Page 100 of The Demons in the Deep: Extended Edition
He did not wince. He’d felt worse. The painful slap of his father’s belt against the backs of his legs. The crunch of the mermaid Queen’s teeth through his flesh and bones.
A soft gasp, and a tightening of Kestra’s fingers around his right hand. “Oh, Flay.” Her voice was barely more than a breath.
“Hush, Kestra!” Mai’s voice, close. Bending near him.
“Bilge and bone, Sparrow, can I look yet?” Flay asked.
“It took me far too long to make this,” said Mai. “I’m sorry you had to put up with that multi-tool hand for seven long years, but—”
“It was a work of art, Sparrow,” he assured her, while his heart kicked up faster. He was feeling more things along his left forearm—the pull of tendons, the stretch of skin. “Mai—please.”
“You can open your eyes now.”
Flay opened his eyes. And there was his left hand.
“The belt technology uses the cells that are already there to rebuild a body’s form into legs or a tail,” Mai explained. “Since your hand was completely gone, I had to alter the design. Using components from one of the original belts, as well as raw materials, I created an artificial hand with all the required building blocks of real flesh. When you attach it and turn the wheel, the device samples your body’s code, like the belts do—and it creates a replica of what your hand should look like. You might feel some prickling where it connects to your nerves to enable movement. I’m not sure I can totally get rid of that sensation, but we can tweak it. It’s not perfect—”
“Yes it is.” Flay stretched out the hand, flexing his fingers. Where the device met his forearm, there was a wide golden cuff, with a latch and a dial, just like the belts.
“I can move it,” he breathed. “I can—I can touch you, Kestra—tides, I can feel your skin, your beautiful, beautiful skin—”
Kestra was crying as he stroked her neck, her face. He wrapped both arms around her, a full hug.
“Can I see, can I see?” Lira’s golden head bobbed at his elbow. Flay turned and swept his four-year-old daughter up in both hands. He done it before with the residual limb—his life was full and wonderful even with one hand—but he’d wished for this two-handed grip, and he reveled in it.
“Mai made you a new hand?” Lira gaped, eyes wide. “To fix the one the mean lady ate?”
Flay chuckled. “Yes, Petal.” He turned to Jewel, who nearly reached his shoulder now. “What do you think?”
Jewel stepped nearer, tossing dark blue curls out of his eyes to inspect the new hand. “My mother does good work.” He gave Mai a bright smile. “Come on, Lira, let’s go to the pool and see the spawn!”
“Don’t call themspawn,” Mai said, exasperated.
“Thank goodness the contraceptive tonic is effective in both your forms, or you’d have far too many little ones by now,” Kestra said, jostling her cousin’s elbow.
“Sixfrom one pregnancy,” Mai groaned. “But we’re done now. No more. Rake promised.”
“Speaking of the Goldfish, where is he? I want to show him my new hand!” Flay strode past the two women, out to the balcony that overlooked the cave city. It was still a quiet place, but several dozen families lived and worked there regularly—miners, linguists, scientists, builders, and more. And that number didn’t include the merfolk who lived in the City Below, now that it had been fully cleared and all gases neutralized.
Flay was about to run down the steps leading from the balcony to the street; but then he smacked his forehead and ran back into the house.
He clasped Mai’s slight frame with both arms, and into that hug he tried to pour all his gratitude for years she’d spent at the science school in Meroa, the years at the college in Audised, and the most recent years at Twin Cities.
When he pulled away, her eyes were wet, and so were his.
“Thank you, Sparrow,” he said tightly, willing himself not to cry, because he was more than just a captain now—by the tides, he was a rutting commodore, the leader of a fleet, and he must not be seen walking the streets of Twin Cities with red eyes and tearstained cheeks.
Mai shrugged and punched his arm lightly. “I had to do it, after you said you didn’t think I could.”
“So this achievement was prompted by sheer stubbornness.” He grinned.
“All the greatest ones are.” Kestra winked at her cousin. “Let’s go find Rake and show him.”
“I think he went hunting for fish, for the children,” Mai said. “We weren’t sure when your ship would get in, and he likes to bring back live fish for them to catch and eat raw, every day or so. He says it keeps their predator urges under control.”
“How—sweet?” Kestra raised her eyebrows.
“It is sweet. Gross, too. But they love it.”
