Page 66 of Fallen from the Stars

“Unlessyouwant to be referred to asit, kraken, I suggest you accept that I am not an object to be dehumanized by your lack of consideration.”

Dracchus frowned deeply. “It speaks, but not our language.”

Theo rolled her eyes. “Heis not anit. It’s not that hard to understand.”

“It is easy to understand when you say it. Tell your computer to speak plainly, like you.”

“I canobviouslyhear you, kraken,” Kane said.

“Kane, this is Dracchus. Dracchus, this is Kane,” Vasil said. “Are we done now?”

Once again, Dracchus grunted.

“We’resonot starting off on the right foot — or tentacle,” Theo said with a smirk. “Anyway, back to my original question: what are those containers for?”

Vasil removed his arm from Theo, turned to the container he’d set down, and opened it. He removed a small black suit from within. “This is so you can swim with us. The containers are to hold your belongings along the way.”

Theo arched a brow. “Looks a little…undersized.”

Taking the suit by the shoulders, Vasil held it up in front of her body. It looked perfectly sized — for a six-year-old. “It will accommodate you.”

“If you say so,” she said, eyeing the suit skeptically. “I assume you found your home, then?”

He nodded. “We will go to the Facility first. The journey to The Watch, where I keep my den, is too long to make in one day.”

Turning, Theo looked back, running her gaze over the pod, the circle of stones that served as their fire pit and the wood piled nearby it, and the line she’d put up to hang-dry her clothing. The little camp had become special to her — the place she shared with Vasil, a place of healing.

In many ways, it had been more of a home than anywhere else she’d ever lived.

“We’re leaving now?” she asked.

He took her chin between his fingers and guided her face back toward his. “We are not safe here, Theo. We will leave as soon as you are ready.”

Theo searched his eyes. Vasil was right. While most of their needs were met here, it wasn’t an ideal place to live, and it had been the company that made her time here memorable. The rest was just scrap and sand.

“Okay,” she said.

“Is that the pod?” Dracchus asked.

Theo glanced at the big kraken to find him moving inland. Vasil released his gentle hold on her chin as they both turned to watch Dracchus slowly advance on the pod; it reminded Theo of a predatory beast creeping up behind its prey, and the thought of a fierce-looking being like Dracchus stalking an inanimate object nearly made her laugh again.

“So why is he here?” Theo asked.

“In part because he does not trust you,” Vasil replied, “but primarily because hedoestrust me. It will be safer to travel with Dracchus along.”

Dracchus dropped his container a few meters away from the pod without altering the speed of his cautious approach.

“Well, it could be worse.” Theo stepped closer to Vasil and pressed a kiss to his lips. “You didn’t trust me at first, either.”

Vasil’s mouth didn’t seem certain whether it wanted to smile or frown. “That seems a lifetime ago.”

“Not that long.” She gestured at the container on the sand. “Come on, let’s see how much we can fit into those.”

With a nod, Vasil dropped the suit into the container, closed the lid, and stooped to lift the whole thing into his arms.

Dracchus was examining the exterior of the pod when Theo and Vasil neared him. As Vasil placed his container beside the other, Dracchus lifted one end of the pod up from the sand, revealing the extent of the damage it had suffered on its underside.

“Thatis impressive. And rather unsettling,” Kane said in her mind.

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