Page 19 of Rising from the Depths

The rigging creaked and jingled, and the ocean sighed softly all around, lapping at the boat’s hull. The silence between the three males deepened, and as it did, the surrounding air seemed increasingly thick and charged with an unsettling energy. That energy built in Kronus’s chest, slowly winding around his hearts and lungs to make everything feel tight and constricted. He was no stranger to guilt and regret, but why should he experience those emotionsnow?

Realization came to him when he forced himself to look at Vasil again, who wore a deep frown as he stared at the sea. Though Vasil had been somewhat intrusive and assertive, he and Breckett had both been attempting the same thing — friendliness. For kraken, solitary beings by nature, such relationships were new. Only Jax and Arkon, who’d been considered oddities among their people, had been anything like friends before human influence changed the way many kraken viewed their own society.

Kronus had never experienced friendship himself; his instincts were torn even now between the kraken longing for solitude and the human desire for companionship.

“Her mate left her,” he said, clenching and relaxing his jaw, “and she is unwell because of it.”

“Her mate lefther?” asked Vasil.

“That little piece of—” Breckett cut off his own words with a grunt. “I haven’t met the girl more than a few times in passing, but she always seemed pleasant. Her folks are from Emmiton, I think. She came here to be with Blake. He was a troublemaker when he was younger, but I thought he’d grown out of that. It’s harsh, but I always thought he was the sort who needed to have his ass kicked a few times to straighten him out.”

Kronus glanced at Breckett. The human’s thick brows were low over troubled eyes, and his mouth was lost amidst his bushy beard, which was usually a strong indication of his displeasure.

“I was told not to harm Blake,” Kronus said.

Breckett laughed, but the sound lacked humor. “Doubt Kent would be able to put him back together again after you were done. We’ve got plenty of men in town would be happy to teach Blake a lesson after doing something like that, though.”

The idea of Blake suffering was satisfying to Kronus, even if he couldn’t inflict that pain himself. But what mattered more — causing pain to Blake or diminishing Eva’s?

Kronus dipped his head as thoughts swirled through his mind. There were connections to be made, there was a solution here, he just needed to puzzle it out. He’d leapt to violence many times, had issued many challenges, and had ignited fury in others to incite them to fight their perceived enemies with passion and ferocity. None of that would be helpful in this situation. This solution was different.

“You care for the female,” Vasil said.

Kronus’s eyes widened as he lifted his gaze to Vasil. “I simply do not wish to see my efforts go to waste.” His voice was too harsh even to his own ears.

Vasil frowned, brow creasing.

The concern on his face sparked something in Kronus’s chest, and the feeling swept through Kronus with all the strength of the ocean slamming into shoreside cliffs.

He knew what he needed to do, knew it with more certainty than he’d ever experienced in all his life.

He twisted to look back at Breckett. “She doesn’t need to see Blake hurt, even if part of her wants it. What she needs is to know The Watch will support her, even when her mate will not.”

Breckett’s eyes softened, and he nodded. “We can do that.”

And more than that, she needssomeone. That someone who will stay with her no matter what.

Fortunately, Kronus was nothing if not persistent.

Chapter 7

Eva dreamed of churning red water and terrified screams. She dreamed of Addison’s shredded body bobbing on a sea of blood. She dreamed ofthem, her friends. They haunted her sleep and her waking hours alike, and all she could do was lay in pain, silently mourning them.

New, broken memories came to her every day, but she had no way of knowing which, if any, were real. She couldn’t rule out the possibility that her mind was simply filling in the gaps with imagined flashes from her nightmares.

The door opened; Eva stared blankly at the ceiling. There were only two people who came to check on her, and they only did so because it was their duty. Deep down, beneath that bitterness, Eva knew Aymee and Kent cared, but they weren’t the people she wanted to see. Everyone who she wanted to visit were too far away, or had abandoned her, or were…dead.

“Look what I brought!” Aymee’s excited voice filled the room. “We can sit you down and take you for a ride outside. It’ll be fun!”

Eva closed her eyes as though it would magically transport her somewhere else. Anywhere else.

Aymee sighed heavily and approached the bed. She settled a hand on Eva’s shoulder. “It’s been ten days, Eva. Youneedto get out of this bed.”

Eva turned her face toward the wall.

A strange, soft sound drifted to her from the hallway, like something was slithering over the floor.

“You’re here.” Aymee sounded both surprised and confused.

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