Kronus moved his hand from her head to rake his claws over his scalp, gritting his teeth tightly enough that they felt ready to shatter. He turned to go after Blake; perhaps mercy had not been the appropriate course.

Eva leapt at him, throwing her arms around his neck to hold him tightly. “Kronus, no. It’s done. Let itbedone.”

---