Page 30 of The Demons in the Deep: Extended Edition
“We’lltrainhim, Blossom,” Flay said again. “And maybe Mai can reinforce the belt—”
“About that, Flay,” Kestra interjected. “You keep signing my cousin up for these enormous, difficult tasks. She’s brilliant, I won’t deny that—but she has lived on one small island since her birth. Her only workshop was the shed at the back of our garden, and she had very limited resources. Having her build you a ship and weapons—it’s too much.”
“Design, not build,” Flay corrected. “She will sketch them, my men will build them. Meanwhile Goldfish here can learn how to fight so he can bring ruination upon Feral’s champion in the arena.”
Kestra had both fists on her hips, and she was glaring at each of them in turn. Rake watched the captain tilt his head slightly and give Kestra a slow, warm, sunny smile, with a hint of pleading in his blue eyes. Rake’s own heart stuttered at that look; and the effect it had on Kestra was almost comical. She pinched her lips tighter, shaking her head—and then, slowly, her arms relaxed, dropping to her sides, while her frown eased.
Flay leaped off the bed immediately and moved his body into her space, cementing his victory with a soft kiss to her temple.
Rake had watched Kestra manipulate the captain before, and it amused him that Flay could play her right back. Or perhaps it wasn’t play at all, or cunning. Perhaps it was simply the dance of two hearts that both craved the other’s joy, and took turns yielding.
While Mai slept, Rake spoke quietly to Flay and Kestra of his other news, the reason why he’d traveled so far.
“Not because you missed us, then,” quipped Flay, but Kestra hushed him, frowning, and beckoned for Rake to keep speaking.
He explained the memories the Horror and its counterparts had shown him, the landmarks that could reveal the location of the ruined mermaid city.
“The other beings that are part of the Entity had clearer memories of that area of the ocean, where they were forced out during the Great Upheaval,” Rake said. “Once the Horror joined with the others, those memories were shared and passed on to me.”
“Mai will want to go there,” Kestra said, biting her lip.
“Perhaps we can, after all this,” Flay replied. But he looked just as concerned as she did. “I am not sure how my father will take it if I begin varying my route too greatly. He’s used to us bringing the same sort of items and elements every time—he makes deals in advance, based on what we usually bring.”
“There could be treasures in the city,” Rake suggested. “Things your people would want.”
“If we deliver too many mysterious treasures, my father will begin to ask questions about where we discovered them,” Flay said. “He is already curious about what I brought this time. If there is technology like the belts and breathing devices in that ruined city, I am not sure I want it in my father’s hands.”
Rake looked down at his own hands, flexing his claws, trying to still the restless panic inside him. It sounded as if Flay did not want to go to the city. But they must go, all of them. Rake could not go there alone.
Kestra’s hand curled over his shoulder. “I know you want to see the city, Rake.”
He looked at her, sensing one of the rare moments of understanding between them. She could be harsh, this beautiful woman—even cruel—but sometimes, when her eyes met his, he saw how deeply she could care, and it swamped his soul entirely, washed all his thoughts away like blood in the tide.
“We will do our best to make this happen,” Flay said.
“Let’s not speak of it to Mai until after the Games,” Kestra added. “She has enough to think about right now. Enough pressure and anxiety. If we tell her about it, she won’t be able to focus on anything else, and Flay is counting on her help with weapon designs.”
Rake conceded, though privately he thought Kestra was acting toward Mai as he himself might act toward Jewel—like a parent to a child. And Mai was no child. Did she not deserve to have this information, like the rest of them?
But the other two had already moved on from the topic. As if Rake’s journey, his purpose, his priority, were somehowlessthan theirs. And he understood why, of course. But it felt to him that no matter how pleased they were to see him, or how many times they might call him “friend,” he would never be quite an equal in their eyes, for he wasOther. Different.
Even here, with them, he did not quite belong.
9
Mai had never worn such an exquisite gown.
It whispered around her legs in a cool, swishy cloud, hugged her slim waist, and bloomed around her breasts, augmenting them with layers of ruching and glittery beadwork. Whole sections of the stomach and back were sheer panels of lace, showing the pale skin beneath. Her bony shoulders were bare, and she felt a little self-conscious about the sharp points where her collarbones began and ended. The dress had gauzy loops instead of sleeves—loops that cinched around her upper arms. Her throat, wrists, and earlobes sparkled with jewelry—not so fine as what Flay had offered to his father, but finer than anything she’d previously worn.
Kestra was similarly attired, but instead of a frosty, silvery gown she wore rich crimson. She had expressed concern about how much Flay was spending, but he brushed off the comment, claiming he had saved up his profits. “If we plan to win this thing, we must invest in our own success,” he’d said. “We’ll need sponsors to put up the money for our racing ship. All of us must make a splash tonight.”
Of course Rake would be the one making the biggest splash. Mai had barely seen him all day, but she knew he would be presented at the ball, along with the other captains’ champions.
She stared up the steps at the pillared glory of the Magnate’s fortress. She and the others had alighted from their carriage at the central building, which was cylindrical in shape, circled by sky-high archways and tall spires. Lights winked from those spires, from the peaks of the arches, and from every window in the main building. Floods of light poured from three enormous entrances, each one standing wide open to the night, welcoming throngs of glimmering nobility.
“Mai.” Kestra tugged her arm. “Come on.”
Mai drifted along beside her and Flay, up the steps. After a moment, Kestra looped her arm through Mai’s and held on tight, so Mai knew her cousin was just as frightened and overwhelmed as she was. The realization relaxed her pinched lungs, soothed her taut nerves.
