Page 12 of Cerban
I sank back into the pillows, the oxygen mask hissing softly beside me. “He wouldn’t leave.”
“No,” Tyrone said, a wry smile tugging at his mouth. “I don’t think he’s the sort who leaves, not if he’s decided you matter.”
That thought followed me into the quiet that fell between us, the storm outside rattling the windows, the weight of his vow still echoing in my ears.
Not long ago, Cerban had been everything that stood between me and certain death. Down in the depths of the ocean, rules hadn't mattered. I hadn't cared that he was an alien and I was human. For a while, I'd forgotten that I disliked aliens. Now we were back on the surface, back in reality. Even if I dropped all my previous reservations, it was against the island's rules for the two of us to spend time together.
So was I supposed to just forget what he'd done for me and continue as before? I didn't think I could do that.
He'd saved my life. I was in his debt. And I was sure as hell going to repay that debt.
Even if it went against the rules.
8
Cerban
Rainse waited for me outside. News had travelled fast. He took one look at me, then clasped me in a tight embrace.
"Brother. How is she?"
"Weak, but she will live. They might have to transport her to a different island if her condition worsens."
He let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders easing a fraction. “Then you did what needed to be done.”
“Yes.” My jaw tightened. “But the humans will not see it that way.”
He gave me a crooked smile, the kind he reserved for when he thought rules were meant to be broken. “Pam already knows?”
“She will,” I said grimly. “Paul saw everything. He was in the room when I refused to leave.”
Rainse’s expression sobered. “Then you’ll have to answer for it. She won’t forgive another breach so soon after Kelon’s disgrace.”
The mention of our former captain soured the water in my veins. Kelon’s crime had stained all of us, and now my actions would only deepen the mistrust. But the thought of leaving Maelis trapped in that cave, of ignoring her heartbeat pounding against the stone… impossible.
"Would you have acted any differently?" I asked my clutch-brother.
He thought for a moment. "I don't think so, no. Maybe I would have tried to stop her from going into the water in the first place, but it was hard to predict just how hard the storm would hit the island. And she is an adult. She bears responsibility for her own actions. But I don't have all the information. All I've been told is that you made yourself suspicious by asking about the diving instructor before appearing with her hours later, both of you in bad shape. Are you alright? Are you injured?"
"I am fine. A few scrapes, nothing to worry about. And I could sleep for an entire sunpass."
"I doubt Paul and Pam will let you sleep that long." He chuckled.
And he was right. We hadn’t even reached the accommodations when one of the finmen intercepted us, breathless. “You’re wanted in the comms room. Now.”
The words churned my stomach. Of course.
Rainse came with me, and together we entered the small, brightly lit chamber in the heart of the building assigned to the finfolk. A holo-screen dominated the far wall. Paul stood stiffly to one side, arms crossed. The connection was already active. Pam’s face filled the projection, every line sharpened by her fury. Fionn and Elise hovered in the background, silent but watching. I wasn't sure if it was lucky or unlucky for them to be with Pam right in this moment. My clutch-brother gave me a small nod, barely noticeable. I knew he'd be on my side, and that was a relief beyond bounds. The humans respected him as the first finman to find a human mate.
“There you are,” Pam said, her voice clipped. “Explain yourself.”
I squared my shoulders, ready for the fight that was sure to come. “A human was drowning. I saved her.”
“That is not the issue,” Paul snapped, but Pam silenced him with a raised hand.
“The rules exist for a reason, Cerban. After Kelon, every mistake is magnified. And now I hear you defied Paul, carried a staff member into the resort in front of witnesses, and refused to leave her bedside. Do you understand what this looks like?”
“I understand she would be dead if I had obeyed your rules,” I said, each word heavy as stone.
