Page 24 of Nita’s Bounty

The deep voice has one of my eyes opening, quickly followed by the other one. The mask is keeping the water from my face, and I have a crystal-clear view of Shuvo hovering right in front of me.

He’s still holding me against his chest as he lazily kicks his feet, propelling us backward and taking us deeper and deeper.

“Breathe, my love,” he reminds me. His voice is rich and melodious, resonating through the water much differently than on land or through the communicator.

I suck in a sharp breath, not because I’d been holding it, but because the blackness of his eyes suddenly slides away, like a second eyelid.

“Your eyes,” I whisper in awe.

No longer demon-black, Shuvo looks back at me with the most amazing orange irises. They remind me of the sun on a hot day when it hovers just above the horizon for that last moment before sinking from sight.

“Our eyes are sensitive to light and air outside of the oceans,” Shuvo explains as he continues to draw us farther from the surface. “The film protects them when we are out of the water, much like your mask and suit will filter oxygen and protect your exposed skin from the temperature changes as we descend.”

“Do I look different to you like this?” I spit out the first thought that pops into my head. “Without that covering, I mean.”

Shuvo chuckles and then nods. “Yes. You’re clearer like this. Even more beautiful, which I didn’t think would be possible.”

My heart squeezes in my chest, and if we weren’t under water, I would kiss him! “Don’t you need a mask? How are you talking to me?” I ask instead as I look down at his exposed upper body. “And what about your skin?” That’s when I notice the gills that have appeared along both sides of his neck and across his ribs.

“There is no need. I’m just as comfortable under the water as I am on land.” To demonstrate, he loosens his arms around me and grabs hold of my hand, so he can swim alongside me as he pulls me deeper and deeper until the rays of the sun dim.

“Being underwater enables you to speak?”

He nods. “My vocal cords are activated by the flow of water, rather than air. That is why it’s difficult to speak on land. Some of my people choose to live their whole lives deep in the ocean, only coming to the surface a few times in their lives, if ever. Most of us split our time between the two. And some, like me, choose to leave the water almost entirely.

“My mother prefers the land, like me, while my father would have never breached the surface if he hadn’t met her and recognized her as his mate.” Shuvo chuckles. “I think the Fates had a good laugh when they made their match. They couldn’t be more opposite, and yet…”

“He must love her.” I sigh, and my inner romantic swoons a little.

“He does.”

Shuvo slows and pulls me so we’re facing each other again. Reaching out, he cups the side of my face, stroking his thumb across my cheek. Or, rather, where my cheek would be if I weren’t wearing the mask. He stares at me with his amazing eyes and then leans close and presses his lips to the space just below my hairline that isn’t covered.

A soft smile touches my lips, and I cup both sides of his face as I curl my legs around his waist so every inch of us is touching. “Maybe we’ll have that kind of love someday too.”

He presses his forehead to mine. “Maybe,” he agrees.

Holding me against him, he begins a slow kick that propels us over the edge of an underwater cliff, and then we dive down into a dark abyss.

***

CHAPTER 16

***

SHUVO

Holding her hands, I guide Nita deeper and deeper into the ocean’s depths. The protective suit she wears will insulate her from most of the dangerous pressures and temperatures, but we still need to stop every dozen feet or so to clear the pressure from her ears before descending once again. It’s slow going this way, but I’m in no hurry. It’s best that she adjusts to the water gradually, and the last thing I want is for her to associate the water with more fear-inducing memories.

When the subtle glow from the city of Nelquin finally appears, her eyes grow wide, this time not with fear.

“It’s just like The Little Mermaid,” she sighs as her dark eyes dart from the city and then to me. I have no idea what she means, but I’m entranced by the excitement and wonder that dances across her face and the way her mouth is split into a wide smile.

The gates to the city are a towering series of golden arches. They are open to all but are still guarded over by a pair of sentries. Once, I may have recognized the gatekeepers, but no longer, which reminds me just how long I’ve been gone.

“I thought your people weren’t welcoming to strangers?” Nita asks when they wave us through without much more than a cursory glance, and we continue our way.

“That rumor is only true for anyone who might not appeal through the proper channels. For the most part, it’s conjecture that was started that no one bothered to refute.”

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