Page 58 of Lover from the Waves

His nostrils flared with a quiet but prolonged sigh. As much as he wanted to join with her right here, right now, his duty at the moment was to keep her safe. That meant he could not place his focus solely upon her. And it wasn’t like having to keep a close eye on his surroundings was torture—she was right in saying this place was beautiful. This was a perfect spot to stop.

She’d called the body of water below a lagoon, and it was the most intimate mingling of land and sea Ector had ever seen—more so than the stream they’d been camped near the last couple days, more so than any stretch of beach they’d passed during the entire trip. At the base of these cliffs—themselves an imposing, powerful symbol of land—fresh water and sea water mixed freely. The plants growing amidst the rocks surrounding the lagoon were like the jungle’s fingers, stretching out for a feel of the ocean.

It reminded Ector of himself and Kathryn; what was their relationship at heart if not a mingling of land and sea? Like the other kraken and human couples before them, they were a blending of two worlds—two worlds that were very different but not incompatible. He could think of no better a place for her to have made the choice to head home.

And that was the right choice. As much as he wanted Kathryn to himself, they both had people they cared for waiting in The Watch. However lost Ector and Kathryn had felt, they’d found direction in each other, and that had only solidified a simple fact—though he’d spent almost six decades under water, living in the Facility, The Watch had become Ector’s home.Kathrynhad become his home.

Ector smiled as he looked at Kathryn, who’d stopped next to a thick bush with bright red flowers. She bent down and smelled one of the large blossoms. The loose hair that had escaped her braid fell forward to brush her cheek. Ector’s hearts ached at the vision before him.

My Kathryn.

He finally had a female to call his own, one who’d claimed him in return, and he could not have been happier.

She turned her face toward him, and her lips stretched into a wide smile. That smile was for him and him alone. Her eyes shone with so much love that Ector felt it like a physical thing, and it flowed straight to his core. The ache in his chest intensified. He brought a hand to his chest, rubbing at its center, but the ache would not be soothed. He felt sofull. Kathryn was…everything to Ector.

She straightened and stepped toward him until the slope placed her face on level with his. She planted the butt of her rifle on the ground, leaned forward, and pecked a kiss on his lips. When she pulled back, her smile shifted into something mischievous. “Come on, old man. We’re nearly to the top.”

Ector’s smile widened even as he narrowed his eyes at her. “Old? I am not that much older than you, female.”

“I guess you’ll have to prove it,” she said as she proceeded up the rise.

Some primal part of him recognized the challenge in her voice, but he knew she was being playful, and he adored her all the more for it. Even her teasing was infused with warmth and love—that sort of interaction had been unknown to the kraken before humans, and Ector might’ve taken some degree of offense to it only a few years ago. But things had changed since then.

He hurried along after her.

When they reached the top of the cliff, they found themselves at the base of a slope that rose as it moved inland, climbing toward much larger rock formations. The only word he had for that distant formation wasmountain, but he’d always had the sense during his conversations with humans that mountains were much larger than this.

The surrounding vegetation was much thicker up here—even the relatively short grass—and blanketed the incline until it became too steep for anything to grow but the occasional wiry tree or stunted bush. The patch of land directly ahead was dominated by grass and other plants that were lower to the ground, but it was flanked on both sides by tall trees and hanging vines.

This was the cusp of the jungle; even Ector could not mistake it for anything else.

Kathryn paused, lifted a hand to shade her eyes, and turned to survey their new surroundings. “Let’s see if we can get toward the end of that promontory.” She pointed to a large section of land that jutted back out toward the sea, overgrown with plants and trees. “We should be able to see everything from there.”

Ector nodded and gestured for her to lead. It went against the habits he’d learned as something of a leader to his people, and in some ways, it violated the strongest of his protective instincts, which demanded he place himself between her and danger. At the same time, it would allow him to keep her in sight at all times. He couldn’t do that if she was behind him. And he had to acknowledge the truth of the situation—Kathryn was better equipped to navigate such terrain both in terms of anatomy and experience.

Kathryn swung her rifle into both hands and walked in the direction she’d indicated. Ector dragged himself along behind her, suction cups picking up at least half a dozen new tastes and smells from the vegetation beneath them. Fortunately, all those flavors came together in a relatively neutral amalgamation he could largely ignore.

Her pace slowed as the plants became larger, thicker, and more obstructive. She used the barrel of her rifle to brush aside leaves, branches, and stalks, picking her way into the jungle a little at a time. Soon, Kathryn and Ector were moving through the lush trees and plants. In the more open patches of land, the grass barely reached past her thighs; here, much of it was over her head. Were she to step into one of the many thick clumps, she’d be totally swallowed, completely hidden from Ector’s view.

Ector found his attention divided as they pressed onward. Part of his focus was on avoiding scratches from the many branches around and beneath him; part was on his surroundings, which were so choked by greenery that he couldn’t discern much of anything beyond a body length’s distance; and part, as always, remained on Kathryn.

She walked with confidence she’d not displayed a week before, her gaze in constant motion, her steps deliberate and almost silent. She was Ector’s stalking huntress. He had no doubt that the path she was carefully selecting was forged with consideration for his comfort—she seemed to avoid fallen branches and trees as much as possible even though she could’ve easily stepped over them, and gave as wide a berth as she could to thorns and sticks that would’ve harmlessly brushed over her clothing while potentially cutting his skin.

The leaves overhead rustled softly in the breeze, and distant animals made their calls, which echoed faintly across the sky. The air was fragrant and alive, though here it was underlaid by an odor of must and rot. Ector could only assume it was from the fallen wood and leaves decaying across the jungle floor.

Kathryn came to a halt and tilted her head, angling it to the left. Ector stopped behind her and watched as she took a large step forward, two steps back, and finally eased herself down onto one knee, all while looking in that same direction.

“What is it?” he asked, a crease forming between his brows.

“Animal trail,” she replied. “Looks old, but it runs in the direction we want to go.”

Ector’s lips fell into a frown as he moved forward to join her. He saw no indication of a trail, only more of the thick, tangled jungle. But as he drew up beside her, everything became clear—the path was suddenly visible. It was like a tunnel cutting through the vegetation, with wild branches and leaves reaching into its otherwise clear space. It was relatively narrow, but the arched boughs over its top were at least as high as Kathryn was tall. When he shifted forward or backward, even just half an arm’s length, the path vanished from his perception amidst unbroken jungle foliage.

“You have keen eyes, my wife,” Ector said, embracing the swelling of pride in his chest.

Kathryn chuckled and glanced at him. “Not as keen as they used to be. I almost walked right past it.”

Ector smiled. “But you did not. Lead onward. I will be right behind you.”

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