Page 40 of Talon

“Ember—”

“Shut up and paddle!”

The rise loomed closer. Garret flattened himself on the board and paddled, while I spun on my knees and crouched low, peering forward like a figurehead. The wave crested and started to break just as we reached the top. I leaped upright as Garret did the same, but I wasn’t used to being this far out in front, or compensating for two bodies on the board. It wobbled, I wobbled...and lost my balance.

With a yelp, I toppled off the board. Just before I hit the water, I saw Garret crash into the surf, as well, and then the world went into spin-cycle mode for a few seconds. I closed my eyes and held my breath until the pounding surf ran out of steam, and I staggered upright, looking around for Garret.

He knelt a few yards away in the sand, the water sluicing around him as it returned to the sea. The sun blazed down on his bare, bronzed shoulders as he tossed his head back, flinging water from his eyes and hair. I felt that odd twisty sensation in my stomach, before pushing it down and splashing up to him.

“Well, that didn’t work. Ready for round two?”

He peered up at me, a faint smile on his face. “I’m going to get pounded a few more times before this is over, aren’t I?”

“Hey, if you’re scared—”

“I didn’t say that.” Still smiling, his pushed himself upright, giving me a half amused, half exasperated look. “Though I must be a glutton for punishment or something. Team Human versus the Ocean, round two.”

* * *

It took us three more tries. The first two were learning experiences, figuring out where to stand with another person on the board. The third wipeout was totally my fault; I flailed wildly to keep my balance, accidentally hit Garret in the face and sent us both into the drink.

I met him back in the shallows, where he was dragging the surfboard toward him by the cord attached to his ankle. When he turned around, his left eye was slightly puffy and red, and I grimaced in embarrassment.

“Sorry about that.”

He shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” Seeing my sheepish expression, he offered a reassuring smile. “Ember, it’s all right. I know how to take a punch, trust me. This is nothing.”

“Lemme see it.” I stepped closer and rose on tiptoe to better peer at the wound. Garret didn’t move, going perfectly still as I examined his face, his eyes fixed on a spot against the horizon. His skin was smooth and tan, though there was a faint dark circle forming around one eye, making me wince. I also discovered another scar, a thin raised line across his temple, nearly invisible beneath his hair. What did he do, I wondered, to get so many?

That ominous, niggling doubt entered my mind again, and I shoved it back. I would not think of that. He was not part of that murdering cult. He couldn’t be.

“Well?” His voice surprised me, strained yet strangely nonchalant. Like he was fighting his own instincts not to back away. “What’s the verdict?”

“Um, you might have a black eye later tonight. A small one.”

He actually chuckled at that, sending a flutter through my stomach. “And here I thought the waves were the most dangerous things I’d be facing.”

My heart was suddenly pounding, and I took a few steps into the water to calm it down. Garret’s eyes followed me, his mercury gaze searing the back of my head. My face felt warm, and I peered out over the ocean, shielding my eyes from the sun and his piercing stare. “Well, it’s not gonna feel great with all the sand and salt getting into it. Wanna call it quits?”

“Quit?” I heard the challenging grin in his voice, and glanced back at him. He was smiling again, his eyes playful. “Giving up already?” he asked, cocking his head. “I told you I can take whatever you dish out. Or was that last wave too scary?”

I blinked in astonishment. Was heteasingme? Where didthisGarret come from? Maybe that last tumble through the waves had jostled his brain a bit. Whatever it was, I wasn’t complaining.

“Okay, then,” I said, throwing back my own smirk. “You asked for it. One more time.”

We strode back into the ocean, mounted the board and searched the horizon for potential waves. Or at least Garret did. Instead of watching the water, I stared at him instead—his face, his profile, his bright hair and the sculpt of his chest and arms.

Humans are the inferior species,Scary Talon Lady had said that morning.If not for their numbers, we would have subjugated them long ago. Remember this, hatchling—we might look like them, walk among them and have integrated into their world, but humans are nothing but the means to an end.

“Here we go,” Garret murmured, and I peered past his shoulders to where a swell was growing and coming toward us rapidly. He faced me again and smiled, making my heart stutter. “Ready?”

I nodded. The wave rose up and started crashing down, but Garret had already leaped to his feet. I followed, losing my balance for a split second, but then two strong hands came to rest against my sides, steadying me. Heart in my throat, I faced forward as we rode the wave down together, moving in unison. I didn’t dare look back, but I could sense Garret’s fierce grin over my shoulder, and couldn’t hold back a whoop of triumph.

We stayed on the board until the wave flattened out in the shallows, and I whooped again, fist-pumping the air. Unfortunately, that was enough to overbalance the board, and we toppled into the water together, making a loud splash.

Laughing, I stood up, blinking water from my eyes. Garret rose in front of me, shaking out his hair, raking it back with his fingers. His shoulders heaved with silent laughter, his whole face alight with triumph and pure happiness. My stomach flipped, and I softly said his name.

Still smiling, he looked down at me.

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