Page 18 of Fionn
"We have an emergency," Paul said breathlessly. "Everyone on my team is already starting the search, but I thought you might be able to help as well."
"What happened?" I asked. But I already knew. I felt it in my greenskin. She was in trouble.
"Elise, the lady you met last night, has gone missing. She was out diving with Maelis here, but..."
"She just disappeared," Maelis interjected. "One second she was right behind me, the next she was gone. It wasn't her first time diving so we went deeper than I usually go with clients. I wanted to show her what the locals call the dragon-egg-cave. I could see she was an experienced swimmer so I didn't babysit her too much, but maybe I should have..."
Her voice trailed off. Her eyes were lined with red.
Paul reached out and patted her back. "Don't worry, we will find her. As you said, she's a strong swimmer. She may have just got distracted by a pretty fish or coral and not seen where you went." He turned to me. "I've got everyone who owns a boat out searching for her. I've also asked for the helicopter on a neighbouring island to join the search, but it will take a while to get here. Can you use your... your spaceship to locate her?"
He clearly struggled with the concept of such advanced technology.
I wanted to run to the sea, dive deep and find her, but I forced myself to remain calm in front of these Peritans. "I will instruct them to scan the water for her. Can you tell me where exactly this cave is?"
I activated my holoband and opened a map of the area. The two Peritans gasped as it appeared in the air above my arm, but Maelis recovered quickly. She pointed at a spot south of the island, not far from where I'd been swimming last night. A coincidence or was the universe trying to tell me something?
"I will go there now," I promised. "I am fast. I will find her."
I sent a quick message to Rainse and Cerban with the coordinates and the request to make Captain Maggnus scan the area, then ran across the beach. The sand was still cool and wet from high tide but it was starting to warm. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. A beautiful day - except for that lingering fear in my chest.
And where the fuck was Kelon? I swore, if he returned and then complained that I'd taken charge and he hadn't been informed... I'd need both my clutch-brothers to restrain me.
The ocean welcomed me like an old friend. I swam as fast as I could, piercing through the waves, my long hair slapping against my back. My greenskin kept me on course, adjusting my swim direction ever so slightly when needed. I passed a large mammal which looked at me curiously from dark, intelligent eyes. I doubted my translator implant would work for Peritan animals, otherwise I could have asked it to join the search.
It didn't take long to reach the cave entrance where Elise had last been seen. Jelly creatures floated in the water, moving majestically on the current. If I'd not been here to search for a missing female, I would have stopped to admire the sight. But a sense of urgency filled me. I knew Elise was in trouble. She hadn't just got lost. I didn't know how I could be so sure, but I would have sworn anything on it. She needed help. Now I just had to find her.
I stilled my greenskin and listened to the sounds of the ocean. I closed my eyes, straining to hear anything out of the ordinary. I was glad I'd been for a swim last night to familiarise myself with this planet's ocean. I knew now what it should sound like. No matter how hard I focused, I couldn't sense anything that would give me reason to suspect it was Elise.
So much for that plan. I could wait until the Tidebound scanned the sea, but no. I had to do something.
The ache in my chest was growing deeper. For a moment, fear for Elise clouded my judgement and I simply swam, as if pulled by a thread attached right to my heart. Then I stopped. It was silly. I couldn't just swim in a random direction and hope for the best. I had to be strategic about it. But...
It felt right. Instinctively, I knew where to go. That pull told me.
I was a rational finman. I'd always preferred to think and strategize rather than rush into action. But Elise was in danger. Maybe it was time to throw caution in the wind and listen to my instincts.
So I swam.
I became one with the sea, taking advantage of its ripples and currents, moving faster than I ever had before. My muscles ached, my gills hurt from lack of oxygen, but I kept swimming, drawn by the invisible thread pulling at my chest. It was leading me to her. My female. My mate.
I heard them before I could see them through the hazy water. A familiar, cold voice that carried far.
I balled my hands into fists. What the fuck was Kelon doing out here? Had he stumbled across Elise by accident? Or was her disappearance his fault?
Either way, he shouldn't be alone with her. It wasn't safe. He'd made it very clear what he thought of females.
I grit my teeth and increased my pace even more until my muscles burned in protest. There they were, two shapes swimming close to each other. Kelon held steady in the waves, his greenskin stabilising him as it should, but Elise was being pushed around, struggling to stay afloat. He didn't reach out to help her. He simply watched.
I was going to kill him.
I dove deeper in order to catch him off guard. When I was right underneath them, I swam up fast, grabbed his ankles and pulled him down. He shrieked in surprise but it didn't take him long to recover. He kicked back with his right foot, narrowly missing my head, but I didn't let go.
"Let go!" he shouted, his sharp voice an ugly contrast to the beauty of the ocean.
"What did you do to her?" I yelled, still pulling him down further. "Did you hurt her?"
"I was just going to have some fun," he growled. "Let me go, Fionn! You're going to regret this."
