Page 46 of Claimed By the Deep
But here, on a planet I never intended to call home, I've found something unexpected—connection, purpose, and a strange new belonging that transcends the vast distances between worlds.
My people may never come looking for me. But for the first time since the crash, I'm no longer waiting to be found.
Meridian
TWENTY ONE
Isecure our latest find on the deck, a bronze ship's bell from some old merchant vessel. Two months working with Cyreus, and we've hit our stride - taking turns deciding between salvage days and exploration, depending on weather and how wiped I am from the last dive.
"Not bad for a morning's work," Cyreus says as he surfaces beside the boat. He's in human form, though he switches back and forth more these days now that he knows I don't care either way. "That bell should bring decent cash."
"Especially with that engraving still clear." I help him aboard, watching water pour off his dark hair. "Fergus has a collector who's nuts about maritime instruments."
Cyreus settles next to me but keeps glancing toward the horizon where another boat's appeared. Some fishing vessel, too far to make out details but definitely heading our direction.
"Looks like we've got company," he says casually, though I catch the way his shoulders tense.
I shield my eyes against the glare. "Pretty sure that's old Pete Miller's trawler. He fishes these waters all the time. Probably just checking his lines."
"Should we leave?"
"Nah. Pete's half deaf and cares more about his catch than what we're up to." I keep stowing gear at my normal pace. "Besides, we're in open water. Nothing illegal about what we're doing."
Cyreus stays on alert, tracking the fishing boat. "Legality isn't what worries me."
I get it. His hundred years of hiding wasn't a lifestyle choice but survival strategy. One solid sighting and he goes from local legend to lab specimen.
"He's changing course," Cyreus says suddenly. "Coming straight for us."
I look up and sure enough, Pete's boat has veered toward us, cutting through water with a purpose that feels off.
"That's weird. Pete usually sticks to the shallower grounds." I grab my binoculars for a better look. Through the lenses, I can make out Pete at the helm with his perpetual slouch, but there's someone else with him - taller, younger, holding what looks like a fancy camera with a massive telephoto lens. "Shit. He's got company."
Cyreus starts edging toward the water. "I should go."
"Wait." I grab his arm before he can slip away. "If you disappear now, it'll look suspicious as hell. They might have already spotted you."
"What's your suggestion?"
"Act normal. You're just some guy helping me with salvage work." I squeeze his arm. "Keep half-submerged on the platform if you're worried. People usually see what they expect to see."
He nods, though every line in his body screams tension. We keep securing our equipment as Pete's boat gets close enough that I can hear its cranky old engine.
"Mornin', Meri!" Pete hollers across the water. "Thought that was you! Got someone here wants to meet ya!"
I wave back with a casualness I definitely don't feel. "Morning, Pete! Fish biting today?"
His trawler pulls up alongside, and I get my first good look at his passenger - some guy in his thirties with a camera that probably cost more than my boat and a fancy waterproof notebook. Something about his eager expression sets off every alarm bell I've got.
"This here's Brian Donovan," Pete says. "Writes for that nature magazine—"
"Oceanic Quarterly," the guy jumps in, reaching his hand across the gap between our boats. "I'm doing a feature on independent salvage operators along the coast. Captain Miller says you're one of the best around."
I shake his hand quickly, keeping things friendly but not too friendly. "Just trying to make a living like everyone else. Nothing special about what I do."
Donovan's eyes shift to Cyreus, who's positioned himself perfectly on the dive platform with just his upper body visibleabove water. "And you must be the diving partner locals have mentioned. I heard Meri Montgomery started working with someone after years of solo operation."
Cyreus nods without offering his hand. "I provide assistance with deeper dives."
