"No chance." He's absolutely certain. "I'd know if another Agual was anywhere in these waters. We're like sharks sensing each other. Evolutionary thing."
"So they're after you, even if they don't know what you are." I grip the rail so hard my knuckles go white. "What the hell do we do? They've got sonar, underwater drones, probably all kinds of tech I don't even know about."
"We lie low." His voice stays steady when mine won't. "I've been dodging humans for almost a hundred years. I'll stay out of their patrol areas, go deeper when I move around, use the natural ocean floor mess to hide my tracks."
"And us? Our dives?"
"On hold. For now." The regret in his voice matches the sinking feeling in my gut. "You hanging out with me is what caught their attention. If we keep it up, we're basically confirming their suspicions."
Makes perfect sense. Doesn't make it suck any less. These past months have been the best of my life. Not just the successful dives, but having someone who gets it. Gets me. Going back to solo diving in waters that'll feel empty without him... I can't even find words for how much that hurts.
"How long?" I hate how small I sound.
"Until they pack up and leave. Two weeks, if your friend's right." His expression softens. "This isn't forever, Meri. Just a strategic retreat."
"And if they find something? If they come back with more gear, more people?"
"We'll figure it out then." A tentacle reaches up to touch my hand on the rail. "Adapting kept me alive when everything went to hell. It'll get us through this too."
I flip my hand to meet his touch. After all this time, the cool, smooth feel of him is as familiar as my own skin. "I told Fergus about this place. As a backup plan. I trust him, Cyreus."
His eyes widen slightly. "You told him about me?"
"No. Just that if things go sideways, he should come here at sunset and wait. That he might see something unexpected." I watch his face carefully. "I needed a safety net. Someone who could help if these researchers get aggressive."
He's quiet for a moment, thinking it through. "Your friend's proven reliable through your business dealings. You really think he'd keep this kind of secret?"
"Yeah, I do. Fergus has seen enough weird shit in seventy years to know some things are better left unreported."I give his tentacle a gentle squeeze. "He's already covering for me without knowing why. Telling him enough to help isn't the same as putting you on display."
Cyreus nods slowly. "Trust isn't something I've handed out freely since I crashed here. But I trust you. If you say this man can help instead of hurt, I believe you."
Coming from someone who's spent a century hiding, that's huge. Trusting a human he's never even met, just on my say-so.
"Thanks." I let go of him, feeling the clock ticking on our time together. "So what now? Two weeks of pretending we don't know each other?"
"Not separation," he corrects me. "Adaptation. We meet at night when they're not looking. We find ways to communicate that won't tip them off. We stay connected, just... creatively."
"And my diving?"
"Goes back to how it was before me. Normal depths, standard gear, nothing flashy." His expression turns serious. "They need to see boring, everyday salvage diver Meri. Nothing worth a second look."
Makes sense. Still feels like putting on old clothes that don't fit anymore. Going back to the limitations I had before we teamed up, giving up everything we can do together.
"I hate this," I admit. "Hiding what we can do. Pretending to be less than we are."
"It won't be forever," he reminds me. "And maybe we needed this wake-up call. We've gotten comfortable. Sloppy."
He's right, though I don't want to admit it. Success made us cocky. That bronze bell we brought up yesterday came from a depth that would raise eyebrows among professionals, pulled out with a precision that fancy equipment would struggle to match.
"When do we meet again?" I'm already plotting new routes, safer spots.
"Three nights from now. The northern cove, after midnight when they're probably looking elsewhere." He drifts back slightly, getting ready to leave. "I'll track their movements, learn their search patterns, find the blind spots."
"What if they get too close? If they put equipment where it might pick you up?"
"Then I go deeper, beyond their search range." His face shows the calm confidence of someone who's survived worse. "I've stayed hidden for a hundred years. I'm not getting caught now, when I finally have something worth staying free for."
That simple statement hits me right in the chest. Whatever mess we're facing, whatever hoops we have to jump through, what matters is still there.