Page 99 of Fallen from the Stars

Vasil nodded. “I do not wish to waste any more time.”

A bright, joyous grin spread across Randall’s face — the sort of genuine display of happiness that Vasil might never have experienced had humans and kraken never reconnected in peace.

“Rhea and Melaina are over at Macy’s. They ate dinner there, since I was out late. You want to wait here while I go get them?” Randall released his hold on Vasil and stepped back, moving aside. “I’m sure you don’t want an audience or anything.”

Despite all the time he’d spent with humans, despite the many occasions upon which he’d visited them within their dwellings, the experience of being invited into someone’s den remained strange to Vasil. Of all the old kraken ways, that had seemed the most unshakeable; a kraken’s den was a sanctuary, a private place, sharedonlywith a mate — if at all. As usual, he shrugged off those feelings and moved inside.

Randall and Rhea’s dwelling was larger than Vasil’s, with two rooms — both intended solely for sleeping — built off the main chamber, not including the bathroom.

“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.” Randall stepped outside, closing the door quietly behind him.

Vasil crossed the main room and stopped at one of the wide, sturdy chairs. Arranging his tentacles, he eased himself onto the seat in the closest posture he could accomplish to sitting. Several other chairs stood nearby, some designed like this one — larger and more solidly built than their counterparts to accommodate kraken size and weight.

Settling his elbows on the armrests, he allowed his gaze to wander as he waited. All the dwellings that housed humans seemed to have something in common — decoration. No two dwellings were decorated in quite the same fashion, but he’d noticed that humans tended to adorn their dwellings with various trinkets and baubles which seemed to hold little purpose other than being pleasing to look upon. A few kraken had taken to doing the same.

The collection of items here was eclectic — much of it seemed to relate to Randall’s hunting, but there were also interesting rocks, shells, dried plants and flowers, scraps of cloth in nearly every color Vasil could imagine, and dozens of other objects.

Would Theo do the same to their den? The corners of his lips rose at the thought. He couldn’t guess how she’d decorate, but his imagination produced images of machine components and metal scraps on display throughout their home, so scattered and chaotic that guests would never know for certain if the items had been placed there as adornment or were parts for Theo’s active projects.

Voices from outside called his attention to the door, which opened only a few moments later. Randall muttered something and stumbled through the doorway as Ikaros shoved past him. The prixxir came to Vasil immediately, sniffed at him with twitching whiskers, and lay down atop his tentacles.

“No, Ikaros, that’s fine,” Randall said, “just do whatever the hell you want.”

The prixxir lifted its head briefly to make a snorting sound before settling back down.

“You spoiled him, human,” Rhea said, entering behind Randall.

Melaina followed immediately after her mother, closing the door once she was inside. She looked at Ikaros with a grin before her eyes shifted to Vasil. Her grin widened. “You’re back! Where did you go?”

Vasil’s hearts leapt at the excitement in her voice and expression. He’d thought he was just another adult to her, no one of consequence or importance. “I was carried off to a distant beach during a storm.”

She moved closer and lowered herself down to the floor in front of Ikaros, absently brushing the prixxir’s belly with a tentacle. “What did you see? What was it like? Did the beach look the same as it does here? What—”

“Melaina,” Rhea said in a warning tone.

Randall chuckled and eased himself into one of the human chairs. “Let’s give Vasil a chance to answer your first twenty questions before you ask twenty more, okay?”

Melaina ducked her head and peeked up at Vasil. “Sorry.”

Vasil offered her a smile. He understood her curiosity, but he had denied himself its pursuit for all his life. “The sand felt the same, but it was a few shades lighter, and most of the beach was backed by jungle instead of rocks and cliffs. We found a sea cave there that was filled with halorium shards.”

Her brows rose, and her siphons twitched. “Really? A cave? Halorium? Could you take me?”

“It is very far away.” Vasil glanced at Rhea, whose hard gaze left no question as to her thought on the matter. “I do not think it would be a safe journey to make.”

Melaina visibly deflated. “Nothing iseversafe.”

Rhea frowned. “We have discussed this, Melaina.”

Vasil wanted to tell Melaina he’d take her, that he’d find a group of kraken willing to make the journey and show her every part of that beach until she was content, but he knew better than to contradict Rhea.

“The ocean is dangerous,” Vasil said, “especially for a lone kraken. Your mother wants only to keep you from harm, not from seeing the wonders of the world.”

“I know.” Melaina sighed. “I just…want to see it.”

“Melaina… I… I didn’t come here to talk about caves or my journey.”

She looked up at him, brows furrowed. “You didn’t?”

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