Page 88 of Jewel of the Sea

Arkon’s hearts stilled. There was a chance it was simply some curious fishermen from The Watch, but that seemed as probable as he and Aymee meeting one another in the first place.

“The females,” Jax whispered.

“They are safe,” Arkon replied. “The door automatically locks.”

The sound of something breaking the water drew nearer. Arkon quickly signaled to the others.

To the dark. No water.

The kraken separated, moving quickly and silently to the deepest shadows in the pen. Arkon flattened himself in a corner and altered his skin to match his surroundings. His hearts thumped. Jax and Dracchus slipped into their own positions and faded into the environment; even Arkon, who knew what to look for, had difficulty discerning their forms.

From his vantage, Arkon watched the water. Whispers floated from the tunnel, more distinct than before.

A boat coasted into the pen. It was undoubtedly from The Watch — riding on a shallow draft, it was as long as three or four kraken stretched head-to-tentacle, its single sail bundled up. Six human males manned the craft; two on each side propelled it forward with oars, and two more were at the front.

Randall sat on the foremost bench. Cyrus stood near the prow.

“The hell is this place?” asked Joel from his position at the oars.

“Ain’t no cave,” Cyrus replied. “Bring us in over by that ladder. We’ll tie off there.”

“Look at that ceiling,” another man said. “Should we even be in here?”

“Been up for this long,” Cyrus said.

The boat, save for the mast, exited Arkon’s vision as it neared the wall. There was the sound of movement from inside the vessel, and the mast bobbed and rocked as two of the men climbed onto the platform. Both had long guns slung over their shoulders. They knelt and swung the weapons into their hands, watching opposite directions, as Joel climbed the ladder and tied a rope around the nearest mooring post.

“Think anyone at The Watch knows about this place?” one of the other men asked.

“Think it’d be empty if they did, Chad? No one has been here in years from the looks of it,” another said.

“Even if they knew about it, what use would they have for this place?” The voice was Randall’s; a moment later, he hauled himself onto the platform with one arm. His face was pale, and his left arm was bundled against his chest. “The roof could collapse at any moment.”

Cyrus climbed up last. His face was a patchwork of light green and yellow bruises, and there were scabs on his cheek and lips. “Animals don’t care about that shit. That’s what we’re hunting, boys. Animals.”

Randall scowled, glaring at Cyrus. “Quick sweep. I don’t want us here any longer than necessary. Some of that roof fell recently.”

“And how can you tell that, Randy?” Cyrus grinned, displaying a black space where a tooth had been knocked out. Arkon felt a small pleasure in that.

“Because, Ranger, some of that debris is not overgrown like the rest. You all know what to do.”

The humans split up, most of them holding their long guns across their chests, fingers near the triggers, and began their search.

“What do you think this place was for?” one of the men called out, his voice echoing loudly.

“Keep it down, Ward!” Chad hissed.

Cyrus and Joel walked up the steps to the second level, out of sight.

Arkon’s chest tightened. The door would not open for these men — he was certain of it. But what if Macy and Aymee came out before the hunters left?

“Well damn. Hey Randy!” Cyrus called. “Best head up here and look at this.”

Randall — who had remained near the boat, peering at the other side of the pen through the morning gloom — turned and went up the steps to join the others. Within a few moments, all the humans were on the second level.

“Got a short hallway leading deeper into the base, and next to it… Looks like your fish girl’s paintings.” Cyrus’s smirk was apparent in his voice.

A chill swept through Arkon’s body, stilling everything inside him and building to an unbearable, heavy dread. Though he’d stopped to admire their paintings on the wall upstairs almost every time he’d passed by, he hadn’t realized it was clear evidence of their presence.

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